"Truewood, Laura"
Laura moved towards the stool with the sorting hat. It seemed easy enough, just put the hat on and wait for it to decide where you really belonged. She approached the stool; everyone in the hall was looking at her, waiting to welcome her to their house.
Gently she placed the hat onto her head before seating herself. "Hmm difficult, very difficult! Where do I put you?"
"Anywhere but Slytherin! Oh please not Slytherin!!"
"No definitely not there, hmmm well I guess we better say…GRYFFINDOR!"
The table on the far side erupted into cheers; Laura could see Evie waving her to a seat. Grinning she pulled the hat off her head and back onto the stool for the next person.
Evie clapped as Laura came over and sat down "Welcome to Gryffindor Laura!"
"Thanks" Laura turned pink "I didn't want to be in Slytherin"
"Well good thing you're not isn't it?"
"Well um yeah I guess so"
"Who's this Evie?"
"Oh Laura this is Lessa, Lessa this is Laura. I helped off the train earlier"
Laura was surprised by the Lessa's appearance "What's with all the black?"
Lessa only smiled "I'm a Goth, we generally wear all black"
"Do you only wear black or can you wear other colours?"
"Well sometimes we wear red or white but I prefer black and the occasional dark purple"
"Oh ok, cool!"
Evie was glad to see Laura get on well with Lessa. She hoped that she would get to know her other friends as well. "Laura this is Cathy"
Cathy looked up from watching the last of the first years being sorted "Oh hi"
"And this" Evie pointed to Char "is Charlotte"
Char waved "Please call me Char, it sounds less formal"
"Ok, Char"
Nancy spoke before Evie could "Hey Laura, I'm Nancy!"
"Hi"
"And these two over here are Alexis and Amy, just call Alexis Alex. It's easier"
"Um Hello!"
Alexis and Amy looked up from their conversation with some of their fellow 2nd years and waved. Laura smiled back at them.
"You have some interesting friends"
Evie had to agree "Yeah tell me about it"
The sorting hat sorted the last boy into Slytherin before it fell silent. Professor McGonagal took it away. It was now that all the chatter in the hall ended and Professor Dumbledore stood up to face them all.
"Welcome" he said "To another year at Hogwarts! I know that many of you are anxiously awaiting our excellent school feast so I will not detain you. Enjoy"
At once all the golden plates filled themselves and the students all began to pile their plates with roast chicken, pork, golden roasted potatoes, pumpkin, chops, French-fries, mince pies, mini pizza's, assorted vegetables and a bowl of what looked like pasta.
Evie began helping herself to some potatoes while Laura just looked on in amazement.
"Wow! How do they do all this?"
Laughing Evie replied "Below us in the kitchens they have replicas of the house tables. They cook and arrange everything down there, place them onto the tables and finally they just magic them up here at the right moment"
"Really?"
"I kid you not"
"Cool!" Laura reached out for the French-fries "I never have anything like this at home!"
"Yeah the welcome feast is always good, so is the feast we have before we go home"
Evie poured herself some pumpkin juice "want some?"
"What is it?"
"It's pumpkin juice"
"Is it nice?"
"Why don't you try some and see?"
She poured some into a goblet and handed it to Laura. Laura looked at it for a minute until Evie beckoned her to try it. "Wow it's nice!"
"Always is"
"Hey Evie, Quidditch trials on Saturday. You are going to be there right?"
"Team members have to be there don't they? Sure I will"
"Good, I'll see you on the pitch at 9"
"Sure James, I'll be there"
"Who's he?"
"Oh him, that's just James. He's the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team"
"Are you on the team?"
"I was made a chaser last year but I'm not very good"
"She lies Laura" Char interrupted "she's really good"
"No I'm not" Evie could feel her cheeks go red "I just try my best"
"Well you don't see me on the team do you?"
"Yeah well you should have been"
"Who else is on the team then?"
"Well we lost a lot of our players this year because they all left school but basically there's Kelsey and me as chasers, no beaters, Adam as our seeker and James is our Keeper. We need replacements for a chaser and both our beaters."
"I think Alex wants to try out for a beater and I'm pretty sure I want to try out for a chaser. Not sure about Lessa but she may want to as well."
"First years can't join the team can they?"
"Well not usually but they let Harry Potter play when he was at Hogwarts"
"He's legendary!"
"Yes, feel proud to be in the same house as he was in"
Dessert came and went. Dumbledore again stood up as the hall fell to silence. "As I said before welcome to Hogwarts. I'd like to remind you all that the forbidden forest is actually forbidden" some of the students laughed "to all students. No excuses. Now Mr. Filch has asked that I remind you all that he will confiscate any item which has been banned. You can see this list pinned up on his office door. Remember no magic is to be used in the corridors. Well that's all I have to say at this present time but before we all go on up to bed let us sing the school song. Choose your own tune".
With a flick of his wand silver words appeared in the air next to him. At once the whole school began to chant out the song in different tunes.
When the last singers had finished Dumbledore dismissed them off to bed.
"First years follow me please!"
"Do I have to follow him or can I go with you?"
Evie thought for a moment "I think you should go with him for now, I can see you in the morning if you wait in the common-room"
"Great! Seeya!" Laura dashed off to join the other first years.
"Yeah"
"Coming?"
"Yeah coming" Evie followed her friends back up to Gryffindor tower.
"Do you think that I could try out for beater on Saturday Evie?"
Evie grinned "Anyone can try out Alex but are you sure it's what you want to do?"
"Yes"
"In that case I do think that you would make a great beater"
"Wow really?"
"Yes really"
"Cool! I heard that Joel's going to try out for beater as well"
"Joel's going to try out?"
"Well yeah that's what everyone else is saying"
"Hmmm" she stopped to think "He's that 2nd year guy with the blonde streaks right?"
"Well yeah"
"Anyone else going to try out for it?"
"Pretty much everyone in the 2nd year is going to try out, well except Amy of course"
"Well then I guess there's going to be a big turnout on Saturday"
Alex had to agree "Yeah I think you might be right"
"Does anyone know the password?"
"Err no"
"I do, I asked one of the Prefects back in the Great Hall"
"Thank god somebody around here has brains Char"
"Brain? What is this brain you speak of?"
"Very funny Cathy, what's the password Char?"
"It's mimblewimble" The portrait door swung open and they all entered the common room.
"Heh heh mimblewimble!" Cathy started giggling.
"Oh not again!"
"She does this every time, just because she spent an hour laughing over that word at home"
"Cathy spent an hour laughing over mimblewimble?"
"Apparently so"
"It's just so funny!"
"We'd better get her to bed"
They said goodnight to Alexis and Amy as they continued up the girl's staircase to their dormitory.
Evie started yawning "I'm soo tired now"
"Stop yawning, you're making me want to fall asleep"
"Sorry Char, I just can't help it"
As soon as they reached their dormitory they all sleepily put on their pyjama's and fell into bed.
"Well night everyone"
"Night"
"Legolas!" Char mumbled into her pillow.