Yes, I suck at updating. School is nuts and draining the life out of
me. I'm so sorry! Okay, here it is and enjoy. All original characters
belong to me and the rest is property of JKR, Warner Bros, etc...
Chapter Six: First Night Back
He and Lily left to direct student traffic. The rest trailed behind, laughing and talking.
"This is going to be the best year yet," said Allison.
"We're going out with a bang!" Sirius added.
"Please, the thought of anything remotely associated with fireworks makes me ill," Jenny said. "What with last year's fiasco."
Sirius grinned handsomely. "That was brilliant! I did get the History of Magic exam postponed a day, didn't I?"
"Yes and you almost killed me when a firecracker exploded under my chair."
The group hopped onto the platform into the chilly September night. Allison moved against Sirius for heat. He happily obliged, holding her closer with an arm about the shoulders. Up ahead were a hundred or so carriages, pulled by invisible horses. Sirius and Allison took one near the front while Remus, Jenny, and Peter occupied another. The carriages rolled along a dirt path to the castle. Hogwarts rose up against the starry sky. Its many windows glowed with warm orange lights, making the wind escaping into the carriages seem all the colder. The entourage stopped directly in front of the stone steps to the Great Hall. Remus helped Jenny out and they trotted up the steps, Peter in tow, to where Sirius and Allison were standing. Cheery hellos were exchanged between school chums as everyone surged forward into the Great Hall. It looked as magnificent as ever. Four long tables, one for each House, were filling with people. At the front of the room on a dais was a table for the professors. Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, was already seated and talking with Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. Jenny lingered at the Gryffindor table for a few minutes before sitting across the room with her fellow Ravenclaws. Shortly after, Professor Dumbledore rapped his goblet for silence and the frightened first years came marching in behind Professor McGonagall, the strait-laced Transfiguration teacher.
"That's my brother with the black hair," gestured William Chang, a good-looking sixth year, who was the Ravenclaw Keeper and Jenny's friend. "Hope he gets in Ravenclaw, eh?"
"Yeah, another Chang would be great. Is he any good at Quidditch?"
"He's brilliant. He'll make the team, no doubt."
McGonagall brought the Sorting Hat, a tattered old scrap of a hat, to the front of the Hall. The brim of the hat opened and it began to chant:
"Oh I may be just a hat
But within your mind I see
The house to which you belong
You keep no secrets from me.
Perhaps you are brave like Gryffindors
A house meant for the bold.
Or maybe learning is your forte
Ravenclaw is where knowledge is gold.
Oh those cunning Slytherins
Could foster your desires
Gentle Hufflepuff owns the rest
Loyalty is all she requires.
So try me on and discover
Where you are meant to go
Have no fear, I never make mistakes
For character is what I know."
The Great Hall broke into appreciative applause. Sirius' stomach growled over the clapping, making Allison giggle.
"Hope the hat hurries up," he said. "I'm starved."
Luckily, the Sorting Hat made up its mind fairly quickly, dwelling the longest on "Bones, Harry," who became a Hufflepuff. Professor McGonagall carried away the Sorting Hat after "Zabini, Lena" had hurried to her seat among the Slytherins. Professor Dumbledore stood with a smile once McGonagall took her seat beside him.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," he said. "I hope that your minds have been sufficiently emptied over the summer so that we may help you fill them again once more! But I see many hungry faces staring up at me. Very well! You may tuck in, allowing that you try the Shepard's pie. It is delightful."
At that, the plates and bowls before the students filled with good Hogwarts food: roasted chicken, potatoes in a rich butter sauce, the afore mentioned Shepard's pie, and a stunning variety of hearty British fare, all to be washed down with pumpkin juice, milk, water, or Earl Grey tea.
"Fantastic spread!" exclaimed Sirius, happily digging into the Shepard's pie.
Utensils clattered on plates as everyone dug into their favorite dishes. The mood was festive and jokes flew across the heavily laden table.
"So Wormtail," said James. "D'you reckon McGonagall will pass you this year?"
"I did pass," Peter said indignantly, eating his way through a monstrous slice of mincemeat pie.
"Barely," Sirius reminded. "If we hadn't have helped you, you'd have failed. I don't understand how you can fail Transfiguration when you're an Animagus."
"Shush Sirius," said Lily. "Don't talk so loudly."
Only Remus was pushing his food about his plate. He kept gazing longingly at the Ravenclaw table, where Jenny was talking to Amelia Boot.
"Poor old Moony," teased James, clapping him on the back. "He's lovesick!"
Allison grinned. She passed Remus a plate of chocolate chip cookies sympathetically.
"It's nothing a little chocolate can't fix," she said.
Remus took a cookie, but didn't eat it.
"I'll be back," he said.
In the noisy Hall, no one noticed as Remus slipped beside Jenny, offering a cookie.
At a quarter past seven, Dumbledore dismissed the students. By that time, even Sirius had to admit that he was stuffed full. James and Lily disappeared into the crowds to direct human traffic, leaving Sirius, Allison, and Peter to wander up the marble staircase to the Gryffindor dormitories on the seventh floor.
"Where'd Remus go?" Allison asked.
Sirius smiled. "Oh, I think I caught a glimpse of him with Jen. Probably walking her back to the Ravenclaw dorms, seeing how she could get lost."
The three friends strolled leisurely along, deciding that taking their time would be best, as their stomachs were full to bursting. The stars were shining through the windows by the time they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Hey! You!" Sirius pointed at a red-haired prefect. "What's the password."
The wizard looked disgruntled at having to surrender to his request, but submitted after sneaking a look at Sirius' muscular build.
"The password's diffindo," he said.
The Fat Lady's portrait swung open, revealing a circular whole in the wall. Within was the Gryffindor Common Room, comfortably furnished with tables for doing homework and overstuffed red armchairs. The room was fairly empty, besides a few fourth years were playing Gobstones in the corner. Sirius flopped down elegantly into a chair by the fireplace. A few strands of dark hair fell into his eyes, giving him a haughty appearance.
"Beautiful establishment, Hogwarts," Sirius said thoughtfully. "I'm going to miss it when we're gone."
"Me too," agreed Allison. "Play you at Wizard's Chess?"
While waiting for James, Lily, and Remus to return, Allison and Sirius fit in three vicious games of Wizard's Chess. Peter was seated nearby, writing his Potions paper in a blind panic, having five more inches to write, but no more information.
"Just repeat things," Sirius suggested. "And use big words to take up space. That's what I do and I have the best grades in the school."
"You wish Padfoot," said James, who had just stepped through the portrait hole. He yawned dramatically, collapsing into an armchair. "Being Head Boy sure is hard work."
"Yeah? What did you have to do? Tell the first years where to go? I do that everyday and I'm not Head Girl," Allison said.
James crossed his arms behind his head languidly. "It's in the title, not the duties, Allison."
At half past eight, Lily, her robes hanging tiredly on her thin frame, crawled wearily into the Common Room.
"Lo everyone," she said, suppressing a yawn.
"Now that's the look of someone who is really tired," Allison told James.
James tried to imitate the expression but succeeded only in looking very slightly drugged.
"I'm off to bed," said Lily. "I've got to get an early start tomorrow."
"G'night then," James nodded. "We'll stay up till Remus gets in."
"Night," echoed Sirius.
Allison and Lily ambled up the tower to their dormitory. There they shared a circular room of five canopy beds with the other seventh year Gryffindor girls. Already unpacking their trunks were Alice Nigellus, a round faced girl with curly blonde hair, Andromeda Black, Sirius' favorite cousin, and Isadora Shacklebolt, an athletic black girl. Alice was holding up a flowy deep green dress robe, edged in cream lace.
"It matches your eyes," commented Isadora. "And I'm sure Frank will love it."
Allison raised an eyebrow. "Frank Longbottom?"
"They're sweethearts!" grinned Isadora.
"How cute!" Andromeda said, brushing her waist-length black hair with a patience Allison could only dream of.
Lily waved her wand at her open trunk.
"Accio nightgown," she said.
A pale pink nightgown flew directly into her waiting hands. She let down her red hair and began dressing.
"Kind of early to be sleeping, isn't it?" Andromeda asked.
"Not for our Head Girl. She's a model student," said Allison.
She summoned her long flannel pants and thermal top and pulled them on. The air had taken on a cold bite, so the girls swiftly readied for bed, then snuggled under the bedcovers. Isadora took out a book and began reading in the soft light candlelight. Alice and Lily were both breathing heavily, a sure sign that they were asleep. Andromeda had a picture of a handsome man on her bedside table, which she was gazing at.
"Who's that?" Allison asked.
"Ted Tonks," she sighed. "I think I'm in love with him."
The Ted in the picture was moving about a bit awkwardly, occasionally waving at the camera.
"He's a Muggle. He lives next door to me. Goes to a Muggle high school," she explained.
Allison smiled. "He looks very nice."
"Oh yes. He's the most wonderful man I've ever met."
'I think the same of your cousin,' Allison thought.
"Lights out everyone?" Isadora asked softly, so as not to wake Alice and Lily.
"Yeah."
With a wave of her wand, the wall sconces went out and the three girls dropped into a peaceful slumber.
Chapter Six: First Night Back
He and Lily left to direct student traffic. The rest trailed behind, laughing and talking.
"This is going to be the best year yet," said Allison.
"We're going out with a bang!" Sirius added.
"Please, the thought of anything remotely associated with fireworks makes me ill," Jenny said. "What with last year's fiasco."
Sirius grinned handsomely. "That was brilliant! I did get the History of Magic exam postponed a day, didn't I?"
"Yes and you almost killed me when a firecracker exploded under my chair."
The group hopped onto the platform into the chilly September night. Allison moved against Sirius for heat. He happily obliged, holding her closer with an arm about the shoulders. Up ahead were a hundred or so carriages, pulled by invisible horses. Sirius and Allison took one near the front while Remus, Jenny, and Peter occupied another. The carriages rolled along a dirt path to the castle. Hogwarts rose up against the starry sky. Its many windows glowed with warm orange lights, making the wind escaping into the carriages seem all the colder. The entourage stopped directly in front of the stone steps to the Great Hall. Remus helped Jenny out and they trotted up the steps, Peter in tow, to where Sirius and Allison were standing. Cheery hellos were exchanged between school chums as everyone surged forward into the Great Hall. It looked as magnificent as ever. Four long tables, one for each House, were filling with people. At the front of the room on a dais was a table for the professors. Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, was already seated and talking with Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. Jenny lingered at the Gryffindor table for a few minutes before sitting across the room with her fellow Ravenclaws. Shortly after, Professor Dumbledore rapped his goblet for silence and the frightened first years came marching in behind Professor McGonagall, the strait-laced Transfiguration teacher.
"That's my brother with the black hair," gestured William Chang, a good-looking sixth year, who was the Ravenclaw Keeper and Jenny's friend. "Hope he gets in Ravenclaw, eh?"
"Yeah, another Chang would be great. Is he any good at Quidditch?"
"He's brilliant. He'll make the team, no doubt."
McGonagall brought the Sorting Hat, a tattered old scrap of a hat, to the front of the Hall. The brim of the hat opened and it began to chant:
"Oh I may be just a hat
But within your mind I see
The house to which you belong
You keep no secrets from me.
Perhaps you are brave like Gryffindors
A house meant for the bold.
Or maybe learning is your forte
Ravenclaw is where knowledge is gold.
Oh those cunning Slytherins
Could foster your desires
Gentle Hufflepuff owns the rest
Loyalty is all she requires.
So try me on and discover
Where you are meant to go
Have no fear, I never make mistakes
For character is what I know."
The Great Hall broke into appreciative applause. Sirius' stomach growled over the clapping, making Allison giggle.
"Hope the hat hurries up," he said. "I'm starved."
Luckily, the Sorting Hat made up its mind fairly quickly, dwelling the longest on "Bones, Harry," who became a Hufflepuff. Professor McGonagall carried away the Sorting Hat after "Zabini, Lena" had hurried to her seat among the Slytherins. Professor Dumbledore stood with a smile once McGonagall took her seat beside him.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," he said. "I hope that your minds have been sufficiently emptied over the summer so that we may help you fill them again once more! But I see many hungry faces staring up at me. Very well! You may tuck in, allowing that you try the Shepard's pie. It is delightful."
At that, the plates and bowls before the students filled with good Hogwarts food: roasted chicken, potatoes in a rich butter sauce, the afore mentioned Shepard's pie, and a stunning variety of hearty British fare, all to be washed down with pumpkin juice, milk, water, or Earl Grey tea.
"Fantastic spread!" exclaimed Sirius, happily digging into the Shepard's pie.
Utensils clattered on plates as everyone dug into their favorite dishes. The mood was festive and jokes flew across the heavily laden table.
"So Wormtail," said James. "D'you reckon McGonagall will pass you this year?"
"I did pass," Peter said indignantly, eating his way through a monstrous slice of mincemeat pie.
"Barely," Sirius reminded. "If we hadn't have helped you, you'd have failed. I don't understand how you can fail Transfiguration when you're an Animagus."
"Shush Sirius," said Lily. "Don't talk so loudly."
Only Remus was pushing his food about his plate. He kept gazing longingly at the Ravenclaw table, where Jenny was talking to Amelia Boot.
"Poor old Moony," teased James, clapping him on the back. "He's lovesick!"
Allison grinned. She passed Remus a plate of chocolate chip cookies sympathetically.
"It's nothing a little chocolate can't fix," she said.
Remus took a cookie, but didn't eat it.
"I'll be back," he said.
In the noisy Hall, no one noticed as Remus slipped beside Jenny, offering a cookie.
At a quarter past seven, Dumbledore dismissed the students. By that time, even Sirius had to admit that he was stuffed full. James and Lily disappeared into the crowds to direct human traffic, leaving Sirius, Allison, and Peter to wander up the marble staircase to the Gryffindor dormitories on the seventh floor.
"Where'd Remus go?" Allison asked.
Sirius smiled. "Oh, I think I caught a glimpse of him with Jen. Probably walking her back to the Ravenclaw dorms, seeing how she could get lost."
The three friends strolled leisurely along, deciding that taking their time would be best, as their stomachs were full to bursting. The stars were shining through the windows by the time they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Hey! You!" Sirius pointed at a red-haired prefect. "What's the password."
The wizard looked disgruntled at having to surrender to his request, but submitted after sneaking a look at Sirius' muscular build.
"The password's diffindo," he said.
The Fat Lady's portrait swung open, revealing a circular whole in the wall. Within was the Gryffindor Common Room, comfortably furnished with tables for doing homework and overstuffed red armchairs. The room was fairly empty, besides a few fourth years were playing Gobstones in the corner. Sirius flopped down elegantly into a chair by the fireplace. A few strands of dark hair fell into his eyes, giving him a haughty appearance.
"Beautiful establishment, Hogwarts," Sirius said thoughtfully. "I'm going to miss it when we're gone."
"Me too," agreed Allison. "Play you at Wizard's Chess?"
While waiting for James, Lily, and Remus to return, Allison and Sirius fit in three vicious games of Wizard's Chess. Peter was seated nearby, writing his Potions paper in a blind panic, having five more inches to write, but no more information.
"Just repeat things," Sirius suggested. "And use big words to take up space. That's what I do and I have the best grades in the school."
"You wish Padfoot," said James, who had just stepped through the portrait hole. He yawned dramatically, collapsing into an armchair. "Being Head Boy sure is hard work."
"Yeah? What did you have to do? Tell the first years where to go? I do that everyday and I'm not Head Girl," Allison said.
James crossed his arms behind his head languidly. "It's in the title, not the duties, Allison."
At half past eight, Lily, her robes hanging tiredly on her thin frame, crawled wearily into the Common Room.
"Lo everyone," she said, suppressing a yawn.
"Now that's the look of someone who is really tired," Allison told James.
James tried to imitate the expression but succeeded only in looking very slightly drugged.
"I'm off to bed," said Lily. "I've got to get an early start tomorrow."
"G'night then," James nodded. "We'll stay up till Remus gets in."
"Night," echoed Sirius.
Allison and Lily ambled up the tower to their dormitory. There they shared a circular room of five canopy beds with the other seventh year Gryffindor girls. Already unpacking their trunks were Alice Nigellus, a round faced girl with curly blonde hair, Andromeda Black, Sirius' favorite cousin, and Isadora Shacklebolt, an athletic black girl. Alice was holding up a flowy deep green dress robe, edged in cream lace.
"It matches your eyes," commented Isadora. "And I'm sure Frank will love it."
Allison raised an eyebrow. "Frank Longbottom?"
"They're sweethearts!" grinned Isadora.
"How cute!" Andromeda said, brushing her waist-length black hair with a patience Allison could only dream of.
Lily waved her wand at her open trunk.
"Accio nightgown," she said.
A pale pink nightgown flew directly into her waiting hands. She let down her red hair and began dressing.
"Kind of early to be sleeping, isn't it?" Andromeda asked.
"Not for our Head Girl. She's a model student," said Allison.
She summoned her long flannel pants and thermal top and pulled them on. The air had taken on a cold bite, so the girls swiftly readied for bed, then snuggled under the bedcovers. Isadora took out a book and began reading in the soft light candlelight. Alice and Lily were both breathing heavily, a sure sign that they were asleep. Andromeda had a picture of a handsome man on her bedside table, which she was gazing at.
"Who's that?" Allison asked.
"Ted Tonks," she sighed. "I think I'm in love with him."
The Ted in the picture was moving about a bit awkwardly, occasionally waving at the camera.
"He's a Muggle. He lives next door to me. Goes to a Muggle high school," she explained.
Allison smiled. "He looks very nice."
"Oh yes. He's the most wonderful man I've ever met."
'I think the same of your cousin,' Allison thought.
"Lights out everyone?" Isadora asked softly, so as not to wake Alice and Lily.
"Yeah."
With a wave of her wand, the wall sconces went out and the three girls dropped into a peaceful slumber.