Chapter 2 - Chocolate frogs!

The Hogwarts express pulled up beside an old wooden building, which Katie assumed was the train station. An old weather beaten sign above it read 'Welcome to Hogsmeade'. Hogsmeade! Katie had heard of this place before, the only entirely wizarding village in the country. She made a mental note to visit it first chance she got.

Katie looked around at her fellow students and laughed inwardly at the state of three of it's other occupants.

Sirius, Remus and Peter were all sitting looking dazedly into space, eyes glazed over. Obviously long quidditch talks didn't agree with them. James however was still chattering eagerly about quidditch teams, tactics, broomsticks, how he'd like to buy this and that, and just about every other quidditch subject known to wizarding kind. Katie was listening patiently, and was amazed to hear that all the four houses (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin) had their own quidditch teams. Apparently every team would have a vacancy as quite a few team members leave every year, so Katie was looking forward to trying out.

As the train rocked to a stop everybody (daydreaming or otherwise) was snapped back to reality. They had a slight bit of trouble retrieving four suitcases, three owls, two broomsticks and a variety of other bits and bobs, but everyone managed in the end.

Katie and the others had all changed about 10 minutes ago, and Katie was filled with fresh nervousness at the prospect of being sorted into her house.

As if James had read her mind he started telling her all about the wonders of Gryffindor, the worser points of Slytherin, and his opinions on all of them including Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Katie had already decided Gryffindor was the house she wanted to be in - She had only just met some new people, she wasn't ready to give them up yet.

Katie struggled out of the train with her luggage and looked around her. The small station was absolutely packed to bursting. A huge crowd surrounded her, bustling with noise and activity. Just as she was about to turn around and ask where she should go a hand reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards a group of large wooden carriages.

"This way." Said James, setting off at a quick pace in order to get good seats. Katie looked over at the castle in the distance. It loomed up behind large iron wrought gates, small lights twinkling in an infinite amount of windows. Katie wondered briefly which light might belong to her future common room when she caught a better look at the carriages.

Amongst all the other students she hadn't even seen them before, but now they stood before her clear as day.

Giant black reptilian creatures stood there, quite a few in fact, all tied securely to the carriages. Were these supposed to take her and the other students up to the castle? She somehow suspected that more students would end up being eaten than actually reach their destination.

James turned around and looked at her questioningly.

"What's wrong?" She pointed in response at the large reptilian horses. He turned around, looked at the carriages, and turned back.

"Yeah, they're our carriages, come on we want to get the good seats." When he saw she was reluctant to follow he turned back again.

"What's wrong?" he repeated. She gestured again at the horses.

"Those horse things, what are they?" The others all exchanged glances.

"What horse things?" James looked as though he feared she was losing her sanity.

"Those?" She pointed again and said rather agitatedly. "the black horses of the apocalypse? Come on this isn't funny, they're right there!"

She was getting more and more frustrated. This wasn't funny, the horses were right there, why wouldn't they acknowledge them?

Then an idea hit her. What if they simply couldn't see them? She looked around at the other students hopping into the carriages. None of them seemed to pay any attention to the horses. She was getting slightly worried now. Maybe the stress was getting to her she thought, either that or I'm losing it. She preferred the former.

She realized James, Remus and Peter were looking curiously at her, obviously wondering what had come over her. She shook her head.

"Forget it, probably just the pressure. Uh, don't worry about it." James and the others started walking towards the carriages, relatively satisfied with her explanation. Sirius however hung back.

"Don't worry, I can see them too." He whispered in her ear and smiled at her look of relief.

"Really? Then why can't anyone else see them?" They started walking back towards the carriages, keeping up closely behind James, Remus and Peter.

"Dunno." He shrugged. "I could see them ever since I first got here. But I wouldn't get too bothered if I were you, they've never done anything except pull the carriages."

"Oh." She increased her pace to keep up with the others in front and made a valiant attempt to push it out of her mind. That didn't stop her stepping timidly around the black horses however, much to the amused (and sometimes worried) glances of her fellow students.

As soon as she and the other students had filled the carriages they set off at a quick pace. The others talked randomly about what they were planning to do when they got there, the feast, and various other things. Katie however sat by the window, occasionally sending worried glances over at the horses. Eventually (much to Katie's relief) the carriages stopped and she was able to get off, making sure she was as far away from these monsters as possible.

They set off towards the entrance, greeting various people as they walked past. Katie merely smiled and nodded, trying desperately to remember all the new names. As they passed through the ancient oak doors and deposited their luggage, a very strict looking witch tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She turned around.

"Would you happen to be Miss Ashford?" she asked, looking down at a piece of parchment in her hand. Katie nodded.

"Very good. You will need to be sorted into your house with the rest of the first years, come along now." Before Katie could respond she set off swiftly in the other direction. Katie hurriedly said good-bye to James and the others and ran along after her.

The witch led her to a small chamber just to the side of the doors to the hall where she would be sorted. A large group of small first years stood there. Some shaking because of nervousness, an occasional few because they were sopping wet. Katie remembered the dark lake and smiled in spite of herself.

The strict witch turned sharply around and introduced herself.

"I'm Professor Mcgonagall You will wait here, then go out with the other first years when I call you. You will be sorted first however, as you are a transfer student, so make sure you are at the head of the line." Professor Mcgonagall turned around and walked out of the chamber through a small wooden door.

Katie caught a brief glimpse of candles hovering in the air, a dark black ceiling filled with clouds (Katie wondered briefly about this) and four large tables, the last two at the back just out of view.

She and the other first years waited for a few tense minutes. Katie had a suspicion the first years knew as little about the sorting ceremony as she did. After a an eternity of waiting (or so it seemed) Katie was greeted again by Professor Mcgonagall, who beckoned them to follow her.

Katie quickly joined the head of the line and walked out, the first years trailing along behind her. They walked along the front of the hall and lined up beside an old wooden stool, bearing an even older patched hat. Katie looked at it with a bemused expression on her face, but was soon distracted by an waving in the corner of her eye. She turned around to see James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all sitting down waving at her. She smiled nervously and waved back. That would be the Gyffindor table she guessed. They certainly looked a much more cheerful lot than the table next to them. Most of them were wearing scowls as they looked over at the much more cheerful Gryffindors. Slytherins, she guessed. Lets be avoiding that table she thought.

Professor Mcgonagall walked over from the teachers table and unrolled a long piece of parchment.

"I will now call your name, you will walk over to the hat and try it on. Whichever house the hat chooses, will be yours." She announced. The knot in Katie's stomach got tighter. At least it wasn't something ridiculously difficult, she thought. Then again, she would have preferred to be sorted somewhere slightly more private.

"Ashford, Katie." Called Professor Mcgonagall. Katie snapped back to reality and walked towards the hat, sat down on the stool and waited nervously for something to happen. For a moment nothing did. A sudden voice around her ears made her jump.

'Well lets see now.' said the hat in her ear.

'Where shall we place this one? Very intelligent I see, and certainly willing to work hard. Oh but what's this? Very bold, yes quite bold when the opportunity presents itself. Well that's all I think I'll need. I know exactly where to put you. How about GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat shouted out this last word and an enormous cheer went up on the far side of the room, helped along by cat whistles from various students. Katie smiled broadly and took off the hat, then walked over to the Gryffindor table. James quickly made room for her and she sat down between him and Remus.

"Congratulations! Knew you could do it!" said James. Remus and Sirius nodded. Peter grinned broadly.

"Thanks." said Katie, and laughed, extremely relieved to have finally been sorted. Eventually all the noise died down and the line of first years gradually dwindled. Katie grinned to herself as she saw James attempting to catch the attention of a red haired girl further down the table.

"Oi!" whispered James. "Oi Evans!" The girl turned around and James gave her a dazzling smile. She rolled her eyes and turned back around, leaving James to sniggers from people on the table who obviously viewed this as regular entertainment.

After a while the last first year was sorted and sent to their table. After they had sat down an man with an exceptionally long white beard stood up at the teachers table. Any more clapping or cheering quickly died down as he cleared his throat.

Katie recognized him from somewhere. She knew he was Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, but she couldn't quite place where she knew him from. He started speaking to the attentive students but Katie was barely listening. She was too excited with finally having been sorted. So far this was probably the best start at a school she'd ever had. She had already met four new people who she could easily see herself becoming friends with, she'd been sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin, and she was looking forward to trying out for Quidditch in the upcoming weeks.

She managed to supress a girlish squeal she normally would have scolded herself for, instead settling for drumming excitedly on the table. Sirius looked over at the noise and grinned. She caught his eye and grinned back, laughing quietly. Suddenly the hall erupted with applause and the gold plates and glasses in front of her filled with food of all sorts. Even she, picky as she was, could spot several things she'd enjoy stuffing herself with. Copying the example set by the other students she swiftly helped herself to an assortment of vegetables and mashed potato.

The table was quiet for a few moments as everyone tucked into their food, but the usual noise that filled the hall quickly took over.

After working her way part way through her mashed potato Katie turned to James.

"Who was that girl?" she asked. James suddenly adopted a blissful smile and explained that she was Lily Evans, who of course would be coming round to him any time now.

Sirius snorted into his shepherds pie and grinned over at James.

"Yeah right, you've got about as much chance of winning her over as a giant spider!"

"Thank you for your support!" James laughed, used to getting messed with over Lily. "I'll have you know I've got her exactly where I want her."

"Oh really?" said a voice from a few seats away. It was Lily Evans, who looked as though James was nothing more than the giant spiders she apparently hated. James' cheeky grin was replaced quickly by the blissful one he always seemed to wear when Lily was on topic.

"Hey Evans." he said smoothly, ruffling his hair again. This had the completely opposite effect he was aiming for and she rolled her eyes irritably.

"Oh for heavens sake! Why do you always have to walk around ruffling your hair trying to look like you've just got off your broomstick!

I'm surprised you can even get it off the ground with that ego of yours!" Before James could respond she had turned defiantly around and started a conversation with a blonde haired girl next to her.

James recovered fairly swiftly and resumed smiling blissfully like an idiot.

"Like I said, I'll get her eventually."

"Yeah, said Sirius, "but not before we've all gone mad with your constant chattering about her."

James ignored this and carried on staring in her direction.

Katie laughed and made the noise meaning 'whipped'.

Sirius, Remus and Peter all laughed, leaving James to smile apologetically.

"Chocolate frogs!" Katie said suddenly, banging her fist on the table in triumph.

The others looked at her as though she really had lost it, causing Katie to smile sheepishly.

"Well, I was just trying to remember where I recognized Dumbledore from and it's the chocolate frog cards!" she said happily, leaving the others to grin and wonder briefly what they'd let themselves in for.