My Name is Hillary Elizabeth Potter

Chapter 3: North, South, East, West

Hillary looked around the docks. It seemed to her the only ferry was the one they had come on. Maybe we ought to go back a bit. Hillary had left that morning at about 7:00 with her dad and they had driven for hours before arriving at the Mukilteo ferry dock where her dad had loaded her on to the ferry, and told her to be careful and have fun. And now she was here and she had no idea how to get on the Paygoun Ferry.

"Excuse me." She looked around. There was a skinny girl in a black mini skirt and a dark purple t-shirt that was very tight and only reached to her just above her bellybutton. Her black hair was falling to her waist and she was looking just as nervous as Hillary felt.

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't happen to know were the Paygoun Ferry is?"

"No, I'm sorry I'm looking for it too." The girl looked disheartened as she reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. Hillary saw her ear was pierced twice with a little black pearl in one hole and a red lighting bolt hanging from the other. "What's your name?" She looked up in surprise.

"I'm Quinn."

"Hi again, I'm Hillary."

"Nice to meet you." She was looking around again. Her eyes landed on an old woman who was fat and dressed in draping shawls and looked as if she probably had that old lady smell mixed with bad perfume. "Will you excuse me for a moment." She ran off towards the woman and spoke to her. Then the woman replied and replied and replied, it was like she was giving a speech. A loud whistle sounded and Hillary looked around. It had come from a boy. He was tall and skinny with short black hair dyed so the ends were red, and he was looking over at where Quinn was with the old woman.

"Quinn." Quinn looked around. Turning back to the woman she rushed something out and ran over to the boy. She hugged him and than pulled him over to meet Hillary.

"Hey Hillary, this is a friend of mine. Josiah this is Hillary. Hillary this is Josiah." Now Hillary was about 5 feet tall, and she was on the tall side for her age, but this boy was a head taller than her.

"It's nice to meet you Josiah." He smiled and turned to Quinn.

"What are you doing here besides arguing with your grandmother?"

"I'm here to catch the Paygoun Ferry." He blinked at her.

"Really?" She nodded. And he turned to Hillary. "You too?" She just nodded. He was a little scary. Than he grabbed their hands and pulled them towards the ice cream shop at the end of the street, but instead of going to the line he darted behind it and right through the wall. They really had no other thing to do but follow him, and Hillary found herself in a entirely new dock with loads of people milling around. "Come on lets get on. Just leave your stuff here." He waved his hand imperiously at a little girl with an official but well-worn looking uniform on who was loading the trunks in to the ferry. "Lets get on before all the seats are gone." Hillary smiled at the girl and followed Josiah and Quinn on to the ferry.

The ride was uneventful. Quinn and Josiah obviously knew each other because they spent the trip talking and exclaiming at the fact that the other was a witch/wizard. Hillary was listing to this again when she thought of something.

"My letter said that it was an all girls school. Aren't you a boy?" They seemed to have forgotten that she was there.

"There are two schools on two islands. They're exactly the same except one is for the boys and one is for the girls. They get together for dances and such."

The ferry trip didn't last long but to Hillary it seemed to take ages to reach the island that the school was located on. She could just see another island in the distance. She turned back to her companions in time to see Quinn hug Josiah again and than pull her off the ferry.

"Why isn't Josiah coming with us?"

"This is the girls' castle. The boys are over on that island, but we don't eat together. The only things we have in common with the boys' school other than dances are the heads of houses." At Hillary's questioning noise Quinn laughed and said, "There are four houses. No one knows what their names were originally, and now every one just calls them FW, LSB, IM, and CF. Each house has people that specialize in something. But one of the teachers will tell you about it when we get there." It was then that they both looked up at the castle… neither could help but gasp… the entire thing was made of shimmering shining jewels set in a mix of silver and bronze that shimmered and flickered in the twilight. It was like looking at a fairytale; they would have stood there gaping if it weren't for the loud voice that rang through the turmoil that sounded through the station.

"First years please, if all the first years would come here please." Hillary and Quinn followed the voice till they saw a young chubby woman with frizzy brown hair that, even pulled back in two braids on either side of her head and pulled back to the back of her head, reached the small of her back. She was about 6 feet tall and had a kindly set face. She was still yelling, and he voice was a little strange, like she had read far too much and it had rubbed off into the way she spoke. She was dressed in a black floor length skirt that swished in an unexciting wind and a red turtleneck. She had little silver hoops in her ears as well as a silver dragonfly. When they had assembled around her she smiled down at them. "I am Madam South. I am also the head of CF and you will be under my command if you are sorted there. We have three other houses here, if you are sorted in to FW I pity you, Madam North is not at all sane. The head of LSB is a very nice matron, the youngest of us. She may have a soft spot for you. She is Madam East. Madam West is the eldest of us four, though not the leader. She is strict as can be with all you who become IC members. However all my colleges are respected and looked up to, though it may prove to be a challenge both literally and figuratively speaking." Hillary found herself liking this Professor; she seemed nice enough and she definitely had a sense of humor. "Now I'm sure you are all ready to be sorted but first I must inform you of some of our rules. First of all we have a curfew. Those of you who are out after 9:00 will not like your punishment, and I assure you there will be one. There is no way to sneak about without one of us catching you. Even invisibility cloaks will not help you." Her eyes skidded around the crowd of students before landing on Hillary for a moment. "The bead bowl and Marsh are both off limits without permission and supervision from your head of house. And I caution you against the 14 topaz on left in the bottom row Any other rules will be explained in your houses, now follow me please." They all did and were led in to a vast hall with students at four long tables. There was no way to tell the houses apart, but you could tell that the four groups kept to themselves. The first years were lead to the fourth table where they were instructed to sit and remain quiet. At the other end of the hall a tall woman stood. She had long fair blonde hair and was almost unhealthily thin. Though her eyes were almost invisible to Hillary, she could make out their glacier-like vastness and color. Than she spoke and Hillary wanted to cover her ears… it wasn't that the voice was unpleasant in fact it was silky and soft…it was more like Hillary had a long dormant instinct telling her not to trust this woman.

"Welcome, students to our newest school year. I hope you all do much better this year and study hard. The swimming pool, despite rumor is still open every day." She looked as if she had started that rumor and wanted it to stick. "That is all." She swept around and disappeared.

Quinn leaned over and whispered in Hillary's ear, "She's going to talk to the boys now," before turning to Madam North, who stood and clapped her hands. As she did food appeared before them. Hillary looked down at it and was happy to see that every thing was clearly marked with its ingredients, and she wouldn't have to wonder if she was eating some poor defenseless little animal. Quinn leaned over again reaching for some veggie stir-fry. "I think it's barbaric. Can you imagine how many animals were killed to feed all these people." Hillary looked up.

"It is barbaric. It's worse than when our entire school dissected chicken wings. It was horrible. I was almost sick." Quinn looked up; she had expected an argument. Noticing her surprised look Hillary laughed. "Are you a vegetarian than?" Quinn just nodded, as her mouth was full of food. She swallowed and smiled.

"They mark everything for people who have allergies, not for meat content." At Hillary's questioning look she explained. "All four heads of houses are vegetarians and so are most of the people in the school, though the headmistress isn't. But she gets private meals in her rooms." She looked as if she was going to go on but Madam North had stood again and was waiting for the hall to quiet down before beginning.

"Now that we have all eaten it is time for the sorting." She whistled and a pulsing gold bird flew in to the room and landed on her shoulders. She stroked it lightly and waved her hand. A long hand written list appeared in it and she looked down. "Let the sorting begin." And the lights went out. All that could be seen was the bird.

A/N oh wow that has got to one of the best things I've written in a while. There would be another chapter tonight but my dad doesn't understand that when inspiration strikes like this it will not stay till after school tomorrow. Anyway those are my views on vegetarianism and I am one myself as are a lot of my friends. Everyone in this chapter except for the headmistress is at least partway inspired by someone. So thank you to Shiloh, Melica, and Mayroo who are Madams North, West and East respectively. Also thanks to Josiah (can you guess who he inspired) and Rachel (parts of Quinn came from her) as well as Hillary (only for the name). No thanks to my dad however. That's all I think. Please feel free to ask questions. And also if you would please review on your way out…

Ta Ta

Xandria Nirvana