AN: Hello readers! My parents are asleep, it's 10:00 at night, and I'm bored. SO, I decided to write the next chapter of Fantasy or Reality! (It's wonderful to have my own computer.) Thank you to all of my reviewers for chapter three! I luvs ya!:
LiLy NiCoLe pOtTeR - your question is answered in this chapter
Tiana
cath16
hplg (harry potter lover girl)
SapphiretheVampire
bubblesara - wow, thanks for the compliments! I'm flattered!
leafs-gurl999 - isn't it interesting how I can make Draco either a total jerk or really nice? I change his character in practically all of my stories!
Hippie1212
orlin
centaur219
yaminy-grint4eva - I'll try to read your co-authored story, sure!
Becky
Thank you to all! I love you guys!
Oh, one more thing: I just got done working at a snowball stand! YAY!!! I got to take orders, and there were these, like, little five year olds coming up and saying "Can I have a small Watermelon, please?" in their cute little kid voices. They were so adorable! Anywho, on with the chapter!
Disclaimer: § « § « § « § « § (hehehehehe...I love the alt key...)
=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=
As Zillah, Eva, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the castle, Harry said that they should see Professor Dumbledore right away.
"But, Harry, don't you think he'd be at the feast already?" asked Hermione.
"Oh, good point. Well, Hermione, me, you, and Ron could go into the Great Hall and up to the staff table and ask him to come out into the corridor," suggested Harry.
"Not a bad idea," said Ron.
"All right. Zill, Eva, you wait out here. We'll be right back," said Harry, and he, Ron, and Hermione walked into the Great Hall with the rest of the students. Once they were at the Head Table, in front of Professor Dumbledore, Harry nervously cleared his throat and started speaking.
"Um, Professor Dumbledore, sir, we - I mean, me, Ron, and Hermione - need a word with you in the corridor, it's extremely urgent," said Harry, his voice shaking slightly.
"Can it wait until after the feast, Harry?" asked Dumbledore kindly.
"No sir, I'm sorry, it can't," spoke up Hermione.
"I'm sorry, but I can't leave the Great Hall," said Dumbledore, "not until the feast is over, unless it is a dire emergency."
"It is!" exclaimed Ron. "We can't explain it now, in front of everyone, but, sir, you need to come out into the corridor!"
"There is someone out there, waiting for you," said Hermione. "They've never met you before."
"Really? Well, Miss Granger, I can't keep someone waiting. But are you absolutely sure that they can't join the feast?" inquired Dumbledore.
"Yes, sir, we're positive, you'll understand when you come out into the corridor," said Harry.
"Very well, then," said Dumbledore, getting up. He followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of the Great Hall, to see two teenage girls standing there, looking very uncomfortable with their surroundings. Once they saw Professor Dumbledore, however, their eyes lit up.
"I don't believe I've seen you two girls before, tell me, what are your names?" he asked.
"I'm Zillah Pierce, and this is my best friend, Eva Cortaski," said Zillah. Rather than saying "Pleased to meet you" however, Dumbledore's eyes suddenly lost their jovial twinkle.
"Miss Pierce, Miss Cortaski, I think you ought to know that Hogwarts has been searching you out since you were of age to first come to Hogwarts. We sent out the letters, but they always came back with the reply from your parents that you were not to be going to a magic school. Tell me, how did you manage to get here this year? We sent the letters again, but they came back with the same reply from your parents," said Dumbledore. Zillah and Eva's eyes widened.
"Well, sir, we sort of - accidentally - came through the barrier to Platform nine and three quarters, and after asking a few questions, we were on the train here, because we couldn't get back through the barrier. The story is actually much more involved than that, and it would take too long to say it here, as we know you have to go back inside to start the feast and the - the Sorting Ceremony," said Zillah.
"Won't we have to be sorted, Professor?" asked Eva.
"Yes, Miss Cortaski. You will go in and sit with Harry and his friends, and when I announce you, you will come forward to be sorted. However, I will need a valid reason to say why you two haven't been here the past five years. I wouldn't want to say that it was because your parents didn't want you here. I may have an idea . . ." Dumbledore said, but Zillah interrupted him.
"Uh, sir, we came up with an idea on the way here."
"Really? I congratulate you, what is it?" asked Dumbledore, the twinkle back in his eyes.
"Well, we thought that we could have lived in Britain until we were ten, then moved to America where we went to Rution's Institution of Wizardry until this past summer, when we moved back to Britain and got transferred here," said Eva.
"Well, that is a very good idea, I must say, but why would the both of you have moved at the same time if you are in different familes?" said Dumbledore.
"Ummmmm . . . well, we could say that Eva was living with me because she was an orphan, and her parents named my parents as her legal guardian if anything had happened to them," said Zillah.
"A very good idea, Miss Pierce. You would be a good Ravenclaw," he said. Zillah tried not to show her dissapointment. She'd much rather be in Gryffindor . . . but still, it wasn't decided yet. Dumbledore had just suggested that.
"I think that is what we'll do. Now, the first years will be arriving any minute, so I suggest that you five go in and sit down. Wait for my cue, Miss Pierce and Miss Cortaski, and then come up to the front," he said, and walked back into the Great Hall.
"Well, this is it, Zill," said Eva nervously. "We're about to make ourselves known to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Come on you two, stop being dramatic and follow us," said Ron, and he, Harry, and Hermione walked in, and Zillah and Eva followed close behind them.
Once they were seated at the Gryffindor table, the first years were led in by Professor McGonagall. Zillah had never quite understood why the first years were so nervous before being sorted when she was reading the books, but now it was crystal clear. Her stomach was doing gymnastics.
"Alirah, Kirsten!" called Professor McGonagall. She also understood why Harry never paid attention to the Sorting. It was very boring. However, once "Wedner, Jillian" had been sorted into Ravenclaw and Professor Dumbledore stood up, she couldn't help but to pay strict attention. She noticed that Eva, Harry, Ron, and Hermione did the same.
"Now, as much as I know you all want to dig into our delicious feast, there are two more new students to be sorted, but they are sixteen, not eleven. So, if Miss Zillah Pierce and Miss Eva Cortaski could please come up to the Head Table," said Dumbledore, looking their direction. Eva noticed Zillah shaking, so before she got up, she gave Zillah's hand a gentle squeeze, to let her know it was all right, even though she was feeling no better herself. She let go of her hand once they stood up, though. The made their way up to the Head Table, where all of the teachers were looking mildly surprised.
"Now, these two young ladies have not joined us at Hogwarts the past several years because they attended the Rution's Instistution of Wizardry after moving to America when they were ten. They have recently moved back to Britain, and so were transferred to Hogwarts. After they are sorted, we will begin our feast," said Dumbledore.
"Miss Cortaski, if you will sit on the stool, please," said Professor McGonagall, and Eva nervously made her way over to the stool, and gingerly sat down on it. McGonagall placed the hat on her head, and she closed her eyes, not wanting to see the whole hall staring at her.
"Ah, Miss Cortaski, I was wondering when you'd come along. Let's see, I can tell you have a strong loyalty to those you love, and along with that comes the will to do anything for them . . . you're a combination of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, I believe, and it seems hard to tell which over powers the other . . ." said the hat.
Gryffindor! Please put me in Gryffindor! That's the only place I have real friends here! thought Eva desperately.
"Well, in that case, I suppose it should be . . . GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat, and Eva, numb with relief, stood up, handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall, and walked over to the Gryffindor table.
"Congratulation, Eva!" said Hermione when Eva joined her at the table.
"Now, Miss Pierce, your turn," said Profesor McGonagall as Zillah sat on the stool. She was nervously twisting her long, wavy blonde hair around her index finger. She felt the weight of the hat on her head and then heard it speak to her.
"Well, well, well! This has got to be the most ready mind I have seen since I sorted Hermione Granger! But I also sense a deep loyalty, along with a slightly Slytherin-ish attitude."
And I'm proud of all three of those things, thought Zillah, smirking inwardly.
"However, above all of these things, I see great bravery, although it is hidden. You just need to come out of your shell, and I'm sure that, when put to the test, you're braver than a lion. So, I think the best place for you is . . . GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat, and Zillah almost leaped for joy. Instead, she gently handed the hat back to McGonagall and calmly walked back to the Gryffindor table. She saw Harry clapping espiecially hard, and couldn't supress a small smile. Although she didn't want to admit it, she was very happy that Harry was the most excited for her to be in his house.
Maybe I'll be getting my first boyfriend this year after all, thought Zillah, remembering her vow a month ago to have a boyfriend before the school year ended. Her girlish smile quickly changed to a Slytherin-quality smirk.
=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=
AN: Oooooooooh . . . does anyone here besides me sense a little bit of Romance? {smirk} The only way I'll know if you do (and if you like the idea) is if you REVIEW! There is NO other way to contact me! {quickly censors email address and AIM screen name}