Chapter 6
Both couples arrived within minutes of each other. Ria and Siri arrived first.
Siri took to leaning against the wall opposite the Great Hall doors, while Ria peeked in, to see if 1)James/Rae were there, and 2)how easy it would be to sneek in.
"They aren't there..." She whispered.
"Who's not there?" Rae asked from behind her.
Ria looked over, "You... Obviously."
Rae nodded. "Yeah, I'm not there."
Ria then opened the door, just enough to let each of them in, one by one.
Luckily the end of the Gryffendor table was empty. Ria, James, and Siri dat down. Rae, on the other hand, was spotted by the headmaster and beckoned to the teachers table in front of the whole student body.
"Everyone, this is a new student, in her 4th year, Lirael Black." He announced.
The entire Hall then began talking.
Once everything settled he continued, "She will now be sorted."
Rae was led to a stool, and sat down. Before she got a chance to get comfortable a large hat was placed on her head.
"Hmm..." She heard, in her eye, just barely. "Very interesting. Much like your brother. And friends with that lovely Potter girl. She was hard to place, you know."
"She was?" Rae whispered.
"Ah, yes. Ask her about it sometime. Back to you... Nightmares, group nightmares. Just recently. Braveness. Not much evil, like you parents, though definately not a Hufflepuff. Smartness?... It's there, but not your strong point..."
"Get on with it, I know all of this!" She snapped, quietly though.
"Yes, yes. I say GRYFFENDOR!"
She jumped slightly, when it yelled, right off the stool, as if not startled. The hat was taken away and the first thing she saw was everyone clapping. Though one table, the one Ria, James and Sirius sat, were much more enthusiastic about it.
So, she went over to, and sat by, them.
The Headmaster smiled. and gave some brief announcements, mostly for the first years.
Later that night, after dinner, Ria showed Rae to the Gryffendor tower, and gave her the password. The common room was very crowded.
"Lovely," Rae muttered.
"We can stay here, or go to the dorm." Ria said, just loud enough to be heard by Rae, and no one else.
"Romm!" Was all Ria heard.
So, they went up to the up the stairs to the girls dorm, and to their room.
"You get used to talking down there, after a while." Explained Ria.
"Riight..."
"Anyway, we won't get too disturbed up here."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. No boys allowed, and only one other girl shares the room with us." Ria continued, "Aurora Drussilla, or Ora. I suggest you call her Ora, unless you really wanna piss her off, though."
"Ill remember that." Rae responded, grinning.
Ria just shook her head. "I'll be right back. I have to do something, K?" And she stood. "We can talk more when I get back."
And she left the room.
A few minutes later she was back, holding what appeared to be a shiney, silk cloak.
"Ok. We have about 2 hours till the meeting. We can head down to the bathrooms at about 20 to.. From there I know a few short cuts." Ria informed Rae, smiling.
"Alright then... Hey, Ri?"
"Yeah?"
"What did that hat mean when it said you were hard to place?"
"Oh.. That... Well... I'm more of a Ravenclaw bran, than an adventure seeking Gryffendor... And the hat also said I was bouncy enough to go into Hufflepuff... Not to mention hostile toward my brother, for Slytherin... The hat had to actually search my brain for what house I belonged in."
"Hmm... It doesn't have to do that for most people?"
"Nope... Some people take a while, others are sorted in a second. There is a rumor that the Malfoy line has never heard the hat, other than announcing names, because they are so easily sorted into Slytherin."
"In other words, everyone but them has heard it?"
"Pretty much. It's nice to talk to, if you ever go into the Headmasters office."
"You've been there?"
"Once or twice. One time was to be my brothers witness that he actually didn't pull a prank, and the other was for permission to use a book from the restricted section, for a potion."
"Aren't you perfect?" Rae asked, in a mocking tone.
"Far from it. I just don't get caught." Ria come back with, "Unlike my brother... as well as yours."
"Ok. You keep talking about your brother, who is it exactly."
Ria just blinked. "James... Er... That boy with the messy black hair and glasses that is always hanging with your brother..."
At that Rae's eyes got big, Oh my god. I got a crush on my new friends, more like best and only friends, brother?!
So the two girls talked, Rae not bringing up her 'little' crush on James. Especially now, since they were officially BFF's.
An hour and a half rolled by, and the girls went downstairs. There were minimal people in the common room now.
Ria had grabbed a bag on her way out, which Rae had seen her prepare. It contained Pj's, for when they were done, that silk cloak, and some other miscellaneous objects.
They went out the portrait whole.
"Where are you two headed, this late?" The fat lady asked.
"Well, our roommate is hogging the bathroom in our dorm, and we need a bath or shower and a sink for brushing out teeth before bed." Ria lied, easily.
"Uh, yes... Typical girl stuff... Ya know?" Rae added, not as easily. She found it hard to lie to a picture, at first.
"Alright then. Do try to be back before lights out, you have classes in the morning." The portrait reminded them.
"Of course!" Ria agreed. "Seeya soon!"
And the two girls hurried down the corridor.
Once in the bathroom, Ria checked the time, with a spell. "Ok. We have about 15 minutes, should we change now?"
"Yeah... That way we can go straight back."
Ria stripped down to her underclothes, and turned slightly red, remembering the days earlier events, though she had not told Rae, and did not let Rae see her face. Then she went over to the tub, bent over it, and dunked her head, soaking it.
"Why'd you do that?"
"I always wash my hair before bed. If it doesn't look at least damp, she'll notice."
"Right..." Then Rae did the same. "Might as well follow your lead."
"Yup.."
The two girls then preceded to get dressed in their pj's.
Once that was taken care of, Ria tied her hair into two braids, and Rae put hers in a simple ponytail.
"Right on schedule, unless we don't leave now..." Ria commented.
She stuffed things back into the bag and pulled out the cloak.
"Under this..." Ria said, in an almost commanding tone.
"Right..."
Once the cloak was on, Rae wondered why, for she could see through it so easily. Then she looked in the mirror.
They were gone...
"It's an invisibility cloak. My brothers. I don't get one till next year."
"Cool..."
And they left the girl bathroom, headed for the now nearby east tower.
