A/N...yeah, um. review?
--------------------
"So," said a jovial-looking boy of about fifteen. "New Gryffindors. My name's Ian
Warner, I'm a prefect. How about you all introduce yourselves, and tell us where you got your
names from." He turned to the closest first year and pointed at him. "You start."
The boy blanched. "Er…my name's Jeffrey Kingsley. I'm named for my great-
grandfather."
Ian nodded toward the girl at his side. "Oh, I'm Morag Alcott. I'm named after my
great-grandmum," she said, laughing at the coincidence.
"Phineas Roark, but call me Finny," said Finny, grinning. "I'm named in honor of
Phineas the Just, who's some distant relation of mine."
"Oh, I'm Sandrine Trilson," said the girl with dirty blonde hair on Finny's right. "My
mum saw the name Sandrine in one of those cheap romance novels she always reads and decided to grace me with
it," she explained in disgust as a few of the Gryffindors chuckled politely.
"My name's Vincent Malfoy," said the tan boy next to Sandrine. "My mum just liked
the name Vincent, but you could call me Vin if you like." He smiled good-naturedly as everyone
gaped at him. Nora, too, was astounded at the lack of attitude. This was certainly a strange
Malfoy. But then again, her own Uncle Percy was something of a black sheep himself. It wasn't
unheard of.
Many of the Gryffindors stared at him. "Are you any relation to Draco Malfoy?" asked
someone further down the table. Nora recognized the voice as belonging to her cousin Robert,
her Uncle George and Aunt Katie's son.
Vin screwed up his face. "Oh, them," he said disdainfully. "Yeah, they're distant
cousins. We don't like to talk to them much, they're so snobbish."
Everyone around him visibly relaxed. Vin finally understood the cold looks he'd been
receiving. "Oh, is that why everyone was less than thrilled with my arrival?" He shook his
head. "I should have known."
"Right," said Ian Warner. "You next," he said, pointing at the girl next to Vin.
"Alexandria Townsend," she told the table at large. "Named for Alexandria the
Gracious. Unfortunately, the name's so long you can make twelve nicknames out of it. Alex,
Sandy, Dria, take your pick."
It was Nora's turn next. "I'm Nora Weasley, and I'm also named after a long-named
witch of the past, Eleanor the Wise."
Ian turned to look at Nora's cousin Robert. "Any relation to this here oaf?" he asked,
jerking his thumb in Robert's direction.
Rob winked at Nora.
"Yes, we're cousins," Nora replied.
"Whatever gave you the clue that they were related?" asked the girl across from Ian.
"Could it be the red hair?"
Nora felt her cheeks turn red.
"So, which of Rob's uncles is your father?" Ian asked her.
"Hey, she could be my Aunt's daughter," said Robert difficultly.
"Then she'd be Nora Potter, Robert, you'll have to be smarter to put one over on us,"
said the girl, her eyes glittering.
"Is it Bill? Or Fred? Ron? Percy?" Ian queried.
"Ron," Nora said meekly.
"Really?" asked the girl. "Your father's Ron Weasley? So your mum's Hermione
Weasley?"
"She is," Nora agreed.
Ian may have sensed Nora's growing despair, for he announced "Alright, that's
everyone, you can eat now."
Nora politely started helping herself to the savory dishes in front of her. She abstained
from talk of families; it always embarrassed her to have people prying to find out what her
parents or various aunts and uncles were like. Then, as she felt like if she were to eat one more
bite of the delicious meal, she'd burst, Professor McGonagall stood up at the Head Table.
"May I have your attention please, students," she said crisply. "Just to go over a few
rules. The Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students. Do not think yourself above this
precaution unless you never want to emerge from there again.
"Hogsmeade will be open to all students in the third year and above. The tryouts for
House Quidditch teams will be roughly a month from now. Timetables will be handed out
tomorrow at breakfast.
"And before you go off to sleep, I wish you all a wonderful academic year." She sat
down and turned to whisper something to a black-haired, hook-nosed teacher on her right.
"Come on, then," said Ian, standing up. "First years, you may follow me," he said,
beckoning to them.
"Where are we going?" asked Morag Alcott.
"Gryffindor Tower, specifically the Common Room," said Ian as he led the way out of
the Great Hall and up a flight of stairs. "You'll want to watch this step," he indicated the one he
was about to step on, but instead leaped to the one above it. "Your foot'll get stuck in it."
The eight first year Gryffindors took great pains to avoid the offending step.
"Where is the common room?" Jeffrey Kingsley wondered out loud.
"It'll be hard to find at first," Ian admitted, "But it's behind a portrait of a woman that
we just call the Fat Lady. Don't worry though, you need a password to get in."
"How far is this place?" huffed Alexandria Townsend as they trudged their way up yet
another flight of stairs. Ian had led them through a secret passage behind a tapestry, which had
gotten a few exclamations from the first years.
"Nearly there," said Ian amicably. He swerved left into a small corridor and they found
themselves in front of a portrait of an obese woman in a frilly pink dress.
"Password's bumpkin muffin," Ian announced, and the portrait swung forward to
reveal a large hole in the wall. The group scrambled through to find themselves in a large room
with comfortable-looking furniture and a merrily crackling fire.
Home at last, Nora thought giddily.
"Anyway," said Ian, "The seventh years who left last year had the top dormitories. Sorry,"
he chuckled, "But you'll all have to climb more stairs than anyone else to get to bed."
No one seemed to mind. They all plodded up the spiral staircase and Ian called after
them, "Girls on the left, Boys on the right!"
After a winding climb, they reached the top floor of Gryffindor Tower. The girls said
goodnight to the boys before turning left into their dormitory. Nora discovered her things by a
four-poster bed underneath a window. She immediately sprawled out on her bed, a huge grin
on her face.
"What a beautiful room!" Morag squealed. She ran over to the bed, at the foot of which
lay her belongings.
"It really is," Alexandria agreed as she sat on her bed. "I'm so glad to be here."
"Never mind that," Sandrine giggled. "Did you see some of the boys in our year?"
"Absolutely adorable," Nora agreed.
"Who do you think was the cutest?" Morag sat up, winding her blonde zigzags around
her forefinger and pulling gingerly.
"Hmm…I'm not sure," said Alexandria mischievously. "That Jeffrey Kingsley was pretty
good-looking."
"And that Slytherin boy, Kincaid Court or something," Sandrine put in.
"I doubt he'll deign to consider any of us lowly Gryffindor girls," Alexandria said
haughtily.
When they were finally through discussing every boy they'd seen being Sorted, the four
girls changed into their nightclothes and wrenched their hangings shut. As Nora closed her
eyes contentedly and nodded off into a peaceful sleep, her excitement at the prospect of class in
the morning began to slowly taper off.
And if Nora noticed a wisp of wind, an evil whisper that could only be described as
something wrong, something out of place, as it moved over her face and out the window, she
did not acknowledge it.
-------------------------------------
A/N...haha...hope you liked that cliffhanger. And now, for my shamelessness - because not only is it begging,
but it's also copying Silver Phoenix...
Another West Side Story review song! To the tune of "I feel pretty..."
I feel happy!
Oh so happy!
Because someone just left a review!
But I would be
happier if that someone was you...
Ron (in Spanish dancer dress, with maraccas): lalalalalalala, la! la! la!
Hermione: What are you doing?
Ron: (puts maraccas behind his back) Uh, nothing. Just wanted to help Renee get some reviews.
Hermione: For the love of god, review. I never want to see Ron in a dress again.
....Yeah, I don't know either. Spare yourselves the really weird review tactics and leave one for me!
--Renee
--------------------
"So," said a jovial-looking boy of about fifteen. "New Gryffindors. My name's Ian
Warner, I'm a prefect. How about you all introduce yourselves, and tell us where you got your
names from." He turned to the closest first year and pointed at him. "You start."
The boy blanched. "Er…my name's Jeffrey Kingsley. I'm named for my great-
grandfather."
Ian nodded toward the girl at his side. "Oh, I'm Morag Alcott. I'm named after my
great-grandmum," she said, laughing at the coincidence.
"Phineas Roark, but call me Finny," said Finny, grinning. "I'm named in honor of
Phineas the Just, who's some distant relation of mine."
"Oh, I'm Sandrine Trilson," said the girl with dirty blonde hair on Finny's right. "My
mum saw the name Sandrine in one of those cheap romance novels she always reads and decided to grace me with
it," she explained in disgust as a few of the Gryffindors chuckled politely.
"My name's Vincent Malfoy," said the tan boy next to Sandrine. "My mum just liked
the name Vincent, but you could call me Vin if you like." He smiled good-naturedly as everyone
gaped at him. Nora, too, was astounded at the lack of attitude. This was certainly a strange
Malfoy. But then again, her own Uncle Percy was something of a black sheep himself. It wasn't
unheard of.
Many of the Gryffindors stared at him. "Are you any relation to Draco Malfoy?" asked
someone further down the table. Nora recognized the voice as belonging to her cousin Robert,
her Uncle George and Aunt Katie's son.
Vin screwed up his face. "Oh, them," he said disdainfully. "Yeah, they're distant
cousins. We don't like to talk to them much, they're so snobbish."
Everyone around him visibly relaxed. Vin finally understood the cold looks he'd been
receiving. "Oh, is that why everyone was less than thrilled with my arrival?" He shook his
head. "I should have known."
"Right," said Ian Warner. "You next," he said, pointing at the girl next to Vin.
"Alexandria Townsend," she told the table at large. "Named for Alexandria the
Gracious. Unfortunately, the name's so long you can make twelve nicknames out of it. Alex,
Sandy, Dria, take your pick."
It was Nora's turn next. "I'm Nora Weasley, and I'm also named after a long-named
witch of the past, Eleanor the Wise."
Ian turned to look at Nora's cousin Robert. "Any relation to this here oaf?" he asked,
jerking his thumb in Robert's direction.
Rob winked at Nora.
"Yes, we're cousins," Nora replied.
"Whatever gave you the clue that they were related?" asked the girl across from Ian.
"Could it be the red hair?"
Nora felt her cheeks turn red.
"So, which of Rob's uncles is your father?" Ian asked her.
"Hey, she could be my Aunt's daughter," said Robert difficultly.
"Then she'd be Nora Potter, Robert, you'll have to be smarter to put one over on us,"
said the girl, her eyes glittering.
"Is it Bill? Or Fred? Ron? Percy?" Ian queried.
"Ron," Nora said meekly.
"Really?" asked the girl. "Your father's Ron Weasley? So your mum's Hermione
Weasley?"
"She is," Nora agreed.
Ian may have sensed Nora's growing despair, for he announced "Alright, that's
everyone, you can eat now."
Nora politely started helping herself to the savory dishes in front of her. She abstained
from talk of families; it always embarrassed her to have people prying to find out what her
parents or various aunts and uncles were like. Then, as she felt like if she were to eat one more
bite of the delicious meal, she'd burst, Professor McGonagall stood up at the Head Table.
"May I have your attention please, students," she said crisply. "Just to go over a few
rules. The Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students. Do not think yourself above this
precaution unless you never want to emerge from there again.
"Hogsmeade will be open to all students in the third year and above. The tryouts for
House Quidditch teams will be roughly a month from now. Timetables will be handed out
tomorrow at breakfast.
"And before you go off to sleep, I wish you all a wonderful academic year." She sat
down and turned to whisper something to a black-haired, hook-nosed teacher on her right.
"Come on, then," said Ian, standing up. "First years, you may follow me," he said,
beckoning to them.
"Where are we going?" asked Morag Alcott.
"Gryffindor Tower, specifically the Common Room," said Ian as he led the way out of
the Great Hall and up a flight of stairs. "You'll want to watch this step," he indicated the one he
was about to step on, but instead leaped to the one above it. "Your foot'll get stuck in it."
The eight first year Gryffindors took great pains to avoid the offending step.
"Where is the common room?" Jeffrey Kingsley wondered out loud.
"It'll be hard to find at first," Ian admitted, "But it's behind a portrait of a woman that
we just call the Fat Lady. Don't worry though, you need a password to get in."
"How far is this place?" huffed Alexandria Townsend as they trudged their way up yet
another flight of stairs. Ian had led them through a secret passage behind a tapestry, which had
gotten a few exclamations from the first years.
"Nearly there," said Ian amicably. He swerved left into a small corridor and they found
themselves in front of a portrait of an obese woman in a frilly pink dress.
"Password's bumpkin muffin," Ian announced, and the portrait swung forward to
reveal a large hole in the wall. The group scrambled through to find themselves in a large room
with comfortable-looking furniture and a merrily crackling fire.
Home at last, Nora thought giddily.
"Anyway," said Ian, "The seventh years who left last year had the top dormitories. Sorry,"
he chuckled, "But you'll all have to climb more stairs than anyone else to get to bed."
No one seemed to mind. They all plodded up the spiral staircase and Ian called after
them, "Girls on the left, Boys on the right!"
After a winding climb, they reached the top floor of Gryffindor Tower. The girls said
goodnight to the boys before turning left into their dormitory. Nora discovered her things by a
four-poster bed underneath a window. She immediately sprawled out on her bed, a huge grin
on her face.
"What a beautiful room!" Morag squealed. She ran over to the bed, at the foot of which
lay her belongings.
"It really is," Alexandria agreed as she sat on her bed. "I'm so glad to be here."
"Never mind that," Sandrine giggled. "Did you see some of the boys in our year?"
"Absolutely adorable," Nora agreed.
"Who do you think was the cutest?" Morag sat up, winding her blonde zigzags around
her forefinger and pulling gingerly.
"Hmm…I'm not sure," said Alexandria mischievously. "That Jeffrey Kingsley was pretty
good-looking."
"And that Slytherin boy, Kincaid Court or something," Sandrine put in.
"I doubt he'll deign to consider any of us lowly Gryffindor girls," Alexandria said
haughtily.
When they were finally through discussing every boy they'd seen being Sorted, the four
girls changed into their nightclothes and wrenched their hangings shut. As Nora closed her
eyes contentedly and nodded off into a peaceful sleep, her excitement at the prospect of class in
the morning began to slowly taper off.
And if Nora noticed a wisp of wind, an evil whisper that could only be described as
something wrong, something out of place, as it moved over her face and out the window, she
did not acknowledge it.
-------------------------------------
A/N...haha...hope you liked that cliffhanger. And now, for my shamelessness - because not only is it begging,
but it's also copying Silver Phoenix...
Another West Side Story review song! To the tune of "I feel pretty..."
I feel happy!
Oh so happy!
Because someone just left a review!
But I would be
happier if that someone was you...
Ron (in Spanish dancer dress, with maraccas): lalalalalalala, la! la! la!
Hermione: What are you doing?
Ron: (puts maraccas behind his back) Uh, nothing. Just wanted to help Renee get some reviews.
Hermione: For the love of god, review. I never want to see Ron in a dress again.
....Yeah, I don't know either. Spare yourselves the really weird review tactics and leave one for me!
--Renee