Chapter Four
Where Terry Was Put
As the train slowed down and halted in the station, an excited buzz ran through out the train. New students where sitting on pins and needles (literally if you count a boy sitting in the compartment next to Terry and Travis who had been tricked by his friend) and the older students where excited to be getting back.
When the train finally reached the station, the doors slid open and students piled out. Travis and Terry had their feet stepped on a lot and stepped on their own fair share of feet.
They finally made it off the train. They hopped down and landed on the ground with a thud.
They looked around. The train station was set at the edge of a tiny little village, Terry knew at once was Hogsmeade. All the other students looked pleased. Some were looking for their cronies while others had already found them and were talking loudly.
Terry continued to look around. He saw familiar blonde curls and noticed that Alia Clavereaux had just gotten off the train. She looked lonely. Terry realized that since she had just moved here, she hadn't made any friends yet.
"C'mon! I want you to meet that girl," said Terry to Travis. Terry led him to where Alia stood. He gently tapped her shoulder. She looked up.
"Hi!" she said excitedly.
"I wanted to introduce my friend. This is Travis Norron. Travis, this is Alia Clavereaux." Travis smiled and Alia did a tiny curtsy. "So, what house were your parents in?" Terry asked her, trying to make conversation.
"My father was in Gryffindor and my mother was in Hufflepuff. You?" she asked.
"Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Your family has an interesting combination of the houses. I wonder what you'll be in."
Alia turned on Travis. "How 'bout you?"
Travis fidgeted. "Mih-pernts-er-uggles." He mumbled.
"Sorry," said Alia politely, "didn't catch that."
Travis took a deep breath. "My parents are Muggles."
"Oh, honey," said Alia. Travis was taken aback by being called "honey", "you shouldn't be ashamed of that."
"I'm not, it's just—that I—well, never mind. So," he tried to switch subjects, "you're from Georgia? What's that like?"
"Hot," Alia replied. "In the summer it's boiling hot. It gets quite pleasant in the winter."
Terry was going to tell her about the weather in England but there was a voice from behind.
"First Years! If you would line up over here, thanks! That will do!"
Terry, Travis, and Alia turned to see a man with brown, dirty clothes on. He was unshaven and was balding.
"Who's that?" asked Alia.
"I think that's the grounds keeper, Monty Crombe," said Travis, "My brother told me about him. He's supposed to be nice, but strict. Doesn't like kids out of bed at night. He lives in a tiny hut by the Forbidden Forest."
They lined up behind some giggling girls while Mr Crombe counted.
"Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, and forty! We're set! If you will all follow me."
The tiny scared first Years walked nervously behind him. They walked for about fifteen minutes until they came to the edge of a large black lake. The shore was lined with about ten boats.
The three of them hopped into one boat with a boy with a long pointed nose, freckles, and red hair.
Once everyone got into his or her boat, the tiny fleet set off. They rode across the inky water.
"If you look up," they heard Mr Crombe's voice say, "you can see the castle."
At once, like it was involuntary, forty heads inclined upwards. They saw the tall turrets and towers. They saw the windows with tiny golden glows. They saw where they would be living for the next nine months.
A scraping noise told them the bottoms of the boats had landed on the gravely sand of the shore.
"Please, follow me again!" Mr Crombe shouted.
Once again, the first Years followed suit. He led them to a winding stair case. Left, left, right, left, right, right, right, left, right. The stairs were a vast maze of corridors in itself (but there was no way to get lost since there were no forks in the path).
Eventually, they came to great oak doors. Mr Crombe knocked three times. The door swung open.
A woman with brown hair pulled back into a bushy pony-tail was standing there, looking out onto the new students.
"You certainly got here quick, Monty," she said, her voice was a nice, cheery one.
"'Didn't take the underground harbor. I thought going up the steps from the boat house would be quicker. It was."
The woman smiled. "I shall inform Harry. Thank you. You may go in. I need to give the students a speech." Mr Crombe went through the door. "Say hello to Professor Ferrotte! She's just arrived," she called after him. The door shut.
"Now," her voice changed. It had a more important tone to it, "I am most pleased to welcome you to Hogwarts. I am your charms teacher, Professor Granger-Potter, Head of Gryffindor house and Deputy Headmistress. But do call me Professor Granger, it's easier.
"Now, as some of you may already know, Hogwarts was founded by the four greatest wizards and witches at that time. They were Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They each gave their names to the four Hogwarts houses.
"Whilst you are here, you will consider your house your family. You will attend classes with your house. If you excel, you will gain house points. If you break the rules, you will lose points. The house with the most points at the end of the Year will win the house cup. Hufflepuff won last Year. Any questions?"
All was silent. One student raised his hand.
"Yes, Mister" said Professor Granger.
"Mr Renfield. Logan Renfield. You said that your full name was 'Granger-Potter'. Isn't the headmaster's name Potter?" asked a tiny brown haired kid.
"Yes," Professor Granger replied.
"Doesn't get confusing having two Potters around?"
Professor Granger laughed. "The headmaster is my husband. I got the Potter from him. I taught here before we were married and students had already known me by Granger so I stuck with it."
Logan looked embarrassed.
"Any other questions?" There was no reply. "Alright! I'll see if their ready for you." She left in the oak doors behind her.
"My brother wouldn't tell me how you get chosen for the houses," said Travis, stirring up conversation again.
"Do you think we take some sort of test?" inquired Alia.
"Maybe we have to just tell the headmaster or someone our personality traits and have them evaluated," added Terry.
Theory after theory was thought up by the first Year students. One long black-haired girl thought they would have to go on some sort of scavenger hunt.
But, finally, the oak doors opened again. Professor Granger smiled out to all the students.
"Follow me, if you please," she said.
She marched the students forward. They went through the doors into a large hall. A marble staircase stood majestically in front of them. They followed the path of the stairs with their eyes. It branched off into two passages, one left and one right. On the right of the hall, sat two doors. One was larger than the other with a carving of the Hogwarts crest. The other one shrank in comparison. The pattern was mimicked on the other side. Two doors (both the same size as the smaller door) sat in their places on the wall.
Professor Granger led them to the larger door. She opened it slowly and it creaked loudly.
The Great Hall opened before them. Four large tables, each lined with students, were in the vast hall. Another table sat at the end of the hall, housing the staff. Floating above them was an infinite amount of candles. And the ceiling (or rather the look of lack of ceiling) amazed the new students, but the others seemed immune to its charm.
Professor Granger led them to just before the staff table and stopped. She left them standing alone momentarily and returned with a three-legged stool and a battered, dirty wizard's hat.
Silence. For a long while the students stared at the hat and some could have sworn that it was staring back, untilit sang:
"A thousand Years ago, I think,
I was new and good.
But now, I'm old and battered,
And wish I was still a newly sewn hood.
To pick the new students,
Was the job I had,
Given to me by the Hogwarts four,
And now I'm very glad.
I will see inside your head,
I will see inside your mind,
To put into houses,
Whether you're brave, or smart, or kind.
The houses were founded by those,
Considered the best of the age,
All who hated these wonderful folk,
Were locked in a cage.
Gryffindor is where you may stay,
For those of noble hearts.
Or Ravenclaw may be the house for you,
If you really have the smarts.
Slytherin, Ol' Serpent Tongue,
May soon become your home.
Or kind, sweet Hufflepuff,
Whose hard work could have easily built Rome.
Which ever way your brain decides,
Were you ought to stay,
I, the old school Sorting Hat,
Will not lead you astray!"
The school broke into boisterous applause as Professor Granger walked back to the front of the school with a large scroll.
"When I call your name, please step forward and place the hat on your head," she said. "Abbon, Drew!"
A tall boy stepped out the mob and put the hat on. It slipped over his eyes.
A long pause then the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"
The table at the far left burst into deafening applause as Drew went and sat down.
"Boler, Daria!" shouted Professor Granger.
The hat barely touched her head when
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Two more students were called up and became the first two Ravenclaws when
"Clavereaux, Alia!"
Alia stepped up to the hat and placed it on her blonde tresses and it shouted "RAVENCLAW!"
She hopped down, placed the hat back on the stool and ran off toward the second table from the left.
It went on "Clerwude, Torry" became a Gryffindor. Then the first Slytherin was "Crabbe, Trenton". "Crolford", "Ferri", "Floldily", "Garigamont", "Goyle" and then his twin sister all became new students.
Eleven students after, right after "Lunomen, Jim" became a Ravenclaw; the name "Malfoy, Ethilina" was called.
The girl who had pushed Terry out of the way at platform nine and three quarters dashed up, yanked the hat away from Professor Granger, placed it on her head and it immediately called out "SLYTHERIN!" The table second from the right clapped very enthusiastically.
"Mansfield, Alyssa" became a Hufflepuff and then
"Norron, Travis!"
"Here I go!" said Travis nervously.
He walked gingerly toward the hat and placed it on his head.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Travis relaxed immediately. He set the hat down and ran toward his brother who was standing up, whistling, and clapping vociferously.
Terry was called not long after. After Perry Norton became a Gryffindor.
"Ollivander, Terrence!"
Terry moved forward. He placed on his head.
"Hmmlet's see," the hat said in his ear, "I see you have a good memory; that helps a bit. Good stable mind. Modesty. Caring. Hufflepuff may be good. But no. There's something more that sets you apart." It paused. "I must dig deeper. What's this?" after this, it only gave two words. One was: "Brilliance!" and the other:
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted.
The Ravenclaw table burst into applause. Terry lifted the hat off his head. He looked over to the Ravenclaw table. Alia, Gary, and Travis were all standing and applauding.
He moved out of the spotlight and over the table to join the other Ravenclaws.
Alia, Travis, Gary rushed over to him. Gary got there first.
"Excellent!" he said giving a congratulatory handshake on a pat on the back.
"Way to go, Terry!" said Travis.
"I had a feeling you would be in Ravenclaw!" cried Alia. She gave him a tiny hug, which stunned Terry.
They all sat down while the ceremony continued.
"Potter, James!" said Professor Granger. She looked up.
A scrawny boy with untidy black hair waded through the crowd. Professor Granger gave him a slight smile. He looked uneasily at the staff table. A tall man with the same black hair and glasses smiled and winked at the boy.
"That's the headmaster's boy!" said a second Year girl sitting next to Gary.
"Don't forget," said Travis, "Professor Potter and Professor Granger are married. He really resembles Potter."
The hat went over James' head.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table applauded. Professor Granger considered hugging her son, but decided otherwise. Professor Potter applauded very loudly.
"Potter, Karinthia!" shouted Professor Granger.
The entire hall whispered and mumbled.
"They had twins!" said the second Year girl again.
This Potter resembled her mother. She had the same brushy brown hair but it wasn't pulled back.
The hat slipped over her eyes again.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table encouraged its new member again. This time, Professor Granger did give her daughter a hug. Karinthia didn't seem to mind.
"Wow, I wonder what it's like having two staff members as your parents," said Gary as Renfield, Logan became a Hufflepuff. "What do you think, Naria?" he asked the second girl.
Travis and Terry tried to stifle laughs as Strifle, Benjamin became a Ravenclaw.
"What's so funny?" asked Alia, whispering to them.
"Gary fancies her," said Travis. "He's obsessed! It's pathetic!" (Tottlemen, Aleen became a Gryffindor).
"It would be weird," said Naria.
"Weasley, Cole!"
The red haired boy that Terry, Travis, and Alia had shared their boat with went to the hat.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Cole went and sat down next to the Potter twins.
"I hope they're done. I'm famished!"
One more student then Daniel Yilman became a Slytherin. Professor Granger lifted up the stool and the hat and took them to a side chamber by the staff table.
"Will they hurry up? I want my—WHOA!"
The empty goblets and plated suddenly were filled with hundreds of delicious and delectable delicacies.
Potatoes (mashed, boiled, fries, and roast), beef, chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, pork, ham, peas, beans, carrots, gravy, ketchup, Yorkshire puddings, and pumpkin juice (in the goblets, of course) where all there.
As soon as Travis saw it, he dove in. He grabbed a bit of everything and began eating. He ate and ate and ate. His eyes got wide and he started sputtering and coughing. Alia started patting him on the back.
"Oh for heavens sake! Breathe! Breathe!" she yelled. Travis' hand lunged forward and grabbed his goblet. He drank the entire thing in one gulp.
"Ahh!" he said. "That's better!" He began to devour everything in sight again as his goblet refilled magically.
Alia ate slower and daintier. She took a bit of beef and slowly cut it with one hand and carefully put it in her mouth. You could tell she was from a high class family.
Terry was in-between. He ate fast but ate more politely than Travis. He actually chewed his food.
When the first course disappeared, it seemed from everywhere, silvery white figures shot out of the walls, floor, and ceiling. Hogwarts was obviously haunted. Ghosts of every shape and size where zooming up by the enchanted ceiling. The teachers watched their progress indulgently until the ghosts all sat down at the table. A tall woman ghost sat down next to Terry.
"Hello, young Ravenclaws," she said sorrowfully. She had a highly intellectual and melancholy look about her.
"Erm...hello," said Terry. He didn't know whether to shake her hand or leave it at a "hello."
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Lady Anguia. I am the resident ghost of Ravenclaw house. You are?" she asked Terry.
"Terry Ollivander," said Terry.
"Hello, madam," said Alia. "My name is Alia Clavereaux."
"I'm Travis Norron," said Travis.
"Good to meet you," said the woman ghost. "Ah, Master Norron!" She had spotted Gary. "How was your summer?"
"It was quite enjoyable. How was yours Angie?" replied Gary.
"Sad as usual. I made a visit to the castle to haunt those who tormented me. And I still have yet to find a good man to spend the rest of my afterlife with," said Lady Anguia. A pearly white, translucent tear trickled down her face.
Lady Anguia drifted off toward the Hufflepuff table, to say hello to a fat little monk.
"Lady Anguia died in a dungeon because she had the bubonic plague," explained Gary. "And, she never found true love because she never found a man up to her standards. Not a pretty way to go."
Terry, Travis, and Alia all instantly felt very sorry for Lady Anguia.
The next supernatural visitor Terry, Travis, and Alia were introduced to was Peeves. An airborne menace, Peeves wasn't really a ghost, but rather a poltergeist. He flew into the Great Hall, picked up a large bowl of mashed potatoes, and tossed bits of potatoes on all the students. A gaunt ghost floated over from the Slytherin table and Peeves flew off in a hurry.
The feast went on forever. But it was an enjoyable forever. Kids chatted, met some of the other kids and learned about the teachers.
"Now, that man right there," said Gary "is Professor Snape. He's head of Slytherin and teaches potions." He was pointing to a man next to Professor Granger.
He had a hooked noise and piercing eyes. His hair was black and greasy and had streaks of gray.
"He's been here the longest. Taught Potter himself."
Terry was impressed.
"The woman to his right—our left—is Professor Elnota, History of Magic."
A tall woman with a kind face was talking to a woman with wild, windswept brown hair and air bitten rosy cheeks. Gary had told them that she was Madam Soan, the flying teacher and head of Ravenclaw house.
He was just about to tell them about the Astronomy teacher, but was interrupted.
The black haired man got up and walked over to where the hat used to be. He pulled out his wand and said, "Diasium!" and an owl shaped podium appeared.
"Hello and welcome to another and hopefully enjoyable and eventful Year, here at Hogwarts!" said Professor Potter in a booming voice. "Since we are sorted, watered, and well fed, I think I shall announce some start of term notices! The staff wants to remind you that the forest at the edge of the grounds is forbidden to all students. And our care taker, Gladys Irriate, would like to tell the students that certain objects are prohibited. She gave me a little list here." He looked down at his podium at a tiny slip of paper. "Super-Chewing Balls, Sticky Sticks, Wacky Wands, Conniving Cobwebs and other hazardous materials are not to be used on school grounds. The complete list is posted on Mrs Irriate's door.
"You are also reminded that magic shouldn't be used in the halls. And my last announcement is: Quidditch tryouts! In the past, the school hasn't allowed first Years to play Quidditch. However, this Year, and hopefully Years to follow, the have done away with the rule. The tryouts are on September the 8th! If you do not have your permission slip signed, you will not play Quidditch, no exceptions! If you do have permission, Madam Soan, our Quidditch teacher, will give you a time to show up for tryouts. Now, off to bed!"
The entire school got up and walked toward the big doors. Six Ravenclaw students at least four Years older or more than Terry stood up and called:
"Ravenclaws, come this way! C'mon!" They led them out the door and up the marble staircase with a pack of Gryffindors.
"Who're they?" Terry asked Gary in a whisper.
"They're Prefects," replied Gary. "They are a team handpicked by their head of house because they have been model students. They usually get picked in their fifth Year." He smiled. "I envy them. I want to be a Prefect."
By now Terry had stopped listening. The Prefects had led them up the marble stairs, to the right, and into a gigantic staircase. There was hardly a square inch not covered by portraits and paintings. The Ravenclaws stopped at the bottom of the stairs but moved out of the way to allow the Gryffindors to pass through.
"These stairs lead to all the class rooms," Gary told them. "But they're just showing it to you lot. Our dormitories are in another direction."
They passed through the door they had just gone through. They walked across the Entrance Hall to the other side. They opened a small wooden door and the large group walked through. The door led to a tiny room with a wooden spiral staircase leading upward. They walked up it. It was a long walk. Step after step they took, realizing how tired they were with each step.
The stairs ended at a large room with bookshelves and antique vases. A statue of an owl was at the far end of the room.
"Now," began a Prefect, "this statue will lead you to the common room. The password will change occasionally, so if you can't get access, find a Prefect. And, the password is a secret, no telling. Understood?"
The Prefect pulled out his wand. He tapped the owls head and said, "Feather flap" very assertively.
The owl sprang to life. It flew to the top of a bookshelf and observed the students. The owl left a small hole. But the brick in the wall rearranged themselves and left an opening for a fully-grown man to get in.
The party walked in. It was a cozy room. The furniture and rugs were deep sapphire blue and glossy silver. There were portraits of wizards with a smart gleam in their eyes, again wearing blue. The fire was even glowing bluebell blue.
"The spiral staircase over there leads to the dormitories. Girls on your right and boys on your left," said another Prefect.
"It's late, so off to bed for you all," said another.
The students went up the stairs. Terry and Travis split up with Alia at the top of the stairs. To there immediate left was a door that said first Years. They opened it and walked in.
It was a circular room (again basically screaming "blue"). Terry and Travis were the first ones in there. Then a short boy with blonde hair entered.
"Is this the first Year dormitory?" he asked.
"Yep," answered Terry.
"I'm Benjamin Strifle. Who're you," asked the new boy.
"I'm Terry Ollivander." He shook his hand.
"I'm Travis Norron."
"Pleased to meet you," said Benjamin.
Two more boys entered the room. They noticed they weren't alone and started chatting.
"Oh, hello," said a tall one with a thin face and auburn mousy hair. He smiled.
"Hi."
He stared at Terry. "You look familiar," he said.
"You might have bought your wand from my dad," said Terry, "I'm Terry Ollivander."
"Yeah!" said the new boy with comprehension. "I'm Jim Lunomen."
"This is Travis Norron and Benjamin Stifle," said Terry indicating Travis and the other boy.
"Hello. This is Davis Byrdman." A boy around Terry's height and build waved.
All of a sudden, there was a loud purring noise.
"What's that?" asked Davis.
Terry looked down. A gray thing was weaving in and out around his legs. "Midnight," said Terry flatly. "My cat."
They all found that their luggage had been brought up for them. They each chose a bed and climbed in.
Terry felt very happy. He was well fed, in good company, and in the place he always wanted to be. As he lay in his bed, Midnight curled in the nook of his legs, he thought of all the things going right with his life. He thought a little more, and drifted off to sleep.