Chapter Three
A Hat of Sorts
"Come on Christa, are you ready yet? We have to get you to the station."
"Ok mum, I'll be down in a sec."
Christa stumbled down the stairs with her trunk, and her owl, Athena, and passed them to her mother as they headed out to the car.
"Mum, don't you have to go to work this morning?"
Cassie wasn't paying attention, Adele looked around eleven thought Cassie, wondering if she was going to Hogwarts this year, but the question really plaguing her mind was would Harry be at the station?
She didn't know whether she wanted to see him again, just a glimpse, or forget him again. Well try to forget him. He had been plaguing her thoughts ever since the ice cream parlour incident.
"Mum!" said Christa, louder this time.
And Cassie slipped out of her daydream. "Sorry what where you saying?"
"I was asking why you're not at work this morning"
"I got the day off, I wasn't going to get someone else to take you!"
"Thanks mum, but I didn't think you would be allowed"
"It's ok, I haven't been fired!" replied distractedly Cassie, she was still thinking about Harry.
Mother and daughter hoped into the car and headed for the train station, and the Hogwarts express. It was a quiet trip to the station, filled on her behalf by nervousness and by Christa barely contained excitement. Cassie was glad it was over, twenty minutes later when they arrived.
They where receiving a few strange looks, but not too many, thankfully thought Cassie. They made their way to Platform Nine but Christa started to get worried.
"Ok mum, we have to go to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, how do we get there?"
"Ok, well see that barrier, if you run straight up to it, you will go through and end up on Platform Nine and Three Quarters."
"How do you know this mum?" Christa asked suspiciously.
"Ahh," Cassie replied, thinking quickly. "They send me letter telling me how to get into Diagon Alley to buy your school things, and how to get onto the Platform, they even sent me that necklace." As Cassie said it, she turned away so her daughter couldn't tell she was lying.
Christa seemed to accept this, because she turned her attention to the entrance to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
"Mum I'm not so sure about this."
"Do you want me to go first?"
"Yes" replied Christa thankfully.
So Cassie ran up to the barrier, and went straight through, she was standing in front of her, glistening was the Hogwarts Express, billowing with smoke. The next moment her daughter was standing next to her.
"That was so cool mum!"
"You better get on the train, it will be leaving soon. "
"Ok mum"
"Write to me when you get there ok. "
"Ok"
"Love you lots."
"You too mum." she kissed her mum on the cheek and headed for the train.
Cassie heard a familiar voice, as she watched her daughter leave, she turned around to see who it was.
"Do not listen to your father boys!"
"Oh, your no fun Angelina." It was Fred, "I have always wanted a Hogwarts toilet seat. "
"I don't want you encouraging James and Ben anymore, they got to many detentions last year, and the year before that. "
"Maybe we could take one of Hagrid's creatures and send it to you."
"Or maybe not!"
"Ohh" replied Fred
"We are not getting a pet, but if we did it definitely wouldn't be from Hagrid."
"Ohh! Mum, but Uncle Charlie had a dragon."
"We are definitely not getting a dragon. And remember be good. Especially for you're the new Defense teacher, now come on, get on the train with you, and look after your cousin, speaking of Adele, where is she?"
"She went to talk to some of her friends." Answered Ben
"Bye, love you!"
"Bye mum, Bye dad!"
"See ya kids."
Cassie turned around to see the train departing, and her daughter-waving goodbye. She then turned around to leave and she saw Ron, he had seen her to and was standing next to Hermione would had also turned around.
"Ginny?" Ron called out.
But Cassie didn't stay to find out what else they said, instead she turned and ran for the barrier, not caring who saw her fright. She needn't of worried, only Ron and Hermione noticed the emotion in her face, everyone else just thought she was nervous about going through the barrier.
Christa sat down she was in a carriage with three other people. They introduced themselves as Chantal, Zac and Adele Weasley. They were all cousins, Chantal and Zac where in their second year and Adele was in her first.
"Wow, so do you guys have any brothers or sisters?" asked Christa.
"Well I have two brothers and a sister, my brothers James and Ben are twins, and they are in their third year this year, and my sister Jessica is seven this year." answered Chantal.
"I have two sisters and four brothers." said Zac proudly
"How old are they?" asked Christa.
"Roxy, Tommy, Isabelle and Xavier are all older than me and are all still and
Hogwarts. Then there is Tim –eight and Elliot who is six. Oh and Roxy is Head Girl, and our cousin Tristan, he's Head Boy. "
"What's that?"
"They're like the leaders, for the students, kind of thing." replied Zac.
"Oh ok, what about you Adele?"
"I also have twin brothers, Mark and Leo, they're nine."
"Wow you guys have a big family. "
"There are six other Weasleys. Adam he is 12, Amber who is 10 and Sarah who is six, they are all in one family, then there is Theo, he is the oldest, he is 21, Tristan who is 17 and Renee who is 13."
"Cool, so there are," she counted up, "20 of you."
"Well actually 21,there's another girl. I haven't seen her since I was young though. She was Uncle Harry daughter. No one really talks about her though. What about you?" Chantal said to Christa.
"It's just my mum and me; I don't have any brothers or sisters."
"You know you could pass for a Weasley." all three of the laughed "I bet you will get into Gryffindor too." said Zac
"Oh, Well nice meeting you, I'm gonna go find some of my friends ok." said Chantal as she left.
"Me too, See you at the Gryffindor table Adele" added Zac and winked "See you."
As they left Adele went to sit in the seat closest to Christa.
"So were exactly is Hogwarts, and this Gryffindor you keep talking about?" Inquired Christa
"Ahh your Muggle born"
"Huh?"
"Your parents aren't magical?" Christa wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement, but she answered it nonetheless.
"No I don't think so, I mean I never knew anything about Hogwarts till I got my letter. I was reading a tiny bit of a book called Hogwarts: A History though, and Hogwarts sounds really interesting."
"You sound like my mum," Adele laughed, "she swears by that book, her, my dad and my uncle, got up to heaps of trouble at school, and Hogwarts: A History saved them a couple of times. Anyway there are four houses at Hogwarts. Gryffindor is the one you wanna be, and trust me you don't wanna be in Slytherin."
"Oh okay"
"Sorry but what did you say your name was? I'm not very good with names."
"Christa Porter." She said quickly
"Did you say Potter?"
"No Porter."
"Oh ok sorry." Replied Adele looking embarrassed
"It's ok."
The girls talked and talked, while the scarlet train rushed through the countryside, finally stopping at its destination, Hogsmead station. Everyone hurried off the train and there was a booming voice calling them,
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"
"Who's that?" whispered Christa to Adele.
"That's Hagrid, he's cool though." Adele whispered back as they climbed into one of the many boats that lay in the lake. When the boats, were full they started gliding along the surface, by themselves.
"Wow!" muttered Christa as the boat stopped at the other side of the lake.
They all clambered out of the boats and where ushered inside by Hagrid and where met by Professor McGonagall.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. Now in a few moments, you will pass through these doors to join your classmates. But before you take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
Now while you are here your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, and any rule breaking will lose points. At the end of the year the house with the most points will be awarded the House Cup. The sorting will begin momentarily. Follow me." She said leading the first years into the Great Hall.
All the first years did as they were told, and Christa decided then and there that it was better to stay on Professor McGonagall good side.
They entered the Great Hall and a gasp was let out by many of the first year students, as they gazed upon, not only the size of the hall, but the ceiling, which was bewitched to look like the night sky.
"Line up, just there." Professor McGonagall was speaking again. There was a shabby old hat siting on the stool, everyone's eyes where on it. Christa lent over to ask Adele what it was when it started to sing.
I may not look like much at all
But don't judge on what u see,
Cause long ago the Hogwarts founders,
Put some of their brains in me
Twas Gryffindor who said
"It shall be courage Ii will boast"
And thus you will notice this is exactly what
Your Gryffindors hold the most
Ravenclaw spoke well to me
That brains would be the best
That way students she taught
Stood out amongst the rest
Slytherin spoke unto my brim
"My house must hold its own
And do whatever needs be done
Till it is we that hold the throne"
Fair Hufflepuff spoke last of all
And spoke too blunt too true
"Make sure my students are completely loyal
That's all I ask of you"
And so my friend when they parted ways
And left, each and every one
That I became of use to this good school
And so my job had begun
Now sit up here and let me see
Just where you should belong
For without me you would be completely lost
And so I end my song
The hat finally stopped and the school broke out in cheers for a few moments, Professor McGonagall began to talk again and the Great Hall fell silent, ready for the sorting
When I call your name you will come and sit on this stool. I will place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted into your houses.
Bestor, Persephone was called out, she went and placed the hat on her head, there was silence for a moment till the hat announced
"RAVENCLAW!" and the Ravenclaw table exploded with noise. Christa was taking this chance to look around the room. She noticed a man; at the table behind her was the man she had seen in her dream. So this was the castle in my dream Christa thought, oh better pay attention. I don't want to miss my name.
Notch, David was then sorted into Hufflepuff. There was a slight pause when Professor McGonagall's eyes flicked to Dumbledore whogave a small not.
Porter, Christa was then announced.Christa was so nervous. She sat down on the chair and the hat was placed on her head.
"Mmm interesting combination" said a voice in her ear, "Much like your father," Father Christa thought, he was a wizard!, "but of course there is only once place for you." The hat continued, "GRYFFINDOR."
She hurried over to the Gryffindor table and was greeted with warm smiles and introductions. There was silence as the last person sat to get sorted.
After a tension building moment that hat announced Gryffindor, and Adele Weasley went over to join them.
Maybe I will have fun at school this year, Christa thought to herself, looking around the Great Hall and the new friends she had already made.
A/N