The group of first years slowly entered the gigantic Great Hall. Candles floated about illuminating the room. The ceiling of the room had a spell cast on it to make it look like the night sky. Stars twinkled down on the room and the crescent moon cast a glow of white light. Four tables sat in the room with hundreds of students in the same black robes. At the end of the room was a table with what Sara assumed were the teachers. As they approached the table a white-haired man stood. He had a long beard that flowed down and nearly touched the floor. Behind half moon spectacles his eyes shined with excitement.
"Hello students!" He boomed. "I am happy to welcome you all to Hogwarts! However before we can get settled and eat we must sort you into your houses!"
At that Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a tattered old hat.
"When I call your names you will come up and sit on this stool. I will place the hat on your head and we shall see where you belong." She said.
She then pulled out a huge sheet of paper and began reading names. All sorts of names were called out until finally,
"Morgan Mcmillan!"
Morgan walked slowly up to the stool and sat down. Almost as soon as the hat touched her head it cried out "Gryffindor!"
As the Gryffindor table erupted into applause Morgan smiled brightly and ran to take her seat. Again Professor McGonagall resumed reading the list. As she stood in the group of students still waiting for their name Sara found her self fidgeting with anxiety.
"Sara Potter!"
She walked quickly up and sat down. Unlike Morgan the Sorting Hat said nothing for a long while. Its silence only made Sara more nervous. After a while she heard it speak softly to her.
"Well this is interesting. I for once am not sure where to put you. You could do well Slytherin, but likewise in Gryffindor. Perhaps even Ravenclaw would be a good choice."
"Not Slytherin," Sara whispered to herself.
"Well now. Just like your father I see. You know he said those exact words also. All right we'll scratch that off the list and the obvious choice becomes…Gryffindor!"
Once again the Gryffindor table roared with applause. Sara sighed with relief and almost ran to the table. She sat down in an empty chair next to Morgan who high fived her. A few seconds later Tyler joined them.
"Man I thought it was going to put me in Slytherin or something," He said.
"I doubt it. It sticks all the Weasleys in Gryffindor so that the really brilliant people have to look after them. That's why you're with us," Sara teased. Her comment earned her another high five and a glare.
"Now I know all of us are starving to death, but I need to first make a few announcements," Dumbledore said rising again. "We have a new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. He is a former auror and I believe he will be a great influence for you all. I present to you Professor Reno Palargis!"
Everyone in the Great Hall glanced around for the new Professor, but he was nowhere to be seen. Even the teachers looked confused. Without any looks of confusion Dumbledore continued,
"I see he has not yet arrived. Anyway pertaining to fifth year students O.W.L.S. requirements has been raised up a notch. See your teachers for more info on that. Also Quidditch tryouts will begin it two days. As you know everyone who wants to is welcome to try out. Now let the feast begin!"
Suddenly all sorts of food appeared on each of the tables. Everything from turkey to chow mein was there.
"So…much…food," Tyler said practically drooling over the food.
"Hurry up and eat. Oh and wipe off your drool. It makes you look like a demented dog," Sara smiled.
"Oh shut up," Tyler said digging in.
Morgan and Sara began to eat and soon the Great Hall was filled with sounds of laughter and talking. Suddenly the doors swung open and a man in long sapphire robes stood at the door. He had dark brown hair that hung in his face in some places. Seeing the looks of surprise he was being given he immediately swept into a graceful bow.
"Sorry to be late Headmaster, but I was delayed by a couple of idiot trolls. They said I was to pay a toll to even get on the road to Hogsmeade," He paused for a moment and then went on seeing the awed faces of the students. "I managed to bypass them only to find three more about a half a mile ahead. They wanted to pummel me for passing the first bunch. Then they wanted to pummel they others for being idiots. When they decided killing me was the answer I hit them with a few spells and finally got here."
"Did you kill them?" a fifth year Hufflepuff asked nervously.
"Unfortunately no, but them will be waking up in the morning in a ditch and with a nasty bump on their heads. Now don't bother with me any longer. Please eat!" He said though he was obviously enjoying the attention.
He marched up to the teacher's bench and plopped down in his seat. He immediately scarfed the food that was before him.
"See he eats like me and you're not making fun of him," Tyler pouted.
"Of course we're not because he doesn't eat like you he eats almost like you. The difference is that he does it more sophisticated," Morgan laughed.
"Does not," Tyler mumbled.
As soon as everyone finished the food disappeared as fast as it had appeared. Once again Dumbledore stood to address the multitude of students.
"Students I will now excuse you to your dormitories. Please follow your house Prefects. Otherwise you might get lost and we wouldn't want that now would we?" Dumbledore said with a wink.
At once Prefects from every table rose and yelled for their houses to follow.
"Well let's go then," Sara said rising.
They stood and followed a short boy with sandy blonde hair. He was at least a head shorter than the students that surrounded him. He led them out of the Great Hall and up onto a flight of stairs. Suddenly the stairs jerked to the left and the short Prefect walked on once it came to a stop at the next landing. As they walked down the darkened halls the paintings on the walls stared at them eagerly.
"Looks we got a fine group this year Beatrice," a portrait of an old man said to another.
"Of course we do John. They are Gryffindor's of course," a woman said.
Finally they arrived at a large portrait of a fat lady. As they approached she scanned the crowd and smiled.
"Welcome one and all! Enter into the mighty Gryffindor common room!" She sang out of tune.
"Drama queen," a girl with sandy blonde hair rolled her eyes as she walked past them.
"Well she definitely hurts my ears," Tyler said rubbing his ears. "She reminds me of a dying cow."
"I wouldn't let her hear you say that," Morgan warned with an air of mock danger.
Tyler smiled and shrugged his shoulders. The trio followed the rest into the Gryffindor common room. Chairs and small couches were placed around the room and each piece of furniture was crimson with gold tarnish, the Gryffindor colors. At the back wall a fire cackled and radiated a warm glow. Above the fireplace a large pennant hung emblazoned with a roaring lion, the mascot of Gryffindor house. Off to the right and left were two staircases leading up to the boys' and girls' dormitories.
"Cool," Tyler mumbled.
"Now," a Prefect at the head of the group announced, "to the right is the girls dormitory and to the left is the boys. All of your belongings have already been sent up to your dormitories and your schedule listing your classes will be on the small table by your bed. Breakfast will be served from seven o'clock to seven forty-five, and classes will begin at eight o'clock sharp tomorrow morning. If you are late your teachers will excuse you for the first few days afterwards you will get detention. That is all."
"Well I guess we'll see you tomorrow Tyler," Sara said starting to head for the stairs on the right. "Do you think you can handle that?"
"Don't get scared now," Morgan chimed in as the girls ran up the marble steps.
"You can be sure I won't!" Tyler yelled up after them.
The two girls watched him stomp up the stairs with an irritated look on his face. Then they whirled around and entered the door leading to their dormitory. Inside four-poster beds lined the walls and by each someone's suitcase sat. Sara and Morgan's beds sat side by side.
"Hey we're together!" Morgan smiled.
"This bed feels nice," Sara said plopping down on hers.
"Hey you're right! At least it's not like some hotel bed," Morgan laughed. "Those are as hard as a rock."
They jumped up and began to put on their pajamas like the rest of the girls. Afterwards Morgan began hanging up a poster of a boy of about 16 in green robes above her beside table.
"Who's that?" Sara wondered aloud.
"Who's that? That, my friend, is Jonathan Quimby. He's the lead chaser on the Ireland National Quidditch Team He's also the youngest player to ever be on the team. The rest of the guys are like twenty," She replied dreamily. "He's even cuter in person. Oh Jonathan!"
"You've met the Ireland Quidditch Team!" Sara exclaimed almost falling off the bed.
"Of course I have," Morgan said regaining her composure. "My uncle is one of the beaters."
"No kidding," Sara said shaking her head.
"Well now that that's done it feels more like home. Well I'll see you in the morning Sara," Morgan said flipping off her small lamp.
"Good night," Sara answered and did likewise with her lamp.
She pulled back the red comforter and sank into the bed. Within minutes she was sound asleep dreaming of her classes, ways to further annoy Tyler, and a Quidditch player named Jonathan.
A/N: Well that was the amazing chapter 2 of my story and I hope you liked it. Anyways I'm working on the 3rd chapter and as soon as I get it done (and I get some reviews) I put it up. Till then!