The trip to Hogwarts was long, but just as exciting. Renae was introduced to friends of Harry, Ron, and Hermione's, like Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and Seamus Finnigan. When Seamus entered the compartment with Dean and Neville, Renae couldn't help but blush. He was gorgeous.
"Renae, this is Dean, Neville, and Seamus," Ron said.
She stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth gaping. That sandy hair… those deep brown eyes… that absolutely dazzling smile…
"Renae? Renae!"
"What?" she said, shaking her head from her daze. "Sorry… Yeah, well, I'm Renae. I'm new here."
"Obviously," he laughed. "I would have noticed you. Where are you from, anyway?"
"I just moved in next-door to Ron from Venice," she answered. "You know… in Italy."
"Everyone loves an Italian girl…" he said.
Renae was staring out the window into the darkness. It had started to rain about an hour ago, and it wasn't giving up. She could see faint lights in the distance. Were those fireflies? No. They weren't moving.
"We're almost there," Hermione said. "I think we should put our robes on."
Renae pulled a set of her new robes out of her trunk and threw them on over her jeans and T-shirt. She put her hood up and curled up in the seat again. Rain was the most beautiful thing in the world to her. It was full of sorrow, anger, and pain, but still so breath-taking. She put her fingers on the window. The cold glass made her shiver. With her fingertips, she wrote her name in the fog that was forming from her breath. Slowly, a castle came into view. Was this her new home? No way.
"Here we are," Harry said as the train slowed to a stop.
They pulled their backpacks down from the luggage rack and left their trunks to be collected. Renae followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione towards a carriage… without a horse. Well, it's magic. Magic can do just about everything. They jumped into the carriage quickly to avoid the rain (except Renae, who didn't care) and shut the door. The carriage rattled up the stone path towards the castle. It stopped a couple minutes later and Renae jumped out and started dancing around in the rain. Passerby stared and laughed, but she kept on smiling.
"Renae, come on," Ron said. "You're getting soaked."
"But I'm excited!" she yelled happily.
"And I'm getting cold," he replied. "You can be excited inside. Come on."
She pouted and put her hood back up. With her hands in her pockets, she followed them up the stone steps and through a set of massive double doors. She was in awe as she stepped into the light of the entrance hall. It could fit an entire house inside it comfortably. Ron pulled her off towards another set of double doors to their right.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph…" she whispered.
The Great Hall was as magnificent as it had ever been. The enchanted ceiling was a stormy grey and candles floated above five tables, each laden with golden plates and goblets. Students were filing in, sitting at one of four tables, while the teachers sat at one in the front of the hall.
"Er…" Harry said.
"What?" Renae asked.
"I don't know where you're supposed to sit," Harry said. I guess you can sit with us for now, though."
They walked over to the table on the far right of the Hall and took their seats. Renae sat next to Hermione, and Harry and Ron sat across from them.
"Hey."
Seamus had arrived at the table. He smiled at her, causing her to blush furiously.
"Is anyone sitting here?" he asked, pointing to the seat next to her.
"Not that I know of," she answered.
He sat down and looked around.
"It's great to be back," he said dreamily. He waved to a few people across the Hall and smiled. "You're going to love it here. Have you been sorted yet?"
"Sorted?" she repeated. "No, not yet. Hey, there are the rest of us."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Oh, my two twin brothers and sister," Renae said.
They came over behind Ginny and sat down next to Harry and Ron.
"We didn't know where to sit, so we just followed Ginny," Caleb said.
"That's what I did," Renae answered. "When's this all supposed to start?"
"Soon," Seamus said.
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, a tall woman in green robes with her hair in a tight bun, walked in, carrying a three-legged stool and a tattered hat. About thirty students, around the age of eleven, followed behind her. All of them looked very nervous as they stared at the other students, and their mouths gaped at the cavernous Hall and the enchanted ceiling. They stood in a line in front of the table where the professors were seated, and watched as the tall woman placed the hat on the stool in front of them. Renae gasped quietly as a hole near the brim of the hat opened, and said a sort of poem about the four houses. One by one, the students were called up, sat on the stool and let the hat droop over their eyes. They went off the one of the four tables as the other students applauded. Soon, there were no students left. A man with extremely long, silver hair and a matching beard stood up and opened his arms wide to welcome the students. He wore half-moon glasses and a set of midnight-blue robes, patterned with silver stars.
"That's Dumbledore," Seamus whispered to Renae. "He's Headmaster."
"Welcome to another fantastic year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "Now, as our first-year students have been sorted, we need to welcome a few more new students."
A wave of whispers broke out among the Hall. Heads turned to see if there were new faces along the walls, or at the door. Dumbledore smiled.
"We have four new students," he said over the murmurs. "They have just recently come here from Venice, Italy and are going to be with us for the rest of their education."
The Gryffindor's head turned towards Renae and her siblings. Renae and Greta blushed furiously, while Derek and Caleb looked confused.
"Who are they talking about?" Caleb asked. Renae hit him on the back of the head.
"Will the Cantera children, please come forward!" Dumbledore said.
Slowly, Renae, Greta, Caleb, and Derek walked towards the professors' table. All of the students were watching them, whispering to each other and pointing. Renae gave Ron, Harry, and Hermione a weak smile.
"First-" said Dumbledore. "-Miss Greta Cantera, who will be starting her third year."
Greta blushed even more as she sat on the stool. The hat was placed on her head and there was a moment of silence.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled.
Greta smiled and hurried off to the Gryffindor table, to be patted on the back by her fellow students.
"Next-" Dumbledore continued. "-is Mister Caleb Cantera, who will be starting his fifth year."
Caleb strutted over to the stool and jammed the hat on his head. Again, there was a moment of silence.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
He ran over to the Gryffindor table to join Ginny and his sister.
"And now, his twin-," Dumbledore said. "-Mister Derek Cantera, who is also starting his fifth year, of course."
He, too, marched over to the hat and waited for an answer.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Derek ran over to the table and sat next to his brother.
"And finally-," Dumbledore carried on. "-we have Miss Renae Cantera, who shall be starting her sixth year with us. I think we all know what house she will be in."
Renae walked over to the stool. A few boys jeered and whistled as she sat down. She rolled her eyes as her vision was obscured by the black fabric of the hat.
"Well, this is new…," the hat whispered in her ear. "Very brave, creative, highly intelligent… but what's this? A yearning for power and greatness… let's see how you do in here…"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Renae's jaw dropped as the hat was pulled off her head. She sat, transfixed, by the word ringing in her ears. It can't be…
"Renae?" Dumbledore said. "You can go to your table now."
There was no applause… no whispers… only total silence, a mix of disbelief and confusion. She sunk onto a bench at the Slytherin table and put her head in her arms. A silent tear slid down her cheek. How could this have happened?
She didn't listen through the rest of Dumbledore's speech. She refused to eat as piles of food appeared on the golden plates on the tables. Many people tried to talk to her, but she remained silent, with her head down. This was not the way she wanted to begin the year.
Reviews!
Paprika90- maybe… im not telling anything! But youre pretty close…
Shadray- thanx mo. You rock the hizouse hun. Hahaha…