Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't intend to make any money from this story so don't sue me. I don't even own Matt Hancock. I stole his name from Neighbours (Aussie soap opera) because I suck at names.
A/N: I'll try to keep this note short for once. Ok I'm going to change the title next chapter. It will be Old Faces, New Tricks. It was brilliantly suggested by Vanessathemagnificent. So if you're looking for the story in future just note the change
Ok, so where were we? Oh, in the lake, right.
Chapter 2
"Leesh? Is that you?"
"George? I can't see anything!"
She was beginning to panic now. She never had been a strong swimmer. Now she was trapped. Where was David Hasselhoff when you needed him?
"It's ok Leesh. Keep calm."
"Keep calm? If it weren't pitch black I'd drown you! What the hell were you thinking? Letting off a Filibuster like that?" Alicia ranted.
"It wasn't my idea ok! Fred wanted to get back at Angelina! Now you really need to keep calm."
"George…I'm cold."
"I know. Where are you?"
"Right here."
"Right where?"
George reached into the darkness and his hand touched wet hair. He grabbed hold of her arm.
"The boat is sinking. Soon there won't be any headroom left. We have to swim out."
"I can't."
"Yes you can. You have to, Leesh. I'm not leaving you here."
"George…" she pleaded.
"Deep breath on the count of three. One…two…three!"
Alicia gulped in a mouthful of air and George pulled her under the water. She tried to follow him as best she could but her muscles had seized up and her mind was clouded.
Finally after what seemed like hours her head broke the surface and she gasped for precious oxygen.
"George?" She looked around but couldn't see him.
"Behind you, Leesh. Are you all right?"
"I am so NOT all right. I'm freezing."
"Same here. Start to swim into shore."
"Wait, where's Angelina and Fred?"
"They're already on land. Come on, let's go."
George began to swim and Alicia followed and tried to imitate his stroke. George made it to shore well before her. Sadly, as soon as he climbed up the rocks Angelina pushed him right back in again. The big man had to hold Angelina back so George could get out.
"You moron! What were you thinking?" she shrieked.
Alicia crawled up the rocks. The crowd of students watched her curiously. A tear rolled down her cheek. She'd forever be known as the-girl-who-fell-in- the-lake.
"Leesh? You're ok," Fred sighed with relief.
"No thanks to you!" Angelina yelled and struggled.
"We have to go," the big man said with a subtle glance at Fred and George.
They got the point and quickly headed out ahead of the group. Angelina calmed down and looked at Alicia sympathetically.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, cold though," she shivered.
The unusually large, hairy man draped his coat around the girls' shoulders. Slowly they walked up to the huge castle. Alicia and Angelina gave the twins bone chilling death stares as the oak doors were opened. A stern, tight-lipped woman looked down her nose at them.
"What took you so long, Hagrid?"
He nodded towards the wet students. "Little accident, Professor."
"There's no time to worry about that now. We're behind schedule. I will talk to you four after the feast. I'm Professor McGonagall, please follow me." The professor turned on her heel and marched through the entrance.
"Oh no, I don't want everyone to see me dripping wet…" Angelina whispered as they formed a line.
"Me either." Alicia sniffled and wiped her eyes hurriedly.
The line began to move and the girls entered the Great Hall.
"Wow!" Alicia exclaimed as she peered up at the starry ceiling. All her tears were immediately forgotten.
"It's so beautiful," Angelina said as she looked at the floating candles in awe.
The line stopped abruptly and Alicia ran into the person in front of her. She was very aware of everyone's eyes on her and she tried to ignore the whispers. The last thing she needed was to cry in front of the whole school.
The students curiously watched Professor McGonagall place a pointed hat onto a three-legged stool. Alicia knew that all she had to do was try on the hat but she still had butterflies in her stomach.
"You will now be sorted into one of the Hogwart's houses."
Professor McGonagall went on to explain about the houses and losing and winning points. Alicia tuned out and peered at the table on the far left. She recognised it as the Gryffindor table. She searched along it until she locked eyes with Matt. He smiled and nudged Oliver who was beside him. Oliver looked up and smiled his adorable smile.
Alicia began to daydream (or nightdream as it was) about Oliver. She wasn't delusional though, she knew he was too old for her. Apparently he was Quidditch mad, too. Alicia loved Quidditch, but certainly not to his extent.
Alicia's attention snapped back to the hat. A rip in it had opened and it was…singing?
I am the Hogwarts sorting hat
The smartest in all the land
The Founders made me in the beginning
I'm here to give them a hand
They gave me the most important job
But it is quite simple you see
You just pop me on your head
Then I tell you where you should be
Though I have no eyes I see all
There is nothing you can hide
For I can read you like a book
So which house shall you reside?
Will you find your place in Gryffindor?
The brave at heart who do not fear
Along with the daring and chivalrous types
Will find their place here
Or perhaps you belong in Hufflepuff
Where the loyal, honest folk dwell
If you are friendly and kind
Then Hufflepuff will do you well
What about Ravenclaw?
Those with a desire to learn take heed
Sharp wit and a keen Ravenclaw mind
Is all you will need
Last but not least is Slytherin
Here those with cunning mind
And a desire to win at any cost
Will undoubtedly find their own kind
So there you go, young students
As you can see it is quite easy
Just pop me on your little head
There's really no need to feel queasy!
The stern faced Professor unrolled a piece of parchment. "When I call your name please come up and place the hat on your head."
"Here we go," Angelina whispered.
"Anderson, Meredith!"
A giggly brunette walked up and sat on the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on her head. It fell over her eyes and she giggled again.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
She squealed and bounced down the stairs and joined the cheering Hufflepuff table.
"Bell, Katie!"
A short blonde stumbled up to the stool and sat down awkwardly. No sooner had the hat touched her head…
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The table erupted with cheers and the girl stumbled back down the stairs and joined them.
"Brady, Andrew!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Bulstrode, Damien!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Campbell, Justin!"
Alicia had taken to trying to pick the students' house before the hat declared it and Justin definitely looked like a Slytherin.
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Carter, Steven!"
Someone pushed past her and she glared at his back. Definitely a Slytherin.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Hmmm. Apparently she had a knack for this.
"Three Slytherins in a row? That can't be a good sign," a student at a nearby table said.
"Davies, Roger!"
Now he was a difficult one. Obviously the hat thought so too because he took the longest.
"Ravenclaw!" the Hat finally announced.
"He's kinda cute," Angelina observed.
Rebecca Dawes became a Slytherin then Violet Dawson joined Roger in Ravenclaw.
"Diggory, Cedric!"
Angelina nudged Alicia. "Now, he's cute."
She shot a sideward glance at Oliver. "I s'pose so."
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Colleen Gale was yet another Slytherin and Adam Hughes became only the third Ravenclaw. So far there had only been one Gryffindor and the prospects were looking bleak.
"Johns, Danny!"
A skinny, blonde haired boy walked up to the stool.
"Oh no, oh man, I'm next." Angelina began to fidget compulsively.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat declared and Angelina made a funny squeaking noise.
"Johnson, Angelina!"
"Good luck," Alicia whispered as she walked through the crowd of remaining students.
"Just relax," she mumbled to herself over and over again.
Relax? That was easier said than done. She was concentrating on not tripping over as she walked up the steps. No need to feel queasy the hat had said. Yep. Whatever.
Angelina forced a smile as McGonagall placed the hat on her damp hair.
'Urgh. Your hair is wet,' said a small voice in her ear.
'I'm aware of that,' she thought angrily as she spotted Fred and George hanging at the back of the group.
'You've got a bit of a temper, that could work in your favour but it could also work against you. Hmm. Consider yourself a loyal friend do you? But there is the undeniable courage - definitely…'
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Angelina felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest. She didn't know what she would have done if she'd been put in Slytherin. She gave Alicia a quick thumbs up as she sat next to the little blonde girl named Katie.
Evan Jones became a Hufflepuff after her, then came a name she and Alicia recognised.
"Jordan, Lee!"
Lee emerged from the back of the group and grinned jovially as the hat was placed on his dreadlocks.
'Trouble maker are we?' the hat said.
Lee nodded so enthusiastically he nearly threw the hat off his head.
'You're certainly daring, though, and deep down I sense chivalry. Easy one.'
"GRYFFINDOR!"
He let out a loud 'Whoopee' and went and sat across from the girls.
Angelina narrowed her eyes menacingly at him and dryly said, "Great."
"Hey, don't give me that look, I wasn't even in your boat. It was a splendid prank though."
"Shut up."
Charlotte Lawson and April Moon were sorted into Ravenclaw while the Gryffindor table questioned Angelina.
"How did you fall in the lake?" asked the red head boy next to her.
"Some morons let off a firework and I got startled," she answered shortly.
"Fred and George?"
"Yeah. How'd you know?" She eyed him curiously.
"They're my brothers."
"Oh." Angelina edged away from him and closer to Katie.
Alicia looked around at the rest of the first years. There were only ten other students. They were only up to M. This was a mixed blessing, she didn't want to do it but at the same time she wanted to get it out of the way.
"Orlen, Michelle!"
A very short, chubby and unhappy looking girl approached the hat.
"Slytherin," a familiar voice whispered from behind her.
"Definitely."
Alicia whirled around to see the wet twins shivering uncomfortably.
"Feel like sharing that coat with us?" Fred asked with chattering teeth.
"Nope." Alicia turned back around without another word.
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Parkinson, Sydney!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Perks, Crystal-Jade!"
It took nearly a full minute for the hat to decide on he,r but finally she joined the Ravenclaw table.
"Romano, Meenal!"
Oh no, they were already up to the R names. Alicia watched nervously as a slim girl with black hair that reached the small of her back approached the stool. She smiled politely at the Professor as the hat was placed on her head. Almost immediately-
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Spinnet, Alicia!"
Alicia jumped in surprise. She wasn't ready. If only she had another minute to collect her thoughts!
"Off you go." George nudged her gently.
She shrugged the large coat off and threw it to the boys and walked as calmly as she could up to the hat that would determine her fate. The hat was placed on her head and it slipped over her eyes. This was a good thing because she didn't have to see the rest of the school staring at her.
'Now, you're a difficult one. You're certainly cunning and capable of using manipulation to get your own way - Slytherin?' the voice in her head mused.
Alicia's heart pounded and she had been chewing her lip so much it was now numb and red.
'Definitely not, too sweet. Hufflepuff? Maybe not. You have a Ravenclaw mind, there's no doubting that…but there's something else. The bravery deep down that is fighting to come out. Gryffindor could help you with that. You don't think you're brave enough for Gryffindor? You certainly are a mixed bag. Your heart never lies.'
"GRYFFINDOR!"
There was a loud cheer from the crowd. Particularly Fred and George. The hat was removed and she saw the Gryffindor table cheering wildly. She jumped off the stool and shakily joined the table between Angelina and Percy.
"Congratulations!" He shook her hand as Madeline Stevens was sorted into Hufflepuff.
Oliver leant across Percy to smile at her. "Yeah, congratulations."
"Thanks." She blushed and looked down at her empty plate.
"You did it!" Angelina put her arm around her happily.
The whole table watched eagerly as Dominic Turpin and Cordelia Tyler were sorted into Ravenclaw.
"Weasley, Frederick!" Professor McGonagall finally called.
"Have fun," George said as Fred took a deep breath and headed towards the stool.
'Another definite troublemaker. No matter how much you try to deny it you have a sharp mind, you shouldn't be ashamed. A possible Ravenclaw but a definite…'
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"That was a close one!" He let out a sigh of relief and went and sat next to Lee.
"Weasley, George!"
George went up with the coat still draped around his shoulders. This would be a breeze. He'd certainly be with Fred in Gryffindor.
'Hmmm. Tough one. You're not as mischievous as your brother.'
'I am, too!' George thought.
'You feel remorse. Technically that's a Hufflepuff trait.'
'No!'
'Determination. That's what I was looking for.'
"GRYFFINDOR!"
George sat there for a second. Hufflepuff? That was a little scary. He contemplated this as he joined Fred and Lee.
"Well done," Percy said. It was hard to tell whether he was truly happy they were in Gryffindor.
Angelina, however, made her feelings very clear.
"We may be in the same house but that doesn't mean I have to like you," she huffed.
The last student, Mark Webber, went to Ravenclaw then an aging man with a long silver beard stood up.
"For those of you who don't know me, I'm the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. I'd just like to greet our new additions and welcome the rest of you back to another year at Hogwarts. Now without further ado, on to the feast!"
Alicia watched in amazement as the dishes in front of her filled with every kind of food she could imagine.
"My name's Katie Bell," the blonde girl said.
"I'm Angelina Johnson and she's Alicia Spinnet."
"Katie's such a pretty name, I'm Lee. Lee Jordan."
"Uh, hi."
"And I'm George."
"He's just being stupid, he's really Fred," Alicia told her.
"I am so George."
"Don't start this crap again," Alicia sighed.
"It doesn't matter which one is which. All you need to know is that they are both losers."
Fred glared at Angelina through the rest of the feast. Alicia knew there wasn't much chance of them ever being friends. Maybe that was a good thing. It was probably about time that she got some female friends and stopped hanging around the twins so much.
The new Gryffindor girls chatted happily through the feast. Katie was a cute type of girl. She was a little shorter than Alicia was and she had blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. Her dimples stood out distinctly when she smiled. Alicia again felt inadequate. The boys were whispering and glancing at Katie. Lee seemed particularly taken with her. Alicia occupied herself with munching on chicken and trying not to look at Oliver too much.
"I'm really glad we're in the same house," Angelina said.
"Me, too."
When the students finished eating their pudding Professor Dumbledore stood again.
"Just a few announcements before you head off to bed. First years should note the forest is out of bounds to all students, perhaps a few older students need to remember this as well. All students who wish to try out for Quidditch in the second week of term should contact Madam Hooch. Now all that is left is to sing the school song!
"Choose your favourite tune!" Dumbledore took out his wand and gave it a little flick. Gold ribbon snaked out of it and formed words.
The school began to sing while the stunned first years looked on in disbelief. Fred and George appeared to be the only first years game enough to sing. They were the last ones to finish because they were singing along to a slow funeral march.
"Goodnight all!"
"How'd you do that?" Lee asked the twins as they followed a prefect up the large marble staircase.
"Do what?"
"Sing the same tune together like that. I didn't even hear you discussing it, you just picked the same tune when it started."
"Great minds think alike," George said with a shrug.
He and Fred had been known to say and do the same things at the same time. It was a twin thing. Everyone knew they were individuals though, even their mother had eventually stopped dressing them alike.
Alicia, Katie and Angelina were walking ahead of the boys talking to a female prefect named Prima.
"You girls play Quidditch?"
"I try to but I'm not very good. My coordination is hopeless," Katie answered sadly.
"I play Chaser. My Uncle Robbie Johnson played for the Wimbourne Wasps a few years ago. Quidditch is kind of in my blood."
"I play a bit. I don't think I'm very good though."
"Well, you should start training now because there will be a few vacancies next year for you all."
"We're going to try out next year," Fred announced.
"We weren't talking to you," Angelina snapped.
"No fighting. You're supposed to be a team. Now the password is Flobberstone," Prima said.
The portrait of a fat lady wearing a pink dress swung forward. Alicia followed Prima through the hole first. She was instantly warm. The others joined them inside and Prima spread her arms wide.
"This is the Gryffindor common room."
The room was round and inviting. It was filled with large squashy armchairs made of red velvet. The fire crackled and cast eerie shadows on the walls. The atmosphere in the room was warm and pleasant.
"The stairs on the left lead to the boys rooms and the stairs on the right lead to the girls. Boys are not allowed in the girls' rooms and vice versa. Now it's time to go to bed, you start classes in the morning. If you have any problems feel free to talk to me or one of the other prefects. Good night."
Prima ducked back out the portrait hole.
Lee rubbed his hands together and looked around. "This place is so wicked."
"See you in the morning boys." Katie smiled and headed up stairs with Angelina right behind her.
The boys were about to go upstairs too but Alicia called the twins back. Lee shrugged and went upstairs without them.
"What's up?" George asked.
"You want to tell us how immature, stupid and annoying we are? Maybe you just want to tell us how much you hate us."
"I don't hate either of you, Fred. What you did was pretty stupid but I don't think it was as bad as the time we cut Charlie's hair while he was asleep. I just wanted to say, well, I'm glad you're here."
Fred thumped her on the shoulder. "Aaaw. We're glad you're here, too."
"It's reassuring to have familiar faces around." She smiled genuinely.
"Even if they're our faces?"
Alicia turned to George. Her emotions took over and she threw her arms around his neck.
"Hey!" he cried in surprise.
She pulled away from him quickly. "Sorry,"
"What was that for?"
"For helping me when I was stuck under the boat, of course."
"Oh, right. Can you do me a favour though?"
"Anything."
"Don't ever hug me again," George said.
"Sure, Georgie."
A/N: That little George/Alicia moment at the end wasn't really supposed to mean anything. Remember he doesn't start to like her until fourth year. That was another long chapter. Sorry. As I explained to my friend, Meenal, the crap just pours out of my head! So what did you think about that chapter?