Chapter 2
Harry jumped off the train and ran toward what a muggle would call the 'Jolly Green Giant', except that Hagrid wasn't green.
"Hagrid!"Harry called out.
"Harry me boy! How was yer summer? Did teh Dursley's treat ye fine? Did ye have to give dat cousin of yers a tail again? Did ye get me letter about me new pet 'Alagora'?"
"Hagrid, Hagrid!" Harry held his hands up laughing,"Please slow down, let me answer one at a time!"He smiled at his giant friend.
"I'm sorry Harry, ye know how worked up I get. Especial' on teh first day back,"he said blushing sheepishly.
"It's ok Hagrid, I should be use to it by now. To answer your questions though, my summer was the same ol' boring time. The Dursley's kept me under constant watch and Dudley was their snoop. I never got a moment alone to practice any of my magic! Then when they got your letter telling them you'd visit if they didn't feed me well..."he laughed,"my aunt fainted and my uncle nearly had a heart attack!"
"Well ye was all skin and bones last year! I said tey better fatten ye up a couple pounds or tey be havin' a house guest."He said grinning."Now ye better be off, teh carriage's er leavin."
Harry gave Hagrid a hug and ran to find his friends.
"Here Harry!" Ronald Weasley stuck his bright red head out of a carriage and waved at his bestfriend."We saved you a seat!"
Harry ran and jumped in the carriage and noticed they were not alone.
"Ginny spoke up," Harry meet Katie Adams. She's just transfered from Kingslayer Academy for Girls. She's also my bestfriend from your muggle world!"
Katie blushed and extended her hand in greeting."Nice to meet you Mr.Potter."
Harry shook her hand,"Please call me Harry, all my friends do."This made her blush even more.Harry was staring at her pointed ears, she looked like one of the cute little fairyfolk. She was sitting all the way back and he noticed that her feet were a foot above the floor. Her blond hair was cut in a 'pixie' style and her green eyes twinkled.
"Harry!Please! Your going to give the girl a complex staring at her like that!"Ginny smirked.
Harry snapped out of it."I...I mean..."He looked at the ground not knowing what to say. The carriage stopped,'saved,' Harry thought as he jumped out of the carriage. All the students climbed the stairs to the Great Hall. It was time to begin the sorting of the new students.
"Cherry Charmin!"Professor McGonagall called out.
A chubby red haired girl ran up to the stage and sat on the stool. The professor placed the sorting hat on her head.
"Hufflepuff!" The sorting hat yelled.
A loud cheer came from the Hufflepuff table. The rest of the students clapped.
"Katie Adams!"Katie walked slowly up to the stage, obviously a bit shy about all the attention, she sat down and the sorting hat was barely to her head when...
"Gryffindor!"
Harry, Ron, and Ginny stood up cheering and clapping. Katie ran toward them with a huge smile."I made it!"she said."Of course you did," Ginny said laughing.
"Congratulations Katie."A voice from behind them said. Harry turned around to find Hermione standing there. "Thank you."Katie said. Hermione extended her hand,"I am Hermione Granger, Head Girl this year, it's nice to meet you." Katie shook her hand,"It's nice to aquaint you also." Hermione smiled and went back to her seat at the head of the table.
They listened to the rest of the sorting and Dumbledore's explanation of the rules. Then they stood up to walk to there separate towers. Harry, a prefect, already knew the password. He ushered the first years to the portrait at the west end of the castle.
"Hasbro Laticus!"
The fat lady portrait opened with a high pitched shrill, which she thought was actually a beautiful singing note, and they walked up the stairs to the common room. Harry hung back and waited for Katie, who was staring at all the amazing portraits in the corridor. "Wow these are so wonderful,"she said staring at a portrait of a man posing in royal robes."Thank you gracious lady," the portrait said back. This startled her and she jumped back bumping into Harry.
"All of the portraits are sort of 'alive' here," he said remembering his first encounters with them."Here,"extending his arm to her,"let me show you around." She took his arm and walked up the stairs to the common room where everyone was bustling around talking about their summers. Ron was in the corner playing a forth year a game of 'Wizards Chess'. Harry was about to walk over to him and show Katie the game when Ginny bounced out of know where.
"Katie you have to come with me!" she said excidetly. She grabbed Katie's arm and took off. Harry, not knowing what hit him, sighed and thought to himself,'girls, I will never understand them'. He walked over to Ron to watch the game.