Little Reminder: The fabulous world of Harry Potter does not belong to me, no matter how much I may want it. Thus, I credit JKR for her amazing work.
Chapter Five The Way to Hogwarts
Jenny sighed deeply as she sank into the velvet seat of the Hogwarts Express. She had just received the longest speech her mother had ever given her, including the slumber party speech she had gotten three years ago. Hermione had covered every topic under the sun that a first year must know: eat right, wash behind the ears, owling, sleep eight hours, stay clean, don't get in trouble, remember who you are and most importantly, "Do your homework."
The entire time her mother had lectured, Ron had stood, arms across his chest, watching the scene before him. Finally, when Hermione had stopped to take a breath, Ron said something that Jenny was never going to forget,
"Jennifer, what your mother is telling you is important but I want you to remember that no matter what, life goes on. Hogwarts isn't everything."
But her small memory was interrupted by the soft coughing. Looking up, Jenny saw a young girl dressed in a green sweater, new jeans, and lime green Converse sneakers. She had long, wavy brown hair that was drawn back from her face with a black headband and blue eyes that were timid and a tad nervous. She wasn't the thinnest girl Jenny had ever seen but then again neither was she.
"Lo, I noticed you were alone like me and wondered if you would mind company?" said the girl, "I'm Arianna Finnigan."
Not wanting to seem anti-social, Jenny gave Arianna a smile, "I'm Jennifer Granger, pleasure to meet you. First year too, I take it?"
Arianna laughed nervously, "Is it that obvious?"
"Only to a fellow first year. Please, sit."
Arianna took the seat directly across from Jenny and smiled before looking out the window where houses and roads whizzed past. Both girls were silent for what seemed like an awkward eternity. Finally, Jenny decided to ask Arianna what house she wanted to be sorted into just as there was a commotion outside the compartment.
"Come on Lizzy!" a boy shouted after a blond girl who turned around in front of Arianna and Jenny's compartment, "I'm sorry they laughed at you, but you have to admit it was classic! Even Matt laughed! Come on Lizzy, just talk to me!" continued the boy as he came into view.
"I won't come back! Find yourselves another flower to giggle at your stories, I don't care! I don't need boys like you in my life!" stormed the blond girl aggressively.
Jenny watched the scene quietly as the two continued to bicker back and forth. The boy had sandy blond hair and baby blue eyes making him the perfect pretty boy poster child. The girl looked the part of the future bombshell with the bright blond hair, deep blue eyes and look of maturity about her. Both were dressed in the casual clothing of the Muggles, jeans and tee-shirts.
Jenny was brought back to reality when she heard Arianna sigh and looking over at the girl; saw the telltale signs of an oncoming crush over the blond boy.
"Come on Lizzy, who will you hang out with?" said the boy in a feeble last attempt.
The girl looked over at Jenny and Arianna watching silently inside the compartment and smiled.
"Hi," she said as she stepped inside, "I'm Elizabeth Right. Everyone calls me Lizzy though. Mind if I join you lot?"
Looking on the boy's jaw dropped as Jenny and Arianna welcomed Lizzy into their compartment and slid the door in his face.
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Over the next few hours, Jenny realized that Lizzy had a real talent: getting people to open up. In the course of a few minutes Lizzy had engaged Jenny and Arianna in a talk of boys, school, home and even a game of "Which do you prefer?" Finally, when the trolley came by, all three girls loaded their seats with snacks for lunch and for later.
After lunch the girls changed into their school robes and Jenny's bladder decided that it required her attention. Excusing herself, Jenny walked down the corridor to the loo and waited in the line. One or two girls complained about the "queue" and Jenny finally realized they meant the line. Finally feeling better Jenny headed back to the compartment but stopped halfway along when she heard laughter from a group of boys and girls.
"Honestly, everyone makes Hogwarts into a huge thing but think about it, it's not much. Just Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. If you ask me we are heading into nowhere, for the next seven years all we can do is wander the castle and the town. That isn't that exciting in my opinion," said Alan to the group in the compartment.
Walking very slowly past the open door, Jenny looked in and saw eight kids sitting inside. Alan was there with the blond boy who had bugged Lizzy; she had told them earlier that his name was Tristan Rush. There was short boy with striking red hair who was quietly reading a book by the window. Her cousin Adele and three other giggling girls were with the boys. It was then that Alan noticed Jenny in the doorway and raised an eyebrow at her. Glaring at Alan for just a second, Jenny continued back to the compartment to join Lizzy and Arianna.
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After crossing the lake, the first year students were ushered into a room to wait for the rest of the school. Jenny stood quietly beside Arianna while Lizzy chattered away on Arianna's far side. Arianna herself looked a little pale and kept biting her lip out of nerves.
Most first years stood around quietly in groups waiting for instructions while some, like Alan and Lizzy, chattered on. Alan seemed to be quite comfortable and was talking quietly with the two boys Jenny had seen him with earlier. However, there was one large boy with dull brown hair who was tossing a book around with black haired boy and laughed as a small girl tried to catch it in midair. Knowing that it was going to make life difficult if she made enemies this soon, Jenny stepped forward and stood in front of the brown haired boy just as he neatly caught the book.
"Hand it over."
The bigger first year looked down at the tiny brown haired girl before him and laughed, "Who's gonna make me? You?"
"If I have to."
The boy stepped up close, so he was towering over Jenny and she became aware of everything around her. The crowd of first years had gone dead silent, watching the exchange between the large boy and foolish little girl; the brown haired boy smelled of sweat and lightly sour milk; the owner of the book was cowering as the black haired boy moved to stand behind her.
"What is a little wench like you going do to make me give it back?"
There was a moment of silence as the words hit Jenny and she reacted by doing the first thing that came to mind. She kicked him in the shin. With a yowl the big boy dropped the book to nurse his shin. Quickly picking up the book, Jenny heard footsteps behind her and turned slightly to see Alan and his friends circling around behind the black haired boy before he could try anything. Stepping back, Jenny handed the book over to the owner, who quickly scampered into the crowd. Looking up at the bigger boy Jenny's eyes narrowed as she saw hate fill them slowly.
"One day you'll regret that, wench," said the large boy as he slowly straightened.
Alan cleared his throat, "I don't think she will, Angus. From one beaten boy to another, don't mess with her. Get your kicks else where, because mark my word, it's my job to harass her, not yours."
Jenny whipped around to face Alan, "What does that mean!"
Before all hell broke loose, a door to the right of Jenny opened and a little man stepped inside. But he wasn't a man; he was a goblin, and an older one at that. His green robes brushed the floor as he walked forward and caught the light as if they were enchanted.
"Welcome first years to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor Flitwick, Deputy Headmaster. If you will follow me," said the goblin, "The Sorting is about to begin."
Walking back to the door from which he had appeared, he led the dead silent group of children into the Great Hall. Now, someone might say that the silence was because of nerves or fear but if one felt neither then it was the magnificence of the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was well lit with candles that floated about the tables and lined the walls in medieval brackets. Jenny noticed that the wax dripped down them, but it disappeared into thin air. There were four oak tables at which students sat clad in black robes with their house color trim. All of the surfaces gleamed in the candlelight, even the spotless floor. There was a table at one end where it seemed that the professors sat, quietly watching the new group of first years. The large chair in the middle held an elderly woman in bottle green robes with gold brocade and large spectacles. Her graying hair was drawn into a tight bun and held a large black witch's hat on top. She surveyed the first year students as they walked towards her.
The thing, however, that caught most of the children's eyes was the ceiling. The grand ceiling above their heads was black as night with little stars shining above them. The moon, only half full, was illuminating the entire ceiling itself while ribbons of clouds danced around it. Looking to the glass windows, Jenny realized that the ceiling looked like the sky outside. Wondering which great wizard made that spell, Jenny and her fellow students walked to the front of the Great Hall, before the staff table.
On the raised dais in front of the staff table sat a very old hat on a stool. Unsure what to expect, Jenny felt something bump her slightly. Turning her head sharply she looked into Alan's twinkling eyes.
"What do you want?" Jenny demanded quietly.
Alan gave the tiniest of laughs, "I thought I didn't need a reason to bug you?"
"If you have any intentions of making this year painful for me, I guarantee that I'll make yours just as worse, if not more so," she hissed at him under her breath.
The bickering continued back and forth, through the hat's song, until Professor Flitwick called, "Armstrong, Mathew."
Alan turned sharply to face Flitwick and the hat as the red haired boy Jenny had seen in Alan's compartment stepped up to the hat and placed it on his head. The room waited silently for what was to come.
"Gryffindor!" shouted the hat.
Cheers came up from the table of students in black and scarlet. The boy named Mathew walked over to the cheering table and sat down next to a boy who looked to be a seventh year.
Professor Flitwick continued on alphabetically and Jenny waited quietly until the professor called out, "Finnigan, Arianna."
Arianna was also sorted into Gryffindor and took her seat across from Mathew. Angus Flint, the bully, was the third person sorted into Slytherin and proudly took his seat with the other Slytherin students.
"Granger, Jennifer."
Stepping forward like every other first year before her, Jenny sat on the stool as the hat was placed on her head.
"Well, well, well. Another Weasley, yes child I know who you are. Let's see, where to put you?" said the hat in her ear, "Plenty of brains, like your dear mother, and love, like your father. More than enough courage too I see. Well, if you are anything like the others we had better make it,
"Gryffindor!" shouted the hat for all to hear.
As Professor Flitwick removed the hat from Jenny's head she stood up to join the Gryffindor's at their table. Taking the seat next to Arianna, Jenny watched quietly as the next thirteen students were spilt among Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. A black haired girl with a very tan complexion, named Loretta Osborne, was finally sorted into Gryffindor.
"Potter, Alan."
The room filled instantly with quiet chatter as the students told tales of the great Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. Alan, however, seemed use to this and proceeded to sit on the stool. The hat was barely on his head before he was deemed a Gryffindor. Sitting down across from Jenny, a cocky grin on his face, Alan welcomed the cheers of the Gryffindors and the congratulations from Mathew and Loretta.
Glaring at Alan as he took in the glory, Jenny tried to keep back the insults she wanted to list. The different methods of torture raced through Jenny's mind as she continued to glare at the boy who had plans to make her life miserable. After a few words with Mathew, Alan looked back up, caught Jenny's eye and gave her a wink.
"Need something, Jennifer?"
"Not from you, Potter," said Jenny without hesitation.
"Right, Elizabeth," shouted tiny Professor Flitwick.
Looking back up, Jenny watched Lizzy become a Gryffindor as was, "Rush, Tristan." Tristan took up the seat next to Alan and was laughing and joking with Alan and Mathew in no time. The remaining Gryffindor first years included Adrian and Arthur Tanner and Jenny's cousin Adele.
The last first year sorted, "Zeligman, Alexia," was sorted into Slytherin. Having heard of the great and splendid feast to come from her father, Jenny squirmed and got a look from Lizzy and Mathew in the process. Giving both a warm smile, Jenny looked up to the head table as she heard a chair scrapping on the stone floor.
"Welcome students, to another school year," said the witch in green. "For those of you who are new to our ranks, I am Professor McGonagall, your Headmistress. I believe I will let you fill your empty stomachs with food before I fill your heads with information."
With the grace of someone very accomplished, Professor McGonagall sat down and bowed her head slightly. As if it was a cue, all four tables filled with food. If Jenny had thought that Grandmother Weasley made a feast, it couldn't compare to this. There was chicken, turkey, roast beef and ham. Mashed potatoes with chicken and dark gravy, a veggie mix with roasted carrots, peas, beans, potatoes, and onions and a variety of cold veggies were spread around. Hot, fresh bread, fruits, and pitchers of drinks filled the remaining space on the table.
The older students didn't even blink at this bit of magic and dug in. Taking the lead from the upperclassmen, Jenny and her fellow first years began filling their plates and passing around the food. Mashed potatoes, chicken, fresh bread and fruit soon swamped Jenny's plate and left the gold surface barely visible. Looking at the pitchers around the table, Jenny noticed an orange drink she didn't recognize.
"Arianna, what's that?"
Before Arianna could answer her Alan laughed and replied, "Its pumpkin juice. You wouldn't like it, too bitter for an American."
Sadly enough, Jenny didn't think as she reached for the pitcher and poured herself a full goblet. Giving Alan a challenging look, Jenny prepared for a bitter drink and took a gulp. But, it wasn't bitter at all, it was a sweet drink that reminded her slightly or Club Orange, yet with pumpkin flavoring. Being a big Club Orange fan as of late, Jenny was sure that this was going to be the drink of choice while she was at school.
"Bitter? Wow Alan, I didn't think you were that inapt when it came down to tastes. Don't worry, there is bound to be a spell somewhere to cure you of that and any other problems you may have."
Jenny spent the rest of the feast talking with Arianna, Lizzy, Loretta or Lori as she asked to be called, and surprisingly Mathew or Matt by his friends. Jenny took in the fact that once a tray emptied it refilled once again and that the Slytherins would occasionally look over to glare at the Gryffindor table. They, however, weren't the ones that Jenny was worried about, it was Alan.
'What did he mean, just him? I'm not family or even his friend! What gives him the right and not others? Fine, he helped with that kid Angus, but I could have handled it.'
There was a tapping on a goblet and Jenny looked up to the head table to see Headmistress McGonagall standing up.
"I hope you all are well filled by now; on to business and announcements. First, to all students to remember that the Forbidden Forest is exactly that… forbidden. Also, Mr. Flich has asked that I remind all students that "Weasley Wizard Wheezes" items are on the list of illegal items. If you wish to know all illegal contraband, there is a list posted outside Mr. Flich's office. To all fifth and seventh year students, O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's are on the first week of June. Other students will have exams on the second week of June and their results will be posted that Sunday before the Leaving Feast.
"All students second year or higher are welcome to tryout for their house Quidditch teams starting next week. Sign-ups will be posted in your house Common Rooms. Also, broomsticks will be available for use as needed.
"Finally, I would like to introduce your head boy and girl, Mr. Vince and Miss Moles, and our new Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Nemo," stated Professor McGonagall as polite clapping filled the hall when Professor Nemo and the head boy and girl stood up, "Now students off to your houses and sweet dreams."
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After following the pair of fifth year prefects to Gryffindor Tower, Jenny, Lizzy, Lori, Arianna and Adele walked up the stairs to the first year girls' dorm. The five, four poster beds in scarlet velvet, lined the walls with the girls' trunks at their feet. Moving around the room Jenny noticed that, counter-clockwise, it was Arianna, Jenny, Lori, Lizzy and finally Adele.
"I really hate being directly opposite the door, will you trade me Elizabeth?" asked Loretta sweetly.
"You're not the only one who might hate it," replied Lizzy.
Taking in how this wasn't going to make dorm life easier Jenny broke in, "Lizzy how about you take my bed, Lori can have yours and I'll take Lori's. I won't mind moving and I really don't care where I am sleeping."
"How exactly are we actually going to drag these trunks around?" asked Arianna softly.
"I think I can take an end if someone else can grab the others," said Jenny quickly.
"I don't think that just two us could carry those," reasoned Adele.
Walking over to her trunk, Jenny picked up the whole thing up and set it down in the middle of the room with little difficulty.
"Fine, lets push them around then."
A silence fell over the girls for a moment. Adele cleared her throat, a look of exasperation on her face.
This seemed to push Lizzy to keep up and she drug Jenny over to her trunk to move it where Jenny's had just been. With the empty space, Loretta and Adele slid Loretta's trunk over and Jenny moved hers to the bed directly across from the door. Looking around that the change, the five girls smiled.
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It was past midnight before the five girls had finished unpacking and swapping stories.
Jenny showered quickly and put on her pajamas while the others talked about boys. Walking in on a conversation about Alan Potter, whom Lori seemed to fancy, Jenny rolled her eyes and prayed that it would pass in time. Deciding not to comment, Jenny looked around at their room; there were posters covering the walls of movie stars, like Orlando Bloom from his newest hit, above Lizzy's bed. Famous Quidditch players, like Tom Clancy, spattered the wall above Lori's. Arianna had a bookshelf she had brought, filled with classics and fairytales, like The Chronicles of Narnia and Peter Pan. Adele it seemed was very interested in practical jokes, because a large box from Uncles Fred and George had been stashed under her bed for later use. Jenny had brought a poster from A Knight's Tale, one of her favorite old flicks, and poster from the musical Wicked.
Finally, under the covers of her four poster bed, Jenny's mind raced as she closed her eyes. Letting herself relax like the monk had taught her, Jenny cleared her mind and began her breathing exercises. As her mind emptied, fuzzy images began to surface in her mind's eye.
There was a boy in yellow and black turning to face her, Professor McGonagall yelling at student to her right, Professor Nemo speaking quietly with Uncle Charlie and a finally a spray of red liquid as an arm passed in front of her face and Jenny thought she recognized pain.
Unlike any time previous, this image came with a feeling and that unnerved her. Letting her eyes open slowly, Jenny pondered the last image and hoped that it wasn't her blood that she had seen…
Just to Let You Know:
This was by far the most tedious chapter to write because of the new characters and relationships. I realize that the Weasleys were a greater number but I didn't have to think twice about who they were.
Also, I wasn't quite sure about the pumpkin juice but that's the way that I imaged it would taste like. Yes, I know that Club Orange isn't in the States but when I was in Ireland this past summer I was hooked on it and brought back a few bottles with me.
Finally, I would like to thank my roommate for everything that she has done these past few weeks, not just with my stories.
REMEMBER, Reviews are welcome.