Chapter 3: Welcome to Hogwarts

Jojo had parted from her newfound friends and was now huddled in a small, cramped rowboat with Benjamin. The rain was pouring down in slick sheets. Jojo groaned because her white Hogwarts blouse was soaked, and her skirt wasn't much warmer. Her robes weren't helping either-just sticking to her like honey would stick in one's hair.

Suddenly, Hogwarts came into view. It was spectacular, although deep down inside, Jojo felt that Beauxbatons looked much nicer. Maybe she just felt this way because Beauxbatons had been her home since the age of eleven. There were many 'ooohs' and 'aaahs.' Even Benjamin who had spent his whole life in the palace at home thought the sight was marvellous, even through the rain. Jojo just hoped that she would be able to dry herself off before anybody caught sight of her.

The boats reached shore, and everybody quickly scrambled off. The two house elves were hopping over puddles, and Benjamin's new friends were laughing, as one of the house elves leaped over two puddles. Hagrid, the giant grounds keeper, knocked on the great wooden doors. Professor McGonagall opened it. She attempted to look stern, but laughed at the sight of the wet first years. She ushered them in. The first years all looked about, nervously as if hoping to find an escape route. Jojo took this time to quickly dry out her blouse. At least it would dry fast. Her hair and robes on the other hand, were hopeless cases.

Professor McGonagall led them up the stairs and told them to wait in a line as she disappeared into another set of doors. She came back with a long list and beckoned everybody forwards. Jojo hung around the back of the line.

They entered the Great Hall, and what a sight it was. Hundreds of students were gathered at their house tables, and some of them seemed to be really anticipating the feast to begin, as Jojo distinctly heard several 'harrumphs.'

"Alright you lot," said Professor McGonagall cheerfully. She placed an old worn wizards hat on a three legged stool. The hat burst out in song, and everybody clapped for it. Professor McGonagall read the list of names. Jojo did not hear a thing except for Benjamin's sorting into Gryffindor. She could feel the burning stares of everybody on her. She looked at the Gryffindor table where her new friends were giving her thumbs up and her brother was making silly faces at her. She looked away though, because McGonagall had now called her up.

"Savard, Jaqueline Marie," called the professor. Jojo scowled and walked up to her and muttered, "It's Jojo." The professor huffed.

"Alright. Jojo Savard." Jojo smugly sat herself on the stool and placed the hat on her head. Unlike everybody else, the hat did not fall below her eyes-just to her eyebrows. Jojo wished it did fall past her eyes, because she could see everybody staring at her. She could tell they were wondering why she wasn't wearing a robe by the way they were constantly glancing at her blouse and then back at the robes she had tossed on her lap.

HMMM... Savard, EH? NEVER HAD YOUR PARENTS HERE. WELL I KNOW JUST WHERE TO PUT YOU... GRYFFINDOR!

Jojo put the hand back onto the stool and calmly walked over to the Gryffindor table. Anybody else in her place probably would have been embarrassed, but Jojo took pride on the fact that she never got embarrassed. Embarrassment was one of those things not enlisted in her dictionary.

"Good job, Jojo!" exclaimed Lily, hugging her.

"Thanks."

When Dumbledore had finished his annual speech, the food appeared.

"Is miss wanting robes dry?" squeaked KwiKwi.

"What? Oh, er yeah. Thanks." Jojo tried handing it to KwiKwi, but she jumped back in alarm.

"KwiKwi is not wanting miss to send KwiKwi away!"

"What?" asked Jojo in a confused manner.

"You're not supposed to give an elf clothes," said Marlene matter-of-factually.

"Then how is she supposed to dry it?"

"Miss is just needing to hold up robe and work all done."

"Okay," said Jojo slowly. She held up the robes. KwiKwi did some magic and the robe was dry. Jojo threw the robe on and smoothed out her skirt. She piled some food onto her plate and started to eat. Suddenly, she noticed that something odd was happening to the Slytherins. Nobody else seemed to have noticed. The changes were taking place ever so slowly. At first, one by one, the Slytherins stopped eating and clutched their stomachs. And then slowly, they started to shrink, and get smaller, and smaller, until they were about the size of your average Barbie doll. Now people were noticing. Jojo frowned when she heard laughter a few seats down. The four boys on the train were giving each other high fives.

"Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew! Detention! Honestly Mr. Lupin-do you wish to lose you prefect badge on the first day?" said a shrill voice. It was professor McGonagall. Jojo's eyes became round like Frisbees. McGonagall was now really stern. She was no longer bubbly, but looking quite angry. "10 points from Gryffindor each! And how you managed so quickly, I do not know..."

"What's wrong with those boys?" asked Jojo. She did not know their names yet, but already disliked them. "I don't like Slytherins, but they didn't even do anything!"

"They're self-centred, annoying prats who think that everybody else is below them. That's why they do it," said Lily.

"Oi! Evans! Will you go out with me?" shouted Potter. Lily shot him a nasty look. Alice and Marlene sighed.

"I don't see why you won't go with him Lily-he obviously likes you! He hasn't ever gone out with anybody once, AND he's been asking you for five years! He can't be that bad if he wants you that much! Any other guy would have given up by then end of a month!" said Alice.

"She has a point you know," said Marlene.

"Gee guys, thanks for helping," said Lily sardonically.

"We're only doing it for your own good," Marlene replied cheerfully, ignoring the sarcastic tone dripping from Lily's voice.