The Sorting
"Okay, who wants to be beat in Wizard Chess?" challenged Aila to her four companions. They had been in the train for about 5 hours and were almost a half an hour away from the last train stop. Aila was sitting with her cousins, Justice and Chastity Weasley (Uncle Percy and Aunt Penelope's 14 year old twin daughters) Mimi Weasley (short for Miriam, Uncle Fred and Aunt Angelina's 12 year old daughter) Patrick Weasley (Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur's 15 year old son) Timothy Weasley (Uncle Charlie and Aunt Kathy's 13 year old son), Lily and James Potter (Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny's eleven year old twin son and daughter), and last was Elizabeth and Jonathan Weasley (Uncle George and Aunt Katie's eleven year old daughter and 14 year old son).
"I'll play you." Said Justice getting up and trading seats with Tim, who was sitting across from Aila. "I love Wizard chess."
"Don't forget about last Christmas. I kicked your sorry butt."
"I have new skills, beware." Replied Justice with a smirk.
Aila smiled and set up the chess table. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten about all of her family who attended Hogwarts too. Maybe she was just too nervous to think. The table was set and they began to play. "You should have gotten to know your chess pieces before playing Aila." Said Justice after instructing her pawn to move forward.
"It doesn't matter." Said Aila after taking out one of Justice's knights. The game continued for ten minutes before Aila finally got her checkmate. "See I am unbeatable."
"I challenge you to a rematch." Said Justice with an odd gleam in her eyes.
"Challenge later." Said Patrick, flicking his want to put all of the chess pieces up. "We need to change."
"Bloody git." mumbled Justice while getting out her robes. "Chastity come over here." The two put their heads together and began to talk to each other in hushed tones.
"I swear they got our father's genes." Jonathan said to Mimi looking at the twins who were conspiring in the corner.
"I think you're right." She whispered back. Aila smiled. It was going to be like Christmas all year round. Aila loved being with family. It was like having siblings. Maybe dad will get a girlfriend now that I am in school. Then he could get married, and have children! Aila smiled. Why didn't he have a wife? Am I a love child?
OoOO00OOoO
Hilary was glad when the train stopped. She couldn't wait until the sorting. All she wanted to be was a Gryffindor, the girls she met were Gryffindor, and she already had friends! It would be cruel to let her get friends then force her not to be with them. The system is rigged for torture.
She got to the compartment where her trunk was and realized that she couldn't get it down! Hilary looked around to see if her friends could help her but they were nowhere in sight. "Great." She grumbled. They must have already gotten off the train! She grabbed at her trunk and pulled, but it wouldn't budge. "Brilliant." She said unhappily. "Bloody brilliant! I get to Hogwarts but my supplies can't go with me!"
"Need help?" asked a voice. Hilary turned it was a boy who was tall and had dark black hair. He was wearing glasses and was pretty hansom. "You… you look like Aila!" he said his eyes getting very wide.
"Like who?"
"Like my cousin Aila!" he sputtered. "You just need shorter hair and you could be her identical twin!"
"Whatever." She turned and looked at her trunk, "Could you just help me get this down?"
"Yeah." He said shaking his head and pulling down her trunk. "You need to meet Aila you really do."
"That's great and all." Said Hilary pulling her trunk off the train, "But I need to catch up with my friends." Hilary pulled her trunk to a stack of trunks that a girl told her to put it.
"Firs' years over here." Called a very tall large man, "Firs' year come this way!" Aila ran to Jenna who was calling her name.
"This is so cool!" Jenna said with a huge smile! We are almost at Hogwarts! I can't believe it!"
"Just give me food and I will be happy." Said Hilary following the tall man. He led them to a group of boats.
"Yer gonna ride across the lake on the boats." He said getting onto one, "only four to a boat." Jenna and Hilary rushed onto the front of a boat. They sat themselves down and giggled.
"We are almost at Hogwarts!" squealed Jenna.
"Almost to food!" said Hilary after her stomach growled especially loud.
"Your heart is in your stomach isn't it?" asked Jenna laughing
"Yes!" said Hilary, "I think it is. How am I so thin?" she looked at her midriff and laughed again.
The boats began to move slowly across the water. There were a lot of trees on each side of them, "There's the forbidden forest!" called the big man in the front boat who was leading all of the first years to Hogwarts.
"The castle is on the other side of the trees." Hilary heard a boy behind them say. He was right after about two more minutes of drifting forward in the water. All of the first years saw the castle. It was magnificent. It was against a perfect blue sky with millions of stars. You could see all of the towers with their windows with a yellow glow popping out like magic. Hilary could hear gasps all around her.
"It's wonderful." Said Jenna with an awestruck look on her face. "I can't believe it."
"It's magnificent." Breathed Hilary. When they looked ahead again she realized they were at the shore of the lake. She stood up and got off the boat, never taking her eyes off the large structure before her. All of the first years walked to the castle. When they had just reached the doors they immediately were opened revealing a large grand Entry Hall. There were many "ooh!" s and "Ah!" s all around them.
A woman with a tall pointy hat on walked down a large staircase. "First years welcome to Hogwarts." Said the lady. "I am headmistress McGonagall. Follow me." All of the first years walked to the staircase and followed her up. They reached a large flat in front of another large set of doors. "This is the Great hall. Where you will eat all of your meals. Wait out here and we will call you in when we are ready for you." She left from a corridor at the side.
"I can't believe I am in the Hogwarts castle." Jenna whispered in her ear.
"I know!" she whispered back. They all stood around outside the Great hall for about two minutes before Hilary felt someone tap her back.
"What's your name?" Hilary turned around. It was the boy who helped her get her trunk off of the train.
"Hilary Granger."
"I would like you to meet my cousin Aila." He turned around al the doors opened indicating the first years to enter.
"I am going to go in." said Hilary as he turned around. Hilary walked in with Jenna. The room was huge. There were four long tables with many students sitting around it. And at the front of the hall there was a long table with many adults sitting at it, probably the professors.
The headmistress stood at the front with a three-legged stool. And on the stool was a very old hat with a big gash across it. It moved and began to sing a song. Hilary was so taken aback that she forgot to pay attention to the words and just looked at it. It was using the big cut as a mouth and was moving. It looked very old, and a bit frightening. Before she knew it the song was finished and the headmistress told them how the sorting would work. "Each of you will place this on your head and it will tell you which house you will be placed in."
She called up "Abbot, Anthony" who was shaking at the knees, and after the hat was on his head for only a couple seconds he was dubbed a Ravenclaw. There were many other students, one in each house, before they called "Granger, Hilary!" Hilary walked up the stool and sat on it. The hat was paced on her head. She heard a voice talking in her head. "Ooh, a Granger, it has been a while since I have had one of those. But there is mystery in you. No father? Hmm…no matter. Gryffindor!" Hilary jumped off of the stool and gave the hat back to headmistress McGonagall. She ran to a table was cheering and sat by 'Billings, Sally'. More students went through the sorting. Jenna joined the Gryffindors with her. They began to talk when Jenna got a dumbstruck expression on her face.
"Hil'." She gasped, "Look at the person getting sorted. 'Weasley, Aila" was sitting on the chair. Hilary's heart seemed to be somewhere in her throat suddenly. The girl looked almost exactly like her. No Exactly like her. There was no denying it. "Gryffindor!" called the sorting hat.
Aila ran to the table and sat across from Jenna, next to Hilary. What was this? How could it be? Aila turned to shake her hand and then they both shook each other's hand. "You look like me!" they said at the same time. This is too weird! Thought Hilary staring at the girl next to her.