Chapter Two: The Feast
Before they knew it The Hogwarts Express had just pulled right in front of the castle. Bailey looked at all of the boys and simply just rolled her eyes. "See? I told you that we're here! You should have listened to me and changed into your robes when you had the chance." She told them before she gently placed Ginger off her lap and stood up.
"Come on Ginger, we have to go. We don't want to have points deducted on our first night back at Hogwarts." She replied as her cat let out a single meow before leaping off of the sat and following her out of the compartment.
"She looks like a real piece of work." Derek said while making a face of disgust.
"Oh come on Derek." Aaron began. "I know that she's a pain in the neck but she's just a little girl. Give her a break." He told him.
"Yeah, I would do anything to have a little brother or sister." Rickie said.
"You can have one of my brothers." Derek offered him.
"Yeah and I definitely wouldn't mind giving you one of my sisters." Justin told him.
"Right now there isn't anything in the whole entire world that I wouldn't give just to have parents again." Rickie began with a somber expression on his face.
"What about your mum?" Aaron questioned him.
"She died over the summer holiday due to food poisoning. I watched her die right in front of my eyes." He explained.
"Wow, I'm sorry man." Aaron replied while placing a comforting hand on top of his shoulder.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Justin asked him.
"I didn't want to bum you out on our first night back for one,.. and for two,.. I wanted you to enjoy your summers so that's why I never sent you any owls over break." He replied while glancing back over at him making Aaron starting to feel really bad for his friend.
"Come on guys, we better go change." Derek said as he got up and started walking out into the hallway.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Aaron began as he got up as well and followed him out into the hallway, but instead of being met with Derek's eyes, he was met with the beautiful blue eyes of a young girl. She also had rather long auburn hair and freckles on both of her cheeks.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." She began as Aaron smiled at her with his beautiful glistening smile.
"That's alright, you're fine. My name's Aaron Parker." He told her while extending his hand and offering it to her.
"Carly Clark and yes I know. I'm on the same Qudditch team as you remember?" She questioned him.
"I'm sorry, I would think that I would have remembered somebody as beautiful as yourself." He replied as Justin and Rickie suddenly walked out of the compartment and started walking by them.
"Uh oh, looks like Aaron's been shot by Cupid ya'all." Rickie said and Aaron blushed as he and Carly stood back up and Carly shot him a nervous glance.
"Don't mind Rickie, we've known each other since we were in diapers and we're sort of like brothers since we're always messing around with each other." He told her.
"It's alright, come on,.. I'll walk you to the carriages." She replied as she and Aaron stepped off the train together.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Aaron asked her as they started to walk.
"What? Me? Nah I'm an only child. In fact I don't even live with my mum and dad as my mum died when I was a baby and my father abandoned me inside a church parking lot when I was six weeks old." She told him.
"Really? I'm sorry to hear that." He told her.
"It's okay. My aunt and uncle treat me rather well." She said and that's when all of a sudden Aaron stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that Rickie was just standing in front of him staring into space.
"Uh Rickie, are you alright bro?" Aaron questioned him.
"What is that thing?" Rickie questioned him back while widening his eyes.
"Uh,.. those are the carriages that have been taking us up to the castle ever since our third year are you sure you're okay?" Aaron asked him out of concern.
"No. I don't mean the carriages. I mean the creatures that are pulling them." He replied.
"Okay,.. I think you've had way too much sugar to eat tonight and you're way overtired as you already know that the carriages pull themselves." Aaron told him as he climbed up onto one of the carriages that his sister was on and helped Carly up there with them before sitting down in-between them. "Bailey, this is Carly Clark we're on the same Qudditch team apparently. Carly, this is my little sister Bailey Parker." He explained as both of the girls exchanged smiles and shook hands.
"Nice to meet you." They said simultaneously before there came an abrupt and sudden jerk and the carriage started pulling them towards the castle.
Once they got back up to the castle, Derek went to go join all of the other Hufflepuff, while Rickie and Justin went to go sit down at the Ravenclaw table, and Aaron, Carly, and Bailey went to go join the rest of the Gryffindors and the sorting ceremony begun. Once it was over and every last student was sorted into their house Professor Dumbledore got up to face the front of the room.
"Before we begin with this year's feast, I have a very important and special announcement to make. This year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry we will be having our very first ever talent competition." He said when all of a sudden chatter started filling the Great Hall. "Singing talent competition of course." He added as he continued talking over the chatter. "The winner will get five million galleons and a recording contract. In addition to this,.. a music class has been offered as an elective to help you get ready." He explained.
"I can't believe it! We've been singing ever since we could talk!" Justin exclaimed as he looked over at Rickie.
"We just to sign up!" Aaron cried as Carly looked over at him and smiled but Bailey just simply groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Auditions will start being held this Friday night in the Great Hall." Dumbledore added before he began the feast and then sat down again.