Chapter 12 Thistle Scallop
After everyone's arrival at Hogwarts the usual banquet started.
First of all, the new first-years had to be sorted into their houses, the excitement about being at Hogwarts clearly to be seen on their faces.
"They seem to get smaller and smaller every year, I swear!", Ron whispered into her ear while they sat at the Gryffindor table, observing the events at the front of the great hall.
Professor McGonagall had just brought in the three-legged stool and put the sorting hat on top of it. Most of the eleven-year-olds' faces lit up in expectation, obviously knowing what would happen next, while others peered at it cautiously. Holly smiled, as the hat began to sing, and thought back at the memory of her own sorting.
…
"Holly Elisabeth Potter."
Holly stumbled into the direction of the stool, too nervous to get as much as one single thought straight. She sat down and wiggled anxiously in her seat. Then, everything went black, as Professor McGonagall put the hat onto Holly's head and the thing slid right over her eyes.
Without any warning, a silent, yet clear voice spoke to her, right into both her ears:
"Ah, Miss Potter, I was looking forward to meeting you. It is an honour to finally make your acquaintance, as well as sorting you into your destined house."
She didn't know how to answer, so she kept her silence, waiting for it to continue.
"Very well, now, let me take a look into your head… Ah… right… That's a tough case, indeed…Miss Potter, you put up quite a challenge for me, to be honest. I find several signs and traits in you, belonging to all the different houses.
Only had that happen once or twice before…
I see curiosity in your head, brains and the strong want to prove yourself. Creativity, another important trait. And I can see you value individuality… All that would work wonderfully in Ravenclaw.
Then again, you are brave, I can see everything you had to go through, all the times you were afraid but wouldn't back down, never giving up the fight. That, of course, would be useful in Gryffindor. If I remember correctly, your parents both were Gryffindors themselves.
Also, I can see ambition within you and determination… As well as just the right amount of cunning. You would do great in Slytherin with things like that.
Lastly, I see your strong sense of fairness and loyalty. You value kindness and tolerance above many other things… All Hufflepuff traits, of course.
So, what will I do with you, you seem to fit into each house equally well…"
At that point, the hat went silent. Holly hadn't really listened to it since the mention of her parents. It was the first bit of personal information she had gotten about them, and she couldn't stop thinking about it, couldn't concentrate on any other thing.
"Ah, I see", the sorting hat finally stated, a soft giggle in Holly's ear.
"Are you sure you want to be there? You could choose any house after all… And don't forget, you will be part of your house for the next seven years, one's house always starts to feel like family…"
Nothing the hat said changed her mind, rather just the opposite in fact.
It would only be right to find herself "family" within the very same house her actual family had been sorted to.
"Very well then, I will put you into - GRYFFINDOR!"
Holly ripped off the hat and ran over to the Gryffindor table, her face beaming with joy. Everyone had gotten to their feet, clapping their hands, applauding her, as if she had just won some kind of contest. Ron's brothers celebrated her joining them the loudest, especially Fred and George who had gotten on top of the bench and sang loudly:
"We got Potter! We got Potter!"
…
After all the kids had been sorted, Dumbledore got to his feet, his face beaming down to the rows of students. His arms were stretched to his sides in a welcoming gesture. When the buzzing of voices had calmed down a little, he gave his annual start-of-term speech:
"Welcome! Welcome to the first year at Hogwarts for our new pupils and welcome back all the other ones!" His blue eyes twinkled behind the half-moon shaped glasses he wore on his long nose.
"Before we jump right into the delicious meal that awaits us, first some important rules: the forest outside our beautiful castle is forbidden to all pupils, the new as well as the old ones, the only exception to that rule is, of course, in company of a teacher."
Hagrid looked over to Holly at those words, nodding in excitement about this new addition to the rule. Sure enough, he had something planned for one of their Care of Magical Creatures lessons. Holly thought about the things she had met on her earlier trips into the forest and felt a little uncomfortable at the revelation of spending time in there again.
"Also, Mr. Filch has kindly reminded me to tell you, that there are several objects, especially joke-items, such as Fanged Frisbees, Dungbombs or Stink Pellets, that are forbidden to use. The whole list of them will be displayed on the notice-boards in your common rooms for you to check."
Fred and George murmured at those words. Holly was sure they had several new joke products developed over the summer. She hadn't forgotten those secret items George had purchased at Diagon Alley he wouldn't tell her about.
"Since you are bound to be starving, there is only one more thing for today:
Unfortunately our new teacher for Defence against the Dark Arts seems to have changed their mind, for which reason we lack one member of our faculty. Until we have found someone suitable for the job, some of the other teachers and myself have volunteered to take over your classes."
All pupils in the hall started chatting after this revelation. Dumbledore cleared his throat and all heads turned back in his direction.
"Don't worry, this arrangement will only be temporary, as we will surely find someone very soon. And now… Let the feast begin!"
At his last words, the golden plates in front of them had filled with all kinds of foods and everyone hungrily helped themselves.
Much later that night, Holly found herself awake in bed yet again, after having one of her usual nightmares. Hermione and the other girls in her dorm slept calmly, not noticing her distress. She couldn't go back to sleep, so after having been too tired and full before, Holly got up to have a bath now.
That had been one of the things Daisy had told them about earlier, one of their privileges: they did not have to stay in their common rooms or dorms after curfew but were allowed to move around the castle at any time, day and night. She got out of her bed as quietly as she could, grabbing her dressing gown and wand while leaving the dorm behind.
The common room downstairs was deserted, only a small fire burning in its fireplace next to the velvety, red armchairs Holly liked to sit in.
The corridors outside were just the same: no person to be seen. Holly wrapped the silky gown tighter around her body against the chilly air.
Finally, she reached the statue of Boris the Bewildered down on fifth floor. She hadn't been here since before the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, but she remembered behind which door the secret bathroom lay hidden.
Daisy had given them the current password ("thistle scallop"), so she had no problems opening the door.
She run herself a bath using all her favourite water taps and lit some scented candles, scattering them around the pool. As the sweet fragrance of vanilla, green apples and cinnamon filled the air that surrounded her, the pool had finally filled up to its edge and Holly slipped into the hot water, all tension slowly falling from her body at the sense of the warmth combined with the soothing effect of the soft light and her favourite scents.
When her skin felt hot and sparkling clean, she pulled herself out of the pool and wrapped a soft, minty green towel around her body.
Next to the brightly coloured window, a tall, full-body mirror displayed the image of herself. Holly didn't look into mirrors often, just while brushing her teeth or whenever she washed her hands after going to the loo, since there were always mirrors hanging above the sinks at Hogwarts.
When she had been younger she'd never liked her appearance and hated how skinny she was. Maybe it had been as a result of being bullied and laughed at in school so much... The only thing she had always thought to be pretty about her, were the sparkling green eyes she'd inherited from her mother.
Those eyes looked back at her now from the mirror and Holly slowly came closer to look at her reflection. Her face was pale, as always, and slim but Holly didn't think it ugly, like she used to.
She had a small, straight nose nothing too special but just about the right shape in her opinion. Her big, slightly rounded eyes were surrounded by those long, dark lashes that would brush against her cheek whenever she looked down. Above them two slender, yet full eyebrows which she was able to raise separately, something she often liked to do.
Her lips weren't as full as Holly would like them to be, but she liked their shape, the way the upper lip was just a bit fuller than her lower one.
Her hair had been one of the worst things back in her days before Hogwarts. Aunt Petunia would try to flatten it, brush it a thousand times a day, but it would always do what it wanted, never to be tamed.
Once, Petunia cut it short thinking it would finally stay smooth, but no such luck. Holly smiled as she remembered herself waking up the morning after, with her hair long again as it had grown back over night.
Now, when she looked at her reflection, she liked her hair. It still got tangled all the time, but she preferred it that way to it being stick-straight. At the moment, it fell over her pale shoulders just beneath her boobs. The whisky ends of it tickling the smooth skin of them.
The soft towel was still draped over her shoulders and she let it slip down her body now, leaving her completely naked in front of the mirror, exposed to her own eyes.
Slowly, she let her glance wander, taking in the shape of her whole body.
Never before had she seen it like this.
Holly was still skinny, but over the last year or so she had developed some feminine curves at least, even though they would never compare to those of other girls she knew.
Her breasts were small, yet full and perky so she never felt the need to wear a bra, something she was glad about.
Holly watched one of her hands gently touching herself, tracing the shape of her right boob, slowly circling to the very tip of it leaving the tiny, pink nipple hard. A shiver ran down her spine at the touch and goose bumps started to cover her whole body.
Her hands moved on, tenderly stroking down the side of her small waist, caressing the rounded curve of her hip and the smooth surface of her flat stomach until her fingers brushed against the delicate skin between her slim, yet (due to playing Quidditch) toned thighs.
Gently, her fingers found their destination, the tiny pearl hard between her supple folds, already throbbing from the sensation her own touch could give her. Softly she rolled the small bundle of nerves under her fingers, while her other hand moved up to her boob again, its roundness filling up her palm, pinching the nipple with two fingers.
Watching her reflection, the things she did, turned her on like nothing else ever had, heat building up in her aroused body and she closed her eyes while her fingers began to move faster.
As her legs started feeling wobbly, she lay down on the bathroom floor on top of her towel, it being the only thing between her hot skin and the cool tiles underneath her.
The hand between her thighs felt herself getting wet and she gently dipped one finger into her slippery, velvety sleeve. A soft moan escaped her lips as she pushed the finger in and out again, arching her back in pleasure whilst pulling at the fabric of the towel.
Increasing the speed while slipping in another finger, her tight, silky walls already stretched by merely those two fingers, she felt something steadily building up inside her and sat up just in time to watch herself in the mirror for her grand finale. Her thighs opened wide for her to take in everything and she couldn't hold back any longer -
Her clit exploded beneath her fingers and waves of pleasure rolled over her trembling body. She bit her lip, hard, not to scream out in ecstasy as she came undone.
Worn out, she sank back to the floor again, breathing heavily. The cool tiles of the floor against her flushed skin helped her calm down a little faster than usual.
After some time, she got up from the floor again and went back to bed without a last glance at her reflection.
Juicy, indeed... ;)
Stay tuned
- A