Wow what I'm actually posting the second chapter? I must have lost my damn mind. JK I wrote this back when I wrote the first 3, it however was not edited to fit the story line changes I've since made but now it is! Thus far the first chapter has 1 view but it also has 1 favorite so I guess you can say it's a 5 star story which, first of all, I'm honored, I never thought I would be so successful, and second of all, many thanks to that one dude that read it and favorited!
Here we go again, only difference this year getting on the train is Guin is with me. I make my way down the train corridor towards my usual spot, trying my best to avoid the annual drove of overly excited but also terrified first years. Guin breaks off with Claire, a friend that she was lucky enough to make a few years back. It's hard to start school with no friends. Eventually I reach the 3rd room of the 9th train car and a wand is pointed at my nose.
"State your name and business."
"Jeremy Holland, getting through this next school year with my sanity." I state at first stifling a laugh then with a sarcastic air.
"Good, noble business. I'm so happy to see you Jer!"
"Good to see you too Marie, now can you let me go so I can get inside to put my trunk down?"
Marie is probably my best friend in the world. We've known each other since 2nd year when we were sat at adjacent desks in transfiguration and now she basically can't live without me. Well like she could but I don't think she would want to. I guess the same is true for me, without her my life would be boring, and I probably would sit in the Ravenclaw common room or the library during all my free time. She drags me to all the social events and Quidditch games which I would usually find a waste of my time but always end up being enjoyable.
"So…. when are you going to tell me about your date?" Of course Marie with all the questions that I don't really care to answer.
"Well it wasn't a date, first off. I was helping Dylan with his summer work, his grades weren't the best last year and he didn't want to fall behind. Then he came over to my house to hang out for the day. He still doesn't even know I'm gay as far as I'm aware."
"Well when are you gonna tell him then?"
"You know as well as I that that's nowhere near a viable option. When are you going to pronounce your undying love to Harrison?" Harrison is her secret crush that everyone but him knows about and Marie missed her chance with him last year when he asked out this girl that turned into a perpetual relationship.
"Touche."
Queue annoyed silence because Marie doesn't like to have her words turned on her.
"So we have OWLs this year."
"Ugh don't remind me." Marie doesn't have the best attitude towards classwork and tests but she's in Ravenclaw for a reason. "At least we have that new art class to look forward to."
"Ya that should be cool, I've read about how to make the living paintings but I've never gotten around to trying it for myself."
The train ride carried on as you would expect, the both of us pulling out books and reading the rest of the way to Hogwarts. Fairly certain Marie's book was some kind of muggle novel intended for young adults. The writing styles of muggles confuses me, she's given me a few of her favorites to read and though the morals about humanity hidden under the plot were similar to books in the wizarding world, it was odd reading a book and suddenly two people start physically fighting instead of having a duel, or the amount of time wasted with preparing food. Anyway's I was deep into an explanatory book about the magical properties of things that are made to be bigger on the inside. Made me wonder if any of the sections of the scarlet train were enchanted in this way. Soon enough we arrived at the Hogsmeade station and took the chariots up to the school. When we arrived at the main entryway just outside the great hall I managed to check in on my sister.
"Good luck Guin!" I shouted over the laughter and talking as everyone filed towards their house tables. After everyone was seated Professor McGonagall signaled for silence with a loud clap of thunder and lightning in the ceiling.
"It is time for the Sorting Ceremony." She announced as she placed a musty old hat on a stool in front of her podium. Honestly I'm surprised that this hat hasn't broken yet, or its enchantment worn off at the least. It had belonged to Godric Gryffindor himself and yet every year its jubilance and energy is unwavered as it sings its song.
"Come one come all,
I'd offer my lap if I had one!
But a stool will do so come up come up,
Don't be shy or you'll miss the fun.
I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And my job is hard but won't take long
I take a look inside your head
To tell where you belong.
You may fit best in Gryffindor,
The bravest of the four
Though courage comes in all shapes
And should never be ignored
Or maybe to Ravenclaw you will be sent
Where wisdom and knowledge are treasured
But remember the difference between the two
As that is how a wizard is measured
You might be sorted to Hufflepuff
If my reading skills are as good as I say
You'll never have a better friend
Or family if you go another way
Or perhaps you belong in Slytherin,
The ambitious of the bunch
Where family is everything
And your father will hear if you get punched.
So plop me down upon your head
I'll have a look inside
Your house will be your family
So repay my decision in pride."
The Great Halls cheer and the ceremony begins. I don't normally pay much attention except for congratulating new Ravenclaws, but I try to seem attentive for Guin's sake.
Luckily it's not long before Holland is reached on the list and my sister steps up. I can tell she's really nervous even with the hat covering her eyes, which I know are scrunched shut as her fingers are crossed. Yet sure enough the hat shouts "GRYFFINDOR!" so Marie and I join in with the red and gold table's applause.
When everyone's settled I look over and give her a thumbs up smiling, she beams back at me purely ecstatic. I'm sure she feared being put in Ravenclaw because of her lineage but she will do so much better in Gryffindor.
As usual the welcome feast was spectacular but flew by, ending with a hall full of stuffed students ready for bed.
Leaving the great hall I walk past Dylan and Trianna, holding hands as they stroll towards the Gryffindor common room. I try not to imagine them staying up as late as possible next to the fireplace until they eventually have to kiss goodnight.
Instead I decide to focus on the path ahead of me, avoiding trick steps, counting how many candles are lit in the hallway so that I know what direction the staircase will be pointing up ahead. If it's pointing south I can make it to Ravenclaw tower in half the time, but the candles say it's pointing west. You'd think more people would know this about the staircases considering it's clearly stated in Hogwarts a History but it seems to be a Ravenclaw house secret. I switch back into auto pilot, navigating the twisting corridors and hallways to the tower as if I hadn't spent the last three months away.
The entryway is blocked by a few obvious first years trying to solve the riddle to enter.
A small blonde girl uses the knocker and a voice from it asks, "What is the music of life?" I give them a chance to figure it out for themselves and the boy to the left answers "Laughter?"
Nothing happens.
The girl that knocked confidently tries "Magic!" but again nothing happens.
Another girl guesses "Love…?" but as she does more students begin making their way towards the entrance.
"Those are all good guesses but I'm afraid the answer is Silence." I say walking up to the door which immediately unlocks and responds "A well made observation."
The Ravenclaw common room is quite a view to take in, with bookshelves, reading nooks and desks lining the walls, and a live star map painted on the ceiling. Usually I'd stay up by the fireplace catching up with friends the first night back but this time I'm just not in the mood so I head up towards my dorm instead.
As usual my trunk has beaten me to my room but I decide to leave unpacking for the morning and plop into my bed…
Thanks again for continuing to read, feel free of course to let me know what you think. Unless it's criticizing the sorting hat song I wrote who knows how long ago and decided not to edit, because that's a musical masterpiece. Also props to you if you knew the answer to the riddle before it was given, it was the only thing I could think of but I have no regrets. Lol anyways, have a nice day!
