The prefects opened the train car doors for us and led us out onto the dark platform. It had become night at some point during our journey and the air had gotten a lot chillier. The stone platform was lit only by a few lanterns built into the ivy covered stone wall. A separate lantern stood over the crowded area and was held by a large man with a while beard.
"That's the guy we saw in Gringotts!" I said, looking over at him. Harry turned his head to look.
"Oh! That's Hagrid!" he said happily. I had a sudden epiphany.
"Hold up, does that mean you're the kid I bumped into at the bank?"
"Wow, small world," Brooke said.
"Firs years'!" called Hagrid waving the lantern around. "Firs' years this way!" We walked over to him and he was so much bigger than I had initially thought. He was at least twice the size of a regular man, and four times as wide.
"Hi, Hagrid!" greeted Harry.
"Hullo, Harry," Hagrid beamed. "Anymore firs, year?! Right then! Mind yer step now and follow me!"
Hagrid led us away from the other students, who were going in the opposite direction, down a slippery path. It was very dark and Jeremiah caught me once when I nearly fell. When we broke through the trees we found ourselves on the shore of a black lake. The river I saw earlier must've joined up with it.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," said Hagrid. We followed him further down to a large dock which had multiple row boats tied to it. Only, there weren't any oars.
Moving my attention from the dock to what stood across the lake, led to a collective gasp from everyone. Sitting atop a high mountain was a monstrous castle. It looked like something off of a postcard. Its many turrets were silhouetted against the moonlit, night sky and light shown from the windows and towers.
"We're going to school there?!" exclaimed a boy with an Irish accent.
"Someone pinch me," said Ron. Devin obliged.
"OW! What'd you do that for?!"
"You did ask for it," laughed Harry.
"No more'n four to a boat," Hagrid instructed. Harry, Ron, Devin, and Brooke loaded up in one boat, and Jeremiah and I got into a boat with Hermione and Neville.
"Did you ever find your toad?" asked Jeremiah. Neville gave a small sniff.
"No…"
"I'm sure he'll turn up somewhere." I encouraged him. "If he misses you like you miss him, he'll definitely find his way back to you." Neville gave a small smile and turned to look at Hagrid, who had a boat all to himself in the front.
"Everyone in?" he called. "Right then, FORWARD!" The fleet of boats all lurched forward by themselves and followed after Hagrid. Everyone was silent, they're attention focused on the castle looming nearer. We glided across the smooth lake, to the other side, into a large boathouse.
Jeremiah helped me out of the boat and we walked toward the exit, meeting up with the others. Hagrid did one last sweep of the boats and picked something up out of one of them.
"Is this anyone's toad?" he called, holding up the lumpy creature in his hand.
"Trevor!" Neville rushed forward with pure bliss written on his face. He grabbed the toad and held him affectionately against his body.
"I told you he would find you!" I grinned.
"He was a gift from my Uncle Algie," he said with pride. "I'd hate to lose him for good."
"Just make sure to keep him close form now on," scolded Hermione. Neville nodded and the group trailed after Hagrid up the castle. He led us through a pair of twin oak doors and ushered us into a hall. Only one person was present; a stern-faced witch with green robes and a pointed, black hat. She looked all business.
"Here's the firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take it from here," she said. Hagrid walked out of the doors we had just come from and closed them behind him. Professor McGonagall opened another set of doors in front of us and led us into an entrance hall with a large staircase that led to the upper floors. It was lit by torches like, I assumed, the rest of the castle was. Professor McGonagall stopped us in front of another set doors and motioned for us to wait. On the other side, hundreds of voices could be heard. That must be where the other students were.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she began. "Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now, while you are here, your house will be sort of like your family. You will have classes together, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points, and your triumphs will earn you points. At the end of the year, the house with the most remaining points will be awarded the house cup. The Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily."
Professor McGonagall opened one of the doors behind her and slipped through it. She didn't open it wide enough for any of us to peak in. Small, worried murmurs broke out throughout the group as we waited anxiously. My own heart was pounding at an alarming rate and my stomach sunk.
"I'm so nervous," I said, turning to the others.
"It'll be fine," Brooke reassured me, placing my hand in hers. "No matter what we're sticking together." I was so glad she was here with me.
"Any idea how they sort us?" asked Devin.
"Some sort of test in front of the school, I think," replied Ron. "Fred said it was painful, but I think he was joking."
"You should know better than to trust what he says," said Jeremiah. "We should've asked Percy."
"But I haven't learned any magic yet," said a worried Harry.
"I wonder what spells I'll need," pondered Hermione, to no one in particular. Neville looked like he was about to throw up.
"So it's true then," said a sly voice. "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."
We looked up to see Draco Malfoy and two other large boys standing behind him. The students murmurs had grown to loud whispers at the mention of Harry's name and several were straining to look at him.
Malfoy made his way over to us and the two boys in tow were shoving people out of the way. Harry looked at him curiously while the rest of us tensed up. We hadn't forgotten his rude comments from the day before.
"This is Crabbe and Goyle," he continued, nodding to the boys. "I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."
Ron snickered at his name and his head snapped over to him so fast I thought it would fall off his neck. I wouldn't have any complaints if it did.
"Think my names funny, do you?" he snarled. "No need to ask yours! Red hair, freckles, a hand-me-down robe, and more children than they can afford. You must be a Weasley." Ron had a look of embarrassment and anger etched on his face.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said interrupting him. He turned his attention towards me. "We don't exactly speak troll you know, but maybe dumb and dumber here can translate." Laughter roared throughout the room and Malfoy and his two goons fumed. His eyes widened as realization struck him.
"You're the girl who hit me in the shoulder!" he exclaimed. I started looking through my robes.
"Hold on, I'm sure I have a Band-Aid for your boo boo here somewhere."
Ron had tears streaming down his face and Malfoy turned quickly back to Harry.
"You'll soon find out that SOME wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He extended his hand to Harry, but Harry didn't shake it.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," said Harry coldly.
"You need some ice for that burn?" questioned Brooke, feigning a smile. Malfoy just glared at her and stalked away angrily.
"I could've taken care of myself, you know," said Ron.
"Oh, quit being so prideful!" I snapped. "You'd do the same for me." Ron opened his mouth to say something and closed it.
"Thanks," he muttered.
"No problem," I smiled.
Before turning back to our discussion on the sorting, there were several screams that came from the back of the group. My brain nearly fell out of my butt because at least twenty ghosts had burst through the ceilings, walls, and the floors. Some of them rode horses, most of them were dressed in medieval clothes, and some of them didn't even have heads. All of them, however were pearly white and slightly see through.
"Honestly, he gives the rest of us ghosts a bad name," complained one of the ghosts to a short one dressed like a friar.
"Maybe we ought to give him a second chance," the friar said
"My dear, Friar, haven't' we given Peeves all the chances he deserves?" said the first ghost.
"He's not even really a ghost. Oh, look! New students!" The ghost turned his attention towards us. He wore a tight ruff around his next like Shakespeare.
"Hope to see you all in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar happily. "That was my old house you know."
Professor McGonagall came through the doors, and shooed the ghosts away.
"Move along now," she said. The ghosts whizzed past her and through the wall of the room she just came from. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start, so form a line and follow me."
We formed a single file line and stood in from of the door. She opened both doors all the way and we followed her into a massive hall. Four long tables were lined up from one end and down the other with the rest of the students sitting at them. All eyes were on us. Above the tables were hundreds of floating candles that lit the room along with several hanging torches. The ceiling was absolutely breathtaking. It looked exactly like the sky. Stars twinkled through passing clouds and the moon shone brightly.
"It's bewitched to look like the night sky," I heard Hermione whisper behind me. "I read it in Hogwarts: A History."
Professor McGonagall led us up in front of a high table where the different teachers were sitting. A small stool was set in the center and on top of it was a pointy, battered hat. She motioned for us to stop and we came to a halt directly in front of the stool.
"Maybe we have to try and get a rabbit out of it," whispered Harry. I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing.
A rip in the hat opened up and it began to sing. What. The. Fudge.
"Oh, you may think I'm pretty
But don't judge on what you see
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
"So that's it," whispered Ron. "We just put on the hat. I'm going to kill Fred!" Brooke shushed him and the hat continued to sing
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't give a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a thinking cap!
The whole hall burst into applause and the hat fell silent.
"But it's a hat," whispered a rather dumbfounded Devin. I don't think he listened to a word it said.
Professor McGonagall pulled out a long piece of parchment and held it out in front of her.
"When I call your name, please step forward and place the hat on your head," she said. I wish we didn't have to do this in front of everyone. I didn't do well in front of crowds and I was already nervous to begin with.
"Abbot, Hannah!" A girl with blonde pigtails stepped forward, sat on the stool, and put on the hat. It was large and covered her eyes completely.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" One of the tables erupted with cheers as she walked off to go sit with them.
"Boot, Terry."
"RAVENCLAW." Another table cheered as well and he went to go sit with them.
"Brown, Lavender."
"GRYFFINDOR!" Another table applauded loudly and I could hear Fred and George above all the rest.
"Bulstrode, Millicent."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Crabbe, Vincent."
"SLYTHERIN!"
It looked like it took him a minute before he registered what the hat said. He may have been big, but his brain certainly didn't match the size of his body.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin."
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Finnigan, Seamus."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
I was growing more and more nervous by the minute as Professor McGonagall went down the line of names. While some of the students were immediately placed, others were not. Seamus had sat on the stool nearly a minute before being placed. I said I didn't mind what house I was put in, but after a run in with Malfoy, I really would rather not be placed in the same house as him. Well, even if I was placed in Slytherin, I guess I would just have to put on my big girl panties and suck it up.
"Goyle, Gregory."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Granger, Hermione." I looked up, curious on what house she would be put in. I'm still betting its Ravenclaw.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Oh, wow. That actually caught me off guard. Maybe it's not just based off of a person's qualities. Maybe the Sorting Hat had considered other things as well.
"Greengrass, Daphne."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Hammons, Kristin." My stomach sunk even further and Brooke, who had been holding my hand the whole time, gave it an encouraging squeeze. I took a deep breath, walked up the steps, and sat down on the stool. I faced the crowd and all eyes were on me. Wonderful. I felt my cheeks go pink. I could see the Weasley twins giving me two thumbs up and Percy was even watching me anxiously.
I twitched in the seat as the Sorting Hat's voice resounded inside of my head. I looked up to see if anyone else could hear it. They simply stared at me with anticipating eyes.
"Hm, where to put you…" it said. "You have all of the great qualities of a Hufflepuff, you would do well there. Kind, patient, and loyal, but also a streak of laziness and much insecurity. This is a difficult choice…." Its voice trailed off and I waited….and waited. I looked up at Professor McGonagall and she simply stared down at me. Then its voice began again.
"I think you have more potential than you give yourself credit for, I will put you in the house that will help to strengthen you and give you the confidence you need to tap into that potential….." I just wanted it to be over at this point.
"GRYFFINDOR!" My heart soared and I looked to Brooke with a large smile. I think she was cheering even louder than the Weasley's.
I hopped off the stool and walked over to sit with the cheering Gryffindors. Fred reached over Hermione to slap me on the back.
"Landers, Brooke," My head shot back up to the front of the hall, and I was suddenly nervous again.
Brooke sat on the stool and the hat was placed on her head. She looked over to me, with a worried look and I gave her a comforting smile, trying to hide my own nervousness. She sat there a minute before the hat finally gave its decision.
"GRYFFINDOR!" I stood and screamed my exuberance and she rushed forward off the stool, straight for me, and gave me a hug.
"I was so nervous!" she said, grinning ear to ear.
"Longbottom, Neville." Neville tripped going up the steps and sat down on the stool.
"GRYFFINDOR!" He gave a visible sigh of relief and strode over to our table with more pride than I had seen in him, thus far. He sat down across from me and next to Seamus.
"I'm so glad we're in the same house!" I told him.
"Y-you are?" he stuttered.
"Of, course!" I said.
"I personally think we should start a Neville Longbottom Fan Club," suggested Brooke.
"I concur! We'll make t-shirts and everything." Neville's face flushed a deep red. He was so cute! You just felt like you needed to protect him.
"Malfoy, Draco."
I didn't even need look up to know what house he would be placed in. The hat had merely hovered over his head before it shouted out "SLYTHERIN!"
"Big surprise there," Brooke said sarcastically.
"My gran says that the Malfoys were one of the first ones to switch back over to our side when You-Know-Who was defeated," said Neville, "They claimed they'd been bewitched."
Brooke and I gave each other a worried look. No wonder the kid was a jerk.
"Nott, Theodore."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Parkinson, Pansy."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Patil, Padma."
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Patil, Pavarti."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Pritchard, Jeremiah."
Brooke and I both craned our heads to watch Jeremiah get sorted. He confidently walked up and sat on the stool. Devin and Jeremiah were both alike in that aspect. Both of them thought rationally and could stay calm in situations where everyone else would be nervous.
"RAVENCLAW!"
We looked at each other and back at Jeremiah. He looked toward us, smiled proudly, and went over to sit with his fellow Ravenclaws.
"I hate we won't all be together," said Brooke sadly.
"True, but Jeremiah looked really happy with it. Plus, now that he's in the smart house we can force him to help us with our homework," I grinned.
"Oh my gosh! Yes! We'll be geniuses!"
"Potter, Harry." Whispers consumed the hall and a quiet fell over it as Harry sat down on the stool. As long as he sat on that stool, no one spoke, and no one breathed. Even the teachers were focused completely on him. Harry just looked like he wanted to disappear under that hat. He waited longer than anyone had before (a good five minutes) before the hat finally spoke.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table absolutely lost it with how loud our cheers were. Fred and George were both hollering "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry looked so incredibly relieved. I wondered what the hat had said to him.
He came over to us and Brooke gave him a high five as he sat across from her.
"Skipper, Devin."
All three of us focused our gaze back up the front of the hall, where Devin sat with hat on his head.
"SLYTHERIN!" My heart sunk. And we looked at each with worried glances, then back up to Devin. He made his way over to the cheering Slytherins and sat down across from Malfoy, who gave him a cold sneer. They wouldn't exactly be welcoming when they found out he was a muggle-born. I'm actually surprised he ended up in Slytherin though. Usually they rely on blood purity as a requirement, but after all of the years that Hogwarts has been open there was bound to be a few muggle-borns in Slytherin.
However, Devin's expression is what I noticed the most. He didn't look happy or sad, he looked indifferent. I honestly don't think he cared what house he was put in. He was so much more independent than the rest of us that he would've been perfectly fine with any house. But I think that was a good thing. After all, the only people that we had had a problem with in Slytherin were Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
Brooke's words from the train suddenly rang back to me. "There's bound to be Slytherins who are nice. They can't all be bad, right?" I began to notice my own hypocrisy. I had claimed that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but here I was, doing the exact thing. Slytherin may have had the most dark witches and wizards, but not ALL of them were that way. Jeremiah had even said that Merlin was a Slytherin and look at all of the good things he did! I stilled myself. I was going to be happy for him, I was going to be strong for him, and I was going to try my best to friendly with the Slytherins.
I decided to voice my thoughts to the others.
"We can't look sad," I said. "Slytherin may have a bad reputation, but not everyone one of them is bad, like Jeremiah said. I think that's proof, now that Devin's been sorted there. Besides, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle are the only rude ones that we've met so far."
"I think your right," sighed Brooke. "I guess we've been pretty judgmental."
"Well, I think it's normal though, considering what we've learned about You-Know-Who," I said, whispering the last part. I looked to Harry, who was silent the whole time. He had been listening to Brooke and I intently. He finally let out a big sigh.
"In my mind, I know your right, but..." he let his sentence trail off.
"Your emotions are saying another thing," Brooke finished for him. He simply nodded.
"We don't blame you, Harry," I said. "If I was in your position, I'd feel the same way and Devin won't blame you either."
"Thanks." He gave a weak smile. This would be something Harry would have to work out on his own. It didn't matter if Devin was in Slytherin or not to him, he would still have some resentment to that house and Malfoy didn't exactly make his impression any better. All we could do was support him.
"Thomas, Dean."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Turpin, Lisa."
"RAVENCLAW."
"Weasley, Ron."
At the mention of Ron's name, our heads turned to look at him. I noticed Devin and Jeremiah were watching closely as well. Ron looked really pale under his freckles. I thought he might topple over any moment.
He nervously took his place on the stool and gripped the sides of it so tight that his knuckles were white. The Sorting Hat was placed on his head and gave an immediate answer.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Ron looked absolutely elated as he walked down to our table and took a seat next to Harry.
"I wasn't nervous at all," he claimed proudly. The rest of us laughed and Harry shook his head.
Well done, Ron!" said Percy smiling proudly and coming to sit next to his brother. Ron's ears simply turned red.
"Zabini, Blaise."
"SLYTHERIN!"
Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll of parchment and took the Sorting Hat and stool away. The man who had been sitting in the middle of the high table stood up and beamed at the students. He wore purple robes and had a long white beard and hair that was just as long. On his crooked nose, sat half-moon spectacles and behind them, his blue eyes twinkled with delight.
"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!" he began. "For those of you who don't know, I am Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster. Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
He sat back down and everyone clapped and cheered. Brooke and I were giggling to ourselves and Ron just looked confused.
"Is he….a bit mad?" Ron asked Percy.
"He's a genius!" Percy exclaimed. "Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad. Oh, look. The food's here."
I looked down in front of me where empty goblets and plates were sitting on the table previously. They were now filled to the brim with pumpkin juice and an array of food. Ron didn't hesitate to engorge himself. He was in his happy place.
I began grabbing everything I could get my hands on, wanting to try it all. I grabbed some potatoes, Shepard's pie, roasted chicken, English peas, and Yorkshire pudding.
"Don't gorge yourself too much," Percy warned. "There's still dessert after all."
"Are you for real?!" Brooke asked with her eyes lit up in delight.
"I think you had enough sweets on the train," Hermione reprimanded.
"You've been oddly silent this whole time," I said, taking a large bite out of some chicken. She gave me a disgusted look.
"I was paying attention to the Sorting Ceremony, as you should've been." It was like talking to my mother.
Several people gave a surprised shriek as the ghost with the ruffled collar popped up from the middle of the table.
"Don't do that!" yelled Brooke in shock.
"So, sorry," he apologized. "I do believe I haven't introduced myself. I'm Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. Resident ghost of Gryffindor house. You may call me Sir Nicholas"
"The houses have ghosts?" asked Dean, who was sitting next to Brooke.
"Oh, yes!" he said proudly. "Ravenclaw has the Grey Lady, Hufflepuff has the Fat Friar, and Slytherin has the Bloody Baron."
"I know you!" Ron blurted out. "Your Nearly-Headless Nick!" Sir Nicholas looked rather affronted by the nickname.
"Nearly-Headless?" asked Seamus. "How can you be Nearly-Headless?" Frustrated at having been asked an apparently insensitive question, Sir Nicholas grabbed his hair and pulled his head to the side.
"Like this!"
To everyone's horror his head was only held on by a small scrap of skin. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but failed terribly. My stomach turned.
"No more questions," Brooke said to Seamus. He looked like he had regretted asking, in the first place. Sir Nicholas merely flopped his head back in place and floated down the table to some older students.
"He takes offense to that name," said Percy. His must've seen Sir Nicholas do this more than once because he was still eating.
"Yeah, I think we got that much," I said.
After everyone had had their fill (I had stopped eating after Sir Nicholas's little show) the desserts appeared. There were mountains of ice cream and bowls full of chocolates and treacle tarts.
Brooke and I had gotten different deserts and were happily helping each other to the others plate while the others discussed their family heritage.
"I'm half and half," began Seamus. "Dad's a muggle, Mum's a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out."
"My gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville. "The family all thought I was a squib for ages until my Uncle Algie accidently dropped me out of a window."
"How in Bob's name do you 'accidently' get dropped out of a window?" I interjected, rather appalled.
"Oh, well, he was holding me out of a window, you know to see if I had any magical abilities, and he got distracted when my Aunt Enid asked a question and accidently dropped me. I fell into the garden and bounced down the street."
Neville's uncle was starting to sound a lot like Harry's uncle and aunt.
"I'm half and half like Seamus," I said. "My mom's a pureblood and my dad's a muggle."
"Same," said Brooke. "Except my mom's not a pureblood."
"Sorry," interrupted Harry. "But what's a pureblood and a squib"
"A pureblood's someone who's never had a muggle in their family," Ron explained. "We're pureblood too."
"And a squib is the child of a witch and wizard, but has no magical ability. They're pretty rare, but do happen," added Percy. He leaned his head in closer and whispered. "Mr. Filch is one."
"The caretaker?" questioned Dean.
"That's the one," he replied.
"Personally, I'm interested in the classes," said Hermione. "I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration. It's supposed to be very difficult."
"I'm actually interested in that as well," said Brooke. "I'd like to register as an animagus one day."
"Let me guess," said Ron. "You want to be a cat?"
"There's nothing better!" she grinned.
"You'll be starting off small in the beginning. Matches to needles and that sort of thing," said Percy.
"Ouch!" cried Harry, slapping his hand to his forehead.
"You okay?" asked Ron.
"It's nothing," he replied. I followed Harry's gaze and he was looking at the high table.
"Percy, who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked. I didn't know which one was Professor Quirrell, but I saw one of the teachers briefly glance at our table and then back to a man in a turban. He had greasy, black hair and a serious look on his face.
"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? That's Professor Snape. Head of Slytherin house. He teaches potions, but everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he fancies. He's been after Quirrell's job for years," Percy answered. Harry didn't take his gaze off of the man until the food was cleared from the table.
Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again and addressed everyone.
"Just a few more words before you head off to your dormitories. I have a few start of term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students." Professor Dumbledore looked particularly at the Weasley Twins. So, they're reputation precedes them.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term and anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madame Hooch. Finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
Um, what?
"And now, bedtime. Off you trot."
The older students sauntered out of the hall as the prefects gathered all of the first years together.
"Stay close," Percy called, leading us out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase. "Pay attention, it's easy to get lost. If you do get lost, feel free to ask the portraits or ghosts. Just avoid asking Peeves, the poltergeist."
Percy led us up countless flights of stairs and we passed numerous portraits along the way. The walls were simply littered with them and some of their inhabitants followed us along the corridors. Percy came to a sudden halt and I looked past him to see an outrageously dressed man, floating in the air, carrying a large bundle of sticks.
"And here's Peeves now," Percy whispered to us. Peeves spotted us and grinned mischievously.
"Ickle Firsties! What fun!" he exclaimed. He gave a large raspberry and began pelting us with the sticks. I ducked as one hit me in the back of the head. I was going to try avoiding this annoyance as much as possible.
"Go away, Peeves, or the Bloody Baron will hear about this!" Percy said. Peeves cackled and dumped the rest of the sticks on top of Neville before swooping down the hall behind us.
"The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him," explained Percy. We followed him the rest of the way down the hall until we reached a portrait of a rather rotund woman.
"Password?" she asked.
"Caput Draconis," Percy answered. "You'll want to pay attention to the password. It changes at the start of every term."
The portrait swung open and revealed a hidden doorway into the common room. It was a larger room littered with the house colors of Gryffindor. There were several tables and seats scattered throughout and furniture surrounded a crackling fireplace. At the back of the room were two separate spiraling staircases.
"Gather around here everyone." Percy motioned us in a circle around him. "Welcome to the Gryffindor common room. Boys dormitories are upstairs and to the left; girls the same on your right. You'll find all of your belongings have already been brought up. Now, I suggest all of you get to bed. You'll have your first day of classes tomorrow. A schedule has been posted in each of your dormitories."
Percy walked upstairs to the boy's dormitory and left us to our own devices.
"We'll be heading up then, I guess," said Brooke. "Goodnight Ron, Harry."
Both boys said their goodnights and Brooke and I followed the other three girls upstairs and into a long hallway. The hallway had eight doors, four on the left and four on the right. We walked down the hall and entered a room that had First Years written on a plaque, on the door.
Inside the room were five four-poster beds, with deep red curtains, placed against the circular wall. Each of our trunks were placed in front of our beds. Brooke's bed was nearest to the door on the left side, then mine, Hermione's, Lavender's, and Parvati's. Between Hermione and Lavender's bed, was a window that let the soft moonlight inside. Mr. Bobbles was snoozing away on the windowsill.
"I think I'm going to go take a bath before bed," I announced.
"I'll go with you," offered Brooke.
"I prefer to take mine in the morning," said Parvati. "It tends to wake me up more."
Brooke and I gathered our belongings and hauled off toward the bathroom.
"Oh, are you coming too, Hermione?" asked Brooke. I looked behind me and saw Hermione had an armful of clothes as well.
"Yes, if you don't mind," she said with a hint of uncertainty.
"Absolutely! The more the merrier!" replied Brooke. She beamed and walked with us to the bathroom.
It was a large room with several cubicles with toilets on the left side and about five curtained areas with claw foot bathtubs and showers on the right. The back of the room opened up to a circular area with several benches in the middle and sinks against the walls. In the very middle of the wall was a stained glass window of a phoenix. It began flying around and singing when we entered the room.
I set my clothes on one of the benches and took my toiletries with me to one of the curtained areas. I set my shampoo on the floor and filled the bath full of water. Some shelves sat above the tub, against the wall, and they already had soap and towels stacked on them.
While waiting for the tub to fill up, I walked over to one of the sinks and brushed my teeth. Hermione was next to me flossing and Brooke was filling her own tub up. Finishing up, I turned the water off and drew the curtain closed around me. I sank down into the tub and closed my eyes. The warm water felt so good against my tired limbs. I heard Hermione and Brooke get in next to me.
"I haven't had a bath in so long," I sighed.
"Oh, you mean you stink?" snickered Brooke.
"You know what I mean!" I laughed.
"It's quite relaxing, isn't it?" Hermione chimed in.
"I'm telling you now, Hermione, I'm a procrastinator so you're going to have to keep me in line," I said.
"Oh, I could make you a schedule!" she said.
"Hey, I want one too!" said Brooke.
"It's nice to have some girl time," I said.
"Yeah, we've been around the boys so long, I've forgotten what its like," said Brooke. "At least we don't have to worry about them barging in unannounced all the time."
"They don't even knock?" asked an appalled Hermione.
"Nope," answered Brooke.
"Well, you won't have to worry about it here. I read in Hogwarts: A History that the stairs to the girl's dormitories have a charm placed on them to prevent boys from entering the girl's dormitories."
"Well, that's useful. Did it say what kind of charm?" I asked.
"The Sliding Charm, I believe. It turns the staircase into a slide," she explained.
"I need to learn that in case I'm ever late for class," laughed Brooke. "Especially with all of these stairs around. I could just slide there
"I know!" I laughed. "I didn't think we'd ever get here."
I heard Hermione sloshing around in the water next to me.
"Well, I think I'm done," she said. Reluctantly, I got up as well.
"Yeah, you're right. We need to go to bed," I said, drying off with one of the towels. I opened the curtain, gathered my clothes off the bench and followed Hermione out of the door to our room.
Parvati and Lavender were sitting up, talking when we walked in and Mr. Bobbles was now wide awake and staring longingly out of the window. I opened it up enough for him to fly out and closed it again. After putting my clothes away, I crawled in bed and savored the warm feeling of being enveloped in the blankets. We said our goodnights and went to sleep hearing the soft giggles of Parvati and Lavender.