Chapter 3: Of Nonbelievers And Achievers
The latter half of the train ride was filled with jokes (thanks to the Weasley Twins and Lee), quidditch stories (I bet you can quess who), and anticipation of what would happen this school year (due to Katie and Alicia, who I met five minutes ago).
Suddenly the train screeched to a halt and it became freezing in the compartment. It was as if the world was suddenly turning emo.
I clutched onto the nearest person, who happened to be George (or maybe it was Fred) and stared, stiff as a board, as a dementor passed down the corridor. A few minutes later the world seemed itself again and the train started going as if nothing had stopped it.
A first year boy went from compartment to compartment saying the dementor was looking for the escapee from Azkaban, Sirius Black. No one in our compartment could believe what they were hearing, and a round of unanswerable questions was started.
Alicia Spinnet, a very pretty blonde girl with green eyes, and former chaser of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, was extremely kind to me during that portion of the ride. I learned that she was of normal intellegence, and in order for her to work in the Ministry of Magic (which was her dream job) she needed to focus on her studies more.
Katie lead Alicia and me to the girls' bathroom to change into our school uniforms. They chatted about who the cutest boys they thought were and other girly topics they couldn't talk about in front of the boys.
From them including me in come of their conversation, I discovered that Katie had a crush on Lee for a while now (I said I thought they would look really cute together) and Alicia had taken a fancy to Roger Davies, a Ravenclaw boy.
"Good," I thought, "They are friends with some people outside their house."
When we walked back to our compartment, I opened the door after hearing, "Come on in." This turned out to be a trick of Fred and George's because when I entered the compartment, Oliver had his shirt off (clearly showing his well defined, but not super macho, muscles from quidditch) and Lee burst out laughing when I turned beet red and ran out the door to stop Katie and Alicia, who were about to enter.
"They're... not... ready... yet." I proclaimed, still in shock after scene that just unfolded.
An exotic looking girl walked up to us and started talking to Alicia. I heard her mention "quit" and "quidditch" and "sorry" before she turned to me and introduced herself as Angelina Johnson.
Angelina said that the reason she wasn't sitting with the rest of her fellow Gryffindors was because she was a prefect and had important duties to finish. I perceived her vibe as one of an exteremly organized person who was also incredibly intellegent, and therefore unlike Alicia, could continue with quidditch. When I asked Alicia if she really wanted to play quidditch she replied with, "It was really more of a luxury than an essential part of my goals in life."
After a few more minutes wait, we entered the compartment to find everything normal, except for the innocent looks mirrored on the twins' faces.
"Okay, what did you do this time?" Angelina inquired.
"Nothing other than embarassing Dylan and Wood." Fred replied. I could tell it was Fred now because I noticed a slight differentiation in their eye colour.
I hadn't realised until after Fred's explanation that Oliver's attention was directed out the window and didn't change when Angelina called his name.
The rest of the train ride was quiet, aside from the occasional conversation. Seren was sleeping on my lap, purring contently.
As the train slowed to a stop, the only thing bothering me (more like consuming my mind) was what house I was going to be sorted into. I didn't even gain full awareness of my surroundings until I walked into a gigantic person.
"Hallo Hagrid," Katie cheerfully greeted the behemoth of a man.
"'Ello Katie. Who's this, a new student?"
"Yes, her name is Dylan Worl. She was homeschooled for the past five years."
"Ah! You must be t'one Dumbledore was talking 'bout. 'E told me ta tell ya ta ride in a carriage up ta the castle, where you're ta be sorted into a house." Hagrid then walked away calling, "First years! First years over 'ere."
The carriages were incredible, I didn't know that thestrals could be tamed like regular horses. I voiced my wonder aloud and the group looked at me as if I had three heads.
"What do you mean 'thestrals'? There's nothing pulling the carriage, there never was anything pulling the carriage." Angelina stated matter-of-factly.
I shrugged it off, convinced that they were the crazy ones, not me. Staring at the dark sky splattered with stars, I felt something brush my thigh. It turned out that it was Oliver's cloak. He quickly said sorry and moved a little ways away. I faced upwards again when Lee pointed out dementors standing (floating, if you want to get technical) guard outside the gates to Hogwarts. The mere sight of the castle took my breath away. It was astonishing!
The carriage pulled around a courtyard and stopped to let everyone off. I was about to follow Fred and George into the Great Hall when I was grabbed on the shoulder and spun around to face an older witch with high cheekbones, rimmed glasses, and her hair pulled fiercely into a bun. She reminded me oddly of Mrs. Pentstemmon.
"Dylan Worl?" she asked, her voice expressing her strict personality.
"Yes, that's me." I squeaked out. This woman was even more fierce than Mrs. Pentstemmon.
"Follow me."
On the way to... well wherever she was taking me, she explained the rules of Hogwarts and told me about the different houses. We arrived in a classroom where a ratty old wizard's hat was sitting a top a three-legged stool. It was now or never.
I gently sat upon the rickety stool and Professor McGonagall (she told me her name on the way) placed the moth-eaten hat on my head, after making me take off my Harpies cap. The hat slid down over my eyes and to my surprise, started talking!
"You are an interesting one... Deep history of family in Slytherin... Although father was a Ravenclaw... Intellect, yes... Friendly, yes... either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff would be good for you... But what's this, you seem to have an abundance of power... Maybe Slytherin... Not Slytherin?... Hmm, very tricky you are... It seems though, that your destiny lies in GRYFFINDOR!"
I sighed in relief, knowing that I wouldn't have to become rivals with the acquaintances I had recently formed. I couldn't help but wonder about what the silly old hat said about my destiny and "abundance of power."
"Welcome to Gryffindor, Miss Worl. I'm your head of house, so if there is anything you need, come see me." And with that she guided me back to the Great Hall and wished my luck in the school year.
The moment I spotted Katie, Angelina, Alicia, Fred, George, Lee, and Oliver they saw the look on my face and cheered. I had done it. I had finally made friends and was placed in the house I desperately wanted to be in. Exhausted, I collapsed next to Alicia and contemplated the possibilities of new, exciting things while the first years were being sorted.