Without further ado, TADAAAAAHHH!
Vespertillo
Le Chapitre Duex
"Bonnefoy, Francis!" She called out, surprisingly not butchering his last name, but cause him to wince either way. He really hates his name. He trotted forward as though there weren't thousands of eyes on him, and sat down.
There the hat was placed on his head. Francis gave a few involuntary twitches, but other than that there was nothing for a few moments until finally the hat twitched. "GRYFFINDOR!" It bellowed out and in response the table to the far left erupted out in cheers. Amidst much clapping and hollering, Franz sat down, and huge smile decorating his face.
Soon after that, the two oafs that flanked Malfoy in the entrance hall were called up, Crabbe and Goyle, and the hat had barely touched their head before screeching out "SLYTHERIN!" The table on the far right cheered out loudly, seemingly trying to be louder than it's counterpart.
"Folet, Jacqueleane!"
When everyone stared at the gaggle of first years anxious to see who this new student was and which house they would be joining, Jackie stepped out, head held high. When she did get to the stool she looked at the professor rather plainly before sitting down and opened her mouth. "Excuse me ma'am, but it's pronounced Foe-Lay not Foe-Lette." and then sat as though the response of the woman who would more than likely be her teacher did not bother her.
McGonagall herself blinked before nodding and placing the hat upon Jacquleane's head.
"Oh my, what a whirlwind you have here."
The hat spoke into her mind, and in response she blinked and her eyes widened. "Hufflepuff is definitely out of the question here. Not dear Ravenclaw, no, you don't care about your marks. Ah, but the true debate begins here. Your heritage and your own sadistic nature place you in Slytherin, but your courage, your pride place you in Gryffindor. What to do, what to do…"
Jackie could literally feel the hat thinking. She sighed a little, irritated with the delay. 'If that's the only problem, place me in Gryffindor. I don't want to be away from Franz.'
The hat harrumphed. "Hmm… Slytherin is best place for you though. You would fit well there, and you'll be shunned in Gryffindor. But if you're sure… and you quite are it seems, then you'll be in GRYFFINDOR!" the last word was yelled aloud for the rest of the hall to hear and once again the Gryffindor table erupted into cheers.
With a harrumph she jumped off the stool, handed the Professor the Sorting Hat, and walked calmly to the table to sit next to Franz. He immediately began to speak.
"Hey! I'm happy you're in this house, too. It would've been really, really lonely for me, at least for a little while, but for you it would have been dreadful because you don't make friends you make distant acquaintances. But you know I almost didn't end up in this house. According to the hat it was a toss up between Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. I'm happy we had that nice long discussion on the train, otherwise, I think it would've sacked me in Hufflepuff! What about you?" He finished with a smile, not winded in the slightest while a couple of redheaded boys stared.
Jackie, obviously, ignored them as the other first years were sorted. "Well, I was told that Hufflepuff would NOT be for me because I'm not kind or friendly, but the real toss up was between Gryffindor and Slytherin." Jakcie let a small smirk decorate her features. "It called me sadistic and I would be offended if it hadn't taken the word out my mouth - er, head."
Franz cackled. "Oh yes. I remember when you snapped at Delacour and her little friends to leave you be. You gave a long list of their failings and then exactly how, if you had your way, you would hex them into the afterlife as painfully as possible. I laughed so hard at that. Their faces!" Franz was going to go on, but the exclamation of a familiar name (and the look they were getting from a fifth year boy with red hair, freckles, horn-rimmed glasses and a prefects badge pinned primly on the front of his robes) had the both of them turning to look.
"Granger, Hermione!" Hermione walked hesitantly up to the stool and sat down, and once the hat touched her head she froze. It stayed that way for a few moments before yelling out "GRYFFINDOR!"
It was obvious that Hermione had gotten what she wanted by her shoulders sagging in relief and the ecstatic smile that decorated her face. Practically wiggling in her seat, the Professor removed the hat and Hermione came bounding over to sit across from them. "It looks like we got what we wanted! We're in the same house! Oh, I'm so very glad about that. Now I actually know people!"
Franz flashed her a smile, ignoring the roars coming from what seemed to be the Ravenclaw table. "And I don't only have this wet blanket for company anymore-OW! Ya know there are more subtle ways for you to tell me to shut up-but do you know how dull she can be at times. I can't even joke about her being the life of the party because she can give someone a half a look-not even a whole one-and BAM!" Franz smacked the table for emphasis, making some of the unsuspecting people (and even the ones paying attention to the conversation, as one sided as it was) jump. "There is no party. You'd swear up and down that everyone was there and having fun but there wouldn't be anyone else there to prove it. She kills parties, conversations, innocent little bunnies, and anything else that bugs her with half a look that one-OW! Leggo! Laissez aller! Abus! Abus! OW! Je vais me taire! SIL VOUS PLAIT!"" and then he dissolved into rapid-fire French, still begging for Jackie to release his ear, which she had begun to twist painfully in retribution for his words. Two third year boys began to laugh at the younger boy's misfortune.
"Please, don't wait for him to finish what he's saying. Just cut him off. He-" She jerked on his ear pulling out a whimper between the French spewing out of his mouth "will get over it."
She then turned to hiss something out at him in French to which he eagerly nodded to despite her clamp on his ear, and then he was let go, and Jackie's attention was back on the sorting.
"Longbottom, Neville!" The toad boy trembled as he walked up to the stool, hand firmly in his pocket keeping hold of his toad and sat. As soon as the Hat touched his head he began to pale significantly until finally it yelled out it's decision. "GRYFFINDOR!" Neville smiled as the table roared it's approval, and then he stumbled over to the table with the hat still on his head. He went back to give it to some boy amongst the gales of laughter from the entire hall.
More insignificant names before "Malfoy, Draco!" He stepped up to the stool as though he owned the whole world and much like his goons, the hat had barely sat upon his head before it yelled out "SLYTHERIN!" at the top of it's (magically given) lungs. He gave a self satisfied smirk, gazed at all the other tables as though they were beneath him and swaggered up to the Slytherin table which was roar it's approval.
And finally, what all seemed to be waiting for, a certain name was called. "Potter, Harry!"
The hall became a mass of whispers and exclamations. All stared as the Boy Who Lived stepped up to the stool and as the hat was placed upon his head. After a bit, Harry scrunched up his face and began to mutter something beneath his breath. Finally, the hat seemed to sigh and it yelled out it's choice. "GRYFFIDOR!" The yells of the chosen house practically shook the school at it's foundations. When he finally sat he looked as though he had just fought his way through the crowds in London.
Name after name was called and two of the redheaded boys who had stared at the little scene they had made (and were twins, mind you) began to joke about the redheaded first-year boy who seemed to be getting more nervous by the second.
"Weasley, Ronald!" The redheaded boy (whose ears, neck and the tip of his nose seemed to redden) whose name was apparently Ronald, stepped forward. He sat down on the stool and jumped rather suddenly, making Professor McGonagall (whom they learned the name of after asking the prefect who introduced himself in a rather flamboyant way. Franz elbowed Jackie when she muttered "Prude." under her breath referring to Percy the Prefect) gave him a sharp look. It wasn't long before "GRYFFINDOR!" sounded through the hall. He joined them at the table with a large grin on his face despite the other red-heads (Fred and George Weasley, they introduced each other) playful prodding.
Finally, the sorting ended with a "Zabini, Blaise" being placed in the Slytherin house.
Finally the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, stood to address the students… only to speak gibberish fluently, much to the amusement of his students.
And then food had appeared before them, and they dug in with gusto. Jackie nearly tore Franz's ear off when he tried to skip his plate entirely and simply steal the entire platter of Turkey from it's place. After that (though his eyes constantly strayed to the platter every time someone got too close to it) he was generally behaved. And then dessert was served and Jackie allowed Franz to have at the meal with gusto, because she was busy devouring the chess pie, piling her plate happily with brownies and other chocolate goodies.
Ronald himself was reaching for a piece of pie when a head erupted from the center of the platter, making every first-year nearby gawk. "Hullo, Sir Nicholas."
The head turned to face Percy. "Why, hello there!"
"How was your summer, Sir Nicholas?" The Weasley twins asked in unison.
Sir Nicholas turned promptly to them and rose out of the table. "Dismal. My request to join the Headless Hunt was denied, again!" He harrumphed and turned to float away, however Ron simply had to say something.
"I know you! You're Nearly Headless Nick!" He bore a proud smile, happy he was able to know something he could share with his seat-mates.
Sir Nicholas frowned. "I prefer Sir Nicholas, thank you." He told the boy shortly.
Hermione wouldn't let it go, though. "Nearly Headless? How can one be Nearly Headless?"
He sighed, well used to the question but disliking it anyways. "Like this," and with that he grabbed the top of his own head and yanked, showing that he was indeed, Nearly Headless.
"They cut off your head in your Court clothing?"
The unexpected question came from Franz. Sir Nicholas brightened considerable (both figuratively and literally) at the new topic. "Yes, well I had just had an audience with the king."
"1700's Sir?" Jackie questioned him, eyeing the ghost's clothing with a practiced eye.
Sir Nicholas puffed up like a peacock. "1712, at the court of king Louis XV, clothing by François Bonnêfoy."
Hermione turned to stare at him. "Franz, that sounds like your name."
Franz turned his most devilish smile on her. "Oui, Mademoiselle. He is my namesake. I was named after him, as tradition states in our family for every tenth generation's eldest male." He gave an over exaggerated sigh. "Sadly, I have a deep dislike of my name."
Hermione valiantly fought her rising blush. "Why?"
Jacquleane gave a small smile while her cousin pouted. "Francis was also the name of a boy in our preparatory school. They hated each other. So he demanded to be called Franz, because of how different it was from the Francì s of the Dauphin Preparatory school for future Witches and Wizards."
Hermione practically absorbed this information at the speed of light. "I didn't know they had preparatory school for witchcraft!"
Jacquleane smiled and the two girls began to discussing the different schools. All around them other people were striking up conversation. Franz still spoke animatedly with Sir Nicholas of the high fashions of the 1700's compared to today's; Harry Potter and his friend Ron spoke of the ghosts of each house, relying on the redhead's older and equally redheaded brothers from information about the other house ghosts.
Soon, somehow, general conversation on that section of the table went to families.
"I'm half and half. Me dad's a muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch until after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him." A boy in their year, Seamus Finnegan, told the table, to which their was much laughter.
Questions happened all around. Neville Longbottom was brought up by his grandmother, who was a witch, and told a hilarious story about how his magic came up. Ron didn't need to say much of anything - his family was sitting around him. Harry didn't need to be questioned either, everyone knew Harry Potter's story and his family was apart of that story. Talk turned to Jackie and Franz.
"We're practically pureblooded, if not for some magical creature blood running through our veins." Franz informed them cheerily, and cunningly deflected each and every question about what kind of magical creature until all was forgotten.
Somehow, Hermione, Jackie (which Hermione was now allowed to call her, as the brunette had let her tongue slip and had gotten no rise out of the girl) and Percy the Prefect were discussing future classes, Hermione and Percy with a sense of excitement, and Jackie with a bit of dry amusement bordering uncaring.
At last, desserts disappeared and the Headmaster rose to his feet to be met with instant silence.
He informed the first years, and older students (with a pointed look at the Weasley Twins) that the forest on the grounds was forbidden, that the old caretaker by the name of Mr. Filch that magic was forbidden between classes in the corridors, Quidditch trials (Franz looked rather excited at the mention of the international wizard sport) would be held during the second week of the term and the most interesting part of it all was his warning: the third floor corridor on the right-hand side was out of bounds to any who did not wish to die a painful death.
To that announcement few people laughed, mostly nervously, but Franz still had to kick Jackie when her laughter wasn't nervous at all, but devious. "Cher you can't push people into the corridor. Even if you don't like them."
Jackie pouted, looking at her cousin with wide, pleading eyes. "What about that loudmouthed boy?" Hermione and Percy looked at them amazed at how quickly Franz had become the mature one.
Franz thought about it, and then nodded. "Yeah, that one is better off-" He stopped mid-sentence and checked the Cheshire Cat grin now decorating his cousin's face and spewed off a violent round of curses in French, startling the others and even a few other people from the next table.
Ron looked hesitantly at the group. "What's his problem?"
Jacquleane very much resembled the cat that caught the canary. "He just agreed that any boy I deem to be 'loudmouthed' I can push into the third floor corridor." The predatory smile on her face had a few of the weak-hearted people losing their color. Harry and Ron were nodding, agreeing with her with a particular blonde-haired boy in mind. Franz was pouting and giving his cousin a wounded look. Hermione and Percy, however, were scolding her heavily, though by the empty expression on her face it was obvious that whatever they were saying went through one ear and out the other.
Finally, Dumbledore regained the attention of his students after giving them enough time to get their confusion and worries out to each other. He gaily called out that they should sing the school song before heading off to the dormitories, and the school joined in with gusto, all picking their favorite tune and singing to it. The very last people singing were Fred and George Weasley, who were going by the tempo of a slow funeral march.
Finally dismissed, Franz and Jackie followed Percy along with the other first years to Gryffindor tower, and they were seemingly almost there when they happened upon a poltergeist by the name of Peeves. After Percy shooed Peeves off with the threat of the Slytherin ghost, The Bloody Baron, they walked to the end of the corridor where the portrait of a large woman in a pale pink ball gown.
She looked at Percy solemnly. "Password?" She drawled.
"Caput Draconis." Percy's answer was swift and precise, no hesitance whatsoever.
She nodded and her home slid forward to reveal a rather large circular hole in the wall. They scrambled through it (Neville needed a leg up), and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, which was filled with red and gold and soft looking armchairs. Percy directed the girls through one door and the boys to another to get to the dormitories.
Jackie blinked tiredly, rubbed her eyes and gave Franz a kiss on each cheek. "Bonne nuit, Francis."
Franz smiled and waved as he followed the rest of the boys to the male dormitories. "Bonne nuit, Cher."
Jackie's dorm room was large. The walls were a muted amber and the beds, big four-posted things with curtains for each, were colored a dark red, almost maroon. At the end of each bed was a chest with their own things on them, plus a red and gold tie with two new sweaters, one for cold weather, another for warm with the Gryffindor crest on the right side. Jackie had the bed closest to the window and right across from the door. The travel cage for her pet bats, Noche and Notte, who were gazing at her reproachfully, especially since the girls whom she shared the dorm with, one of which was Hermione, were gazing at them with a mixture between repulsion and awe.
"Do you mind not staring?" Jacquleane's voice was colder than the northern tundra, and her exhaustion made her voice sharper than she meant. "You're freaking them out."
The other two girls whose names didn't matter to Jackie, immediately backed off, shooting her angered looks and to their beds on the opposite side of the room from she and Hermione. Hermione herself immediately greeted her with (what was becoming customary) a question. "They're yours? What are their names?"
Jackie went to the cage and pointed to the one that was a dark brown with an even darker shade of wings and was much bigger than it's counter part. "That is
Terre, who is a boy, and," she pointed to the smaller one that was light brown and had dark brown wings, "That is Choco, female. They're Egyptian Fruit bats," directed at the other two girls in the room who very obviously relaxed at that, "and are differentiated from their cousins because, unlike other species, in their genus use echolocation in the form of clicks instead of squeaks." She then directed her attention to the bats in question. "Je suis dé solé e, ma cheries." She told them rather affectionately, while walking them to the window and opening it before opening the cage and allowed them to fly off into the night. She closed the window and turned back to put the cage on her side table. "Bats are generally used for short-distance small, fragile packages." And with that bit of information given walked to the attached bathroom and dressed for bed. In a overlarge long-sleeved grey shirt and a pair of shorts that went to her knees, Jackie walked out minutes later, plopped herself on the bed, and with a 'Bonne nuit, Hermione.' closed the curtain surrounding her bed and fell asleep.
Laissez aller! Abus! Abus! OW! Je vais me taire! SIL VOUS PLAIT!" = "Let go! Abuse! Abuse! I'll be quiet! Please!"
"Bonne Nuit, Cherie." = "Good night, hun."
"Bonne Nuit." = "Good Night."
"Je suis dé solé e, ma cheries."= "I'm so sorry, My dears."
GOOGLE TRANSLATE!
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Dethia.