Carriage rides and Bets

Isabella followed Lily to the carriages.When they reached them Lily automatically got in but when Isabella saw what was pulling them, she frove.

There standing in front of her was one of the scariest, but interesting, creatures that she ever laid eyes on. It was a skeloton-like black winged horse with white eyes.Isabella looked around at all the other students and wondered why no one else seemed to notice these creatures. She thought it was beautiful, don't ask her why, she just did. She looked it in the eye and reached her hand out to touch it, but stopped when Lily's voice came from inside the carriage.

"Izzy, what are you doing? Don't just stand there, get in the carriage."

Startled, Isabella forgot about the winged creature and got into the carriage. Lily sat on one end while Isabella sat across from her. She wondered if Lily knew what the winged creature was.

"Lils do you know what pulls the carriages?"

Lily looked confused. "What are you talking about Izzy? These are horseless carriages, that means nothing pulls them, just magic."

Isabella gave a soft "Oh" and looked out the window at the creatures.

Why can't Lils see them, they're right there. She gave a sigh and Lily looked ather oddly, but she didn't notice, she was too into her thoughts.

Maybe I'm just halusinating or something, cause it doesn't seem like anyone else can see them either. Whatever, it's not important. Isabella looked up when she heard a knock at the door. She looked at Lily, who just shrugged, and opened the door.

She smiled shyly at the very handsome boy with unruly black hair, hazel eyes, and round glasses, that stood there. "Yes?" Isabella asked politly, while Lily glared at him. Isabella raised an eyebrow at her, but Lily just rolled her eyes and looked at the boy suspiciously.

He flased them a charming smile. "Hello lovely ladies, how are you this fine day. I hope your-" he was cut off by Lily.

"What do you want Potter?"

He could probably tell that she was annoyed because he anwered quickly. "Well you see Lily, there are no other carriages left to fit four people. Now I know your probably going to ask why we didn't get out of the train earlier to find one, well the thing is that Peter somehow left his wand on the train and we had to wait for him to go get it. So now there are no more carriages with enough room except yours, so we want to know if we share, can we?" He looked at them hopefully.

Isabella turned to Lily. "He does know that he's by himself right?" Lily laughed, while Potter blushed a bit.

"They're trying to find a carriage too." He said

Isabella turned back to him. "Sure you and your friends could use our carriage." She said ignoring Lily's glare.

Potter smiled happily. "Great I'll get my friends!" He then turned around to get them.

Isabella sat back down, ignoring Lily's glare, focusing her attention back on the creature outside the window. She stared at them and wondered if they could fly, they did have wings.

"What are you looking at?" A voice wispered in her ear.

Isabella was so surprised she jumped and whipped around. While doing so she accidentally hit whoever it was in the chest making them fall back, grabbing and turning her in the process. So he, she saw it was a boy, landed on top of her on the other seat. Her glasses had fallen off as she fell.

After landing Isabella opened her eyes to see who it was. It was a boy, which she knew already, but he was very handsome, even more than the first. He had long black hair, silver/grey eyes, that were starring into her ocean blue eyes with humor and a tiny bit of lust in them. She could tell he had a nice body, and very alluring lips, which were only an inch away from hers. She blushed a deep red, and he smirked.

"BLACK! GET OFF IZZY NOW!" Lily was fuming, there was no way that the notorious Sirius Black, playboy of Hogwarts, would make her best friend just another notch in his belt, she had been through to much already.

Sirius jumped off her and helped Isabella up, giving her a very charming smile. By now she had calmed down and her blush disappeared, so she just rolled her eyes to his smile and turned to Lily, while putting on her glasses.

"Lils it was just an accident, I'm sure he didn't mean to land on top of me. Anyway"-she turned to the boy-"Sorry about hitting you, but it really was your fault, you should know not to sneak up on people." She smiled at his baffled look and sat down on the middle on the bench. He shook his head and sat next to her on her right.

"On the conterary it was your fault, you really pay more attention to your surroundings. I can't help but be curious over what you were looking at so intently. It was my grave mistake to think I could let my guard down for one second." He smiked at her.

She mock glared at him, but couldn't help but smile."Yes, but you should learn to control those kinds of curiousity, because I may not want to share with you what i was looking at." She then crossed her arms over her chest as if the arguement was finished.

He opened his mouth to say something back, when an amused voice from Isabella's left spoke. "Just give it up Sirius, you're not going to win."

Isabella looked to her left and was very suprised to see Remus Lupin sitting there, a book in his lap. "Remus!"

When did he get here? She looked around and saw that Potter and another boys were also in the carriage and that it was moving. When did they all get here?

"We came in when you and Sirius were fighting." Remus filled in.

"Oh"

He looked up from his book with a smile. "Hello Izzy, nice to see you again."

She smiled back. "Yes it's been to long, what was it an hour?" she said joking.

He laughed, and Sirius asked the question on everyone's mind. "You know each other?" There was confusion in his voice.

Remus and Isabella noticed them starring and both blushed a little. Remus cleared his throat. "We met on the train, she gave me Lily's Headgirl badge to return it to Lily."

James smiled. "Oh so your the one nice enough to find and make sure my Lily-flower got her badge, which she irresponsibly forgot in her compartment." Lily glared at his but he ignored it. " Now I don't think that we've been properly introduced, I'm James Potter, and the incredibly ugly one on your right is Sirius Black." Sirius glared at James also. "Of coarse you already know Remus, and last but not least there is Peter Pettigrew." He pointed to a boy to his right with blond hair and blue eyes. He wasn't as handsome as the other three but he had a cute sense about him.

"And we are the incredible Marauders!" James finished by throwing his hands in the air.

Sirius was right behind him with the yelling. "Greatest pranksters in the world!"

"And theirs no one better!" James finished with a "yeah" from Peter, a chuckle from Remus, and a giggle from Isabella.

It seem that Lily didn't find this very funny because she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't be so full of yourself Potter or your ego will get so big your head won't be able to get through the door. And stop messing with your hair it's annoying."

James was right about to run a hand through his hair, but put it down quickly. "Well for your information Evans it's a habit, and I'm not big headed."

Lily nodded, "You're right." James smirked. "You're a pompous git." He scowled and opened his mouth to retort.

Isabella leaned over to Remus and whispered in his ear. "Are they always like this?"

Remus shivered when he felt Isabella's breath on his ear. He gave her a smile, "Pretty much. It's either they're fighting or James is pronouncing his love for Lily and asking her out, and her rejecting him. He's been doing that ever since third year. He hasn't figured out that she doesn't like him."

Isabella looked at Remus then at the fighting Lily and James then at Remus again. "What are you talking about she obviously likes him, just look at her."

Remus did look at her and he saw narrowed eyes and a scowl. "Oh yes I can definitely see the love." Remus said sarcastically.

Isabella glared at him. "I'm serious! I-

She was cut off by Sirius. "No I am." Isabella looked at him and glared. He just smiled charmingly. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Remus with Sirius leaning in to listen. She could feel his breath on her neck and resisted the urge to shiver.

"What I mean is that I can just tell that Lily likes James, look at the way she's arguing. You can tell she's just trying to keep his attention."

Remus and Sirius looked at James and Lily, then back at Isabella.

"Suurrreee" Sirius said rolling his eyes. "If she's so madly in love with him then why does she always turn him down?"

Isabella rolled her eyes. "Because," She said as if talking to a child. "She doesn't think that he's sincere or is just playing a prank or something. If James wants her to say yes then he has to show her that he means it, he has to do something for her to show her. If he does that then I'll bet anything that she'll say yes."

The boys looked thoughtful, then Sirius smirked. "Your probably right, but Lily's way too stubborn to say yes after all these years. So the next time James asks Lily out to Hogsmede she'll say no."

Isabella scoffed, "Well I think that she'll say yes."

Sirius smirked and put his arm across her shoulders, pulling her closer. "My dear, dear Isabella, you haven't been here long so I'll forgive your lack of knowledge," She glared at him and tried to stop blushing. He continued. "But the day Evans says yes to James is the day I dye my hair pink."

Isabella smirked and pushed him away. "So if Lily says yes to a date you'll dye your hair pink?"

Sirius nodded. Her smirk became a grin. "Are you willing to shake on it?" She held out her hand.

He hesitated before taking it. "But this means if you lose you have to dye your hair pink, and leave it in for a week."

She nodded. "Fine."

She was about to pull her hand away, but he held onto it and kissed her knuckles. "Fine."

Isabella blushed and pulled her hand back, turning away from Sirius. He smirked.

Isabella noticed that James and Lily had stopped fighting and were now ignoring each other. Sirius shot Isabella a superior look, to which she just crossed her arms and turned her head, ignoring him. Sirius's smirk became a full out grin.

When the carriage stopped Lily was first to jump out, dragging Isabella behind her.

Isabella's arm was nearly torn off because Lily was pulling so hard, trying to get away from James and his friends.

"Lily slow down, you've escaped them don't worry." Lily slowed down to a walk.

Isabella sighed. "Good now where am I supposed to go?"

Lily looked at her. "Well since Professor McGonagall is the one that leads the first years in we should probably go see her. Right now she'll be waiting in the enterance hall, follow me."

Isabella nodded and followed Lily. When they reached their destination Isabella saw a woman standing by the doors waiting. She was an old stern looking woman, graying black hair in a tight bun, wearing emerald-green robes. When she saw Lily she gave a tight lipped smile.

"Good evening Miss Evans, and welcome back, I hope you had a good summer."

Lily smiled back and nodded. "Summer was wonderful Professor, I hope yours was the same." She then brought Isabella forward.

"Professor this is Isabella Griffin, she's the new seventh year and has yet to be sorted so I brought her to you."

The Professor nodded her head. "Yes I've been expecting you Miss Griffin, you are to wait here with me for the first years and go with them from there. When the accual sorting comes you will be sorted last since you will be the oldest there. Thank you Miss Evans for bringing Miss Griffin to me, now why don't you go to the Great Hall to await the sorting."

Lily nodded, then turned to Isabella. "Good luck with the sorting Izzy, I'll see you later. Goodbye Professor McGonagall I'll see you in class tomorrow." She then waved and went into the Great Hall.

Isabella and Professor McGonagall waited in silence for the first years to come. The silence was broken by a loud knock on the door. Professor McGonagall walked over to the door and opened it. A huge man was standing there with the first years.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall"

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She opened the door wider so the first years could come in.

They looked around the enterance hall in wonder, and why not, it was huge! The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was very high, and there was a marble staircase leading to the upper floors.

Professor McGonagall called for their attention and lead them out of the enterance hall and across the stoned floor. Isabella could hear the other children of the school talking coming from the doorway to the right, but Professor McGonagall lead them into a small, empty room.

The Professor turned to them. "Welcome to Hogwarts, the start-of-the term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. During the school year your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"Now if you would procede to follow me into the Great Hall, the Sorting Ceremony can begin. Now form a line and follow me."

Isabella and the first years followed McGonagall out of the room and through the double-doors of the Great Hall. They walked past all the tables where the students are sitting and stopped in front of the teachers table, where an old hat is sitting on a stool. It was quiet and everyone was starring at the hat. All of a sudden the hat opened its mouth and burst in to song.

(insert hats song here ;p)

The hall burst into applause as the hat finished it song. It bowed to each table and became still again.

Professor McGonagall came forward holding a list of some-sort. "Now when I call your name please sit on the stool and place the hat on your head and you'll be sorted."

Slowly the first years were sorted until only Isabella was standing there. "Griffin, Isabella!"

Nervously, Isabella walked over to the stool and sat on it, placeing the hat on her head. It was silent for a few moments and the hat opened its mouth.

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