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NEW CHAPTER! May be a bit slower now as exams have started but I'll do my best! :D thanx to all who have reviewed and keep letting me know what you think! XXX
Sarah was excited finally she was on her way to Hogwarts, she had dreamed of nothing since she had been given the letter. Sighing deeply she looked at the compartment full of people she could now count as friends, Harry, Ron and Ginny were playing exploding snap, Fred and George were tweaking their extendable ears to become invisible on sight, and Hermione was reading. A movement outside her window in the gathering gloom caught her eye. There was a snowy barn owl keeping pace with the carriage. Sarah glared out the window and turned away and began paying close attention to the game of exploding snap that was going on in front of her.
Outside the window the owl screeched and flew ahead of the train with speed that a normal owl should not have possessed, and began to fly towards the castle.
Sarah and her friends were left standing on the platform as the Train began to empty of passengers, Sarah motioned to move towards Hagrid, however she looked back as Harry grabbed the back of her robes, "He only takes first years, we take the horseless carriages" Harry motioned to a set of carriages and gasped, as did Sarah.
"Harry, Sarah what's wrong?" asked Hermione
"The carriages" Harry managed
"They are certainly not horseless" Sarah finished.
Hermione and Ron looked at them curiously but chose to say nothing, merely began to walk towards the carriages. Once they were all settled in the same one they carriage took off towards the castle.
"Why do you all have those colours on your robes?" Sarah asked pointing at her own jet black set.
"Oh once you get sorted you get house colours put on your robes" Hermione, ever quick to respond.
"What-"Sarah began
"There are 4 houses, Griffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. All prized for different attributes, Braveness, brains, loyalty and ..."
"Slipperiness" finished Ron smugly
"Don't worry about which house you will get sorted into, they only really matter for the cup competition. Just if you're in another one don't forget us little people" butted in Fred and George. They were in the carriage next to them; they had somehow managed to hijack the carriage and were racing alongside them, not following at the leisurely pace that everyone else was moving at.
"See you at the sorting" and with a laugh and a salute they were away bumping up the track. Sarah smiled and, noticing the disapproving look in Hermione's eye and the admiration in Ron's she began to laugh.
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"Miss Williams" a stern voice carried over the heads of the chattering students
"Uh oh" muttered Ron "busted"
A severe woman swept down upon them, her hair was swept into a tight iron hard bun and she had a stern face, which surprisingly softened when she saw who Sarah was standing with.
"Professor Dumbledore wishes for you to attend to his office before the feast please follow me"
Sarah could only look back helplessly before she was swept into the woman's wake that carried her up the corridor. Eventually they came to a halt outside of a stone gargoyle that had a festive pink party hat on its head.
"We have tried to remove it but it appears magically stuck, I suspect a certain pair of twins to be involved-chocolate frog"
Sarah had been about to ask what she was talking about, when the Gargoyle moved showing a rotating staircase. They both hopped on and the stairs carried them up to Dumbledore's office.
Sarah gasped, the office was huge, and covered in hundreds of portraits, that...moved. She thought back to the Labyrinth, compared to that this wasn't impressive, but still it was creepy.
The pictures began to stir and looked with interest at the new girl standing before them. Several pointed and muttered, Sarah was beginning to feel decidedly uncomfortable when a small cough caused her to turn. Standing behind a large desk was a very old wizard. He had on azurer robes and a very patched and dirty hat.
"Professor" Sarah inclined her head slightly as she had no idea how you showed respect in the wizarding world
"My dear," The old man began, she presumed this was Dumbledore; "don't worry about formalities, now to business, as a fifth year you need to study for your O.W.L's that is ordinary wizarding levels, should you need any extra help please report to Professor McGonagall here and she will assist, but for now to the sorting" with this he whipped the hat off of his head and dropped it swiftly onto hers. Sarah blinked in the darkness, she braced herslef for what was to happen next. After the Underworld nothing would suprise her again...
Sarah started when a voice sounded next to her ear
"Hmmm, never seen a mind like yours before, half fae and half witch what a thing, Oh don't worry I won't tell if you don't...now tell me my dear where would you like to go...
"Griffindor", thought Sarah
"Interesting I see a bit of all the houses in you...intelligence, a sense of the dramatic, bravery, a small amount of recklessness and loyalty but where should you go? I suppose that the best option would be GRIFFINDOR" Although the room had only two other occupants the hat screamed the last word. Sarah removed the hat to see her robes now had fine piping similar to that of her friends.
"An excellent choice, you shall be in my house" Professor McGonagall smiled a rare smile.
"Now to the feast" exclaimed Dumbledore and began walking out of his office.
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Sarah lay back on her new bed having just unpacked, next to her sat Hermione pouring over one of her new books, the other girls eyed her warily but chose instead to get back to gossiping about famous people both magical and muggle. Sarah caught some of their mutterings
"Johnny Depp is gorgeous, I mean Jack Sparrow is amazing, 'where's the rum gone' ha-ha"
"Yeah but Algador Dert is a complete hottie, he was in witch weekly last week"
Sarah lay back sure that this discussion would go on for a long time; slowly she fell into an exhausted sleep, thinking back to the feast. All of her new friends had looked delighted when she came up and sat at the Griffindor table. Another highlight of the evening had been when a grim hook nosed teacher had come up and magically dragged Fred and George off by their ears muttering something about damage to school property. The twins had been applauded out of the hall, but the best moment had been the sense of having real friends for once in her life. Ones that she didn't have to hide behind closed doors.
She had been asleep for a few hours when she heard a strangely familiar voice beside her ear
"Allo"
Sarah sat up and looked around, where had the voice come from?
"I sed allo"
Sarah looked down to see the blue worm from the start of the Labyrinth.
"What...wait a moment" Sarah stopped when she heard one of the other girls roll over in her sleep, twisting her hand she conjured a shimmering crystal, she threw the crystal into the air and it grew to encompass her bed and faded until you could almost not see that it was there, (she had discovered a few new talents since the crystal had hit her in the wand shop). "Now we can talk"
"So nice to see you again, the missus sends her best, invited you for a cuppa tea when you next visit the Labyrinth"
"What are you doing here?"
"Begging your pardon but his majesty requests the pleasure of your presence right away in the owl tower"
"Oh really, he requests it?" Sarah thought back to Lavenders earlier comments, "Well you can tell him that I am disinclined acquiesce to his request, good night"
"Sorry mistress orders are orders, please"
Sarah sighed "fine, which tower is the owl tower"
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Thank you and press the little button and review...or I'll send my Muse after you! XD XXX