Haylie breathed deeply as she glided slowly up the stairs. She never dreamed that this moment would be as stressful as it actually was. In the time of one minute she reached the stool and plopped her bottom on top of it, closing her eyes. The hat felt hard as the old lady placed it on her head and she could hear it speaking softly.
"A Granger, hey? Your sister was not hard to place and neither are you. I know just the right house for you my darling," the scratchy voice told her.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Haylie let out a small screech and ran over to the table where her sister was clapping loudly. She sat down next to Hermione and couldn't stop smiling.
"Yes! You're in Gryffindor with us Haylie! This is wonderful! I can't wait to tell mum and dad!" Hermione shrieked, wrapping her arms around Haylie in a huge hug. Finally, Hermione let go of her sister and began to talk excitedly with Harry and Ron. Haylie concentrated on the rest of the first years still being sorted.
"Kelsey Dowd," Professor McGonagall continued.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Tracey Ruggeri."
"RAVENCLAW!
"Natalie Conway."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Corey Price."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Bobby Peeler."
"RAVENCLAW!"
"John Goode"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Corinne Daney." Professor McGonagall added, out of breath. The girl walked up the steps gracefully. Her hair was light brown and was curled into tiny waves. She wasn't the skinniest girl, but she was just the right size.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat boomed. Corinne hurried over and sat across from Haylie.
"Rose Forbes." The girl once again smoothed down her perfect silvery-blond hair and made her way to the stool. Everyone knew where she was headed and Haylie could see Hermione and Ron sneaking a glance at Draco Malfoy, who sat at the other end of the hall at the Slytherin table.
"SLYTHERIN!" Haylie saw Ron lean over the table to whisper to Harry.
"Surprise, surprise."
"Damon Shockley." Haylie stopped talking to the others. Her head turned to watch Damon. She furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. Hermione seemed to notice her reaction to the boy and peered down at her little sister.
"Who's he?" Hermione asked, knowing Haylie was angry about something.
"He is such a pig! He was on my boat and he made me so mad," Haylie cried," Then he made fun of Elvin, well actually his friend did, but still….I don't want him to treat Elvin like that. Elvin is such a sweet and kind guy…." Hermione looked up at the boy once again.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat screamed.
"No!" Haylie yelped. Hermione laughed. Haylie looked up at Hermione and shook her head in anger.
"It is so not funny Herm," Haylie announced as Damon pulled out the seat next to Haylie.
"Hey honey, I'm home," Damon teased, flashing her a toothy grin.
"Great," Haylie mumbled, inching her seat farther away from him.
"Hey Ron Weasley," Damon cupped his hands over his mouth. Ron suddenly became alert and leaned over so he could see the person calling his name.
"What do you want?" Ron asked, overhearing the conversation between Haylie and Hermione.
"You know your girlfriend over here called me pathetic," Damon said, jabbing his finger Haylie's way, "and I would really appreciate it if you could tell her to apologize, since you're her boyfriend and all." Ron looked confused at first, until he saw Haylie's pleading face. Then he lifted his eyes to see Damon and stood up.
"Were you bothering her?" Ron asked, mock anger vibrating through his voice, "Cause if you were hitting on Hay, I don't think you will make it long in this school." Ron told Hermione to move to his seat and he slipped his arm around Haylie's shoulders. Damon looked scared.
"No, I just didn't think that… you were….um…have a nice dinner," Damon stood up and hurried to another seat. Once he was gone Ron released Haylie and smiled.
"Did you tell him I was your boyfriend," Ron questioned, "Because it isn't true you know."
"I did, but just to make a point. We can break up tomorrow!" Haylie said feeling horribly embarrassed. He nodded, still smiling.
"You can break up with me," Ron said, turning in the seat and reaching over to grab his food, "So you won't be embarrassed."
"That was a really nice thing you did for Haylie," Hermione told Ron as they sat in the Gryffindor Common room after everything had been unpacked. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were sitting around the couches talking.
"It's fine, I don't mind," Ron replied, polishing his broomstick, "I can't wait for Quidditch to start! Can you Harry?" Harry Smiled and shook his head.
"We'll have to hold auditions though for Angelina and Fred and George," Harry added, rubbing his own broomstick with elbow grease.
"Hey guys!" Haylie came over and jumped over the back of the sofa and landed softly next to Hermione.
"Hey Haylie, aren't you supposed to be snoring right now," Hermione questioned her left eyebrow rising. Haylie frowned and disagreed with her big sister.
"I don't have a bed time anymore Hermione! I'm eleven years old! I'm practically old enough to kiss a boy…" Haylie smiled, facing her sister.
"Oh no you're not!" Hermione stood up and jabbed her finger towards the girl's dormitories, "You need to go to bed."
"But Herm…"Haylie pleaded, but it didn't work.
"Now!" Hermione demanded, her jaw clenching. Haylie sighed and walked past Hermione coolly. Harry grunted loudly across from her. Hermione didn't react, all she did was sit down and put her head in her hands.
"I don't know how I'm going to watch her all year," Hermione yawned, rubbing her eyes.
"You don't have to," Ginny exclaimed, "You aren't her mother."
"Plus," Ron added, "We'll help watch over her." Hermione smiled and laid her head back against the sofa. Suddenly, someone had pulled on her arm and yanked her from her seated position.
"Time for you to go to bed," Harry said, pushing her toward the girls dormitories, just like she had done with Haylie moments before. To everyone's amazement, Hermione didn't argue. She nodded her head and walked through the door without saying a single word.
Haylie stomped unhappily up to her new room. She can't tell me what to do, Haylie thought with rage. Talking and laughing could be heard from each room and Haylie approached her door. When she finally reached it, she took a deep breath and twisted the golden handle to let herself in.
"Which bed should I take?" a familiar girl dark brown hair asked to another girl who Haylie recognized at Natalie Conway.
"Oh Haylie!" Natalie ran over to her and closed the door behind her. Haylie smile and looked at the three people before her. Natalie seemed to be the only one she actually had met. The girl with the light brown hair had her skin just a pinch darker than Haylie and she had dark blue eyes that you just couldn't resist staring at.
"I'm Corinne Daney," she smiled warmly and shook Haylie's hand. Then the other girl stepped up to shake Haylie's hand as well. Her skin was as smooth as a pebble and was tanned a very light brown. Orange was the color of her large eyes and soft curls fell at the top of her shoulders.
"I'm Eileen Maloney," she whispered timidly and let go of Haylie's hand. No one spoke for about 5 and seconds and then Corinne went back to her original question.
"Which bed should I take?" Everyone looked around and hurried to the bed they wanted. Corinne stared blankly at them and shook your head.
"Thanks guys, you're a big help," she joked, hoisting her suitcase on the lonely bed at the peek of the window. All four of the girls started to unpack and fought desperately for the drawers and the closet.
"I want the top drawer!" Natalie was yelling at Eileen. Eileen stomped her foot on the ground and screamed back at her.
"But I'm taller than you! I should get the top drawer!" Eileen placed her hand s on her hips and waited for Natalie's comeback. Natalie looked down at the floor and cleared her throat.
"Fine! Fine I'll take the second drawer." Eileen smiled and opened her top drawer and placed her shirts inside. Then she took the third drawer placed her pants inside it carefully. Then she painstakingly, opened the fifth drawer and put her underwear in one at a time. Luckily, Corrine and Haylie had won the right to the closet and had already finished hanging their shirts, pants, and robes on the hangers available inside.
"I'm going to bed," Corinne said, yawning and slipping under her comforter. Haylie decided to do the same, since tomorrow would be her first day as a serious student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"Here are your schedules for the next year, so look over them closely and we will proceed to begin the first class of this school year," Professor McGonagall said, as all the schedules were handed out. Haylie shook with excitement as she received her classes. First was Herbology and second was Potions with the evil Professor Snape. Haylie had heard about every single one of the teachers over the summer from Hermione and now knew how to handle them. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Hermione told her, to sit near the back so the creatures would not make it to them. Then, in Potions, Ron had told her to sit in the middle, because Snape usually called on people in the back end of the room or in the front rows. The class Haylie knew most about and looked forward to the most was Transfiguration.
"Volunteer! Professor McGonagall loves people who are active in the class," Hermione had told her when Haylie mentioned the class. Haylie continued to look over her schedule till it was time to leave for her first class, Herbology. Hermione, Harry, and Ron guided her down the twisting corridors and through the courtyard down to the Herbology room, which looked like a huge green house. A short, plump woman with wild snowy white hair directed the first years to their places and began her class.
"Hello boys and girls, my name is Professor Sprout," she glanced around at her new students and gulped, "You can call me…um…Professor Sprout." Haylie smiled and looked next to her where Corinne stood, also giggling quietly.
"I thought we'd start today by learning everyone's.." Professor Sprout was cut off as three boys hurried into the room. Without looking, Haylie knew exactly who had come through the screen doors and became tense and she heard Elvin whimper beside her.
"names," Professor finished, her fat lips squeezing together.
"Sorry, we just got…lost," Haylie heard Brent say, panting slightly.
"Yeah professor, our schedules didn't give directions," Damon continued, glancing over at the boy to his left. The other boy with them smiled slyly and Haylie could tell he was going to be trouble.
"No directions," the boy repeated, the smile not disappearing from his face. He was lightly overweight and had blonde curly hair that looked matted to his head, as if glued.
"Well, as you all will learn," Professor Sprout said sternly, "Our schedules do not have directions through Hogwarts printed on them and never will. Take your places next to Ryan." The boys took their seat, as the other kids around them snickered and giggled.
"Okay, class first I will seat you by having you all pull a number out of…."
"A hat?" Brent yelled, and him, Damon, and the boy burst out in laughter.
"No, actually you will be pulling the numbers out of a pot." She turned, unfazed by Brent's rudeness, and picked up an earthy, red pot that was sitting by a bag of seeds on the windowsill.
"Let's start with you… Rose Forbes?" Professor Sprout asked, looking at her list of names. Rose took a couple seconds to answer but coolly nodded her head and reached into the pot, a scowl on her face.
"That girl is always changing!" Corinne whispered to Haylie, " Sometimes she's really nice and then other times she is so cold!"
"What is your number dear?" Professor Sprout asked, her head trying to peek over Rose's shoulder.
"I got 14," Rose replied. She stepped back and leaned against the wall waiting for everyone to pick their numbers. Finally, the pot reached Corinne and Haylie. Corinne closed her eyes and Haylie watched as her hand disappeared in side the pot. After a few seconds of sifting the tiny papers around, Corinne pulled one out and handed the heavy pot to me. Haylie, too, closed her eyes and could feel her fingers being pricked by the edges of the papers. She waved her hand around until she thought she had picked the perfect paper.
"What number did you get?" Corinne prodded, glancing down at her own number.
" I got number 2," Haylie said.
"I got number 5," Corinne told her. Elvin was next and warily dipped his hand into the pot to choose his own card.
"What about you Elvin?" Corinne asked, taking her eyes off her card for a second but hurriedly returning them to the white piece of parchment.
"One," he whispered shyly, looking only at Haylie. She blushed and turned to Corinne. Haylie had a feeling that Elvin had a tiny crush on her, and Haylie knew she fancied him as well. Unfortunately, Haylie had always been scared to tell people how she felt and always seemed to hide all of her emotions, not just love. After about ten minutes everyone had chosen their number and Professor Sprout was ready to announce their groups for the following year.
"Alright everyone, settle down now. Look at your number and when I call it you will come stand where I tell you so.
"Number 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 please stand in these first spots, hurry now," Professor Sprout yelled, her head waving around in the air trying to tell who had gotten the numbers she called. Haylie walked to her given place and stood there watching the others come and stand in their own spots. Corinne stood in the fifth spot, while Elvin stood next to Haylie at the edge of the table. Haylie shot a huge smile at Elvin and secretly wanted to shout "Thank you!" to Professor Sprout. The places three and four had not been filled.
"Hey Corinne, Haylie," Natalie walked over and stood beside Corinne in the fourth place. Only one spot remained next to Haylie and she wondered who would take it. When she saw whom it was her smile faded.
"Hello ladies," the boy who had been with Damon and Brent took the third spot.
"What about Elvin?" Natalie asked, her lips pursed in annoyance.
"Who's Elvin?" The boy said. Haylie was infuriated.
"The boy right next to me," Haylie spat.
"I'm Hastin," the rude boy said, not even acknowledging Elvin.
"What?" Haylie asked, still upset over the way this boy, Hastin, had treated Elvin.
"Ich heisse Hastin Bruno," Hastin laughed, even though no one joined him, " That means my name is Hastin Bruno."
"Is that German?" Natalie asked, glancing at Corinne. Hastin nodded, feeling proud of himself.
"Wait, doesn't Hastin mean…" Haylie tried to remember the name from her Hogwarts a History book. She thought for a second, remembering.
"It means Elephant," Haylie giggled, Corinne and Natalie soon joining in, "I read about it! Back in 1895 a group of rebel wizards called them selves the Hastin Witching Wayers and would kill elephants when the government refused their requests. The problem was that the Minister of Magic's favorite animal was the elephant. It got so bad that they had to send as many of the elephants throughout the world to Hogwarts, so they would be safe."
"Are you serious?" Natalie asked through her endless laughter.
"It's a family name…"Hastin said trying to defend himself. This only made the girls burst out laughing even more.
"Miss. Granger stop laughing at once," Professor Sprout shouted, slamming the pot on the table. Haylie nodded and stopped laughing but knew she was in for an interesting year. After all, how many people in their lifetime get to meet someone named after an elephant?