Chapter 2. Brave of Heart
"Zo, Wahz yarv Vuilidage cheem?" Ron garbled incomprehensibly, aiming to make conversation while his mouth was full of Jelly Slugs.
Iliana blinked; baffled by the muffled words he spoke. She drew her gaze away from the window, where the landscape had changed from green pastures to winding rivers, dark green hills, and lush forests, to look at Harry, wondering if he had been able to understand anything Ron had said.
The clueless look on his face answered her question.
"What did you say, Ron?" she asked, turning to the red head.
Ron raised a hand, signaling her to wait, and swallowed the rest of the gummy candies.
"What's your Quidditch team?" He questioned again. This time it was actually intelligible.
"Oh," she said simply. "The Appleby Arrows."
Iliana wasn't a huge Quidditch fan, but her Father liked the Appleby Arrows so she supposed she liked them too.
"Hmm, they're all right I guess," Ron replied, pursing his lips. "But I like the Chudley Cannons! They're the best team in the whole league!"
The look in Ron's eyes told Iliana that he absolutely loved the sport.
"And you, Harry? Who do you go for?" Ron asked enthusiastically.
"Er – I don't know any," confessed Harry, furrowing his brows in confusion when Ron gawked at him incredulously.
"What?" Ron exclaimed, befuddled. "Haven't you heard of Quidditch before?"
"Not really." Harry said, shaking his head.
Ron looked as if he was about to have a heart attack.
"That's impossible!" He stated. "Everyone knows about Quidditch!"
"He lives with muggles, Ron." Iliana reminded the ginger. Quidditch was the most popular sport among wizards and witches, but for muggles the game was completely unheard of.
"Oh," Ron said, nodding in understanding. "I forgot. But, oh, just you wait, Harry, it's the best game in the entire world –"
And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he'd had enough money. He was just taking Harry and Iliana, even though she already knew enough about the sport, through the finer points of the game when there was a knock on the door of their compartment.
A diffident looking boy with brown hair and a round face slide open the door and came in, looking at the three of them as tears threatened to fall from his eyes.
"Sorry," He said timidly. "but have you seen a toad at all?"
They shook their heads and the boy moaned in disappointment.
"I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!" He wailed loudly, hanging his head in misery.
"You'll find him!" Iliana said optimistically, trying to cheer him up.
"Yeah, he'll turn up." Harry added.
"Would you like us to help you look for him?" Iliana asked the boy, volunteering herself and her new friends. She knew if she had lost Ianthe she would be in the same state the boy was in and would want all the help she could get to find her.
"No, that's alright." He sighed sadly. "Well, if you see him…"
"We'll bring him straight to you!" Iliana swore, giving him her biggest smile.
"Thanks" said the boy, smiling half-heartedly as he left and closed the compartment door behind him.
"Don't know why he's so bothered," muttered Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd loose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."
The three of them looked down at Ron's pet rat, Scabbers, who was snoozing on his lap.
"Pitiful, isn't he?"
"Just a little bit." said Harry, receiving a disgruntled look from Iliana.
"He isn't pitiful! I think he's cute!" She argued.
Ron and Harry both looked at her doubtingly.
"Look at him, Iliana. He's old and fat, not cute!" said Ron quizzically.
Iliana studied Scabbers for a long moment.
"I still think he is." She lied, unwilling to retract her previous statement.
The truth was, Iliana didn't think the rat was cute, not at all. But he was only an animal. He needed someone to defend him, and if she didn't, no one would. It wasn't Scabber's fault that he was aged and chunky. And although she knew Ron would have much rather preferred having a new owl or cat as a pet instead of a rat passed down to him from his brother, Percy, it was still nice that he at least had an animal.
"Well, if you think he's so cute, here," Ron said, lifting Scabbers and holding him out to her. "take him."
"Uhh," she stammered, trying to think of an excuse as to why she couldn't take the little rat. She had just wanted to stand up for Scabbers, not become his owner.
Ron continued to stare at her expectantly.
"Ron, I couldn't possibly take Scabbers away from you." She said, shaking her head.
"Why not?" He demanded smugly, just wanting her to admit she didn't like his pet either.
"Because…" she paused, coming up with an excuse when she spotted Ianthe licking an open candy wrapper. "Ianthe would probably eat him."
The color instantly drained out of Ron's face. His eyes went round and he leaned back in his seat, clutching Scabbers protectively to his chest.
"You think she'd really try to, to eat him?" He asked fearfully, turning his head to eye the kitten suspiciously. It seemed that Ron actually cared for Scabbers more than he let on.
"No, not if he stays your pet!" Iliana persuaded, picking Ianthe up off the floor and placing her on her lap. "But if he were mine, and living in the same room with her, he'd be a goner for sure! Cats and Rats do not get along."
"He better just stay with me then." Ron decided.
"It's for the best." Iliana agreed, averting Harry's eyes as he smirked at her knowingly.
Ron set Scabbers down, and the rat went right back to sleep.
"That's all he does." Ron complained. "He sleeps so much that he could die and you wouldn't notice the difference. I tried turning him yellow yesterday, to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"
He searched around in his trunk and pulled out his wand. It was very battered looking, with chips in various places and had white hair jutting out from its tip.
"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out." He grumbled before sitting up straight and pointing his wand at Scabbers. "Sun –"
He had just begun to say the spell when the compartment door slid open again. They turned their heads to see that the toadless boy had returned, but this time he wasn't alone. He had a girl with him. She had a mass of bushy brown hair, large teeth, and was already dressed in her Hogwarts robes.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." The girl said imperiously, scrutinizing the entire compartment with her brown eyes.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it." Ron said shortly, eyeballing the girl in annoyance. But the girl wasn't listening; she was too busy staring at the wand in his hand.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Lets see it, then." She said assertively, sitting down next to Iliana.
"Er – all right." Ron said, taken aback by the girl's forwardness.
"Aghhhemm." He cleared his throat dramatically. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers remained gray and dormant.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" The girl asked critically, raising a brow. "Well, it's not very good, is it?"
Offended, Ron sent Iliana and Harry a meaningful look, telling them with his eyes that he was irked at the girl.
"He just needs to practice it." Iliana told her, supporting her red headed friend.
The frizzy haired girl merely shrugged.
"I've tried a few spells, just for practice, and they've all worked for me." She gloated arrogantly. "For example…"
She got up and went to sit right between Ron and Harry. Luckily, Ron managed to save their candy from being squished right before she sat down.
"Oculus Reparo." She said, pointing her wand at Harry's glasses. In an instant, the damaged spectacles were fixed and looked as good as new. "That's better, isn't it?"
Harry took off his glasses and stared at them in amazement.
"Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard – I've learned all our course books by heart of course, I just hope it will be enough – I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"
She said all of this very, very quickly.
Iliana looked at Harry and Ron, comforted to see that they looked just as dumbstruck as she felt.
"I'm Ron Weasley," said Ron, more interested in the candy than he was in Hermione.
"Pleasure." Hermione murmured sarcastically, watching Ron rip off a piece of Licorice Wand with his teeth.
"Iliana Vose." Iliana told Hermione, attempting to smile even though her mind was in a state of panic, stressing about not having learned the course books by heart like she had. She had read them, but her Hogwarts letter never mentioned anything about memorizing the course books before school began. Maybe she had enough time to do it now? She took a quick peek out the window, where the sky was in the midst of changing its hue from a bright blue to a deep purple, and realized they would probably be reaching Hogwarts soon. It was too late to memorize anything now.
"Nice to meet you." Hermione smiled, shaking her hand.
"Harry Potter." spoke Harry.
"Holy cricket! Are you really?" Hermione exclaimed, turning to him. "I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books, for background reading, and your in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
"Am I?" asked Harry, stunned.
"Goodness, didn't you know? I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do you all know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor. It sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad." She sighed, standing up. "You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."
She left the compartment so fast that Neville, who had been staring at his shoelaces the entire time, didn't even realize she was gone.
"Come on, Neville." Hermione called, bringing him out of his stupor.
Iliana giggled at the look of surprise on his face.
"Good luck, Neville." She told him as he turned to leave. He blushed in response, thanked her, and went after Hermione.
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it." Ron grunted, throwing his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell – George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."
"You know, I think Scabbers whiskers look a bit lighter," Iliana told him, not wanting him to be too upset.
"What house are your brothers and sisters in?" Harry asked Ron and Iliana.
"Gryffindor." said Ron dejectedly. "All five of my brothers! Mum and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin!"
"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Iliana asked, a line appearing between her brows.
"That's the house Vol – I mean, You-Know-Who was in, isn't it?" questioned Harry.
"Yeah." said Ron. "There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. They're all vile."
"That's not true!" Iliana stated, aggravated. "My Mother was a Slytherin and my sister's one now, and their not bad!"
Ron gaped at her.
"You have family in Slytherin?" he asked incredulously.
Iliana nodded.
"But," He sputtered. "but you're so… nice."
"They are too." Iliana declared. Her Mother was truly one of the nicest people she knew. And Vianney… well… Vianney was nice in her own way.
"You can't always judge a person by which house their in." She told Harry and Ron. "A lot of bad people do come from Slytherin, but anyone can turn bad, no matter which house they're in. It just depends on the person."
They both nodded, taking in what she said.
"Your other sister's not in Slytherin, too?" Harry asked.
"No. She's in Hufflepuff."
Ron's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
"That's bonkers!" he blurted. "How can one sister be in Slytherin and the other in Hufflepuff? Those houses are the complete opposites of each other!"
Iliana shrugged. Her sisters were, indeed, total opposites.
"What do you do after Hogwarts?" asked Harry, changing the subject.
"Anything you want." Iliana told him. "You can be a Healer, or an Auror, or work for the Ministry of Magic…"
"My brother Charlie is in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," Ron added. "Oh, have you two heard about Gringotts?"
"No." Iliana said, shaking her head. "What happened?"
"It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles –" He said, glancing at Harry. "Someone tried to rob a high security vault."
"They tried to rob it?" Iliana asked, confounded. Gringotts was the safest place in the world. No one should have been able to break into it.
"What happened to them?" questioned Harry.
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."
Iliana shuddered, chills running up and down her arms.
"Do you think it could really be him?" she asked apprehensively, twirling a strand of wavy hair around her finger. She glanced over at Harry, perceiving the worried expression on his face.
"Who knows," Ron said. "I hope not."
Before anything else could be said the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time. Three boys entered, and the one in the middle, a pale boy with slicked back, white-blonde hair, who seemed to be the group's leader, goggled at Harry in blatant interest.
"Is it true?" he interrogated. "They're saying down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So its you, is it?"
"Yes." Harry answered hesitantly, disregarding the boy to stare uneasily at the other two in the group.
Iliana didn't blame him. Both of them were thickset and looked awfully mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like his bodyguards.
"Oh, this is Crabbe and Goyle," said the boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. He stepped closer to him, refusing to be overlooked. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
Ron gave a slight cough, attempting to hide a snigger, but it was heard clearly by everyone in the compartment.
Draco Malfoy glowered at him.
"Think my name's funny, do you?" He scoffed, taking in Ron's appearance from top to bottom. "No need to ask who you are. My Father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."
Crabbe and Goyle erupted into cackles as Ron's face turned beet red in embarrassment, causing Draco's mouth to twist into a sadistic smile.
Iliana glared at them, crossing her arms over her chest. She wasn't going to sit quietly and simply allow Draco Malfoy to ridicule her friend.
"Was your Father so busy telling you about the Weasleys that he forgot to teach you any manners?" she asked Draco curtly, bringing the obnoxious laughter to a sudden halt.
"What did you just say?" he snapped fiercely, daring her to repeat the question.
"I said," she began boldly, staring straight into his steel gray eyes. "was your Father so busy telling you about the Weasleys that he forgot to teach you any manners? Because you seem to not have any."
"How dare you." He sneered. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
"I don't care who you are. How dare you say such rude things to my friend! He deserves an apology!"
"A Malfoy? Apologize to a Weasley? Never." declared Draco with a repulsed expression, his eyes traveling over Iliana's small form in disdain. "What's your name, girl?"
"Iliana Vose." She answered through gritted teeth, gracing him with the meanest look she could muster.
"Vose?" He reiterated, disconcerted recognition dawning upon his face. "What's a Vose doing mingling with the likes of a Weasley? You should be spending your time with someone of your own status, not him. He's the reason you're being so rude, isn't it? Come with us before he contaminates you even more."
With a wave of his hand, Draco beckoned for her to stand.
"I'm perfectly fine just where I am, thank you." She stated bluntly, refusing his offer by sticking her nose in the air and looking away from him in distaste.
"What?" sputtered Draco, muddled. "You would rather stay here? With this blood traitor?"
"I would rather stay here with my friend!" Iliana seethed, glaring daggers. "Because that's what he is, not a blood traitor!"
"I'd beg to differ." Draco scorned, his eyes narrowing into small slits. "I thought someone of your class would be a bit smarter about the people they chose to associate with, Vose. But I see you're simply too dense to."
"Don't talk to her like that!" Harry said heatedly, coming to her defense.
"It's the truth though, Potter." countered Draco. "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are much better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks." He said coolly.
Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tint did appear on his cheeks as he lowered his hand and tightened it into a fist.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter." He said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
Both Harry and Ron shot out of their seats while Iliana eyed Draco in disbelief, appalled by the words that had just come out of his mouth.
"Say that again." Ron growled, his face as red as his hair.
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy mocked.
Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles, smirking.
"Unless you get out," Harry said bravely, bracing himself for a fight.
"Leave!" Iliana ordered, pointing to the door. Ianthe hissed from where she sat on the brunette's lap, her fur standing on end as she barred her fangs at the three bullies.
"But we don't feel like leaving, do we boys?" Draco provoked, grinning at his goons. "We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."
Crabbe and Goyle surged forward, roughly shoving Ron and Harry out of the way before they could react. Goyle reached towards the pile of candies closest to Ron, and the ginger, having regained his footing, leapt forward. But before he so much as touched Goyle, the big antagonizer let out a high-pitched yell.
Iliana smirked in satisfaction when she saw that Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, his sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle. Malfoy and Crabbe ducked and backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them fled from the room, disappearing at once.
"What has been going on here?" Hermione questioned, sweeping into the compartment within the next second. She looked from the mess of sweets scattered all over the floor to the trio, waiting for an explanation.
Ron, paying her no mind, went over to the window and picked up Scabbers by his tail.
"Is he alright, Ron?" Iliana asked in concern. "He isn't hurt, is he?"
"I think he's been knocked out." answered Ron, inspecting the rat closely. " No – I don't believe it – he's gone back to sleep."
And so he had.
"You've met Malfoy before?" Ron asked Harry, settling back into his seat.
"Yeah. In Diagon Alley at Madame Malkin's." Harry explained, frowning. "He wasn't very nice there, either."
"I've heard of his family." piped Iliana.
"Me too." Ron said darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He said that Malfoy's Father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."
He then turned to Hermione, who was listening intently to their conversation.
"Can we help you with something?"
"You better hurry up and put your robes on. I've just been up to ask the conductor and he says we're nearly there." informed Hermione, her mouth setting into a hard, disapproving line. "You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us." Ron replied indignantly, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"
"All right – I only came in here because people are behaving very childishly outside, racing up and down the corridors." said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "You aren't going to change in here, with these boys, are you, Iliana? That wouldn't be very ladylike. There's a washroom down the hall you can use. I can show you if you'd like."
"Oh… thank you, Hermione, but I think I'll be able to find it." Iliana answered politely, standing up to retrieve her uniform from her trunk. She was a little irritated Hermione had accused her of being unladylike, but was too thrilled about nearly being at Hogwarts to give the girl's comment much thought.
"Yeah, she can find it on her own." Ron dismissed, looking from Hermione to the door, making it very obvious that he wanted her to leave.
"Ok. Well, um, I'll see you at school then." Hermione voiced, ignoring Ron's comment to smile at Harry and Iliana. She was halfway out the door when she stopped and stared at the red head in transparent dislike. "You've got dirt on your nose, by the way. Did you know?"
Ron glared at her as she left.
"Is there really something there?" he huffed doubtfully, attempting to catch sight of his nose by crossing his blue eyes.
Iliana and Harry nodded.
"Really?" Ron yawped, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. "Why didn't you tell me? Were you two just going to let me walk around with dirt on my nose all night? Have a nice laugh about it?"
"We did tell you, Ron!" insisted Iliana as she rummaged through her trunk, searching for her stockings. "Twice!"
"But you were too busy eating a Cauldron cake to care." Harry supplemented, snickering.
Ron paused, thinking for a moment, and then smiled sheepishly.
"Oh. Sorry."
Iliana and Harry only laughed, exchanging a grin.
"Its fine, Ron." chuckled Harry, unzipping his jacket and shrugging out of it.
"Yes, Ron. We forgive you." Iliana agreed, rolling her eyes playfully before glimpsing out the window. It was completely dark, only a few stars twinkling in the night sky. The train seemed to be slowing down.
Deciding it was probably best to change now, Iliana made her way to the washroom. She slipped into her school robes quickly, finishing off the look by gathering half of her thick tresses up into a high ponytail and pulling out a few of the wavy strands to frame her face. Twirling around, she analyzed herself in the mirror, smiling softly at her reflection. She looked like a real Hogwarts student now.
' You are a real Hogwarts student now' she thought to herself as she made her way back, excited and nervous for what was to come.
When she returned to the compartment she saw that Ron and Harry had changed into their long black robes as well, and were completely preoccupied with stuffing their pockets with as many sweets as they could hold. She watched in bewilderment as they continued shoving treat after treat into their pouches, wondering just how much food they would be able to fit into them.
They had just finished cramming their pockets with the last of the sweets when a voice echoed through the train.
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Iliana took a deep breath, trying to calm the wave of nerves flooding within her, and looked to Harry and Ron. Harry's eyes had gone round, very round… almost as round as his glasses. And Ron, she noticed, looked extremely pale under his freckles.
"Are you nervous?" she asked them quietly, biting down on her lip.
"No!" They denied adamantly, rushing to collect themselves by standing tall and puffing out their chests to try and seem tough.
Iliana's heart skipped a beat.
"Really?" she questioned anxiously, twisting the ends of her hair. "Not at all? I am."
Caught off guard by her confession, each boy, very hesitantly, looked to the other, deflating a bit.
"Well," mumbled Ron, staring down at his worn out sneakers. "maybe just a little."
"Maybe just a lot." Harry corrected forlornly, his shoulders slumping.
"What about?" Iliana coaxed faintly, interlacing her fingers.
"I dunno. Everything? I mean… what if I don't like it after all?" spilled Ron timorously, uncapping his bottled up feelings. "What if I'm not even put in Gryffindor?"
Iliana fiddled with her earing, swiveling the small diamond between her fingers as she pushed her own nerves aside and raked through her mind, trying to think of anything she could say to ease his worries. The uncomfortable, tingling feeling in her stomach faded somewhat as she recounted a few of the fun tales Annalise and Vianney had told her about their time spent at the magic school.
"You're going to love it no matter which House you're in, Ron." she assured him, also assuring herself.
"How do you know?" Ron asked, lifting his head.
"Its Hogwarts." she reasoned plainly. "How could you not love it?"
"What if I'm not good at magic?" Harry contemplated audibly, running a hand through his hair.
"Have you gone mental, Harry?" grilled Ron, eyeballing him incredulously. "Of course you'll be good at magic! You're Harry, bloody, Potter!"
"Ron's right. You're going to be a great wizard, Harry." predicted Iliana, giving him a comforting smile.
"You really think so?" he asked, trying his best not to blush at her words.
"I know so!" she promised earnestly. "You'll be one of the best. I can feel it."
"And me?" asked Ron abruptly, straightening up and staring at her with wide, hopeful eyes. "Will I be a great wizard, too?"
"Definitely!" Iliana pledged confidently, beginning to feel more excited than nervous now. "We all will. But in order for that to happen we have to get off the train. So come on, lets go."
Reaching forward, she grabbed Ron and Harry's hands with her own and pulled them out of the compartment to join the rest of the crowd thronging in the corridor. Voices buzzed loudly in the passageway, conversations overlapping others as pupils of various ages chatted to one another in eager tones, waiting restlessly for the train's journey to come to an end. The train continued to decelerate more and more with each passing second, until finally… it stopped. The doors opened without delay and people pushed their way towards the exits out onto a tiny dark platform. Iliana shivered in the cold night air and squeezed onto the hands of her friends as they scrambled off the train into the horde of people, not wanting to get separated. They nudged their way through the crowd aimlessly, having no idea where they were supposed to go until a lamp came bobbing over the heads of students, illuminating the darkness.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" called a loud, deep voice.
Iliana looked in the direction from which it came, and was stunned when her eyes found its owner. A giant man, the biggest man she had ever seen, stood large and tall among the students at the end of the platform, his big hairy face beaming over the sea of heads.
"Whoa!" Ron breathed, his mouth dropping open. "Who's that?"
"Hagrid!" Harry announced gleefully, tugging Iliana and Ron to the humongous man.
"Who?" gasped Iliana.
"Hagrid. My Friend. He's the gamekeeper here." Harry responded, grinning.
"C'mon, follow me – anymore firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Hagrid hollered as Iliana, Harry, and Ron joined the assembly of trembling first years encircling him.
Slipping and stumbling they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep narrow path bordered with trees. It was so dark on either side of them that Iliana felt forced to stare at the ground as she walked, carefully placing one foot in front of the other as she tried to decipher whether or not the path was scattered with any fallen branches or overgrown roots she could trip over. No one spoke. The only sound that could be heard was the inhaling and exhaling of breath, along with the crunching of earth under people's feet as they walked. Oh, and Neville. The boy lost his toad sniffled once or twice.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder. "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had suddenly opened onto the edge of a great black lake, its water shimmering beautifully under the florescent full moon. Perched atop a high, jagged mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry night sky, was a vast castle inlaid with several turrets and towers.
"Its amazing." Iliana whispered, gazing in wonder at the magnificent sight before her.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid stated, pointing to a fleet of little boats floating in the water by the shore.
Iliana, Ron, and Harry bustled over to one of the empty wooden vessels and climbed in. Hermione, much to Ron's annoyance, followed them.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat all to himself. "Right then – forward!"
And the armada of little ships moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone remained silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of deep green ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them underneath the castle, until they reached an underground harbor, where they clamored out onto rocks and pebbles.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, jumping for joy and holding out his hands.
They then clambered up a long passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around a huge, oak door.
"Everyone here?" inspected Hagrid, counting the number of eleven-year-olds surrounding him. "You there, still got yer toad?"
Neville nodded his head proudly, raising his arms to show Hagrid his pet. The amphibian wiggled energetically between his palms, yearning to escape yet again, but the boy held him firmly in his grasp, determined not to let him slip away.
Iliana smiled, glad Neville had found his animal friend. Hopefully he would never lose the toad again.
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
The door swung open at once, revealing a tall, dark-haired witch adorned in emerald green robes. She wore a stern expression on her aging face, her brow raised as she scrutinized the new students before her.
Iliana determined straightaway that this was not a woman to cross.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," announced Hagrid, stepping forward.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
Turning on her heel, Professor McGonagall signaled the children to follow her further inside the fortress. She led them through an extensive entrance hall and Iliana, along with the rest of her classmates, couldn't resist the temptation to gaze around as they walked. The stonewalls were aligned with flaming torches that lit up the grand foyer, emphasizing the sheer size of their new school. It was enormous! Only a hint of its magnitude displayed with a ceiling that seemed to stretch on and on for miles. They followed the Professor across a flagged stone floor, past a marvelous marble staircase that led to the castle's upper levels, and were led into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing close together as they peered around nervously.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, 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 warn 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. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber swiftly, successfully implanting a seed of panic within Iliana's mind in her wake.
Smarten up? Now? How in the world was she supposed to do that?
"How exactly do they sort us into Houses?" asked Harry, swallowing.
"Some sort of test, I think." Ron answered unsurely, shifting from one foot to the other. "Fred says it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
"A test?" Iliana squealed, her eyes widening in disbelief. A feeling of dread dispersed throughout her body, traveling from the top of her head to the very ends of her toes. Vianney had said the very same thing. She had warned her there would be a test. A very hard test. But Iliana hadn't believed her. She had simply thought her big sister was toying with her, trying to scare her, but in truth she hadn't been. This test was real and now she was completely unprepared for it. What type of test would they be given? What would she have to do? What did they expect her to do? She only knew a few of the simplest spells, nothing test worthy!
She looked around anxiously and saw that everyone looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Iliana tried her best to ignore the intelligent girl, and went over all the spells she could remember off the top of her head. Professor McGonagall would be back any minute, and she wanted to prepare herself as much as she could before then.
She remained unbroken from her chaotic reverie until several people behind her suddenly screamed, making her jump about a foot in the air.
"What the -?" Harry exclaimed.
Iliana gasped. So did everyone else. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the walls. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing.
"Forgive and forget, I say," said a fat little monk. "We ought to give him a second chance –"
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not even really a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.
No one answered.
"New students!" chirped the Fat Friar, clasping his hands in glee and smiling down at them. "About to be sorted I suppose?"
"Yes, sir." Iliana answered quietly, not wanting to be disrespectful. Harry and Ron nodded mutely beside her, along with a few other students.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start."
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by the one, the ghosts floated away through the walls.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years. "and follow me."
Eager to follow her instructions, everyone rushed to form a line, bumping into one another in their haste to create it. Iliana stood behind a boy with sandy brown hair, with Harry behind her, and Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors in the Great Hall.
The Great Hall took Iliana's breath away. It was glorious and far beyond anything she had ever imagined. Thousands upon thousands of lit candles floated in the air over four elongated tables, where the rest of the students occupied their seats. Glittering golden plates and goblets were laid on these tables, inviting only the finest and most delicious foods to be placed on them. At the end of the hall was another table filled with educators. Professor McGonagall led the first years towards them, ushering the children to turn around once they were there so that they faced the older students. Hundreds of faces stared back at them in inquisitiveness, and Iliana felt her cheeks redden. She stared down at her shoes, trying to avoid their curious eyes as an uneasy feeling grew within the pit of her belly.
"Look." Harry whispered in her ear, pointing to the ceiling.
Iliana followed his finger with her eyes and gasped when her vision met the velvety black roofing sprinkled with the brightest of stars. It was gorgeous, and seemed to not be a ceiling at all, but a pathway that transcended up into the high heavens.
"Wow." She murmured, glancing from the ceiling to Harry.
He was smiling at her softly.
"Its bewitched to look like the sky outside." Hermione commented, leaning towards them. " I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."
"Of course you did." Ron muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes.
"Don't be mean, Ron." Iliana scolded, turning just in time to see Professor McGonagall come forward with a four-legged stool, and place it in front of the first years.
On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. It was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. For a few seconds there was no noise, only complete silence. Then, without warning, the hat twitched, a rip near the brim opening like a mouth, and began to sing:
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The entire hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bestowed a bow to each of the four tables before becoming perfectly still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry and Iliana. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on and on about wrestling a troll."
Iliana pursed her lips, silently agreeing with his sentiment. Though she was extremely relieved to discover that all she had to do was put on the Sorting Hat, she was still very bothered that Vianney had tried to trick her, and that it had actually worked.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward as the applause dwindled, holding a long scroll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said, reading the first name on the list. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl with pigtails stumbled out of line and wobbled over to the stool. She sat down and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head, letting it fall over her eyes. There was a moment's pause.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah rushed off to join them, beaming.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scurried off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left applauded this time, several Ravenclaws standing up to welcome their new Housemate with handshakes.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Brown, Lavender!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The table on the far left exploded with roaring cheers, banging their hands on the table and stomping their feet on the floor to make as much noise as possible.
"Bulstrode, Millicent!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
The table on the far right broke into composed praise, its occupants sitting tall and proud as they clapped their congratulations, smirking all the while.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Finnigan, Seamus!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione leaped out of line the instant her name was called, nearly sprinting to the stool, and jammed the hat on her head.
"Mental, that one. I'm telling you!" mumbled Ron to Harry, jerking his head to the girl as she eagerly waited to be sorted.
Iliana scowled at him, silencing the ginger with a shush.
"GRYFFINDOR!" yelled the hat.
Ron groaned, face palming.
Professor McGonagall continued to call name after name, the collection of first years growing smaller as person after person was sorted into a House. When Neville Longbottom's name was called, the round-faced boy scuttled over to the sorting hat, tripping over his own feet in the process. Eventually, he made it to the stool, where he stayed for a long while. After some time a decision was finally made and he was placed in Gryffindor. Smiling brightly, Neville hopped off the stool and ran to his House table with the hat still on his head. Iliana's hand flew to cover her mouth, attempting to muffle a giggle as the boy turned bright red and hurried back to shove it on the next boy's cranium.
More names were called, and Iliana waited for her turn patiently, beginning to feel her nerves increase the shorter the line became.
"Malfoy, Draco!"
The arrogant boy swaggered forward and took his seat on the stool. The hat had barley made contact with his head when it screamed, deeming him, forevermore, a Slytherin.
There weren't many people left now.
"Moon"…. "Nott"…. "Parkinson"…. "Patil"…. "Patil"…."Perks, Sally-Anne"….
"Potter, Harry!"
Harry stiffened, flashing Iliana and Ron a horrified glance before stepping forward. The hall broke into whispers as he revealed himself from within the crowd of eleven-year-olds, astonished to be seeing the boy-who-lived in the flesh. He made his way to the stool quickly, dodging the fascinated stares of everyone in the room craning to get a good look at him, and sat down. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head, and the mass fell quiet, holding their breath in anticipation as to which House would be lucky enough to gain the infamous Harry Potter. Seconds passed, and then minutes, still with no result. Nothing was said. No decision was made. Then, suddenly, the hat proclaimed its verdict, its voice ringing through the hall.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table erupted into rambunctious cheering as he took off the hat and walked toward the Gryffindor table. Iliana grinned, clapping for him as well.
The noise had just begun to settle down when McGonagall resumed the sorting.
"Thomas, Dean!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Turpin, Lisa!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Vose, Iliana!"
Iliana's heart gave a horrible jolt, ready to burst from her chest. The sleeping butterflies in her stomach suddenly sprang to life, flying every which way inside of her as she took her first shaky step out of line and headed towards the stool. Professor McGonagall looked down at her when she reached her destination, a twinkle in her eye as she motioned for Iliana to take a seat. Doing as instructed, Iliana climbed up on the stool. She only had a second to analyze the sea of faces observing her before the hat was placed on her head, engulfing her in darkness.
"How peculiar." murmured a small voice beside her ear. "How very peculiar."
What's peculiar? thought Iliana in confusion.
"You, my dear." answered the hat. "I have sorted many witches and wizards in my past, but non with a spirit or power quite like yours. You have a way about you. A way that allows your soul to shine onto others, displaying your goodness and sincerity. You are kind and true and just. You are also loyal, and will do anything for the ones you love. But in doing so you are also bright and cunning, for it takes a brilliant mind to uncover what must be done, and a persuasive tongue to obtain what is desired. Yet, while you posses' qualities of three noble Houses, I cannot place you in any of them. I have searched through the depths of your mind and conscience and found that you are courageous above all, much more so than you believe yourself to be. Just like the blood that runs through your veins, you are truly brave of heart. Which is why I now place you in…"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Iliana's mouth curved into a bright smile as the hat's shout echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls. She fidgeted in her seat excitedly, allowing Professor McGonagall to pull the hat off her head, and jumped off the stool, radiating pure joy as she skipped over to the Gryffindor table. Her new Housemates congratulated her with booming applause and elated hurrahs. So did Annalise, who was standing on her chair at the Hufflepuff table, shouting out how proud she was of Iliana over the loud commotion. The eleven year old grinned, spotting her sister, and waved to her.
"Iliana!" Harry called, waving his arms over his head and bouncing in his seat. "Iliana! Over here!"
Iliana made her way over to him, receiving pats on the back from fellow Gryffindors on her way there.
"I saved you a seat." He told her as she neared him, patting the place next to him.
Iliana's brows snapped together, and she gave him a perplexed smile.
"How did you know I was going to be in Gryffindor?" she asked quizzically, taking his hand as he helped her over the wooden bench.
"I didn't." He admitted bashfully, flushing as he showed her his crossed fingers. "But I hoped."
Iliana beamed, hugging him.
"I hoped I would be in the same House as you, too!" she confessed happily. "Lets keep our fingers crossed for Ron! He wants to be in Gryffindor so – "
A distressed shriek reverberated throughout the room then, suspending the actions of every single person in it.
Iliana flinched, startled by the scream, and looked to the Slytherin table. Her jaw went slack, unable to stay closed as her eyes took in the sight before her. For at this table was a student, a student in complete distraught. Oh, but it wasn't just any ordinary student. No. It was Vianney! Vianney with a huge, hairy tarantula situated on the top of her head.
"Get it off me! Get it off me!" screamed Vianney, flailing her arms in hysteria.
Elora Cade, a pretty blonde friend of Vianney's, recoiled in disgust before grabbing a golden platter, using it to try and whack the arachnid off her head. She swatted and swatted at it, but the only thing she ended up hitting was Vianney. Every time she was close to hitting the spider, it sprang off of Vianney's body, floating in the air before landing on her shoulder, or her back, or even her face.
"Who's that?" asked Harry, wincing every time the platter made contact with Vianney.
"My sister." Iliana replied, not understanding what was going on. Why was there a spider on her head?
Devious laughter to her right caught her attention.
Whirling her head around, her eyes landed straightaway on a pair of identical, redheaded twins. They were hunched over in their seats, smiling widely and snickering to one another. One held a wand in his hand; his eyes trained on Vianney as he continuously moved the spider from one place to another, keeping it from getting injured. The other twin, the look out, tried to hide the other's actions from view, laughing as quietly as he could while Vianney let out another screech. His eyes widened a bit when he saw a furious McGonagall march away from the Sorting Hat to the place of pandemonium, nudging his brother urgently. Thinking quickly, the troublemaker moved his wand, removing the spider from Vianney's presence, and maneuvered it under the tables, through and around the legs of unsuspecting students, who let out surprised yelps as the hairy creature brushed passed them. Iliana watched with raised brows as the tarantula floated over to the Gryffindor table, sliding sneakily into an open, cardboard box. A grinning black boy with dreadlocks slammed the lid down on the container the second the spider was inside it, sending the twins a mischievous smile as he placed the box beside him on the bench, out of sight.
"That was bloody brilliant!" exclaimed the boy to the twins.
The gingers exchanged a look, smirking smugly.
"We know." They responded wickedly, giving each other a high-five.
The one sitting closest to the dark boy raised his hand, giving him a high-five as well. "Thanks for letting us use your spider, Lee! We couldn't of done it without him!"
"No problem." said Lee. "I would let you two use him a thousands times over if it meant getting that reaction out of Vose! Did you see her face? It was hilarious!"
The three boys all made horrified faces, letting out high-pitched squeals before laughing.
"Excuse me." Iliana voiced as their laughter died down.
"Yes?" chorused the red heads, turning in their chairs to face her. They stared at her for a few seconds, their eyes wide, and then smiled to one another in delight.
"Well hello there, gorgeous." said one, giving her a dashing smile.
"It is truly a pleasure to be in the presence of a beauty such as yourself," added the other, winking.
Iliana giggled, feeling her cheeks warm while Harry made a face.
"I'm Fred," said Fred.
"And I'm George." said George
"How may we be of service?" They asked simultaneously, bowing as low as they could in their seats.
"I'm Iliana," smiled Iliana, introducing herself.
"Iliana" Fred breathed wistfully, testing the name on his tongue. "What a lovely name."
"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." George complimented, resting his head on his hand as he stared at her dreamily.
"Iliana Vose." she told them, waiting for their reaction. She wasn't disappointed.
Fred and George paled, their blue eyes going round as they were suddenly left speechless.
"Vose?" George stuttered.
Iliana nodded, smirking. "Can I ask why you two just tormented my sister with that spider?"
They gaped at her.
"Sister?" Fred stammered unbelievingly. "Vianney Vose is your sister?"
"Yes." Iliana said. "And that prank you pulled on her wasn't very nice."
They both snorted.
"Your sister isn't very nice." informed George, crossing his arms. "She deserved what we did to her."
"Yeah." agreed Fred. "Vianney Vose in one of the meanest, most arrogant girls in school. "
"Really?" sputtered Iliana. Vianney wasn't the nicest girl, but Iliana never considered her to be the meanest.
"Uh-huh!" They replied.
"You aren't going to tell, are you?" George asked her, smiling as sweetly as he could. Fred copied his brother.
Iliana stared at them for a couple of seconds, a blank expression on her face, and then smiled. Under normal circumstances, Iliana would have surely gone to her sister and told her what they had done. But she liked these twins. They were funny and she didn't want to them to get in trouble. Plus, she figured this was the perfect way to get back at Vianney for tricking her about the sorting. She deserved it
"No." she laughed. "It was actually quite funny. She absolutely hates spiders."
"Perfect." chuckled the twins, grinning at her.
"Weasley, Ronald!"
They all turned their heads to the front, watching as a green Ron sat on the stool. Iliana and Harry crossed their fingers under the table and a second later the hat shouted out,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Iliana clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair across from Harry, happy that the red head had gotten into the House he wanted to.
"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously. Fred and George ruffled Ron's hair in congratulations.
Blaise Zabini, the only child left to be sorted, was made a Slytherin, ending the Sorting Ceremony. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the stool away. Soon after, Albus Dumbledore rose to his feet, opening his arms wide as if nothing pleased him more than seeing them all there before him.
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
Everybody clapped and cheered as he sat back down. The first years of every House gasped in awe when piles and piles of food suddenly appeared along the tables, its appetizing scent filling the air. Iliana licked her lips as she analyzed the food, contemplating what to eat first. There was so much food! There was roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and other delectable cuisines. Ready to dig in, she unfolded the silverware beside her plate, laying her napkin on her lap, before loading her plate with roast beef, peas, Yorkshire pudding, and fries covered in ketchup. She popped one in her mouth, chewing happily when Harry spoke.
"Is Dumbledore, is he – a bit mad?" he asked Percy uncertainly.
"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"
Iliana laughed as Harry's mouth fell open in amazement. She watched as he ogled at all the food waiting to be eaten, not having noticed that it had appeared until now. He wasted no time, piling dish after dish onto his plate, forming a small mountain of food on it as his hunger got the better of him. As he began stuffing his mouth with food, Iliana turned back to her own dinner, eating away and savoring the delicious flavors of everything she tasted.
"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly as he watched Harry cut off up his steak.
"Can't you –?" asked Iliana.
"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."
"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly, his mouth full of chicken. "My brothers told me about you – you're Nearly Headless Nick!"
"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -" the ghost began stiffly, but Hermione interrupted.
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" she asked dubiously.
"Like this," he grumbled irritably, grabbing hold of his left ear and pulling it. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder, barley attached to his body.
Iliana turned green; lowering a buttered roll from her open mouth, loosing her appetite at the gruesome sight.
Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his head and smiled.
"So – new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the Cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable – he's the Slytherin ghost."
Iliana looked over at the Slytherin table to see a scary ghost sitting there. He had blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes smeared with blood.
"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus.
"I've never asked," responded Nearly Headless Nick.
When everyone had eaten as much as they possibly could, the left over food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean. A moment later, desserts appeared. Iliana grinned blissfully, in heaven with all the sweets surrounding her, and served herself a bowl of ice cream. As she ate the cold treat, the conversation turned to their families.
"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mum's a witch. She didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out."
Iliana laughed along with the others.
"What about you, Neville?" said Ron
"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville. "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned – but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced – all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here – they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."
Neville smiled, reaching out to pet Trevor. He had let the toad nibble on the rest of his apple pie. But when he should have made physical contact with his pet's small form, all he was met with was scraps of the dessert.
"Trevor?" Neville called, looking frantically down the table. "Trevor! Oh no, I've lost him again."
The students lifted their plates from the tables, and peaked into their goblets, hoping to find the amphibian, but he had disappeared. Iliana had just lifted the tablecloth to search for the frog under the table when Harry yelled out in pain.
"Ouch!" He cried, clapping a hand over his scar.
Iliana looked up at him in concern. "What's wrong, Harry? Are you all right?"
"Yeah." he assured her, making a face as he rubbed his scar and stared at the teachers table. "It's nothing."
"Oh, ok." Iliana said, not wanting to press him further on the subject. His scar was obviously causing him pain.
At last, the desserts disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again.
"Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our elder students would do well to remember that as well."
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed to the Weasley twins.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for his or her House teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
Harry laughed, but he was practically the only one who did.
"He's not serious?" he muttered to Iliana and Ron.
They both shrugged, unsure.
"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere – the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. He gave his wand a little flick, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, rising high above the tables, and twisted itself into words.
"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore. "and off we go!"
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits off fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
Everyone finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march.
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
With heavy eyes Iliana stood up, yawning as she, Ron, and Harry joined the other Gryffindor first years following Percy through the chattering crowds. He led them out of the Great Hall, up the marble staircase, and through several corridors where the portraits were wide awake on the walls, whispering and pointing at the students as they passed. Though all Iliana wanted to do was sleep, she put on a smile and waved to the friendly portraits, her smile growing brighter as they waved back to her. Percy led them through doorways hidden beneath sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, dragging their feet. Just as Iliana was wondering how much farther they had to go, Percy came to a sudden halt, everyone following suit. Iliana peered to the front of the group and saw a bundle of walking sticks floating in the air ahead of them. When Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.
"Peeves," Percy grunted. "Peeves – show yourself."
A loud, rude sound answered.
"Do you want me to get the Bloody Baron?"
There was a loud pop, and a small man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.
"Oooooooh!" he cackled evilly. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"
He swooped down at them suddenly, and they all ducked.
"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.
Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head as he zoomed away.
"You want to watch out for Peeves," muttered Percy as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."
At the very end of the corridor hung a giant portrait of a fat lady in a pink, silk dress.
"Password?" she said.
"Caput Draconis," replied Percy. The Fat Lady nodded her head in approval and the portrait swung forward, revealing a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room. It was a cozy, round room, decorated completely in bright reds and rich golds.
"Gather round everyone." instructed Percy.
Everyone did as they were told.
"Welcome to the Gryffindor common room. Boy's dormitories are upstairs and down to your left. Girl's, the same on your right. You will find all your belongings have been already brought up. Now, I urge you all to go on up to your rooms now, and get a good night's sleep. You have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow."
Not having to be told twice, Iliana hugged Harry and Ron, bidding them a goodnight, and headed up the girls staircase. She held onto the rail as she followed some girls up the spiral stairs, dragging her feet until she reached the door to her dormitory. She opened it and walked in, finding her roommates already inside, gossiping lightly as they unpacked their belongings. Iliana observed them from the doorway. One girl with light brown, curly hair sat on the floor by her trunk, taking special care as she removed quite an array of brightly colored bows from it, and placed them in a drawer beside her bed. Another girl with black hair, dark skin, and brown eyes was busy untying the braid that held together her very, very long hair. The third girl bounced around the room energetically, talking to herself exceptionally fast as she plastered Quidditch posters on the wall by her bed. And Hermione, the only girl in the room Iliana knew, hurried to ready herself for bed. Following her lead, Iliana changed into her pajamas and hopped into bed, curling under the warm blankets. She let out a sigh as she made herself comfortable, kissing Ianthe, who was already sound asleep on the pillow, and closed her eyes. After a few minutes she drifted off into a tranquil sleep, smiling peacefully as she came to life within her dreams.