CHAPTER 2

(NICOLE'S POV)

Nicole walked on with her two best friends, she furrowed her brows and bit her lip and thought,

"I hope I could be sorted in Gryffindor with Sera and Jeanne."

Unknowingly, she gripped Sera's hand tighter, feeling this Sera looked at Nicole and raised a brow,

"Nicole?"

She asked very quietly only Nicole and Jeanne could have heard her,

"I wish I could be sorted into Gryffindor with the both of you."

Nicole replied after some time. They were already at the grand staircase; Jeanne gave Nicole a reassuring smile and said,

"Do not worry Nicole, even if we are sorted in different house we will always stick together."

"Forever"

Sera added with a light squeeze on Nicole's hand. Nicole let out a sigh and smiled as an elderly woman robed in dark brown edged with red come forth,

"Hello my dear young ones, I am Professor Minerva McGonagall You will now enter the Great Hall and be sorted into your houses namely Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin."

Then on its own the two large oak doors opened and the students walked in.

(JEANNE'S POV)

The great hall was exactly what Jeanne read about in a magazine, flour long tables with four different colors, the ceiling was showing a dark night sky with many constellations and stars, floating candles were amidst the students and the ceiling, it was magnificent and beautiful. Jeanne felt both of her best friend's hand squeezed her hands slightly as they all walked up and gazed at the huge room. Professor McGonagall came to the front with a simple stool and an old ragged hat sitting on top of it. She then started to call names,

"Laurel Keiths"

The girl walked up nervously, she had short spiky blond hair, freckled face and a pouty pink mouth. She looked at the sorting hat as she sat down, Professor McGonagall then placed the Hat on the top of her head, a moment passed and the hat came to life, dark creases formed for eyes and a ragged mouth appeared. It hummed a low hum and nodded a few times, then he opened his mouth and his voice engulfed the entire room with his rough yet even voice,

"Hufflepuff!"

The girl smiled and walked to the Hufflepuff table where she was welcomed with warm smiles and applause. 20 more names were called when Professor McGonagall then said,

"Jeanne Pearce"

Jeanne smiled at Sera and Nicole and walked up bravely to the stool as she sat down, she glance at the Slytherin table, she easily spotted Draco Malfoy who was looking at her intently with his gray eyes, and smiled at her, Jeanne bit her lip to prevent a scowl forming on her lips. Then she felt the sorting hat on her, it felt surprisingly light, and the hat began to mumble,

"Hmm, bright, cunning, loyal and swift..."

Jeanne smiled at the hat's comments, but she froze when the Hat then said,

"SLYTHERIN!"

Jeanne felt her body go numb and looked at Sera's and Nicole's equally shocked faces, but she saw Sera shook her head and mouthed,

"Move!"

Jeanne shook her head also and rose up from the stool and started her way toward the green robed students who welcomed her with a hollow applause and sly smiles. She found Draco Malfoy smiling at her, and saw an empty spot next tom him, and nowhere else. She bit her lip from scowling at him and unwillingly sat down next to him. The other Slytherin students turned away immediately, instantly losing interesting in her. Only Draco looked at her now. After a moment, he said,

"Welcome to Slytherin, Jeanne Pearce."

Jeanne's eyes glowered with anger but she quickly discarded them and replied dryly,

"Thank you Draco Malfoy."

"Do not worry; I will not do you any harm."

Draco said quietly, but Jeanne saw something in his eyes that made her uncertain.

"Nicole Silverman."

Jeanne spun around and saw Nicole walk up to the stool and sat down, Jeanne glanced at Sera, she was also looking at Nicole with her eyes furrowed, then the Sorting hat said,

"GRYFIFINDOR!"

Jeanne saw Nicole smile and watched her as she sat down in the middle of 2 identical guys, who began chatting Nicole up.

"Looks like you will be separated from your friends."

Draco said as he watched Jeanne quietly,

"Even if we are separated, we will always be together."

Jeanne replied even more quietly, Draco let out a laugh,

"You seriously believe that?"

Jeanne turned to Draco and looked deeply into his eyes,

"I do believe."

Draco seemed to be taken aback, Jeanne felt her eyes glower again and blinked, she softly said,

"I am sorry, we are just so close."

Draco coughed slightly; Jeanne saw his pale cheek glow pink,

"Yea, well whatever"

He said and seemed to have shifted his attention on the stage when Professor McGonagall said the name of the last student,

"Seraphina Vane."

Jeanne watched Sera walk up slowly onto the platform and gracefully sat down looking at everyone who became silent, waiting to hear the house of the last student. Professor McGonagall came up and placed the Sorting Hat on her head, the hat seemed in an instant, troubled, the creases on its face grew thicker and cocked its face from side to side as if to be indecisive, but then he finally faced the audience and roared,

"GGGRRRRYYYYFFFFFIIINDOOORR!"

The Great hall exploded with applause with excitement and laughter.

(NICOLE'S POV)

"Nicole Silverman"

Professor McGonagall called, Sera looked at Nicole and gave her a reassuring smile, and Nicole let go of Sera's hand and walked up to the stool. Nicole glanced at Jeanne, she was talking to the Boy they met earlier. Nicole bit her lip, wishing that the hat had sorted her elsewhere. Nicole sighed as she sat down on the stool, then felt the hat on top of her in an instant, Nicole looked at the Gryffindor table and at once saw a lanky tall young man with red orange hair, freckled cheeks and a long muscular jaw, but wait, next to him was someone who looked exactly like him only with shorter hair and lesser freckles. The first young man flashed a smile at Nicole, Nicole felt her cheeks burn and looked away. Then out of nowhere the hat's voice came out,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Nicole felt joy and happiness fill her entire body, she looked at Sera and gave her a smile, and Sera smiled back and gave her thumbs up. Nicole rose from the stool and walked over to the applauding Gryffindor table as if they won the Quidditch Cup. Nicole looked for a seat available, and she found one, beside the red orange hair guy she saw earlier. He smiled and gestured at the empty seat. Nicole sighed happily and walked over and sat down, the red orange haired guy smiled at her,

"Welcome to Gryffindor. Nicole right?"

Nicole smiled back,

"Yea, that's right"

"My name is Fred Weasley, and this is George my twin."

Fred gestured to the guy behind him,

"Hello Nicole, welcome to Hogwarts"

George said with the exact same smile. Nicole replied,

"Thank you, nice to meet you."

George smiled and glanced at Fred, who was looking at Nicole intently, he gave Fred a nudge at the back, Fred, startled, apologized for staring, embarrassment filled his eyes, Nicole laughed quietly,

"It is alright."

Fred and George looked at Each other and Fred blushed a bit. Nicole glanced at Jeanne, she was still talking to that young man they met earlier,

"Um, Fred, George, can I ask you something?"

Fred smiled,

"Sure, what is it?"

"See that girl with the fiery scarlet hair, porcelain skin and with icy sapphire eyes at the Slytherin table?"

The twins looked at where Nicole is pointing at, they easily spotted Jeanne,

"Yea, what about her?"

"She is one of my best friends; I am interested on the one who she is talking to."

The twins looked again and in an instant their faces grimaced when they saw who Nicole was talking about, George slowly said,

"That. Is Draco Malfoy, one of the Pure Blood brats-"

"His father, Lucius Malfoy is the most stuck up, narcissistic, inferior wizard we have ever met"

Fred continued, and paused for a moment then said,

"If your best friend joins him, she's a goner, but if somehow she survives and resists him then I give her my salutes."

Nicole bit her lip as she watched Draco talk to Jeanne.

(Sera's POV)

Sera looked at Jeanne; she was talking to that boy from earlier,

"Hmm, Malfoy, Draco Malfoy"

Sera remembered the name quite clearly, she then turned her face to Nicole, who was talking to red-headed twins, she saw Nicole furrow her brows and bit her lip,

"What is wrong with Nic?"

She thought, when suddenly she heard Professor McGonagall called,

"Seraphina Vane"

Sera looked around her, she was the only student left standing.

"I am the only one."

Sera said very quietly. She slightly raised her chin and walked up to the stool so elegantly everyone was staring at her. As she sat down she caught a glimpse of black flurry from her left eye. She turned to look closer; there on the left wing was an opened door, with nothing but darkness. Sera dismissed it as a trick of the eye and focused on the hat which was now placed on her head. At first the hat did not move, it was still as a pole, then it suddenly twitched and kept bending from side to side, Professor McGonagall raised a brow and took a reluctant step forward when the hat suddenly stopped twitching and became still, then the hat roared,

'GGRRYYFFIINDORR!"

Everyone applauded so loudly Sera could not hear anything not even her own thoughts, she smiled and bowed and walked off the stage and toward the Gryffindor table. The Gryffindor students shook her hand and smiled at her warmly, Sera found a seat opposite of Nicole, between a boy who was fiddling with firework powder and a matchbox, and a girl with blond hair with a lavender ribbon tied on her head. Nicole smiled and squealed at Sera and took her hand, squeezing it with glee, Nicole then said,

"I am so happy! We are in the same house!"

"Ha-ha, don't be too happy or Jeanne will be very cross"

Sera cautioned but gave Nicole a very appreciative smile. Nicole then gestured the twins next to her,

"Sera, this is Fred and George Weasley"

Fred had longer and darker red orange hair while George had less freckles, in unison the twins said,

"Hello, Welcome to Hogwarts"

Sera flashed them a smile and replied,

"Nice to meet you and thank you so much."

George leaned over and said,

"So what's the deal with the hat earlier?"

Sera shrugged,

"I don't know, it just... twitched."

George laughed,

"Twitched, nice way of putting it delicately"

Sera just smiled as Nicole went on about how she cannot believe she is in Hogwarts and such. Sera looked at the long table in front, teachers of different sizes where sitting there. One caught her eye, a man in black robes, pale skin, greasy black hair that ends on his hollow cheek bones, his sunken dark eyes sat on top a crooked long nose. His thin dry lips fixed in a scowl. He seemed to be in deep thought; Sera felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at George,

"Hey George, who is that scowling teacher with black robes at the far end?"

"Oh, that is Snape, Professor Severus Snape, he is the Potions Master"

George said without looking, Sera raised a brow,

"How did you know I was talking about him without looking?"

George grinned at Sera,

"He is the only professor who wears black robes and always scowls for no reason; he is often described as creepy, weird, dark, or just plain scary."

Sera smiled and laughed at this and George laughed back. Sera looked back again at Professor Snape and froze. Professor Snape was looking directly at her with his cold eyes. Sera quickly looked away and bit her lip,

"Did he hear us?"

She thought, No, they were far away from the teacher's table she pointed out. She contemplated for awhile and sighed,

"It's my first day and I may have already been on the bad side of a teacher!"

She shook head as an elderly man in light blue robes, long white hair and beard, half-moon spectacles on his sky blue eyes. Hid face seemed youthful despite his elderly appearance; he walked up on the gold pedestal and spoke with his wand on his throat,

"Hello! Hello my dear students!"

Everyone went silent and applauded. He raised his left hand and everyone hushed up and continued,

"First of all, I would like to welcome the new students who have just been sorted to their new houses. Everyone please show them what being in Hogwarts truly is and help them through their journey as a student of our prestigious school."

Everyone again applauded once more, Nicole smiled at Sera and both of them looked at Jeanne who was also looking at them with a sad smile. Sera cocked her head to the side and gave a reassuring nod while Nicole gave her a thumb up. Jeanne closed her eyes and renewed her smile with much more vigor and nodded back. The three then turned their attention back to the old man in front, who suddenly remembered something and smiled embarrassingly,

"I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself; I am Albus Wolfric Percival, Bryan Dumbledore, and you're Headmaster."

Applause rang through the hall and Professor Dumbledore smiled,

"And now, without any further ado, let the feast begin!"

And out of thin air, the four long tables are now filled with tasty delicacies, chicken, turkey, ice-cream and such appeared, everyone dug in at once. Sera stared at the delicious-looking food. She hesitated for a bit. Nicole looked up and asked,

"Sera? What is wrong?"

Sera smiled and shook her head, George asked,

"Why have you shortened your name?"

"It is said to be a mouthful, 'Seraphina' see..."

Sera laughed at her, George smiled,

"Not really, it's a very nice name."

Sera raised a brow at George who just smiled and went on eating. After a few minutes Sera just shrugged it off and grabbed a leg of a chicken and opened her mouth for a bite,

*HHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWLLLLL*

Sera dropped the piece of poultry and looked up, looking for the pinpoint of the howl's location,

"Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Fred asked, as he took a sip of pumpkin juice.

"That howl! I just heard it! It was a dog's piercing howl!"

Sera replied looking a bit alarmed, Nicole shook her head,

"I didn't hear anything did you?"

Nicole looked at the twins, they shook their head, and Sera furrowed her brows,

"Seriously?"

The three then shook their head in unison. Sera sighed,

"I must ne losing my mind."

George chuckled,

"You're just having a case of culture shock-"

"Give it a few days and you'll get used to it."

Fred finished with a reassuring smile; Nicole reached out to Sera's right hand and squeezed it warmly. Sera gave them a weak smile and looked away. Then she saw, there at the head table, the headmaster was looking straight at her. She held the headmaster's gaze for a moment and furrowed her brows in confusion, the headmaster then slowly shook his head and looked away to talk to Professor McGonagall.

"Perhaps he also heard the howl? Did he mean to say I should not focus my thoughts on it?"

Sera thought deeply. Nicole looked up and raised a brow,

"Sera?"

Sera looked up and quickly changed her mood and said,

"Sorry, I just do not know where to begin! So many food!"

She laughed to lighten the mood and it worked. Sera grabbed another leg of a chicken and chewed on it slowly. She looked up at the enchanted ceiling, which was dotted with stars and translucent clouds. She then looked back at Nicole who was enjoying a conversation with the twins, but seems to be more interested in Fred. George glances at Sera and smiles,

"Are you alright?"

Sera nodded,

"I am, so, do you guys have any more siblings?"

George grabbed a scoop of beef stew and said,

"Yes, there are seven of us."

"So where are they?"

"Here and there."

Sera detected something in his tone that he doesn't want to talk about his family; So Sera smiled and quickly changed the subject,

"So, do I get to be your classmate?"

George replied with a grin,

"Yea, at some classes possibly, maybe Divinations or potions."

Sera slowly took a sip from her goblet and said,

"Well I do hope so."

She stared into George's eyes intently, George felt his cheeks burn and roughly said while scratching his chin,

"Well, we shall see tomorrow then. Ha-ha"

The two looked at each other intently.

(JEANNE'S POV)

Jeanne took a bite of her braised pork as she sliced another perfect square from her steak, she wiped the corners of her mouth which where a bit damp with sauce. Feeling eyes on her she looked at her right, Draco was staring at her, his food untouched. Jeanne cocked her head to the side and asked,

"Are you not hungry?"

Draco fluttered his eyes, as if he was just dreaming,

"Oh sorry, it is just that I find you so... proper"

He said the last word a bit high-pitched. Jeanne pursed her lips,

"Well, I was raised in a proper family"

"Stuck- up I bet."

"Look who's talking."

Draco and Jeanne looked at each other and laughed in unison. They laughed so loud the entire Slytherin table was looking at them. Jeanne and Draco stopped immediately and looked at each other embarrassingly. For a moment they all went back from eating and chatting with each other, but a few glanced back from time to time. Jeanne picked up her fork and softly stabbed her piece of steak and popped it in her mouth and chewed slowly, she looked at Draco who was now chewing on a leg of a turkey. She reluctantly asked,

"Draco, what is Slytherin like?"

Draco turned his head to her and stared, Jeanne furrowed her brows,

"What? What is it?"

"What did you just called me?"

Jeanne cocked her head to the side and said,

"'Draco' that is your name right, or should I call you by your last name?"

Draco shook his head,

"No, it's alright, it's just that no one ever calls me 'Draco' it's always 'Malfoy'."

Jeanne softly smiled and asked,

"You prefer being called 'Draco'?"

He paused and slightly nodded without looking at Jeanne, she smiled,

"Then I will call you 'Draco' from now-"

Jeanne paused,

"And you can call me Jeanne."

Draco looked at her, Jeanne could see a smile forming, Draco was about to say something when a plump boy sat beside him and asked,

"Hey Malfoy, have you see Crabbe?"

In an instant Draco's face hardened, his lips formed a scowl; his eyes filled with annoyance and stared intensely at the boy,

"How should I know Goyle?! You imbecile!"

Goyle shrank and apologized and turned to the food and never raised his head again. Jeanne closed her eyes and looked at the Gryffindor table, Nicole was talking to the red headed twins and Sera was looking at something, following her gaze, Jeanne saw the Headmaster looking back at Sera,

"What is going on with Sera?"

Jeanne thought,

"Are you alright Jeanne?"

Jeanne turned her head and saw Draco looking at her intently, who seemed to have shed the scowl, the piercing eyes away in an instant.

"I am fine Draco. Don't worry."

She said softly and smiled. Draco nodded and smiled. The headmaster stood up once more and spoke,

"The feast is now drawn to a close, Prefects of each house please escort the students to their respective Houses and good night everyone."

In an instant all the delicious delicacies along with the elegant china and silverware vanished, even Jeanne's unfinished steak. Jeanne looked at the front end of the table and saw a man in black robes with greasy black hair, crooked nose and inky black eyes stood before them looking at each one of them. A male student walked up to him and whispered something, the man gave him a single nod and the male student faced Jeanne and the others saying,

"Alright Slytherin! Follow me to the Dormitories!"