Bloody hell, thought eleven-year-old Ria as she tried to find a seat on the train. And she had good reason to be annoyed. All around her were kids ranging from eleven to seventeen years old, all running and yelling, or at least it seemed that way. They all seemed to know what was going on. However, Ria was lost. A month ago, she had received a letter in the mail from someplace called Hogwarts telling her that she was a witch. Then, as if that weren’t enough, a rather old woman showed up introducing herself as Professor McGonagall and trying to prove that the letter was real. She explained where all of Ria’s school things could be bought and where to catch the train. The train which happened to be on Platform 9 ¾. So Ria had to ask a strange-looking woman with a girl a few years older than her how to get onto the platform. Of course she was very nice and explained everything. And that was how Ria found herself on the Hogwarts Express, lugging an owl, trying to find an empty compartment, and getting ready to head for a boarding school- a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She sighed, pushing a strand of curly brown hair away from her chocolate-colored eyes. Adults were, she had decided, determined to make things more complicated.



Once she had found an empty compartment, she settled down with her owl, Morven. She opened The Hobbit, her favorite book, and began to read. She could have read the whole time if someone hadn’t cleared their throat at the door of her compartment. Looking up, she saw that it was the girl whose mother she had asked about the platform. She had short black hair, bright blue eyes, and a cheeky-looking smile. She was also tall and slim, and quite pretty.



“Yes?� she asked politely.



“Oh, mum just asked me to make sure you were okay. Settling in alright?� Ria nodded.



“Yeah?� she nodded again. “Good.� There was an awkward silence for a moment, and then the girl stuck out her hand and said, “Oh, by the way, I’m Nadina Pallington, but most people just call me Naddie. I’m in the fifth year, Gryffindor.�



“I’m Riannon, but you can call me Ria. I’m in my first year, and what the hell is Gryffindor?�



“Oh, sorry, are you Muggleborn?� asked Naddie. Upon seeing the look on Ria’s face, she added, “you’ve got non-magic parents?�



“Oh, yes,� she replied. “So Muggle is non-magical?�



“Yep, and Gryffindor is one of the four houses you’ll be sorted in.� By now, Naddie had seated herself on the seat across from Ria, and was looking very comfortable. “The others are Ravenclaw, for the smart, Slytherin for the cunning,� –here she stuck out her tongue- “and Hufflepuff for the loyal and kind-hearted. Oh, don’t worry; it all really is easy to remember.� Ria was beginning to look rather panicked.



“So, I’m guessing you’re not� – her tongue slipped over the strange word- “Muggleborn?�



“That’s right; my parents are a witch and wizard and I’ve been around magic all my life.�



“Is everyone like you?�



“Nope, there’s lots of Muggleborns that don’t know nothing about magic, ‘specially in the first year.�



“Oh, good,� breathed Ria.



“So don’t worry; everything is going to be fine. Mind if I go and catch my friends now?�



“No, that’s fine,� said Ria.



“Ok, well, I’ll see you later, then, and just come find me if you need anything. Good? Ok.� And with that, Naddie was up and gone, leaving Ria alone to ponder the strange girl who had taken her under her wing. She was very kind, but she seemed to be a bit overexcited and in-your-face, but in a nice, friendly sort of way. All in all, Ria decided her to be a good person, and was glad to have her as a friend, even if she was fifteen. And with that decision made, she opened The Hobbit for a second time, and settled in once again, until-



“Excuse me?� she heard a voice at the door say. She looked up. Standing there was a slender girl of medium height with long black hair in a braid that reached all the way down her back and darkish skin. She was holding a black cat with one eye that was brown and one that was green. “Do you mind if I sit here?� She seemed much calmer than Nadina had been, but still friendly.



“No, of course not!� said Ria, breaking into a smile. “I’m Riannon, but you can just call me Ria.



“Oh, nice to meet you; I’m Punita Kaur. This is Jinx,� she added, gesturing to her cat.



“My owl’s name is Morven.� She pointed to the cage.



“Oh,� said Punita. Another awkward silence (they seemed to be becoming quite common) followed, broken only when two more girls stopped at the door. They were both short, however one was slender and one was rather chubby. The thin one had thin brown hair and blue eyes and she seemed to be in charge. She was carrying an owl cage. The chubby one had short brown hair and brown eyes, and was timidly staying behind her friend.



The thinner one spoke first, as Ria had expected. “Do you mind if we sit here?� she asked.



“Not at all,� said Punita, and Ria agreed.



As the two girls sat down, they introduced themselves, or, rather, the skinny one introduced both of them. “I’m Sophie,� she said, “and this is Anna.� The shy-looking one smiled, and it transformed her whole face. Her smile was so real, so genuine, that it made Ria want to smile back.



“Are you in your first year, then?� asked Ria.



“Yes, both of us are. We don’t know anything about magic at all. We’re Muggle-born and we’ve grown up together. Actually, it’s because we’re magic that we know each other. We went to the same primary school and once we saw this kid getting bullied. We banded together to stop the bully and somehow he ended up on the other side of the playground fence. We started hanging out after that. Weird, huh?’ Sophie appeared not to need to pause for breath as much as normal people.



Throughout this speech, a girl with long, light brown hair and blue eyes stood waiting patiently at the compartment door, holding a cat. She was rather thin and of medium height, and when she spoke, it was quietly, as if she didn’t want to disturb them too much. “Sorry, I know it’s a bit cramped, but can I sit here? Everywhere else is completely full or they’re all boys.�



“Of course!� exclaimed Ria. “By the way, what time is it?�



“It’s almost eleven!� the girl exclaimed. “I nearly missed the train! My family hardly gets anywhere on time, because there’s six of us and I’m the only one at Hogwarts yet. My brothers and sisters are all younger.�



“What’s your name?� asked Sophie.



“Mary. Only I don’t like it. I go by Veronica.�



“How do you start with Mary and end up with Veronica?� Anna wondered aloud, the first time Ria had heard her speak.



“Oh,� laughed Mary/Veronica, “It’s my middle name!�



As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the train gave a lurch. Not expecting it, Ria fell out of her seat, Morven’s cage landed on top of her, Punita landed on top of them, Anna and Sophie both fell out of their seats, and Jinx gave a loud yowl. Veronica kept laughing, as she was holding on to the compartment door and didn’t fall. When Sophie and Anna regained their composure (for Veronica’s laugh was very contagious) they hurried to the window to give a last wave to their parents. Ria stuck her head out the window to try and see Veronica’s five brothers and sisters, as her own mother hadn’t come on to the platform.



“Veronica, is that them?� she asked, seeing a family of five small children and a woman with dark curly hair.



“Yeah, that’s them,� she said, giving a small smile.



“They look like you,� said Ria. This was very true. While the other children had hair in shades of dark brown, light blond, and even red, their eyes and faces were all the same.



“Everybody says that,� Veronica replied. “Where’s your mum?�



“Oh, I’m Muggleborn, and she was scared to go through the wall, so she stayed outside the platform.�



“So you didn’t get to tell her goodbye?�



“The truth is, we’re not that close to each other. She’s always liked dresses and parties and she can’t understand how she ended up with a grumpy, shy, ugly daughter like me.�



“She said that to you?� said Veronica, shocked.



“Well, not directly, but I’ve heard her talking at parties and stuff,� Ria explained.



By now the other girls were listening too as the train left Kings Cross far behind them. “But what did your dad say?� wondered Anna.



“They split a long time ago. I haven’t seen him since I was five,� she said. She was trying to look like it didn’t bother her, because she didn’t want the train ride to become a pity party.



“I haven’t seen my dad in a while either,� said Punita. “He…left when I was six.� Ria was quite sure that she was the only one who heard her murmur, “and he took my brother.� She absently fingered her gold necklace- a small, elegant ‘P.’



Ria decided that now was as good a time as any to change the subject. (also, she was curious to learn about the magical world.) “So, Punita and Veronica, do you have magic parents?�



“I’m a pure-blood,� said Punita. She didn’t seem to be bragging, just stating a fact.



“I’m half and half,� added Veronica. “My dad’s a wizard and my mum’s a Muggle.�



“But your mum brought you here?� asked Sophie.



“Yeah, my dad’s a healer at St. Mungo’s, so he couldn’t come. He told my mum exactly what to do, and she did.�



“What’s St. Mungo’s?� asked Anna. Ria had wanted to ask the same question.



“Magical hospital, hidden in London,� explained Veronica, stroking her cat.



“Your house must be pretty crammed, then, with six kids, two parents and a cat?�



“Oh, no, we’ve got four cats and four guinea pigs. And a dog.�



“Sounds like this compartment,� muttered Ria. It was getting very crowded. With five girls, two cats, and two owls, there was barely any room to move.



Yet another awkward silence followed, broken, thankfully, by, “Anything from the trolley?� outside their compartment. The five girls all got up at once, and bumped into each other. Ria found herself thinking, If the classrooms are this crowded, I’m packing up and coming home, as she stood in line to buy sweets.



When she got there, however, she found that there were no Mars Bars, no Snickers, nothing she recognized. Instead, there were Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, Cauldron Cakes, and many other strange things she had never heard of. She considered for a moment, then bought a few of everything.



Now there was little talking in the compartment, as the girls (especially Ria, Anna, and Sophie) were preoccupied with their sweets. The first person to speak was Punita.



“Careful with those!� she exclaimed, seeing Sophie about to open a pack of Every Flavor Beans. “They really are every flavor.�



Sophie carefully laid her beans aside as Ria opened a chocolate frog.



“Look out for that,� warned Veronica, and Ria quickly clamped her hands around a frog that had tried to jump away.



“Are they… real?� she asked.



“No, it’s a spell. But what card have you got?�



“Card?� said Ria, puzzled.



“Yeah, card,� repeated Veronica. “Punita, help her.�



Punita showed Ria the card, which bore a picture of a young man with messy black hair, bright green eyes, and glasses. He also had a jagged scar in the middle of his forehead. “She’s got Harry Potter!�



“No way!� screamed Veronica. She jumped up to see for herself. The man off the card waved at the girls. Ria jumped.



“Who’s Harry Potter?� asked Anna, halfway through a cauldron cake.



The compartment went silent. Punita and Veronica stared at her. “Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord,� said Punita. She was met with blank stares. “He-who-must-not-be-named?� There were more stares. “Voldemort?� Nobody said anything. Sighing, Punita tossed her braid, which she had been fiddling with, over her shoulder and behind her back. “Voldemort was the darkest wizard of all time. When Harry was a baby, Voldemort sent a Killing Curse at him. Harry was the only person to ever survive that curse. Then, when he was seventeen (after many battles in between) he defeated him for good. That�- she pointed at the card –“Is a very special one. You’ll want to keep it,� she finished in a dark, dramatic voice- and was met with even more stares.



Punita sighed. “Basically, Voldemort killed a bunch of people, and Harry eventually ended up killing him.�



“Ooooohh,� everybody said, finally understanding.

---

Over the course of the train ride, the girls talked about themselves, Hogwarts, and lots of random things and ate a lot of candy. Before long, they were talking like they had known each other their whole lives. It seemed like they had barely sat down when an older boy came to the door.

“We’re almost there; you’ll need to get your robes on now.� He spoke with the bored air of a person giving a memorized speech. As soon as he was gone, the girls collapsed into giggles and began to get their robes on.



It was only when the train stopped that Ria began to feel worried. What if I can’t do any magic? What if I lose all my things? What if-?



“Ria!� Punita called from outside the compartment.



“Yes, coming!� she replied, and hurried along. She stopped at the door to take one last look at Morven and the other animals, which they had been instructed to leave on the train.



“Wish me luck!� she whispered to her owl.



He didn’t answer.

As Ria stepped off the train, she decided that maybe she shouldn’t have eaten so many sweets. She felt very sick, though that was probably just from her being so nervous. She noticed that Punita seemed pale, even under her dark skin.

“Firs’ years this way!� called a loud voice about fifty feet away. Looking towards it, Ria saw the biggest man she had ever seen. Drawing closer, she noted that his hair was dark and shaggy, and he was at least nine feet tall and wider than three men put together.

“Who’s that?� whispered Ria to Punita.

“That is Rubeus Hagrid. He’s the gamekeeper here, plus he teaches Care of Magical Creatures. He also helped Harry Potter defeat Voldemort,� Punita replied softly.

“Firs’ years!� he called again. Hagrid led them to a lake where there were about a small fleet of boats waiting.

“There’s Hogwarts!� Punita whispered excitedly. Ria gasped. She suddenly found herself staring at the most voluminous, glorious castle she had ever seen, and most likely would ever see.

“No more’ n four to a boat,� yelled Hagrid. He took up a whole boat just to himself. “Everybody in? Good- FORWARD!� he yelled again, and the boats lurched as they propelled themselves to shore.

Wicked, thought Ria.

A few minutes later, the boats stopped at a rocky underground harbor. All of the first year students climbed out of the boats and followed Hagrid’s lantern up a passageway which led right to the grassy grounds in front of the castle. Everyone crowded around the oak door that Hagrid lead them to. After asking quickly, “Is everybody here?� he raised a massive fist and knocked on the door.

It opened immediately. A pretty young woman who looked to be about twenty-one years old opened the door. She had dark brown eyes, rather bushy hair, and a kind smile. The woman was wearing pale blue robes.

“Thank you, Hagrid. Good to see you again.� She grinned at the huge man and then the students. “Come along this way,� she said, and lead them into the Entrance Hall.

The hall itself was huge. Torches lined the walls, and a marble staircase led up to many floors above them. Ria couldn’t even venture a guess at how many there would be. All of the first years followed the woman across the hall. Ria thought they were going to enter a doorway at their right- the Great Hall, judging by the voices coming from it. But instead, the woman led them to a small, private chamber.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,� she began. “I am Professor Weasley. In a few moments, you will enter the Great Hall for the start-of-term feast, but you must first be sorted into your houses. This is very important, because your house, while you are here, is like your family. Good behavior and work can earn you points, and rule-breaking�- Ria noticed a slight smirk on the woman’s face and thought perhaps that she may have done some rule-breaking in her past- “will lose you points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup. The four houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw,
Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Now, I will return in a few minutes to get you so you can be sorted.� After grinning at them once again, she went into the Great Hall.

As soon as she was gone, Punita whispered, “No way!� in an awed voice.

“What?� asked Ria.

“She said her name was Weasley. Hermione Weasley was one of Harry Potter’s best friends. She helped him in the war too.�

“How many people helped him in this war?� Ria wanted to know.

“Well he couldn’t defeat the most evil wizard of all time alone, could he?�

Suddenly, the door opened and Professor Granger came back. “We’re ready now,� she said. Seeing the look on the students’ faces, she smiled and added, “You’ll be fine.�

Ria was not feeling the same way. As she walked into the Great Hall, she began to seriously regret all the sweets she had eaten on the train.

The Great Hall was even better than the Entrance Hall. There were candles floating in midair over four long tables where the older students sat. All of the plates and goblets laid on the tables were shining gold. Directly across from the doors, there was a long table where teachers sat. This was where Professor Weasley led them, so that they faced the other students with their backs to the teachers. Then she placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years, and sat a dirty, frayed wizard’s hat on top of it. The entire hall was silent, and suddenly, the hat began to sing.

A thousand years and more have passed
Since I have come to be
But still, I swear you’ll never find
A smarter hat than me.
For I can get inside your head
And see where you belong
And I will tell you truly
Where you will be most strong.
For some will go to Gryffindor,
Among the brave and daring
And some may go to Hufflepuff
For the loyal and the caring
Or Ravenclaw, perhaps,
Where the learners will do well,
Or Slytherin, where wise and cunning
Students ought to dwell
Now don’t be shy, come up and place me
Right upon your head,
For the sooner you’re all sorted,
The sooner you’ll be fed!

Applause burst from every corner of the hall, and, after bowing to each of the four tables, the Sorting Hat became quite still.

Professor Weasley stepped forward once again, smiling as usual and holding a thick roll of parchment. “When I call your name,� she said loudly, so everyone could hear her, “please come forward, put on the hat, and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abilene, Camelia.�

A short girl with dirty-blond hair walked forward. She sat on the stool, put on the hat, and waited a moment until the hat shouted, “SLYTHERIN!� The Slytherin table cheered loudly for Camelia. She sat at the long table with a smirk on her face.

“Andrews, Thomas.�

“RAVENCLAW!�

“Baldwin, Jacqueline.� A chubby girl with dark brown hair stepped forward.

“GRYFFINDOR!�

The list of students seemed endless. “Cairpre, Maddison� went to Gryffindor as well, “Chandler, Louis� went to Ravenclaw, and “Cohen, Racheal� was made the first new Hufflepuff. Ria was barely paying attention as she watched them get sorted. However, when “Farrel, Sophie� stepped up, Ria watched carefully. It was the same Sophie she had met on the train. After being on her head for a few seconds, the hat shouted, “RAVENCLAW!�

After “Forster, Daniel� became a Gryffindor and a few more names were called, “Hagar, Anna� was sent to the Hufflepuff table, away from her friend Sophie. She did look happy, though, and Ria decided she didn’t mind too much.

A while later, “Karter, Eleanor� and her twin brother, “Karter, Thom� were both sent to Gryffindor, and Professor Weasley called out, “Kaur, Punita.�

Punita’s eyes widened and she slowly walked up to the stool. She looked really afraid, more so than the others, it seemed. Ria thought back to the train ride and her odd whisper of how her father left when she was six and took her brother. There was something about Punita that she wasn’t telling, but Ria decided not to press her. If she didn’t want to talk about it, then she didn’t have to. God knew there were lots of things Ria didn’t want to talk about.

Suddenly, the hat opened its mouth, er, brim, and cried out, “GRYFFINDOR!� Punita looked immensely relieved. Her hand strayed to the gold necklace she wore as she headed for the Gryffindor table.

Ria was finding it extremely hard to concentrate as “Laster�..., “Lyndon�…, “Minstar�…, “Norton�…, “Oaklin�…, “Onwin�…, “Pawning�…, and “Pradnis� were all sorted. There were certainly a lot of first years.

“Reardon, Mary,� the girl from the train who went by ‘Veronica,’ was made a Ravenclaw and hurried to go sit by Sophie.

Two boys were sent to Hufflepuff and one to Ravenclaw, and then a girl named Deanna Sharmain went to Slytherin. There were only a few left, including Ria. “Talib, Kayonga,� a black boy with short black hair, went to Gryffindor, and then-

“Venetia, Riannon.�

Oh, God. She was going to be sick. She was going to be sick in front of all these people. Ria willed her legs to move, dragging them slowly to the stool. She sat down and closed her eyes so that she wouldn’t have to see all of the people. Once the hat was over her eyes, however, she couldn’t have seen them even if she wanted to. She jumped about a foot in the air when a small voice said in her ear, “Hello!�

It’s the hat! she thought, and waited for it to say something else, heart pounding.

“Hmmm… difficult, almost as difficult as young Mr. Potter himself. I see that you are intelligent… brave… and… lonely. You long for friendship, for someone to share your secrets with… for yes, there are many secrets, secrets that you haven’t shared with anyone. Oh, you are a difficult one… but I think it had better be…�

---

A/N: Tehee, cliffie! Please R&R and tell me what you think!!!

---

Oh, you are a difficult one… but I think it had better be…

GRYFFINDOR!� the hat shouted. The whole Gryffindor table burst into applause, and Ria felt the hat lifted off her head. She sighed, feeling intense relief as she stood up. She would be with Punita! Beaming at Professor Weasley, the students, and even the ghosts spread out across the hall, she practically ran to sit next to Punita.

“Congratulations,� Punita whispered. “Professor Granger herself was in Gryffindor. So was Professor McGonagall, the headmistress.� As an afterthought, she added, “And Harry Potter.�

Him again! Ria sighed. It seemed that Harry Potter was all these people ever talked about. He must have been really important, though. What had Punita said earlier? “Voldemort was the darkest wizard of all time. When Harry was a baby, Voldemort sent a Killing Curse at him. Harry was the only person to ever survive that curse. Then, when he was seventeen (after many battles in between) he defeated him for good.� What had she meant by a Killing Curse? Ria would have to ask later… the last of the students ('Way, Jade') had been sorted now, and Professor McGonagall had stood up to speak.

“Before we begin the feast, I would just like to say welcome back to our older students, and to the first years, welcome to Hogwarts! And now, let the feast begin!�

Ria’s mouth dropped as the empty, golden plates before her filled with more food than she had ever seen in her life. There was roast beef, roast chicken, pork and lamb chops, sausages, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, and so many other things she couldn’t name them all.

Punita grinned and said, “Surprised?� When Ria nodded, still gazing open-mouthed at the steaming plates, she said, “You’ll get used to it. But, by the way- look up.� Punita laughed, loading her plate as she watched Ria’s eyes widen even more in shook at the bewitched ceiling which she had been too nervous to notice before. The ceiling- if there really was a ceiling at all- was dark and starry, as if it were made of glass, or the Great Hall simply opened up into the heavens.

A boy sitting next to Ria nudged her. He looked to be about sixteen years old, with dark brown hair that was rather long and reached almost to his shoulders. “Eat up,� he said. “You don’t want to miss any of this; we don’t have feasts every night.�

She grinned at him. “I don’t think I could handle it if there was food like this every night!� This said, she began to load her plate with everything within reach.

Ria wouldn’t have looked up if she didn’t feel the sudden sensation of her left arm being plunged into a bucket of ice. She raised her head and gasped- there was a ghost sitting next to her. He was wearing old fiashioned clothes with a very large ruff on his neck.

“Welcome to Gryffindor!� the ghost exclaimed. I’m Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington.�

“Umm, pleased to meet you, Sir Nicholas de… de who?�

“It’s Nearly Headless Nick!� exclaimed Punita.

“How-?� began Ria, but Punita interrupted her.

“Don’t ask,� she said. Then she continued, “Sir Nicholas, this is Ria Venetia. I’m Punita Kaur.�

“Pleased to meet you,� said the ghost, then turned and began to talk to the dark-haired boy that had been sitting next to Ria.

Ria raised her eyebrows at Punita, waiting for an explanation about the title of “Nearly Headless� Nick.

“I’ll tell you later,� said Punita through a mouthful of potatoes.

Ria shrugged and turned back to her food. Punita would tell her sooner or later, but who knew how long they would have to finish the feast?

When most people were finished eating and the desserts had appeared on the tables and been eaten as well, Professor McGonagall stood up, and the hall went silent.

“Welcome, once again, to all of you,� she began. “Before you are dismissed to your common rooms, I have a few start-of-term notices for you all. First years, please note that the forest on the grounds is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to remind you that no magic is to be used in the corridors between classes.� She nodded at an old man who was sitting at the teachers’ table. He was wearing a filthy coat and his eyes were bloodshot and menacing.

He must be the caretaker, thought Ria. The caretaker nodded back to Professor McGonagall, and she continued.

“Quidditch trials will be held sometime within the next few weeks. If you are interested, contact Madam Hooch.� She paused and looked at the other teachers. “If there are no further announcements… you are dismissed to your common rooms.�

Every student in the Great Hall stood up and began to talk loudly as they made their way to their common rooms. The noise that surrounded them made it almost impossible to hear a female voice calling, “Gryffindor first years this way!� Ria and Punita glanced at each other, then pushed their way towards the source of the voice. The speaker turned out to be a rather short girl of about fifteen with straight brown hair and large brown eyes. “I’m Katie, one of the Gryffindor prefects,� she shouted over the din. “Follow me to the common room.� Punita, Ria, and eight other children did as she said and made their way through the Great Hall.

As they walked along the hall to the common room, Ria couldn’t take in everything fast enough. All around her were ghosts that walked and chatted with the students, pictures that moved and often said, “hello,� and staircases that would change direction every once in a while. She gasped each time a portrait waved at her, as did several of the other first years. They must be Muggleborn too, she thought.

When they reached the common rooms, Kate directed the girls up a flight of stairs on their right and the boys up one on their left. The five girls reached their dormitory to find a four-poster bed for each of them with a trunk at the foot of each. Ria found her trunk by the bed farthest from the door, by the window on the side of Gryffindor Tower. Punita was next to her, thankfully. On Punita’s other side was a short, slim girl with red hair who introduced herself as Eleanor, or Ellie. Next to her was another tall girl with long blonde hair named Maddison. The girl who had the bed closest to the door was named Jacqueline. She said the other girls could call her Jackie, and she was a bit chubby and had brown hair and bright blue eyes. Ria was extremely tired, and had no doubt that she would forget all of their names by morning.

After finding her pajamas in her trunk, Ria climbed into bed, exhausted. Her last thought before falling asleep was, Wow.

---

There was a muffled thump as someone landed on top of her. Ria squealed in pain and sat up. In the dim moonlight shining through the window, she saw that it was Ellie that was now squishing her stomach.

“Ellie!� she yelled. She was promptly shushed by four other girls. “What time is it?� she asked in a much quieter voice.

“Three A.M.,� replied Ellie, jumping up off of Ria’s bed, picking up a pillow that had landed on the floor. She immediately laid a torrent of blows on Punita, who defended herself as best as she could. Ellie was small and quick, and skillful with her weapon.

“How long have you been at this?� wondered Ria.

“About half an hour,� replied Punita, ducking one of Ellie’s blows.

“Are you planning on stopping anytime soon so we can get some sleep? We have lessons tomorrow,� complained Jackie, who was awake and watching the fight with mixed amusement and annoyance.

Ellie jumped back out of Punita’s reach as Punita swung a pillow at her wildly. Running behind Ria’s bed, she ducked out of sight and pretended to think about Jackie’s question. She popped up and said, “No!� shaking her head and grinning widely. Then she vaulted over Ria’ s bed and began another attack on Punita.

Ria sighed. It didn’t look as if she was going to get any sleep for the rest of the night, and Punita was desperately in need of help. “You’re all insane,� she groaned, then climbed out of bed and joined Punita in her losing battle against Ellie. Alone, Punita was practically helpless, but together, she and Ria were more than a match for their new friend.

Before long, Maddison was out of bed and fighting on Ellie’s side. “I couldn’t let you have all the fun!� she exclaimed. Last to join the fight was Jackie, and, with an odd number of girls, it somehow became a war based on the principle of “every girl for herself.� They fought for what felt like ages. When they finally collapsed, one by one, onto Punita’s bed, the clock read 4 A.M. They fell asleep on top of each other, five girls and five pillows on one bed.

---

Ria woke up in the morning and rolled over in bed- and found herself face to face with Punita. She half groaned, half laughed when she though of the previous night’s events. Turning back over to face the window, she saw that the sun was just barely peeking out over the ridges of mountains that dotted the horizon. Ria tried not to disturb Ellie, who was lying, once again, on top of her, as she got out of bed and went to sit on the window ledge.

The grounds were beautiful. Morning dew glistened on the grass that stretched as far as Ria could see, and smoke curled from the chimney of a small cottage across the grounds. Beyond the forest at the edge of the grounds were mountains that stretched across the whole horizon. She sighed, and heard movement behind her. Ria turned and saw that Punita had woken up. Ria smiled, and Punita smiled back as she crawled out of bed and ran over to the window, hopping lightly so that her feet barely touched the ground. To Ria’s puzzled look she only replied, “The floor’s cold.�

The two girls sat in silence for a while, watching the sun rise, each lost in their own thoughts. The sky was painted all shades of red, pink and orange, giving way to blue as it rose above their heads. As the sun rose higher and higher, the blue disappeared and reappeared; lower in the sky, and in a lighter shade. They looked away from the window only when they heard people moving about in the common room below.

“I guess we should wake the others now,� whispered Ria.

“We don’t want to be late on our first day,� agreed Punita. Then, as if sharing the same thoughts, the two girls ran to Punita’s bed with a war cry and begin to beat the other girls mercilessly with pillows.

---

During breakfast, Professor Weasley handed all the Gryffindors their schedules. The Gryffindor first years’ first class would be Herbology with the Ravenclaws. As they ate, Punita explained what each class on the schedule was.

“Well, Herbology is the study of magical plants, Transfiguration is turning one thing onto another, Potions- well, that’s an obvious one, and then you’ve got Defence Against the Dark Arts- again, obvious, and Charms, er, make things behave in different ways, like- maybe floating.�

Ria grinned. “And this one- flying lessons?�

“That should be the best one. They don’t start until next week, though. After they start, if you want, you can try out for the House Team, but first years never make it. There’s only been one first year on a team in the last hundred years, and that was-“

Ria knew what Punita was about to say, and cut in- “Harry Potter!�

Punita nodded, grinning. “How did you know?�

“Lucky guess… and it was on the Chocolate Frog card. By the way… what were you talking about when you said he survived a Killing Curse?�

Punita lowered her voice. �Avada Kedavra,� she whispered. “It’s instant death. Harry Potter was the only one to ever survive it.�

Ria shuddered. The bell rang, and suddenly the Great Hall was filled with students heading for their first class of the year.

In Greenhouse 1, the students gathered around a large table with their Herbology books, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, in front of them. Ria stood between Punita and Ellie.

A rather awkward looking man with brown hair and a round face entered the room and said, “Good morning, class. I’m Professor Longbottom.�

“Good morning, Professor Longbottom,� the students chorused, among a few snickers at the name.

“Who do I have today? Is this the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws?�

The students nodded. And so began their lesson. Professor Longbottom told them about what they would be learning- how to care for magical plants. He spent most of the class explaining safety procedures in the greenhouse, with particular emphasis on how they were not allowed to touch anything without his permission. He talked about the tools they would be using, and told them that he expected them to be mature with the tools, giving a hard look to a tall black boy and a slightly chubby boy with blond hair, who had been whispering and laughing. (Ria thought their names were Kayonga and Stephen)

She rolled her eyes at Punita, who nodded. The bell rang then, and Professor Longbottom dismissed the students.

Putting her Herbology book back into her bag, Ria pulled out her schedule. “We’ve got Transfiguration next,� she said to Punita. “Is that any good?�

“Should be,� replied Punita. “The teacher’s Professor Weasley.�

“Let’s hurry!� exclaimed Ria. She had liked Professor Weasley as soon as she had met her the night before.

The two girls hurried to get seats together and in the front. Veronica, the Ravenclaw girl that they had met on the train, smiled at them from the next table over.

Once the class had taken their seats, Professor Weasley stood up from her desk. Ria noticed a picture of a small girl with curly red hair on the desk. The girl waved. Ria jumped. She had known that Chocolate Frog Cards moved, but pictures?

“Good morning, class. You all know me from last night. I am Professor Weasley.� She smiled at the class. “Take out your books, please.�

The class pulled out A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration and waited expectantly.

“Now,� began Professor Weasley, “who can tell me what Transfiguration is?� Most of the hands in the room went up, but a few people (including Sophie, who was sitting next to Veronica) left their hands down, shifting uncomfortably in their chairs. Professor Weasley called on a Ravenclaw girl in the back row. “Yes, dear, and what is your name?�

“Laura Pradnis. Transfiguration is when you turn one object into another.�

Professor Weasley smiled again. “That’s correct. Please open your books to page five.� Hearing the groans from the class, she said, “Don’t worry, we’ll be doing some magic today.�

After reading Chapter One of their books and taking notes, each student was given a matchstick to try and turn into a needle. It was incredibly difficult, and no one succeeded. As they packed up their things to go to lunch, Professor Weasley called out, “That’s alright. Hardly anyone gets it the first day.�

“She’s just being optimistic,� said Punita as they left the classroom. �She got it on the first day, and matchsticks-to-needles is the easiest of spells.� Ria sighed. This was harder than it looked.

The Gryffindors had their afternoon classes with the Ravenclaws as well, so Ria and Punita chatted with Veronica and Sophie as they walked towards Potions in the castle dungeons.

Ria thought Potions would be the easiest class. She could not have been more wrong. The potions teacher, Professor Patil, looked kind enough, but the class was extremely difficult. They began with a simple potion, and about half the kids in the class made it completely wrong. Luckily for Ria, she was paired with Punita, who seemed to have a knack for potions, or, at least, had steady hands and didn’t add the wrong ingredients nearly as often as the rest of the students.

The last class of the day was Defence Against the Dark Arts. Punita said she didn’t know who was teaching it. When she entered the classroom she gasped.

“What?� asked Ria.

“The teacher is Harry Potter!� Punita squealed loudly as she hurried back into the hallway and leaned against the wall. “I didn’t know he was teaching! But,� she added, “there’s no better person to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. He’s really done it all!�

Ria smirked, thinking, For goodness’ sake, she could be talking about a movie star with that dreamy look in her eyes.

Once in the classroom (Punita had shoved aside a tiny Ravenclaw to get a seat in the centre of the front row) the class was completely silent, waiting for Harry, or Professor Potter, to speak.

“Hello.� He smiled at them. “It’s alright; I’m not going to bite you!�

They didn’t begin any magic that day, only learned what Dark Magic was, and the difference between Dark Magic and counter-curses, and talked a little bit about what they would learn that year. All in all, Ria was rather disappointed. They had only actually performed magic in one class, and she hadn’t been able to do it. And Defence Against the Dark Arts, which Ria had been expecting to be very exciting, especially coming from Harry Potter, was actually very dull. She didn’t dare tell that to Punita, though, who had hung onto every word of the boring lesson.

That night in the dormitory, Ria was working on trying to Transfigure a matchstick into a needle. After about the hundredth try, she watched in amazement as her matchstick became slimmer, turned silver, and developed a point. “Punita!� she yelled excitedly.

Punita had been working on her own matchstick and looked up when Ria cried out. “What?�

“I did it!� Ria yelled.

Punita rolled her eyes. “Congratulations,� she said sarcastically. But a few minutes later, when she succeeded in her task, she began screaming just as excitedly as Ria, who remained at her desk, silent.

Punita got up from her chair and crossed over to Ria. She bent to whisper in her ear, “Ria?� Ria looked up. Punita had a pouty-face on. “Aren’t you going to congratulate me?�

“Alright,� Ria said, “congratulations.� Then she ran to the bed, picked up a pillow, and smashed it into Punita’s face. Laughing, the two ran around the room and were soon joined by Ellie, who had abandoned the matchstick after a few more tries.

Once the other girls had gone to sleep, Ria whispered, “Punita?�

“Yes?�

“Thanks for helping me today. I would have been so lost today if it weren’t for you.�

“You’re welcome,� said Punita quietly. Then, as if feeling the mood in the room grow to serious, she said, “But you were still pretty lost.�

Ria decided to let that remark go. Smiling, she rolled over and closed her eyes. She was still laughing quietly when she fell asleep.

The week passed quickly, and before long they were doing magic in every class. Ria found herself able to do most of the spells fairly easily, though her best subject became, surprisingly, Transfiguration. Punita excelled at Defence Against the Dark Arts, but only because she hung onto Professor Potter’s every word. Pillow fights were no longer a nightly affair, though there were occasional blows exchanged every once in a while.

The most exciting thing that happened during that week was their first flying lesson. On Friday afternoon, during their last period class, all of the first years headed down to the Quidditch field, shedding robes and ties in the heat.

Madam Chang was waiting there, smiling at the first years. “How lucky are we that we have no bad teachers?� whispered Punita as they lined up next to their broomsticks.

“I know,� Ria whispered back. “It’s brilliant.�

“You know, Harry Potter…� began Punita, but Ria interrupted her.

“I really don’t care. He’s great and all, but I trust that you know every detail of his childhood.� For a moment Punita looked hurt, but then she saw Ria’s smirk and rolled her eyes.

“Okay, first years, why don’t you step up next to a broom, and when I say ‘go,’ hold out your hand and say ‘up.’�

A few Muggleborns looked amused. “Is she joking?� whispered Ria.

Punita shook her head. “If you’re good, it works. If you’re not, then you’ll get the hang of it eventually.�

“Go!� shouted Madam Chang, before everyone was ready.

Shouts of “up� filled the air, but only a few brooms obeyed. Ellie’s, Thom’s (Ellie’s brother), Kayonga (a Gryffindor boy), and several other children Ria didn’t know. Punita’s and a few other students’ twitched or rolled over, but Ria’s and nearly everyone else’s stayed put.

One girl, some way down the line, was unsuccessful on her first attempt, but on the second try, her broom shot upwards at such a speed that Ria thought it should have knocked her out.

“Did you see that?� she said, smacking Punita’s arm with the back of her hand until Punita stopped saying, “up� and turned to Ria.

“What?� she said, snapping her head around so fast that her braid hit the person on her other side.

“That girl’s broom- it came up like a rocket!�

“That’s what brooms are supposed to do,� sighed Punita. Then, grinning at the look on Ria’s face, she asked, “Which one?� eyes roaming the line.

“The creepy-looking one.� This was true. The Slytherin girl was wearing black jeans under her robes, and she had on heavy eyeliner.

Punita grinned. “That’s Jade. Our parents are friends.�

“A Slytherin?� Ria asked. From what she had understood, Punita hated Slytherins.

“Oh, some of them are alright. Jade’s nice, but she can be a bit depressing.�

“Yeah, she looks it,� Ria agreed. Then she turned to her broom again and said, “Up!� It didn’t fly up, but it did twitch a little. Six tries later, it was in her hand.

“Alright everyone, it seems most of you have managed to get your brooms to come up, so we’re going to go ahead and start flying. For those of you who haven’t, don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to practice later.�

The students who hadn’t been able to get their brooms into their hands stooped to pick them up, looking disappointed.

“Alright everyone, now I want you to mount your brooms.� There was a flurry of movement as some students climbed on clumsily and others sat on their brooms like they’d been doing this for years. “Now, on the count of three, I want you to kick off from the ground, hover for just a few seconds, and then lean forward to come back. If that goes well, we might do some laps around the pitch later.�

Now looking considerably happier, the students gripped their brooms more tightly as Madam Chang counted, “One…two…three!�

Everyone kicked off of the ground, some only rising a few inches, others, like Ellie, flying up to well over Madam Chang’s head.

“Wonderful…yes, that’s it… that’s wonderful!� Madam Chang said enthusiastically. “Come on down now. No, lean forward, dear- that’s it… good. That’s great! Great job, everyone!� Her energy was contagious, and before long everybody was grinning.

After three repeats of this exercise, Madam Chang pronounced that they were ready to try something a bit more difficult. Taking three students at a time, she made the rest sit down on the grass while she explained what the smaller group was supposed to do.

She would count to three, and then the three students would kick off from the ground (without flying too high), flying slowly- she strongly emphasised the word ‘slowly’- to the goalposts and back, and then touching back to the ground.

“If anyone�- and here her voice became stern- “even thinks about joking around or doing anything other than what I’ve told you to do, you had better make it worth it, because it will be your last time on a broomstick for a very long time. Do you understand?�

All of the students nodded seriously, a bit intimidated. But then Madam Chang winked one of her bright, almond-shaped eyes and called for the first three students, and the mood lightened again. Ria didn’t know any of them, or of the next three groups, but the fifth contained Sophie from the train and Kayonga, the tall black Gryffindor boy who had managed to get his broom to come up on the first try. In the next group, Jacqueline from Ria’s dorm flew nicely but fell off as she was coming down- and she wasn’t the only one. Some people fell soon after taking off, and one refused to fly anymore after she did so.

Punita went soon after, and she flew surprisingly well, considering all the times that she tripped over her own feet on the ground. Ria pointed this out and earned a slap on the arm.

“Erm, let’s see… you there- yes, you; and you, with the blond hair; and then… ah. Come here, dear,� Madam Chang said, pointing to Ria, whose eyes widened when she saw that she would be flying with Jade.

“Right, so, what are your names?� Madam Chang said to the three of them.

“My name is Jade,� said the Slytherin, and her face was suddenly transformed as she smiled over-brightly at the teacher.

“I’m Stephen,� said the blond boy, who, according to the colours on his robes, was a Gryffindor.

Ria introduced herself as well, and then Madam Chang said, “Alright, are you all ready?� The three nodded. “Now, remember, don’t fly too high. It’s very unlikely that you’ll fall, but if you do, we want you to be close to the ground.� The now nervous-looking students nodded again, and Madam Chang said, “Don’t worry. Go whenever you’re ready.�

Ria decided she may as well get it over with, so she mounted her broom straight away. Jade did the same, a hard look in her eyes. Stephen hesitated for a moment and then mounted his. The three students grinned at each other for a moment, house rivalry forgotten, and then Jade kicked off from the ground. Ria and Stephen followed immediately.

Hovering had been okay, but this- Ria could barely stop herself from screaming with laughter at the excitement she saw on the other students’ faces and felt in her own stomach.

Suddenly, Ria heard a loud whoop and saw that Jade had pulled ahead of her. Some unknown competitive spirit possessed her then. She leaned forward and sped up, ignoring Madam Chang’s warning about flying too fast. Jade saw this, grinned wildly, and flew faster.

Stephen was left far behind as the two girls sped on towards the goalposts. They were neck-and-neck when they reached them. Ria wobbled and nearly fell when she leaned to the left to turn, but Jade had it all under control. She pulled ahead of Ria, but only for a few seconds. They were next to each other the entire way back, when Jade suddenly screamed.

“Oh, shit!� she yelled.

“What?� Ria called back over the sound of the wind.

“We’re going too fast to stop!� screamed Jade, laughing. Madam Chang looked angry; Ria wasn’t sure if it was because of their speed or Jade’s choice of language.

The two girls looked at each other and nodded in understanding. “One…two… THREE!� Jade yelled, and on ‘three’ both girls gripped their broom handles tightly and leaned backward. Of course, they had tried to stop too quickly, so they flipped over backwards and fell to the ground, hard. The only thought going through Ria's mind was Ow.

Okay, so there it is. A bit of a cliffie, but not too bad. I swear I'll update sooner next time. R&R! ~megan~