Star-Crossed

Chapter Ten: Welcome to Hogwarts

Night had fallen by the time we got into the station at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and I had changed into our uniforms and the black robes that shielded us from the biting chill of the mountain autumn wind.

The train whistle blew loudly as we pulled into the station. I was looking outside the window and read the sign that said 'Welcome to Hogsmeade Station'.

Hagrid walked along the platform with a lantern as the students streamed off of the train. Hundreds of students poured off the train, Harry, Ron and I trickled off eventually with the rest of the students.

"Right then, First years! This way, please!" Hagrid's voice boomed across the platform, catching out attention, "Come on, now. Don't be shy! Come on, now, hurry up!"

Harry, Ron and I approached Hagrid. Ron looked absolutely bewildered at the sheer size of the man in front of us as we stopped before him.

"Hello Harry, Natalie," He greeted the two of us, smiling.

"Hey, Hagrid," Harry and I chorused happily.

"Whoaa..." Ron breathed, his eyes impossibly wide.

More students in the same solid black robes were gathered behind us as Hagrid looked up to rake his gaze across all of us.

"Right then, this way to the boats!" He beckoned us after him as he began to walk away, "Come on now, follow me."

He led us along a path through the woods toward whatever boats he'd mentioned before. We were walking toward the shore where a group of boats with glowing orange lanterns were waiting for us.

But the truly amazing sight was the towering castle in the background, fitted with glittering lights and towering spires. A myriad of gasps and excited murmurings echoed around us.

Ron whispered, "Wicked" in tandem with me. We both turned and looked at each other, laughing.

We climbed into the boats, me, Harry and Ron were in one together. The Hermione girl was in one drifting along nearby, along with a few other students. I was in absolute awe as we glided toward the castle, staring up at the building I was about to be spending the next six months in.

Soon enough, we were walking up the stone steps into the castle. We were inside now, and Harry, Ron and I were chatting together excitedly as we came to stop at the top of a staircase.

The entire group of us stopped talking when a severe looking woman in emerald green robes approached. She tapped her fingers twice on the top of the hand rail and moved to greet the group of us.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," She spoke, gathering the attention of every single one of us present, "Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. Before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin."

A wave of whispers and excited chattering cascaded across the group of us, and the woman paused, glaring down at us. We were quickly silenced again with that single look.

"Now, while you're here, your houses will be like your family." She noted, and I smiled brightly in excitement, "Your triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking, and you will lose said points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup."

The Professor was cut off abruptly when a nervous looking boy shouted and raced out of the group of new students to catch a toad that was standing on the top step.

"Trevor!" The professor stared down at him in both surprise and confusion as most of the students around us laughed.

"Sorry..." He shrunk down as a girl that looked nearly identical to him raced out behind him and tugged him back in line.

The professor turned back to the group of us and continued, "The Sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." She turned around, her robes sweeping behind her in a wave of green as she retreated through the towering oaken doors.

Harry, Ron and I struck up our conversation again until a cough interrupted us.

It sounded from a foot or so behind us and Harry and I turned around with Ron to see the very same blonde boy that had slammed into me at the station earlier this morning.

I fought back the surge of annoyance at seeing his face.

"It's true then, what they're saying on the train. The Potter twins have come to Hogwarts." He spoke up, his scathing voice was like nails on a chalkboard in my ears.

The students around us started whispering our names in awe and shock. The greasy blonde boy smirked and gestured to his two friends beside him.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle. And I'm Malfoy," He grinned, "Draco Malfoy."

Beside me, Ron snorted and quickly tried to recover and hide his laughter. But this obviously caught Draco's attention quickly and he scowled deeply.

"Think my name's funny do you?" He snapped, "I've no need to ask yours, red hair, and a hand-me-down-robe. You must be a Weasley." He spoke the name with such contempt that it made Ron deflate and my blood boil in my veins.

He turned back to the two of us, the sleazy smirk back on his pale face, "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He offered, holding his hand out to the two of us, expectantly.

I glared at him, "Really? Y'don't recognize us, do you? From the train station, hm?" I approached him, crossing my arms over my robes, " 'watch where you're standing, ginger!" I imitated his snappy attitude from before.

He stepped back and wrinkled his nose as I continued, "You know, I think my brother and I can tell the wrong sort of ourselves, thanks." Harry smirked behind me, glaring at Draco past me.

"What." He sputtered, his face wrinkling even further into a glower as he stood there, shellshocked. It was obvious the boy hadn't been denied a thing in his entire life. It almost made me laugh seeing him grapple with the odd reality.

Harry came to stand beside me, "You heard her, move along." He smirked watching as Malfoy's swaggering facade dropped.

He opened his mouth to say something else until the Professor returned, tapping us on the shoulder with a scroll of parchment. We left him with one last satisfied smirk before we turned around to face her.

"We're ready for you now." She announced simply, "Follow me."