Strength || A Harry Potter Fanfiction DISCONTINUED

Strength || Chapter Five

          The next morning, as everyone was becoming acquainted with morning in Hogwarts, Iridessa, Stella, and Nadia had gathered their belongings and ushered themselves out of the bathroom and back to the dormitory. Amelia had woken them up nearly an hour before breakfast, fretting about missing the meal (her older sister Olivia, a fourth year Slytherin, had teased her and made her worry about the kitchen running out of food).

          Iridessa whined as she fell back onto her neatly made bed. "It's too early to be up. The sun hasn't even risen yet!"

          "I can second that," Nadia grumbled, plopping down face first on her messy bed, her face landing in the pillow with a soft thud.

          "I'm starving, let's go!" Amelia bounded into the dormitory and pulled each of her friends up before pushing them out the door and up the spiral stairs to the common room.

          Many students were sitting on the dark couches and chatting about their summers, others were reading their books for class, and some were silent, just staring at the scene like Nadia and her group of friends were doing. Nadia smiled. She'd be waking up to that every day, it seemed wonderful.

          "Okay, enough sightseeing, I want food." Lia cheerfully spoke, linking her elbow through Nadia's. She offered the Granger girl a smile as they started across the common room to the exit, Stella and Iridessa following closely behind them as they made their way through the small hallway out to the larger dungeon corridors.

          Nadia was completely relieved that Iridessa remembered the way out of the dungeons; she was too busy paying attention to the moving paintings on the walls that greeted them as they passed the night before. Iridessa easily led the group up the stairs out of the dungeons and to the Great Hall, all the while laughing about a painting that screamed as they walked past.

          The girls continued to giggle and chat as the Great Hall filled with students, but the arrival of Stella's older brother Austin stopped the conversation. He set one hand on each of Stella's shoulders and leaned forward, causing her to shrink in her seat beside Nadia.

          "You still coming to watch Quidditch tryouts this weekend? You can bring this lot with you as well." He asked his sister, giving the three other first years seated around Stella a half smile before looking down to Stella.

          "Do I have to? You know I don't really like Quidditch." Stella whined, causing Nadia to chuckle at her reaction.

          "I'll come! I've wanted to watch Quidditch since I first heard about it." Nadia interjected, returning Austin's smile.

          "What about you lot? Want to see what real Quidditch is like?" Austin bragged, still leaning on Stella's shoulders.

          "If I wanted to see real quidditch I would have gone to the World Cup this summer. But sure, I'll come," said Amelia, crossing her arms over the table and leaning on them as she raised an eyebrow in Austin's direction, teasing him.

          "I've wanted to play Quidditch since Mum and Dad bought me my first training broom. I'll come and see who I have to beat to get onto the team next year." Iridessa agreed, turning back to Stella. "That's three against one, I guess you'll either have to go or stay in the library all day."

          Stella glared at her friends before looking up at her brother. She huffed and threw her hands up. "What do you think my answer is now? You've told me how horrible Madam Pince is!"

          "Wonderful. I'll see you lot Saturday at the Quidditch pitch." Austin smirked and sauntered off to sit at the Gryffindor table, across a pair of redheaded twins. Food suddenly appeared on silver platters in the middle of the table.