"Oh the Great Hall looks lovely tonight." Sighed Petunia, sitting down next to Hermione.
Indeed the Great Hall did. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds upon hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long house tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. Petunia and Hermione sat at the Gryffindors table at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Pearly white and semitransparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and insuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck.
"Good evening." He smiled.
"Good evening to you, Sir Nicholas." Hermione said, Nearly Headless Nick sat a little taller, proud of his title.
"Hey, has anybody called you Santa Claus before?" Petunia questioned; he slouched down again.
"Go talk to Fred and George Weasley about that." He muttered, floating off.
The hall quieted down as a long line of first years came into view, Petunia making eye contact with Ginny and mouthing words of encouragement to her. As the first years stood in a nervous line, Professor McGonagall came striding out and placed a three legged stool in front of the first years, the old and frayed Sorting Hat sat on top. The whole hall watched intently as it began to sing from a split in its top.
A thousand years or more ago
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favourites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong
The Great Hall erupted in applause. Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said before yelling out a name. Ginny was the last one sorted.
"Weasley, Ginevra." Professor McGonagall called out.
Looking like a deer in the headlights, Ginny quickly made her way to the stool and placed the hat upon her head. Not five seconds passed before a loud GRYFFINDOR! Was shouted out. Petunia leapt up and applauded, giving Ginny a large hug as she joined the table.
"I told you you had nothing to worry about." Laughed Petunia, rubbing Ginny's head.
Dumbledore elected not to give a speech today, instead he just gave a nod and the food popped onto the plates in front of them. Petunia went to town, starving from the long train ride.
Petunia was digging into a slice of spotted dick when Ginny gave her a slight prod.
"Look behind you." Ginny said, staring. Petunia turned around, just in time to catch Brandy quickly look down at her food. Petunia shrugged and went back to her plate.
"There you are!" Petunia shouted as they spotted the boys outside of the common room.
"Where have you been? The most ridiculous rumors - someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying car!" Hermione said.
"Well, we haven't been expelled," Harry assured her. Hermione's eyes bulged.
"You're not telling me you did fly here?" said Hermione severely.
"Oh my god, did you use Arthur's car?" Petunia asked, laughing.
"Yeah, it worked real well except for the part where it crashed and the invisibility button wouldn't work." Harry said, receiving a high-five from Petunia.
"I can't believe you guys find this funny! Have you not realized that you could have been killed? Or worse, seen! You two-"
"Skip the lecture," Ron butted in impatiently, "and tell us the new password."
"It's 'wattle bird'," said Hermione cooly, "but that's not the point-"
Her words were cut short, however, as the portrait of the fat lady swung open and there was a sudden storm of clapping. It looked as though the whole of Gryffindor House was still awake, packed into the circular common room, standing on the lopsided tables and squashy armchairs, waiting for them to arrive. Arms reached through the portrait hole to pull Harry and Ron inside, leaving Hermione and Petunia to scramble in after them.
"Brilliant!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years -" the boys were swamped with people laughing and congratulating them on the entrance. As soon as their eyes caught sight of Hermione and Percy together though, they bolted.
"Got to get upstairs - bit tired," Harry shouted, as he and Ron started pushing their way toward the door on the other side of the room.
Hermione was livid when they went to bed, muttering over and over about school rules and how illegal flying cars were.
"Hermione, I love you but shut your trap." Petunia yawned, looking over at a seething Hermione. "Remember how many school rules we broke last year?" That shut her up and Petunia finally got some shut eye.
