(A Harry Potter Fanfiction) Just Add Magic

Nicole (L): "Justifying The Old Wand Rhyme"

Wind whips around the tiny boat, and I can't bare to think of what it could be doing to my hair. I glare at my hideous robes. Black may be a good color right now, but it's tailored so bad. I hate things that hang so loose and don't fit tight, it does nothing for you. Who would invent long drooping robes like this? And the ties? So over the top. Just not a thing at all, and disgusting that I could be caught wearing it.

The black lake below us seems dark and deep, shimmering and reflecting the night's sky like a mirror. How I wish I had a mirror and some beauty supplies and could fix my look before going inside my new school for the first time. First impressions are very important and this wind is going to ruin my hair and maybe even makeup. A castle looms ahead out of the gloom, huge and dark, silhouetted against the night's sky with brightly lit windows dotting the walls. Others around me gasp, but Luna's kind of ruined the effect for me. It's a castle, get over it people. We're going to live in a castle... how can one decorate a room in a castle!  A room has to be as beautiful as the room owner... HOW WILL I MAKE A CASTLE ROOM BEAUTIFUL???? Just how? I sigh trying to relax.

"It's pretty." Cat whispers.

"I wonder who built it? How old is it?" Veronica whispers. I roll my eyes.

"Is that all you care about V? How am I going to decorate my room? How?" I ask.

"I hear that there are dorms and not rooms." Mutters Cat. The other Nicole settles back to gaze at the castle silently. Her dad's a teacher, maybe he's told her all about it.

"Well Nicole? Is Veronica's question more important than room décor?" I ask.

"The old rhyme's right," Nicole's quiet voice answers, "Rowan gossips. But so does spruce from what I've observed. I thought it was a perfectly good question." I'm so surprised that Nicole said so much that it takes me a while to riddle out her words. V smiles, so I wonder if they're offensive.

"My wand's Rowan!" Cat retorts, sounding extremely offended. Nicole nods.

"I know."

"Mine's spruce..." I mutter. "Are you saying we gossip too much? What is the old rhyme? Does it say spruce is the best looking? Cause that would be true..."

"There are a lot of old rhymes about wands," Veronica explains, "But the one she's talking about goes like this. Rowan gossips, chestnut drones. Ash is stubborn, Hazel moans-"

"What's your wand?" I interrupt, "What's wrong with you?"

"I never said anything was 'wrong' with anything."

"What's your wand Nicole?" Cat asks trying to snap the tension.

"Willow, Unicorn hair, eleven inches." Nicole states flatly. Then she turns away and looks out at the castle once more. The other Nicole doesn't like speaking in long conversations. She seems to be more of a listener than a speaker, a follower not a leader.

"What's yours Nicole?" Cat asks turning to me.

"Spruce, troll whisker, twelve inches. What is a spruce wand owner like V? Stylish?" I inquire happily.

"Well, I know spruce is very hard to make. They don't pick nervous or timid people. They also require a firm hand and hate fumbling fingers." Veronica informs me.

"Why do you talk about wands like that?" Cat asks, interested in the descriptions that my sister's given so far.

"I'm... well I might consider working with wands when I'm older. Hard work you know, so I better learn some things I guess." V says. I roll my eyes. Why would anyone want to learn about wood and hair and whatever else? Who bothers with wands? Veronica smiles at my expression and brushes a strand of green hair away from her eyes. Her brown hair whips in the wind, her green streak more visible than usual. The first thing you notice always seems to be her hair, streaked a color at the front and the color is always right. How do colors go so well with her?

"We're here." Nicole whispers quietly, as the boat drifts into a small boat house. We follow the other first years up some creaking wood stairs and out of the boats. I wrinkle my nose distastefully at the boat house, the ugly wood and moldy floor boards. How could anyone bare this place?

A giant man with a curly black hair and beard stands up and calls for us to follow. His clothes are patched, ragged and filthy. Who wears that? Hasn't he ever seen a pair of dress robes? Or even just some plain robes, neat and tidy clothes instead of strange ones? I spot a short, yet cute little girl rolling her eyes at him behind his back. I smile at her, and despite her harsh expression, she smiles back.

"Let's go say hi." Cat says, catching my gaze. I nod.

"Yeah she looks cool enough." We approach the girl and she moves to anticipate us, soon we walk side by side.

"Katelyn Dolores Umbridge." She announces with a handshake. "And you are?"

"I'm Nicole Lovegood and this is Cat." I know better than to say 'Catherine Malkin' because it sounds uncool and undignified. Cat would hate that.

"This uniform is gross, no pink anywhere." Katelyn says.

"Yeah you got that right sister." I mutter.

"The school's not too bad though," Katelyn continues, "I'm hoping to be a Gryffindor."

"Me too." I tell her with a smile, liking her more and more.

"Gryffindor? No way. All you-know-who's targets are Gryffindors. You wanna be Slytherin." Cat says, "They're the best. And..." she lowers her voice into a light gossipy tone. I smile. Who doesn't love a good gossip? "The Weasleys are all in Gryffindor. That Luka will be in it too."

"What, muffin boy?" Katelyn asks, glaring at someone. I turn in her direction and see the boy that I know to be Luka Weasley the prankster and weirdo. "Yeah he's an idiot."

"Is not." I turn round to see Isabal, Lottie's little sister. I know she's Lottie's sister, despite neither Lottie or her telling me.

"Why not?" All three of us say in unison. I notice Nicole and Veronica behind us watching. Not close enough to hear, but close enough to see and get near if anything exciting happens.

"He's actually quite nice. Plus he's funny."

Cat laughs. "Do you have a crush on him or something?"

"No I have my eye on... someone else." Her eyes flit to the Luka and the two girls trailing next to them. I know those girls as Madeline Malfoy and Erica Lestrange. Another boy walks with them too, except I have no idea who he is.

Cat gasps. "I know who she likes!" Isabal blushes and turns away.

"Shut up." Isabal mutters, glancing at Madeline nervously.

"Why don't you just tell her you like her brother? She could help you-" Cat begins only to be interrupted by Isabal.

"Shut up!" The two glare at each other, caught in a immense staring battle.

"Where's Lottie?" I ask.

"Here." We turn round to Lottie's voice as she joins the group. Veronica and the other Nicole re-join as well and we carry on in silence. I try to ignore the awkwardness that Cat and Isabal's intense glares are creating, but it's almost impossible. The castle seems big and surprisingly cozy as we walk through it, finally reaching large double doors made of thick oak wood. A woman greets us there, and I recognize Sasha's mother instantly.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. In a few minutes I will allow you to pass through these doors, but before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. The four houses are Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Now while you are here, your house will be like your family. Triumphs and good deeds will earn you points. Rule breaking will loss you points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be given the house cup. The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily."