Finding Each Other

FINDING EACH OTHER

The day started splendidly, if I did say so myself. Of course, the sarcasm should be noticeable in my words. First I completely ruined my hair by sleeping without my hair band, then I fell off my bed as I woke up ‘a little’ disoriented, then I missed the early breakfast that I was used to take as I was usually the first one up in the Gryffindor Tower.

“Yup, a splendid start of day indeed,” I grumbled as I tried to comb my stubborn hair. They weren’t as bad as Hermione’s, but since they were longer, it was always a problem to keep them in order during the night. Usually I just put them in a braid, but yesterday night I forgot all about it. Finally, my hair returned to their usual wavy style. I sighed contently as I watched them fall down to my rear. I quickly pulled them up and with some pins tied them in a cute pigtail. I wasn’t one to take care of my appearance, but today wasn’t a normal day. Today, I, Carola Whitesbank, was off to a school Excursion that Hogwarts offered to Graduates of 1997. We were to go to a Muggle city, Barcelona, for a day. I knew it wasn’t a lot, but it didn’t matter in my opinion. It was enough from our school that we were even allowed to go there for a little while. Since it was the first Excursion in the Hogwarts History ever (as Hermione kindly put it, since she knew the book Hogwarts: A History from cover to cover) it meant a lot to all the Graduates in my year... Well perhaps not Malfoy, but beggars can’t choose, or was that saying different? Yes, now I remember – beggars can’t be choosers – that was the right saying. I put some final touches to my face and smiled at my reflection in the mirror. I was by no right pretty or beautiful, but I did have some advantages over other girls. My wavy reddish brown hair and my ocean blue eyes were a remarkable sight. And well, that was about it. I didn’t have a great shape like Hermione or Ginny, I had small breasts and small hips. I was the shortest in our class... even Harry was higher than me. Ron, who was a giant compared to me, often called me a midget. I resented that remark and when I started calling him a beanpole, he finally stopped. Of course, that sent Harry and Hermione in hysterics for a few minutes, until they finally calmed down and Hermione set off in search of her boyfriend, who stormed away with a scowl on his face. Well, that’s me. A Hyperactive Midget that always had to say something that brought laugher out of the others. I quickly stuffed some things in a backpack that I was taking with me to Barcelona and put it on my back. I ran down the girl’s staircases to the Common Room. And of course, it just had to be my luck. Somehow, one of my legs got caught in the rug on the stairs and I pummelled head over the heels down to the Common Room. I would have really got hurt if someone didn’t stop me from hitting the ground really hard.

“Oof,” that someone ground out as we both went to the floor together. I looked up from my place on the right side of the nearest couch and looked sheepishly at Neville.

“I’m so sorry, Nev. I don’t know what happened, I just slipped.”

Neville shook his head as to clear his head and smiled at me.

“’s Okay. Are you alright?” he asked concerned. That’s our Neville. Always worrying about others.

“I’m fine. Thanks for saving me...”

We both laughed at the craziness of the statement. He got up and helped me to my feet. I sighed at the looks my classmates gave me and Neville.

“What?” I asked them, raising my eyebrow a little. Everyone suddenly turned their eyes elsewhere. I rolled my eyes and sat down on the couch and asked,

“Anyone wants to go to breakfast?”

Hermione, Neville, Ron and Harry all agreed and we soon found ourselves trudging to the Great Hall.

ooOOoo

Professor McGonagall was already waiting for us at the front doors of the castle. She was holding an old Quibbler edition. She called for us and we made a circle around her. We touched the Portkey and just as we heard professor McGonagall counting, “Three... Two... One...” I felt something pulling me by my navel. Since that was the reaction of an activated Portkey, I relaxed and concentrated on staying with my foot on the ground, just as we were deposited in the middle of a dark alley. Harry and I helped some of the others to their feet and I said,