What Magic?

Chapter 2

Alice^

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, can I sit in here?" The girl says and I just nod my head too scared to say a word. She looked about my age with dirty blond hair that fell over her shoulders as she has it half-up and half-down, her blue eyes observed me as she sat down across from me on the opposite bench. I look at her pale-ish skin to see a slight hint of freckles across here nose and cheeks. I must admit she is very pretty. "I'm Alice Longbottom, nice to meet you."

She reaches her hand out for me to shake and I nervously return it but feeling a little more relaxed because she seems so nice. "Serena," I quietly give her my name but I doubt she cares until a large grin spreads across her face. I give her a nervous smile but I'm actually happy to meet her maybe I can actually keep her as a friend at least until I leave.

"I can't wait till we get there," She starts rambling on about places I've never heard of as well as people I didn't know existed. The she started talking about weird creatures but I continued to listen because I hate when people block me out when I talk so why do it to them. This goes on for hours while I choose not to say a word. I watched as the light of day faded to black filling the sky with stars. Someone comes in while we are in our room and gives us a strange uniform to change into and even though I shouldn't be here I change into it anyways though it was a little big. I wonder if the school had notified my parents that I haven't gotten there yet. I start to get tired as the train jerks to a stop and I snap my eyes open looking around. Alice is now sitting up straight grinning from ear to ear with excitement.

People start walking past all in the same uniform but I still stay sitting till Alice grabs my hand and pulls me out into the passage along with the other kids. I choose not to fight back because I don't want to get lost with all these people and rather stay with the one person I actually now know. "Come on first years!" A loud voice billows as we climb off the train on to a sidewalk but as I look around it doesn't look anything like London, way more old fashioned. "To the boats!"

"Boats?" I question to myself as we continue with the current of the crowd and I keep a hold of Alice as she continues to pull me. We soon climb into small boats and while others seemed relaxed or excited I'm scared we are going to tip over and that I still have no clue where I am or where we're going. I look around me at the dozens of boats only visible because of the lamps they have on them but it doesn't make me any less terrified of the large castle like building we are approaching.

"I mean I've been here with my dad a few times but this is the first time going as an actual student, I wonder if this is how my brother felt," Alice says from beside me making me increasingly confused as to what she was talking about.

"Is that a school?" I ask peering at the dark building with only a few lights visible in a couple of places while it sits on the edge of the water. She just laughs as if I'm telling a funny joke so I decide not to say anything else for the rest of the boat ride. When we arrive we are ushered into the castle and up the stairs. Someone pushes me from behind and I turn to see a girl with long black hair, porcelain white skin, and iridescent green eyes sneer at me so I turn around and try to keep up with Alice. We walk into a large room full of other kids wearing the same uniform with chandeliers hanging from the tall ceiling but instead of lights there are candles. The entire room looks old but yet new as if had been redone as well as there are shiny stained glass windows.

We are told to sit as any tables by a woman in a long black cloak with a witch like hat on top of her head. Why is she wearing such a funny thing? "Welcome first years to Hogwarts I am Professor McGonagall ," She begins her voice silencing the loud chatter that filled the room. "You are about to be sorted into your chosen houses. There is Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin you will all be one family while you are here and I expect to arguments about which hose you are put into. When you accomplish something and succeed in others your houses will receive points but if you disrespect the rules of the school points will then be retracted. When the year ends and the points are tallied the house with more points wins the house cup. Now first years please stand up and walk to the front."

A large amount of kids stand and move forward and I seem to be dragged along by Alice as we follow them to the front of the room. "Before the Sorting hat chooses your houses I want you all to be aware that you are not to go into the Forbidden Forest," There was quiet for a few seconds as she said this before she pulled out a scroll type paper and began talkling once again. "Okay, I will call your names one by one and you will come up to have your house chosen. Roxanne Weasley."

A girl with curly, dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail walks out of the large crowd as a few of the others cheer excited to see where she is placed. She seems kind of nervous as she sits on the stool where the hat was. A man with slightly overgrown, blonde hair is holding the hat and lightly places it on the girls head. I catch a peak from the corner of my eyes to see Alice ginning widely and waving at the man. Now that I think about it they look very much alike.

"That's my dad," She tells me apparently seeing my confusing before I got to actually ask who he was so I just nod in understanding as the hat make noises drawing my attention.

"Gryffindor!" The hat yells out and I gasp and stare at in totally shocked that the hat was actually talking. How is that even possible? Clothes can't talk, right? I watch as Roxanne sighs in what appears to be relief as she walks to a table that is loudly clapping.