Babbling, Bumbling Band of Baboons

By the time we got to Hogwarts, it was really dark out. Possibly between the times of 7:30-8. When the train came to a halt, I was still sleeping. The three fourth years were getting their stuff when I felt a hand shake my shoulder slightly, it was Fred or George. I still couldn't tell them apart. All I could hear was a muffled "wake up," as I yawned. My eyes flickered open as I looked up and smiled. After I got up I thanked them, not mentioning a name.

"Still can't tell who's Fred and who's George?" One of them replied grinned while the other tittered.

"No, not yet. You guys are identical."

"Of course we are. But I'm still the more attractive one." Fred smirked.

I placed Riku in his cage and put my robe on. Before I had plunged into a doze, I had put my school uniform on. Hastily, everyone left the train and got onto the platform. "We'll see you soon, Abbie! Fred and I have to go meet up with a friend." I smiled and waved. I loved their accents so much.

As I reached the platform, I saw an astonishingly towering man. He was holding a big lantern, calling out, "firs' years follow me! An' uh. . ." He looked down at a piece of paper, reading it. "Also, would the new transfer student in their secon' year come over here as well, please!" First years(and I) gathered around this giant, waiting for the rest of the students to leave, making sure he ad collected all of them. "Righ' this way, now!" Everyone followed him, chatting back and forth.

There were about maybe forty of them? Wasn't that much. I could blend in perfectly with them if I wanted. I did look a little young for my age and I was turning thirteen soon! Not that long after walking we reached a lake. I had read about it during the summer, I'm assuming it was the Hogwarts lake.

"Excuse me, but how are we gonna get across to the school, sir?" I questioned. Surely, we weren't supposed to swim across; I couldn't even swim.

"Well, of course yeh aren' gonna fly across! We'r gonna take these here boats across. There's abou' 15 of them. E'eryone get into a boat an' turn on the lanterns."

Everyone obeyed The man and did as he said. In about twenty minutes time, we were at the shore of the school. Quickly, we entered the school. It was huge! I had never seen something so big in my entire life; well for schools anyways. When we were walking up a huge staircase to get to the.. Er, great hall, I think, we were all stopped at the stop. No one stopped moving, it was like a sea of 10-11 year olds.

"Quiet down, everyone, quiet down!" A stern, old voice said from the top. "Welcome to Hogwarts! I am Professor McGonagall. The start-of-term banquet will be starting soon. Before any of you can take your seats, you all, individually, will be sorted into one of four houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. The sorting ceremony is a very important ceremony that is held at the beginning of each new term for new students. While at Hogwarts, your house will become much like your family. You take classes with your house, spend free time in your common room, and sleep in house dormitories!

"Each house owns a very noble history and has produced many outstanding witches or wizards. During each term, anyone can earn house points, but you can also lose some. And at the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the honour of the house cup.

"The ceremony will begin very shortly in front of the rest of the school. I will come back when we are ready for you. Please fix yourselves up and smarten up while I am gone." With that, she left.

All you could hear while everyone tried to make themselves look nice was "I wonder what house I'm gonna be in!" I, too, wondered what house I was going to be in. Probably Hufflepuff, I read that Hufflepuff was pretty much where people went who didn't fit the requirements of other houses went. I straightened out my robes and awaited the professor. She seemed very strict, yet a tinge of sweet to her.

Within the next several minutes, Professor McGonagall reentered the room where we were waiting. “Now, if you would all follow me into the Great Hall in a single line, please!” With that, the sea of first years followed her, I as well. Once she reached the head of the room, she turned around and pulled up a large piece of parchment; a list of names. “When I call your name, please sit on the stool and I will place the sorting hat on your head.”

Just as it seemed like McGonagall was about to call out a name, the sorting hat began to sing.

“Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

What an odd hat it was. Very odd to say the least. I had just gotten past the fact that it was talking. But singing? That was a little much for me. I shot it an odd look. I felt like I was going mad. Where I was standing in line, I could hear two familiar voices mocking the hat. One spoke up loud enough for me to hear. "You're not barmy, Abbie. It's just a hat that sings!" I knew it had to be George.

"Watch out —" Fred spoke up.

"—When it sorts you —"

"—You might be selected to fight a troll."

"A t-troll?!" Why on Earth would they make first years fight a troll? Do they not know how dangerous that is?

A few giggles came from a blond-headed girl next to Fred, apparently, she thought it was funny that someone could be selected to fight a troll! How rude!

"This is in alphabetical order, but we have a transfer student who needs to be sorted first. Miss Abbigail Haywood, up here, please."

I gulped down some air that felt like my stomach in my throat. I didn't want to be first. My heels clicked silently along the tiles as I sat down on the stool and looked up at the rather wrinkly McGonagall. "I-I'm not gonna have to fight a troll am I?"

She looked at me as if I were barmy! Well, whatever that was, I mean. "A troll? Goodness, no. Miss Haywood, where did you hear this?"

The colour of bright red was defiantly on my cheeks. I was so embarrassed. I don't know why I had listened to the two; I knew that they were pranksters. My blue hues trailed from them back to the professor. "U-uh. . . . Just a rumour I heard back in America is all. . ."

A few head shakes came from McGonagall as she placed the sat on my head. "Hm. . ." could be heard from the house. Was it really that difficult? I was obviously meant for Hufflepuff. "GRYFFINDOR!" it shrieked as my eyes grew wider.

The Gryffindor table cheered and I hopped off the stool, walking towards the end of the table. "Abbigail, over here! We want you to meet some friends of ours and George saved you a seat!"

My cheeks were still warm with embarrassment as I walked briskly over to the seat that George saved for me on his right side. While my eyes trailed up his shoulder and onto his face, I noticed that there were two tiny moles on the right side of George's neck. Slightly leaning forward, I noticed that they weren't on Fred. This would become my new little secret of figuring out which was which.

After about another twenty minutes, the headmaster stood up and introduced himself with a small speech. And with that, he said "let the feast begin!"

It was amazing. Food appeared out of no where; and plenty of it.

"So. . . . Trolls, huh?"

Alot of people at the table near us burst out in laughter except a girl who had frizzy, brown hair. "They told me the same thing in my first year here. I was bloody mad when I found out they tricked me!" A smaller red head said, looking somewhat like the twins. "I'm Ron Weasley, Fred and George's younger brother."

Throughout the feast, I met six new people: Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Percy Weasley, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Louise Underwood. How many Weasleys were there? It seemed like quite a bit. I knew five. How many more could there be? As for Hermione, she was so kind and extremely smart. I had a feeling her and I would become good friends, Harry as well. Louise seemed kind, she had beautiful blond hair, too.

—

Before we went to bed, I had asked Ron where Fred and George's dormitory was, he gave me a boggled look. After explaining what I wanted to do, he told me how to get to it.

About one in the morning, I sneaked out of my bed, trying not to wake up Hermione, Louise and Ginny. Slowly, my feet crept my way across the common room and into Fred and George's dormitory. The moon lit the room. How cute George looked as he slept in the moon light was unbelievable. My head shook a few times as I poured half a potion on George's hair and the other on Fred's. In the morning, were they up for a surprise.