Endlessly

The carriages came to a halt soon enough near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors. Harry managed to scramble out of the carriage first with Nicole quickly getting out behind him. It was uncomfortable to be stuck around so many of them in the dark, cramped space.

Harry again turned to look at the beasts that pulled the carriages with curiosity plain on his face. The others clambered out of the carriage each grumbling about carrying their belongings. Nicole turned away from Harry and made her way towards the castle along with the others. “Are you coming or what?” Ron asked from behind them.

“Oh…yeah,” said Harry quickly before they all continued up the stone steps into the castle amidst the hurried crowd. The entrance hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.

The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging news, shouting greetings at friends from other Houses, eyeing one another’s new haircuts and robes.

Nicole left the group quickly as they reached the Slytherin table. She sat down on the bench gratefully. It was a relief to be able to have some time alone again. Nicole looked down at the plates and silverware that was before her. She sighed as she rested her hands in her lap, unable to fidget the fixtures into perfect order. Just like always they were perfectly aligned and in place.

Instead Nicole glanced up and looked about the room with a bored look. She couldn’t wait for this feast to be over and to be able to retire to bed. What caught her attention was the new addition to the staff table. Normally she would have just grazed over the figure but the unordinary amount of pink was like a neon sign.

The woman was sitting next to Dumbledore who sat on his high-backed golden chair at the center of the long staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat. Dumbledore’s head was inclined towards the woman who was talking into his ear. The woman was short and thick, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. As the woman took a drink from her goblet Nicole saw a pale, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes. Nicole sensed an instant distaste for the woman as she gazed over everything with a critical eye.

As she was studying the woman Malfoy came to stand behind her and she turned, sensing a presence. He wore an unhappy, judgmental face. He came to sit down beside her, much to her disliking. Crabbe sat on her other side while Goyle sat down on the other side of Malfoy. “What do you want?” she asked unpleasantly.

“Why were you sitting with Potter and his little friends on the train?” Malfoy asked, his displeasure seeping into his voice.

“Again, I don’t see how it’s any business of yours. I can sit with who I please.” The doors to the entrance hall opened and Nicole’s, as well as everyone else’s, attention were diverted there. Malfoy’s presence was forgotten as a long line of scared-looking first years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard’s hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.

“You’re in Slytherin,” Malfoy whispered to her as the buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away. “Don’t forget that.” Nicole quickly ignored his words and instead paid attention to the ceremony. The first year students lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall placed the stool carefully in front of them, then stood back.

The first years’ faces glowed palely in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked as though he was trembling. Nicole remembered how terrified she had been her first year. She didn’t know what house she would be sorted into and was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to do the coursework. She was afraid she wouldn’t make a very good witch at all, plus the place was so large and formidable. It was like they were trying to instill fear.

The whole school waited with bated breath. Then the rip near the hat’s brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into song. Unlike the years before the Hat took to singing about how the Houses should come together. It was advice and a warning at the same time. “Well, that’s different,” Malfoy remarked curiously as applause broke out.

Nicole took to clapping politely but without enthusiasm. “I think it should just keep its mouth shut,” said Malfoy with a small smirk at the corner of his lips. “Don’t you, Crabbe?” Crabbe simply nodded as Nicole gritted her teeth. She wanted to tell Malfoy to shove off and sit somewhere else but didn’t feel like wasting her words or starting something in the middle of the Great Hall.

Especially since Professor McGonagall, who was waiting to read out the list of first years’ names, was giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches. The muttering came to an abrupt end. With a last frowning look that swept the four House tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out, “Abercrombie, Euan.”

The terrified-looking boy stumbled forward and put the hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted, “GRYFFINDOR!” The Gryffindor House clapped loudly as Euan Abercrombie staggered to their table and sat down, looking as though he would like very much to sink through the floor and never be looked at again.

“Pitiful,” remarked Malfoy. Nicole wasn’t sure if it was for the fact he was sorted into Gryffindor or the actual boy himself. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter considering how Malfoy regarded the younger kids. Slowly the long line of first years thinned. Finally, “Zeller, Rose” was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and stool and marched them away as Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet.

“To our newcomers,” said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, “welcome! To our old hands — welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!” There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate — for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and flagons of pumpkin juice.

Suddenly the spot Nicole was sitting at was overwhelmed with Malfoy’s followers. They all cast a curious glance at her before sitting down all around them. Nicole felt herself shrinking within herself, wanting to be out of that group. But she was stuck there as she had no place else to go. So with a displeased look she joined them in gathering food on her plate.

As she began to eat, everyone began to ask Malfoy how his summer had gone. He then began to go into extravagant detail about his trip to Italy. Nicole wanted to tell him that nobody cared, but the problem was everyone seemed to do just that. She looked up almost hoping that someone would come to rescue her when she locked eyes with Harry. He seemed surprised to see her surrounded by Malfoy’s gang but quickly turned his attention back to Hermione, Ron, and Nearly Headless Nick. Going back to her food, Nicole enjoyed being ignored the entire feast.

When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster. Nicole couldn’t wait till it was over and she could escape to her dorm and into her bed.

“Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices,” said Dumbledore. “First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now too. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch’s office door.”

“We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.” There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause. Dumbledore continued, “Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the—”

He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbedge said, “Hem, hem,” and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech. Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing more than to listen to her talk.

“Thank you, Headmaster,” Professor Umbridge simpered, “for those kind words of welcome.” Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish. Nicole wrinkled her nose in displeasure of having the voice reach her ears. She wished the woman would just sit down and let Dumbledore finish his speech so she could go to sleep.

Professor Umbridge gave another little throat-clearing cough and continued: “Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!” She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. Maybe she’s a demon, Nicole thought smartly. “And to see such happy faces looking back at me! I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I’m sure we’ll be very good friends!”

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again, but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them. As soon as she began talking Nicole found herself struggling to pay attention or to even stay awake.

Crossing her arms she rested them on the table and then laid her head on top. As she stared at the woman, without hearing what she said, her eyes remained closed longer and longer with each blink. Slowly she started to drift out farther. She imagined standing up and just cursing the woman so that she would never be allowed to speak again. Everyone would cheer and Dumbledore and the entire staff would be so happy that they would pardon any punishment.

“Wake up, Kendrell,” was suddenly whispered in her ear as well as an elbow thrust into her side. She sat up quickly, startled and glanced around with enough speed you would think she’d get whiplash. Nicole then took in the fact that Professor Umbridge had sat down and a rare few were clapping. Nicole glanced towards Malfoy curiously as it had been he who had woke her up before turning back towards the staff table.

“Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating,” he was saying. He bowed to her before turning back to his students. “Now — as I was saying Quidditch tryouts will be held…” Nicole tuned out again as Dumbledore quickly finished his speech. Everyone was restless to get back to their common rooms.

And then they were all dismissed. Nicole quickly stood up from the Slytherin table as did everyone else. “First years!” called Parkinson in a high-pitched whiny voice. Draco gave a disgruntled sigh before joining in calling the first years over to them. Nicole made her way through the throng of people quickly as she made her way down to the dungeons and to the wall through which held the Slytherin common room.

As she said the password and entered the room she could hear the others coming in behind her. She quickly went up and into her dormitory, seeking the solitude. She changed out of her robes and into sweatpants and a t-shirt quickly, wanting to just hopefully catch some sleep. As the other girls in her year entered she grabbed a book from her trunk and went to her bed where she pulled the black and green curtains tightly shut.