Fortune of Fate (A female Harry Potter fanfiction)

[16]

  The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. 

  Rose's legs were like lead again, but only because she was so tired and full of food.

   She was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries, They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Rose was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

  A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

  ''Peeves,'' Percy whispered to the first years. ''A poltergeist.'' He raised his voice, ''Peeves - show yourself.''

  A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

  ''Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?''

  There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

  ''Oooooooooh!'' He said, with an evil cackle. ''Ickle Firsties! What fun!'' He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked. ''Oh, you're a pretty one.'' He chortled while briefly sweeping his eyes over Rose.

   Rose chuckled uncomfortably as she scooted a bit to the right, out of the ghost's sight.

  ''Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!'' barked Percy.

  Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head and. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

  ''You want to watch out for Peeves,'' said Percy, as they set off again. ''The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are.''

  At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

  ''Password?'' she said.

  ''Caput Draconis,'' said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

  Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and when Rose was about to follow, Percy stopped her. ''Unfortunetely, Dumbledore has informed me that due to lack of accommodations in the girls' dorm you shall have to dorm with the boys.-'' Some of the boys started getting red, while Rose was uncomfortable but not ungrateful so she just nodded.

   ''-Now you can tell me, any of the other prefects, Dumbledore or even Filch if any of the boys do anything to you, or if anything happens. I hope you do feel accommodated.'' Rose nodded, a bit more relieved and Percy continued, ''If any of you boys do not wish to go to the headmaster, you will think thrice before doing anything.'' Percy glared at the boys who quickly nodded their heads in fear, seeing this Percy softened his expression.

  The prefect then led the boys, and girl, through another door to their dormitory. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.

  ''Great food, isn't it?'' Ron muttered to Rose through the hangings. ''Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets.''

  Rose was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but she fell asleep almost at once.

  Perhaps Rose had eaten a bit too much, because she had a very strange dream. 

  She was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to her, telling her she must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was her destiny. Rose told the turban she didn't want to be in Slytherin, all of her friends were in Gryffindor; it got heavier and heavier; she tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully - and there was Malfoy, laughing at her as she struggled with it - then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold - there was a burst of green and Rose woke, sweating and shaking.

  She rolled over and fell asleep again, and when she woke the next day, she didn't remember the dream at all.