Chief of The Castle: Goodbye Chicago, Hello Hogwarts

Untitled Part 2

Keef woke up to a shaking. He didn't know why the car was moving so violently, though. He opened his eyes and realized he wasn't in a car! He was in a magic school train! He found the source of the shaking was his new friend Hermione! The short, smart girl with bushy brown hair.

"Cozzy, wake up! We're here!" said Hermione happily. "Look outside! Isn't it just beautiful!"

Cozart looked outside the window and gasped. It was indeed beautiful. They had stopped at a quaint train station; Cozart was able to eye a big red sign that read "Hogsmeade Train Station," along with a bunch of people in robes milling about. The friends made their way towards the exit of the train, and as soon as they stepped out, there stood a hairy half-giant.

"Oi, oi! Yeh two! Get on the boats over there! Don' want yeh to miss yer sortin' ceremony!" He said cheerfully.

They did as they were told and found themselves on a long boat headed toward the castle. They sat across from the ugly twins who Cozart had met back in Kings Cross Station. They introduced themselves as Fred and George Weasley. Keef and Hermione continued their conversation about how cool Hogwarts looked while the Weasleys discussed whether or not they would be selling chocolate frogs this year.

As the boat glided smoothly over the calm lake water, Keef was fascinated by what he saw. The sky looked clear and cloudless; it looked like something he'd seen in movies and commercials about Europe. There wasn't much light pollution either. Instead, stars littered the nighttime sky, giving everything an ethereal glow. As he admired the scene around him, Keef began to feel more relaxed than ever before. All worries about fitting in or not being accepted were fading away as quickly as they'd arrived. He hoped that someday he would find a place where he could truly belong.

But first, he needed to make some money. So far, the only person he could talk to freely was Hermione. As they passed through the gates, he turned to her. "Yo, I definitely got to make some coins. I need to find some za."

"What do you mean 'ZA'?" Asked Hermione. She was perplexed by the American slang.

"Weed!!!."

"Oh yeah, sure thing Chief. But why would you want to smoke marijuana? Isn't that illegal?"

Cozart rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Nah, I don't wanna smoke it. I want to sell it."

"To whom?" Asked Hermione, still confused.

"Everybody!" Said Chief Keef excitedly. "And anyone else who wants some." He added seriously. "It'll help us make enough money for whatever we want!"

"Like what?" Asked Hermione, intrigued by Chief Keef's plan. "A better broom? An invisibility cloak? Some house elf earrings?" She joked.

"Girl, please! I'm talking about some real money! Real money! Not no bullshit jewelry! I'm talking about the real! Do you know how much these shit cost?!" Cozart pulled out a platinum chain and flashed it for Hermione to see. "If we can get rich quick, I'm buying you all of those! Plus, we can also get our own train! We can live like kings!"

Hermione giggled at the thought of becoming so wealthy that they could afford an entire train. She wondered if Chief Keef knew about the Ministry's budget cuts and how many people needed new jobs because of it. "Don't you think that might cause problems?" Asked Hermione cautiously.

Cozart smirked. "I'm never afraid of trouble!"

The Weasley twins decided to chime in

"Hey, are you two planning to smuggle stuff into the school?" asked one.

"Or perhaps commit other crimes?" Asked the other.

"Because if so, then you should know that we may have a small business going ourselves. For the right price, we can get you anything you want!" They both said in unison.

The pair of Weasleys took out a sheet of paper and a quill. "We've got lists here for sale," said one twin.

"Special rates apply depending on the item requested," said the other.

"Are you interested?" asked both the boys in tandem.

Before Keef could give them a reply, the boats rocked against the shore as they had arrived at their destination. He gave the Weasley twins a nod, then disembarked from the vessel and walked towards the large wooden doors ahead of him.

There was a massive crowd of students all gathered together and waiting outside. There was a strange sense of anticipation hanging over everyone's heads. They all seemed to be looking forward to something very exciting. The students began whispering amongst themselves. One student could be heard talking about "being sorted first" while another whispered back something about "the Sorting Hat." Keef couldn't understand what they were talking about. But he didn't care. This was going to be amazing!

When finally, a voice boomed across the hall, silencing everyone around it. Keef looked up to find the source of the noise, a grand old wizard with a crooked nose and crescent-shaped glasses! This must be Albus Dumbledore, thought Keef.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts everyone!" he spoke with great passion and enthusiasm, though he still managed to sound regal and refined. "I am pleased to announce that today marks the beginning of a new year for our young pupils." He paused dramatically before continuing, "I hope you will all work hard at achieving your dreams and fulfilling your destinies here at this magnificent institution of learning!"

Keef paid rapt attention to every word Dumbledore uttered. This man seemed to know exactly how to speak to his audience. His tone of authority, his confidence, and the way he held himself were all compelling factors. Keef's ears pricked up as he heard Dumbledore mention how they would be divided into houses based on their personalities. Each house sounded neat but Sosa wasn't sure where he belonged!

As the sorting hat ceremony began, Cozart could feel his heart racing in anticipation. He looked around nervously until he spotted Hermione next to him. Her nervous expression mirrored his own feelings perfectly.

Eventually, his turn came up and he stepped toward the stool. He sat upon it, allowing the Sorting Hat to descend onto his head. The room went silent, and after a few moments, Cozart felt like he could hear someone laughing under their breath in front of him, the hat was speaking directly into Cozart's mind.

"Chief Keef, Cozart, you're a cool one. You love music, girls, and weed. Let's see, where to put you?" It asked. Cozart didn't know where to begin.

"I want to make money," he stated. He wanted to be rich beyond belief; he wanted to spend it on girls and video games.

"Well, I don't know what kind of cash you expect to make selling grass, but the fastest way to get some of those galleons is to join the right house. Gryffindor is where you should land. The boys there will take a liking to you and you'll get everything you want, chief."

Cozart couldn't wait to become a lion. As the Sorting Hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" The red mass of students cheered for Keef. Cozart noticed Fred and George among the students and dapped them up before turning back to watch the rest of the ceremony.

Eventually, Hermione was called on stage, as was every other witch and wizard. Cozart was thrilled for his new friend when she was declared a "Gryffindor!" too.

Before he knew it, Chief Keef was whisked away to the lion's den, where his life would change forever.