Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter Eight*

Kefira and Neville were instructed to get into a boat that would cross over the lake and bring them to the castle. Fortunately for them, they were paired with Dean and Seamus.

"Long time no see." Kefira greeted them as she jumped in. Neville gripped the sides of the boat tightly as the boat rocked side to side.

"Have a nice nap?" Seamus asked with a grin. "Your snoring made it sound like you did."

"I do not snore," she said. "You sure it just wasn't your heavy breathing that you heard?"

Dean laughed as Seamus gave her a look.

"Alright, you four, settle down," Hagrid said before leaving to help the other students into their boats.

"So you guys want to hear something cool?" Seamus said leaning in.

"Sure."

"My mam told me 'fore I came here that there's a Giant Squid in this lake," he told the group with a proud expression on his face.

"You lie," Dean said with an eye roll.

"Are you callin' my mam a liar?!" Seamus turned on the other boy.

Kefira watched in amusement until she felt the boat shaking slightly. She turned her head to see Neville looking to the water with a look of fear planted on his face.

"Don't worry, Neville," she said to him. "If there is a giant squid in here, I bet he's friendly."

"Yeah," Seamus nodded, "I bet when he drags students to the bottom of the lake it's only to give them a hug.

"Shut up!" Kefira said kicking the bottom of the boy's shoe.

"Oh c'mon, I was only kiddin'!" Seamus said jerking his foot back.

"Well, it wasn't funny." 

Trevor slipped out of Neville's fingers and jumped to the bottom of the boat causing Neville to lurch forward and disrupt the balance of the boat.

"Whoa, Neville, don't go rocking the boat, mate!" Dean said.

"Sorry but Trevor-"

The toad leaped away from him as Neville tried to catch him.

"Don't you have a container for that thing?" Seamus asked as he and Dean tried to get the boat to quit rocking.

"No, he wouldn't be happy in a container," Neville said.

Trevor was just before him when he tried to grab for him again, instead, he knocked into Kefira who had tried to avoid getting in his way, only sending her over into the water.

The splash alerted the other boats, the three boys leaned over the side quickly panicked.

"Oh no, what have I done!?" Neville gasped.

"Well, the Giant Squid is probably going to get her now," Seamus said.

Suddenly, Kefira's head emerged and instead of cursing Neville's name like he expected, she laughed after spitting out the water.

"This water is freezing!" she told them swimming over to the boat, her teeth chattered. "Help me in, you gits!" 

Dean was the first to help her into the boat while Seamus leaned over the other side to keep the boat balanced.

Finally, out of the water, Kefira fell into the boat, her clothes dripping wet and her hair plastered to the sides of her face.

Of course, she was still smiling.

"I'm really, really, really sorry!" Neville told her as he clutched Trevor tightly in his hands.

"S'alright, Neville." 

"Are you alright over there?!"

The four looked over to see Hagrid calling to them.

Kefira gave him a thumbs up in response.

When they arrived at the castle, the first years were ushered into a room by a woman with sharp features and a sternness to her voice. Upon seeing the dripping wet student,  her glasses slid down her nose slightly.

"What happened to you?" the woman asked her.

"I fancied a swim."

Kefira found her robes become warmer and warmer, as she became dry from the professor's magic. However, her socks and shoes were still damp causing her to squeak every time she took a step. Eventually, it turned to be rather amusing to Kefira as she squeaked around.

Dean turned around to face her. "I'm gonna need you to stop that."

She gave one final squeak. "Okay, I'm done."

"What house do you suppose we'll get in?" Seamus asked them.

Kefira shrugged. "I don't really care what house I'm put into, just as long as I learn something while I'm here."

The students were told that they would file into the Great Hall and their names would be read in alphabetical order. Once they were called, they would sit upon a stool, and the Sorting Hat would be placed on their heads calling out the house they would be in for the next seven years.

Kefira was wicked excited but she would have to wait her turn as she would be one of the last students called.

What Kefira didn't expect was to witness a hat singing upon a stool as she stood there waiting to be sorted.

She listened to the words unable to look away from the hat.

"The Sorting Hat can't see...So try me on and I will tell you....Where you ought to be." the hat sang.

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

That's all Kefira needed to hear to know what house she wanted to be in.

She looked to the tapestry that hung over one of the tables that had the Gryffindor name over it.  The red and gold colors were bold, but what caught her attention was the lion centered in the middle.

It was time for Hogwarts to hear the little lion roar.