The Next Generation Book Four: The Silver Key [Watty Awards 2011]

Chapter Four: Dancing Flames

Chapter Four:  Dancing Flames

As they reached the school on the carriages, the light coming brightly cast an eerie glow on the ground. Students crossing the grounds left shadows that moved in perfect unison, but were misshapen. They talked quietly as they reached the enormous castle ahead of them, the doors opening for all of the second through seventh years.

                James relaxed into his seat after the chaos of running around and the Great Hall, reuniting with old friends and classmates you couldn’t find on the Hogwarts Express. Trey sat next to him, his head on the expansive table, sleeping.

                “He’s always asleep,” Jamie remarked. James had nearly forgotten she existed, oddly enough, though their names were so similar. He nodded in agreement, looking at Trey. Though he got distracted when Neville—Professor Longbottom—opened the large wooden doors for a moment, then nodded, and closed them. The next time they opened, all of the little first years walked in, along with that odd group James had been watching (or more, the ‘Amelia’ girl) back at King’s Cross Station.

                “Who’re they?” Trey asked, though he didn’t appear to actually be conscious. How could he see them with his eyes closed? James wondered.

“Students!” Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat, her lips in a thin line. Though in her eyes, you could see how happy she was to have the students returned to the school. “Please, if you are quiet now, we can get through the sorting quickly and you may eat!”

The students seated all settled down, now studying the trembling first years, sizing them up or guessing which house each would belong in. The headmistress turned to face Professor Longbottom, who was opening the scroll with all of the names of the newest Hogwarts addition. The Sorting Hat sat on the stool, motionless.

“Abbott, Callie.”

The expansive sea of first years parted and a small girl with blue eyes showing only a glint of fear as she sat on the stool, and Professor Longbottom sat the hat on her long brown hair, reaching the small of her back. “Ah!” the Sorting Hat exclaimed, and some of the unsuspecting first years jumped while the other students watched, bored. “Smart, definitely,  but brave. Oh, let’s say, hmm… How about GRYFFINDOR!”

The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers, making the girl feel right at home. A large smile shown on her face as she took a seat and the next names were called.

By this point, sometime half way through the sorting, James has stopped paying any and all of his attention. That is, until he heard the call of the name, “Potter, Lily.”

A girl with blue eyes and bright red hair walked confidently up the two steps and sat on the stool, her red hair swinging wildly around her. The hate was placed on her head, and after only a moment of contemplating it roared, “GRYFFINDOR!”

~_-_-_-_-_~

                “Weasley, Hugo.”

One of the two students stepped up, and being a Weasley, had the perfect ginger hair. He plopped down on the chair, and once the hat was set on his head, it covered his and excited blue eyes, which had been scanning the room seconds before.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Screams from Gryffindor and other Weasley’s rang throughout the hall.

~_-_-_-_-_~

                “Now, now! Before we eat, I must tell you. We have twelve students in their third and fourth years joining us. They are all from different countries, so please make them feel at home.”

                And then, the sorting began.

~_-_-_-_-_~

                James dug eagerly into his food, but he wasn’t focusing on the taste. That girl, Amelia, right? He had been right, he had never seen her before. Well now he had. She was actually just a seat or two away and across the table. She was from France, if James had heard correctly.

                Judging by her accent, he had.

~_-_-_-_-_~

“I am stuffed!” Trinity said, rubbing her stomach with a satisfied look on her face.

James was, of course, on the floor. “Gah, me too.”

Everyone was in the New Marauders headquarters, or so they had deemed it.

Selena was playing the air guitar while listening to her iPod on full blast. Sofia had her head resting on Aidan’s lap, and Maximum was having a hushed conversation with Albus. Scorpius has passed out on the floor, James doing the same not long after.

“ZOMBIE APOCOLYPSE!” James bolted upright , waking anyone else who had fallen to sleep and just startling everyone else.

“…WE’RE ALL GOING TO BLOODY DIE, THANKS TO YOU!” Trinity yelled in return.

The rest watched the two, assuming that James had dreamt of said apocalypse and Trinity just felt like playing along.

“Be quiet,” Selena whined.

“You’re the one with the music turned all the bloody way up!”

“Point taken,” she replied, but didn’t bother to turn the blaring music down… or off.

Sofia let out a soft sigh, her head still resting on Aidan’s lap, staring up at the candles levitating above the group, the flames dim, casting a soft glow around the room, along with the fireplace. Her eyes slipped closed, yawning and wishing the music would just stop or at least quiet down. “Selena, please turn it off…”

“She can’t hear you.”

“I could guess that much.”

Yay! Done typing that up! Seriously, I’ve had this written for like… a month. I’ve either been too busy to type, and at the times I could, I was lazy. ^^”

So, did you like it? I hope so! Tell me in the comments and vote!

Peace. Love. Anime.

~goddessoflife~