Chapter 4
The Hogwart's Express pulled to a stop at the platform of Hogwart's own puny train station. Night had fallen and some new first years cried out that they were still afraid of the dark.
"It's all right!" croaked a now very old Rubeus Hagrid, coming up and rounding up the tiny (to him) eleven year olds. A pack of 5 kids all with blonde brown hair jumped up and down all around Hagrid.
"Piggy back! Piggy back!" they cried. Hagrid smiled down at them.
"All right then. One at a time."
"Me!" cried one of the girls.
"No Elizabeth! Me!"
"Back off Jonathan! I raised my hand first."
"Shut up Kathy!" Jonathan yelled.
"Boys are better than girls so I should go first."
"That means I can go too, Stephan."
"I'm the oldest. I was born first so I should go."
"Back off, Lisa!" cried Elizabeth. Jonathan got to go first as Hagrid walked them all to the chain of boats waiting to take the first years up to the castle for the sorting feast. The other students headed up the Hogwart's station platform to get into horseless carriages to bring them up to the castle.
"Hey Potter!" Malfoy called to Harry as he prepared to get in the carriage in front of the one Crabbe and Goyle chose on purpose. "We'll be checking for fog on your windows!" he chuckled as he climbed in and the carriage set off. Nellie sat nearest one of the windowed doors and gazed at the castle. It looked quite dreary in the dark, but the way the moon shone on its many turrets and towers, the brass lining glinted.
"Oooo." Nellie said in wonder. Crabbe and Goyle rolled their eyes and began to stupidly calculate how much money it would cost to get a bottle of Malfoy's cologne fragrance, 'Aramiss'.
The carriages stopped in a line and let the people in each one out one at a time. Then the carriage moved on. Nellie saw Harry and the others in his compartment leave and head up to the castle. The door of her carriage swung open and they hopped out and headed up the dark stone path beyond the metal gates that were held open by stone figures of pigs with wings. Nellie about broke her neck trying to look up at all of Hogwart's castle's wonders. But she still had to see Hagrid's hut, (where her Care of Magical Creatures class would take place) the inside of the castle, and the Quidditch field. Once they had reached the wooden doors, Malfoy pushed them open with great flourish. A great marble floor with a high ceiling welcomed them. Students were hurrying up a pair of grand staircase stairs to a room where already more chatty voices were being heard. There were two stairwells going down into brightly white lit halls. Leading off of the grand staircase were two sets of stairs that led up to upper floors with many other staircases. A lady with a tight black/gray bun was welcoming everyone and ushering them up the stairs. Draco led Nellie up the stairs but she stopped when she heard someone say, "I'm not Nellie! I'm Ginny!" Nellie groaned and turned around and ran back down the stairs. The woman was apologizing to Ginny and looked up when she saw Nellie.
"Hi. I think I'm the one you want to see." Nellie said quickly. Ginny stalked off looking very harassed and the woman smiled kindly at Nellie.
"My dear! We're so pleased to have an exchange student. here.." She trailed off and stared hard at her just like Mrs. Weasley had that day on the way back to the airport. What looked like a small tear glinted in her eye for just a brief moment.
"I'm Professor Minerva McGonagall."
"Nellie Vonwit. But I suppose you know that already." Professor McGonagall smiled.
"Come. The Headmaster would like to speak with you before the sorting starts." She checked her watch. "We better hurry." Professor McGonagall hurried up the stairs and Nellie trailed behind her. A great lot of people stared at her from 4 different tables all lined near each other. There was a table with a red tablecloth on one end of the room, then a blue one, then a green, then a yellow. A long purple clothed table was at the very head of the room. Professor McGonagall led Nellie along the backside of the yellow table and up along the staff table. Nellie saw a vacant chair (Hagrid's) a woman that looked as if she had just gotten swept up in a windstorm (Sprout), A thin witch with glasses (Vector), and various other women. Then there were mostly the men teachers on the other side of the throne. There was a tiny teacher who's forehead just showed over the table top, and a quite distant looking teacher with a hooked nose. He stared at her as she passed and his eyes got that same stupid gosh darn look most of the grown- ups were getting around her. Then there was Professor McGonagall's seat. Professor McGonagall now halted in front of the old man sitting on the throne. He was leaning on his cane in his seat and gazing up at the ceiling. Nellie looked up too. It was like the room had no roof. You could see all the way outside and see the stars and the whispy clouds. Just visible behind the clouds was the large moon, glinting down at them.
"Professor." Professor McGonagall said, jolting the man for a few seconds.
"Dear god, Minerva. That's another close call! If you keep startling me like that I won't be headmaster much longer after I suffer a heart attack!" the man said.
"Sorry, Headmaster." Professor McGonagall said. "This is Nellie. Our exchange student." The man peered at her over his half moon glasses.
"You sure?" he asked.
"Yes. I'm positive." McGonagall told the man. He continued to stare at her.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Vonwit. I am Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of the school." Nellie smiled at Dumbledore as he smiled at her.
"Now lets see. Where shall we put you?" he muttered looking around at the filled tables. No one was coming in the hall doors now. Any minute the first years would be arriving. The table with the green tablecloth was most vacant. All the other tables had filled spaces but with extra places for the first years.
"I suppose that's the only place she can stay." Dumbledore told McGonagall. She peered sadly at the table.
"I don't mind." Nellie said quickly.
"All right." McGonagall said. "Let's introduce you to Severus." She led Nellie back along the length of the table and stopped in front of the distant looking teacher. He was just as zoned out as Dumbledore had been. Minerva tapped him on the shoulder.
"Severus?"
"Hmm? What? I didn't do it! I swear! It wasn't me!" he said. Professor McGonagall waved her hand in his face.
"Hellooooooooo!" she called. "Anyone home?"
"Yes? What?" he barked.
"This is Nellie. Our exchange student? She is in your house now."
"SHHHHHHHHH!" Severus said. "He'll hear you!" he whispered.
"Who will hear me?"
"SHHHHHHHH!" Severus said again.
"Professor Severus Harkford Snape. I swear I will never attend any dinner dates with you again if you don't pay attention to me!" Professor McGonagall hissed at him.
"Right." He said, his eyes becoming less shiny by the second.
"Nellie will be in Slytherin house while she is attending here. She will attend all your potion classes and the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes with Professor Midrigge and the Care of Magical Creatures Class with Hagrid, all with the Gryffindors."
"Yes yes. How simply spiffy." Nellie burst out laughing. She had never heard a man say 'spiffy' before.
"Run along now or you won't get your fresh baked pie slices tonight." Snape told Nellie. She raced towards the green table. Malfoy immediately shoved the 4th year Graham Pritchard out of his way so Nellie could sit down next to him.
"Hi." Nellie breathlessly said as she sat down just as the doors burst open and a teacher with dark brown, almost black, hair and brown eyes led the new first years into the hall.
"Welcome to Slytherin." Malfoy whispered to her. Nellie nodded and continued to watch the teacher guide the kids along the staff table.
(Here's where we push the fast forward button since I don't have enough time to come up with a silly song about Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, & Rowena Ravenclaw. PUSH: *sing song* Blah Blah. PLAY!)
"As I call your name, " the teacher said. "You will come and try on the sorting hat. When the hat has called the name of your appropriate house, you will go to that table. That will your house for your remainder here at Hogwarts." She opened up the scroll she was holding and began to read out names.
(Seem's like we're pushing fast forward a lot here! PUSH: *kids are sorted* *tables clap* *teachers clap* *kids sit down at proper tables. Hurrah* PLAY!)
With the addition of the new Slytherin's (which consisted of quite a few) the table didn't look so quite out of place. At the Gryffindor table, the Vintricous Quints (Lisa, Stephan, Kathy, Elizabeth, Jonathan) were moaning about how they were hungry and wanted to know if they served Happy Meals here and if they got toys with their food. The Headmaster stood up and everyone shut their trap.
"Another year at Hogwarts. And congrats to our graduating class this year." The teacher's and other students applauded politely.
"Furthermore, there will be no Hogsmeade visits until further notice from the Ministry, or what there is of it." The third years looked grumpy, but they new it was for the best. The third year troublemakers were dying to go and look at all the chaos going on in Hogsmeade. The Shrieking shack was being torn down to make a palace/mansion type place for Lord Voldemort. They had heard plenty from the Daily Prophet or friends who had parents who worked for the Ministry and escaped the reign of Voldemort when he took over. Nellie saw across the hall that Harry and Hermione were whispering to Ron and pointing to the teacher who had introduced the new first years.
"I and last before we come to our marvelous feast, I have some new announcements. Thank you very much to Professor Ophielus Midrigge, who is our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who has done a great job on introducing our first years." The hall clapped. "And.." Dumbledore looked toward the Slytherin table and Nellie knew what was coming.
"I would like you all to meet Miss Nellie Vonwit. She is our exchange student for this year and she is in the Slytherin. House. Please make Nellie feel welcome here at Hogwarts. It is a great pleasure to have you grace us with your presence Nell-"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Snape screamed, clutching his head. "NO! NO! NO! HE'LL HEAR YOU! CAN'T YOU ALL SHUT UP? AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" he ran from the room.
"Um. Please excuse Professor Snape. He hasn't been himself lately." Professor Dumbledore quickly explained. "And now, your food." He clapped his hands the food magically appeared.
After they were stuffed to almost bursting, Crabbe and Goyle commented on how they couldn't wait for Snape's fresh pie slices when they got to the Slytherin common room. Malfoy showed the first years where to go and then told them to stay away from the comfy chairs or he would hex them. The first years scattered to their rooms.
"SNACK TIME!" Snape called, walking in wearing a frilly pink apron.
"Pie for you! AND pie for you! AND pie for you!" he said, just about skipping around the room.
"Thank's Professor." Nellie said as Snape handed her a plate. Snape then began to shake violently. He dropped the pie plate and clutched is head again.
"NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!" He cried to no one. "PLEASE! NOT ANOTHER ONE! I WANT MY MOMMY! NO! NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE HER ALONE MASTER! YOU DON'T NEED HER! I'M TELLING YOU! YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER ONE!!!!" there was silence all around the common room. Snape kept sucking in his breath rapidly. It was like he was listening to someone.
"BUT I LIKE MY APRON!!!!!!!!!" he said and ran off sobbing hysterically.
"Is he always like this?" Nellie asked Draco. She began to eat her pie slice because Goyle was eyeing it apprehensively.
"Not always." Draco said. "He used to be such a grouch sometimes. And then. Lord Voldemort was revived."
"Oh."
"He was in the league with Voldemort." Draco continued. "Now that he's back Snape has been leaving to meet with his master. He comes back and acts strange. We're all getting used to it now. Don't worry." But Nellie was worrying. Voldemort was the master of Snape, driving him almost to insanity. How cruel could he be?
Voldemort watched from the window of his house. The Ministry wizards were almost finished with his palace.
"Perfect." He hissed, rubbing his hands together as to relive them from an irritating itch. "Yes.. Now with my palace almost done, I will be able to have all my Death Eater's join me in a celebration." He turned to a man reading Play-Wizard in a near by corner.
"Wormtail!" Voldemort hissed, snatching away the magazine. "Are you paying attention?"
"Yes. Master." He said weakly.
"Good. I want you to surround some of our best Death Eater's to draw mural around the halls in my palace, showing my greatness. And add in all the death's too."
"Yes." Wormtail got up from his chair.
"And Wormtail?" Voldemort said, now facing the window again.
"Plan a party for when my palace is finished. I want to invite all the Death Eaters. Leave the Hogwart's invitations to me."
"Yes, master." Wormtail said.
"It will be the greatest party ever!" Voldemort said, his evil eyes flashing fire. He was pleased to have found a potion to restore his good looks. He ran his hands through his hair. "There will be singing and dancing!" Voldemort did a little twirl, his robes billowing about him. "And the finest food!" Voldemort grinned at the thought of how much fun everyone would have.
"You are dismissed." Voldemort said, waving his hand and day dreaming of the wonders of his first party in years, in his own palace. In the own town where every statue was a shrine to him. Where the people were under his control. Where he had every illegal right to do whatever he pleased. Wormtail hurried out of the house. Very faintly he heard someone talking inside his head.
"Tom." It said.
"What?" Voldemort whispered harshly to the voice. "What do you want from me now?"
"I know what you're up to." The voice purred.
"Leave me the hell alone, woman." He said.
"Do you think they'll never find out?" the voice asked.
"Only if the ones faithful to me abandon me. But if that was ever to happen, they would be killed before they could speak a word." The voice laughed faintly.
"I wouldn't be to cocky, Tom." Voldemort glared out the window at these words.
"I have everything that I need to use against you." The voice whispered, so softly Voldemort was surprised he even heard it.
"You will never defeat me by being a tattletale." Voldemort said. The voice was silent for a moment, but he knew her too well. She was back in an instant.
"There are people who are here, Tom. Your people. There's even someone you forgot to properly kill. You will never succeed." Apparently satisfied, the voice was gone. Voldemort closed his eyes. A hand, his hand, reaching down into a crib and pulling the blankets over the head of that little baby. There was something about the baby that soothed him. He couldn't kill the innocent infant. He would bend his rules. No one followed rules. He didn't have to murder them all. It wouldn't do any harm. It was just a baby! Voldemort opened his eyes and reached up that same hand and clutched the blood red velvet curtains. He gazed at the moon.
"It shall be time in the new year." He said. "I'll be waiting." He said to the moon. He drew the drapes. Voldemort wandered through the house until he reached a room that had a blank black wall on the far side of the room. The other three walls were a pure marble stone. Shadows of candles cast flickering shadows across the walls. A high backed chair was positioned in front of the wall. Voldemort walked over and slowly sat down.
"Show me." He said to the wall, pointing his wand at it. The wall began to swirl in gray black clouds. They swirled faster and faster. The clouds began to depart until a wide clear hole was shown, the clouds still circling the screen. The wall showed a dimly lit bathroom. Voldemort could make out a sink in the shadows and a towel rack. Stone snakes with their tails curled around waxy candles were hung on the wall. A girl with red hair and bright blue gray eyes was combing her hair slowly, gazing thoughtfully at her reflection in the mirror. Voldemort leaned back satisfied with himself in his chair.
"Yes." he purred to himself. He began to laugh. All he needed now was the cat that all villains have to pet lovingly as they laugh to the devil. And that cat was in front of him.
"I've got you now." Voldemort hissed into the dark. "Miss Nellie Potter."
AIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! You guys like this? I do! It's so cool! Because we know who Nellie really is and the characters in the book (besides from the mysterious voice in Voldemort's head, Voldemort himself, Miss Arabella Figg, and soon Professor Albus Dumbledore.) Chapter 5 is coming!
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