"You will? You really willl?" Nashville's eye lit up. "No girl has ever wanted to race with me before." of course he would start blushing now. "I'll be sure to win the race." He winked, let out a nervous laugh making his tan face turn bright red. He was a guy so he had to win, but if Christmas is able to beat him...he wouldn't care. Let the fastest person win.

Habit? How? Why? He hit the side of his head slightly. Why did he keep asking so many questions today? It's was like twenty questions with like a million more added on to it. Or a billion? Maybe a trillion? He lost count after one really. "I'm hungry right now but I just want the food now and then I found out we have to sit through a speech. Is the speech normally really long?"

Nashy let go of her and sat down. "I'm doing great. I got sorted into Hufflepuff, I wanted Slytherin but I'll get used to Hufflepuff, I'm starting to like it already. My summer was great. I spent most of the days at the beach. How are you? Did you have fun this summer too?" Nashville beamed, look even more questions.

Oh. Oh.... Ooooh.

That made a lot more sense. "It's nice to meet you Ronnie," Melanie said nodding her head. "I'm not that great with names, to be honest, but I can recognize faces!" She was good with faces. Melanie liked faces. Everyone had a pretty face. Yup. "So, did you enjoy your summer?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

Melanie's eyes widened as Nashville hit his own head. What... "Are you okay? Why did you hit yourself?" Melanie asked. Did he need to go see a healer? She was pretty sure hitting yourself wasn't a smart thing to do. "The speech isn't that long but waiting for everyone to be sorted so we get to the speech takes a while," Melanie replied, nodding her head as she thought about it. The speech was never too long nor too boring... it was just everyone was hungry so it made them a bit cranky.

She nodded her head as he spoke. "Oh! Hufflepuff! Congratulations! You got into the house of the good huggers!" Which was a fact. Melanie was sure that all Hufflepuffs were good huggers. Most of the members of the house were proof of it. "The beach sounds like it was fun. I hope you remembered your sunscreen though so you won't get burned," she added. That wasn't fun. Even when you weren't at the beach, you could get burned.

"I'm good, glad to be back. Though to be honest, I miss summer a lot... I miss working," Melanie replied.

After, stopping at the Hufflepuff table, Jory made his way towards the Gryffindor table. He had never sat at any other table as anyone who wanted to talk to him always came to the Puff table. Well, anyone meaning Gwen. But he wanted to see how Ronnie was doing.

He spotted her after a few minutes of scanning the crowded table and made a beeline for her. She was chatting with others so he didn't think she noticed as he squeezed in the spot next to her.

When his friend was done speaking, he said, "Hiya, Ronnie. Feeling better?'' Jory had noticed her emotional look during the carriage ride.

Sylvester flinched slightly as he was drawn out of his thought as he felt someone poke him. Looking up he caught sight of a girl grinning at him and he smiled back as she welcomed him.

"Yup, another firstie, I'm Sly" he introduced, the smile staying firmly on his face though he was quite sure that it was growing as he spoke before he thought that he should probably give her his proper name instead of just a nickname. "Well... Sylvester actually, but most people call me Sly"

Looking to another direction he noticed someone else welcome him and nodded in acknowledgment with the smile still on his face. "Thanks, I'm Sylvester, Sylvester Parker but most people call me Sly" he expanded, thinking about how weird it was considering he was in Gryffindor the house of the Brave and sly was one of the Slytherin attributes...

That really was a weird thing, but still he managed to quickly glance over to the green table, spotting Kahlan sitting over there already seeming quite social. Before anyone else noticed him looking over there he quickly looked away from the blonde, instead looking almost too curiously at the plastic spork in front of him.

Yeah. Anya totally wasn't paying attention. To anything. Other than trying to figure out the mystery between these cups, of course. Why did she have a plastic cup? And... a spork. More importantly... who created sporks? That would be a history book she'd enjoy reading. Like... did that guy just not know what he wanted to eat with and just needed a combination.

She'd like to think so.

Oh, right. Back to the cup thing.

"You're right. That's ridiculous. Maybe there were budget cuts?" Assuming Hogwarts had a budget. She didn't know how that worked. "I didn't even know magickind believed in plastic." True story. It seemed like a muggle thing to her.

Now. To do the only thing one could do with a plastic cup.

She flipped it over. Clapclap. Tappity tap tap. Clap. Yup. Anya Phillips was playing the cup game. And if Jake had no idea what she was doing, he was about to find out.

Why?

Because Anya was just that type of girlfriend.

"It's nice to meet you too." she said. It was nice to finally be meeting more people around her age from her own house. It felt like she barley knew anyone in Gryffindor...which was sad. So her goal this term was to make friends with more lions.

She chuckled. "Well that's good!" she said with a small nod. She actually had a problem with faces sometimes. She'd mix up names with faces once in a while...but she still knew names and that's all that really mattered. To her, anyway. She then shrugged at Melanie's question. "Eh...it was rather boring. I was home for most of it." she said with a glum look. That was pretty much every summer for her. Meh. She hated it. The only good part was no homework. "What about you?"

Ronnie smiled as Jory squeezed next to her. "Hey, Jory." she said, turning towards him. She then shrugged. "Eh...I guess so. A little better." she said with a small nod.

"So, do you know what all this about?" she asked suddenly, gesturing to all the paper plates, plastic cups, and plastic silverware spread around the table. It was odd. And she was really curious about it...she liked the cups and plates and such that they normally had at the feast. They were shiny and pretttyyy. These on the other hand were just...boring.

It took all of Michael's self control, which wasn't a lot, to not run down to the Gryffindor table whooping at the top of his voice. He did manage to jump in the air a little and click his heels together before he reached the table and looked at his fellow housemates.

Where was Zahra? He did not see her anywhere and he got a little nervous again. His BFF better not have backed out on their deal otherwise they were not going to be BFF's anymore.

"Hello everyone!" He called out as he swung one leg over the bench seat and planted his behind.

He needed food. In all his excitement he had not eaten anything since breakfast and he was now starving. Maybe one of his fellow Lions would have a pre-dinner snack hidden in their pockets.

Aphrodite happy to meet with several senior from Gryffindor, it looks like they will be able to help her later. "Hello, My name is Aphrodite, glad to see you!" she said cheerfully toward her, holding out her hand.

There must be something wrong with the feast tonight, because almost all students have the face of confusion as well as on Christmas'.

Welcomed her outstretched hand and said, "Thank you! My name is Aphrodite, pleased to meet you, Ronnie!" she replied brightly, "So what happened, Ronnie? Why everyone looks confused tonight?" she added.

There were reasons she liked Penelope. One of them being that she didn't question food. Unlike Melanie, she wasn't asking a whole bunch of questions about where she got them, or how legal what she did was. Lex grinned over at her as she helped herself...and help herself she did!

Merlin!

It was a good thing Lex had thrown quite a lot into the bag otherwise, seeing her fish out so many might have been unnerving. It was all good. The point was to share the food so people wouldn't be starving while they waited. She peered down in the bag...pretty sure there were still plenty...

Then the girl raised an interesting point. "Hmmm...I dunno...guess I never thought of that. Think the house elves might have helped the person. Like...can you actually bribe a house elf." Now THAT was a curious thought, one she'd have to look into.



Melanie was starting to worry Lex. Her wide eyed stare wasn't exactly helping the situation. It kinda made it seem like her efforts weren't appreciated, which kinda wasn't true because Penelope seemed real happy when she heard that she had food. Shouldn't Melanie have been happy too??

She was about to put her bag away, TOTALLY DEJECTED BY THE WAY, but then the girl was asking about the kinds she had.

Eeeep!!

"Well if I'm being honest I really don't know. I found a tray of the stuff and I slipped them into my candy bag, then I found the cupcakes, really just sitting there too so I took them as well." It was only after she said that that she realized how not necessarily nice it sounded and quickly sought to fix that. "But, I'm sure it didn't belong to anyone and it's fine!" BEAM. Then she extended the bag to her.

A Firstie who wasn't very sensitive to being poked either. She liked him already! "Well hi there Sly!" He said most people called him that. She wasn't most people but Sylvester was too long for her liking so she'd go with it.

"Are you happy with where the sorting hat put you?" Very important question right there. You couldn't be a Gryffindor and not have some kind of lion pride. It just didn't work like that and in fact it kinda sounded weeeird. She herself had wanted to be sorted into Ravenclaw but now she couldn't even think about that. It just wouldn't have been the same.

Also. "Why are you eyeing your cup like that? Is it talking in funny voices?" And with that she gave him a wide eyed, curious stare.

THIS ONE was hard to miss. THIS ONE had her beaming.

Finally a Gryffindor that she could actually tell was happy with the sorting hat's decision. She was beginning to think they were all a lost cause in one way or another but then she saw him.

Oooooooo and he was loud enough for Gryffindor too!!

"Hello YOU!" Because they were shouting, that's what they were doing. Couldn't anyone else tell? As oblivious as she was even she could see this. "You seem happy enough to be sitting here so lemme officially welcome you to Gryffindor!" BEAM. "I'm Alexa Cambridge, Third Year Gryffindor in charge." Yeah, all that was necessary. Problem? She didn't think so.

"Who are you?" GRIN.

"And it is a pleasure to meet you, Aprhodite!" she said with a smile as they shook hands. She then looked puzzled for a minute at the girl's question. She looked around thoughtfully...and then remembered.

OH YEAH!

The paper plates and all that. "Well, normally we don't have all this." she said, motioning to the plastic cups, silverware, and paper plates. "At the feasts there's always nice, shiny REAL plates and goblets and actual silverware. We never have this so it's really strange." she said. She glanced at the staff table, wondering what they were up to with all this...maybe the house elves got super lazy or something.

For a moment he thought that no one was going to greet him back, but then he heard a voice that was just as loud as he was. Michael turned his gaze to the girl who had spoken to him and he GRINNED back at her.

"I am stoked to be a Gryffindor." He totally, TOTALLY was, even though the hat had said otherwise but now that he was here, he couldn't imagine being anywhere else. "Thanks." For the welcome.

His gaze flicked over the table and he spotted a couple of people he had met in Diagon Alley. He inclined his head at Aphrodite to acknowledge her before looking back at the girl who was now introducing herself. "Nice to meet you Alexa. My name is Michael Toussaint."

He would have shaken her hand but she was sitting opposite him and he didn't want to sprawl himself across the table to reach her. Maybe after he'd had some sugar. Speaking of food..."Hey you wouldn't happen to have a chocolate frog or cauldron cake on you? I don't know how long before the food is due to come out and I am starving."

Pretty pleeeeeeeeeeeease.

Loud. Grinning. Stoked to be a Gryffindor. Where had he been last term when everyone who walked to the table looked like they had been sentenced to life imprisonment at Azkaban????? If she had seen just one more scowl brought on by a lack of house pride she would have gone mad, in fact she very nearly almost did. Good thing she was one to keep her composure ...sort of.

Ah and his name was Michael. She nodded at that but she wasn't going to tell him it was nice meeting him too just yet because she wasn't sure if it really was nice--Who was she kidding? He grinned! He was loud! "It's nice to meet you too!!" And there you had it. The first time Alexa Cambridge ever told someone it was nice to meet them without having gone through an entire conversation and subsequent assessment. His entrance was enough to make her think that it was nice to meet him.

Er...but then he was asking hard questions...

Of course she had a chocolate frog. She always had chocolate frogs, cauldron cakes too...but...well...she didn't know him that well and sharing wasn't something she did. Not with candy anyway. Oh but he was a firstie and she needed those for her army.

Decisions, decisions. "Wouldn't you rather some cookies or cupcakes? I snuck down into the kitchen and grabbed some before coming here. You can have some." Yeah. She liked you kid, but chocolate frogs...just no. Not yet.

Amara jerked when she heard couple of voices around her. She looked up to see a group of people near her. When had they come? She had been so busy cursing the old, batty hat that she missed these arrivals.

OH BOY!

She focused on the first one. What's up with me? ME? "Are you talking to me?" she asked, looking doubtful. "Nothing" Like I am going to tell you. She looked at the senior girl. The girl did seem fine and Amara wasn't in the mood to yell at people right now. "Fine" she said, looking very vague. "I'm Amara" And I don't know you.


Then there was Fro, sitting right next to her. "Yes.." she trailed. "I'm okay.." Understand. She looked at Fro, the girl seemed happy with the arrangements. She sighed. "Gryffindor" she said, as if that made everything clear.

What is she going to do with my name? She wasn't ready for this just yet. Sure she liked getting to know people, but this wasn't one of those times. Her temper was beginning to rise. "Amara. Amara Kaul" she said, voice under control, without looking at the girl. "First year" As you can see.

And then this voice just boomed! A rather hyper looking girl addressed her, in a rather tensed up voice. She just stared at the girl as she went on to elaborate the definition, objective and mission of the Gryffie lions.

STARE.

"I think I would just find a tactical approach to the chimaera problem, rather than running behind it like fools" she chipped, coldly.

Happy? "Not even close to it" she said. But don't let it bother you. Proud Lions.

"Hey" I don't know you. And the girl was eying her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm fine" And you can see I'm not. She was getting angrier right then. "You can stop looking at me like that, I'm not a mad killer on loose" she opined, rather coldly. It wasn't manners to look at people like that. Wasn't it?

And this elder guy walked up to her. What was with all the seniors and me?
He flashed a brilliant smile and spoke in a different accent. She sighed and turned.

The same questions again.

But his next words made her look up at him again. Stupid hat, yes. Ray from the sky.

"It did" she said, loath filling each syllable. "And it wouldn't listen to me" she said. Dad had said it would. "Self deciding, stupid hat"

Sit next to me? "Yes, you can" Free country. And someone with mutual hatred for the hat could very well be with her.

"I'm Amara" she said, "And I do bite" she added with a little smile.

Yet another person asked talked to her. She was getting very frustrated by the minute passing. "Amara" she replied. Slytherin and manners were together. And this one was downright cheerful and...WHAT?

She gave her a murderous look. Welcome to Gryffindor? This was getting pathetic. Everyone was probably celebrating getting in Gryffindor. Help? Yes, I could use some. "Yes, can you tell me how I could request a change of house?" she asked flatly. No setting up bedtimes.

Ronnie blinked. Oh Merlin... had she been looking at her like that? She didn't mean it to look like what the girl was thinking. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to look... like..." she trailed off and began toying with the spork in her hand. Meh. What was this girls's problem?

Ohh. Ronnie had a hunch. "Lemme guess. Not the house you wanted?" she asked with a slight frown. Lots of students got upset about being sorted into houses they didn't want to be in...heck, even Ronnie had been that way.

It seemed that this girl was just a little bit wary of him. Was it because he was a boy? Or maybe it was because he was a first year. Or maaaaaaaaaybe it was because she could tell how awesome he was and she was a little intimidated by that. HAHAHA!! He was gonna go with that last one. Michael gave her another one of his grins.

Although he could feel that grin fading a little as she just sat there. Really?! How hard was it to give him some food? He would pay her back. When he got some of his own that is. Maybe she didn't like to share. That was okay with him, all she had to do was say and he would find someone else to get food from. Zahra was sure to have some food. He just had to find her first.

When Alexa finally did speak, Michael was relieved to hear that she did actually have some food on her. "Sure, sure that's fine." Heck he would have eaten fruits or vegetables if that's all she had on her. He was that hungry.

It took him a moment to register what she had said and his eyes widened with delight. "You snuck into the kitchens?" He glanced around them and then lowered his voice. "Can you sneak me in one time?" And then he could surprise Z with some yummy treats. And then she would have to do something nice for him. Cos that's how they rolled.

Even though he was talking to Alexa, Michael couldn't help but overhear the girl complaining about being put into Gryffindor. What was she on about? It was the best house. He was in it. And Z was in it. Well she better be. And Alexa was in it and she seemed pretty cool.

"If you didn't want to be in Gryffindor then you should have told the hat you wanted to go into a different house." That's what he had done.

Sly had to stop himself from laughing when he saw the way that the girl across from him seemed to be quite literally beaming, and could feel a grin, in fact a massive grin, forming on his face as he looked at her before he even answered her next question. Alexa certainly had an outgoing, rather contagious mood!

"Yeah I'm happy where the hat put me, I wanted to be a Gryffindor actually!" he replied his grin seeming to grow even more. If it didn't stop soon he was certain his cheeks would be sore soon!

"I don't know" he replied, the grin turning into frown for a second as he looked at his cup again. A small sparkle in his eyes formed at her presumption and he figured for the moment he might go with it, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile as he quietly whispered. "I think it is!"

Don't smile Sly, don't smile, don't smile! Keep a straight face! He chanted desperately in his head.

Sly looked over to see another first year girl sitting there, judging by all the welcomes and she already seemed more than annoyed at the welcomes he noticed, his lips twitching upwards in amusement in that fact though he figured he wouldn't try tapping her to get her attention, instead speaking.

"All the welcomes getting a bit too much?" he asked, a teasing tone to his voice as his amused smile seemed to stay there, quite certain this girl was going to bite his head off when she did reply. "I'm Sylvester by the way, Sylvester Parker, but people call me Sly"

She could sense the girl became a bit awkward. "Don't bother about what I thought" It doesn't bother me anyway. The girl was starting on her guessing game. She sighed when the girl hit the right answer.

"Yes" she said, regretfully. "And it seems I have to live with it" She looked at the other people. The statement would have hurt them. Make a concession, they look like good people.

Amara gave him an incredulous look. "What makes you think I didn't do that?" she asked, annoyed. What does he think? "The thing just overruled it" Stupid thing.

The boy was all laughing and smiling, another happy member of the proud family. She didn't know what to do. The place seemed nice to her, sans her annoyed feeling.

Another boy excited first year talked to her. Though he didn't ask her what was wrong. Good for him. She looked like she would kill the next person who asked her that.

"You think" she said, with a small smile on her lips. The boy's teasing tone seemed to lighten her. She was talking to all, but at the wrong time.

Sly? "Doesn't that mean cunning?" she asked. "Not really a lion quality is it?" she added in an equally teasing tone.

"I'm Amara Kaul" Yeah. Don't call me anything but Amara.

So that was how it was.

Smirk.

"You know, you're absolutely right. A much more thoughtful plan, brilliant if I do say so myself. You actually sound something like a 'Claw." The smirk was still there. She would remove it, just...when she was done. "Next to Puffers, they're the most likely to be used as human shields. You can join them, you'd make better use there." Milton was a Ravenclaw, he nearly got eaten by a giant, man-eating plant.

Gryffindor's lived.

But enough about that. "The hat's already made it's decision though, so what do you plan to do now?" Really, how she spent the next 7 years was up to her.



Lex's brows crinkled when the boy's grin began to fade. Did that mean he didn't want any of the cupcakes and cookies? They were delicious, honest and Penelope seemed to like them a lot too!! Plus, food taken without anyone knowing always tasted better, DUH. Maybe he just wasn't all that hungry anymore?

Oh wait, no, there we go. He still wanted some.

She took her candy bag from over her shoulder and slid it across the table. "Help yourself, there's still a good amount left I think." More like she hopped after Penelope got through with it. Probably wasn't that bad though. She'd stuck quite a bit in there. While he helped himself to those she helped herself to a chocolate frog.

Her chewing got slower and she trained her eyes on him. "I did." She said, rather matter of factly. "Starving's not an option this year." Also she was a bit confused. "And you mean like...now?" She asked, glancing briefly over at the staff table. Sneaking him to the kitchen during the feast? "Or just some time because well...everyone goes to the kitchen really, you'd just have to walk in..." Unless that wasn't how it was meant to be in which case, everyone at Hogwarts was using the kitchens wrong.

Either way, she could take him to the kitchen.



BKJGBKDBSLGF!!!

Another one happy to be in Gryffindor! Woot! This earned him another BEAM. "That's good! Gryffindor is happy to have you! We're happy to have just about everyone really." Yeah, just about. Not everyone could be a Gryffindor and for some people, the reason was obvious.

She gave him a curious look. How did he not know? Could he hear voices or couldn't he? If he could, what exactly was he hearing? Nice things about candy? She liked candy. Perhaps the cups knew something that she didn't. Finally he gave an answer.

"Fascinating! I don't suspect mine talks. If it does it isn't saying very much right now. Shame really, I bet it could have the most interesting things to say." But of course cups didn't talk and they would never be able to tell her why they were here instead of the regular stuff.

......

What now?

When Zeke finally made up his way to the Gryffindor table, a LOT (and I mean A LOT) of students were already there. So at least he wasn't one of the first ones to say hi to everyone. Walking, walking, aaand there he was.

He sat down silently and observed everyone when he finally gave up after seeing that girl named Alexa. PSH. Clearly this Gryffindor has NOT forgotten what you did to him last year at the end of the term feast, lady.

After giving her a brief stare, he leaned his elbows against the table and rested his head upon it, looking down. This was going to be another long feast. Luckily he had brought over some food from the trolley back at the train. That was when he noticed the, erm, whatever you call it. Was that supposed to be a plate?

Tell him this is a joke. Because it was pretty funny. They were going to eat with that? Hogwarts is going DOWNHILL I tell you, DOWNHILL. Sigh. At least he was leaving soon, not that he didn't like the time he spent here. He was just eager to get on with his life.

Well...

There was no need to be like that! Michael stared at the girl for a few moments, not blinking and reminding himself that she was a girl and he was a boy and that punching her would get him into trouble.

So instead he shrugged his shoulders and tried not to look too smug. "Maybe you weren't very nice to the hat." Did she think about that? "It had no problem putting me in the house I wanted."

So there!!

This chick was AWESOME!!

Michael immediately reached into the bag and pulled out a couple of cookies and a cupcake. That should keep him going until the food arrived. Unless the Bunzinator talked for a very long time. Yeah, yeah, he knew that the Headmistress married that Truebridge fella but he had heard his mother call her that and the name had now stuck. "Thanks." He said to Alexa before taking a bite out of one of the cookies. Mmmm so good.

No he didn't mean now.

Wait!

"What do you mean starving is not an option?" Was that some form of punishment here? They refused to feed you? He would have to tell Z about this. She would not cope without food. Maybe he should grab another cupcake or two.

But, hang on. How could one starve if you can just walk into the kitchen anytime you wanted. Michael was starting to get confused. Alexa was not making sense. Was this some kind of first year initiation or something?

"Don't you have to do something to get in?" He was sure that his mother had told him how, she had been a Hufflepuff after all, but he could not remember what she had said. "Can my friend Zahra come too?"

She was still enjoying her chocolate frog when she noticed a certain other Gryffindor across the table. He didn't seem like he was really into things tonight and she would have left him alone, 'cept for the fact that he was staring at her so she did what any normal 12 year old 13 year old would do. She STARED right back. That was really the only option because they still had a long night ahead of them.

The staring was cut short when he pretty much put his head down and ignored the world. This was when she reached across the table and began poking at him.

"Oi, you alright?" And was she meant to continue poking until he responding? She could, just for the record.



Oh hey, look at that, he was able to find a couple in there. Now she was really wondering. Just how many had she actually thrown in there. Hmm, probably would have made sense to check but then that would have taken forever and she had needed to get back before they noticed she was missing. People noticed when she was missing, usually because they figured something terrible would happen shortly after but the point was people NOTICED.

Pity too because she could have grabbed so many other things if she wasn't in such a rush.

His question amused her. She leaned closer to the table as if she was about to share some top secret news then said in what was meant to be a hushed tone so long as you weren't her.

"Yeah, happens every term. We sit down here wondering when the food will happen. She sits up there, talking and knowing that food won't happen until her speech happens then just when you've hit your limit and your stomach starts protesting violently, she clears her throat and you think 'Yes! Food!' but see, you'll be wrong because you have to take into a count that she likes talking and giving looong speechs." And that was how one starved, nearly, at a feast. "This year, I was thinking...not so much. So I grabbed some food."

And more questions. "Well yeah," but that was pretty common knowle--oh right he was a firstie....right...."That parts real simple, I could show you and your friend can come too! Sure! I could show you both. It's really just tickling a pear."

Natasha joined her newly appointed, Gryffindor table. As she did not have an opinion on the houses, she felt neither good nor bad about this. She was just grateful that she was sorted into a house at all. Looking along the table, she saw Amara and Aphrodite, and hurried over to sit with them.

Amara did not look like she was very happy. As Natasha recalled, Amara had been quite certain that she would be sorted into Slytherin.

“Amara, are you okay?” Natasha asked. “I know you wanted to be in Slytherin, but you never know, Gryffindor might turn out to be not so bad after all.” She suggested, trying to make her friend feel a little better.

Okay he totally knew what Alexa was doing there. Perhaps she'd had an older student do something similar to her when she had been a first year or maybe she just liked to tell stories. Who knew? And quite frankly there was probably some truth to it. His parents knew the Headmistress. Not well, but they did know her. From what he gathered, the woman did like to talk a lot. Especially about herself but he didn't think it went for as long as Alexa was making out. But hey when he was a third year, he would do the same thing to a firstie as well. "Good thinking. I'll have to remember that for next year."

Michael took another bit out of his cookie while Alexa agreed to take him and Zahra to the kitchens. Even though she had just told him how to do it on his own. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

With one cookie down, he started on the cupcake and he glanced up the table once again and noticed that it was really starting to fill up now. "So what advice do you have for a Hogwarts firstie?" Like what Professors he had to watch out for? Which classes was the best? Where the coolest hangout was?

While he was waiting for Alexa to answer his question, Michael spotted Natasha taking a seat not very far from him. "Alright there Natasha?" He called out, waving enthusiastically at her. He felt bad that he had not met up with her on the train when he had told her that he would.

The smirk was plastered across the girl's face. It reminded her much of herself, how she looked when she found people irritating. Okay, now you are irritating. "Smirk looks Slytherin" she said, coolly. Much about Lion Pride.

To the girl's question... she blinked. What would she do now? Live with it. Great. "Might as well get used to it" she commented. Besides she didn't want to be some sort of entertainment for the opening feast. "I'm Amara Kaul" she said, giving the smirking girl a small, restricted smile. Getting to know very well can wait. Not when she keeps smirking at me.

"Don't stare" she requested to the guy. "Makes me feel like an exhibit" She sighed. Not nice to the hat? I was good! "I admit being polite is not my thing, but I didn't provoke it!" she said, thinking of the sorting ceremony. "I requested it to place me in..." she paused, he was going to think I'm bad or something. "..erm, Slytherin" she said, looking at him, trying to decipher his reaction. "It did think about it at first, infact it suggested it to me..." she trailed. "But then.. it suddenly put me in Gryffindor" Wise hats! "Bravery. I don't even remember what I did was SO brave or anything"

Amara shook her head. "I'm sorry" she said, looking pointedly at the funny plates. "It's just...my father was Slytherin..." she said, turning back to him. "And no one from my family was in Gryffindor" she informed. "Claws, Snakes, Puffs...yes, but no lions" Makes me sort of unique, doesn't it? Why was she actually telling this to him?

"Erm, Amara" she said, holding out her hand in a rather awkward way. Being there, she might as well get to know someone.

She watched as Nats sat down beside her. "It's fine" she said, looking at the girl. "Welcome back, we're together now" Atleast that was encouraging. Urged by some mysterious feel, she took the girl's hand. Feelings wasn't her thing, but she was sure Nats would understand.

Budget cuts? Sarah added her two pence, "usually when people have budget cuts they do not use disposable, instead they use dishes, or at least that is what muggles do. One thing I do know that it is awesome to draw on cups." she lifted up her plastic fork and began to doodle a bit on her cup. That is what disposable awesome

Yay, a friendly first year. Sarah liked those kind, the grumpy ones aroused her pity. "hello back to you!" she chirped, looking up from her cup masterpiece. "I am Sarah Edwards by the way" she knew his name was Michael from evesdropping. "by the way, are you French or something? You surname sounds french."

"Hi Aphrodite!" Sarah said. She was very curious about the name, so Sarah being a Sarah asked, "by the way, what does your name mean or why were you called it?" . Sarah thought it was a question all kids aske their parents, yet some kids did not know, lik the Forrest dude. Those first years did have interesting names.



"Hi Amara!" Sarah said. Another interesting name. Yet this girl did not look like she wanted any conversation at all. Sarah wanted to tell her to smile, yet from hearing this girls other converstion she knew this girl was another Theo. Sarah wondered why this girl was no in Slytherin, all grumps went to Slytherin usually.

Change of house?" well," Sarah began, "I don't think it is possible yet you could discuss with out Head of House Professor Bently or some other staff member. Yet if I were you I will make the best of it,". Then she stopped herself, a closed mouth gathered no foot, yet she had forgotten
Then Sarah spotted another first year,
"Hey! Welcome to Gryffindor! I am Sarah Edwards" Sarah greeted her with a smile.. "What is your name?" maybe it was another one of those interestin names these first years seemed to have.



Then Penelope came. "Hi Penelope!" she said, "nah.. charms is not that hard, my moms does it at home. I don't know what spell she uses though, you know me, I stay as far away from the kitchen if I cannot help, with the exception of the fridge". It was great to be back with everyone, although she was missing the older members of her 'family' like Kurumi, even Selina, yet now there was a new litter in the den.

SPOILER!!: Feli

Sylvester had managed to slowly make his way back over to the Gryffindor table where people had been clapping when he'd been sorted. At least he'd gotten half of what he wanted, he was in the house he wanted but now Kahlan was a Slytherin... they'd definitely have to find a place to go and chat after all this was over. They could make their friendship work, even without lazy Saturdays in the same common room.

Sly sat himself down casually looking up and down the table. Well he'd always liked the colour red... though that red cup in front of him was bothering him for some reason. Still the first year just shrugged it off, not really knowing what to do now that he was sitting at the table.

Then another 1st year joined them. "Hi" Sarah called. " Welcome to the Lion Pride!! My name is Sarah Edwards - what is yours?" Yes Sarah could be very direct. Some people thought it rude yet Sarah thought it was acceptable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iBeJenn

Melanie smiled at Sarah who greeted her. The two had been on the Quidditch team together but she never really spoke to her. Well, there was no time like the present. "Hey Sarah, did you enjoy your break?" Melanie asked. She couldn't wait to know about the younger girl's summer. Everyone seemed to have done such amazing things!

"Did I ever! Everyday I did something new, my nephew and his parents came to visit, my brothers in university were home. It was really nice, I also did touring around the area and of course spent time with my family, my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Then of course I HAD to read, so between all that I was pretty busy." Sarah could go on forever, yet she decided to be polite and make it more of a dialogue "How was yours?"

Then she noticed Alexa had joined them and she had SUPPLIES!
"hey, Lex!" Sarah said, "I brought my watch this time so we can time the headmistresses speech. I wish they served the food before the speech, so we could eat while she drones on." . Sarah's cup was now fill of her designs. She really did find disposable fun.