Amethyst Rosewood and The Joys of Independence by Melissa Nichols (bill gates books recommendations .TXT) 📖

one, but if I'm in either of those then I'll be happy."

 

"I'd like to be in Ravenclaw or maybe Hufflepuff." Amy replied. "I like learning but I'm not sure that's all I want to do. And from what I understand, Gryffindor and Slytherin are both good Houses. I'm just not sure I'm cut out to be a hero."

 

"I'm pretty sure I'll be in Ravenclaw," Mary declared.

 

Scorpius replied. "My mum said it's not really the Hat that chooses where you go, it’s you. The Hat takes into consideration what House you associate with more, which values you hold higher - bravery, friendship, intelligence or ambition. It can also Sort you based on what traits you lack."

 

"My dad said nearly the same thing!" Albus jumped to his feet. "But I'm still torn between Gryffindor or Slytherin. I guess I'll let the Hat choose."

 

"Good deal. Hey, who wants to play a game of Never Have I Ever?" Amy asked, got Mary agreeing while the wizards stared in silence.

 

"What's that?" Scorpius asked hesitantly.

 

"It's a game." Amy explained. "You start off with ten fingers extended. Then one of us asks a question starting with 'never have I ever', and if you've done the thing then you put down a finger. If you haven't done it then you leave the finger extended. The last one to get to zero fingers wins! Oh, and when it’s your turn to say 'never have I ever,’ it has to be true."

 

"Alright. Sounds fun. What are the stakes?"

 

"No stakes. But you might be teased because you've never done anything." Amy displayed ten extended fingers. "I'll go first. Never have I ever...failed a test."

 

Mary and Albus put down a finger, while Rose, Scorpius and Amy did not.

 

"My turn!" Mary declared, sitting on Amy's left. "Never have I ever...been bitten by an animal."

 

Amy was the only one to not put down a finger. At the shocked outrage that she faced, she explained. "Most animals will give multiple signals if they don't like something, and people get bitten when they ignore those signals. I can talk to animals so if I do something they don't like, they let me know and then I won't do it again. Because of that, I've never been bitten."

 

Rose skipped her turn, so it went to her cousin Albus. And then from Albus to Mary and ended with Scorpius, and then back to Amy. After a round or two, Rose began to loosen up and join in, and Scorpius started coming up with questions that the other kids wouldn't think of. He was also quick to make jokes in a fun way, usually involving puns.

 

When no questions were forthcoming, Amy switched the game to Truth or Dare. She had to explain it to the wizards as well, but they were quick to pick things up.

 

Just as the game was starting to get entertaining, the conductor called for lunch. They were shocked to learn it was already three o'clock in the afternoon.

 

They continued their games through the meal, and were scolded by a prefect once or twice for being too loud. But Amy didn't mind much. She had some new friends, and everyone was getting along. They were soon joined by Rose and Albus' older cousins; Victoire, Dominique, Fred II and Roxanne. The first years joined another table to theirs so the older cousins could join in the fun. James also made an appearance, but he only said hello for a moment before he rejoined his friends in another dining car.

 

Amy and her friends went back to the compartment after they'd eaten their fill, and the games didn't stop. When the sun set and they had to turn on the compartment light, the topic of conversation changed to revolve around Hogwarts, what everyone expected to experience, or what they wanted to see or learn about.

 

When the conductor announced they were less than an hour away from Hogwarts, everyone in the compartment quieted down. Amy contemplated just how close she was to Hogwarts and a whole new life, how far away from home she was, and took the chance to write in her diary about her day up until then.

 

The hour passed quickly, and the train finally squealed to a stop. The conductor asked the first years to wait until the other students had left before disembarking; a message that many first years did not hear over the commotion. Amy and the other first years, however, did hear it, and crowded the window, straining to get an early look at the castle. Unfortunately, they were facing the wrong way. But they did see a large, burly man holding a lantern and calling for first years. Once the crowd in the hallway began to die, the first years grabbed their carry-on luggage and they disembarked the train together, joining their class. With everyone gathered together, they could see how many students were in their class. It was truly awesome to see so many heads.

 

The burly man explained at their shocked faces. "Name's Hagrid."

 

"Hello." Scorpius spoke first. "I'm Scorpius. These are Rose, Albus, Mary, Amy and Arcane."

 

"Welcome to Hogwarts." Hagrid shook everyone's hand. "Amy, darling, you should leave Arcane over there, with the luggage."

 

"But -" Amy began to object.

 

"I know, you want to keep her with you. Believe me, I understand. But it's school rules. She needs to go with the luggage up to the castle. Not to worry, she'll be waiting for you in your dormitory after the feast."

 

Amy sighed and did as she was told. She came back to find Hagrid welcoming the wizarding children more warmly, exclaiming about how close Albus and Rose's parents were when they were students, what educational goals Hermione and Draco had set and challenged, and how much of a nuisance Scorpius' father had made of himself. Amy could see that Scorpius wasn't happy, being reminded of his father's childhood.

 

"Now," Hagrid checked over the train. Amy turned to see the lights turning off one compartment at a time. "We just need to wait until all of those lights go out. Means all the students are gone. Don't want none of ye gettin' separated."

 

They watched anxiously as the last light was finally extinguished.

 

"Alright then. First years, follow me!" He then walked off down a trail, leaving the rest of the students to follow him.

 

Down the trail they marched, through the dark trees that were spookily misshapen and creaking in the moonlit darkness. The only light they had was the moon and the stars. The students instinctively grouped themselves together on the trail.

 

Finally, they broke the treeline and came upon a long dock with about thirty wooden boats bobbing in the water of a lake, each equipped with two lanterns: one in front and one in the rear.

 

"Four to a boat." Hagrid ordered as he waved the students past him. Amy, Rose, Albus and Scorpius - being the closest to Hagrid - were the first to grab a boat; girls on one side, boys on the other.

 

Hagrid repeated the simple command, his voice booming across the water to be easily heard, until all thirty boats were occupied.

While they waited for others to board their boats, they spotted the castle high atop a hill not far away. They gasped at the sight and Amy was completely enthralled at the majestic power emanating from the ancient school. Even at night with the only light coming from the lanterns in the windows, it screamed its importance and beauty.

 

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Amy whispered in absolute awe.

 

"Nearly fifteen centuries old." Rose added.

 

"Originally founded by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin." Scorpius elaborated.

 

"Survivor of the Battle of Hogwarts nineteen years ago." Albus chimed in. "Completely restored and some parts were even added onto or modernized."

 

"Bloody hell." Mary emphasized from the next boat.

 

Finally, after several minutes, Hagrid climbed into the last boat - which was completely empty of students. With a great bellow, he gave a command and the boats lurched forward. Amy was knocked backward, into the bow of the boat. When she straightened, she saw that the boat was indeed moving, but with no oars or engines to propel them into motion. She was about to ask how they were doing this on their own but closed her mouth as the obvious answer sprang to mind. Magic.

 

The boats travelled across the lake, Hagrid's boat quickly taking the lead position. The students were soon enthralled all over again as they saw Hogwarts from more angles and saw more water reflecting the moon's light. The boats came around the far side of the castle, neared a curtain of ivy, and then the students were plunged into absolute darkness as they entered a tunnel. The boats kept gliding along and, before anybody began to truly panic, they jolted to a stop as the boats docked themselves.

 

"Watch yer step now." Hagrid's voice commanded from ahead, his lantern illuminating a staircase. "Grab a lantern and be careful. Docks and steps are slippery." He then proceeded up the stone staircase. Very carefully, one boat at a time, all the students disembarked, grabbing lanterns as they did. Amy and Scorpius grabbed the two lanterns out of their boat, and Amy held hers high to gain the full advantage of its light as she began the steep climb up the stairs.

 

The stone staircase, perfectly hidden in the darkness, was steep and much longer than it seemed. Amy's legs were nearly ready to give out, and her breath was shallow and icy when she and her friends finally levelled out on a simple courtyard halfway up a different path coming from the woods. Only five stairs were behind Hagrid, separating the students from their new lives.

 

"How is it possible," a panting breathe from Amy. "for one staircase," another breath. "to be so hard to climb?"

 

"Welcome," Rose answered. "to Hogwarts." She paused for a breath. "Nothing is easy here." She took a deep breath before continuing.

 

"I'm scared now." Mary whined.

 

"Look alive now!" Hagrid's voice interrupted their thoughts. "On your feet."

 

Nearly the whole class groaned and grumbled but made their way to a stand while Hagrid moved to take point again. "Nearly there. Come along now."

 

He climbed the five steps to the main doors - each was taller than five adults and must have weighed as many pounds, made of oak most likely - and they swung open as he approached.

 

They came into a hallway, brightly lit by lanterns. Made entirely of stone that gleamed like tile. The ceiling was higher than the doors and every step echoed clearly. Hagrid led them down the hallway and made a turn, then up another staircase. At the top, Hagrid stopped and faced the students again.

 

"This is where I leave you. I'll see you in a bit in the Great Hall." He gestured to a wizard who had stood off to the side. He came forward now. "This is Professor Neville Longbottom. He teaches Herbology. He'll take care of you from here." He then ambled off and slipped past the giant doors behind Professor Longbottom.

 

"Hello, everyone. Welcome to Hogwarts. Past the doors behind me are your classmates. Before you'll join them in their seats, you'll need to be Sorted into your Houses. There are four Houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. The Sorting Hat will explain more, but what you need to know is that tonight, the Houses eat separately. But for the rest of the year, the House benches will cease and make way for regular benches where all Houses can eat at the same table. I tell you this because this was not so during my time here, so many of you were likely told you'd be eating as a House at every meal. Now, each House competes for House Points. Showing yourself to be an attentive student - like answering questions and doing good deeds - gains you House Points. Rule breaking results in the loss of those Points. At the end of the year, the Points are totaled and the winning house receives the House