The Entrance Hall

Come and meet in the entrance hall to talk to the students and Professors.

::It was raining outside, except the term 'raining' was being used too lightly. Storming was more like. The horseless carriage gave a fearsome lurch as it stopped at the gates of Hogwarts, throwing Sara into the lap of a meloncholy looking Slytherin 7th year boy, who glowered at her.::

"Sorry," ::She murmered, using a hand grip hanging from the door of the carraige to stand.::

::The door was opened to reveal Hogwarts, in all it's glory, the doors to the Entrance Hall thrown wide open, inviting the students forward.::

::Although this was to be Sara's last year at this school, she did not feel any sort of attachment to it; no tugging in her stomach told her to grieve this being her last trip in the carriages, no urge to tear up at the idea of starting her last year of school before heading out into the real world as a woman. She had only been at Hogwarts for two years, only been in europe for two years and, frankly, she could feel that she would return to the school as an adult, maybe not as a student, not even as a teacher or headmistress, but something, some event beyond her control, but that she would play a huge role in , would bring her back. She was indifferent to this school. She had her friends there of course. She had suceeded in her studies, to become prefect, but in reality; she could have done that at any school, and she had in America, to where she longed to return.::

::Sara had stepped out of her horseless carriage directly into a large puddle of mud. An excellent foreshadowing to her year, she observed to herself with a note of amusement. The mud on her shoe was nothing compared to what she looked like by the time she made it up the huge steps and into the entrance hall. She was soaked from head to foot, and the hem of her thick cloak and robes were stained and heavy with mud. Her trunks, which she dragged behind her, and her owl, were in even worse states of soaked.::

::She pulled out her wand and cast a cleaning and drying spell upon herself, only to have Peeves swoop over her the next moment with a dungbomb.::

"Don't even think about it you horrid little man!" ::She yelled as Peeves pulled sumersaults in midair, cackling and tossing a bomb up and down, catching it.::

::She brandished her wand threateningly, and tucked a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. A bomb was thrown at her, and reflected by a cleverly placed defletive charm that caused the dungbomb to rebound onto Peeves who gave shriek before zipping off to bother some first years.::

::Turning, Sara scanned the Entrance Hall for someone she recognized, any sign of a familiar face.::

..::Kendal hated the wheather outside as stepped into the entrance hall, her matted against the sides of her face and her robes sopping wet. She muttered under her breath at the ridiculous chance of rain - of all days! She cast a drying spell over herself and glanced around. People were still coming inside and few were heading into the Great Hall..::

..::A smile graced her lips as she looked around. It felt good to be back here. Although Mary Beth and George were good parents, she felt lonely at times. All the others had graduated and left home. Hogwarts was her true home and it took her a moment to remember that she was a seventh year student. This would be her last year ever walking in these corridors again. She touched the stone wall and sighed. This place would be missed very much..::

"I'm all wet!" someone behind her said. It was a small girl and her friend. By the looks of them, they seemed no older than twelve. "How is everyone else so dry?"

..::Kendal smiled::.."It's called a drying spell." she told them and with a flick of her wand she cast it on them. In mere seconds they were dry. They thanked her and she nodded, before leaving them so she could search for a familar face. It wasn't long before her blue and amber eyes found Sara. "SARA!" she shouted, waving her over. Kendal embraced her friend. "How was your summer?"

::Sara's eyes lit up as she saw Kendal smiling at some second years. Poor dears looked soaked through to the bone! ::

::Soon her friend was dashing over to her, pushing her way through the pact hall, and had her in a hug, which Sara happily returned.::

"It's been so long!" ::Sara smiled, her eyes darkening at the mention of summer.::

"Look, about summer..." ::Sara bit her lip, her emotions playing havoc within her. Part of her wanted to scream and cry, to let out all of her feelings about her loses, but another part wanted her to stay the strong, vibrant, upbeat girl she normally was.::

"Summer i learned some of the risks of becomming an Auror from my parents. And i went back to my old home town in America to visit my Aunt Lauren." ::She said evasivly, hoping Kendal wouldn't notice that she was hiding something.

"But how was yours? you look tan, where did you go?" ::Sara was smiling again, and trying to tug her trunk over the the pile where they would be conveyed to the dorms. This was difficult considering the torrent of students running in all directions.::

"And of course Fay won't shut-up!" ::Sara laughed, motioning to her owl who was hooting and flapping her wings amidst the bustle.::

"Come on, lets move into the Great Hall! I smell food, and there we can talk about your summer and how awesome it was and all the cute boys you met and how your life has been!" ::Sara's mood was making complete one eighties tonight. one moment sad, one moment indifferent, one moment incredibly excited to see her friends. It had been that way all summer. She tried to move on and have a normal life, but she felt as if she couldn't at the same time.::

Kendal was so happy to see Sara, they had barely made contact over the summer. So, it was nice to see her face again. She smiled as they hugged and then waited to hear about Sara's summer. It was odd when her face darkened a bit and it looked as if she were holding a thousand feelings by the look in her yes. It vanished as quick as that and she bagan to tell her brief summary of her summer. Kendal felt like she was lying, but brushed it off. When Sara was ready to tell whatever was wrong, she'd be here. No use in pressuring her. She learned that long before. She listened intensely as her friend babbled on she couldn't help but laugh. She missed her so much! As they made their way through the crowd of students all heading into the Great Hall, they dragged their over loaded trunks to the side where they would be moved to their respected dorms during dinner.

"Come on, lets move into the Great Hall! I smell food, and there we can talk about your summer and how awesome it was and all the cute boys you met and how your life has been!"

Kendal laughed at this and followed her friend into the Great Hall. "Slow down, Sara!" she said. "You're talking a million miles per minute!"

"Slow down, Sara! You're talking a million miles per minute!"

::Sara saw that her friend was only catching phrases of what she was saying, and blushed.::

"I know sorry! It...It's just been a long summer and i've missed you and all my friends!" ::She grabbed Kendal's arm and steered her into the great hall through the crowds.::

"OOoooo ickle firsties!" ::Sara giggled, seeing a large group of young boys and girls standing near the back, no house badges on their chests, and looks of nievity and fear lingering on their expressions. Poor innocent dears; they had yet to meet Snape, suffer through history lessons, struggle to transfigure a needle into a match, or try to levitate a feather.::

"OOoooo ickle firsties!"

Kendal laughed and looked at the small kids. It seeemed just last year that she entered as a first year through these halls. There had been so many things she didn't know about the magical world and she had been intent on learning anything she could. They all seemed so scared and fascinated at the same, as they stood awkwardly in their plain black robes.

"Can you believe just afew years ago we were just like them?" she asked Sara. "Now we're seventh years!" she let out a sigh. "I'll miss this. All of this! It's like a home away from home. I almost don't want to leave...."

She gave the young kids a small smile as they passed, hoping that would reassure them. But, it only cause them to look away from her. She shrugged, they'd get over it all. This was Hogwarts!

::Sara pretended to nod in agreement, but she wasn't sure really that she would miss hogwarts, but she'd been over that already this evening.::

"True, but remember I've only been comming to this school since 6th year...so i guess i don't have the attachment to the place...i do..." ::She paused and continued grudgingly.:: "i do like Hogwarts a lot though."

::She watched the small child turn away from her and Kendal. and chuckled.::

"We must look so big tall and intimidating! I remember being little and a teenager would always come babysit me, and i'd be so scared cauase they were just so OLD." ::Sara Laughed a little,then sighed.:: "Hogwarts is..really my only home now i guess though."

::She thought of her parents death. She had familiy, but she was already 17 and of age. But then she also had Number 12 if she ever needed a home.::

Claire walked into the entrance hall carrying her books in her arms. She was coming from her potions class and was just about to have lunch. It had been a difficult lesson - well, not difficult for her - just another lesson where she had to pay close attention to what she did, but it had been enough to make her hungry. Thinking about various problems - from what her foster parents had written about her to take care not to reveal her werewolf form (as if she needed to be reminded of that) to the next time she would lose control under the influence of firewhisky - she strode along the entrance hall. She was busy frowning at a stone gargoyle, when she suddenly bumped into someone. Her books fell to the floor with a loud bump that echoed across the hall. "Stupid thing to happen to me. Pathetic, really.", she thought, picking up her books.

As she got up again, she came to face the person she had hit - a blonde girl smiling broadly... that smile was just too happy, Claire thought. "Great.", Claire said to herself, rolling her eyes, "Not one of those.". She looked at the girl, weighing her. She wasn't a Slytherin, that was sure.... Claire muttered "Sorry.", and shook her long dark hair into shape, intending to walk on.