Secrets and Lies

1«Hogwarts

Justine walked quickly after the witch in front of her. She couldn’t help but awe over the massive structures and architecture possessed by the great castle she was in. This castle happened to be a school, a school known as Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This was the first time Justine had ever stepped foot into Hogwarts, which was known as the best school to learn to become a witch or wizard. She had started her witchcraft schooling in a school back in the Americas, known as Reathemont. However, recent circumstances caused her to move away and transfer to England.

Justine Tidewater, a girl of 16 years of age, was entering her sixth year of witchcrafting school. She stood about five feet-six inches tall, with straight brown hair that hung halfway down her back. Her eyes were a lighter brown, set on a perfectly smooth-skinned face. She was a pretty girl, but found it hard to fit in at first when she went to new places.

The witch, known as Professor McGonagall, stopped in front of two large wooden doors. Her emerald green hat and cloak shined in the torch light on either sides of the door. Her face was slightly wrinkled and thin, her eyes being dark. On the end of her nose she wore small spectacles. “This is the Great Hall,” she said. “Now, you’ve already been sorted into your house, which is Gryffindor. You’ll find that your house’s classmates are very accommodating, and I’m sure they’ll make you feel at home.” She reached out to touch the door. “I expect the sorting ceremony for the first years has finished, so you may take your seat with the other Gryffindors and enjoy the feast.”

The large doors opened and Justine saw four long tables, with students sitting at both sides of each table. At the front of the room under large stained glass windows was another long table that faced the students’ tables. Adults were sitting there, which she took to be the other teachers. She had already met the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, who she had found to be very nice, sitting in the middle. Looking above, she noticed the night sky hung over the room. She had heard of Hogwarts’ greatness, but never imagined she’d have the opportunity of going to school there.

“This is the Gryffindor table,” Professor McGonagall said motioning to a table on the right. She continued to walk on to her own table.

Justine, feeling a little nervous, took a seat at the end of the table, were there were no students. She felt extremely out of place at that moment and wanted to just hide as she felt hundreds of eyes focusing on her.

At that moment, Professor Dumbledore stood up and started to speak. He mentioned a few rules after welcoming the students back. Then, clapping his hands, an enormous feast filled each table. The students eagerly dug in and started to eat.

The meal in the Great Hall was finished and the prefects were leading their houses to the dormitories. She followed at the end of the line as they walked through the corridors. Another group was passing by them, some of them wearing green and silver neckties. One of them purposely bumped into her, causing her to stumble a bit. She looked over and saw a sneering expression of a taller boy with a pointed face, grayish blue eyes, and slick blonde hair.

“Gryffindors keep up! Quickly, c’mon!” Yelled the prefect at the front of her group. They came to a large painting of a very large woman. She asked for a password, which the prefect said, but Justine could not hear him. The portrait opened and they all walked through a small hole in the wall.

“This is the Gryffindor Common Room,” the prefect explained. He pointed to the direction of the girl’s dormitories and then the boy’s.

Justine stood motionless for a moment watching the boys and girls separate and go to their own areas. She bit her lip as she followed the other girls up a staircase.

She saw a door that was labeled “Sixth Years” and took it that this is were she would be staying. She followed some other girls in and saw many four-poster beds all around the circular-shaped room. She noticed her trunk sitting by one of the beds, and quickly hurried over to it. She sat down, glancing out of the window that was towards her left.

“Excuse me, but you’re new here, aren’t you?”

Justine looked up to see a girl similar in height to herself, light brown hair and brown eyes. “Yes, I am,” she said shyly.

“Well, you’re in the best house of Hogwarts,” the girl said with a smile. She held out her hand. “I’m Hermione Granger.”

“Justine Tidewater,” Justine replied back, shaking the girl’s hand. “Do you like it here?”

The girl shook her head. “Of course. Hogwarts is the best school for young witches and wizards. There are a lot of nice people and the teachers are wonderful. Do you have your schedule?”

Justine thought for a moment, but then pulled out a folded piece of paper from her cloak pocket. Hermione examined it, obviously comparing it to her own. “We have many of the same classes together. Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration,” she went on. “That’s lucky. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Hermione went to the other side of the room where her own things where. Justine smiled, seeing that maybe she had found a friend already. She hoped so at least.

The next morning, all the students met in the Great Hall once again for breakfast. Only this time, Justine hadn’t come alone. Hermione had insisted that she sit with her and her friends. “You’ll love Harry and Ron. They’re silly, but really lovable.”

Hermione took a seat across from two boys, one with dark messy hair, green eyes and glasses, the other with red hair and a pale face.

“Morning Hermione,” the darker boy said cheerfully.

Justine sat down next to Hermione, as she was being introduced. “This is Ron Weasly, and Harry Potter.”

Justine’s eyes got larger. “Harry Potter? I’ve heard of you many times back in Reathemont. You’re famous!”

“So I hear,” Harry said with a smile. “And what’s your name?”

“Oh, sorry,” Justine said blushing. “I’m Justine Tidewater.”

Hermione smiled looking at Justine. “Justine’s all the way from the Americas. She was transferred here, and luckily was sorted to be a Gryffindor.”

“Better that than a Slytherin,” Ron piped up.

“A Slytherin?” Justine asked unknowingly.

“That’s another house in Hogwarts. All of the Slytherins are purebloods and none of them really like the other three houses. They think they’re better than everyone else.” She pointed over Harry and Ron’s shoulders at the end table. Justine looked, and to her surprise the first Slytherin she saw was the same boy that had bumped her the night before.

“Justine is in almost all of our classes,” Hermione told the others.

Justine smiled. She had already been accepted into Hogwarts and made three friends in only twenty-four hours. She felt that this year was going to be wonderful; she just knew it.