Book 1-Chapter 2

We Welcome a Matchbox with Blond Hair into Hogwarts

Harry

     Dumbledore banged his spoon on his cup. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and looked up.

     “This year,” he began, “We will be having some foreign students from America. They should be here… right now.”

     As soon as he finished, there was a loud knock on the door. Dumbledore casually flicked his wand, and the oak doors creaked open. A small group of kids wearing parkas filed in, one after another.

     Dumbledore smiled. “I expect we all welcome our guests.” His gaze lingered on Slytherin, who, by the looks of it, were thinking of new insults and pranks.

     As if the old ones didn’t work as well, I thought as I gingerly touched my still bruised ribs, wincing. At least Hermione made them all grow tree roots out of their ears.

     Ron yawned. “This is so bloody boring. Wake me up when it’s over.” With that, he slumped on the table, asleep.

     Hermione frowned disapprovingly at Ron, than slapped him across the face.

     Ron grumbled. “I thought that you were saving that for Malfoy.”

     Hermione frown deepened. “Ron,” she scolded, “These visitors may be the key to surviving the wizarding world.”
     Ron sighed, and accidentally dipped his heat into the persimmon pudding.

     I snorted.
You should be glad that you didn’t start snoring. The rest of us wouldn’t be able to sleep for two months.”

     Ron ruffled his hand in his now sticky hair. “Blimey, I don’t snore that loudly, do I?”

     “Now, remember that these visitors may be the key to surviving the wizarding world,” Dumbledore said.

     Hermione shot Ron a look. “See, I told you!” she hissed.

     Suddenly, Neville burst into the Great Hall, and silently slid into the seat next to me.

     “Guess what?” he whispered excitedly. “I finally know how to turn a goblet into a matchbox! Look!”

     I groaned. This was not going to have very good results. I was right.

     Neville pointed his wand two inches from the goblet. “Bracin-match!”

     Hermione covered her face. “It’s supposed to be Bracain-matsh!” she groaned.

     A beam of white light shot out of Neville’s wand, and reflected off of the goblet. Unfortunately, the visitors just happened to pass by. The light hit a boy tin a blue coat. Consequently, the boy turned remarkably smaller and squarer. He turned into a matchbox with blond hair.
           “--Welcome to Hogwarts!” Dumbledore finished grandly. He then looked in the direction where everyone was gaping openly at; where the Slytherins were smirking, and where Neville Longbottom stared at a matchbox in horror.
           “Oh,” Dumbledore said, and swept off the podium. He waved his wand, and the matchbox changed back into the boy in the blue coat.
           I heard Lavender gasp beside me, as she saw his blond hair and blue eyes. I wasn’t surprised that her smile faltered as she saw the girl in the blue coat hug him. She muttered something like “‘Jason’.”
           Jason rose to his knees dignitally, and coughed... fire. Dumbledore waved his wand again, extingushing the fire. “Minor side effect,” he said dismissively. He then announced that everyone go back to their common rooms. I stood up, ready to go to the Gryffindor common room, when Dumbledore called out, “Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, please stay for a moment.”
           Hermione looked at Dumbledore and the visitors curiously.
           Then, Professor McGonnagal interrupted. “Neville Longbottom, stay as well.” Neville started biting his lip nervously.
           All the other students filed out of the Great Hall, shooting skeptical glances at the remaining students. Finally, once everyone else was gone, Dumbledore looked straight at the girl with stormy gray eyes. (She had taken off her hood).
           The girl met Dumbledore’s piercing blue gaze steadily. For about a second, lightning seemed to shoot between them.
           At last, Dumbledore nodded, and said, “Let’s begin.”