by Ada Pepperstone
Time was running out. I quickly dashed into the room with the two boys and sat on the couch across from them.
The one on my right looked up. "Oh look, Chad. Another girl just running in dying to meet you."
The other one, Chad I assumed, rolled his eyes. "Please excuse Wicket," he said. He then held out his hand for me to shake. "I'm Chadwick Cadet. Chad for short." I shook his hand and then turned to his friend. "And this is Wicket Wilcox. Or, Wicki."
I then began to chuckle a bit too loudly. "What's so funny?" Wicki asked.
"I'm sorry," I muttered. "It's just your names...well, they go together..." They both looked confused so I finally spit it out. "Chadwicket!" I cried with another burst of laughter. Chad chuckled a bit and Wicki rolled his eyes.
"So," I began. "What houses are you guys in? What years are you?"
"Second year Gryffindor," Wicki said. When I didn't respond, he said, "That's it."
"So... uh, you didn't tell us your name, did you, shy little first year?" Chad asked.
"Oh. Sorry. I'm Ada. Ada Pepperstone. Pureblood first year from Appleby, England, home of the Appleby Arrows professional quidditch team!"
"I know what that's like. I'm from Chudley, you know, like the Chudley Cannons?" Chad said. Chadwick Cadet from Chudley... I thought. So much alliteration.
"So, what house do you think you'll be in, Ada Pepperstone from Appleby?" Wicki asked.
"Honestly, I don't know," I confessed. "Both my parents were Ravenclaws. But honestly, I think I'd be better as a Gryffindor." I let out a heavy sigh. "My mother thinks it's horrible how tomboyish I am. I'm always the first one to try to pet the baby dragon or hop on the broomstick. My motto is "If that's a challenge, then challenge accepted.' My dad really doesn't have a problem with it, but my mom wishes I'd be more ladylike. First, she started putting my hair in a french braid instead of a ponytail, but I liked it, the way my hair was out of my face for my adventures. Then she made me wear skirts all the time. I had to stockpile and hide shorts and pants and change at school. And then, my mother went too far... last year, she homeschooled me, cooped me inside all day. I'm sure Ravenclaw is a great place... it's just, if I'm sorted there, it means my mother broke me, and made me someone I'm not."
Both Chad and Wicki just stared at me. "Sorry, I know. Backstories are annoying," I said.
"Tell me about it," Wicki muttered.
"Wicki!" Chad yelled.
"Kidding..." Wicki moaned.
The snack cart came around, and I purchased a large back of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. As I usually did while eating them, I closed my eyes as I popped them into my mouth. As I later explained to Chad and Wicki, this was so I had no idea what I was getting into, since the color of the bean narrows down what flavor it could be.
"So what's it like?" I finally asked.
"What's what like?" Wicki asked, mouth half full with a chocolate frog.
"You know... Hogwarts? I've heard stories from my parents and the older kids, but I mean... what is it like?"
"Looks like it's my turn to talk for a long time," Chad said.
"Can I pass on my turn?" Wicki asked.
Chad rolled his eyes, then began, "It's a lot like what you've probably heard from your friends. There's excitement around every corner; quidditch matches, and my personal favorite, the greenhouses. Unfortunately, as a first year, you can only go to greenhouse one, which is completely bullocks. But it's still really fun!"
"Don't forget about the food! Boy, that apple pie is good!" Wicki added.
"I don't think that's what Ada wanted to learn about," Chad interrupted. "He's right, though. So anyways, back to what you really want to know. There are a bunch of secret rooms to explore. My friend Kaiwa and I found this hideout once with some really cool things in it. We even hid two broomsticks in there for quidditch practice, no one ever found them!"
"I don't think we should encourage this, Mr. Junior Prefect. The last thing we need is for Gryffindor to be last for the house cup again because too many first years got points deducted for putting their noses where they shouldn't be... or whatever that saying is," Wicki commented
"Right... well, that's about it, Ada," Chad concluded. "You should finish your beans, we're almost there."
"Already?" I asked.
We finished our sweets and before the three of us knew it, we were at Hogwarts. As I got my luggage from the train, I felt someone grab my shoulder. I turned around and saw Chad standing there. "Listen, Ada. I really hope you get sorted into Gryffindor. I know I'm a bit biased, but you should be sorted by who you are, not who your mom wants you to be," he said.
I stared at Chad. Our gazes met and held for a few seconds. It broke when someone ran into me, totally ruining the moment. "Uh, thanks Chad," I said awkwardly. "I should go."
Just before I left, Chad called back to me. "Ada, if you ever need help, whether you're a Gryffindor or a Ravenclaw... I'm here. I'll help you." I nodded, and as I turned around and left, I could feel myself blushing. It wasn't like I'd never met a nice boy. In fact, nearly all my friends were boys, since all the other girls were like my mother. But I felt different about Chad. I'm sure Wicki was right; I bet every other girl was chasing after his heart, and I'm just part of the statistics. But I could already feel myself falling for him, whether I liked it or not. And it was while I was thinking about him that I realized I had picked the right seat.