Hogwarts Adventures: Finding my place

                            1 September 2010

Belle

I stood frozen at the entrance of the Great Hall, my breath catching at the sheer magic of it all. The floating candles, the enchanted ceiling reflecting the evening sky, the four long tables buzzing with students—it was overwhelming in the best way possible.

I adjusted the strap of my satchel as my new friends Ginny, Hermoine, and Luna leave to their dorm rooms to get changed into their uniforms. "We will meet you later!" Ginny said with a waving, leaving me to soak in the magic of the place.

“Pickett, remind me to pick my jaw up off the floor later. This place is insane.”

Pickett chirped in what I  imagined was agreement, his little claws gripping my shoulder.

Just as I started to feel more relaxed, a flicker of movement caught my eye. I had to do a double take, and no, it wasn't my imagination.

"No way," I whisper in disbelief.

It was my very mischievous niffler, Teddy, who was very much not back home where he was supposed to be. Instead, he was here at hogwarts and making a beeline for the shiny cutlery at the tables.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I  muttered, panic rising in my chest. “How did you even get here?”

Teddy ignored me completely, his tiny paws outstretched as he latched onto a silver fork.

I groan, reaching for my wand. “Teddy, no! You’re going to get us both kicked out before I even get sorted!” I  flicked my wand, whispering urgently, “Accio Niffler!”

Teddy shot backward through the air like a tiny, furry comet, clutching the fork triumphantly. I caught him in my arms, glaring at him as he gave me a wide-eyed, innocent look.

“What were you thinking?”, I hissed. "You can’t just show up here and start stealing things! I didn’t even know you came with me. I thought I left you at home!”

Teddy, in response, held the fork tighter as though daring me to take it.

I wrestle it from his little paws. "Oh, you are so not keeping that, I mean, merlin, you couldn't even wait five minutes before you began looting the place,"

Before she could fully process the situation, a voice behind her nearly made her jump out of her skin.

Fuck

Standing behind me was a boy about my age, tall and broad-shouldered, with an amused smirk on his face.

“W-what?” I stammered as I  quickly stuffed Teddy into the deep pocket of my coat. The Niffler squeaked in protest, but I whispered, “Shush, and stay there.” Turning to Pickett, who was now watching intently from her shoulder, I added, “Keep an eye on him. Don’t let him steal anything else.”

The boy  raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying my flustered state. “I said,” he repeated, “are you planning on redecorating your dorm with Hogwarts cutlery, or should I call Filch now and save you the trouble?”

“No! Of course not!” I blurted, holding the fork up defensively. “I was… just… inspecting it. For craftsmanship. Very shiny. Uh, top marks to the Hogwarts staff.”

His grin widened. “Shiny, huh? Well, in that case, I’d recommend sticking to admiration. Stealing forks tends to earn you detention.”

“Noted,” I muttered, wishing the floor would just swallow me whole. “No forks. Got it.”

The boy then said, “Good choice. You don’t want to get on McGonagall’s bad side your first day.”

I sheepishly smile in response. "Yeah, I wouldn't want that." I laugh awkwardly.