Gryffindor Princess and The Philosophers Stone (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter Three: The Talking Hat

Hope was lying down on her four poster bed reading through her school books eagerly. Today was the 1st of September and the Hogwarts express was set to arrive later that night. Her father had been busy all day with last minute preparations for the beginning of the school term, so she hadn't seen him at all that day. In anticipation of the school beginning of term feast Hope had already changed into her school robes. She'd left her hair down in its usual curly state and placed her school pointed wizards hat on top. 

She glanced at her watch and saw that it was already six. Marking her place carefully in the book she was reading she set it down and decided to go for one last walk around the castle. She walked down the stairs of her bedroom and into her fathers office. The large oak desk where he usually sat was abandoned with piles of books and parchment still spread out around it. 

She decided to go and visit the grounds keeper Hagrid. He was a huge man but Hope thought he was probably one of the nicest people she'd ever met. Hagrid lived in a large hut at the bottom of the castles grassy slopes right outside the forbidden forest. Hagrid had always been a close friend of Hopes around the castle and she would often help him with some of his grounds keeper duty's. 

She walked down the grassy slopes and down to Hagrid's hut, beside his hut was a large vegetable patch were Hagrid was already growing the pumpkins for the Halloween feast in a next month. She knocked on the door of his hut and was greeted by the usual loud dog fangs barking. Hagrid pulled open the door, he was an exceedingly large man (Hope only reached his waist) with matted brown hair and black eyes. 

"Hiya, Hope!", He greeted smiling at her, "how are yeh? Come in, Come in." 

He stepped aside and allowed Hope to sit inside she seated herself at the round table in the middle of the room while Hagrid went over to the kitchen and put the kettle on for a cup of tea. 

"Father tells me you went to get Harry Potter the other day", Hope said. 

"Tha's righ", Hagrid replied, sitting himself down in the seat next to her, with fang resting his head on Hagrid's lap. 

"What was he like?", She asked, obviously Hope had heard the story's about Harry Potter, the boy who lived. He'd been attacked by Voldemort when he was only one and somehow he'd managed to survive and Voldemort had been destroyed. Harry Potter had been sent away to live with his aunt and uncle, but he would be attending Hogwarts this year in the same year as Hope. 

"He was a sweet kid tha's for sure", Hagrid told her, "livin' with them ruddy muggles hasn' done 'em no good." 

"He lives with muggles?" 

"Tha's right, they told 'em tha' Lily an' James Potter died in a car crash!" 

"That's awful"

Hagrid stood up and bustled around the kitchen pouring hope a small cup of tea and filling his own bucket sized mug for himself. 

"I reckon you'd like 'em 'ope", Hagrid told her, "he's a really grea' kid." 

The two of them drank their tea and continued to discuss Hopes first year at school and what her classes would be like. He offered Hope a series of biscuits and cakes but she'd had enough experience with Hagrid's cooking to know that they would break her teeth if she took a bite. It was a couple hours later when Hagrid realized with wide eyes that he was late to collect the first years from the train platform. Eagerly Hope went with him and stood beside him at the trains platform. They were the only people on the platform and in the distance Hope could see the beautiful crimson red train pulled into view. 

She shook with excitement as the train pulled into the station and slowly pulled to a halt. From this moment she was now officially a Hogwarts student. She watched as the piles of people clambered off the train carrying their large trunks of luggage, some holding rucksacks and cages filled with various pets. Hagrid was yelling loudly beside her for the first years. The shorter of the kids exiting the train gathered around Hagrid and Hope.