Headstrong

Chapter 2

Amanda watched Harry be sorted into Gryffindor and clapped and cheered as he came to the table. She laughed at the twins yelling out, "We got Potter!", and silenced anyone with a glare if they said anything about her brother that she didn't like.

She watched as Ron was called up and saw him being put in Gryffindor as well. She laughed as Fred gave George two knuts, a bet they had made in the train. George had bet that Ron would be put in Gryffindor and Fred bet that he would be the first Weasley to be sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley as he leaned across Amanda to shake Ron's hand. 

While Amanda had already been sitting next to Fred, she kept the other seat next to her free for Harry, who gladly joined her. As Ron sat down opposite Harry, the Sorting finished and Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll, taking the Sorting Hat away.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he - a bit mad?" he asked his sister uncertainly.

"Mad?" interrupted Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"

Amanda laughed as Harry looked at her, "Yes he is mad Harry. That's all you need to know."

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak, with Amanda grinning wildly at his bewildered look beside him.

"Can't you-?"

"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

Amanda gasped and kicked him under the table, "Shh. Don't say that."

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled, making his whole head swing off his neck and fall onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly.

Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."

Amanda looked over at the Slytherin table and saw the horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained silver with blood.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.