After all the students were assigned to their houses, Principal Dumbledore stood up and spoke.
"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!"
These words were so strange that I tried to find a hidden meaning in them until Cho caught my attention.
"You're not eating?"
Before me was a real feast, with all kinds of food.
"Sorry, I was thinking about Dumbledore's words."
"Do they mean anything?"
"No idea, it could be just to throw us off, but I wanted to see if there was a hidden meaning. My name is Evelyn Longbottom, by the way."
"I know, and I'm delighted to meet you. My name is Cho Chang."
We were talking while I ate chicken legs and potatoes. She told me that she grew up in a family focused on sports, and it still surprised her to be in Ravenclaw.
"I don't think the Sorting Hat makes mistakes. The only times it might is when a student could fit perfectly into several different houses."
We continued to talk, and another girl joined our conversation.
"Hello, I'm delighted to meet you; I'm Marietta Edgecombe."
"I feel like I've heard that last name before, but not from the wizarding world, rather from the Muggle world."
I think it was in a movie or a book, but I have no idea where anymore.
Author: "I know."
Who said that?
Author: "Breath of the script, I never intervened."
I wonder where this name came from. But I've read so many books that I don't think I can find one with someone with that last name.
"I couldn't answer you, since I'm more interested in the wizarding world than the Muggle world."
"Same here."
Marietta and Cho both gave me a negative response. It's not important; I'll let a part of my mind work on figuring out where I've heard that name before.
We continued talking for a while, and then it was time for dessert to be served.
Just like with the meal, the wide variety of options made us want to try a little bit of everything.
We continue to talk while eating the meals that we had taken, and I believe the birth of our friendship is now official.
After we had all finished, everything on the plates disappeared, and Dumbledore stepped forward again to speak.
"Ahem — just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.
First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.
I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.
And finally, Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."
When they told us about Mr. Filch, he pointed us toward the doors of the Great Hall, and we could see a rather grumpy person standing in front.
"Now I won't keep you any longer. Go to your dorms and rest your minds for tomorrow's classes."
After saying that, the students got up and left. I looked at Cho and Marietta to see what we should do.
"The first years of Ravenclaw, follow me."
The person who called us was an older student from our house. He wore a badge with a 'P' on it.
He led us, along with another person wearing the same badge—probably his female counterpart—through the castle. They explained the locations of various classrooms as we continued up the floors. I tried to remember the directions because this castle is a real labyrinth. The moving pictures shocked some students who were born to Muggle parents.
Finally, we arrived at what I think is the seventh floor, in front of a statue of an eagle.
"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?"
The voice came from the statue, and the two older students turned toward us.
"In your opinion, what is the answer to this riddle?"
It was the woman who asked us.
Having already known the answer, I waited a moment before speaking up. Finally, a male student answered the question.
"An echo?"
He wasn't sure, but it was the right answer. A section of the statue moved, revealing a passage that led to a kind of living room in blue colors.
"This is the common room of Ravenclaw. Here we relax, study, or meet up."
"The girls' dormitories are on the first floor; take the stairs to the right, and the boys' dormitories are on the left. Your things are already in your room."
That's how we parted ways with our guides.
We went up to the door that would lead to our dorm, and when we opened it, the room where we would sleep was decorated in blue colors, with a nice canopy bed. There was a door leading to the shower and toilet.
"Since we're going to be living together for the duration of our school years, I think we should socialize a little."
Indeed, there were still three girls we hadn't talked to yet.