Strategy { Oliver Wood}

Chapter Four

Before the train arrived to the school, Carter had found his sister with her friend and entered the compartment.

"Hey," Melanie said glancing over at him. "What are you doing here? I figured you made some friends by now."

"I did," Carter said with a slight eye roll. "I was just trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do once I get off the train."

"You spin in three circles while rubbing your stomach and patting your head..."

"Mel!" Carter huffed at her.

"It's not that hard, Carter. All you have to do is follow Hagrid and all the other little first years."

"Who's Hagrid?"

"I've told you already, he's the gamekeeper."

"Well, how am I supposed to find him?" Carter asked.

"Trust me," Melanie began, "you won't miss him."

"Fine," Carter went to leave but Melanie grabbed him by the back of his robes.

"Hey," she said, "Don't be nervous about the sorting."

"I wasn't going to be!" Carter said before leaving.

"Sometimes watching you two interact, I'm rather thankful to be an only child," Andy said.

"Yeah, but I'll take Carter over your cranky grandmother any day."

They arrived to the school, and like she had done her first year, Carter traveled with the other first years to ride in the boats that would bring them up to the school. Melanie and Andy, along with the other students headed for the carriages.

The two girls hopped into one while waiting for others to join them as there was more than enough room for others to join.

"I wonder who our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is going to be this year?" Andy wondered out loud.

"I dunno," Melanie said. "I don't think anyone was expecting Professor Bartrum to retire."

"I was hoping for it," Andy said. "The man could hardly see his hand before his own face. We had to defend ourselves when he sent a spell flying towards us because he didn't see us."

"At least he kept class exciting. Hopefully, the new professor can do that."

"Hopefully, the new professor isn't blind as a bat."

Suddenly, the carriage door opened and one body prepared to jump in until he caught sight of Melanie. The girls watched in amusement as Oliver tried to back out of the carriage until his friend Todd pushed him inside.

"What are you doing, mate? All the others are full? Quit foolin' around."

Oliver groaned and muttered something under his breath before sitting down across from Andy. His friend Todd sat across from Melanie and greeted the two girls politely and the girls did the same.

Melanie looked over at Oliver to catch him glaring at her which only made her smile.

"Long time, no see, Ollie," she said to him.

"Not long enough," Oliver responded.

"Aww Ollie, you sound quite cranky, did you skip your nap time aboard the train?"

"I don't have a nap time!"

"You should think about having one. No one likes to hang around a sour puss."

Oliver ignored her and looked out the window of the carriage with his arms folded over his chest.

Melanie flashed a smile and winked at Todd, who shook his head and looked away to hide his own smile.

Oliver refused to talk to her for the entire trip up the castle and when the carriage came to a stop, he was the first to jump out.

"Have a nice day, ladies," Todd said as he followed his friend.

"Bye Todd!" they called after him before climbing out themselves.

Melanie and Andy filed into the school along with the other students to await the Sorting Ceremony. They sat at the Ravenclaw table to wait for the first years to arrive.

"At least you won't have to wait long to find out what house, Carter will be sorted into," Andy said. "He'll be one of the first, if not the first."

"I know...getting emotional just thinking about him getting sorted," Melanie said with a pretend cry. "Little Carter Farter is growing up."

"He's going to kill you if you call him that here."

"He can try. His threats are emptier than Oliver's."

Andy snorted. "Nice. Speaking of the devil, someone's watching you from the Gryffindor table."

Melanie glanced over to see that Oliver had assembled much of the Gryffindor quidditch team and was talking to them while looking across the way at her.

"He's been here for what, five minutes and already he's started his lectures," Melanie said. "I absolutely adore the way he prioritizes."

Melanie made eye contact with him before blowing him a kiss across the way. Oliver became red and looked away causing Melanie and Andy to laugh.

"Hey save those tactics until you're out on the pitch," a voice told them.

The two looked up to see the Ravenclaw quidditch captain, Ace McGregor sitting down the way.

"You got it, Captain," Melanie told him.

Chatting to Andy and a few other Raveclaws, mainly her fellow quidditch team members, Melanie lost track of time until the Sorting Ceremony finally began. The Sorting Hat was brought out along with the first years. Once the Sorting Hat took to the center stage, it began to sing one of it's yearly songs to welcome the students.

Melanie found Carter standing in the front of the line of the first years as he was the first to be sorted.

"Look at him. I told him not to be nervous. He's practically shaking. Poor thing," Melanie pouted at her brother.

Once the Sorting song finished, McGonagall began to call names.

"Carter Anderson."

Melanie smiled before Ace leaned towards her. "Reckon we're getting another Ravenclaw?" he asked her.

"I don't think so, Ace. I think Carter is going to skip the family tradition," Melanie said.

The hat was large enough to cover up Carter's face but his twitching fingers and shaky leg revealed his nerves until the hat called out his new house.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Called it," Melanie told Andy before jumping up to her feet and clapping for her brother. "GO CARTER! That's my little brother!"

Melanie cheered almost as loud as the Gryffindor table while other students laughed at Carter's reaction to his sister's obnoxious cheering. He covered his face with his robes until the next student was called up for sorting.