Catching Her Heart Pt. 1

Chapter 1

Oliver craned his neck, occasionally smiling and nodding at a friend, half listening to their conversation, his gaze rarely straying from the large double doors that led back out into the entrance hall. Normally, he didn't take that much interest in the first year students as they were sorted into their houses, but this year was different. This year, rumour had it, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, had come to Hogwarts. The train had been buzzing with the news. He would have gone to meet the lad himself, but everyone else had the same idea, and the train was simply too crowded.

"Hey, Oliver," the Weasley twins asked in harmony, drawing his attention. "How was your summer?"

"It was great, thanks," Oliver replied, turning his attention back to the doors.

"Did you hear?" Fred asked as Oliver continued to watch the doors.

"Harry Potter is here this year," George said with a grin.

"Yeah, Ron sat with him on the train," Fred finished.

"Really?" Oliver asked, distractedly craning his neck again and shifting in his seat to see over the other Gryffindors across from him as the doors finally opened and Professor McGonagall walked in followed by the seemingly tiny first year students.

"That's not the real ceiling, you know," the voice of a wee lass reached him and his gaze was drawn to a pair of girls as they passed to see it came from a small girl with bushy brown hair as she continued, "It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

Oliver smiled. The lass was smart, he thought. She'll do fine. Then his gaze landed on the red-headed lad behind her, Ron, the youngest Weasley addition to Hogwarts, and saw the face he made, having heard her, and he changed his mind. Maybe he should look out for her if she was sorted into Gryffindor...

Really, it fell on Percy who was the Gryffindor Prefect, and... he thought, tilting his head, they might get along, since they both seemed to be bookworms, but Percy was rather uppity when it came to being around younger students, and really, this girl reminded him of himself at that age. He, too, had a difficult time associating with others.

Oliver shook himself when he heard Professor McGonagall instructing the first years to come forward when their name was called. He'd been so focused on his thoughts about the lass that he'd missed the chance to see Harry Potter for himself and now he was lost in the group of first years that surrounded the High Table where the faculty sat.

"Hannah Abbott," Professor McGonagall called out from her roll of parchment, and a blonde girl with pigtails walked nervously up and sat down on the stool.

"Hufflepuff!" The Sorting Hat called after a moment, and the table across from Oliver's cheered as the girl ran over to the table.

"Susan Bones," Professor McGonagall called, and a red-headed girl with long hair approached.

"Hufflepuff!" the hat said.

"Terry Boot" Professor McGonagall's voice rang out again.

This time the hat chose Ravenclaw, and the table between Hufflepuff and the far table erupted in cheers as he ran off to join them. He was soon followed by Mandy Brocklehurst.

Lavender Brown joined the Gryffindor table while Millicent Bulstrode went to Slytherin. Oliver was relieved to see the girl he'd noticed earlier was still in line.

Michael Corner was next, and he went to Ravenclaw.

Vincent Crabbe went to Slytherin and Justin Finch-Fletchley to Hufflepuff before the Gryffindor table cheered again as Seamus Finnigan joined the table.