Boy's Dorm

Cliff sprinted up the staircase- he loved trying to beat his luggage up to the dorm. He always wanted to know how it got there. All the other students were content with guessing this or assuming that, but Cliff wanted to know, ONCE AND FOR ALL. Unfortunately, the luggage fairy was just as elusive as St. Nicholas, and Cliff had never managed to find him either. But he had a feeling about it this year. He was going to make it...

He threw open the door and saw an empty room. With a pop, the luggage appeared. He threw his fists up into the year, screaming, "YES!" He sunk to his knees and beat the floor. "I! Am! VICTORIOUS!"

This was a good sign for the year.

Brian was tired, why he was tired, he was not sure. He felt like he had gotten enough sleep the night before the Hogwarts express, but when he woke up, he felt more tired than when he went to sleep. But, he was excited for his fifth year, so he put in the call for his reserve energy and he forced himself out of bed and made his way the express. He had plenty of energy but crashed about halfway through the feast.

Now he found himself dragging his feet up the stairs to the common room. His eyes felt so tired but his body had an immense amount of energy. Maybe if he just laid down for a bit he would find a way to fall asleep. He was lost in thought when he felt someone fly passed him. His eyes shot open and he watched as another boy flew up the steps to the common room with wreckless abandon. Brian was unsure of who it was, but he could not help but smile at the energy he had and wish he had the same.

It was not much after the boy ran passed him that he heard a yell of joy and Brian smiled again, wondering what it was he had found or done. He quickened his pace and made it to the dorm area and saw Cliff Jordan on his knees celebrating something. Brian stood in the doorway, a puzzle expression on his face. "Same dorms as last year, Cliff." Brian said with a chuckle. Brian and Cliff knew of each other, but they never really hung out, Brian had spent the entire last year swooning over Hitame, and now that was over, so it was time to move on and live life.

"Can't be that exciting." He said, spotting his luggage, and walking towards it.

Cliff heard a voice and he looked up to see his mate Brian. "BRIAN!" he shrieked, clamoring on his hands and knees to grip the boy's trousers at the knee. "Do you know what I just saw? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I JUST SAW? You will never believe it, mate. Oh man, I'm going to cry, this is the best thing- oh my Merlin, do you know how long- FIVE YEARS, mate, and I just- wow!"

He released the other boy and flopped back, laying spread eagle on his back in the middle of the dorm, staring up. He reached a hand to the ceiling and opened his mouth, trying to find the words to explain the brilliant apparition that had unfolded before his eyes. "I-I-I-" he sighed. "Just know that it was beautiful."

Brian flinched backwards when Cliff crawled towards him and he could do nothing but laugh as he gripped onto his pant legs. He put on a fake amazed face and slightly shook his head, trying his best to figure out whatever it was that he had just seen. He let go of his pant leg and Brian let out another chuckle as Cliff collapsed onto his back. Brian pulled his robe off and threw it onto the bed that he had been sleeping on for the last five years.

"You get excited about everything though." He opened his trunk and examined it to make sure that everything was in place and when he was finished he shut it, turned around, and sat on it staring over at Cliff. "But I will take your word for it and assume it was amazing. "How was your vacation?"

Brian had left so Cliff dragged himself to his own trunk, refusing to get up and walk like a normal person. He stood on his knees and threw open the chest, rifling through. Brian claimed he got excited about everything and Cliff protested, "I do not get excited about everythi- HEY! OH MY MERLIN, MUM PACKED MY QUIDDITCH WEEKLY! YES!" He threw the magazine up in the air and it landed on his head.

He pulled the magazine off and threw it into his trunk, still excited about it. He began to take off his robes and hat, planning to put on his pajamas. "Oh, fine. The usual, you know. Diagon Alley, sleeping in, getting jumped by Slytherins." He shrugged. "I started an internship at Mungo's. Pretty cool. How was yours?"

Brian could not help but smirk at the over exaggerated actions of Cliff. He watched him and a feeling of satisfaction began to roll over him as he started to realize that he was back at Hogwarts. He always got excited about it, but it always seemed to anti climatic, but right now he was beyond satisfied. He would get to see Cliff every day, learn new magic, roam the halls of the ancient school, and mingle with all the lady folk.

"Practiced Quidditch all summer. I am going to be the starting seeker this year, mind you!" He had been after the spot since he had come to Hogwarts, but it had always seemed to slip right through his fingers. This year, he was only going against Gian, and he felt he was a better player and faster rider than he way, despite him being a seventh year. "I also avoided getting that sickness, which rocks, because I have seen how terrible it is." His thoughts drifted to Hitame who he had visited in Mungos.

"Bet you seen a lot of it at the internship, huh?"

Brian spoke of Quidditch and Cliff perked up, straightening up to look at his friend. "Ah, mate, next year you are coming to my house for summer and we'll just play nonstop. My family loves Quidditch! I'm going out as Chaser, but I sort of like commentating best. My dad was commentator when he was at Hogwarts." Though the least manly of all his brothers, Cliff liked appealing to his dad. Besides, he was a good player at best, not exactly brilliant. However, he had a special knack for the family business.

He spoke of the illness and Cliff's good mood ebbed away. "I've seen it all summer," he said, sighing. "We all, my whole family that is, got it this summer, but we got over it in a month or two. My little sister still has it and it's getting worse every day." He shrugged. "I saw it at Mungo's too but it was frustrating being where they could cure and still having no cure."

Brian had never been to Cliff's house before, despite them talking about it all the time, so the prospect of going there to play Quidditch was awesome to him. He had met his father, Lee, one time and Brian enjoyed him greatly. From what he could tell they both got along great. He was also a student whenever Harry Potter had come to Hogwarts, so it was awesome to meet someone who knew the boy who lived.

"I hope Ariana gets to feeling better." Brian said, giving Cliff a light tap on the shoulder as reassurance. Then, to move the subject on, he went back to Quidditch. "Announcing will be fun for you this year. I can see it now. BRIAN SULLIVAN CATCHES THE SNITCH!!! GRYFFINDOR WINS THE HOUSE CUP. The sky is the limit for young Brain Sullivan as he leads Gryffindor to their first undefeated year in Hogwarts history!"

He laughed when he realized he had jumped on top of his trunk and was holding an invisible trophy high into the sky. He had been wanting to just touch the trophy since he had come to Hogwarts, and he had a feeling that this year was the year. "Has Gryffindor ever gone undefeated?" He looked down at Cliff with a puzzle look on his face.

Cliff was getting excited too, and he jumped on his own bed, hopping up and down to the rhythm of Brian's words, visualizing the whole scene before him as Brian's words painted him the picture. He added to it, his voice booming and filling the circular confined space. "And with such flare, such style, that Gryffindor not only wins, but they defeat EVERY QUIDDITCH RECORD EVER."

Ah, the dreams of boyhood.

Brian's question caused Cliff to stop jumping and ponder the thought briefly. "I dunno. I think they did when Charlie Weasley played. But he's like... a god!"

This was why Brian loved hanging around with Cliff. No matter how foolish Brian could make himself feel, Cliff would go right along with it, and make him feel normal. Brian smiled, realizing how much he missed hanging out with Cliff, and then he felt happiness at the thought of them getting to hang out for an entire year again. \

"Charlie Weasley..." Brian swooned and hopped off the trunk. "I will be better, though! My dad promised me a new broom if I could keep my grades up." He loved his Nimbus, but a Firebolt would be so much better. They were faster and more agile, which would allow him to turn on a dime easier. "Slytherin beware, Brian Sullivan on a firebolt."