Review: The Mephisto Mark by Trinity Faegan

Published: September 24th 2013 by Pink Publishing
FYI BTW: E-Book • 333 pages • Series Goodreads Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Orphaned at six and sent to live with abusive relatives in Bucharest, Mariah learned early in life to box up violent, agonizing memories and put them in permanent mental storage. Now almost nineteen, she has a paying job, a tiny apartment, and a plan to attend university. She loves her independence and is steadily overcoming her past, but when an enigmatic stranger walks into the pub where she works and the trajectory of her life changes yet again, she begins to wonder if she’ll run out of mental shelf space.

(Read more on Goodreads.)

Now you may remember me mentioning The Mephisto Covenant series before. In fact, one of my favorites of 2013 turned out to be The Mephisto Kiss, the sequel to The Mephisto Covenant. Now just a little disclaimer about me—I'm all about giving books a second chance, specifically books in a series where the potential to grow is always there. That's how it was with my first taste of Faegan's world; it definitely could've been much better, but I saw the possibilities it could pull off should Faegan improve on what I deemed to be flaws. So when I read The Mephisto Kiss, I was incredibly glad that I sat down one random evening to give it a chance and was dazzled by how much more depth Faegan created, and the attachments developed for these agonized sons of the dark angel Mephistopheles.

I just love saying his name. Mephistopheles.



The Good, The Bad, and The Non-Spoilery: If you've never read The Mephisto Covenant, it's about the six remaining sons of Mephistopheles (^^) who, due to questionable parentage to say the least, in order to earn passage into Heaven and gain God's favor must find love in a specific kind of a woman—known as Anabo, these women are descended from the first daughter of Adam and Eve and carry with them the purest of souls despite the darkness of the world around them, and so will be unafraid of being among the enigmatic, dangerous, arguably demonic Mephisto brothers. Should they love they will also know a peace that has eluded them for the thousand years they've already lived.

Now what I've loved about this series to this point is that the love lives of the six brothers are both at the center of the books and not all at once. Despite the fact that each of them have been unknowingly waiting for these promised soulmates, they've got other things going on as the hit squad working for both sides to stop the world from ending. But more than that, they're all carrying around a lot of emotional damage and pressure and old resentments that these could almost be very much character-driven stories, which huzzah!

I love that their romances are as equally hard as the lives they already lead. While the attraction is very much instant, the love takes a while to bloom, and when it comes to the point where they can love beyond themselves, it's cleansing for each brother and pretty damn beautiful. This particular installment focuses on Phoenix and the Anabo he definitely doesn't want to meet called Mariah, whom I loved so very much. You see, Phoenix harbors a horde of guilt for a tragic past where selfishness and many mistakes were at play. His tragic flaw is that selfishness so that even his guilt stems from self-pity no matter how much he thinks otherwise, and so it's no wonder it takes he and Mariah so long to work up to where I was dying to lead them my own self. He has so much growing to do at the beginning and because it's real, because it's true it takes a while for him to get there.

These books are about redemption, forgiveness, and self-growth, and therein lay the beauty, the glimpse of which I caught a couple years ago. And at the core of all those things is a driving need to maintain a family, and each of the brothers, the women they bring in, and the ones who watch over them—see: most BAMF butler, housekeeper, and cook ever—are very much a part of and committed to the family they've managed to salvage in spite of all the tragedies that have befallen them.

It's impossible to remain unaffected by these brothers, each their own person with their own quirks and flaws and jokes and badassery. (I'm sorry but BROMANCE makes the top of my must-have-in-reading list.) And while I was extremely sad that Faegan had a setback with her publisher, she's managed to come through and deliver a fairly phenomenal follow-up to the game-changing Mephisto Kiss and so I'm ANYTHING BUT sad now. I'm actually refreshing the goodreads page for The Mephisto Code and waiting for more info to miraculously appear. Yeah, I expect no judgement.

M came close and bent to gently stroke her hair. I watched in stunned disbelief. Not since our mother died had I seen my father express anything close to affection.
Her soul must have recognized who he was because she looked up at him with relief and whispered, "I'm ready to go."
"It's not your time," he murmured.
She leaned her head into his hand and closed her eyes. "He came back."
"No, he's never coming back."
"Promise?"
"I promise." He moved his hand across her face and she instantly went to sleep, her head falling against my shoulder.

*dies* *sobs* THIS SCENE. Mariah is so wounded that she inspires a shred of warmth in even the most damned of souls. *sobs again*

And there are tons of others but this is the least spoilery, I think, and one of the most moving.

I bought my e-book copy off of Amazon for $3.99. Prices may vary over time.

Review: The Collector by Victoria Scott

Published: April 2nd 2013 by Entangled Teen
FYI BTW: Paperback • 352 pages • Series Goodreads Rating: ★ ★ ★ 1/2

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

(Read more on Goodreads.)

Dante Walker is an equal-oppurtunity-insulting douche bag who just so happens to have lucked out in the career-post-death department, working as Lucifer's underling and climbing steadily up to a shiny, highly coveted promotion. As leading Collector among the few who've managed the privilege, this guy swears he got it like that. And in most cases that type of attitude inspires a certain reaction from outside parties.



That kind of cockiness sets itself up for failure, but with his track record completely unmarred by screw ups of any variety, his less-than-humble claims are backed up hardcore. And from the first page all you get is this SASS and BLUNT meanness that learning more about Dante Walker shouldn't make the to-do list but IT DOES. It so does. Because those kinds of prickly layers are just begging to be peeled away until we're left with the resolved mystery, and in spite of his, er, lack of manners there's this troublesome, undeniable truth: Dante Walker is kind of extremely lovable.



Say what you will about that boy, he won me over within two pages. TWO. Not only because his meanness and sarcasm shouldn't technically be funny but is—he's a loving person, whether he admits or try doesn't ever. He's viciously protective of those who matter and he has the capacity to see people for what they're worth, who they are. So while I wouldn't call his center exactly gooey nor very near to the surface, his heart is not only present but MASSIVE. And so it's no wonder that he was my favorite part of reading The Collector by Victoria Scott. Followed swiftly by the charm of Charlie, of course.

ALSO: MAX *dies*.

I loved that this wasn't your typical YA paranormal romance in every way even though it has a lot of typical elements. There's no super spiffy writing inside Dante's ongoing inner monologue pov except in those well-placed moments of clarity and disarming insight that spotlight his growth. In fact, Dante talks like all the boys I ignored back in high school because I thought them incapable of holding an actual conversation with me. But that's what makes him believable and fun, and so many points go to Victoria Scott for embracing teenage tomfoolery and all the accompanying slang. And we've all seen a plotline like this one, a demon who collects souls for Hell and can't afford to have his biggest job yet foiled, and yet Scott has twisted it up enough and added enough of her own flair into it that it was just the right amount of unpredictable. More points! And the romance... Our sexy Dante does not get himself a regulation hottie to take to the sheets midway into the book and instead he gets Charlie, in the throes of the hellish and very familiar nightmare of puberty—crooked teeth, frizzy hair and all!

I do have a couple of complaints, though: the pacing needed to vary a bit more to keep my attention hardwired and, this might just be me, but Dante needs to stop saying things like "sweet girl" every five sentences ASAP please goodness. No, seriously, gritting your teeth is bad for you. But I'm nonetheless remarkably impressed with what I assumed was going to be an over-the-top, way ridiculous book—well, it is but in the best way possible instead of that other one where heavy eye-rolling is involved. Now I have to buy The Liberator, damn it!

Best one-liners - "Seals come from being bad, or as I like to say, exciting."

"Collecting souls is nothing personal. I'm an equal-oppurtunity sealer."

"Something squeals loudly, and I ready myself to kill some sort of rodent. But it's Charlie.

And scenes of course - I spin around and see Max running toward me in a gray Armani shirt. "Dante. Oh, Dante. Seal me! Seal me so hard!" He grabs my hips and pumps his toward mine. "Oh, Dante! You're so hot when you seal souls."

At the end of the walkway is a cat. It struts with arrogance. You'd think it just won the Nobel Prize. But it didn't. Know why? Because it's a freakin' cat. In case you missed the memo, I. Hate. Cats. I loathe them. They're built with creepy little teeth and finger blades. I don't know about you, but I'll pass on THAT freak show.

Charlie studies me for a moment, then reaches for the radio and flips it off.
"This is my favorite."
"Off?" I ask.
Charlie rolls down the window. She lays her head on the open window frame. "I like the sound the world makes."

I bought my copy as an e-book from Amazon.

Reaction to... Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas [No spoilers!]

I’ve waited long for this day. I would’ve posted about this sooner, my friends, but I confess irresponsibility and absent-mindedness. I’m on vacation! But that’s neither here nor there when we’re about to discuss a little delight presented to us by Sarah J. Maas. First of all, though it’s no secret, I’d like to preface this post by professing an incessant admiration for Sarah and a disturbing obsession with this series. Not sure if that necessarily makes me bias considering I have MANY reasons to feel the way I do about this series—because it is truly wonderful. Throne of Glass is absolutely a phenomenal work, a beginning to the chronicles of a young deadly assassin with a big heart torn between loyalties, prophecy, and politics, but it’s sequel I might love even deeper.

Throughout book one we spent our time getting to know Celaena and the players to be involved in her life. It was the characters that cemented my connection to this story, the action, plot, and sleuthing falling just below that important aspect but still ranking highly among those I’ve read of the same caliber. But what makes Crown of Midnight so lovely, and perhaps better than it’s predecessor, is that taking of what we already know of the characters and deepening it, darkening it. In spite of the atmosphere of the last book—with a cutthroat competition taking place—there wasn’t nearly as much of a sense of urgency and danger as in this one. The urgency in blocking the king from further spreading his evil, in the prophecy that’s slowly arising, and the danger in the part of Celaena her enemies fail to remember and, frankly, foolishly underestimate. It’s these two components that make this read incredibly compelling, and sets the tone darker than I thought possible.

Both slyly torturous and proportionately thrilling, the events of Crown of Midnight take the slight joyous air that builds for a while in the beginning and dips it straight into Celaena’s personal hell. More than that, there are some amazing revelations provided—secrets of not only Celaena’s past but of her origins and capabilities that I only vaguely guessed at—and was unsurprisingly astounded by them. Maas seemed to have a firmer grip over the pacing and a much more solid control over the plot’s consistency making the story that much more enjoyable. I recommend savoring Crown of Midnight, guys, so that you can appreciate every nuance, every miniscule detail stunningly put together.

Notice how I very carefully avoid the subject of the romance—not because it wasn’t so freaking satisfying I want to shout to the rooftops, nay that isn’t the reason. I just don’t want to spoil anything. But let’s just say that it’s as beautifully written and has so far been as agonizing as the goings-on throughout. I only hope that it ends up far better than the dreadful picture that’s already been mapped out. Every inch of this story brings you so much closer to the end of this trilogy and yet takes you so far away—I NEED the last book in this series. Need. But, yes, though the fate of Celaena’s romance hanging in the balance is a drive, it’s definitely not the only reason to beg for the final act.

I wasn’t shocked that Sarah had overcome the Sophomore Slump and thumbed her nose in victory because this series is just too fantastic, but I am surprised by the scope, depth, and wonder within this sequel. After this book, I don’t think there will EVER be reason to doubt Sarah J Maas and her affinity for storytelling—she’s written a set of soul books, books that seem to have been written with me in mind, and I’ll be forever grateful to her for it.

Hardcover / 432 pgs / Aug 27th 2013 / Bloomsbury / Goodreads / $17.99

I picked this one up at Sarah's signing during Book Expo America.

Reaction to... The Mephisto Kiss by Trinity Faegan

TO UNCOVER OR BE COVERED:
Okay, I HATE this cover. Something about the cover of THE MEPHISTO KISS makes me think of a bad photoshop job and I’m clearly unimpressed. But that is the ONLY thing I fail to love about this sequel to THE MEPHISTO COVENANT.

SUMMARY: The eyes never lie. No one’s eyes are darker than Eryx. Not even the Devil’s.

When Jax and Sasha first see Jordan Ellis, they know she is no ordinary teenager. She’s the daughter of the President after all, but she’s also Anabo – a descendant of Eve.

What they don’t know is that Eryx plans to kidnap Jordan and force President Ellis to pledge his soul. If Eryx’s plot succeeds, the consequences would be catastrophic.

But the Mephisto brothers do know about Jordan’s secret identity. And for one of them, she could be the match that leads to their soul’s salvation.

Now it’s a desperate race against time to save Jordan and prevent Eryx’s haunting eyes from discovering her true identity.

I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to read this book. Well, yes I do. After THE MEPHISTO COVENANT, I wasn’t burning with anxiety and need-to-know feels for the sequel and so it didn’t cut it to my Actual Priorities list. But I requested it. And don’t give me that look. Yes, I’ve requested a lot, but usually because I’ve SOME kind of invested interest. In this case, I knew I’d be reading THE MEPHISTO KISS I just wasn’t sure when. Picking it up after months of having it was an impulsive decision, I now realize, BUT I’M SO HAPPY that I did it. Because it’s as if Trinity Faegan took all my small though many gripes about the first book and made a phenomenal book that I just want squeeze to my chest and serenade it whilst it remains in my arms. YEAH.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS:
All together there are seven sons of Hell. A long, long time ago, the eldest of those sons did something unforgiveable and cast himself out of the Mephisto—sons of the dark angel Mephistopheles and the Anabo Mana who were neither acknowledged by God or Lucifer—and has since become the enemy of the rest of his family. Because of their origins the Mephisto are earth-bound, immortal, and, if killed, headed straight to Hell with absolutely no passage into Heaven. Unless they’ve fulfilled the Mephisto Covenant—a promise from God that says each of the Mephisto will find peace and love with an Anabo—an infallibly pure soul resistant against temptation and the wickedness of man. But as Ajax, or Jax, has so proven in THE MEPHISTO COVENANT, that proves to be as difficult as can be, and will be even more difficult when Kyros, or Key, is given his own chance for redemption.

WHERE WE GO:
Yes, Trinity Faegan has made so many improvements to this second book in the Mephisto series. You have to understand, the first book wasn’t a bad book. It was a little weird at times—a lot of people still seem to question the sexism (would that be the word?) that seems to be embedded within certain aspects of the story—and the plot had been a little too choppy. The villain took FOREVER to show up, if my review is any judge, and the pacing needed work too. Not the case at all in THE MEPHISTO KISS.

We are given a brief introductory step into the minds of Kyros and Jordan before we are thrust into the fast-paced kidnapping that changes everything. Jordan is the president’s daughter, and was never any interest of the Mephisto or their sworn-enemy Eryx, until she becomes an essential piece to the chess game the President is unknowingly losing against Eryx and his plot to overtake the American government. With Jordan taken, it is revealed that Jordan is suspected to be one of whom the Mephisto are always looking for, and before he can prepare himself for what is about to happen, Kyros is assaulted with the scent of bluebells coming from an item of Jordan’s, changing everything.

What I loved so much about THE MEPHISTO KISS is the constant adventures, all the terrible outcomes, risk-taking, and fighting against evil whereas in THE MEPHISTO COVENANT all that didn’t seem so important. I had been too busy wishing Jax and Sasha together, just because, but with this book Faegan figured out if we are invested in the characters as much as humanly possible so will we be in their mission. It’s now imperative to stop Eryx, to keep him from tempting more souls and from taking the only happiness that really counts among the Mephisto after a thousand years of their own individual loneliness. From the Carpathian Mountains to Bucharest to Washington to the Mephisto stronghold, all that we learn and everywhere we go is thrilling, exciting, and compelled a range of emotions from me with every turn of the scene.

WHO WE ARE WITH:
True to my tastes, even more than I loved the plot, I loved this deeper development and better presentation of characters I liked in this first book. I saw the potential in the bromance between the Mephistos and how it might touch me deeply but it didn’t go that far in the first book whereas now I can’t imagine ever not reading a book with them in it. They are more of a presence, grounded in emotions and pasts and personalities that didn’t feel this close in THE MEPHISTO COVENANT. I finally feel like I know them, like I can sense family and feel home, their home, and enjoy all the struggles, arguments, and joyous occasions that come with that family.

Kyros was especially distant in THE MEPHISTO COVENANT, as the leader of the Mephisto, but that is no longer a problem. To protect himself from too deep of emotional investment, to hide all the emotional scarring and pain that comes with it, and to keep himself rigidly in check, his distance, or the cause thereof, is one of the saddest things I’ve ever known in a book. For the sake of his father, his brothers, all of them, and his long-dead mother, Kyros is an unbearably sad character though there is no outward sorrow to show. I couldn’t help but be relieved and happy at the promise of Jordan, or life with her. Seeing them stumble their way through love was so much more gratifying than what I found in the last book. It’s real and raw, full of mistakes and misunderstandings of each other’s characters while they figure out what those characters really are, and ultimately full of hope and acceptance and I am TOTES behind that. Yes, Jordan, like Sasha, battled with what was right for her, whether Kyros was wrong for her or not, but unlike Sasha, seemed strong and perfectly scared and somehow more real about her indecision. But there is a realization of the balance they have together that keeps them in check as much as happy.

THE LITTLE THINGS:

1. Kyros Begs Jordan To Stay Alive
2. Phoenix Tells Kyros About Jane
3. Jax Gives Jordan Advice
4. Kyros Wants Jordan For Jordan
5. Kyros Decides Jordan, Every Time

I’ve done the best that I could, putting my love of this book into words. And only now after finishing early this morning (I’m talking around five am people!), and after I try to make myself guilty for sleeping in and not studying for my final tomorrow because I stayed up late reading THE MEPHISTO KISS, do I realize how unequivocally excited I am for the rest of the books in the series! It makes me so sad that Faegan’s publisher decided against another book, like BEYOND sad.





But, I’m not bedridden with ragefever or pulling my own hair out because Trinity Faegan made the brave decision to continue the series on her own. And I can’t truly, deeply thank her enough for it because I genuinely love these characters she’s brought into the fictional world and who knows how much blacker my soul would’ve gotten if she hadn’t decided? Because she spared me a fate of long-lasting anger and took pity on all of us desperately waiting for the next part of the story, I think she is even more amazing. Really, people, you are missing so much by skipping this book.

I can’t tell you how much my blood sings at the thought of reading Phoenix’s story, which is the next book in the series called THE MEPHISTO MARK. Even though I must wait until September, in this book especially, Phoenix, the first brother to find an Anabo and lose her, has gotten to me and I’ve decided to be patient. I trust you, Trinity, to make me love Phoenix, Mariah, and their story so very much. And oddly enough it’s a scene with the guy in question that I find even more oddly compelled to share with you.

After a while, Phoenix said, "Jane wasn't what I expected."
Jerking his attention away from the dust motes, he saw Phoenix staring at the clock. "You never said so."
"I thought I'd find a girl who was strong and independent, who liked to ride as much as I did, who had a spirit of adventure and would go with me to places like the Himalayas, or the pyramids in Egypt. Instead, I got Jane, who couldn't walk and was afraid of horses. She was shy, reserved, and a homebody." Phoenix shifted in his chair and rubbed an invisible spot from the brown leather armrest. "Looking at it from her side, she thought she'd marry an aristocrat who would be as passionate about social change in England as she was, who could take her to church. Instead, she got me."
"Who healed her so she could walk. That had to rank higher than social change."
"Not to Jane."
Key was floored. "I thought you and Jane were crazy about each other."
"We were."
"But you just said--"
"All that was in the beginning, Key. Once I really knew her, I didn't care so much about the pyramids. She could be funny, which isn't something I ever considered important. She had quirks, like hiding dime novels inside her hat so she could sneak away from parties and read. You don't think about things like that while you're waiting. You build up this perfect girl in your head, but she doesn't exist. What you get instead is a real human being, and if you're lucky like me, she'll be a million times better than what you imagined and expected."
"In her hat? Really?"
Phoenix nodded and reached for his book. "She loved scary stories."
Key got to his feet and walked to the doorway into the front hall, then stopped and said over his shoulder, "Do you ever imagine another girl?"
"All the time, but now, instead of a girl who's into pyramids, she's always Jane."

Now, maybe, you know what I mean.

Hardback / 448 pgs / Sept 25th 2012 / Egmont USA / Goodreads / $17.99

I received a copy from Egmont via Netgalley back in October.

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan Book Review – “The other families say, ‘My way or the highway.’ The Lynburns say, ‘I am unfamiliar with the concept of the highway, so that leaves you with only one choice.’”

Title: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
Author Info: Bio | Website | Twitter
US Publication: Sept 11th 2012 by Random House

“ Every town in England has a story...

Story Arc: Series, Book 1 Hardcover: 370 pages Age Group: Teen, YA

Genre: Gothic Mystery Excerpt(s): 30,33,& 38% -------- Purchase --------

..............................................................................

Review:The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter a n d  t h e Sorcerer's Stone

by J. K. Rowling

Add it to Goodreads?
Release Date: October 1, 1998
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: All Ages
Source: Library Check-Out
Rating: Special Shelf
About the Book:

Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.

All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley—a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry—and anyone who reads about him—will find unforgettable. For it's there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter.

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious...

I can never fully express to you how deeply I regret not embarking on this series sooner. I'm so late! Now the movies are over and its less likely I can parade my enthusiasm and the sheer joy I got from reading this. From the first chapter alone, it became increasingly obvious as to how J.K. Rowling ended up a millionaire (or is bigillionaire...?). I'd always been a BIG fan of the movies, but I didn't read the books based on my pre-Reading Obsession years when I didn't very much enjoy them. I realized, though, that at the time, I didn't have it in me to appreciate this series. Now, I do. Boy, do I! This book incites the fan girl (or boy) in you!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is full of magic and adventure, sparkling story-telling, and is the embodiment of nearly every child's dream to run off to some foreign, magical place where excitement and danger is around every corner to chase off the boredom. What is so purely great about this first book (and I'm sure the others as well) is the effortless world-building that mirrors our own world in past and present spaces in our history. Nothing is over-done and it's plain how deep Rowling's knowledge of the world runs. From wands and cauldrons to magical beasts to wizarding sports, The Sorcerer's Stone will fascinate you at every plot turn and through every character. It ensnares your attention and leaves you craving the next book!

I loved Harry. His book portrayal made me much more sensitive to his circumstances and feelings. Gosh, I can't tell you how many times this boy succeeded in making me cry! The cruelty of his care-givers had me fuming and crying all at the same time. And the feeling of loss for his parents strikes you throughout the course of the movie series, but it hits much harder after reading the books. Growing up with the movies, the movie adapted characters stuck with me while I was reading. I saw Emma Watson when I read Hermione, and Radcliffe and Grint and so on. It honestly made me love the book that much more!

I appreciated the Big Mystery, and it was nice to go through the motions of unraveling it, because I had forgotten almost everything from the first movie. It was like starting fresh, and as I read the book I slowly began to recall what was going to happen. Strangely, that made it all the more exciting.

Perhaps it is because Harry Potter has been dear to my heart all this time, being apart of the Harry Potter generation, that the entire book captivated me from start to finish, but I can truly say, without bias, that The Sorcerer's Stone is an enthralling, unique, and astoundingly overwhelming read! I can promise that I was as bewitched as Harry when, together, we stumbled upon the wizarding world, and absolutely guarantee that my friends will be finding the Harry Potter books in my bag until I'm done with the series!

Thought up by the lovely Small Review, Special Shelf books are unforgettable books that hold 
beautiful stories inside and characters you will forever be in love with... (My Rating System In-Depth)

"FRED, YOU NEXT," THE PLUMP WOMAN SAID.
"I'M NOT FRED, I'M GEORGE," SAID THE BY. "HONESTLY, WOMAN, YOU CALL YOURSELF OUR MOTHER? CAN'T YOU TELL I'M GEORGE?"
"SORRY, GEORGE, DEAR."
"ONLY JOKING, I AM FRED," SAID THE BOY. (92)

"HAS ANYONE SEEN A TOAD? NEVILLE'S LOST ONE," SHE SAID. SHE HAD A BOSSY SORT OF VOICE, LOTS OF BUSHY BROWN HAIR, AND RATHER LARGE FRONT TEETH...
"OH, ARE YOU DOING MAGIC? LET'S SEE IT, THEN."
SHE SAT DOWN. RON LOOKED TAKEN ABACK...
"SUNSHINE, DAISIES, BUTTER MELLOW,
TURN THIS STUPID, FAT RAT YELLOW."
HE WAVED HIS WAND, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. SCABBERS STAYED GRAY AND FAST ASLEEP.
"ARE YOU SURE THAT'S A REAL SPELL?" SAID THE GIRL. "WELL, IT'S NOT VERY GOOD, IS IT?" (105)

HARRY GRIPPED THE EDGES OF THE STOOL AND THOUGHT, NOT SLYTHERIN, NOT SLYTHERIN.
"NOT SLYTHERIN, EH?" SAID THE SMALL VOICE. "ARE YOU SURE? YOU COULD BE GREAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL HERE IN YOUR HEAD, AND SLYTHERIN WILL HELP YOU ON THE WAY TO GREATNESS, NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT--NO? WELL, IF YOU'RE SURE--BETTER BE GRYFFINDOR!"
HARRY HEARD THE HAT SHOUT THE LAST WORD TO THE WHOLE HALL. HE TOOK OFF THE HAT AND WALKED SHAKILY TOWARD THE GRYFFINDOR TABLE. HE WAS SO RELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AND NOT PUT IN SLYTHERIN, HE HARDLY NOTICED THAT HE WAS GEETTING THE LOUDEST CHEER YET. PERCY THE PREFECT GOT UP AND SHOOK HIS HAND VIGOROUSLY, WHILE THE WEASLEY TWINS YELLED, "WE GOT POTTER! WE GOT POTTER!" (121-122)