Marlene stared at the doors to the Heads compartments. "You have got to be joking," she muttered under her breath.
The doors were at least six feet wide and eight feet high, and gilded in gold with the Hogwarts crest, in which an elegant 'HG' and 'HB' nested. It looked more like the entrance to royal chambers than it did to the elite of Hogwarts. Marlene snorted under her breath, envying Lily just a little.
"Pesky pixie," she said, calling out the password that Lily had given her.
The doors swung open, and Marlene found herself in a cosy common room that was smaller than the one in Gryffindor Tower, but much more plush. She padded across the carpet, seeing no sign of either of the dorms' occupants, and headed up the right set of stairs which Lily had said led to her room.
At the top of the stairs, she discovered Alice was there already, knocking on the door. She hurried up the rest of the stairs. "Alice!" she whispered excitedly, grabbing her friend's arm. "I can't wait for this."