Kat looked in her mirror and gasped. Peeking out of her pink hair was a pair of kitty ears.The girl's nose crinkled with a look of disgust. That spell as supposed to turn he hair normal again, not make her a fucking neko.How could I have screwed something up so badly? She wondered to herself.
A rapping on the door caught her attention. "Just a minute…" she called, rummaging through her stuff. Hat, hat, I need a HAT!
She heard her friend's voice through the door. "Kat, come on! We need to go get supplies!" But Kat was too busy trying to find something to cover her head. The knocking at her door grew louder and more incessant. Ten more seconds of searching and knocking passed before Kat's friend finally called, "That's it, I'm coming in!"
Kat froze in place as the door swung open, her ears red hot. Even the dark cat ears from her spell were pressed down against her head. She twisted around slowly, dreading the look on her friends face.
Yep, Lily's face was red with laughter, though you could hardly see it as she was bent over. She was cracking up at Kat's haywire spell! Kat glowered at Lily. "Couldja stop laughing and help me figure out how to fix this?" She snapped.
Lily suppressed a snicker. "I'm sorry, little pink Nyan Cat," she teased. "In all seriousness, though, I told you not to mess around with your spells anymore, or you'd end up with some… Less desired results."
Kat frowned. "I know that. I was trying to fix a spell that I had already messed up, so can't blame me entirely," she said pointedly. Rising from the floor, she poked at one of the kitty ears. She giggled at herself when it twitched, but she quickly straightened her face again. "What do you think we can do to fix this derpy mess?" Lily merely shrugged in response.
Her friend stood in the doorway, a quizzical look on her face. She was shorter than Kat, and her yellow hair curled every which way. Her, Kat, and their friend Brandy had recently discovered that they were witches, and were told to go to Hogwarts. They were spending the week at the Leaky Cauldron before the school year at Hogwarts started. They needed to be 100% ready by the next Monday, so they decided that on Wednesday - Which just happened to be that day - they would head out to Diagon Alley to get all their books, supplies, and such. And, of course, it just hadto be the day her hair turned pink. Ugh.
Kat's kitty ears twitched and perked up at the sound of footsteps coming from the hall. She peeked out of the threshold, pushing past Lily, to see her aunt, an impatient look on her face.
"What is taking you two so lo…" She gasped. Kat's face grew hot again. "Kat! Didn't I tell you not to mess with magic?" Kat's head dipped. "Hold still, dear. I can fix it," she said something that Kat hardly understood, and Kat returned to her regular self. Exited, Kat hopped over to her mirror. She grinned; not only were her kitty ears gone, but her messy hair had gone back to its dirty blonde colour, much better to compliment her brown eyes.
"Okay," she declared as she put on her favorite green jacket. "Let's go get our shit!" She and Lily ran through the hall and down the stairs, leaving Kat's aunt behind, standing with a warm smile on her face.
On the ground floor, sitting alone at a table was Kat's friend, Brandy. She resembled Kat a lot, being about the same height and having a similar hairstyle, but she had lighter hair and blue eyes. Her expression brightened as she noticed Kat and Lily clambering down the stairs.
"You guys ready?" She inquired.
"Yep!"
"What took you so long?"
"We'll explain later."
The trio scrambled out of the door, spilling over each other. Kat's aunt followed, hardly fazed by their strange behavior.
Through the rest of the day, the three friends ambled around Diagon Alley, purchasing supplies for the school year, as well as a few secondary items, such as pets. Lily and Kat both got owls, Kat's a pale grey with chocolate flecks, and Lily's a rustic brown colour. Brandy, on the other hand, got a tabby cat, who she named Bob. Real creative, Brandy.
As they ventured around, buying this and that, Kat and Lily finally managed to explain the situation from that morning to Brandy. She laughed, receiving an angry look from Kat.
The rest of the week was filled with excitement. The three of them spent their time anxiously anticipating the day when they would arrive at Hogwarts. They often tried predicting what their first years would be like, which usually ended with something random that just made the whole conversation senseless. After what felt like forever, Monday finally came.
King's Cross Station spread expansively in front of the trio. The bustling place was probably filled with other witches and wizards, there to start another year at Hogwarts. Kat stepped forward, a large chest filled with her things, topped with her owl's cage, rolling behind her. "C'mon, guys! Platform nine and three quarters isn't gonna find itself!" Lily and Brandy gave each other a little look before dashing off behind Kat.
They ran, weaving through the throng of people who crowded King's Cross. Each platform flashed by as they counted them off in their heads. Six, seven, eight… Nine! Now, where is it… The three's eyes widened as they noticed another person who looked maybe a year or two older than them, seem to vanish through a barrier, followed by who Kat guessed to be his nearly identical brother. The trio smiled at each other, then nodded in unison. They darted, even faster than before, towards the spot where they saw the guy go through. Without thinking, they flew right into it.
On the other side, platform nine and three quarters was just as busy. Crowds of witches and wizards writhed around, making it tricky to get forward. Kat noticed many people nearby, none of which were recognizable. A red engine sat, not far away through the crowd of people. Almost instinctively, the trio pushed forward, shoving others out of the way without much notice. The train locked in her sights, Kat tromped ahead, her friends flanking her as the three of them forced their way through the mass of bodies around them.
As the three of them seated themselves, Brandy's cat gave a little Mrrow of discomfort, his pelt prickling at all the new people. Kat stroked his back, smirking.
"It's gonna take a while for the little guy to get used to us," Brandy mentioned.
"And no matter how accustomed he gets, he'll still be an evil little ball of fur, like all cats." Kat pointed out. "Hm… I wonder if You-Know-Who has an army of cats." The three of them laughed.
"Would it be like snakes riding cats or cat riding snakes?" Inquired Brandy.
"Hmm, I'm thinkin' cats with snakes for tails." Said Kat. More laughter ensued.
A high-pitched voice rang through the cab. "Anyone want anything from the trolley?" It came from the walkway. Kat peered out, craning her neck. Brandy, who was sitting to her right, next to the window, looked at Kat, confused. Kats eye caught a woman pushing a cart down the corridor. The cart was loaded with so many kinds of sweets and candies that Kat could hardly count them all. Something stood out to her, though. She gasped.
"They have chocolate frogs!" Kat yelled a bit too loud over her shoulder. Lily and Brandy jumped from their seats. They hardly cared about the dinky cards that came with the treats, rather, the main reason they like them is because it had been the first non-muggle food they had ever eaten. That, and they were pretty damn tasty.
The trio of friends quickly purchased their chocolaty sweets, also picking up a few licorice wands. They were just beginning to stuff their faces before Kat noticed how cool the scenery looked at the speed the train was going. The fields and forests flickered in her sight for only an instant, before leaving, to be viewed by the people farther back on the train. The landscape blurred by like splotches of emerald paint on a vast blue canvas. Lily noticed Kat staring out the window and asked what she was doing.
"The scenery is so cool looking!" Responded Kat.
Lily joined Kat and gazed out the window for a few seconds before finally saying: "This is boring."
The three laughed and continued talking to pass the time of the ride.
Kat was just about to stuff another chocolate frog in her mouth when Lily decided to say something… Odd… "Did you know that another person's saliva lasts for seven months in your mouth?"
Kat frowned. "Did you have to save that factoid for when we were eating stuff?" Lily snickered in response.
Brandy looked up in confusion. "Huh? What? Platypus? Wha?"
"Hold on." Kat froze dramatically. "What is the plural of platypus? Is it platypi?"
Lily thought for a moment. "Hm… I think it's platypode."
A grin grew on Kat's face. "That's the most awesome word! It's so much fun to say! Platypode!" The word echoed from the mouths of the friends. Much giggling followed.
"So…" Brandy started. "What house do you think you're gonna get?"
"I dunno," Kat responded. "I'm kinda hoping for Slytherin. What about you, Lily?"
"I don't really care, as long as I'm not a Hufflepuff."
"They're so derp." Brandy agreed. The trio laughed yet again.
After that conversation, the trio's anticipation grew. They wanted to know what house they would get. The train ride seemed to drag on, no matter how much they goofed around to entertain themselves. At one point, Kat's interest was sparked just as she noticed someone walking by.
The boy looked hardly unique, so why Kat took such notice of him was unknown. She got but a glimpse of him. He had sandy hair, and seemed about the same age as the trio. Once Kat noticed him, something jolted in her mind. Something strong.
Lily twisted around in her seat, getting a much better view of the boy than Kat. A short whistle escaped her mouth before she turned back to Kat and Brandy and said, "I'd tap that."
Kat's reaction was rather different. She could hardly speak after seeing the boy; it was as if her brain had short-circuited. Befuddled, all she could say was "Holy crap. D-did you see him? S-so cute."
Almost as random as Kat's incoherent stammering, Brandy had another one of her moments. "Huh? Who? Soup Nazi!"
Kat, brought back to her senses by the obscure phrasing of words, thought about it for a couple seconds. "That sounded so perfect. Just, like, coming out of Brandy's mouth, it just worked perfectly! 'Soup Nazi!' It's like a catchphrase."
"Yeah," said Brandy. "Guess I've got a catchphrase! Soup Nazi!"
The cab door slid open to reveal a round-faced boy, another first year. "E-excuse me, but have you seen a toad around here?" He inquired.
Kat pondered for a moment. She swore she had heard some croaking earlier, but she really didn't feel like saying anything. Instead she just shook her head.
The boy gave a disappointed look before closing the door and walking away, in search of his toad.
Forgetting the round-faced boy, Kat continued the dialogue. "Have you heard about that kid Harry Potter? 'The Boy Who Lived' is apparently going to be a first year, just like us!"
Suddenly, a voice rang through the train. "We'll be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to school separately.
Kat straightened in her seat. "Well, I guess we'd better get on out robes." She shook off her green jacket and reached for her black robes. The billowing cloth fell right down over her ankles. Her friends did the same, the garments fitting them perfectly.
All of a sudden, the train gave a mighty lurch. Lily panicked. "Ahh! There's something wrong with the train! …Oh, it's just stopping." Everyone on the train stood up as it slowed to stop. Kat was beginning to get nervous, along with her eagerness to start the school year at Hogwarts. She could see in her friends' faces that they felt the same.
Everyone shoved their way to the door, finding themselves on a little platform, chill in the night air. A light hovered above the new students' heads, and a deep voice called over the ruckus. Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" The crowd centered around the large person holding the lamp. "C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
The man led all the young witches and wizards down a narrow path. Many people nearly fell, slipping on the steep ground. Thick trees lined the sides of the way, blocking most of Kat's view more than the darkness. Nobody spoke, though Kat's ears picked up a couple sniffles from someone. Every once in a while, a few murmurs would ripple through the ocean of people.
"Yeh'll get yer first sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here."
Everyone gawked at the sight; there were even a few "Ooh"s and "Ahh"s. The pathway spread out onto the shore of a huge lake. A mountain jutted out of the other side, a magnificent castle on top of it. Multiple turrets and towers poked out of it, giving it an intricate feel.
"No more'n four to a boat!" The tall man called, gesturing to a fleet of small boats nearby. The trio of friends, who had stuck together in the crowd walked their way over to one of the boats, seating themselves.
The empty spot on the boat was filled with a tall black boy. "Can I sit here? All the other boats are full." Said he.
We don't have much of a choice, now do we? Thought Kat, although, along with her friends, the word she said was "Sure."
The boy sat down. "My name's Dean, by the way. Dean Thomas," he smiled warmly.
"I'm Katarina West. You can call me Kat."
"Lily Smith-Riel."
"Brandy Strub. Soup Nazi!" A confused look grew on Dean's face.
Kat snickered. " 'Soup Nazi' Is Brandy's catchphrase."
"Oh," Dean laughed.
The large man yelled over the murmuring. "Everyone in? Right then… FORWARD!"
The boats shoved off simultaneously. They floated smoothly over the shiny black water.
"Heads Down!" The man yelled as the leading boats got to the cliff. Everyone ducked as they were carried though a veil of ivy, and into a vast opening in the Cliffside. Kat was pretty sure they were now traveling under the school. They floated through a cave, hardly darker than it was outside. They eventually came to an end of the water before hopping out of their boats and onto the rough ground.
Kat noticed the tall man had found the round-faced boy's toad. After all the first years got out of their respective boats, they clustered back into a crowd. The trio, along with their new friend, Dean Thomas, stayed together, with Kat hoping not to lose her way in the gloom.
They finally ambled up into the grass, right near the castle, which loomed over them both welcomingly and threateningly. Kat walked through the moist grass, hardly noticing anything, as she was so anxious. The crowd tromped up the stone steps and swarmed around in front of a giant wooden door.
"Everyone here?" Kat heard the tall man call. "You there, still got yer toad?" The man raised his fist and knocked on the enormous door three times. Just as he did, it swung open, casting light over the pack of first-years. Standing in the doorway was a tall witch with black hair, garbed in green robes.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the large man.
"Thank you Hagrid, I will take them from here."
She opened the door wider and led the crowd of younglings into the entrance hall. Lit with torches, the stone hall was very roomy, with a ceiling that rose high out of sight. A beautiful marble staircase faced them, leading to the upper floors.
Professor McGonagall herded along the throng of young witches and wizards down the hall. A muffled echo of voices droned to Kat's right; all the others were already there. They were led to a little room, off to the side. They pushed into it, pressing even closer together than before. Though Kat did stay with her friends, it still wasn't the most pleasant moment of her life.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."
Kat stood in the Great Hall, looking over the tables of older kids. Worry wound its way into her head. What would they think of her? She shook the though off with lightning speed. Why would these people's opinion matter to me? She stood tall in the line, Lily in front of her, Brandy in back. Closer to the front of the line stood the sandy-haired boy from the train. As Kat noticed him, she felt her ears grow hot.
Professor McGonagall stepped up in front of the first-years, carrying with her a long-ass roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"
A girl with blonde pigtails stepped clumsily out of line. She put on the hat, which covered her eyes, and sat down on the stool. A few seconds later, the Sorting Hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!" The table on the far left cheered as Hannah walked over to sit by them.
Well,this seems to be a rather painless procedure, thought Kat, secretly thankful.
"Finnigan, Seamus!" The name had hardly any meaning to Kat, until she saw the sandy-haired boy step up to the stool. At that sight, she made sure to register that name into her memory. Seamus Finnigan,eh? Nice name. The boy sat on the stool, the old hat atop his head for quite a while more than the others. If only I knew what house I'm in, then I could pray that he gets that one. Almost a minute passed before the hat called out "GRYFFINDOR!" Kat watched intently as Seamus walked over to sit at the cheering table.
"Potter, Harry!"
Kat gasped. Was this the Harry Potter? Being called to be sorted just then? Despite the fact that she knew beforehand that he would be there. Everyone else was obviously interested, for Kat heard lots of mumbling and whispers being passed about. Potter stepped up and began walking towards the stool. He was a scruffy looking boy, with black hair and a pair of round glasses. The Sorting Hat took a few moments before deciding on Harry's house. Potter walked over to the Gryffindor table, a pair of brothers Kat recognized from the train station chanting "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Kat smirked. She noticed Brandy watching them as they goofed off, a slight smile on her face.
"Smith-Riel, Lily!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang loud when Kat realized that it was her friend's turn to be sorted.
"Good luck," she said under her breath as she watched Lily work her way over to the stool. She sat, putting the descript hat on her head. A few seconds passed.
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Strub, Brandy!"
Kat grew more worried. Both of her best friends were gone from the line. There were only four left in line, including her. She glanced around anxiously.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Automatically, Lily and Kat's heads snapped over to Brandy as she stood up. A slightly creepy smile crept across Kat's face now that she knew she had someone on the inside… A connection to Seamus. A scared look flashed on Brandy's face, and she darted off towards the Gryffindor table, sitting next to the ginger brothers from before.
"Thomas, Dean!"
"GRYFFINDOR!" He sat on Brandy's other side. Right between her and Seamus.
"Turpin, Lisa," was sorted as a Ravenclaw. She sat next to Lily. "Weasly, Ron," became yet another Gryffindor.
"West, Katarina!"
Kat froze for a moment. She was so interested in her friends' sortings that she almost forgot that she was there, too. A bit of fear tried to root itself in her mind. She pushed it back; this was her moment. The only sound she heard as she stepped up was the sound of her own footsteps, tapping rhythmically on the stone floor. She grabbed the ragged hat and sat down on the stool. The brown Sorting Hat rested on her head for a while, mumbling things to itself as it evaluated her. Finally, the sound of her House rang out:
"SLYTHERIN!"
Kat smiled; she had expected this house, and was hoping to get into it. She had heard that not a lot of Muggle-Borns got sorted there. She scampered over to the Slytherin table and plopped herself down at a spot not far from Brandy and Dean, though they were facing away from each other. Kat twisted around, looking at Brandy, who had also turned to see where Kat would sit. Dean looked around, too. And, for some reason (probably curiosity) Seamus rotated around to see what his friend was looking at.
Brandy gave Kat a smile; Dean gave a little thumbs up. Seamus just kinda… Looked.
Kat turned back around. It was then that Kat realized that the cheering when she reached the table was rather minimal. She glanced around; everyone seemed to be looking away from her. Do they know I'm muggle-born?Kat wondered. She looked over at a pale first-year sitting to her right. She tapped his shoulder.
"Uh, excuse me," she started.
The boy turned towards her, a shocked look on his face. "How dare you touch me, you filthy mudblood!" He turned his back on Kat, leaving her astounded.
"Well thanks, you arrogant Douchebag," she mumbled under her breath.
Everybody stood up from their tables, jumbling around. Kat, with Seamus in mind, dashed straight for Brandy and Dean. She saw Lily walking by on the way and waved her over before pushing through the crowd and grabbing Brandy and Dean's arms. They jerked around to look at their "attacker" just as Lily found her way over.
"Brandy…" Kat started. "Would you mind introducing us to Seamus…?" The scared look from before flashed across Brandy's face again. She darted off into the crowd of Gryffindors without a word. A few seconds passed before she emerged again, Seamus walking right behind her.
Lily's eyes widened and Kat's ears grew red again as Seamus walked up beside Brandy. "Hey," he said simply.
"Hot, you're Seamus," said Lily, clearly stumbling over her words. Kat smirked.
"H-Hello, I-I'm K-Katarina West," Kat forced out. In her head the only thing going on was Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck. Act Cool. "Erm, you can call me Kat. This is Lily. Don't worry about her, she's still a bit nervous after all the stuff that happened today." Lily owes me for this, Kat thought bitterly as she said the dumb excuse.
"Yeah, it was a long day," he agreed. "Well, I'd best be off," he said, backing away. Kat waved feebly as he drifted back into the crowd and out of sight.
"Holy fuck," Kat finally got out. "Wait… How fast was I talking to Seamus?"
"Very," Lily pointed out. Kat facepalmed.
She looked around and saw the different crowds heading towards their respective dormitories. "Crap," she said, exasperated. "We've got to go."
Kat's time down in the dungeons with the other Slytherins were really quiet for her. Most of the students ignored her, and the few that said anything were either insulting her or giving her dome directions before shutting up again. Kat knew it would take a lot for her to prove herself to these guys.
On the other hand, with all the others giving her the silent treatment, Kat had plenty of time to read and study for her classes. She knew that the head of the Slytherin House, Professor Snape, taught potions, so she was sure to study up on some herbs and potion ingredients. She noticed that most of her classes were with Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, making it possible for her to make friends, though in other Houses. Rather often, Kat didn't even have classes with the rest of the Slytherin House.
Surprisingly, the only class she had with the other Slytherin first-years was potions, which she actually enjoyed the most out of all the subjects. One time, she was paired with Brandy during potions, and was instructed to make a simple sleeping potion.
Brandy stirred the brew that filled the large, black cauldron as Kat tossed ingredients in. She was a bit of a natural when it came to making potions, and she knew that this mix wouldn't take a whole lot of effort. The liquid faded from bluish to pink. Kat smiled. That was just the result they wanted. Snape walked by just as Brandy said, "We're done!"
Snape spun around, examining their potion. "You bumbling buffoon!" He exclaimed. "It's supposed to be magenta!"
"It is!" Brandy and Kat said in unison.
"No. It's pink," Snape scolded.
"You, you Soup Nazi!" Brandy shrieked. Kat struggled to suppress her laughter. She noticed Dean doing the same from across the room. Everyone else just gave them odd looks, which made them laugh harder.
"Two points from Gryffindor for that outburst, Miss Strub," said Snape.
Brandy frowned. Kat looked suspiciously at Snape. She swore he had only taken away points because he plays favorites. Kat knew that the potion was prepared perfectly. Nevertheless, the scene was rather funny. "Snape's gonna have a grudge against you for that episode." Kat giggled.
Brandy smiled. "Worth it," she said.
History of magic was boring.
The trio stood in the front right corner of the Great Hall – Their little meeting spot – talking in their weird little conversations during lunch.
"I'm just saying, snails are – oh, god, here comes douchey little Malfoy." Kat noticed the pale boy strolling up to the trio.
"What, too cool to sit at the tables, mudbloods?" He dragged out the last word as if he expected it to offend the three friends.
Just hearing Malfoy's voice irritated Kat. She looked over at Brandy and Lily and whispered to them, "Let's teach this guy never to attempt to insult us ever again."
The three of them got into a little formation, Kat on the left, Brandy in the middle, and Lily on the right. Malfoy looked at it like it was the most ridiculous thing ever.
"Now!" Kat commanded.
She brought her open left hand around on Malfoy's face, smacking it with quite some force. Lily did the same on her side, and Brandy finished him off with an uppercut to the chin.
Malfoy rolled over on the floor, clutching his face. Kat spat. "Go cry back to your father, ya douche.
The group exchanged high-fives as Malfoy scurried off, back to the Slytherin table. "He such a pansy," said Brandy. Kat and Lily nodded.
"So, as I was saying, snails are totally – Oh, hi Dean, Hi S-Seamus!" Kat saw the two of them walking on over to the trio's little spot. Dean would often hang out with them there after he was finished eating lunch, but Kat never expected him to bring Seamus over with him!
Kat began to panic, but suppressed it. If she wanted a decent conversation with this guy, she had to remain calm.
"Now," Kat continued, "If you guys would let me finish my statement about snails…"
"Never mind the snails," said Seamus excitedly. "Flying lessons are starting Thursday!"
Kat perked up, despite the third interruption. "Cool! Learning to fly a broomstick should be rather fun!"
"I've always been interested in Quidditch," Lily agreed.
Seamus nodded, then frowned. "Gryffindor has it with Slytherin, though."
Kat was offended by his tone. Her expression grew stern. "What's the problem with that?" she pried.
"N-No, I didn't mean that!" Said Seamus, probably just realizing whom he was talking to. "It's just most Slytherins are kinda…"
Kat smiled kindly. "I understand. I'm just kiddin' you! Like I would care."
Brandy looked up. "Huh? What? Applesauce?"
Kat sniggered. "Brandy, you're so random!" The group of friends laughed, even Brandy.