Chapter 1
(Miyako Pov)
I walked up to the train station with my duffel bag slung over my shoulder. I walked through the wall they had told us to go through to get to Platform 9 3/4. Strange to walk through a wall. I saw the line to get on the Hogwarts express. No way in hell was I waiting in that line. I slipped steathily through the crowd. I took care that my bag didn't bump anyone. I did manage to get on the train relatively first. I was on and seated so I watched the others walk by. They still seemed like such children. Even the ones that were maybe 17 or 18. Perhaps it was their happy, giddy attitude. They were acting like life was such a great thing. Maybe because I was only eleven and yet had seen so much of the ugly side of the world that I was scarred, or at least my outlook was.
I sighed and flipped my dark hair back into a ponytail. As I finished a girl with shoulder length brown hair and a lot of baggage came into my compartment. "You don't mind if I sit here do you?" she asked with a smile. I raised an eyebrow. She took that as my consent for her to sit down, which it wasn't. She pushed her bags into the overhead compartment and sat with a sigh. She extended a hand toward me. "Hi! I'm Indigo Casson." I raised my eyebrow even higher. If this continued all year my eyebrow would fall off my face. I ignored her hand but reluctantly said, "Miyako Wakahisa."
She frowned, "You're forgien aren't you?" I nodded, "Japanese." She nodded and smiled, "Sounds interesting." I grunted. She sighed and kept quiet for about a minute then said something about being excited for school and so on and so on. I ignored this talkitive kid. Finally the food trolley came. I think she bought one of everything. She contiually tried to get me to eat something, but sweet things weren't my style. Not on enough we reached the castle school. Apparently the first years had to follow some bearded man and sail across the lake on little boats that would probably sink if you go in the wrong way. It made me wonder what this school's budget would be like.
I glanced into the water once. I saw the moonlight reflect off of something. I shook my head and forgot about it. When we reached the castle we dumped our stuff in some hall and crowded in the reception area waiting to be sorted. "I'm so excited but so nervous," the Casson girl squeeled. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't afraid or excited. I felt nothing. I was ready.
(Indigo Pov)
"Do you think they have a test? My brother said that we have to complete some sort of challenge like turning desks into goats or something. Perhaps he was kidding," I said watching the girl with the black hair, Miyako. I had to get her to approve a nicname. Well I guess I had seven years to think one up and get it accepted.
We waited for a bit until a rather severe looking lady came in. She looked liked she was only 30 or so but she had the look of someone you shouldn't mess around with. "I'm Professor Smith. I teach Transfiguration at Hogwarts," she introduced herself. Professor Smith spoke briefly of the school and the sorting hat, the means of how we would be sorted. Apparently the sorting hat was able to get inside your head and tell what house you should be in. I half sighed knowing that I wouldn't have to preform some aweful test but I couldn't get rid of my nerves.
What if I was sorted into Slytherin? How then would I be able to face my parents, and my brother, Sam? Gryffindor wasn't bad I think it would be a good house to be in and Ravenclaw was similiar. Hufflepuff would be disapointing but at leas the people looked alright.
Professor Smith led us out to the Great Hall. I searched for the red and gold table to wave at my brother, Sam. He waved back and the sorting hat began to sing. "I hope we're in the same house Mimi," I attempeted a first nicname and reached to squeeze her hand. She moved her hand away and looked down at me with a horrified expression. Well that was one nicname off the list. Professor Smith started calling out names and I could only partially take in my surroundings. The cieling reflected the clear evening sky. There were four different tables with very different people in each.
The Slytherin table was scowling at everything with such vigor I retracted slightly. The Gryffindors were a much pleasanter looking bunch and I saw a few encouraging smiles. The Hufflepuffs looked lovely as well, some were looking eagerly at their plates as if just waiting for food to appear. The Ravenclaw table looked nice too and I found that my heart lept at the thought of being part of such a group.
My name was called and I walked nervously forward. I stumbled a bit and everyone chuckled. I smiled despite my nerves and sat on the stool. Professor Smith set the hat on my head. Well you're a smart one aren't you? said a voice in my head. I almost jumped. Thanks, I thought back. This amused that hat. It muttered to itself for a few moments then it called out in a very loud voice, "RAVENCLAW!" Now it was Miyako's turn.
