Athour's Note: This is really a work in progress so please read and review so I know where I should take this story
Chapter One: Saying Goodbye
Staring up at the chipped red paint, flecking off the train in tiny poisonous sections, Serenity couldn't help but wonder why after all this time, this ruin remained scathed. Construction after the war began much before she was born, so it was curious why they had let her chariot to Hogwarts rot away like some sort of demented house elf. She thought that maybe it would look as bright and magical to her as it would the naïve little first years that scampered around platform 9 and ¾, but her unfamiliarity to the yearly ritual did nothing to cause excitement. She felt the same as she had before every lesson her father would teach her; anxious and empty.
It had taken a great deal to convince her father it would be better for her to continue the next three years of her schooling at Hogwarts, but Serenity was a clever girl and was determined to learn more about the world than what her father would allow her to learn in his classes. There was just so much more out there. She was sure of it.
Serenity turned as a great black shadow loomed over her and saw her father standing before her clad in light brown robes. Gerard Clearwater was a rather thin man with hardly any muscle at all. In the center of his narrow, rectangular face sat a pair of worn spectacles on top of a crooked nose. Grey eyes looked out from his heavy lids and in that moment, Serenity couldn't help but notice just how old her father looked. A tinge of guilt nested in her gut as she realized his transformation was because of her.
"Serenity, even now I am very hesitant to let you be off on your own," Gerard began.
"Father, I will hardly be on my own at Hogwarts. There are over a thousand students who attend and countless teachers who can protect us. I assure you, I'm perfectly capable of being away from you." Her father's face twisted a bit as the last sentence exited her mouth. She knew that what she had said had offended him.
"But I was wondering about the house system and which category I will be sorted into. I mean I have so many different qualities it's hard for me to pinpoint where I'll end up." Gerard couldn't help but smile at his daughter in that moment.
"My dear, you need not worry about that, I have no doubt you'll be put in one of the good houses. Gryffindor or Ravenclaw for sure, but I'd put my bets on Ravenclaw. You're much too smart to be in any other house. Besides, not a single person in our family has been in anything but those two houses." Serenity was still unconvinced.
"But what if I do end up in one of the others?"
"Oh, don't think like that! You will be put in exactly the house that you are supposed to be in." The bellowing shriek of the train whistle filled the air signifying that final goodbyes between students and their loved ones were in order. The children began piling into the train, eager to escape the final bone crushing hugs their mothers had for them and the air was quickly filled with frantic goodbyes for all those who had escaped. Serenity picked up her trunk from the ground and looked up at her father once more.
"I believe this is the part where we say goodbye." Gerard's face became serious at that moment.
"Serenity I want you to promise me you're going to stay out of trouble this year."
"Come on, what could possibly go wrong?" With that her father gave her one short nod before turning and disappearing into the crowd. That was all she got as her goodbye. No hugging. No tears. Just a nod. After years of being forced to remain in her own home and all she gets is a nod when she leaves? Serenity could not help but feel enraged at her father as she gathered up her things and boarded the train. Why was it that he was so hell bent on keeping her with him if he was going to be so uncaring? Perhaps she should have pushed going to Hogwarts years ago.
A nervous knot worked its way into her stomach as she passed through the cars finding each one to be full. Serenity didn't exactly think about this part of her transition. She didn't think about how the other children would stare as she shuffled passed each silver door trying desperately to find solitude. It was funny that only now that she was granted the option of a social life that she craved being alone. There was just something extremely off putting about the way she could feel the eyes boring into her back and how she could hear the birthing of rumors about her begin.
At the end of the hall there was a single neglected car away from the rest. Serenity breathed a sigh of relief as she quickly entered the small compartment and shut the door behind her. The world was finally quiet apart from the sound of the train's engine signifying their departure. She put her trunk in the cavity above her then took the seat closest to the window. They were just passing the platform and the lingering crowd of parents was still shouting their final goodbyes. She thought for just a moment she saw her father among them, staring blankly at the passing train, but the image was gone in a flash. The idea left her head as her fingers brushed over a small imperfection in the wood of the armrest. It was the crudely carved letters DM. Serenity wondered if anyone else had ever noticed them there before.
The ride continued that way for some time. Serenity gazing out the window, lazily gliding her hand across the inscription as the sun slowly fell beneath the trees leaving a black sky in its wake. Somehow, these two letters felt more familiar than anything she had yet encountered. In a way it gave her a feeling that she was not alone. That someone in the world understood. She was jolted from her thoughts by the door sliding open to reveal two boys similar to her in age. They both had shaggy jet black hair. They were incredibly similar to each other except the one that looked slightly older had bright brown eyes whereas the other had green. Serenity wouldn't have been surprised if they had been twins.
"Er, you're not supposed to be in here," the younger one said.
"Why, is there some sort of rule against it or something?" He shuffled uncomfortably for a moment.
"Well, no… it's just nobody comes in here. Who are you anyway?"
"I'm nobody, that's why I came in here." The older one smirked for a second.
"Well Nobody," he began, "we just wanted to let you know you should be change into your robes. We will be arriving at Hogwarts soon." Serenity nodded and they both turned to leave.
"Oh, and by the way," the older one popped his head back into the cart for a second, "I'm James and this is Albus. If you ever need anything just come find us."
Stepping off the train was slightly relieving. The chaos of the arrival seemed to cause everyone to be too preoccupied to notice the strange new girl walking among the ranks. A great bellowing voice called for the first years. His form towered over Serenity with ease and a great lantern swung from his iron fist, illuminating passing students. The light came over her face and lingered. The great man came towards her; each heavy step seemed to shake the earth.
"Why, 'ello there missy! I reckon I 'aven't seen you 'round 'ere before. Say, you don't 'appen to be the girl I'm s'pposed to be lookin' for are ya?" Serenity was a bit taken aback by Hagrid's friendliness.
"I suppose that really depends on who you're looking for. I'm Serenity Clearwater, daughter of Gerard Clearwater."
"Blimey! You're quite the formal one, aren't ya? Well, Serenity Clearwa'er, I've been instructed by the headmistress to escort you to the castle. Come with me."
It didn't take long for Serenity to figure out where they were going. She had read Hogwarts: A History enough times to know that all first years travelled the final way to Hogwarts by boat. Even though it technically wasn't her first year of schooling, she could technically be considered a first year at Hogwarts. She figured that the headmistress wanted her to get the full experience, so Serenity continued on without any fuss.
The air was cool and gentile as the boats glided gracefully along the black lake. Tiny stars of light danced through the ripples, reflecting each brilliantly lit window of the castle. Serenity felt that the ride simply did not last long enough and that they were all standing within the great double doors of the great hall in no time at all. Professor Longbottom stood there waiting patiently to greet them all. Serenity felt a bit silly standing with all of the first years since it was obvious that she was older than them all. Some of them were also a bit unsettled by her appearance, whispering to their new classmates about the strange girl standing with them.
"In just a few minutes each one of you will be sorted into one of the four houses of Hogwarts. You will either be a Ravenclaw, a Hufflepuff, a Slytherin, or a Gryffindor. It doesn't matter which house you get into because there is no such thing as a good or evil house, so don't be nervous. It will all work out in the end."
This must be why they had stuck her with the first years. Serenity had yet to be sorted into a house. She always just assumed it would be a private affair that they would have done in the headmistress's office before classes began, but apparently, Hogwarts was a bit more flashy then she had previously thought.
"Alright everyone, it's time." Then, before she knew it, they were all walking through the doors of the Great Hall and marching their way up the isles.
Serenity was used to magic, but she was in complete awe when she saw the thousands of candles floating above her. What kind of strange and powerful magic allowed such a beautiful and intricate spell to hold for so long? She would have to consult the books once more for her answer because she was quite curious on how she could replicate the night sky in her own room. For just a brief moment, however, a slight smirk appeared on her face as she thought about just what would happen started dripping their wax.
They all stood in silence at the front of the Great Hall. The four tables hushed as their eyes fell on Serenity. What in Merlin's name was a fifth year doing up with the first? Not just any fifth year either, a new fifth year. Their confusion soon became audible as the entire hall became filled with the sound of airy whispers as the students gossiped about their new classmate.
"I hear she just got out of Askaban and that's why she's starting school so late."
"No, no, don't be an idiot. She's obviously just taken an aging potion so she could look more mature ."
"Well I heard that she is just a squib that they're trying to give a chance."
Serenity was appalled. Her?! A dirty squib?! That was ridiculous! She was a pureblood and there was no possible-
She immediately stopped her thoughts. Where on earth did that come from? Yes, she was pureblood, but she had never really been one for believing in the nonsense of pureblood supremacy. It's like the thoughts just burrowed their way into her head out of nowhere. She would have to think on that further after the sorting.
"Welcome, everyone, to another year at Hogwarts." An impossibly old lady spoke from a podium standing just slightly higher than the first years. She must have been Professor McGonagall.
"I'm going to get straight to the point. I'm sure you're all aware of the new student standing among the first years. I understand that Hogwarts does not get a lot new students, so I want to make it abundantly clear that the only reason she is standing with the first years is that she has yet to be sorted. She is a complete and fully qualified fifth year student and I do not want anyone in this school to think otherwise." She paused for a second, scanning her eyes over the crowd, letting her words sink in. "Now, without further ado let us begin the sorting."
Professor Longbottom stepped forward, a scroll in one hand and a ragged hat in the other.
"Serenity Clearwater." Her name rang throughout the silent hall like that of death bells. She couldn't believe the kind of embarrassment the night had brought her. It was just her luck that Clearwater happened to come before everyone else's last name.
With slow steps, Serenity moved from her spot with the first years to an old wooden stool strained to stand next to the professor. She sighed and sat down, feeling her seat creak slightly, unaccustomed to having to support the weight of a fifth year student. Like thousands of previous Hogwarts attendees, the sorting hat was placed on her head, giving it the complete power to search through her darkest desires. That was a prospect that suddenly unnerved her quite a bit.
"No need to fear me, girl, for I don't share any of the secrets I collect. Though oh do I rarely get a head chalked full of as many as yours." Serenity jumped as a voice suddenly filled her head. She had the greatest urge to throw the hat as far away from her as she could, but she knew that it would just make her look like a fool.
"It's something about getting older I suspect. The loss of innocence will do that to you, I suppose. That's probably why students are sorted so young. They are so innocent that most of them don't even question being sorted." The hat paused briefly before continuing. "But you question it though. You're a clever one. I've only once seen a girl with such a vicious thirst for knowledge before. You would be a perfect candidate for Ravenclaw, just like your mother and father. But with that I see ambition… and darkness. It is deep and hidden, but there. You know it is too, but you suppress it as long as it allows you to reach whatever goals you have. So I think I'll put you in… SLYTHERIN!"
As that one word bounced off the walls of the Great Hall, Serenity could feel her heart sinking to the floor. Slytherin? Out of every house she could be put in the hat put her in Slytherin? She could not believe this. Was it because she was a pureblood? Oh Merlin, what would her father say when he discovered she now belonged to the "evil" house?
She was completely deaf to the applause as she dragged herself over to the Slytherin table. Wasn't this moment supposed to be euphoric? This was supposed to be her home away from home, but this whole idea was turning out to be a nightmare. Quietly, she took a seat next to a blonde third year and continued to think while the rest of the first years were sorted into their houses.
