That Fateful Year
Chapter One: Rival Schools
It was a day like any other at Naga Manor, the tawny owl that left a letter on their front
porch wasn't even noticed although it was the middle of the day. The letter wasn't found until the
manor's maid opened the door to take an energetic jet-black poodle on her daily walk. When the
maid noticed the letter, she grabbed it before the poodle had a chance to destroy it. It was
addressed to N. F. Wing.
"Oh, this is Miss Wing's letter," the maid said aloud to herself.
She set the letter on a small table next to the door before leaving. It wasn't there for long
before a lady with flowing auburn hair and bright green eyes picked it up, she promptly ripped it
open and read it.
"Genecesia," she said a young girl in the next room, "where's your sister?"
The girl, also a red head with green eyes, responded, "I think she's in her room, playing
with her cat or something."
"Get her for me."
"Yes, Mother," the girl replied as she ascended the marble staircase in the middle of the
room.
Genecesia found her twin sister upstairs in her room, just as she had said. Her sister, too,
had the same green eyes and red hair of the rest of family. Her twin was stroking a pearly
cream-colored cat with brilliant green eyes. "What do you want, Genecesia?" she asked.
"Mother wants to speak to you," Genecesia replied.
"All right," her twin said as she was leaving the room.
When she reached the foot of the staircase, her mother said, "Nagini, a letter came for
you. It's from Hogwarts."
"From Hogwarts? My invitation I suppose." Nagini responded dismally.
"It is," her mother answered.
"I wanted to go to Beauxbatons like Grandmama. Is Genecesia going to Hogwarts?"
"No, you need to be apart from each other. You need to learn to survive without the other
one around. Trust me, you'll thank me later," her mother told her.
"So Genecesia gets to go to Beauxbatons, but I have to go to Hogwarts. Genecesia has
said she'd rather go to Hogwarts. I would rather go to Beauxbatons. You're just making us do the
opposite of what we want to do," Nagini demanded.
"Genecesia wants to take the easy way out and go to Hogwarts. At Hogwarts she won't
have to worry about her French. You have a better talent at magic and Hogwarts is the better
school. That's why I went to Hogwarts instead of Beauxbatons," answered her mother.
"I still want to go to Beauxbatons," Nagini sulked.
"We'll go to Diagon Alley on Saturday to purchase your sister's and your supplies."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The days crept by until it was finally Saturday. At 9a.m. they left Naga Manor for the
two-hour trip from Grantham, England to London. Using Floo Powder would have been quicker,
but their family wasn't a big fan of it. It was too messy. Instead they had their chauffeur to drive
them.
The girls did not enjoy this day's trip. This trip would seal their fate of going to separate
schools. The sisters had never been apart for any more than a week. They had even been in the
same classes since they had first started school. Both knew it would help them to be apart but
still they did not want to admit that. They had always been each other's best friend. This just
seemed too cruel. They wouldn't know anyone at their new schools and would be totally alone.
This would be the longest they had ever been away from home. Nagini and Genecesia had
lived at Naga Manor all their life. Naga Manor had been in their family for generations. It was
their family's tradition that the eldest daughter, who was to be named Nagini, inherited the entire
manor after she was married. Genecesia and Nagini's father had died of disease when they were
young.
After what seemed like ages, they arrived in London. After entering Diagon Alley, they
went to Flourish and Blotts to purchase their school books. Then they went to the Apothecary to
get their potion ingredients. Finally they went to Ollivanders to buy their wands.
As they entered the store, a customer was just leaving. The store was a mess; the floor
was littered with boxes and wands. With a wave of his wand, Mr. Ollivander made the wands fly
back to their boxes and arrange themselves on the shelves that filled the store. He then went to
the back of the store. When he returned, he was carrying two slender boxes. The one he carried in
his left hand he gave to Nagini and the other was given to Genecesia. "Try these," he said.
After about half an hour they left with their proper wands. Nagini's wand was made of
mahogany, six and a half inches with a dragon heartstring core. Genecesia's wand was made of
willow, eight inches with a unicorn hair core.
Last of all they went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. When they entered, a
young witch asked them, "What kind of robes do you need, dear?"
"Beauxbatons," Genecesia said.
"Hogwarts," Nagini answered.
After being fitted, Genecesia left with five powder blue robes and Nagini with five black
robes. They then gathered all their shopping and departed for Naga Manor.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
September 1 came in the blink of an eye, it was the day Nagini would depart for
Hogwarts. Genecesia's term did not start for a few days. By eight, Nagini had all her things
packed and was ready to leave. Her mother and sister weren't coming this day. Nagini had to ride
to King's Cross Station in London with just the chauffeur. She did have her cat, Moonbeam, to
keep her company. She had owned Moonbeam for three years, after she had been given to her for
her eighth birthday.
This ride gave Nagini time to think about her stay at Hogwarts. For once in her life, she
would know no one. She had always had Genecesia with her before. Nagini wasn't all that good
at making friends either, because she was too shy. Now Nagini was starting to dread her first day
at Hogwarts. She knew that making friends after the sorting would probably be easier, since the
people in her house would be more like her. She wondered what house in which she would be
placed. Her mother had not told her which house she had been in.
By the time they reached King's Cross, Nagini was thoroughly nervous. The chauffeur
left after Nagini's trunk was placed on a trolley. At least her mother had told her how to get on
the platform. After she passed between the barriers of platforms nine and ten, she found an empty
compartment at the end of the scarlet train. She hauled her trunk in the compartment with much
difficulty.
After some time, a group of girls several years older than she came in. One asked her,
"Can we stay here? The other compartments are full."
"Sure," Nagini answered.
The girls did not bother saying anything else to her for the rest of the ride. After a while
the train began to slow. Nagini made sure that Moonbeam was safely in her wicker carrier before
the train stopped.
Chapter One: Rival Schools
It was a day like any other at Naga Manor, the tawny owl that left a letter on their front
porch wasn't even noticed although it was the middle of the day. The letter wasn't found until the
manor's maid opened the door to take an energetic jet-black poodle on her daily walk. When the
maid noticed the letter, she grabbed it before the poodle had a chance to destroy it. It was
addressed to N. F. Wing.
"Oh, this is Miss Wing's letter," the maid said aloud to herself.
She set the letter on a small table next to the door before leaving. It wasn't there for long
before a lady with flowing auburn hair and bright green eyes picked it up, she promptly ripped it
open and read it.
"Genecesia," she said a young girl in the next room, "where's your sister?"
The girl, also a red head with green eyes, responded, "I think she's in her room, playing
with her cat or something."
"Get her for me."
"Yes, Mother," the girl replied as she ascended the marble staircase in the middle of the
room.
Genecesia found her twin sister upstairs in her room, just as she had said. Her sister, too,
had the same green eyes and red hair of the rest of family. Her twin was stroking a pearly
cream-colored cat with brilliant green eyes. "What do you want, Genecesia?" she asked.
"Mother wants to speak to you," Genecesia replied.
"All right," her twin said as she was leaving the room.
When she reached the foot of the staircase, her mother said, "Nagini, a letter came for
you. It's from Hogwarts."
"From Hogwarts? My invitation I suppose." Nagini responded dismally.
"It is," her mother answered.
"I wanted to go to Beauxbatons like Grandmama. Is Genecesia going to Hogwarts?"
"No, you need to be apart from each other. You need to learn to survive without the other
one around. Trust me, you'll thank me later," her mother told her.
"So Genecesia gets to go to Beauxbatons, but I have to go to Hogwarts. Genecesia has
said she'd rather go to Hogwarts. I would rather go to Beauxbatons. You're just making us do the
opposite of what we want to do," Nagini demanded.
"Genecesia wants to take the easy way out and go to Hogwarts. At Hogwarts she won't
have to worry about her French. You have a better talent at magic and Hogwarts is the better
school. That's why I went to Hogwarts instead of Beauxbatons," answered her mother.
"I still want to go to Beauxbatons," Nagini sulked.
"We'll go to Diagon Alley on Saturday to purchase your sister's and your supplies."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The days crept by until it was finally Saturday. At 9a.m. they left Naga Manor for the
two-hour trip from Grantham, England to London. Using Floo Powder would have been quicker,
but their family wasn't a big fan of it. It was too messy. Instead they had their chauffeur to drive
them.
The girls did not enjoy this day's trip. This trip would seal their fate of going to separate
schools. The sisters had never been apart for any more than a week. They had even been in the
same classes since they had first started school. Both knew it would help them to be apart but
still they did not want to admit that. They had always been each other's best friend. This just
seemed too cruel. They wouldn't know anyone at their new schools and would be totally alone.
This would be the longest they had ever been away from home. Nagini and Genecesia had
lived at Naga Manor all their life. Naga Manor had been in their family for generations. It was
their family's tradition that the eldest daughter, who was to be named Nagini, inherited the entire
manor after she was married. Genecesia and Nagini's father had died of disease when they were
young.
After what seemed like ages, they arrived in London. After entering Diagon Alley, they
went to Flourish and Blotts to purchase their school books. Then they went to the Apothecary to
get their potion ingredients. Finally they went to Ollivanders to buy their wands.
As they entered the store, a customer was just leaving. The store was a mess; the floor
was littered with boxes and wands. With a wave of his wand, Mr. Ollivander made the wands fly
back to their boxes and arrange themselves on the shelves that filled the store. He then went to
the back of the store. When he returned, he was carrying two slender boxes. The one he carried in
his left hand he gave to Nagini and the other was given to Genecesia. "Try these," he said.
After about half an hour they left with their proper wands. Nagini's wand was made of
mahogany, six and a half inches with a dragon heartstring core. Genecesia's wand was made of
willow, eight inches with a unicorn hair core.
Last of all they went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. When they entered, a
young witch asked them, "What kind of robes do you need, dear?"
"Beauxbatons," Genecesia said.
"Hogwarts," Nagini answered.
After being fitted, Genecesia left with five powder blue robes and Nagini with five black
robes. They then gathered all their shopping and departed for Naga Manor.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
September 1 came in the blink of an eye, it was the day Nagini would depart for
Hogwarts. Genecesia's term did not start for a few days. By eight, Nagini had all her things
packed and was ready to leave. Her mother and sister weren't coming this day. Nagini had to ride
to King's Cross Station in London with just the chauffeur. She did have her cat, Moonbeam, to
keep her company. She had owned Moonbeam for three years, after she had been given to her for
her eighth birthday.
This ride gave Nagini time to think about her stay at Hogwarts. For once in her life, she
would know no one. She had always had Genecesia with her before. Nagini wasn't all that good
at making friends either, because she was too shy. Now Nagini was starting to dread her first day
at Hogwarts. She knew that making friends after the sorting would probably be easier, since the
people in her house would be more like her. She wondered what house in which she would be
placed. Her mother had not told her which house she had been in.
By the time they reached King's Cross, Nagini was thoroughly nervous. The chauffeur
left after Nagini's trunk was placed on a trolley. At least her mother had told her how to get on
the platform. After she passed between the barriers of platforms nine and ten, she found an empty
compartment at the end of the scarlet train. She hauled her trunk in the compartment with much
difficulty.
After some time, a group of girls several years older than she came in. One asked her,
"Can we stay here? The other compartments are full."
"Sure," Nagini answered.
The girls did not bother saying anything else to her for the rest of the ride. After a while
the train began to slow. Nagini made sure that Moonbeam was safely in her wicker carrier before
the train stopped.