a/n: This chapter is actually a prologue to my prologue. it was the first part of this story that i wrote and then for some reason i can't remember i decided not to use in the actual story. i was reading it over the other day and i decided that i really did like it and i was probably tired the last time i read it. so here it is. this takes place before the prologue Looking Through Your Eyes. Okay enough rambling. Enjoy!
Prologue to a Prologue: The Sorting
"Let's sit in the front, Reina," a young brunette begged. "My trunk weighs a ton and Kin won't stop screeching." The dark haired girl in front of her gave an exasperated sigh but kept walking.
"I want an empty compartment, and there are too many people up front," Reina explained. "If the trunk is heavy Kira, use the spell mum taught us before we left."
"Oh yeah," Kira stopped and turned. Waving her new wand she said, "Locomotor Trunk!" Kira jogged to catch up to Reina who had entered an empty compartment near the middle of the train, her trunk floating along behind.
Although they were twins Kira and Reina Summers were quite different in appearance, making it almost impossible to identify them as sisters. Born less than a day apart, Reina was the elder of the two. She had straight ebony hair which she wore to just past her shoulders. Her fair skin brought out the black colored contacts that she wore at all times to hide the unusual color of her eyes. Kira, the younger of the sisters, had slightly wavy auburn hair which she wore just above the shoulders. While she shared her sister's fair skin she did not share her eye color, sporting hazel eyes instead.
As both girls finished getting settled in, the train whistle blew and the Hogwarts Express left platform nine and three-quarters. As London flew by outside, Reina let Tobias, her Northern Hawk owl, out of his cage and settled back to read Miranda Goshawk's The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1). Tobias landed lightly on her shoulder and hooted contentedly.
Kira looked at her with hazel eyes and groaned. "Do you ever do anything besides read? You don't even seem happy to be going to Hogwarts."
Reina glared at her before replying, "First, despite the way I seem to you, I'm actually really excited to be going to Hogwarts. Second, do you have time for me to list the other things I do?"
Kira held out her hands defensively. "Alright, sorry."
"It's okay," Reina said smiling. Kira nodded and opened Kin's cage, allowing the young golden eagle to stretch its wings. Kira gazed out the window as fields flew by. In the seat opposite, Reina began to dose off.
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Reina awoke to find that she was alone in the compartment with a sleeping Tobias and Kin. She cursed under her breath as she adjusted her contacts and left in search of her missing sister. After searching a few of the cars she came across a girl her age with bushy brown hair who pointed her towards the back of the train. Reina finally located Kira in a compartment talking to two boys their age. "Finally," she sighed in exasperation and relief as she slid the door open.
"Oh hey, Reina," Kira said innocently.
"You could've at least told me where you were going," Reina said, annoyed.
"You were sleeping and I was bored," Kira defended. "And you can stop glaring at me; you're only a day older than me. It's not like you're mum." The two boys watched curiously as Reina sighed and shook her head.
"Whatever."
"Anyway…Ron, Harry, this is my sister, Reina," Kira introduced. "Reina, this is Ron Weasley and that's Harry Potter." Reina was shocked but recovered quickly and nodded, shaking both boys' hands.
"It's nice to meet you."
"Wow," Harry said, "you're the first person who hasn't started asking me a bunch of questions."
"It's kind of rude to start interrogating you," Reina pointed out.
"Well, thanks," Harry said. Just then the compartment door slid open and in walked three boys who looked to be first years as well. The middle one was paler than Reina and had blonde hair. The two flanking him looked like a couple of brainless bodyguards. After observing the newcomers, Kira decided to tune into what the blonde was saying.
"This is Crabbe and Goyle, and I'm Malfoy," he introduced. "Draco Malfoy."
Kira heard Ron cough slightly as she looked at Reina who shrugged. Both sisters had heard the Malfoys mentioned by their mother, although neither knew much about them. Once again Kira tuned into what Malfoy was saying.
"…You don't want to go making the wrong friends. I can help there."
"I can tell the wrong sort for myself thanks," Harry responded bitterly. Kira couldn't help but laugh at this statement.
Malfoy turned and glared at her. "What are you laughing at Mudblood?!" Both girls were up in an instant, wands pointed at his neck.
"First," Kira said anger clearly showing, "the Summers are a pureblood family!" Malfoy just smirked, unfazed.
"Second," Reina said, her voice calm but menacing, "never insult someone within hearing range of a sibling."
"Get out, Malfoy," Harry warned, now standing with a ticked off Ron by his side.
"I think we'll stay," Malfoy said smugly. Goyle reached for one of the chocolate frogs beside Ron, but suddenly yelled as Scabbers, Ron's rat, bit him.
"Now get out!" Kira commanded angrily. Malfoy glared daggers at the four of them, but made no move to leave.
"You could always stay," Reina commented innocently. Kira, Harry, and Ron looked at her like she had three heads. "There's this petrification spell I've been dying to try out."
Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't."
Reina just smiled sweetly as Kira shrugged. "You could always stay and find out," she suggested. Ron and Harry sniggered quietly.
"Crabbe. Goyle. We're leaving," Malfoy said. The three turned and stalked out, slamming the door shut behind them. The remaining four let out a unanimous sigh before Harry and Ron burst out laughing.
"Did you see the look on his face?!" Harry asked with tears coming to his eyes.
"I didn't know his skin could get any paler!" Ron added between laughs. The four of them sat back down in their seats as the boys' laughter subsided, Kira by Ron with Harry and Reina in the seat across from them. Kira kept glancing at Reina as Harry and Ron talked. Finally Reina couldn't take it anymore.
"What?"
"Would you really have used that spell?" Kira asked a bit reluctantly. Reina shook her head.
"I still have a bit to learn and practice before I can use it." Somehow that didn't make Kira feel any better, but she dropped the subject and began staring out the window and playing with a loose strand of her long auburn hair.
"You know," Ron whispered to Harry, "girls can be really scary sometimes."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," said an indignant Hermione Granger from the door.
Ron just glared at her. "Can we help you?"
"I came to make sure you weren't fighting," she responded. "I saw Draco Malfoy storm out of here earlier. Honestly, you don't want to get expelled before we even see the school do you?" Ron was about to protest but Hermione cut him off. "You should get changed. I asked the conductor and he said we'll be there shortly." With that she left.
"Honestly," Ron said annoyed, "she acts like she's a prefect or something!" Kira and Reina said goodbye to Harry and Ron and made their way back to their compartment to change into their school robes.
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As the Summers sisters disembarked from the train, Kira found Ron and Harry and pulled Reina along towards them. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" Harry nodded at the gigantic man.
"That's Hagrid," Harry explained. "He's the gamekeeper." Kira and Reina nodded before following Hagrid and the other first years. After stumbling along a dark narrow path, they emerged in front of a fleet of small boats floating on a great lake.
"Four to a boat," Hagrid told all of them. Harry and Ron got in a boat with Hermione and another boy. Kira and Reina climbed into their own boat and were joined shortly by a boy and a girl.
The boy was the first to speak. "My name is Blaise Zabini," he said, "and this is Pansy Parkinson." Pansy shrugged in response.
"I'm Kira Summers," said Kira in her normal outgoing way, "and this is my sister Reina." Reina nodded and muttered a greeting as the boats began to move. The first years were silent as the boats glided along the lake's black glassy surface. When the boats docked, Hagrid led them to the front doors and knocked. The first years were greeted by a stern looking witch, Professor McGonagall. She led them through the entrance hall as they looked around in awe, to a side chamber. Turning around, she gave them a brief welcome speech before leaving the chamber.
The chamber wasn't well lit and it took Kira a minute to find Reina. "I wish you wouldn't wear those bloody contacts," she complained. "You don't need them and black makes it so much harder to find you."
"You know I hate drawing attention to myself," Reina replied. "Sticking out from everyone else is the last thing I want at the moment." Kira was about to point out that it didn't matter as they were going to school with Harry Potter, when some students behind them shrieked. Turning, the sisters found a group of ghosts not two feet away. The ghosts greeted the startled first years and wished them luck just as McGonagall returned. She led them into the great hall in a straight line.
As she brought forth a stool and an extremely battered hat, Reina muttered, "I think they need a new hat." Kira nodded in agreement. Just then the hall went silent as the hat burst into a long song. Just as Kira was about to complain to Reina, the hat fell silent once more and McGonagall spoke.
"When I call your name," she instructed, "please step forward and place the hat on your head."
Kira and Reina waited anxiously as one by one, students were called and sorted. Harry and Hermione were put in Gryffindor, while Malfoy and Pansy were put in Slytherin. Kira was about to explode from the anxiety when, "Summers, Kira." Kira walked forward, quickly placing the Sorting Hat on her head.
"Hmm…fiery, talented…brave," the Sorting Hat muttered in her head, "definitely…GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table cheered loudly as Kira happily took a seat between Hermione and the Weasley twins.
"Summers, Reina." Reina walked calmly and put the hat on, although her heart was pounding and her fingers clenched into fists with the excitement.
"Ahh, talented like your sister I see," it whispered, "but cunning, sly, and a bit cold. SLYTHERIN!" Reina released the breath she'd been holding and smirked to herself as she removed the hat and walked towards a cheering Slytherin table. Kira gaped as Reina sat down, watching as she turned and gave an apologetic shrug before focusing on the people at the Slytherin table.
"This can't be right," Kira said the hurt evident in her voice as she turned to her new housemates. "We really aren't that different."
"Not all siblings end up in the same house," Hermione said consolingly.
"Yeah, but she's in Slytherin! I could understand if it was Ravenclaw or something," Kira explained, "but we'd have to be total opposites for her to be in Slytherin." Kira was so preoccupied she barely noticed when Ron was sorted into Gryffindor and Blaise into Slytherin.
Reina clapped with the other Slytherins as Blaise was sorted into their house. Sitting down beside her Blaise asked, "So are you ready for all this to start?"
"You have no idea," Reina replied with her first real smile all day.
It was the start of a brilliant friendship.