'Thought'

"Speech"

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Harry Potter, only my OC(s) and some plot twists...

My first thought after my eyes got used to the brightness of the hall, was 'Fuck no!' I stared wide eyes at the sheer number of heads turned my way, completely ignoring the cheers my fellow team… no housemates were giving me. The immediate thought that followed was, 'I'd better get the hell out of this stool and make my way over there!'

So I shakily got to my feet and walked to the table in question, making it a point not to meet anyone's, be it staff or student's eye, some of them were going on about a 'hatstand' or whatnot, but I was too busy cursing up a storm 'Fuck, fuck, fuck!' it was an effort to keep myself steady, and the memory induced migraine wasn't exactly helpful.

Lucky for me I didn't have too far to walk and was soon sitting beside my fellow, also recently sorted, First Years. Hardly had any of us said anything, that one of our Prefects approached us and began giving us the good ol' welcoming speech (who taught what and which teacher to steer clear of, blah, blah, blah) which I promptly ignored.

I had more pressing matter to occupy myself with... like trying to figure out WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON! I knew for a fact that I wasn't dreaming, being an insomniac I rarely dreamt if at all and never so vividly, plus the migraine hurt too much, no way could I dream that up.

So that option was out, 'Which means…' I made a quick scan across the room hoping against hope that… 'Aw damn it to hell!' a head full of bushy brown hair was similarly looking around the room, her expression frantic 'Great, just great!' The good news: I now knew both where and when exactly I was... the bad news you ask? Well just about every-fucking-thing else!

I was stuck in a world which, aside from a few short books, I knew nothing about and I was pretty sure I had no way of it now. Though mind you, I didn't have much to return to so that's not very high in my list of concerns.

I was formerly a thirty-year-old Sales Broker, life wasn't exactly peachy but I managed to get by. On my way back from a particularly bad day I stopped by a place to eat, the kind where they gave you fortune cookies after you paid. I remember cracking it open and the piece of paper inside read 'Make a wish...' I laughed it off and began making my way back to the dingy, one bedroom apartment my stupid landlady overcharged me for.

I remember being more than a little drunk at the time and idly wishing that the world didn't run so much on money, and also that I'd continued to pursue my passion for photography "Fuck this…" I muttered and suddenly heard something snap. I was walking by a construction site and looked up to see that the rope holding a set of beams, which were currently being lifted up in the air, had snapped... and I happened to be right under them.

People around me screamed, naturally and began scrambling away. The last word I uttered, my mind somehow convincing me that it would work, was "Wingar–" And then everything turned dark.

I awoke to the sound of someone whispering in my ear, I assumed that I had miraculously survived and that it was probably a doctor talking or something '... I think that you would do best in… oh, what have we here?' and a heavy silence followed therein.

Okay, that raspy voice most definitely didn't belong to a doctor, and why did it feel like I was sitting upright instead of lying prone on a bed? And my face! It felt like a bag of some sort was covering it! My panic level was beginning to rise... where was I? And why did my body feel so… different? And who the hell was talking before?!

I realized I wasn't bound in any way, and that I could feel my fingers gripping my seat tightly and could easily wiggle my toes so I wasn't trapped. And the bag around my head was loose, in no way constricting my ability to breathe or open my eyes. Though it was no use since all I could see was black, but I could tell that something about all of this was wrong, very wrong 'Just wh–'

'Allow me' came the voice once more, and I was suddenly hit with the mother of all migraines, as flashes of people and various other images played through my head, and let me tell you that it was by no means a fun experience. But it gave me the answers I sought, and for that I was thankful.

'Oh, I've done quite a bit more than that young one...' the voice replied, and I could detect quite a bit of mirth in it.

'You already know that I'm…' I began, but I was cut off midway.

'Age to me has always been a relative factor… in that respect, you are but a babe, now listen carefully I have helped increase your mind's fortification, but you must reinforce them yourself… and be sure to never reveal you're true origin' and that roughly translated to BEWARE OF DUMBLEDORE AND SNAPE!

'Okay point taken…' I replied, no way was I letting anyone in my head, in fact, I vow here and now to keep myself as detached from all this as possible!

'A wise choice, though by your nature I doubt you will follow through with it…' a raspy chuckle followed the comment.

'And thank you, for the for the vote of confidence doc' I grumbled, 'So we done here? I'd rather not draw too much attention if I can help it, plus my head's killing me!'

'Very well… but unfortunately, your presence has already brought about a change...' and the voice though still clear, suddenly sounded a little distant.

'Wait what do you mea–' I so didn't like the sound of that.

'RAVENCLAW!'

… fuck my life.

"... Hey? Hey! Kid, you okay?" someone asked me, it was the same Prefect as before, whose name I couldn't quite place.

"Yeah" I did my best to sound overwhelmed, "It's just… there's a lot to take in" it wasn't hard to make myself look nervous, heck a part of me was downright terrified.

"It's the same for everyone at the beginning, don't worry you'll have everything sorted out before you know it..." the Prefect told me kindly, I gave her a half-hearted smile in reply.

Off the corner of my eye, I watched a black-haired black-cloaked figure inconspicuously make its way out of the hall, but a gentle tap on my shoulder just then, had me turn to my side, "All the Wrackspurts in the room, are gathering around your head…" she told me seriously her light-grey, almost silver, eyes boring into my own.

I figured the person in front of me had just been sorted but there hadn't been an outburst of cheers of any kind, just a few claps from some of the Seniors, which I presumed was more so from compulsion that acceptance, or even politeness. This immediately caused my mood to sour all the more and my anger to spike, though I think I managed to not let it show.

"Oh... yeah I noticed" I answered her in an equally serious tone, ignoring the snickers and looks of pity/revulsion some of the people around me were giving her "I'd say from around when I was sorted?" I asked.

There was a flash of surprise in her eyes at my easy acceptance of her comment, but she nodded nonetheless "Here, you might need this daddy printed a whole article about them…" and after handing me a magazine titled 'The Quibbler' she continued "You're nice, I hope we can talk again after everything's settled down… oh, and maybe we can even be friends!" she smiled at the thought as she walked further down our table her shoulder-length, pale-blond hair somehow flowing in the, otherwise absent, breeze. She settled down somewhere near the end of the table, and my eyes narrowed at how the people nearest her not-so-subtly tried to shift away from her.

'Fucking hypocrites…' I inwardly cursed, I think my brooding would have continued for quite a while if not for the guy next to me asking "Hey mate, aren't you hungry?"

Only now did I take note that the sorting ceremony had come to an end and that both the chair at the center of the Staff table and the one immediately to its right, were empty. Also, dinner at some point had appeared as well and the majority of Hall's inhabitants had already begun stuffing themselves.

"Didn't you hear her? He's got them Wrackspurts flying around his head!" an older student sitting across from us chortled, with the one sitting next to me joining in.

"By the way, I'd throw that away if I were you…" the guy next to me, whose name I would no longer make an effort to remember, advised gesturing to what I held in my hand "Trust me, the bloke that prints his stuff is right barmy!"

"Eh, might as well use a good laugh…" I offhandedly commented as I pocketed it, I couldn't afford to make enemies just yet, despite my so wanting to hurl my arsenal of colorful choice words at him 'Damn I hate kids…' and I was surrounded by hundreds of them!

"You're a Muggleborn aren't you?" the Senior suddenly deduced, to which I gave a stiff nod "No wonder you don't know about stuff like this, don't worry kid you'll learn soon enough…" he said a little haughtily.

'As if your opinion is worth a damn' but outwardly I shrugged and simply joined the party of people stuffing their faces.

"Oh yeah!" The guy next to me starts. I think I'll call him Bob, and the Senior Big Bob, he's currently talking to the Prefect girl… Clearwater he called her. Huh, now that I think about it makes sense... Penelope Clearwater Percy's soon-to-be, if not already, girlfriend. I let out a snicker, poor BigB judging by his face I think he has a bit of a crush on her.

"I'm–" I make it a point to keep eating while Bob introduced himself, turns out he's a half-blood descended from a declining family of Purebloods, go figure "So what about you?" he asked, just as the remainder of the main course disappears, to be replaced by dessert.

I try not to cringe, sampling a bit of the ice cream 'Well at least my head's feeling better' I muse as I answered him, "Colin… Colin Creevey" I say while adjusting the camera strap around my neck, so that it wouldn't impede me while I ate... again.

'Of all the places, all the timelines and of all the people!' I try to calm myself but unfortunately, my efforts were in vain. Bob's going on about lessons and such, talking to some of the other newbies and I idly listen to him drawl, while I finished the rest of my ice cream.

I know that Life can be a bitch sometimes but from my understanding, things could easily have been worse, and I mean much worse for me 'I could just as easily have been some random guy who simply dies, and on the other hand I might not have even been born human!' I quickly clear such thoughts 'Okay, stop with the what ifs and shit… focus on the now, and try to make the most of what you have!' I firmly told myself.

One thing I can say for sure right now though… Colin Creevey would not end up dead, nor for that matter will he get petrified, no way in hell! Not on my watch!

So I was working on my other fic, but the story for this one kept popping up at random times and refused to let me concentrate... I can't say for sure that I'll continue, but I already have bits of the story figured out, it mainly depends upon the response I get.

Leave me a review and any suggestions, be it pairing(s) or on something particular in the storyline, are welcome (though I may or may not follow it to the 't')

So until then...

BerserkSpectre out