Chapter 1 ~ Eyes in the Gloom
Rhiayla looked doubtfully at the small, old wooden boats floating serenely along the edge of the lake. Some of them were beginning to take on water, and a few had strange, purple plants growing around and into them. A scattering of lazy flies circled above the water, stray food for the fish keeping an eye out below. or more than fish, perhaps. The looming shape of the Hogwarts Castle was merging into the thickening gloom giving way to night. The exceptionally large gamekeeper, Hagrid, was shuffling around the boats, pulling purple vines off of them, and getting rather entangled. It took him several minutes to rid their transports, and himself, completely of their writhing grasp, before he turned to the array of first-year students all watching him with both apprehension and excitement.
"All righ', all a' yeh, two per boat, an' watch yer step."
Fingering the small, jeweled dragon earring dangling from her right ear, Rhi turned to her two friends, Stephanie and Derek, but they had already paired up and were getting into a boat. She bit her lip, wondering now who she should go with. Everyone was getting into boats, partners already chosen. It was a bit eerie, though not surprising how everyone was near silent. Scanning the darkening shapes of people all moving about, she saw another boy standing back from the crowd, looking rather uneasy; he was fairly skinny and had light hair. Biting her lip, Rhi moved towards him, and he turned to look at her.
"Hey, um," she said, "Do you have a partner?"
"No. Do you?" He peered at her curiously.
Rhi shook her head, and smiled shyly at him. He smiled back.
They moved together through the shuffling crowd, looking for an unoccupied boat. There were only a few left, all of which had water sloshing around on the bottom. Both looking doubtful, they stepped in, doing their best to avoid getting wet. Soon everyone was settled, and Hagrid slid into his own, much larger transport, and they all began to move slowly across the water in unison.
Looking around her, Rhi would have never believed that such a place could be real, much less that she would be going to it. It was only a month ago that she had received an admittance letter from Hogwarts School, but it seemed like forever. At first, she had thought it some weird joke, but after questioning her parents, she found that it wasn't. They were both non-magic folk, but her grandmother on her father's side had been a witch. She came to visit soon after, and told Rhi all about Hogwarts, and took her to a place called Diagon Alley to get her supplies. For the past month she had wondered at all the mystical things she had seen, and bought, especially her wand, which held the hair of a manticore. All her life she had dreamed of magical, wondrous things, and now they were becoming real.
Rhi was snapped out of her reverie by the sound of her partner's voice. "So. do you know which house you want to be in?"
Shaking her head, she replied, "My Gram didn't tell me much about them, so I don't really know."
"Your Gram?"
"Yes, she's the only witch in our family."
"Really? So you're muggle-born?"
"Mu- what?"
"Oh," he smiled, "Muggle. It means 'non-magic person.' "
"Ah. Uh, yeah. My parents are. . . muggle."
"That's cool. My parents are both wizards."
Their conversation was halted as the boats glided peacefully across the last bit of lake to the other side, and Hagrid stepped out onto the ground.
"All righ', everyone ou', an' please follow me."
People got out of their boats and began to make their way between scattered trees and up a slope. Rhi found herself saying goodbye to the boy, and made her way back to Stephanie and Derek. Looking around at the shadowy plants, she wondered at what kinds they could be. She'd never seen anything like them before, and a few were even blue, or pink. Turning to peer into a particularly large clump of brush, she found two glowing, yellow cat-like eyes watching them as they passed. In surprise, and maybe fear, Rhi turned to Stephanie and pointed at the bushes, stopping her in her tracks.
"Look!"
Peering into the shadows, then turning to look at Rhi with one raised eyebrow, she asked, "what?"
Turning back, Rhi found that the eyes were gone. "There were eyes, I saw them, just a moment ago. . ." she trailed off at Stephanie's dubious look.
"You're seeing things."
Rhi looked once again into the growing darkness, but saw nothing. With a sigh, she turned back and continued the walk. It was probably nothing. They followed Hagrid along a long path, and up the steep hill towards the castle. Soon they reached a pair of large, heavy-looking doors, where Hagrid paused, and they opened.
They were met by an older, gray-haired witch with glasses, who looked down at them with welcome. She introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, and right away Rhi could tell she was a no-nonsense sort of person.
"Welcome, first-years, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts was founded in. . ."
Rhi looked over at Stephanie and Derek, who were whispering to each other. Why did it seem like they were excluding her from everything? She bit her lip, but forced herself to concentrate on what Professor McGonagall was saying.
". . .is very old, and has sorted students into their houses since the school was founded. If you will follow me, I will lead you into the main hall, where you will line up, and when I call your name you will be sorted into one of the four houses."
She turned and began to lead everyone up a tall staircase, and down a hall, where they found themselves in a huge, spacious room. Four long tables were lined up, with many hungry-looking students sitting and watching them rather anxiously as they made their way to the front of the room. The teachers were all sitting at their own table, eyeing the new arrivals. At the front of the room, they lined up, and the sorting began.
Rhiayla looked doubtfully at the small, old wooden boats floating serenely along the edge of the lake. Some of them were beginning to take on water, and a few had strange, purple plants growing around and into them. A scattering of lazy flies circled above the water, stray food for the fish keeping an eye out below. or more than fish, perhaps. The looming shape of the Hogwarts Castle was merging into the thickening gloom giving way to night. The exceptionally large gamekeeper, Hagrid, was shuffling around the boats, pulling purple vines off of them, and getting rather entangled. It took him several minutes to rid their transports, and himself, completely of their writhing grasp, before he turned to the array of first-year students all watching him with both apprehension and excitement.
"All righ', all a' yeh, two per boat, an' watch yer step."
Fingering the small, jeweled dragon earring dangling from her right ear, Rhi turned to her two friends, Stephanie and Derek, but they had already paired up and were getting into a boat. She bit her lip, wondering now who she should go with. Everyone was getting into boats, partners already chosen. It was a bit eerie, though not surprising how everyone was near silent. Scanning the darkening shapes of people all moving about, she saw another boy standing back from the crowd, looking rather uneasy; he was fairly skinny and had light hair. Biting her lip, Rhi moved towards him, and he turned to look at her.
"Hey, um," she said, "Do you have a partner?"
"No. Do you?" He peered at her curiously.
Rhi shook her head, and smiled shyly at him. He smiled back.
They moved together through the shuffling crowd, looking for an unoccupied boat. There were only a few left, all of which had water sloshing around on the bottom. Both looking doubtful, they stepped in, doing their best to avoid getting wet. Soon everyone was settled, and Hagrid slid into his own, much larger transport, and they all began to move slowly across the water in unison.
Looking around her, Rhi would have never believed that such a place could be real, much less that she would be going to it. It was only a month ago that she had received an admittance letter from Hogwarts School, but it seemed like forever. At first, she had thought it some weird joke, but after questioning her parents, she found that it wasn't. They were both non-magic folk, but her grandmother on her father's side had been a witch. She came to visit soon after, and told Rhi all about Hogwarts, and took her to a place called Diagon Alley to get her supplies. For the past month she had wondered at all the mystical things she had seen, and bought, especially her wand, which held the hair of a manticore. All her life she had dreamed of magical, wondrous things, and now they were becoming real.
Rhi was snapped out of her reverie by the sound of her partner's voice. "So. do you know which house you want to be in?"
Shaking her head, she replied, "My Gram didn't tell me much about them, so I don't really know."
"Your Gram?"
"Yes, she's the only witch in our family."
"Really? So you're muggle-born?"
"Mu- what?"
"Oh," he smiled, "Muggle. It means 'non-magic person.' "
"Ah. Uh, yeah. My parents are. . . muggle."
"That's cool. My parents are both wizards."
Their conversation was halted as the boats glided peacefully across the last bit of lake to the other side, and Hagrid stepped out onto the ground.
"All righ', everyone ou', an' please follow me."
People got out of their boats and began to make their way between scattered trees and up a slope. Rhi found herself saying goodbye to the boy, and made her way back to Stephanie and Derek. Looking around at the shadowy plants, she wondered at what kinds they could be. She'd never seen anything like them before, and a few were even blue, or pink. Turning to peer into a particularly large clump of brush, she found two glowing, yellow cat-like eyes watching them as they passed. In surprise, and maybe fear, Rhi turned to Stephanie and pointed at the bushes, stopping her in her tracks.
"Look!"
Peering into the shadows, then turning to look at Rhi with one raised eyebrow, she asked, "what?"
Turning back, Rhi found that the eyes were gone. "There were eyes, I saw them, just a moment ago. . ." she trailed off at Stephanie's dubious look.
"You're seeing things."
Rhi looked once again into the growing darkness, but saw nothing. With a sigh, she turned back and continued the walk. It was probably nothing. They followed Hagrid along a long path, and up the steep hill towards the castle. Soon they reached a pair of large, heavy-looking doors, where Hagrid paused, and they opened.
They were met by an older, gray-haired witch with glasses, who looked down at them with welcome. She introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, and right away Rhi could tell she was a no-nonsense sort of person.
"Welcome, first-years, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts was founded in. . ."
Rhi looked over at Stephanie and Derek, who were whispering to each other. Why did it seem like they were excluding her from everything? She bit her lip, but forced herself to concentrate on what Professor McGonagall was saying.
". . .is very old, and has sorted students into their houses since the school was founded. If you will follow me, I will lead you into the main hall, where you will line up, and when I call your name you will be sorted into one of the four houses."
She turned and began to lead everyone up a tall staircase, and down a hall, where they found themselves in a huge, spacious room. Four long tables were lined up, with many hungry-looking students sitting and watching them rather anxiously as they made their way to the front of the room. The teachers were all sitting at their own table, eyeing the new arrivals. At the front of the room, they lined up, and the sorting began.