Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the Harry Potter characters being referenced in the story.
Chapter: 1
It was not until her third year at Strauss that Eleanor could comfortably announce the names of her friends. The former two years weren't exactly her absolute favorites, there was no question in her mind about that. Her third year and onwards, however, were a different story.
She had made friends, promised them an eternity of trust and loyalty and forged memories of the most ridiculous manner. So when she stood at the metal gates, house elves tucking the luggage in her car trunk and her mother waiting in the passenger seat for her to say her final goodbyes, she couldn't help but feel as if she deserved all the resentment her friends had been throwing at her for the past month.
'Good bye, traitor. Have fun at Hogwarts.' Nina said tartly, crossing her arms and making no effort to sound the least bit pleasant. Eleanor smiled sheepishly, she did deserve it. More so because she had not given them a solid reason, except for the fact that her family was moving to London.
'Strauss has a boarding system, Elea.' They had said while Elea continued to blame her mother and refused when her friends asked if they could convince Mrs. Prince. All of this did seem like she wanted to leave for Hogwarts on her own accord.
While the truth was that ever since her father had passed, Elea's mother could not afford private school fees anymore. The cruel, bitter truth which, sadly, she was too ashamed to tell her friends. It wasn't as if she expected her friends to leave her once they found out that her family was in a financial peril, she just couldn't bring herself to speak of it to anyone.
'Aww, don't listen to her, love. Hogwarts is a good school and I'm sure it'll be great for you. Ignore Nina she's just bitter because she's going to miss you an awful lot.' Isabella usually was the sober thinker, standing in stark contrast to Nina.
The chauffer honked again.
'Good bye, guys. I'll write to you guys every week.' I hugged the two of them.
'If you don't meet up with us during the holidays, consider yourself dead to us.' Knowing Nina, this was probably only a mild exaggeration.
The great hall. The name really fits the description. The outlook was rustic, it was a castle after all. There seemed to be a thousand candles hanging over the night's sky, or the ceiling bewitched to look like the sky. There were long tables and students seated at them, Elea couldn't help but sense a sort of segregation among the tables. The colored banners hung over the tables too, just when it hit her.
'This must be the infamous housing system.' She muttered to herself. 'Bit too serious for my liking. They won't even let us sit before getting sorted.'
To her it didn't matter what house she had been placed in, it was all the same.
That is, until her name was called.
As expected, everyone was staring at her. She was a sixth year, standing among first years. Elea deduced that she would have stared just as hard at anyone who had come to join her school five years too late. She walked past the stares, pretending to ignore them, and failing.
The hat had been placed on her head and instantly, it spoke.
'Aren't ye a little old to be sorted, love.' She did not know whether to answer back or not.
'No matter. I care only for the mind.' The hat paused, as if it were tackling its own brain.
'A hard worker. Not a bad brain.' It hummed. Elea caught herself muttering a thank you to the hat, though she was not sure it had heard her.
'A ridiculous amount of venom and hatred for the enemies, I see.' It felt like it had been ages since she had sat down on the wooden, old stool. She was afraid the hat wouldn't know where to put her, since she wasn't even supposed to be at this school in the first place.
'A ridiculous amount indeed, however the amount of loyalty outweighs it all.' She could feel her heart picking up its pace. Maybe they wouldn't take her in because she wasn't fit to be at Hogwarts?
'There hasn't been a single which or wizard the sorting hat couldn't sort, lass.'
Elea did not have time to phrase her question before she had her answer out in front.
'GRYFFINDOR.'
Cheers had erupted from the table with the red banners hanging above it (although they may have been quieter than the cheers for the actual first years), which she assumed was Gryffindor. Elea sighed, that was a relief. She had hurried towards the table, whispers about her already audible.
'You're clearly not a first year, then how come you just came to Hogwarts.' A young girl with frizzy brown hair asked from over the table. She had phrased it rather bossily. This had caught the attention of most of the students at the table, Elea assumed, because everyone had quietened down at the question.
'I'm actually a transfer student from Strauss.' It probably sounded monotonous, she couldn't have helped it. Elea had repeated the line again and again in her head before even entering the school.
'Oh, I didn't know that was possible.' She frowned, clearly trying to push her for more information.
'Now you know, I suppose.' Eleanor mumbled under her breath, hoping for the awkward interrogation to end.
To her relief the Headmaster had taken the stage, or the goblet. She sighed again.
'Firstly I would like to give a warm welcome to the first years, I hope you find a home in Hogwarts as all of us have.' There were claps and cheers as the headmaster, professor Dumbledore took a pause before starting again.
'I would like to welcome an unusual number of transfer students to Hogwarts. They are as much a part of Hogwarts as you or me. I would ask you to welcome them warmly.'
'By unusual he probably means one.' A girl giggled from the table with green banners, followed by sneers and laughter. The unkind sort of laughter.
Elea had hoped to blend in, especially now that she didn't have her group of friends to shelter her. Her dreams of doing that seemed raw, especially since the patriotic feelings the students have for the school might keep them from involving her.
After all, that was what happened with most new students at Strauss.
A/N:
I want this story to go as firm as possible, as realistic as it can get between a pretend character and Oliver Wood, of all people.
Do review. It encourages me to write faster.