Evelyn woke to screaming.
Throwing back her covers, she scrambled out of bed and opened her bedroom door to investigate. The corridors were thronged with panicking girls, all trying to run to safety. At this time of night, when most of the girls were usually sound asleep, Evelyn was rather taken aback to hear frightened cries echoing through the dormitory. Masked figures emerged from down the hall and Evelyn slammed her door shut. The screaming outside quieted a little.
Her sister Maureen, now awake, sat up in her bed with an anxious look.
"What's wro-"
Evelyn raised a finger to her mouth, silencing her, then raced across the room for her wand and cast a spell to lock the door. She lifted Maureen out of bed and set her in the cupboard as quickly as she could. After shutting her inside, Evelyn faced the door readily, waiting for the intruders to enter. All she could hear were muffled shouts and a few heavy thumps. Those must have been the longest minutes of her life, waiting for that door to burst open. When it did, it came off its hinges with such force that she jumped back a little.
However, rather than one of the masked figures, it was one of her teachers come to usher her out of the room. Evelyn's arm dropped heavily to her side and her grip on her wand loosened a little. Her breathing steadied and she dabbed at the beads of sweat that had collected on her forehead.
"They're gone," the professor assured her, looking rather dishevelled. "But we need to vacate the building." Though she tried to keep her voice steady, the words had a frantic undertone. She pressed her hand on the top of her head where blood was starting to trickle down from.
Evelyn collected Maureen and the two stumbled out into the corridor after the teacher. When Evelyn's cat ran by them, they jumped about a foot.
"Girls!" their professor hissed, warning them to not make a commotion that would further upset the other girls huddled together ahead of them. Trying to ignore their fright, they treaded carefully, not wanting to trip over one of their fallen peers. Maureen whimpered each time they stepped over one. Seeing their familiar faces now bloodied and lifeless, a lump formed in Evelyn's throat. She felt nauseous knowing that the bodies on the floor had been her classmates for the last five years.
Smoke filled the halls, stinging Evelyn's eyes and making her sister cough heavily. She pulled Maureen close and propped her up with her own body. Another group of students all rushed from behind them down the staircase, shoving each other downwards. Evelyn barked at them, trying to get them to maintain some order but they ignored her. The courtyard soon flooded with girls, but when Evelyn looked around, a large portion of the school was missing.
Black smoke billowed from the top of the building where the professors were gathered, trying to put out the fire. The top floors had been set aflame and Evelyn shuddered at the thought that some of the girls hadn't even made it out of their beds before the inferno engulfed them.
"What's happening?" Maureen's voice shook. Over the hysterics of the other students, Evelyn hadn't heard her sister's question, not that she would have known how to answer.
"Ladies, please try and calm down." The headmistress tried her best to get the attention of the girls but something else gathered more focus.
It hung above their heads in the courtyard: a glimmering, green cloud in the shape of a skull with a snake protruding from the mouth. Girls pointed and gasped in fear. Maureen clung tightly to Evelyn's arm.
"Evelyn, what's that?" she cried. "What is that?"
One week later
Evelyn looked around in amazement. Her new school was certainly grand—it was a castle! The portraits hanging on the walls beamed welcomingly and the suits of armour gave little waves as the group passed by. The large door leading into the Great Hall creaked heavily as it opened and the new students were led in, a hundred lit candles levitating above them.
It was the first night of the Hogwarts school year and Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress, led Evelyn and Maureen along with the group of first years through the Great Hall. They halted before the Head table where all the professors were seated. The Sorting Hat sat on a stool, waiting for each of the first years. It performed its new song for the year, and then Professor McGonagall called each of the new students forward.
When it was Maureen Gray's turn, everyone watched with confusion. Though she was a small, sickly girl and the old Sorting Hat looked heavy upon her head, it was clear that she was not a first year. In fact, this was Maureen's fourth year but her first time in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, just as it was for her older sister Evelyn.
The sea of students went into an uproar of whispers. It was rare for students to transfer into Hogwarts. Everyone looked on curiously while Maureen sat upon the stool.
"Hmm...interesting...weak in the body but not the mind...such a strong-willed one...Where to put you? Ravenclaw?...No, no, no. Let me think...determined to fulfill your desires...Perhaps? Yes...better be...SLYTHERIN!" the Sorting Hat shouted and the table on the far right began clapping and cheering.
Maureen approached the Slytherin table shyly. Her sister, Evelyn, followed without being Sorted. She sat down with them as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Students at the table began questioning the two girls but only Maureen answered, enjoying the attention she was being shown. Evelyn stared at her empty plate.
A boy about the same age as Evelyn, reached across the table and shook Maureen's hand so vigorously that Evelyn briefly worried he might break her delicate wrist.
"Avery," he introduced himself, "how do you do?"
Maureen greeted the boy timidly and then was immediately bombarded with questions.
"What school do you come from?" Avery asked her.
"Cackles Academy for Young Witches. It was attacked by Death Eaters last week and closed down. For the best, I think," Maureen explained. Evelyn blinked away the images of her dead classmates. They'd never been her friends or even particularly nice to her or Maureen, but they had not deserved their fate.
"Why was she not sorted?" Avery asked, pointing at Evelyn.
"My father demanded that Evelyn and I not be separated. There was no need for her to be." Evelyn looked up and nodded.
It was true. Mr. Gray, their father, had pressed upon Headmaster Dumbledore that Evelyn was not to be separated from Maureen. The sad truth was that Evelyn couldn't remember a time when her sister wasn't ill. Her poor sister was fragile, her health always an issue. So Evelyn was to be as close to her sister as possible in order to keep Mr. Gray informed. It was all for the best she'd previously reminded Maureen, who had never been able to see it that way.
After a lovely feast, each house was escorted to their common room by their prefects. Slytherins were led through a labyrinth of corridors, down into the dungeon. The sound of collective footsteps bounced off the stone walls, echoing around them. Finally, the prefects stopped the first years in front of a bare stretch of wall.
"Forked tongue," one prefect said, and a door concealed in the wall slid open. Students climbed through the passage way, elbowing each other to enter first.
The Slytherin common room was located underneath the Black Lake and so a cold, dampness hung in the air. A fire crackled under the elaborately carved mantelpiece, which had two leather couches placed in front of it. The walls were rough and had what appeared to be skulls etched into them. Thick emerald curtains were drawn over a large window on the far side of the room, and silver candelabras hung on the walls, giving off a deceptively warm glow. It was possibly the most intimidating room within the castle.
The prefects led the new students up a spiral staircase, into the sleeping quarters. The girls' dormitory was off to the left and they were brought to a row of doors, bearing a sign for each year. This was a new experience—Evelyn and Maureen had always shared a room at the Academy, at Mr. Gray's insistence. Now they would be sharing with strangers.
Maureen followed the other fourth-year girls into her room, and Evelyn went with the sixth years' into their large circular room, where a coal furnace sat in the center. She found her luggage on one of the large four poster beds and sat upon the soft mattress, running her hand over the green blanket with black lace embroidering. It was certainly much more lavish a bed than she was accustomed to.
She reached towards the end of the bed and pulled a straw crate closer towards her. She unlatched the cage door, and out sprang a black cat. Luther was his name, and he was Evelyn's most cherished companion. He made himself comfortable on the bed as she began to unpack her trunks. The other girls were chatting animatedly, but Evelyn took little interest in what it was they were discussing. Every so often she caught one of them glancing at her belongings with disdain. Her things stuck out like a sore thumb in such an ornate place.
Evelyn was used to being disliked by girls her own age and ignored their disapproving expressions. Truthfully, she cared little for their interests. She knew better than they did. They were remarkably shallow and their insipid conversations were not ones she wished to take part in. Much to her displeasure, Maureen did.
Evelyn was tempted to go knocking on the fourth years' door but knew she'd not be welcome. Her sister had practically begged her on the train not to hover as she often tended to do. It was only out of concern that she spent so much time agonizing over Maureen's health. Yet, Maureen cared little for Evelyn's hovering and was only requesting the chance to act as any normal girl her age did at a new school, by attempting to make friends without being supervised.
So, resisting the urge to check up on her, Evelyn readied herself for bed. She pulled the velvet curtains around her and burrowed between the soft sheets. It would take adjustment but she'd do as her sister wanted. Still, it was strange not to bid Maureen goodnight. Luther snuggled against her back and began to purr, and eventually she too found rest.
Waking up in her new dormitories was not an amiable experience. Evelyn's back was sore from sleeping in her too soft bed, the floor was ice cold and the only window gave off an eerie, green glow of the lake water. This, paired with something swimming past the window every now and again, did not lend a warm and welcoming affect. Evelyn felt rather discomforted and so hurried about her morning routine to leave as quickly as possible.
By the time she finished dressing, Luther was yawning and stretching.
Luther had been her mother's cat. He was black all over with two large yellow eyes. He was the most intelligent animal Evelyn had ever come across and was the only friend she'd ever really had while growing up. He listened and seemed to understand everything she told him, so it had become common practice for her to carry on conversations—one-sided though they may have been—with him.
She pulled her hair up into a tight bun and donned her glasses. She threw her arms out and gave him a questioning look. He bobbed his head in approval, and she tugged her school tie out from underneath him.
"They certainly enjoy the colour green, don't they?" she commented, fiddling with the tie until she'd managed to get it into a knot.
Luther gave her a smile, or what Evelyn had always interpreted as one. Evelyn smoothed her hands over her uniform. She was rather tall for a girl and found herself most comfortable in dresses and skirts so long that they brushed the floor.
Not noticing that her discussion with the cat was disturbing the snoozing girls, she consulted Luther on her worries for her first day.
"Do you think Maureen's all right? Oh, of course she can manage to dress herself. I need to give her more credit, I know," she chided herself, completely unaware that the other girls were now listening. "I truly hope there is no exam today. The Academy was not only inferior in size, as you well know. This school's academic reputation is quite impressive-"
"Who in the name of Salazar are you talking to?"
Evelyn whipped around. All of the other girls were sitting straight up in their beds, staring at her with perplexed looks. The blonde girl who had interrupted her conversation was patting down her matted hair as if expecting some unseen figure to appear.
"Luther," she answered plainly.
The blonde girl and a couple of others climbed out of their beds and came closer to her, closer than she would've preferred. One got down on her knees to check under the bed, in search for some concealed person while the other girls pulled their bedcovers higher about themselves.
Evelyn briefly considered letting them think she was hiding some stranger, but decided instead to be kind and let them dress without having to worry. "Luther is my cat," she explained.
"Your...cat?" one of the girls repeated, her voice barely containing her laughter.
Evelyn gave a firm nod as if daring them to go ahead and mock her. The blonde smiled a great big grin and winked at the girl beside her. "Oh, I see," she responded, her voice squeakily high. One of the girls that had drawn near reached out to pat Luther's head, but he leapt away and ran out of the door.
"Oh dear, Charlotte!" the blonde teased. "You've chased off her boyfriend."
Evelyn rolled her eyes and pulled her black robes on before she too left the room, the peals of giggles following her down the hall.