This is just going to be a one shot, but if people like it, it may be a series of random happenings at Hogwarts that I deem would come about if this dumb Yankee happened to transfer to Hogwarts. hehehe BTW, the last name Taliaferro is pronounced Toliver and although the personality portrayed is based loosely on my own personality, the family talked about it completely made up.
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"Albus, this has never been allowed before. She'll have a lot of catching up to do." Minerva McGonagall sat stiffly in the chair in front of the headmaster's desk.
"She has been being home-schooled, of sorts, by her parents, for the last several years. They had to convince the Ministry to allow it, but I'm sure you remember her mother. She was in your year, I recall. Very bright student. If anyone can teach their child by themselves it's her and Walter."
Minerva opened her mouth and closed it with a click. She remembered Constance, alright. If Minerva had been a teacher when Constance was a student, Minerva would have loved the bright young woman. But having been another student at the time, she couldn't stand the arrogant know-it-all. I just hope her daughter isn't like her, thought the Deputy Head Mistress crossly.
"But, why now, Albus?"
"Constance and Walter have never approved of the schools in the United States. They decided, however, that Victoria was too much for them to handle, so they want her to go to some Wizarding school. They decided on the one they both attended."
Oh my giddy aunt! thought Minerva. If they can't handle their daughter, how are we to?
*
"Wait a minute. . .platform what?" Victoria Taliaferro stopped dead in her tracks as she looked unblinkingly at the ticket in her hand. "Is there something wrong here, or do they just use different train numbers than they do in the States?"
"Victoria, don't stop in the middle of where people are walking! Have you no manners?" Her father, a tall man with extra padding around the mid-section, shoved her in the lower back to get her moving.
Her mother, walking beside her, started straightening her daughters dark curls as she explained. "It's magic, dear. Remember magic? We've been teaching it to you since you were 10. And don't talk about it so loud."
Victoria rolled her eyes. Oh, to finally get away from her parents for a while.
The continued walking, pushing the trolley in front of them, until they got to the divider between platforms nine and ten. Her parents then proceeded to shove her into a wall that, thankfully, melted away when she touched it and sent her to platform 9 ¾.
Why not platform 9 ½, I wonder? I don't think I was any closer to platform ten than I was to 9 when I walked through.
Her parents unceremoniously threw all her things, minus her trunk, onto the train and insisted on reminding her of all the things they'd already told her on the flight over here.
Finally, she boarded the train. Dragging the trunk behind her, she settled herself in one of the compartments, sat down, checked her watch – and groaned. She was three quarters of an hour early. Sighing, she pulled out a book. So engrossed she had become, that it took her a moment, to realize someone was talking to her from the doorway.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked smiling embarrassedly.
"We were just wondering if we could share your compartment with you."
She nodded and smiled as an assortment of people joined her. One was dark of hair and had the greenest eyes she'd ever seen. Two were redheaded and freckle adorned, obviously brother and sister. The last had light brown hair with the kind of body Victoria's mother always wished Victoria's hair had.
"You're not a first year," said the redheaded boy as though confused.
Victoria smiled, very amused and responded. "No, I'm not. I'm a 6th year. I've been home-schooled. I guess you'd call me a transfer student."
"I didn't know they did that," said the tawny haired girl.
"They don't. The Minister of Magic back at the states convinced Professor Dumbledore to allow it as a favor to my parents."
"There's another Minister of Magic in the states?" asked the boy with the emerald green eyes.
The redheaded girl rolled her eyes. "Fudge can't possibly be in charge of Wizards in every country, now can he?"
The door to the compartment suddenly opened and their entered another girl with a vaguely vacant expression on her face. "Who are you?" she asked without preamble, starring directly at Victoria.
"I'm Victoria Taliaferro, daughter of Constance and Walter Taliaferro. I hail from Seattle Washington and am a new 6th year student. Would you like my height, weight and study habits?"
"No. That was enough." And with that, she walked out.
Victoria blinked a few times. "Who was that?" she laughed.
"That would be Luna Lovegood. Don't worry, you get used to her. By the way, I'm Hermione Granger. This is Ron and Ginny Weasley, and Harry Potter." At this, she looked expectantly at Victoria as though waiting for some kind of response.
"What? I already told you my name." She was getting confused.
"This is Harry Potter," she stated again.
"I heard you the first time." Victoria was very confused now.
The boy named Harry Potter smiled jubilantly and stood up to shake Victoria's hand. "I think I like you already." He stated.
Victoria shook his hand, smiling a bit as she quirked an eyebrow. What the heck was that all about?
*
The rest of the ride was spent in similar talk. They got to really introducing themselves and the whole group was shocked to hear of her lineage.
"You're pureblooded?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"Yeah, one of the few pureblooded families left on the West Coast. My parents constantly remind me of this." She added, rolling her eyes.
"How do you feel about that?" asked Harry, sounding very much like a psychiatrist.
"Well, don't have much choice do I?" answered Victoria with a laugh
"I'm muggleborn," offered Hermione, once again looking as though she expected a reaction.
"Okay," was all Victoria could think to answer.
There was silence in the compartment for what seemed like several minutes before the door once again. In strode what she considered the Wizarding Poster Child – and he was hot to boot. He was tall with white blonde hair, and an obvious confidence in himself. He was flanked by two boys of like age who looked as though they could easily knock themselves senseless by accident.
"Had a good summer, scar face? I see your still alive, mudblood. Shame. Pockets still empty Weasels?" he sneered at them all. Dang he was good-looking. He was a shmuck, but good-looking just the same.
"Do you always hurl random insults at people, or do you think you're too good for civilized conversation?" All eyes turned to Victoria, most looking shocked but amused. Three however locked onto her with the intensity of homing radar.
"Who are you," hot-boy asked contemptuously.
Victoria sighed. "That seems to be the only question I'm getting today. I've gone through this before. I am Victoria Taliaferro, daughter of Constance and Walter Taliaferro." All this was said in a very bored tone. "Who, may I ask, are you, oh boorish one?"
Glaring in a way that Victoria assumed was supposed to be menacing, he answered her. "I am Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."
"What horrible names!" Victoria cooed in mock sympathy. "You must have had an awful childhood. No doubt people were able to think of ghastly nicknames for you. Dragon-breath, Draco Mal-fuction. . .? No wonder you insult others." She painted her face with a sickly pitying look and tried to make her eyes water as though about to cry.
"You would do to treat me with more respect mudblood!"
"There's that word again. What exactly does it mean, oh mighty Dragon-boy?"
"It means he thinks your blood isn't as pure as his, and he thinks that makes him better," supplied Ginny with the air of one trying to be helpful. That obviously was not her true intent.
Victoria laughed. Then she looked at the horrified look on Draco's face and laughed some more. "Oh, my dear Dreconnaissance. Haven't you heard? You're not the purest of the pure anymore. My families Wizard ancestry goes back to Merlin and further. So watch who you insult. Though, I don't quite understand. I assume it's supposed to mean dirty blood," she looked to Ginny and the others for confirmation. "Well, then, the way I see it, the proverbial dirt doesn't come from mixing wizard with muggle. That's like mixing milk with chocolate. The dirt comes when the milk is rancid. You, my dear Dragon, have been in the sun too long."
Draco was speechless. As were his cronies, but Victoria assumed that had more to do with the fact that they probably had no idea what she just said, than that they were as livid as their chief.
Without so much as a word, but with much glaring the three extracted themselves from the compartment and closed the door with a bang.
"My, that was enjoyable. Though, I usually prefer battling wits with someone a bit more armed."
The silence being broken, the rest of the compartment started laughing. Several of the other occupants clapped her on the back, but no individual comments were heard due to the overall cacophony.
Wiping tears from his eyes, Ron spoke, "This year will be unlike any other with you here."
*
They finally reached Hogwarts. Victoria was feeling a bit self-conscious in her robes. She'd never had to wear the like before. As she stepped off the train, without her trunk (she was told it would be taken care of) she saw the largest man she had ever seen.
"Firs' years'is way. Don' be shy. Ah, you'd be Victoria, would ya?"
Victoria nodded. Though her mouth was slightly slack, her vocal chords refused to respond.
"You'll be comin' wi' me then."
There's was nothing for it. Her voice would not come. She had no choice but to nod yet again.
She felt rather awkward surrounded by a bunch of kidlets. She towered over most of them, and she wasn't that tall to begin with. The boat ride across was just as embarrassing. She kept getting wide eyed looks from the first years. They were obviously wondering if, either she looked a whole heckuvalot older than she was or there had been some mistake. Yes, there had been a mistake, she thought. But the big man made me do it!
They reached the castle, which was the most magnificent thing she had ever seen. Up and in they traveled until they were just outside a large room that obviously, if the sound was any indication, held the rest of the student body.
An elderly witch stood waiting for them and explained the sorting procedure. "Victoria, you'll be going last. We've never had a transfer student, and were not sure how the sorting hat will respond to you."
Victoria shrugged. "Whatever works." She was proud that none of her nervousness was evident in her voice.
They walked into the great hall. The elderly witch, who had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall placed a stool and an old hat on a platform in front of the head table. Each of the first years were sorted into their prospective houses, until finally, all that was left was for Victoria to be sorted.
"Taliaferro, Victoria." McGonagall called out.
Victoria felt like groaning. There had been no explanation, so no doubt the whole school thought she was a first year. This was not going well.
The hat was placed on her head.
"What's this? You're not a first year." So I've heard, she thought. The hat laughed. "This is an experience I've yet to deal with. Your parents were easy enough. There was nowhere but Slytherin to place them. You, however. . .bright mind, like your mother. I also see loyalty. And there is courage, yes, in abundance. But I shall still have to go with – SLYTHERIN!" only the last was heard by anyone else. The hall was filled with sound so no one heard her groan, but several Gryffindors saw the look on her face.
She looked over at the table of green and silver and saw the Dragon-child growl and slump further down in his seat. Victoria smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
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So. . .whataya think? Should I continue? I have to say, my favorite part had to be when she was talking about dirty blood. I can scarcely believe I thought of all that. This turned out much better than I expected. I do hope you all like it. If not, I enjoyed writing it, so I'm okay :) Tell me what you think!