The Good, the Bad, the Cocky
"I'll probably be in Ravenclaw, like my dad," Pansy says, carefully chewing on a red bean that tastes like cherry.
"Did you pack your winter coat?" Gemma Parkinson asks her daughter.
"Yes, Mum," Pansy replies impatiently.
"And your books?"
"Yes, Mum."
"Send us an owl as soon as you-"
"Okay, Mum, but I have to go, so ..."
Edward Parkinson bends down to her and hugs her tightly.
"Take care of yourself, princess."
But Pansy hardly listens and looks around; the platform Nine and Three-Quarters of London's Kings Cross station is slowly filling up.
The scarlet steam engine with the sign Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock blows smoke over the heads of the waiting crowd. The people's chattering, the heavy trunk's scraping, the owl's wing beating and the cat's meowing blurs into a single, big noise.
The thought that she will not come home until Christmas break makes Pansy a little nervous, but she also feels an eerie anticipation.
Finally, she will learn how to perform magic properly, because she has been admitted to one of the world's most prestigious schools of witchcraft and wizardry: Hogwarts, a boarding school in Scotland, her father had visited as well (while her mother was a student at Beauxbatons, a wizarding school in France).
Mrs. Parkinson strokes Pansys chin-length, dark brown hair and kisses her lightly on the cheek.
"Behave yourself. And be diligent, hear me? Oh, and don't forget Winston!" She hands her the cat carrier with her little, black cat inside.
"Well, then, see you in three months." Pansy nods, smiling and her parents wave her goodbye until she has hopped on the train.
Fortunately, the corridors are still quite empty; most of her fellow students still seem busy saying goodbye to their parents and welcoming friends they have not seen during the summer holidays.
With her suitcase in one, the cat carrier in the other hand, Pansy maneuvers through the train, when suddenly a compartment door opens in front of her and a tall, broad-shouldered boy with a confused expression steps out.
Pansy can barely stop before she collides with him.
"Goyle, what are you doing?" someone shouts from inside the compartment, apparently unnerved. "Stop blocking the corridor and help me with the suitcase!"
"Sorry," the boy mumbles and goes back inside.
Slightly annoyed, Pansy continues her way and finally finds an empty compartment a few metres ahead. She puts down the cat carrier and shoves her suitcase under a window seat on which she plonks herself down. She resists the temptation to place her legs on the opposite seat.
'Only uneducated children do that,' she hears her mother say.
She pulls out her pocket mirror to critically eye herself. Her hair is still straight and neat, her hairband is in place and she has neither dark circles under her eyes, nor cracked lips nor a pale complexion (which her mother likes to mention frequently, as if Pansy could influence what her skin tone looks like).
Today is a good day.
Her father once told her that she is the prettiest girl in the world, but of course she is not naïve enough to believe him - after all, she is not a little child anymore, even though she is relatively small for her age.
Like her father, she has a round face, and instead of having her mother's high cheekbones, she got her nose, whose tip is slightly upturned. But at least she kind of likes her green-brown eyes, which are framed with thick lashes.
She puts the mirror back, smooths her skirt and takes the cat carrier on her lap. "You've got it good, Winston, you're perfect!"
While he is moaning in response, the compartment door is reopened.
"Hello! Is there still a place here?", asks a girl with bushy brown hair. She has neither an owl, nor a cat, but is already wearing her black robe, a part of the school uniform.
"Yes," answers Pansy, unable to take her eyes off the girl's hair, which resembles a bird's nest and urgently needs a conditioner.
The girl stows her trunk and sits down opposite Pansy. "I'm Hermione Granger," she says, slightly affected, revealing her rather large front teeth.
"Pansy Parkinson." She has no desire for small talk; on the other hand, it might be beneficial to get along with as much people as possible (even when they have bad hairdos). So she tries to sound interested and asks, "Is it your first year at Hogwarts, too?"
But shortly afterwards she wishes she would have stayed quiet.
"Oh, yes, it is! And I'm really excited, probably more than anyone else on the train. Well, I'm kind of an exceptional case, I suppose. Because my parents are non-magical - you call them ... Muggles, right?"
Pansy manages to nod before Hermione continues: "Anyway, it's extremely rare for Muggles' children to have magical abilities, but well, here I am.
We were totally surprised when I got the acceptance letter, that's for sure! But the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, convinced my parents in a long conversation that I can graduate well at a school for magicians. So they agreed.
I had to acquire all the basic knowledge myself, of course, but Luckily, I turned eleven last September, so I got my letter almost a year ago.
I took the time to look at the textbooks and memorize them all to be prepared for the classes. Some might find that exaggerated, but my mother always says 'knowledge is power' and I agree. I hope I haven't overlooked anything important ..." Hermione looks at the ceiling for a moment, brooding. "No, I looked at everything conscientiously. Well, almost, because there is no textbook on Quidditch. I can't imagine what it's like flying on a broom! To be honest, that seems pretty clichéd to me.
Anyway, now the question is, in which house we're going to be, right?"
It takes a few seconds for Pansy to wake up from her trance. She has barely noticed that the Hogwarts Express has already set in motion. "Yes, exactly," she says curtly.
If Hermione weren't such a know-it-all and talking like a waterfall, Pansy would have thought of some questions, like:
'Is it true that Muggles sometimes fly to the moon? And if so, what are they doing there?'
'Do they all have beaver teeth like you?'
'What's wrong with your hair?'
The next moment the compartment door opens again and two girls enter.
Both are wearing their long, black hair in braided plaits and look very similar.
Pansy's mood lifts. They're prettier than Hermione, but not prettier than herself. And she's grateful for any new company.
"Hello," the girls say simultaneously.
"I'm Parvati Patil."
"And I'm Padma Patil."
Pansy and Hermione also introduce themselves, while the twins push their suitcases under the free seats.
"Oh, how cute!" Padma says, sitting next to Pansy and looking into the cat box.
"His name is Winston. Winston Purchill," she says with a grin, scratching him through the grille with a finger on his ear, and he begins to purr softly.
"I thought about getting myself a cat, too," Hermione interjects. "But I'd better wait, I want to focus on the classes first. A pet would only distract me."
Pansy and Padma exchange a glimpse.
"Where are you both from?" Parvati asks.
While Hermione inhales, Pansy responds quickly: "My parents and I live in London now, but we lived in Paris until I was eight. My mother is a fashion designer," she explains proudly.
"Really? That's cool!" answers Parvati impressed. The sisters are already much more sympathetic to Pansy than Hermione.
"I envy you – I'd love to go to Paris, too," says Padma. "We live in Manchester, but our parents are from India."
Hermione has apparently decided that she has been quiet long enough: "My parents and I have been in France before, and we'll fly back someday. There are so many interesting places with a witchcraft past, from which I could learn a lot."
For a moment, it looks like she's done, but then she starts to tell her story from before, much to Pansy's displeasure.
Eyes rolling, she looks out the window and realizes that she has only been sitting in this compartment for half an hour, though it feels like an eternity.
While Hermione blithely babbles, there is a knock on the door.
A cute, elderly lady asks if they want something off the trolley as provisions for the trip.
Pansy pays five silver Sickles and three bronze Knuts for two packages of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans, Acid Pops and a Chocolate Frog.
Padma and Parvati treat themselves with some sweets, too, but Hermione refuses, stating that her parents are dentists.
Pansy doesn't have the slightest idea of what that could mean, but doesn't want to start the talking-machine again, and opens a package of her beans.
The term Every-Flavor should be taken literally. She once took a blue bean for blueberry, but it tasted like ink!
"I mentioned the four Hogwarts houses earlier. What's your opinion about them?" Hermione asks enthusiastically.
"I'll probably be in Ravenclaw, like my dad," Pansy says, carefully chewing on a red bean that tastes like cherry.
Parvati nods in agreement. "We also hope for Ravenclaw. Or Gryffindor of course - it seems quite popular, and I think Professor Dumbledore used to be there himself."
"Really? That sounds good, Dumbledore is considered one of the greatest wizards of our time," says Hermione reverently. "And what about Hufflepuff and Slytherin?"
"No way!" Parvati wrinkles her nose. "There are only losers in Hufflepuff, but compared to Slytherin it's still the lesser evil. Those are all snakes in the grass, just like the animal in their crest."
Pansy frowns. Her father had often talked about his time in Hogwarts; about the ghosts, who are sometimes more, sometimes less friendly, about secret passages that lead to the neighbouring village Hogsmeade, about the best view in the whole castle (the Astronomy Tower) and about the four houses and their traits, of course. But that Hufflepuff and Slytherin have a bad reputation, she hears for the first time.
Her father had never spoken negatively of students from other houses, quite the contrary. In his opinion, they all represent desirable characteristics: intelligence (Ravenclaw), bravery (Gryffindor), diligence (Hufflepuff) and ambition (Slytherin).
That's why Pansy never cared about in which house she'll end up (apart from that, her house will be the best of course, otherwise she wouldn't be in it).
"Well, this might be a bit of a stretch," Padma says to her sister.
"But basically I'm right! You know how it's always said: there is not one single witch or wizard that went bad who wasn't
in Slytherin," Parvati replies, saying the last sentence like a rhyme she has learned by heart. "Supposedly You-know-who was there, too, and I think that says it all!"
Apparently Padma and Hermione agree, because now there is silence in the compartment.
Pansy doesn't answer as well, because she knows how to behave, but whenever she hears the term You-know-who, she wants to roll her eyes theatrically.
Many people use that synonym when they speak of the darkest wizard in recent history: Voldemort, a powerful and cruel fanatic who tried to extinguish Muggles and Muggleborns and gain control over the wizarding community.
Even today, ten years after his death, this chapter of history is still a sensitive subject, and the fear of using his name is widespread (though completely irrational, as her father always emphasizes).
Anyway, Pansy does not feel like thinking about deceased dark wizards, or about whether there are two good and two bad Hogwarts houses. That's ridiculous and makes no sense.
Parvati will find out soon enough that she's the only one with such weird prejudices. Soon they will arrive at Hogwarts, be chosen for what-so-ever and just have a good time. The End.
More importantly, Pansy wonders what the school uniforms look like, especially considering the house colors. Because they are the only reason she'd prefer Ravenclaw over Hufflepuff: she doesn't like yellow too much, but blue is her favorite color.
Still, of course, she would give everything for Hufflepuff if it would be her house.
She imagines that one day it will be told, that Hufflepuff was totally uncool until Pansy Parkinson showed up and changed everything. The enthusiasm for Hufflepuff will even go so far that first graders, who are selected for another house, beg their parents to send them to another school. At some point, Professor Dumbledore will see reason and close the other three houses.
Hogwarts is renamed Hufflepuff and the new crest animal is a small black cat.
A grin flashes over her face.
"Do you have any idea how exactly we will be selected for our house?" Hermione asks, breaking the silence. "I couldn't find anything in Hogwarts: A History about it."
Padma ponders. "No idea, maybe we have to answer questions, like a personality test."
"Or perform some simple spells," says Parvati.
"That's fine with me. I practiced a bit and it worked out every time," says Hermione pompously.
Pansy's father didn't want to tell her how the selection is taking place (she is supposed to be surprised). Once, she heard that it has something to do with a hat, that can talk, but this idea seems kind of stupid to her.
Hermione mumbles a few spells to herself when suddenly a chubby boy bursts into the compartment. "Excuse me, but you did not happen to see a toad?!" he asks, slightly out of breath.
"No, thank Merlin!" Pansy replies, grimacing. The twins giggle.
He runs his finger through his hair desperately. "Oh, bother ... he keeps escaping from me again and again!"
Hermione gets up. "You know what? I'll help you with your search. I'm Hermione Granger."
The boy smiles gratefully at her. "Neville Longbottom. That's really nice of you."
"I wanted to stretch my legs anyway. See you later, girls."
When she closes the door behind her, the three girls look at each other.
"Seriously," Pansy says, placing the cat box in the now vacant seat. "Who brings a toad to Hogwarts?"
"Who wants to have a toad at all?" Padma asks, irritated. "Cats are cute, owls are useful, but toads?! The letters said that you can bring one of the three animals, but I still don't understand the relation. Though, toads are nothing compared to that tarantula the boy with dreadlocks had with him."
"Tarantula?!" Pansy yells in disgust.
"Yes, when we entered the train, he was standing outside, holding the thing in a cardboard box. Has caused quite a stir. You don't like spiders, either?"
"Let's just say, that if the toad appears here, I'll throw it out the window – but if a tarantula shows up, I'll jump by myself!"
"I thought about that for a moment when Hermione bent our ears," Parvati says, rolling her eyes. "She thinks she's so clever!"
"I know!" Pansy sighs. "Maybe we're lucky and she stays away. There are so many people on the train who don't know her life story, yet."
Padma smiles. "Well, the toadless Neville will certainly love to hear about it."
"Hmm ... I think Toadboy sounds better."
"He reminds me of a fat hamster," Parvati grins.
"True, but against your beloved Myron Wagtail, no one's having a chance anyway, right, Sis?" Padma chuckles and turns to Pansy. "You know, the front singer of the Weird Sisters. She has a huge poster of him in her room - bare-chested!"
Parvati blushes and murmurs, "So what! Myron is absolutely cool."
"Want an autograph?" Pansy asks, tucking away the rest of her sweets in her suitcase.
"What do you mean?"
"I could get you one. With personal dedication, of course."
Parvati stares at Pansy with her mouth open. "How –"
"I see him every few months; my mom likes to gives parties. Next time, I'll tell him to write you something nice."
With a shriek Parvati jumps up and falls around her neck. "Oh Pansy - thanks! That's awesome!"
Pansy pats her back in amusement. "No problem, really."
Grinning, Padma picks up the liquorice wands from the floor, which laid previously on Parvati's lap.
"Tell me everything about Myron! What's he like?"
"Well, he's a little ... crazy. And funny."
"Is he single?"
"I think so."
Parvati makes a squeaky sound.
For quite a while, Pansy is questioned about the rock singer, while Winston, whom she has taken out from his box, plays with a brown bean that she did not dare to eat.
They talk about this and that, like what kind of wood their wands are made of and where they bought their school robes.
Of course, Pansy's mother made her crepe silk robes for her. Merlin forbid that she wears off-the-peg fashion, like it's sold at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions in Diagon Alley!
None of them notices that the landscape outside their window is increasingly changing; where villages and fields used to be, now forests, twisting rivers and dark green hills fly past them.
"You know, I don't think we're ending up in different houses, we have too much in common," Parvati says to Pansy. "Even your name starts with 'Pa', just like ours. It's destiny that we met each other!"
Pansy smiles satisfied, because she already made two friends, before she even arrived at Hogwarts. Not that she would be very surprised; it has always been an advantage to have a famous mother. In Paris, she had tons of friends who envied her and let her decide everything.
Friendship is such a great thing!
A few minutes later, Hermione sticks her head back in the compartment. "I just wanted to let you know that we haven't found Neville's toad yet, so I'll come back later."
"Alright!" The girls call in unison, nodding understandingly.
"Besides, some people out here act totally childish; running up and down the corridors like lunatics. I'm going to appeal to their conscience," she says snootily. But just before she closes the door, she seems to have remembered something else: "And by the way - Harry Potter is sitting here on the train! At first I thought it was a rumor, but I saw him myself," she says and finally disappears.
"I saw him myself," Parvati imitates her. "Who does she think she is, please? Talks like she's a prefect in her seventh year. Nobody will ever take her seriously with those beaver teeth."
Pansy sneers. "Maybe she wants to distract from them with the bush on her head. I wouldn't be surprised if the toad has crawled into it and cannot find a way out!"
"And why rumor?" Padma asks, frowning. "Anyone who can count to eleven knows that Harry Potter is in our year."
"Hey, let's go find him, I want to know what he looks like," says Parvati.
"We'll see him soon enough," notes Padma. "He's in our class, after all."
Harry Potter. Of course, Pansy heard about the legendary Boy who Lived, like probably every witch and wizard in the world.
He is called like that because Voldemort murdered his parents on Halloween ten years ago, but some sort of power prevented him from killing the then one-year-old boy, and instead caused his own downfall somehow.
The reason for this can't be explained till this day, it's just said that the deadly curse, of which Harry has retained only a scar on his forehead, rebounded on Voldemort.
Some people say that he is not dead, that he just disappeared, but Pansy thinks this is nonsense. Even more stupid is the theory that Harry Potter himself is an extremely powerful wizard.
"I don't know what's so special about him," she says. "It's not like he has secret superpowers or anything like that."
"But because of him, You-know-who disappeared," Parvati admits.
"He died!" Pansy replies firmly. "And it was just a lucky coincidence. I mean, Potter was still a baby. He might have known where his nose is, but surely not how to destroy one of the most powerful wizards in the world!"
"Yeah ... but don't you want to ask him if he remembers anything?"
Pansy takes her pocket mirror and looks into it while she answers, "He's always asked that. Would you like to chat constantly about the night your parents died? And he probably has only Quidditch on the brain, like all the boys."
She applies a cream on her lips and takes a look out the window. The sky has already turned deep-purple and they seem to be losing speed.
The girls are just putting on their robes when a voice sounds: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage and the cages on the train, everything will be taken to the school separately."
"I'll see you soon, little one," Pansy says to Winston, puts him back in his box, and follows the twins into the corridor, which is already full of students. Further back, she recognizes Hermione, who still seems busy comforting Longbottom.
Finally, the Hogwarts Express comes to a standstill, and the crowds push their way towards the door and out onto a small, dark platform.
Shortly thereafter, the light of a lamp rises above their heads, and a deep, growling voice calls: "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!"
Pansy looks up – high up - into a very hairy face. It belongs to a man who is estimated three metres tall and simply too fat to be allowed. His long, matted hair makes him look wild and the lantern looks small and fragile in his huge hand.
With a disparaging look, she wonders if this person is one of the teachers at Hogwarts.
"C'mon, follow me - any more firs'-years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'-years, follow me!"
"Who exactly is supposed to follow him?" whispers Pansy. "I think I haven't quite understood it yet!"
Giggling, Parvati links arms with her sister and Pansy before they follow the bearded giant down a narrow path. There is nothing but darkness around them. Every now and then girls can be heard yelling ... and someone sniffling.
"Cheer up, Neville," they hear Hermione say.
Parvati tries in vain not to burst out. "I bet, the fat little crybaby is going to Hufflepuff!"
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec. Jus' round this bend here," the man calls over his shoulder.
The path has opened suddenly and they are standing on the edge of a great, black lake.
On the other side, perched atop a high mountain, is a mighty castle with many turrets and towers. It's enlighted windows are sparkling in the night sky.
A loud 'Oooohh!' sounds.
Although Pansy has always been walking in and out of gorgeous mansions, this sight takes even her breath away for a moment. With her home for the next seven years, she could have done so much worse!
"No more'n four to a boat!" the man says, pointing to a fleet of small boats bobbing along the shore. He takes one boat for himself, whereupon he sinks dangerously low.
Pansy and the twins take a seat, followed by a girl with blond pigtails. Further ahead, Hermione and Neville join two boys.
"Everyone in? Right then - FORWARD!"
They set themselves in motion and glide across the glassy lake, while they are staring silently up at the castle. When they reach the cliff, they are carried through a tunnel until they reach a kind of harbour and climb out of the boats.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" the man asks abruptly.
"Trevor!" Neville cries relieved, receiving his lost friend.
Pansy and the twins grin at each other and continue marching until they stand in front of a long stone staircase. Arriving at the top, they are gathered around a huge oak door - the entrance portal of the castle.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" The man raises his gigantic fist and knocks on the castle door three times.