Okay - this is the rewritten version of my fic, trying to get it onto
another site. It's not working so far.
Very grumpy!
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Chapter #1
The caramel skinned gypsy girl stretched her long legs on the cherry leather seat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. She flicked her black curls out of her eyes, curled her legs back under herself, and wrapped her cobweb silk shawl tighter around her thin shoulders.
To anyone looking on, she may have caught a few eyes. Her black hair was thick and shiny, a tumble of loose curls falling to past her waist. Her huge eyes were darkest blue, seeming black to those who didn't look closely, and framed by long, thick black eyelashes. She was tall, around 170 cm, or 5' 10". Her legs were long and slim, and her dark gypsy-Italian skin was unblemished.
It was so cold in England, why was it so cold? She spread her patchwork skirt over her legs and tucked it under her knees, trying to trap a little warmth. It was never this cold in Sicily, and it was supposed to be summer. She looked up from her novel and out of the window at the green-grey scenery, and the pale smoke blue sky. This landscape held none of the pretty vibrant colours of Southern Italy.
Someone thumped into the compartment door, snapping her awake. She could hear screams and shouts of laughter, and thumps as people ran into corridor walls and doors. She pressed closer to the weak sunlight filtering through window, and shivered. If only she had thought to wear something a little warmer, but she had only wanted to wear her favourite top, a hand woven and embroidered purple cotton thing that her grandmother had made her. She always wore it somewhere new. It was her good luck top. But it was not a top for cool weather.
Still shivering slightly, she turned back to her book, an adapted novel version of Shakespeare's ITitus Andronicus./I
The compartment doors slid open and a gangly boy burst in. "Sorry," he puffed, "I thought the cab was empty." He wiped his hand on his jeans and held it out, "I'm Jack. Jack Wilson."
He had light smoky brown hair, an impish face, and a chirpy grin. The glint in his eyes hinted at too much mischief and many more practical jokes.
It took her only a little while to translate what he had said into Italian, and then translate what she had to say into English. "Hello Jack. I am Ibis Goldeye." She shook his hand warmly, all her many bangles and bracelets jangled musically.
"Sorry about bursting in like that. I was sort of getting chased." she pushed his fringe out of his brown eyes. "You're new, aren't you?"
Ibis nodded, yes, "You have different voice, different." she struggled for the word, circling her hands wildly as she always did when she was stuck for a word.
"Accent?" he supplied, "Yeah, I'm not British, I'm from Australia. But I got sent here because it's a better school. You aren't local either."
"No. I come from Sicilia (for those who don't study Italian, it is pronounced sih-chil-ia). I mean Sicily, in southern Italy."
"Ah, okay." Jack nodded. Someone outside shouted his name. He opened the door. "By the way, I'm in Gryffindor. I'm a Fifth Year!" he shouted as he rushed back out, slamming the door so hard that he cracked the bubble glass.
Ibis sighed and pulled her wand out of her pocket. It was brand new, ebony, with a silk wrapped unicorn hair, and a string of gold and lapis, magical enhancers. She had made it herself, which was what all of her family did. This wand would answer only to her. She flicked the tip towards the cracked pane and whispered "IReparo/I." The glass shimmered slightly, and the crack disappeared, Ibis got back to her book, knowing she wouldn't be able to think, much less read, with all the racket in the hallway. Ibis sighed as a red tennis ball shattered the newly repaired glass inwards. "IReparo!!/I" she flicked her wand with more force than necessary. The glass returned to the door with a bang and a rattle.
"Sorry, lost my tennis ball." A freckled face with cheerful blue eyes behind wire rimmed glasses poked through the now open door.
"iWingardium Leviosa/I" Ibis guided the tennis ball over to the girl.
"Thanks." the girl grabbed it out of the air, "You're new, aren't you?"
"Yes. I previously attended a school in South Genova, I mean Genoa."
"Oh! You're from Italy!" she grinned, "I'm Nikki Nutt, from Australia. My sister learnt Italian for a while, so I know a bit. Um. Iciao, mi chiamo Nikki Nutt.um.comé stai?/I"
Ibis giggled, "I'm Ibis Goldeye, and I'm cold. IE tu?/I"
Nikki laughed outright, "It is a bit chilly here, but you'll get used to it. I did. I had to. Hogwarts is so much better that the Australian school and I had to come here. My parents weren't too pleased, though."
"Are you coming Nikki?" Jack appeared again, "One of your friends has found the tarantula that Lee Jordan lost last year."
Ibis realised that the shouts in the corridor had become screams of panic. She gripped her wand tighter. If the tarantula came in here, it wouldn't go out again. She hated spiders with a passion.
"I think Ron and Hermione have found it." Nikki grinned, and with a quick wave, disappeared, followed by Jack.
Ibis brought her wand up, and drew a circle in the air, whispered a protective spell, and a golden bubble of warmth and silence enveloped her, blocking out the shouts in the corridor. She re-opened her novel, but she couldn't help wondering about what Hogwarts would be like. And why did she feel apprehensive, rather than ecstatically exited. Something hung quite heavily over her head, like the sleepless feeling she had when she had forgotten to do something, or deliberately not done something she should have. She muttered a prayer, and gripped the gypsy talisman that hung around her neck. Her fingers automatically traced the familiar shapes embossed in the tin, a falcon head, the symbol of her family, and the waterbird that was her symbol. She counted the moonstone chips in the border with her fingertips, feeling the smooth of the stones from years of being rubbed.
* * *
"I can't believe we are going back!" Nikki said, collapsing onto the seat in a finally empty compartment.
"Yeah." Jack said, "Even thought I've been on this train four times before, it still seems unreal." He reached over and touched Nikki's cheek gently, "And I still can't believe I get to see you every day."
"Yeah, lucky sod, aren't you." Nikki kissed him gently on the cheek.
"It's a pity." Jack said, grabbing her chin and tilting her head so he could kiss her full on the mouth.
"What?" Nikki asked, after kissing him back, "What's a pity?"
"That we have so many friends." Jack said simply, "They are always in the way."
"Well." Nikki whispered slowly, drawing out the "e". She watched silhouettes of people wander past the bubble glass in the compartment door window. "Well, a few well timed hexes and some roundhouse bitching could get rid of that problem."
"Yeah." Jack laughed, "It got rid of Harry pretty quickly. I'm still surprised Ginny doesn't hate you for those things you said. Come to think of it, Harry doesn't hate you ether."
Nikki giggled uncontrollably, "Hmm." She lay back on the seat, basking in the sun that was pouring in through the window. Her glasses tipped back into her reddy gold hair. She liked her hair now it wasn't that dishwater colour, confused between blonde and brown. She was glad Ginny had talked her into the colouring charm, which had a much more permanent, but more easily reversed effect than hair dye. And it matched the rims of her new glasses that she had got over the British summer/Australian winter holidays. They were sort of rectangle-ish with shiny metallic red wire frames; similar to the blue ones she used to have.
Jack looked down at her. Sometimes he could never believe that this was the big, solid, boyish girl that he used to hang around with so much. Nikki hadn't grown much taller, but had slimmed right down to a model-like figure. She looked a little like Ginny Weasley now she had died her hair red, but, he thought, much prettier than Ginny. He realised she was speaking to him, and he had missed the question entirely. "What?"
"I asked you what you were staring at." Nikki said, squinting up at him. Jack had changed too. He had grown until he was as tall as her, and his teeth had straightened a bit. Nikki was sure he wouldn't need braces now, his teeth didn't look nearly as crowded as they used to. And he had filled out a bit, not nearly as scrawny as he used to be, but more of a long, gangly figure. She squinted at him, reaching for her glasses, "Well, what are you staring at?"
"I am staring at my beautiful girlfriend." He said, "Though I thought that was obvious enough."
"Oh, bite me." Nikki snapped, wishing he wouldn't tease like that. Jack picked up her hand, and bit gently on her thumb, then kissed it. "Smart ass." Nikki grumbled, and sat up properly.
"Sorry." Jack grinned, pretending to grovel for forgiveness, "I promise I'll never do it again oh high and mighty one."
"Grow up." Nikki said, and kissed him. The best thing about Jack was his sense of humour. That and his strange devotion to her. "I can't wait to get to Hogwarts." She said, lying back down with her head on his lap.
"Neither can I, I haven't had time to practice Quidditch much during the holidays. I want to get back on my broomstick and thoroughly enjoy myself." He told her, "But the best thing about being back is that I can see you every day, rather than just ring you and send letters."
"Mmm." Nikki snuggled into him, "I think that seeing you is definitely the best bit. And that Chloe will be here now too."
Just as she said the name, a small girl with curly blonde hair and deep brown eyes came in, struggling with her robes. Nikki and Jack sat up guiltily, and Nikki said, "Oh, Chloe. Are you stuck?"
"Yes." Chloe said, "And I'm nervous. I don't want to go in there. I wanna go home."
"You'll get used to it." Jack promised her, untangling the two sleaves of the robes. Nikki pulled the hem of the robes down to the floor, untucking bits and pieces from where they were stuck in the neck.
"Thanks." Chloe said, "But I'm still nervous."
"Don't be." Nikki told her gently, "You'll forget all about being nervous once you make a friend or two and go to lessons. First year is a lot of fun."
* * *
A hand reached through the bubble, and tapped Ibis on the shoulder. She muttered an evaporation spell, and the bubble vanished, leaving her face to face with the boy who had been talking to her earlier, Jack Someone.
"We're at Hogwarts, Ibis." He grabbed her wrist, "C'mon." She just had time to grab her school cloak and robes, which were lying, neatly folded, on the seat. "Wait up Nikki!" Jack shouted.
Nikki was guiding a scared looking young girl with curly blonde hair and wide brown eyes out of the train. "Ibis will have to go with the first years." Nikki pointed out, straightening the young girls cloak and re-pinning the pin. "You look after Ibis for me Chloe? She's new too."
The little girl nodded and took Ibis's long brown hand into her soft white one. "C'mon Ibis. Nikki says we have to go over there."
"Wait." Ibis stopped, and put on her robes. Then she wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and fastened the pin. "That is nicer." She said, relishing in the new warmth.
"See ya once you're sorted." Nikki cried, and grabbed Jack's hand. Together they ran over to the horseless carriages, and jumped into one. Ibis saw two others follow them, a redheaded girl and a boy who was perhaps, from this distance, her brother.
"Coming?" Chloe tugged her hand.
"Yes." Ibis followed her, "I am coming. boats?" She stared at the lot of boats on the shore of the lake, and groaned. She had hoped for something warmer, like carriages. With a sigh of wind, it began to drizzle lightly. Just what she needed.
"Over 'ere firs' years!" a giant man with a black beared cried out, waving his shovel sized hands in the air.
"I think that is Hagrid." Chloe said, pulling Ibis over to a boat, "Nikki says he's nice. Don't worry."
"I'm not worry-ed." Ibis muttered, climbing into one of the boats as Hagrid told them to. A small first year boy climbed in too.
"I'm Nicholas Thomas." He said, and gripped the side of the magical boat as they lurched off, "My brother's a Gryffindor. I want to be a Gryffindor too."
"Me too." Chloe said, "I'm Chloe Finn. My cousin is a Gryffindor."
Ibis felt a rocking, as though something brushed against the bottom of the boat. She stared into the black water, and dipped her hand over the side. A tingling touched her mind, and she felt, rather than heard, a sigh of contentment. Her reflection broke, and she could see a silvery eye staring at her out of the depths. Something cold and slimy brushed her hand so lightly it was like a memory of a touch, or something from a dream. Then it was gone. "What." Ibis began, and then stopped. It had been so quick and so light, she wasn't even sure it had happened. "Weird."
"Wake up Ibis." Chloe nudged her. "Look, you can see the castle."
Ibis looked. The narrow slit windows gleamed like fairy lights, and her breath was gone at the sight. It was magnificent. "IBellissima/I." She whispered, staring until the jolt of the boat hitting the shore woke her again. She stepped out of the boat, her sandals hitting soft mud. It gave way a little, and she stumbled, swore, and almost fell.
"Watch yerself." Hagrid caught her shoulder and steadied her, "C'mon you lot."
He led them up stone steps to wide double doors. Ibis stared up, feeling the gentle, misty rain on her cheeks. The moon shone suddenly through the feathery clouds, and suddenly everything was alright. It's an omen, she thought, and automatically gripped her talisman.
The double doors opened, and a stern looking witch frowned out at them. "I'll take them from here." She snapped, "Thankyou Hagrid." She scanned them all with x-ray eyes, "hurry up, chip-chop."
Ibis followed her up the steps. Chloe grabbed her hand again, and held it tightly. "You wait here for a while." The grumpy looking teacher said, and left them in a small side-room.
"I'm hungry, Ibis." Chloe whispered, "I was too excited to eat on the train." Ibis searched her skirt pockets, and found a chocolate frog. Chloe opened the wrapper and held the frog until it was still, then nibbled it. Ibis looked at the wizard card. It was one she had already, Wendelin the Weird.
"All right. Let's go." The witch was back, and led them to another set of doors. Ibis straightened her robes, wiped chocolate off of Chloe's mouth, and re-pinned Nick's cloak.
Then they walked into the Great Hall.
* * * The Hall was amazing! Ibis stared until her eyes watered. She stared at the hangings on the walls, above each table, each bearing house symbols and colours. There was red with a gold lion, green with a silver snake, yellow- gold with a black badger, and blue with a silver eagle. Above the teachers' table there was the Hogwarts emblem, all the houses combined around a huge 'H'. And there were candles everywhere, floating just above the tallest persons reach, and casting a warm light on the room.
The teacher that had led them in was now standing just in front of the teachers' table, positioning a stool, and holding a worn and battered hat in a reverent manner. Ibis hadn't realised she'd left the room, but she must have got the stool and hat from somewhere.
As she set the hat on the stool, a rip in the brim opened, and the hat began to sing.
centeriI know I'm a hat, It is very clear, But when I sit on your head, Or am very near, I can read your mind, Tell you things you didn't know, And sort you into the right house, To let your talents grow. For I'm a Sorting Hat, Which is plain to see, And to sort you out, Is the job left to me. Maybe you're a Slytherin, Cunning, clever and sly, Determined, these fellows, Are not a bit shy. Maybe you're a Gryffindor, Brave, headstrong and bold, Friendly and happy, And not a bit cold. Maybe you're a Ravenclaw, Clever, bright and smart, You have being right, Down to an art. Or maybe you're a Hufflepuff, Kind and loyal, Honest and caring, And not afraid of toil. I hear you asking, How do I know? Well come, put me on, And I'll show you, I'll show./I/center
The witch pulled a piece of parchment out of her pocket and began to read off the names, starting with, "Arrow, Nancy."
A little blonde girl ran out of the line and sat on the stool. When she put the hat on, it fell over her eyes and nose. It seemed to think for a while, then the rip-mouth opened and shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The teacher worked her way down the list one by one, coming to "Finn, Chloe."
Chloe ran out and sat down on the stool. The hat called out "GRYFFINDOR!" almost immediately. She ran over to sit with Nikki, Jack, and a pretty redhead at the table under the red hangings.
"Goldeye, Ibis."
Ibis walked out. She felt a bit silly sitting on the stool after all the smaller students.
"Well, well, well." The Hat whispered, "I always do like a challenge. You really could be in any of the houses. You're as loyal as a Hufflepuff, yet as cunning and determined as a Slytherin. And you are brave. But you are smart. Such talent." He paused, "Yes, I think it is down between Ravenclaw and Slytherin for you."
"I am not concerned." Ibis whispered, although her mouth didn't move, "Anything is okay with me."
"Yes, yes." The Hat said, "Hmm. I think you'll do nicely in RAVENCLAW!" the Sorting Hat shouted the last word so that it almost deafened Ibis.
She staggered over to the table under the blue hangings, and sat down to the ghost of a Lady dressed all in grey. Having been to a magic school before, and living on an old estate like she did, she was used to ghosts, and found them quite fascinating links to the past.
"Take a house scarf." The ghost said, pointing to a box of blue and silver scarfs on the table, "They are supposed to be quite warm."
Ibis took one and wrapped it around her neck, "Thankyou." She said, "They are warm. My name is Ibis Goldeye."
"I am known as the Grey Lady." The ghost said, "I'm the Ravenclaw house ghost. Look," she pointed, "Your other little friend is going up now."
Nick had the hat barely on his head before it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" and he ran over to sit with Chloe.
Why did they get to be together? Ibis thought. She had grown quite attached to the little brats very quickly, and it hurt to see them where she couldn't talk to them. Stuck for somewhere to look, she looked down, and gasped. Her previously all black robes now had a blue satin edging around the cuffs, collar, hem, and down the front. There was also a blue house badge on the left breast pocket.
"Hi." A boy with scruffy hair and a cheeky smile dropped into the seat next to her, "I know it's cool, isn't it?" he pointed to the hem of her robes, "I nearly had a heart attack when mine did that." He finished the conversation abruptly, and stared over at the Gryffindor table
Ibis stared at him, and followed his gaze over to the table. He was staring at a beautiful girl with black hair and a dangerously low neckline. She caught the eye of the boy staring at her, giggled, and waved. He waved back and gave her a huge grin. Ibis turned to have a proper look at the boy, and decided she would be waving too, if she were the black haired girl.
He wasn't mouth-wateringly hot by her standards, but he was cute. He had warm looking hazel-green eyes and dark red-brown hair that seemed very untamed. It was rather long and scruffy, curving forward in pretty points to his face, and sticking up at the fringe. He was fairly tall, an inch or two more than Ibis's own height, which wasn't bad for his age. He noticed her looking, and grinned, one side of his mouth going higher than the other, in a sort of move-star lopsided smile.
He turned back to look at the Gryffindors again, and Ibis's eyes travelled down his body. He wasn't overly muscly, but, from what she could see through his faded blue tee-shirt, he exercised regularly. He wasn't bad looking, and he was friendly.
He's obviously interested in someone else, she told herself, and he doesn't quite make your mouth water, so keep your hands off.
"That's Mistene Divine. I think I like her a bit, but I'm too scared to ask her out." He told her, "And I'm Jackson Page. Dumb name, eh?"
"Not really." Ibis said, now knowing why he enjoyed staring across the room like that. Some boys never grew up, "I am Ibis Goldeye."
"Nice name." He said, and added, "No, I mean it, I wasn't being nasty. I do like it. You sound Italian, but Goldeye doesn't sound like an Italian name."
"It is not." She told him, "My real name is Ibis Dell'orocchi, which means Goldeye."
"Ah," Jackson said, "I see. You just say Goldeye so people don't give you strange looks and ask 'what?'"
Ibis nodded, and looked back at the table. Sharp green eyes met hers from behind thick glasses. Ibis looked away quickly. It was Harry Potter. Strangely, she was compelled to look back, but when she did, he was animatedly talking to a redheaded girl next to him.
"That's Harry Potter," Jackson said, stating the very obvious. "And that girl he's talking to is his Ginny Weasley. They are with each other." He added more helpfully.
Ibis nodded again, spotting some more friendly faces over on the other tables. She realised that she was not the only one staring at the Gryffindor table. A pale, but still fairly good looking, Slytherin was staring straight at Harry Potter too. He had a look of absolute loathing on his face.
"That's Draco Malfoy." Jackson told her, "He's a real creep. Well, I mean he isn't very nice to everyone. Only to other Slytherins, and he doesn't like muggle-borns."
Ibis nodded again. She had been ready for the prejudice against those who were considered not of pure blood. She had grown up with it all around her at the other school. It was not directed at her, the magic streak ran through the Goldeye family from Roman times. Ibis's family had been persecuted all through the Gypsy killing times, as well as the medieval times when people feared magic.
She found herself staring over at Potter again, and shook her eyes off of him. Just because he was famous it didn't mean she could go all gooey over him. She averted her eyes to the Slytherin table instead.
Oh, cold wave. The blonde boy who had been staring at Potter and Ginny Weasley was now staring straight at her. He must have sensed her eyes on him. He sort of tilted his head, as if evaluating her, and then smiled a cocky smile. Before she could react, he was looking in the other direction. Ibis shuddered.
Jackson touched her arm in a friendly way, "Don't worry about him, I told you. He's a creep, a real creep." He grinned, "And he always does his best to freak people out, smug prick." He laughed.
Ibis started, and then relaxed. "You. you make humour?" thinking for a moment, she corrected her self, "You jest. Make joke, funny." She smiled to herself, "Sorry, my English is not that perfect."
"You speak it very well." Jackson told her, "Though it is clear that it is your second language, but the accent just makes you more.special. Exotic is the word."
"Thankyou." Ibis said. She stared at her plate, and then at the food. She hadn't even thought of eating yet. In fact, she wasn't hungry at all. She pushed her plate to the side, and continued staring around the room.
"So." Jackson interrupted her staring, "Why'd you come here to school?"
"No reason." Ibis told him, "My parents just wanted to send me here. My grandmother disapproved though." She wondered at how open she was being, but Jackson was nice, "My grandmother is very strong on us children staying in the mother country,"
"My dad is too involved in my private life." Jackson told her, "Always wanting to know what is going on, and always making stupid suggestions on how to 'catch girls'" he laughed, "At least he's at work most of the time, and I can get a bit of a break. Mum's pretty good, but she still treats me like a ten-year-old."
"Most parents are protective." Ibis said, "My mother is always upset when I go back to school. This year was worse, coming all the way over here. But it was necessary."
"Hey." Jackson pointed with his fork to her plate, cleverly spearing a potato on the way, "You haven't touched your food." He stuffed the potato in his mouth without cutting it. Mercifully, it was a small potato.
Ibis giggled madly at his antics, "I'm not hungry." She said, pushing the plate over to him.
"But you gotta eat." He protested, pushing the plate back. He gripped her arm up near her shoulder, pulling the robes against her skin. "You look too damn skinny as it is."
"I'm just not hungry." Ibis told him, wrenching her arm out of his grip and massaging it. His grip wasn't tight, but lately she had been bruising easily.
"Well." He cut one of the potatoes up and speared a chunk on her fork, "Here comes the aeroplane." He forced her to eat first one chunk of potato, then another, until her plate was void of vegetables.
"There!" he said triumphantly, forcing more giggles from Ibis, and from another girl sitting further down the table.
* * * Mistene watched them, strange feelings of jealousy welling up inside. He was hers. Not formally, but she had had her eyes on him for a long time. It wasn't fair that he should have so much fun with the new girl. She shrugged, pushing it to the back of her mind. He was probably just being friendly. It certainly didn't look intimate. But still, she would keep an eye on this girl. And what better way to do that than to become her friend?
Chapter #1
The caramel skinned gypsy girl stretched her long legs on the cherry leather seat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. She flicked her black curls out of her eyes, curled her legs back under herself, and wrapped her cobweb silk shawl tighter around her thin shoulders.
To anyone looking on, she may have caught a few eyes. Her black hair was thick and shiny, a tumble of loose curls falling to past her waist. Her huge eyes were darkest blue, seeming black to those who didn't look closely, and framed by long, thick black eyelashes. She was tall, around 170 cm, or 5' 10". Her legs were long and slim, and her dark gypsy-Italian skin was unblemished.
It was so cold in England, why was it so cold? She spread her patchwork skirt over her legs and tucked it under her knees, trying to trap a little warmth. It was never this cold in Sicily, and it was supposed to be summer. She looked up from her novel and out of the window at the green-grey scenery, and the pale smoke blue sky. This landscape held none of the pretty vibrant colours of Southern Italy.
Someone thumped into the compartment door, snapping her awake. She could hear screams and shouts of laughter, and thumps as people ran into corridor walls and doors. She pressed closer to the weak sunlight filtering through window, and shivered. If only she had thought to wear something a little warmer, but she had only wanted to wear her favourite top, a hand woven and embroidered purple cotton thing that her grandmother had made her. She always wore it somewhere new. It was her good luck top. But it was not a top for cool weather.
Still shivering slightly, she turned back to her book, an adapted novel version of Shakespeare's ITitus Andronicus./I
The compartment doors slid open and a gangly boy burst in. "Sorry," he puffed, "I thought the cab was empty." He wiped his hand on his jeans and held it out, "I'm Jack. Jack Wilson."
He had light smoky brown hair, an impish face, and a chirpy grin. The glint in his eyes hinted at too much mischief and many more practical jokes.
It took her only a little while to translate what he had said into Italian, and then translate what she had to say into English. "Hello Jack. I am Ibis Goldeye." She shook his hand warmly, all her many bangles and bracelets jangled musically.
"Sorry about bursting in like that. I was sort of getting chased." she pushed his fringe out of his brown eyes. "You're new, aren't you?"
Ibis nodded, yes, "You have different voice, different." she struggled for the word, circling her hands wildly as she always did when she was stuck for a word.
"Accent?" he supplied, "Yeah, I'm not British, I'm from Australia. But I got sent here because it's a better school. You aren't local either."
"No. I come from Sicilia (for those who don't study Italian, it is pronounced sih-chil-ia). I mean Sicily, in southern Italy."
"Ah, okay." Jack nodded. Someone outside shouted his name. He opened the door. "By the way, I'm in Gryffindor. I'm a Fifth Year!" he shouted as he rushed back out, slamming the door so hard that he cracked the bubble glass.
Ibis sighed and pulled her wand out of her pocket. It was brand new, ebony, with a silk wrapped unicorn hair, and a string of gold and lapis, magical enhancers. She had made it herself, which was what all of her family did. This wand would answer only to her. She flicked the tip towards the cracked pane and whispered "IReparo/I." The glass shimmered slightly, and the crack disappeared, Ibis got back to her book, knowing she wouldn't be able to think, much less read, with all the racket in the hallway. Ibis sighed as a red tennis ball shattered the newly repaired glass inwards. "IReparo!!/I" she flicked her wand with more force than necessary. The glass returned to the door with a bang and a rattle.
"Sorry, lost my tennis ball." A freckled face with cheerful blue eyes behind wire rimmed glasses poked through the now open door.
"iWingardium Leviosa/I" Ibis guided the tennis ball over to the girl.
"Thanks." the girl grabbed it out of the air, "You're new, aren't you?"
"Yes. I previously attended a school in South Genova, I mean Genoa."
"Oh! You're from Italy!" she grinned, "I'm Nikki Nutt, from Australia. My sister learnt Italian for a while, so I know a bit. Um. Iciao, mi chiamo Nikki Nutt.um.comé stai?/I"
Ibis giggled, "I'm Ibis Goldeye, and I'm cold. IE tu?/I"
Nikki laughed outright, "It is a bit chilly here, but you'll get used to it. I did. I had to. Hogwarts is so much better that the Australian school and I had to come here. My parents weren't too pleased, though."
"Are you coming Nikki?" Jack appeared again, "One of your friends has found the tarantula that Lee Jordan lost last year."
Ibis realised that the shouts in the corridor had become screams of panic. She gripped her wand tighter. If the tarantula came in here, it wouldn't go out again. She hated spiders with a passion.
"I think Ron and Hermione have found it." Nikki grinned, and with a quick wave, disappeared, followed by Jack.
Ibis brought her wand up, and drew a circle in the air, whispered a protective spell, and a golden bubble of warmth and silence enveloped her, blocking out the shouts in the corridor. She re-opened her novel, but she couldn't help wondering about what Hogwarts would be like. And why did she feel apprehensive, rather than ecstatically exited. Something hung quite heavily over her head, like the sleepless feeling she had when she had forgotten to do something, or deliberately not done something she should have. She muttered a prayer, and gripped the gypsy talisman that hung around her neck. Her fingers automatically traced the familiar shapes embossed in the tin, a falcon head, the symbol of her family, and the waterbird that was her symbol. She counted the moonstone chips in the border with her fingertips, feeling the smooth of the stones from years of being rubbed.
* * *
"I can't believe we are going back!" Nikki said, collapsing onto the seat in a finally empty compartment.
"Yeah." Jack said, "Even thought I've been on this train four times before, it still seems unreal." He reached over and touched Nikki's cheek gently, "And I still can't believe I get to see you every day."
"Yeah, lucky sod, aren't you." Nikki kissed him gently on the cheek.
"It's a pity." Jack said, grabbing her chin and tilting her head so he could kiss her full on the mouth.
"What?" Nikki asked, after kissing him back, "What's a pity?"
"That we have so many friends." Jack said simply, "They are always in the way."
"Well." Nikki whispered slowly, drawing out the "e". She watched silhouettes of people wander past the bubble glass in the compartment door window. "Well, a few well timed hexes and some roundhouse bitching could get rid of that problem."
"Yeah." Jack laughed, "It got rid of Harry pretty quickly. I'm still surprised Ginny doesn't hate you for those things you said. Come to think of it, Harry doesn't hate you ether."
Nikki giggled uncontrollably, "Hmm." She lay back on the seat, basking in the sun that was pouring in through the window. Her glasses tipped back into her reddy gold hair. She liked her hair now it wasn't that dishwater colour, confused between blonde and brown. She was glad Ginny had talked her into the colouring charm, which had a much more permanent, but more easily reversed effect than hair dye. And it matched the rims of her new glasses that she had got over the British summer/Australian winter holidays. They were sort of rectangle-ish with shiny metallic red wire frames; similar to the blue ones she used to have.
Jack looked down at her. Sometimes he could never believe that this was the big, solid, boyish girl that he used to hang around with so much. Nikki hadn't grown much taller, but had slimmed right down to a model-like figure. She looked a little like Ginny Weasley now she had died her hair red, but, he thought, much prettier than Ginny. He realised she was speaking to him, and he had missed the question entirely. "What?"
"I asked you what you were staring at." Nikki said, squinting up at him. Jack had changed too. He had grown until he was as tall as her, and his teeth had straightened a bit. Nikki was sure he wouldn't need braces now, his teeth didn't look nearly as crowded as they used to. And he had filled out a bit, not nearly as scrawny as he used to be, but more of a long, gangly figure. She squinted at him, reaching for her glasses, "Well, what are you staring at?"
"I am staring at my beautiful girlfriend." He said, "Though I thought that was obvious enough."
"Oh, bite me." Nikki snapped, wishing he wouldn't tease like that. Jack picked up her hand, and bit gently on her thumb, then kissed it. "Smart ass." Nikki grumbled, and sat up properly.
"Sorry." Jack grinned, pretending to grovel for forgiveness, "I promise I'll never do it again oh high and mighty one."
"Grow up." Nikki said, and kissed him. The best thing about Jack was his sense of humour. That and his strange devotion to her. "I can't wait to get to Hogwarts." She said, lying back down with her head on his lap.
"Neither can I, I haven't had time to practice Quidditch much during the holidays. I want to get back on my broomstick and thoroughly enjoy myself." He told her, "But the best thing about being back is that I can see you every day, rather than just ring you and send letters."
"Mmm." Nikki snuggled into him, "I think that seeing you is definitely the best bit. And that Chloe will be here now too."
Just as she said the name, a small girl with curly blonde hair and deep brown eyes came in, struggling with her robes. Nikki and Jack sat up guiltily, and Nikki said, "Oh, Chloe. Are you stuck?"
"Yes." Chloe said, "And I'm nervous. I don't want to go in there. I wanna go home."
"You'll get used to it." Jack promised her, untangling the two sleaves of the robes. Nikki pulled the hem of the robes down to the floor, untucking bits and pieces from where they were stuck in the neck.
"Thanks." Chloe said, "But I'm still nervous."
"Don't be." Nikki told her gently, "You'll forget all about being nervous once you make a friend or two and go to lessons. First year is a lot of fun."
* * *
A hand reached through the bubble, and tapped Ibis on the shoulder. She muttered an evaporation spell, and the bubble vanished, leaving her face to face with the boy who had been talking to her earlier, Jack Someone.
"We're at Hogwarts, Ibis." He grabbed her wrist, "C'mon." She just had time to grab her school cloak and robes, which were lying, neatly folded, on the seat. "Wait up Nikki!" Jack shouted.
Nikki was guiding a scared looking young girl with curly blonde hair and wide brown eyes out of the train. "Ibis will have to go with the first years." Nikki pointed out, straightening the young girls cloak and re-pinning the pin. "You look after Ibis for me Chloe? She's new too."
The little girl nodded and took Ibis's long brown hand into her soft white one. "C'mon Ibis. Nikki says we have to go over there."
"Wait." Ibis stopped, and put on her robes. Then she wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and fastened the pin. "That is nicer." She said, relishing in the new warmth.
"See ya once you're sorted." Nikki cried, and grabbed Jack's hand. Together they ran over to the horseless carriages, and jumped into one. Ibis saw two others follow them, a redheaded girl and a boy who was perhaps, from this distance, her brother.
"Coming?" Chloe tugged her hand.
"Yes." Ibis followed her, "I am coming. boats?" She stared at the lot of boats on the shore of the lake, and groaned. She had hoped for something warmer, like carriages. With a sigh of wind, it began to drizzle lightly. Just what she needed.
"Over 'ere firs' years!" a giant man with a black beared cried out, waving his shovel sized hands in the air.
"I think that is Hagrid." Chloe said, pulling Ibis over to a boat, "Nikki says he's nice. Don't worry."
"I'm not worry-ed." Ibis muttered, climbing into one of the boats as Hagrid told them to. A small first year boy climbed in too.
"I'm Nicholas Thomas." He said, and gripped the side of the magical boat as they lurched off, "My brother's a Gryffindor. I want to be a Gryffindor too."
"Me too." Chloe said, "I'm Chloe Finn. My cousin is a Gryffindor."
Ibis felt a rocking, as though something brushed against the bottom of the boat. She stared into the black water, and dipped her hand over the side. A tingling touched her mind, and she felt, rather than heard, a sigh of contentment. Her reflection broke, and she could see a silvery eye staring at her out of the depths. Something cold and slimy brushed her hand so lightly it was like a memory of a touch, or something from a dream. Then it was gone. "What." Ibis began, and then stopped. It had been so quick and so light, she wasn't even sure it had happened. "Weird."
"Wake up Ibis." Chloe nudged her. "Look, you can see the castle."
Ibis looked. The narrow slit windows gleamed like fairy lights, and her breath was gone at the sight. It was magnificent. "IBellissima/I." She whispered, staring until the jolt of the boat hitting the shore woke her again. She stepped out of the boat, her sandals hitting soft mud. It gave way a little, and she stumbled, swore, and almost fell.
"Watch yerself." Hagrid caught her shoulder and steadied her, "C'mon you lot."
He led them up stone steps to wide double doors. Ibis stared up, feeling the gentle, misty rain on her cheeks. The moon shone suddenly through the feathery clouds, and suddenly everything was alright. It's an omen, she thought, and automatically gripped her talisman.
The double doors opened, and a stern looking witch frowned out at them. "I'll take them from here." She snapped, "Thankyou Hagrid." She scanned them all with x-ray eyes, "hurry up, chip-chop."
Ibis followed her up the steps. Chloe grabbed her hand again, and held it tightly. "You wait here for a while." The grumpy looking teacher said, and left them in a small side-room.
"I'm hungry, Ibis." Chloe whispered, "I was too excited to eat on the train." Ibis searched her skirt pockets, and found a chocolate frog. Chloe opened the wrapper and held the frog until it was still, then nibbled it. Ibis looked at the wizard card. It was one she had already, Wendelin the Weird.
"All right. Let's go." The witch was back, and led them to another set of doors. Ibis straightened her robes, wiped chocolate off of Chloe's mouth, and re-pinned Nick's cloak.
Then they walked into the Great Hall.
* * * The Hall was amazing! Ibis stared until her eyes watered. She stared at the hangings on the walls, above each table, each bearing house symbols and colours. There was red with a gold lion, green with a silver snake, yellow- gold with a black badger, and blue with a silver eagle. Above the teachers' table there was the Hogwarts emblem, all the houses combined around a huge 'H'. And there were candles everywhere, floating just above the tallest persons reach, and casting a warm light on the room.
The teacher that had led them in was now standing just in front of the teachers' table, positioning a stool, and holding a worn and battered hat in a reverent manner. Ibis hadn't realised she'd left the room, but she must have got the stool and hat from somewhere.
As she set the hat on the stool, a rip in the brim opened, and the hat began to sing.
centeriI know I'm a hat, It is very clear, But when I sit on your head, Or am very near, I can read your mind, Tell you things you didn't know, And sort you into the right house, To let your talents grow. For I'm a Sorting Hat, Which is plain to see, And to sort you out, Is the job left to me. Maybe you're a Slytherin, Cunning, clever and sly, Determined, these fellows, Are not a bit shy. Maybe you're a Gryffindor, Brave, headstrong and bold, Friendly and happy, And not a bit cold. Maybe you're a Ravenclaw, Clever, bright and smart, You have being right, Down to an art. Or maybe you're a Hufflepuff, Kind and loyal, Honest and caring, And not afraid of toil. I hear you asking, How do I know? Well come, put me on, And I'll show you, I'll show./I/center
The witch pulled a piece of parchment out of her pocket and began to read off the names, starting with, "Arrow, Nancy."
A little blonde girl ran out of the line and sat on the stool. When she put the hat on, it fell over her eyes and nose. It seemed to think for a while, then the rip-mouth opened and shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The teacher worked her way down the list one by one, coming to "Finn, Chloe."
Chloe ran out and sat down on the stool. The hat called out "GRYFFINDOR!" almost immediately. She ran over to sit with Nikki, Jack, and a pretty redhead at the table under the red hangings.
"Goldeye, Ibis."
Ibis walked out. She felt a bit silly sitting on the stool after all the smaller students.
"Well, well, well." The Hat whispered, "I always do like a challenge. You really could be in any of the houses. You're as loyal as a Hufflepuff, yet as cunning and determined as a Slytherin. And you are brave. But you are smart. Such talent." He paused, "Yes, I think it is down between Ravenclaw and Slytherin for you."
"I am not concerned." Ibis whispered, although her mouth didn't move, "Anything is okay with me."
"Yes, yes." The Hat said, "Hmm. I think you'll do nicely in RAVENCLAW!" the Sorting Hat shouted the last word so that it almost deafened Ibis.
She staggered over to the table under the blue hangings, and sat down to the ghost of a Lady dressed all in grey. Having been to a magic school before, and living on an old estate like she did, she was used to ghosts, and found them quite fascinating links to the past.
"Take a house scarf." The ghost said, pointing to a box of blue and silver scarfs on the table, "They are supposed to be quite warm."
Ibis took one and wrapped it around her neck, "Thankyou." She said, "They are warm. My name is Ibis Goldeye."
"I am known as the Grey Lady." The ghost said, "I'm the Ravenclaw house ghost. Look," she pointed, "Your other little friend is going up now."
Nick had the hat barely on his head before it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" and he ran over to sit with Chloe.
Why did they get to be together? Ibis thought. She had grown quite attached to the little brats very quickly, and it hurt to see them where she couldn't talk to them. Stuck for somewhere to look, she looked down, and gasped. Her previously all black robes now had a blue satin edging around the cuffs, collar, hem, and down the front. There was also a blue house badge on the left breast pocket.
"Hi." A boy with scruffy hair and a cheeky smile dropped into the seat next to her, "I know it's cool, isn't it?" he pointed to the hem of her robes, "I nearly had a heart attack when mine did that." He finished the conversation abruptly, and stared over at the Gryffindor table
Ibis stared at him, and followed his gaze over to the table. He was staring at a beautiful girl with black hair and a dangerously low neckline. She caught the eye of the boy staring at her, giggled, and waved. He waved back and gave her a huge grin. Ibis turned to have a proper look at the boy, and decided she would be waving too, if she were the black haired girl.
He wasn't mouth-wateringly hot by her standards, but he was cute. He had warm looking hazel-green eyes and dark red-brown hair that seemed very untamed. It was rather long and scruffy, curving forward in pretty points to his face, and sticking up at the fringe. He was fairly tall, an inch or two more than Ibis's own height, which wasn't bad for his age. He noticed her looking, and grinned, one side of his mouth going higher than the other, in a sort of move-star lopsided smile.
He turned back to look at the Gryffindors again, and Ibis's eyes travelled down his body. He wasn't overly muscly, but, from what she could see through his faded blue tee-shirt, he exercised regularly. He wasn't bad looking, and he was friendly.
He's obviously interested in someone else, she told herself, and he doesn't quite make your mouth water, so keep your hands off.
"That's Mistene Divine. I think I like her a bit, but I'm too scared to ask her out." He told her, "And I'm Jackson Page. Dumb name, eh?"
"Not really." Ibis said, now knowing why he enjoyed staring across the room like that. Some boys never grew up, "I am Ibis Goldeye."
"Nice name." He said, and added, "No, I mean it, I wasn't being nasty. I do like it. You sound Italian, but Goldeye doesn't sound like an Italian name."
"It is not." She told him, "My real name is Ibis Dell'orocchi, which means Goldeye."
"Ah," Jackson said, "I see. You just say Goldeye so people don't give you strange looks and ask 'what?'"
Ibis nodded, and looked back at the table. Sharp green eyes met hers from behind thick glasses. Ibis looked away quickly. It was Harry Potter. Strangely, she was compelled to look back, but when she did, he was animatedly talking to a redheaded girl next to him.
"That's Harry Potter," Jackson said, stating the very obvious. "And that girl he's talking to is his Ginny Weasley. They are with each other." He added more helpfully.
Ibis nodded again, spotting some more friendly faces over on the other tables. She realised that she was not the only one staring at the Gryffindor table. A pale, but still fairly good looking, Slytherin was staring straight at Harry Potter too. He had a look of absolute loathing on his face.
"That's Draco Malfoy." Jackson told her, "He's a real creep. Well, I mean he isn't very nice to everyone. Only to other Slytherins, and he doesn't like muggle-borns."
Ibis nodded again. She had been ready for the prejudice against those who were considered not of pure blood. She had grown up with it all around her at the other school. It was not directed at her, the magic streak ran through the Goldeye family from Roman times. Ibis's family had been persecuted all through the Gypsy killing times, as well as the medieval times when people feared magic.
She found herself staring over at Potter again, and shook her eyes off of him. Just because he was famous it didn't mean she could go all gooey over him. She averted her eyes to the Slytherin table instead.
Oh, cold wave. The blonde boy who had been staring at Potter and Ginny Weasley was now staring straight at her. He must have sensed her eyes on him. He sort of tilted his head, as if evaluating her, and then smiled a cocky smile. Before she could react, he was looking in the other direction. Ibis shuddered.
Jackson touched her arm in a friendly way, "Don't worry about him, I told you. He's a creep, a real creep." He grinned, "And he always does his best to freak people out, smug prick." He laughed.
Ibis started, and then relaxed. "You. you make humour?" thinking for a moment, she corrected her self, "You jest. Make joke, funny." She smiled to herself, "Sorry, my English is not that perfect."
"You speak it very well." Jackson told her, "Though it is clear that it is your second language, but the accent just makes you more.special. Exotic is the word."
"Thankyou." Ibis said. She stared at her plate, and then at the food. She hadn't even thought of eating yet. In fact, she wasn't hungry at all. She pushed her plate to the side, and continued staring around the room.
"So." Jackson interrupted her staring, "Why'd you come here to school?"
"No reason." Ibis told him, "My parents just wanted to send me here. My grandmother disapproved though." She wondered at how open she was being, but Jackson was nice, "My grandmother is very strong on us children staying in the mother country,"
"My dad is too involved in my private life." Jackson told her, "Always wanting to know what is going on, and always making stupid suggestions on how to 'catch girls'" he laughed, "At least he's at work most of the time, and I can get a bit of a break. Mum's pretty good, but she still treats me like a ten-year-old."
"Most parents are protective." Ibis said, "My mother is always upset when I go back to school. This year was worse, coming all the way over here. But it was necessary."
"Hey." Jackson pointed with his fork to her plate, cleverly spearing a potato on the way, "You haven't touched your food." He stuffed the potato in his mouth without cutting it. Mercifully, it was a small potato.
Ibis giggled madly at his antics, "I'm not hungry." She said, pushing the plate over to him.
"But you gotta eat." He protested, pushing the plate back. He gripped her arm up near her shoulder, pulling the robes against her skin. "You look too damn skinny as it is."
"I'm just not hungry." Ibis told him, wrenching her arm out of his grip and massaging it. His grip wasn't tight, but lately she had been bruising easily.
"Well." He cut one of the potatoes up and speared a chunk on her fork, "Here comes the aeroplane." He forced her to eat first one chunk of potato, then another, until her plate was void of vegetables.
"There!" he said triumphantly, forcing more giggles from Ibis, and from another girl sitting further down the table.
* * * Mistene watched them, strange feelings of jealousy welling up inside. He was hers. Not formally, but she had had her eyes on him for a long time. It wasn't fair that he should have so much fun with the new girl. She shrugged, pushing it to the back of her mind. He was probably just being friendly. It certainly didn't look intimate. But still, she would keep an eye on this girl. And what better way to do that than to become her friend?