"Anything from the trolley dearies?" The old woman asked as she pushed along a trolley that looked like it was overflowing with rainbows. The trolley wobbles with every shudder the train gave. The young girl sat opposite another girl her age, looked up from her book before getting up from her seat and digging into her pocket.
"Yeah, can I have a pumpkin pasty and two chocolate frogs please?" She asked before bringing out some silver coins. The girl still sat in the compartment sighed in annoyance as she watched the exchange.
"That'll be 10 sickles." The older woman stated before pocketing the money and moving on.
"I swear Cal, you're going to turn into a chocolate frog the way you've been eating those lately." The girl opposite Cal muttered as she watched her friend stuff her face full of pumpkin pasty.
"Selene, you always say that and I'm still waiting for that to happen." Cal simply shrugged off her comment before slouching back in her seat. Selene chuckled before leaning forward eagerly, eyeing up the pasty Cal was quickly devouring.
"So, what house do you think you'll be sorted in?" She asked Cal sighed and tore off a chunk of her pasty before handing it to Selene.
"Slytherin, duhh." Cal replied, Selene gave Cal a nod of thanks before Cal continued, "Both my parents were in Slytherin and plus I'm pure-blooded so it's pretty obvious where I'm going, not to mention at least 5 generations back in either my mums or my dad's family, every one of them was a Slytherin."
"Sorry, I'm just so excited and plus we get to get away from our parents for a whole year. Or at least until summer vacation starts." Selene said before letting out a happy sigh.
"Urgh, don't even get me started in that. There are so many reasons why I needed to get away from them." Cal replied whilst licking her fingers clean of any evidence the pasty had left behind before swiping any that got on her sweatshirt. Suddenly a young girl with frizzy brown hair appeared in their compartment doorway, her eyes searching the whole compartment before landing on the occupants.
"Have any of you seen a toad?" she asked. Cal looked over to Selene who wore the same quizzical expression before looking back and shaking her head.
"No sorry."
"Oh ok, a boy named Neville lost it." She explained before smiling and stretching her hand, "I'm Hermione Granger by the way."
"Cal Warbeck." Cal replied going to stretch her hand out before halting halfway and pulling it away, "Actually better not touch my hand, I just ate." Cal explained before offering a sheepish smile. She then nodded at Selene who was currently giving Hermione a rather hard stare, "That's my friend Selene Corvus."
"Nice to meet you, well I better go." She said before heading off. Hermione only took a few steps before putting herself in their compartment doorway again, "You might want to change into your robes, we'll be arriving soon."
"Ok thanks." Cal replied before watching Hermione disappear again, she turned back to Selene and almost burst out laughing at her scrunched up expression, "What's that face for?"
"I heard about that Hermione, she's a mudblood." Selene said as she tore her gaze away from the empty archway and looked at Cal, "Filthy mudblood's like her should be riding in different compartment altogether."
Cal merely shrugged before standing up once again and reaching above her to retrieve a large brown leather messenger bag off of the luggage shelf, "Anyway I think I'm going to go change anyway."
Selene nodded in acknowledgment before Cal headed out of the compartment, "And don't eat my chocolate frogs!" Cal urged before closing the door behind her.
"No promises." Selene smirked before propping her feet up on her side of seat and leaning against the wall next to the window.
Cal walked down the narrow hall, glancing now and then into the compartments and raised brow when she passed a compartment with Hermione and two other boys nearly buried in sweets and snacks. Practically whatever was left on the snack trolley.
She walked into the toilet to change into her brand new uniform and cloak and glanced in the mirror before walking back out. Suddenly Cal heard and felt a loud thump as something collided with the open toilet door.
"Oof! Blimey." A voice on the other side said, Cal shut the toilet door to reveal a boy with bright red hair gripping his nose and staring up at Cal.
"S-sorry!" Cal stuttered realising that this was a student a few years above her. Cal stretched an arm out and the boy took it with a grateful smile, "Are you okay?"
"I think I'll recover." The boy grinned before stretching out his hand, "You're a first year aren't you? George Weasley at your service." Cal looked at the hand like it was a foreign alien object before placing her small hand into his.
"Cal Warbeck." She replied eventually grinning back before taking back her hand and wiping it on her cloak, it was rather sweaty, "Why were you in such a rush?"
"Well apparently my partner in crime tipped green power all over my friend Lee's hair, so naturally when Lee came back he thought I was the guilty twin." George explained whilst scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, "Though it seems like he's stopped chasing me for whatever reason."
"You have an identical twin?" Cal asked, admiration filing her eyes. Although Selene had been the closest friend she could call a sibling she still wondered what it was like to be a big or little sister.
"Yeah, the Weasley twins me and Fred, you'll learn about us soon enough. We're quite famous round Hogwarts but maybe not for the best reasons." George let out a chuckle.
"Hey George! There you are!" Another boy call from behind him and undoubtedly looked like his clone.
This must be Fred, Cal thought as said boy was walking up to them wearing a goofy grin.
"Who's this then George?" Fred asked as he approached the two.
"This is Cal, Cal this is my brother Fred." George introduced as his brother leaned forward with an outstretched hand.
"Nice to meet you Cal!" Fred gleefully said whilst shaking her hand. Cal briefly took note that Fred's hand wasn't sweaty at all unlike his brothers.
"Bashed me in the face with the door he did!" George chuckled as he folded his arms and Fred grinned.
"Why won't you get the hint that children just don't like you?" Fred teased as George scowled at him.
"Just because everyone agrees that I'm the better looking twin." George replied whilst Cal looked to him with wide eyes.
"I-I didn't mean to hurt you!" Cal nearly shouted. The twins looked at each other with raised brows before bursting out laughing, making the blushing girl narrow her eyes at them.
"I know that Warbeck, no need to get hasty." George chuckled before the train lurched slightly, making Cal grip onto the now closed toilet door, "Guess we'll be arriving at Hogwarts soon, say Fred we better go see Lee and change his hair colour back before we arrive."
Fred merely shrugged before grinning, "Or we could just let McGonagall fix it but it would have to wait till after dinner. Anyway Cal."
"It was nice to meet you." Both of the Weasley's said at the same time making Cal raise a brow before they turned around and started walking away from her.
"5 sickles Ravenclaw." George whispered to his twin and in turn Fred grinned.
"You're on! I bet he's a Hufflepuff." Fred said whilst shaking his brother's hand before entering a compartment with a raging green haired Lee Jordan. Cal brushed her hand through her short brown hair before walking back to her compartment. Selene looked up at the sight of her friend before putting down the book she was reading.
"What took you so long?" Selene asked as Cal ripped open her chocolate frog and bit its head off before it decided to jump away.
"I met some boys, Fred and George Weasley. They're twins and I think they might have been a year or two above us." Cal explained whilst wiping the chocolate off of her lips, "They also seemed to have the impression I was a boy as well."
Selene burst out laughing as Cal narrowed her eyes at her and poked her tongue out, "Do I really look like a boy?" She asked as Selene eventually calmed herself down.
"Yeah you do, but a handsome boy!" Selene giggled and Cal couldn't help laugh along with her.
"Say, isn't Harry Potter meant to be joining us in Hogwarts this year?" Cal said once both of them calmed down again and she examined her collector's card, "Nice! Alberic Gruunion!"
"Who?" Selene asked making Cal gawp at her.
"Gruunion? He invented the dung bomb" Cal said as if everyone should know that fact.
"Anyway, my parents told me about Harry Potter and they said that I should keep an eye on him, you 'no in case something happens." Selene told Cal whist studying her reaction.
"Well it is Harry Potter, I wouldn't be surprised if something did happen whilst he is here." Cal simply shrugged, "Has your parents lectured you on how important it is to get into Slytherin?" Cal asked and almost immediately Selene nodded.
"Yes, I don't blame them mind you. I don't think I'd be comfortable if my child was in the same house as blood traitors and mudblood's either so I completely understand why they would want me to be in the same house as other purebloods." Selene paused before carrying on, "Not that other houses all have mudblood's and blood traitors of course but it's less common for there to be any in Slytherin." Selene explained and Cal nodded in agreement.
"Yeah I understand what you mean. Although Hermione didn't seem too bad as what my parents made mudblood's out to be." Cal said as she gazed out of the window and watched the passing scenery.
"Don't get to close, before you know it they'll ditch you for muggle's in heartbeat. My father told me that." Selene said proudly and Cal nodded again in agreement.
"I heard that Malfoy was gonna be in the same year as us as well. My father talks about that family as if their god's gift, honestly!" Cal scoffed before standing up and putting one hand on her hip and using the other to point at Selene who was already starting to smirk, "Malfoy this, Malfoy that! Make sure you talk to Malfoy Cal! Make sure you sniff his butt and become friends with him!"
Selene burst out laughing as Cal sat back down laughing with her.
The rest of the journey consisted of the two talking about various things from what they planned to do once they arrived at Hogwarts to the new broomstick Nimbus 2000. After Selene went and came back in her robes, the train stopped and the two nervous girls got out of the train before getting in a boat to ride across the lake, both in awe at how large Hogwarts was.
As they trudged up the stairs both girls witnessed a young boy with slicked back blonde hair, that made him look like he was drenched all the time, stand at the top of the stairs and looking to be conversing with another boy with dark brown hair.
"Hey that's Malfoy isn't it?" Selene nudged Cal and pointed to him who in turn shrugged.
"I have no intention of becoming his sidekick if that's what you're hinting at." Cal said as she watched Malfoy scowl before moving aside as a teacher came through and ushered the students into the hall.
"But could you imagine? Being friends with Malfoy could not only boost our popularity but I know our parents would be so proud." Selene urged and Cal put on a thoughtful expression.
"Selene you're a genius." Cal decided after a while before flinging her arm around Selene's shoulders who smirked and flipped her medium length black hair from under Cal's arm.
"I know."
Walking into the great hall both girls looked up to the ceiling in awe, both deciding to try and do that in each other's bedrooms the next time they got home. As the names were being called out Cal looked around the great hall and to the many students around her before her eyes snapped upon a hand popping out from a table nearby, she stood up on her toes and saw the familiar grin of one of the Weasley twins, although she didn't know which one. Smiling back she gave a little wave before the next name had been called out.
"CORVUS, SELENE MARGARET." McGonagall called out and Selene gave Cal a side glance only to discover her friend sniggering.
"Go on Marrrgaret." Cal drawled as Selene shoved an elbow to her side before walking up and sitting on the stool. All the students in the hall stared at the sea green eyed girl, some giving whispers at the mere mention of the name Corvus and others intimidated by the hard stare she gave everyone.
As the hat was gently place onto her head Selene locked eyes with Cal who in turn gave her a reassuring smile. As the hat spoke to Selene, Cal wondered what it was like to be sorted and why it didn't just make a decision straight away. Her thoughts vanished once she saw Selene tense up.
"Ravenclaw? Are you daft?!" She hissed making the hat chuckle and McGonagall raised a brow at her outburst. Selene sent Cal a playful glare before she felt her cheeks start to flush, realising that the whole hall only heard her and not the hat.
"Better be…SLYTHERIN." Selene instantly let a grin fall upon her face as she got up from the stool and headed towards the Slytherin table. Cal looked over to her friend and watched as Selene got some pats on the back by other Slytherin members.
"Now we know we better avoid that girl, Slytherin's full of bullies." Cal heard a student behind her mutter and instantly turned around to glare at the boy.
"Slytherin is the best house to be in! They are cunning and ambitious. How dare you think otherwise!" Cal growled at the boy who in turn instantly shut his gob and his apparent 'friend' started snickering beside him.
"You just got told!"
"Shut up Dean."
Cal continued to wait patiently as the names were being called up, not taking a real interest in any of them apart from Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley.
Another brother of the twins perhaps? She thought as the crowd cheered when another girl was sent to Ravenclaw.
"WARBECK, CALYPSO ARABELLA." McGonagall shouted loud and clear making Cal bend her head down in embarrassment.
"Why did she have to say my full name?" Calypso sighed as she forced herself up to the front, feeling more like she was on a stage with everyone staring at her. The hall came to complete silence as the hat was placed upon her head, her eyes darted towards the Weasley twins and Hermione before looking at Selene who offered a small wave making her smile.
"Well Calypso-" The hat started but Cal interrupted it quickly.
"Just Cal please if you don't mind." She urged, restraining herself to not cover her face and hoped that the ground below her swallowed her whole.
"Cal eh? That's more of a boy's name." The hat said and Cal could almost feel it raise a brow.
"You have to admit it's better than Calypso." At this the hat gave a hearty laugh, seemingly echoing off of the halls walls but only audible to her and her alone, "So Cal, you work hard to get your parents acknowledgment I see and although I see you as an ambitious individual who is willing to almost do anything to achieve your goal you are also patient in doing so and loyal to whoever has the pleasure of being your friend. Your parents may have taught you differently but I can already see you questioning their teachings." The hat said, a lot of the students already sat at their houses leant forward eagerly awaiting the hats decision seen as it was taking the hat longer to make its decision than normal. As Cal's eyes flickered to Selene's she saw the worried expression she wore.
"Better be…" The hat trailed off. Cal could feel her palms begin to sweat as she waited for the hat to finish his sentence. Patient and loyal? These weren't the traits her parents said the hat would be calling out of her. Cal waited patiently for the hat to finish its sentence but wished it never did. The word spilling out of the hats fabric mouth sent a cold shiver down Cal's spine and images of her parent's disappointed faces filled her mind.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
As the crowd cheered and a whole table beckoned her over, Cal's wide eyes looked to professor McGonagall.
"There must be a mistake!" She whispered to her but McGonagall simply smiled back much to her distress.
"It's not called the sorting hat for nothing, now run along." McGonagall said over the cheering crowd as she gently pushed a hand to Cal's back who was still stood in shock.
Reluctantly she walked over to her house table and received pats on the back once she sat down. Her eyes stared down at the table as she blocked out all the cheering and chattering as other students got sorted. Cal didn't know how long it had actually been until a tasty looking chicken drumstick got shoved in her face.
"Aren't you going to eat?" A young boy with neatly cut blondish hair said as he held the meat in his hand. Cal looked rather offended by the boy and pushed his hand way rather harshly but the boy didn't seem fazed by her behaviour, "I'm Ernest Macmillan but you can call me Ernie, what's your name?"
"One you aren't going to know." Cal replied coldly though a pang of guilt shot through her once she saw Ernie's smile turn into a frown. Cal shoved the guilt away and looked over the many heads towards the Slytherin table, the people who she was supposed to be chatting and joking with at this very moment. She spotted Selene who was conversing with another Slytherin until she caught her eye.
She probably doesn't want to be friends with a Hufflepuff, Cal thought dejectedly but the thought vanished once Selene offered her a small smile to which Cal returned. Feeling a little bit of hope Cal turned to Ernie who was facing away from her and shyly tapped him on the shoulder, Ernie turned around wearing a quizzical look.
"Um…I'm Calypso Warbeck but please just call me Cal." She offered a smile and Ernie smiled back at her.
"Nice to meet you! I'm guessing you're a bit shocked to be in Hufflepuff?" Ernie asked as he reached across the table to get another drumstick.
"Is it that obvious?" Cal replied as she used her knife and fork to put some turkey slices onto her plate.
"A little bit." Ernest chuckled, "But only because my family knows the name Warbeck well."
Cal chuckled not really surprised, her family's name carried a lot of weight when she was younger and whenever she took the trip with her parents down to Diagon Alley they were always treated with respect wherever they went. Of course, now that she had become the first Hufflepuff in six generations she wasn't sure if the community would see her family the same way.
"Though just because you're in Hufflepuff doesn't mean you've ruined your lineage." Ernie said and Cal looked at him as if he just read her mind.
"My names Justin Finch-Fletchley!" Another boy shoved Ernie to the side nearly making him fall off his bench as he stretched his hand out towards Cal. His eagerness to rush forward and meet Cal made his neat brown hair fall a little in front of his eyes.
Cal couldn't help giggle before reaching out to shake his hand, "Calypso Warbeck."
"Calypso? Isn't that a Greek name?" A girl across from her asked.
"Yes it is, my parents said they gave me that name because it represented wealth and pride." She scoffed before adding, "Sure they hadn't thought about how embarrassing it would be for me."
"Actually I like it, it's very unique." The girl smiled before flipped back her long blonde hair which was clipped back at the front.
"Thanks." Cal smiled before takin a sip of her orange juice.
"I'm Hannah, Hannah Abbott." She introduced, "I thought you were a boy at first." She stated making Cal flush with embarrassment.
"That's ok, you aren't the first person." Cal admitted as Hannah passed her a small blueberry muffin.
"I saw you on the train and I thought you were a boy as well, no offence." Justin admitted as Ernie snickered but Cal merely shrugged with a smile of her own.
"I'm used to it, at least once puberty hits and I grow boobs you'll be able to tell the difference then." Cal calmly stated whilst Ernie and Hannah burst out laughing with Justin nearly choking on his food.
As the welcoming feast drew to a close Cal already considered Ernie, Hannah and Justin her friends. They were taken to their common room by professor Sprout who introduced herself to be the head of Hufflepuff. Once Cal stepped into the common room she instantly felt at home.
The common room was quite large and circular shaped, small oval windows lined near the top just below the ceiling in line with the grassy ground on the other side. A roaring fire on the opposite side was surrounded my stone and held a half circle shape above the fire which led to a chimney pipe, surrounding the fire were very comfortable looking arm chairs and two seated sofa's that looked like it would swallow you whole if you sat in it.
Potted plants, bookshelves and wooden tables and chairs were placed near the walls of the common room, giving a place to study or have a game of exploding snap. Wooden panels stretched along the floor and halfway up the walls giving the room a homey feel rather than a dungeon one. A beautiful portrait of Helga Hufflepuff sat above another fireplace under the oval windows and around the room in the walls were small circular wooden cabinet doors that looked like the top of a barrel that was put on its belly.
As Cal looked up and accidently ignored whatever professor Sprout had been saying, she noticed heavy and thick beams lining the ceiling and a lot of vines stretching around the room. The room had cream coloured rugs laying near the centre of some chairs and sofas and as Cal looked towards the further fireplace away from her she saw two large circular archways which lead to circle doors with oak lining them.
"Warbeck?" Professor Sprout asked catching Cal's attention as the older woman held a piece of paper towards her, "Your time table my dear." She explained.
Cal took the paper and muttered an embarrassed apology as Sprout simply smiled at her.
"It's alright my dear, I was in awe as well when I first came to Hogwarts and stood in this very room for the first time." She said before walking to the front of the group again, "Usually I would hand these out in the morning but I have to spend breakfast preparing for my third years. Now I suggest you all get a good night's sleep as your classes start tomorrow, goodnight."
"Goodnight professor Sprout." Most of the group echoed and Hannah almost bounced up to Cal with an excited grin.
"Who do we have first?" Hannah asked as Ernie and Justin approached the girls. Cal unfolded her parchment before taking a look at it.
"Transfiguration with professor McGonagall." Cal answered as Justin face palmed at Hannah.
"Transfiguration is meant to be insanely difficult." Ernie said with Justin chuckling by his side.
"Only if you slack off and don't study!" Hannah retorted earning a playful scowl off Ernie. Hannah grabbed Cal's arm and pulled her towards the girl's dormitories, "Goodnight boys!"
"Night." Both boys muttered as they too headed towards their dormitories.
Cal walked down the steps beyond the door before coming towards another oak door, walking through she saw copper lamps that cast a warm light over the four-poster beds which were covered in patchwork quilts. Copper bed warmers hung on the wall which made Cal thankful that she wouldn't suffer from cold nights. In fact she doubted she would even need the bed warmer considering the quilts looked heavy and warm as it is.
"Whoa." Hannah admired as she stared around the room in awe before running up and throwing herself on a bed. Cal then noticed the trunks at the foot of each bed and realised that Hannah was in the wrong one.
"Hannah we're each assigned bed." Cal sighed as she noticed her trunk and barn owl before sitting down on her bed.
"Oops, this says S.B, who do you suppose that is?" Hannah asked as she found her bed next to Cal's and flopped down on it.
"I think Susan Bones." Cal replied as she laid down on her bed and slipped off her shoes before propping them up.
"Oh yeah, hey I heard Susan's family was killed except for one of her aunties. I can't imagine what it must be like to have your WHOLE family killed." Hannah said as she released her hair of the clips and put them on her bedside table.
"Really? Wow, I can't imagine either, I'd probably become an emotionless wreck. Susan must be really brave." Cal said as she got up and opened the cage to her owl, letting it hop onto her arm before pulling it close and gently caressing its feathers.
"What's your owl called?" Hannah asked as she rolled onto her side and looked at Cal who had her back turned to her.
"Orpheus." She replied as the owl cooed happily, just then the door opened and two more girls walked in.
"Hi! You must be Calypso and Hannah, I'm Megan Jones." A girl with short blonde hair introduced as she went over to her bed and sat down.
"How do you know my name?" Hannah asked as Cal put Orpheus back in his cage but left the door open, she then went to her trunk and took out her pyjama's.
"I paid attention during the sorting." Megan simply shrugged. The other girl who walked in who had dark red hair and a chubby face, looked at her messed up bed in confusion as Hannah and Megan started talking about cute boys.
"Oh Hannah jumped on your bed thinking it was hers, sorry." Cal explained as the girl turned around and sent Cal a smile.
"That's alright, I was just wondering that's all." She shrugged before offering her hand, "Susan Bones, but you probably already knew that."
Cal took her hand politely, "Calypso Warbeck but as always please just call me Cal, and no I didn't know what." She said and Susan looked a bit surprised.
"I know it's no secret, it was all over the Daily Prophet." Susan urged, almost testing Cal to see if she was just being kind or genially didn't know about whatever Susan was on about.
"I'm 11, I don't go spending my time reading the Daily Prophet." Cal chuckled before getting her tooth brush from her trunk and walking over to the bathroom. As Cal got changed she wondered again if the sorting hat made a mistake, although her parents weren't former death eaters they still supported Voldemort with putting pure-bloods first before muggle-born and being in Slytherin was like supporting the continuation of that belief. But Cal wasn't sorted into Slytherin and even the sorting hat said to her that she was already questioning her parent's beliefs.
Before coming to Hogwarts Cal had been led to believe that muggle-born wizards and witches were nothing but scum, people who wanted to be in control all the time and who also wanted muggles to rule over the wizarding world. Cal had the influence that muggles were bad people who couldn't be trusted, after all who wouldn't think that after reading about many of her ancestors being burnt alive when they were discovered to be witches or wizards.
"What's mother and father going to think?" Cal stated aloud to herself as she looked into the bathroom mirror, a sad and depressed face staring back at her. Cal's parents were strict and had a reputation to uphold, but behind closed doors they lavished attention onto Cal and made sure she had the best of everything, and that meant she was indeed very spoilt, "Maybe they won't be too disappointed."
"Cal! You've been in there for ages what are you doing?" She heard Hannah's muffled voice through the door interrupt her thoughts.
"Sorry!" Cal shouted back as she opened the bathroom door and passed by Hannah before putting her robes over her closed trunk then collapsing onto her bed. As the rest of her dormitory partners got settled in and the lights went out, Cal put her hands behind her head and stared at the roof of her four poster bed, her thick black curtains with faint dark mustard velvet patterns on it blocked out the surrounding space making Cal feel as if she was in her own little confined room. She mulled over the possibility of interacting with a muggle-born since she got sorted into Hufflepuff, usually she would ask about their blood states before introducing herself but apparently she had forgotten, or did her subconscious just not care about those things? Justin, Ernie, Hannah, Susan, Fred and George. They could all be muggle-born for all she knew. Yet would that have made a difference?
Even if they were all muggle-born, they were still very nice people, Cal thought to herself as she turned onto her side and rested her eyes, maybe muggle-born people weren't as bad as she thought.
"Cal wake up! Why are you so dead in the morning?!" Cal heard before laughter echoed in the dormitory, as her eyes fluttered open she saw Hannah and Susan's grinning faces before her own. Both fully dressed and staring at Cal's disturbed form.
"Five more minutes." She muttered before turning on her side, the two girls giggled before gripping Cal's blanket tightly and ripping it off of her, "Nooooooo!"
"Ten more minutes and breakfast will be over!" Susan laughed once Cal instantly shot up from her bed and got her robes out of her trunk before zooming to the bathroom.
"I feel bad now, should we tell her it's actually 2 hours before class starts?" Susan asked whilst both her and Hannah kindly but the blanket back onto Cal's bed neatly.
Hannah giggled before shrugging, "Nah."
The three early birds made their way to the great hall, all speculating on what their first lesson was going to be like. Just before Cal got to step into the hall she felt a slight pull on her robes, looking back she spotted Selene directly behind her. Both Susan and Hannah looked at each other with a bit of confusion before Cal turned to them.
"You two go ahead I'll catch up." Cal said to both girls who nodded went off into the great hall.
"We'll save you a seat!" Hannah replied before leaving Cal with Selene, "Say isn't that girl a Slytherin?" she whispered to Susan who looked back at Cal and Selene who were already deep in conversation.
"Yeah I think so." Susan merely replied before the girls walked over to the Hufflepuff table, meeting Ernie who was currently stuffing his face with bacon.
"So…" Cal trailed off as Selene scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.
"Hufflepuff then, a group of hard working, kind and patient people who can tolerate a lot. So do you really think you're one of them?" Selene asked and Cal just shrugged.
"It's what the hat thinks, and I guess the hat has always been right so far." Cal replied before looking toward the entrance to the great hall, "So what does this mean? For us as friends?"
Selene's face broke into a grin before reaching forward and ruffling Cal's short brown hair, "You don't think being in Puffpansy's is going to stop us being friends I hope? Otherwise I'm very offended."
"Well that's a relief, Margaret." Cal gave a small smile that disappeared as quickly as it appeared, "But in all honesty I thought you wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore, since I'll be around muggle-born people now."
Selene gave her a sceptical look, "Since when did we start calling them muggle-born?"
Cal shrugged before nodding over to the great hall where Hannah and Susan sat chatting happily with Ernie, "It's hardly been a day and I've already made friends with four people and I don't even know they're blood status."
"But you could be conspiring with mudblood's!" Selene almost hissed as she pulled Cal away from standing directly in front of the hall entrance as she saw more students heading in.
"And frankly I don't care if they were muggle-born." Cal replied, putting emphasis on the word 'muggle', "I honestly don't think they're as bad as what our parents taught us."
Selene sighed and crossed her arms, looking off to the side in deep thought, "I don't think I'm ready to start thinking like you, but I won't hold a grudge against you for doing so."
Cal gave a sigh of relief, "That's all I'm asking, I'm not going to pressure you into becoming friends with muggle-born's but please just respect my decision to do so."
Selene nodded before her familiar grin crawled back onto her face, "You have potions first?" Cal shook her head, "Great I must be with the Gryffindor's then."
"Why you must get along with Gryffindor's!" Cal scowled mockingly making Selene shake her head grinning.
As Selene and Cal walked into the great hall they both parted ways and headed towards they're individual tables.
"You alright Cal?" Ernie asked as Cal went to sit by him with Hannah and Susan opposite her.
"Yeah thanks, so who's got transfiguration first?" Cal replied whilst reaching over and grabbing two pieces of toast.
"We all do, well everyone in Hufflepuff at least stay together for the whole of the first year." Susan said as she tucked into a bowl of cereal.
"Think it might be because the professors want to keep people who share a dorm with in the same class and it probably is really hard to teach all these classes at once." Ernie replied before continuing to stuff his mouth full of bacon and sausages.
"But we have Transfiguration with Ravenclaw so it must be that and also to bring unity between houses." Hannah said as she pulled out her timetable again. The great hall soon became filled with other student as chatter echoed off of the walls.
"Well then I feel sorry for Gryffindor, it's hardly likely that anyone can get along with a Slytherin." Ernie shrugged.
"Well except for Cal of course, we saw you talk to that girl earlier and she's in Slytherin." Hannah stated whilst her eyes drifted over Cal's head and towards the Slytherin table.
"I've known her for as long as I can remember, our parents are good friends so I see her regularly." Cal said.
"Yeah, my family said the Warbeck and the Corvus family are both pure-blooded and have a close and confined relationship with each other." Ernie commented, earning an approved nod off Cal.
"That's right, what did you say your family's name was?" Cal asked, wondering if Ernie was a valued pure-blood family like her own.
"Macmillan but you might not know our family like we do yours, we're not really prejudice to other blood statuses." Ernie said, earning a scowl off of Hannah.
"You mean you're not prejudice like my family." Cal said as she felt the tension rise between herself and Ernie, if it affected her then she didn't let it become known as she calmly took a sip of her pumpkin juice and gave Ernie a hard stare.
"I didn't mean any offence by it." Ernie said quickly, "I just meant your family is well known to prefer blood purity, of course that may not be the case for you." Ernie smiled and the tension dispersed.
"I'm half-blooded I think you should know." Hannah informed Cal before smiling, Susan then cleared her throat before stating that she was half-blooded as well.
"And Justin is muggle-born." Ernie finished before sending Cal a reassuring smile, "So does that change anything?"
Cal shrugged wiping her lips with a napkin, "Not a thing."
Cal could see Hannah, Susan and Ernie smile brighten from the corner of her eye. Some sort of happiness spread within her, she liked making people happy.
"So what made you differ your opinion?" Ernie curiously asked, before he actually met her he thought a lot of the Warbeck's were as blood prejudice as the Malfoy's so he wondered what made this girl change her opinion considering she had probably been brought up to believe everyone muggle related were scum.
Cal couldn't stop the smirk reaching her lips as she look another sip of her pumpkin juice, she kept the glass to her lips as she spoke her next words, "I just thought I shouldn't judge a book by their genre for a change."
"Don't you mean cover?" Hannah said and Cal shook her head.
"No, the cover represents appearance and the genre represents blood status." Cal explained.
"That should be your slogan or something." Ernie chuckled as Cal grinned again before shrugging.
"Maybe."
"Please turn to page 32 in your text books." Professor McGonagall commanded as she stood proudly in front of the class, "In my class you will eventually learn how to transfigure everything into anything and everyone into anyone."
Cal sat next to Ernie with her chin resting on her fist as she watched McGonagall slowly pace in front of the class.
"For now in your first year you will learn the spell to turn a match into a needle but before that what do we need to do?" she asked the class, Ernie shot his hand into the air.
"Take notes?" He wondered and McGonagall nodded, the frown never leaving her face.
"Indeed Mr Macmillan, so everyone open their exercise books and ink your quill's ready for my next instructions." Everyone did as told and continued to do so for the next two hours. By the time the lesson was over Cal felt as if her eyes were permanently locked onto her exercise book on her desk.
The class exited transfiguration and went into potions with professor Snape and not much happened there either other than note taking and before Cal realised she was already on her way towards lunch.
"I hope there's more to these lessons than note taking." Justin comments as he walks alongside Cal. Cal simply shrugged as they made their way into the busy great hall.
"It's only the first day and we've already got tones of homework!" Ernie cried with a slouch to his posture, making him seem more like an elderly man each every step.
"Tons?" Cal questioned with a skip in her step, "More like extra learning! Besides I already went over the homework and I know basically all the important answers. Any answers I don't know I'll probably find in the library." She boasted, making both boys either side of her raise a brow.
"Easy for you to say, I only knew about all this magic and stuff when I got Hogwarts letter. You've probably been taught this all of your life." Justin groaned making Cal giggle.
"Well I've known about magic all my life and I haven't been taught about this either!" Ernie exclaimed as the trio walked into the great hall and headed towards their house tables.
"You probably could have you just didn't choose too?" Cal eyed Ernie's reaction who in turn shrugged as his eyes darted to the floor.
"Maybe."