This is a response made to someone's comment on Tumblr. This story is dedicated to them.
I don't have a Tumblr account, but I hope somewhere along the line that person reads this and tells me what they think.
We start with a bit of a prologue to set the scene, just because everything fits so nicely. This is the most exposition you will ever get out of me in a story, so enjoy it. Apologies for the un-beta'd-ness of it all. If anyone is interested in being my Beta, please raise your hand.
Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with TVD or Harry Potter. This is just a bit of fun. Don't sue.
Read on, faithful shippers.
Prologue
Caroline stood in the long line outside the Great Hall, waiting to be 'sorted'.
Whatever that meant.
It had been two months since she had received her letter from Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Two months of adjusting to the fact that she wasn't as normal as she had always thought, and two months of relocating her whole life to live with her father in the UK.
Until he ran off on them last year, no one in the sleepy little town of Mystic Falls, Virginia knew that Bill Forbes was a wand-carrying, spell-casting wizard. Bill had kept his secret well hidden. His very own wife had no idea that next to the vacuum cleaner in the cupboard was a flying broomstick and that next to the cookbooks she never used in the kitchen were dusty spell books equally as neglected.
The night he came out to his family, it was also to tell them he was moving back to the UK because he couldn't take living with such small-minded muggles as the people of Mystic Falls.
Caroline will be fine he had insisted; it's very rare for the children of a wizard and a muggle to inherit magic.
Caroline rolled her eyes. Yeah freaking right.
Though it had been a little over a year since she had overheard the argument that followed, she remembered every word. Caroline knew exactly how Liz had felt about her father being "part of the problem", "dangerous", and "unnatural". She could only imagine that was how Liz felt about her now that she… Well, ever since she got that letter.
It didn't matter to Caroline much why she was picked to go to a magical boarding school halfway across the world. All that mattered was that her mother hated the very thing that Caroline couldn't change. Now, instead of beginning regular school with her friends in the Fall, she was inside a drafty castle dressed in ugly robes.
These people didn't even know how to use cars.
Caroline was daydreaming about what she would be doing if she were in Mystic Falls right now when a small voice piped up from behind her.
"Excuse me," The voice said, barely audible over the hum from inside the Great Hall, "do you have any idea what happens at the sorting?"
Caroline turned to see a girl with long brown hair and the biggest, softest eyes she had ever seen. Well, nearly. Her father had taken her out to the countryside on her first week here, and they had seen a doe foraging in the woods. It was graceful and slender, with huge gentle eyes that begged to be loved. That was what this girl reminded Caroline of. A beautiful, innocent doe.
"Not the slightest," Caroline shook her blonde curls "though I guess we'll find out soon. What's your name?"
"Elena." The girl replied, giving her a small, shy smile.
"It's nice to meet you, Elena. I'm Caroline." Caroline gave her a smile of her own.
"I don't know anyone at Hogwarts," Elena started, looking nervous, "My Mum was a witch and my dad was a wizard… But they died. Ever since then, we haven't had a lot to do with the wizarding world. I live with my brother Jeremy, and he's really all I've got."
"That's so sad." Caroline felt for her new friend. How awful it must have been for her to lose both of her parents. Caroline may not have the most functional family in the lands, but she loved them with all of her heart.
"Well look no further. Until a few months ago I had no idea I was even a witch, so I don't know anyone here either. If you want, we could be best friends?"
"Best friends?" Elena blinked. She had never had a best girl friend before.
"Absolutely. We can hang out and watch each other's backs and stuff. BFFs."
"I'd like that."
"Me too."
And it was settled.
A great hush fell over the little room as the tall, pink-haired witch with glittery lips, who had not ten minutes ago told them about the four houses they were to be sorted into, tapped her wooden stick – wand – against a candelabrum.
"That's enough dilly-dallying I think. Let's go sorting!" she cried with a flourish. Caroline appreciated her enthusiasm, but wasn't quite as excited as the pink witch seemed to be until she followed her fellow first years into the Great Hall.
It was every bit as great as the name promised, and on the long walk to the front, Caroline couldn't stop herself from gawking at every little thing. Floating candles, a beautiful fresco of the night sky painted in the ceiling, and strange see-through people – Ghosts she realised with a start. They were ghosts. Spirits of the dead that had not crossed over. How sad.
Caroline guessed she had to get used to things like ghosts and floating candles now that she was a witch.
It didn't even surprise her when the old hat sitting on a stool at the front of the hall began to sing. Elena, however, looked like she was going to pass out.
"Just breathe," Caroline advised her, taking one of the girl's hands in hers and squeezing reassuringly.
Caroline missed the first few students; too busy taking everything in. There must have been a thousand people packed into the great hall, and they were all sitting at long tables covered in different coloured banners. Caroline didn't care which house she was in, as long as she was with Elena. Occasionally she was startled from her musings by a loud "RAVENCLAW!" followed by enormous applause and cheering.
"My parents went to Hogwarts." Elena whispered as "BENNETT, BONNIE!" walked sensibly up to the sorting hat.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I've seen photos."
"You must really miss them."
"It's okay most of the time. Then I think if they were still here, they could give me advice. You know, tell me what to expect."
"Yeah, that would sure come in handy." Caroline agreed under her breath, getting closer and closer to the front of the line. She hadn't been afraid when there were more people ahead of her, but it was nearly her time and she was getting nervous…
"FORBES, CAROLINE!" the sorting hat shouted.
Wait, was it her turn already?!
Taking a deep breath, Caroline set her chin and walked resolutely up to the stool. She would show no fear, even if her insides were quivering in terror. Liz Forbes was the Sherriff, and Caroline was her mother's daughter. She would be strong. Placing it on her head, she cast a final glance towards Elena, who was looking at her with large, worried eyes.
Don't worry Caroline projected to her new friend, I'll be fine.
And then the world went dark.
"Well now, Caroline. Aren't you a refreshing ball of sunshine." A voice muttered delightedly inside the hat. "Haven't had someone like you along in a while. Caring heart, kind soul, your light will bring so many things from the darkness… Oh yes. Of course, I put that other one in Hufflepuff all those years ago… But I don't think that will be right for you. No… You have such courage."
"No I don't" Caroline finally disagreed. "I don't have any of those th-." But the hat wasn't listening.
"GRIFFINDOR!" It cut her off rudely. A deafening roar erupted from in front of her, and Caroline removed the large hat to be met with the sight of an entire table of teenagers cheering wildly.
"Over here!"
She finally saw someone beckon her towards an empty seat. It was an older boy with golden hair. His cheekbones were perfect, as though he had been carved from stone by an artist and brought to life. His lips were full and his nose was fine. And he had invited her to sit with him.
Caroline felt the beginnings of a crush stir in her young heart.
"Welcome to the house." The older boy greeted her after the cheering had died down. "I'm Stefan."
"Caroline." She smiled back at him.
And that was all the time they had for talk before "GILBERT, ELENA", Caroline's new bestest friend in the whole world, was called to the strange, muttering hat.
All of her focus now was on hoping that her new friend would be sorted into Gryffindor too.
Caroline's heart sank when the hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF" before Elena even had it on her head properly. That was it then. How were they supposed to be best friends if they were in different houses? It was unfair.
Now she wished she had have madethe hat put her in Hufflepuff, not that it would have listened to her anyway. In Caroline's opinion, the sorting hat was very rude.
As soon as the final first-year had been sorted into a house she turned Stefan in a rush.
"Is it possible to change houses?" She enquired hurriedly. He smiled ruefully.
"Unfortunately no. I'm sorry, Caroline."
"Why would you want to change houses? Gryffindor is the BEST!" A boy across from her had overheard her speak and now shouted out to his Gryffindor mates, who cheered and raised their glasses of cider in agreement.
"He's right," Stefan smiled warmly at Caroline, "Gryffindor is the best."
Caroline fiddled with her fork embarrassedly.
"It's just that my friend was sorted into Hufflepuff. I really wanted to be in the same house as her."
"Don't worry, Caroline. You'll still see her in classes and in your spare time. All the other times, you have me. I'll look out for you."
Stefan smiled a brilliant smile at Caroline and she felt herself blush. Maybe this school wouldn't be so bad after all…
As the piles of food on the table were devoured Caroline savored her fries with ketchup, chewing each one individually. The warm, greasy potato reminded her of the times her mother and her had lunch at the Grille on the rare weekend the Sheriff was off-duty. Caroline wondered if she would ever eat fries with her mother again.
Speaking of depressing thoughts… Caroline's gaze was drawn to the table across the hall, decked out in silver and green.
You must have to be an unhappy person to get into Slytherin she decided, taking note of all of the scowling faces. Caroline didn't think she would have fit in well there at all.
One face in particular caught her eye. An older boy. Probably around Stefan's age. He had dirty blonde hair that was darker then her own but not as golden as Stefan's. It suited his face well, for though the features were angelic, they held the barest hint of mischief and mayhem.
Like his hair, they were tinged with a darkness that Caroline found curious.
"Who is that?" Caroline nudged Stefan and pointed a fork in the direction of the older boy.
"That's Klaus. One of the Mikaelsons, a wealthy old wizarding family. Every single one of their ancestors has been in Slytherin. They're practically related to Slytherin himself." Stefan scoffed. "Why do you want to know?"
"Oh, no reason." Caroline dropped her gaze and concentrated on her fries.
"They are bad news, Caroline. You should try to stay out of their way."
"What are they going to do, turn me into a frog?" She joked. Stefan smiled tightly.
"Just be careful around them, okay? I'd hate for them to give you a hard time."
After the festivities were over, Caroline rushed to find Elena before her house left for their common room.
"We can still be friends, even though I'm not in your house, right?"
"Don't be silly, of course we can. Come on, lets walk together." Caroline linked her robed arm through Elena's and the friends exited the Great Hall.
"A Badger" A scornful voice came from behind them on the way out. "What a lame hose mascot."
The two girls turned to find the speaker was a Slytherin boy. Caroline had seen him at their table sitting with Klaus.
"I think it's cute." Elena mumbled from beside Caroline.
"Better than a creepy snake" Caroline agreed.
Unfortunately, the boy heard them.
"It's a shame you two girls weren't sorted into Slytherin house" the obnoxious boy leered at them, "but never mind. I don't mind lowing it for a night. Or two."
"Eww." Caroline made a face. "That's disgusting."
"The name's Kol, actually." He gave another oily grin. Caroline visibly shuddered.
"Thanks, but no thanks."
"Come on, Caroline, your house is already up the end of the corridor." Elena tugged her new friend away from their new 'person-to-avoid'.
"Oh, crap" Caroline searched for Stefan's golden quaff and saw it a ways in front. "I don't want to get lost. See you later?"
"I hope so!" Elena's voice was lost in the milling of witches and wizards in black school robes.
By the time the lights were turned out Caroline was passed out on her bed, the day's events too much for her tired brain. She didn't even dream of anything proper. Just a pair of twinkling blue eyes that were vaguely familiar and forgotten in the morning…
Caroline had seven years at Hogwarts' school of Witchcraft and Wizardry ahead of her, and despite the oddity of her particular situation, she would make each of them count. After all, she was Caroline Forbes.
Well?