Author's Note:
This chapter is dedicated to TheEvilSandwich, because they are the one that got me to finally post this story! I've been really excited to show this to the world, I hope you all like it! And, please review! The next chapter should be posted soon.
gotalife
First Year
I was sitting in a compartment by myself- feeling small and somewhat insignificant, on the giant Hogwarts Express, as a tiny first year- reflecting back to saying goodbye to my mother for the first time, I- as usual- hadn't seen my father. My mother, Jane Irbane, had been trying not to let the tears run down her cheeks as she kissed me goodbye and gave me my trunk and Coal, my slender black tomcat, as I boarded the train.
"Bye mum!"
"Bye sweetie!" she called after me, "Write everyday! Stay out of trouble!"
"I can't promise you that. And don't you dare enlist his help!" I get into trouble constantly for pulling pranks and just being plain "boyish", and I suspected she would enlist the help of my father to try and keep "trouble" out of my system- as if that was going to happen.
"Sweetie, I doubt it. Just promise to write me. I love you!" She said as train's last boarding whistle sounded.
"Love you too, mum! Bye!"
I walk towards the giant metal monster, and put my foots on the steps, in front of me is a girl with extremely bushy brown hair. She turns to me, smiles, and says, "Hi. I'm Hermione Granger. Are you a first year?" she pauses for a second and I nod, "I'm a first year too," she smiles sweetly, turns and proceeds to board the train.
I board the train after her, and head for the first empty compartment I can find. I put my trunk on the trunk shelf above my head and put Coal down on the floor- closing the door carefully behind me. My thoughts go back to the absence of my father at the train station. You idiot, I tell myself, Why in the world would he want to be seen talking to you? Or even at the station? I hadn't really been expecting to see him at the station, but I knew I would see him a Hogwarts, you see, my father is Severus Snape. The most hated teacher at Hogwarts, but, I don't tell people that.
Thump! Thump! I was brought back to the present by the loud thumping of the compartment door opening- two boys were standing at the door, one with green eyes, pale skin, and messy black hair; the other with red hair, equally pale skin, and blue eyes.
"Uh... Excuse us, do you mind if we sit in here?" the red-head asks politely, "All the other compartments are full."
"Um. Yeah no problem." They come in and put their trunks on the shelves above our heads, then sit down across from me.
"I'm Ron," the redhead says, "Ron Weasley."
"And, I'm Harry Potter," the green-eyed one contributes.
At first, I'm shocked to be in a compartment with the Harry Potter, but I get over it quickly, "Hi, I'm Alexandria Irbane. But, I go by Andi."
"Hi Andi, nice to meet you," Harry says politely. After that, there is an awkward silence so I pull a face, and both boys start laughing.
"Nice one," Ron says.
"Are you the Harry Potter everyone likes to talk about?" I ask, overcome by my curiosity.
He runs his hand through his hair, "Uh... yeah. I guess I am."
"Hah, seriously? That's cool," I say, acting like it was normal to be in his presence. I don't think he knows this, but, my parents both knew his; but, of course, they had different experiences with each other. I didn't think to mention this little fact though.
"Wow," he says, surprised.
"What?" I ask dumbly.
"That was the most calm reaction I've had since I came into the wizarding world." He looks pointedly at Ron, who shrugs,
"Oh really? Well, I've already met someone who knew your parents. So, I have the 'info' I need," I say slyly.
"Who do you know that knew them?"
"My uncle told me about them, and my parents knew them too."
"Cool," Ron says quickly inputting himself into the conversation.
A loud squeaking comes from the candy trolley outside the door, the 'candy lady' stops outside our door and knocks twice.
"Anything off the cart, dears?" The dimpled trolley cart woman says cheerily as she slides the door open.
Harry jumps up, but Ron's ears go pink and he mumbles something about bringing sandwiches, I just stay quiet.
Harry buys at least one of everything, and brings it all back in, laying it on the seat he and Ron are sharing.
"Hungry, are we?" Ron asks.
"Starving," he answers as he takes a bite out of a pumpkin pasty.
"You can both have some... If you want," he offers, waving a hand over the pile of sweets. I lean over and take a chocolate frog from his pile and Ron takes a pasty as well.
We sit discussing the treats and what they are with Harry, until Ron decides to turn his rat, Scabbers, yellow.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
He waved his wand, but nothing happened, Scabbers just lay there fast asleep.
"You sure that's a real spell?" We all look toward the door, "Not very good, is it?" The bushy haired Hermione is standing in the doorway of our compartment.
"Have you seen Neville's toad?" she asks before continuing- we all shake our heads. In all honesty, I had seen it, but I don't know where it was currently.
She talks for a while longer about spells she has tried, and then, introduces herself.
"- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"
Both of the boys look stunned, as if they hadn't memorized all of the spells from all of our books- like Hermione had. Just kidding! I haven't either.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron mutters.
"Andi Irbane," I add.
"Harry Potter."
"Are you really? I know all about you, of course- I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
"I am," Harry says, looking a little dazed, as if he'll die of embarrassment if she bursts into giggles- as, I'm sure, many other girls will do in the not-so-distant future.
"Goodness, didn't you know? I'd have found out everything I could if it was me. Do any of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around and, by far, Gryffindor sounds the best. You should probably get changed now, I expect we'll be there soon." She turns and leaves with Neville- the toadless boy.
We talk for a while before pulling on our robes- right before the train screeches to a halt at the train station in Hogwarts. We get off the train and our trunks are taken from us to be transported separately to the castle, we get to ride in boats! I step into a boat with Harry and Ron and, twenty minutes later, we are standing in front of the gates to the castle: mouths open, eyes wide. I am a little further away from the castle when I hear footsteps coming from behind me.
"Yeah, looks pretty dull from out here, huh?" I turn and find a pale skinned, white-blond haired, and grey-blue eyed boy standing before me.
"Well, if that's how you see it, I can't imagine that you see very well at all," I say somewhat obnoxiously.
"I see just fine," the boy says, his eyes hardening to grey a little bit.
"Yeah, so you're just a prick."
He looks a little taken aback, but continues nonetheless, "What house do you think you'll be in? I'm going to be in Slytherin, my entire family has been in Slytherin."
"Well, I can't say the same," I say, thinking of my dad.
"Has your family been in Slytherin? Mine has always been in Slytherin," he says a little arrogantly.
"As far as I know, only a few have been in Slytherin."
"Well, maybe I'll see you there," he puts out his hand for me to shake it. Who does this kid think he is? I think angrily, but I put on a polite face and shake his hand.
"I'm Draco Malfoy, by the way."
"Andi," I say quickly before walking over to Harry and Ron and into the castle.
Inside, Professor McGonagall stopped us outside of the door to the great hall, told us she would be back when they were ready for us, and left all of the first years standing impatiently outside the giant doors.
Several students scream behind us and Harry jumps forward, "What the-" he says, turning.
About twenty pearly white and slightly transparent ghosts stream through the back wall, talking to each other. They pass, saying they hope to see us in their houses.
"Is it true?" A voice comes from one side of the large groups of students and makes its way over to us, "They're saying that Harry Potter is here. So it's you is it?" he says as he- the blond-white haired, Draco Malfoy- reaches us, two boys at his side, as if his body guards.
"Yes," Harry answers.
"Well, this is Crabbe and Goyle," he motions quickly to the boys on either side of him, "And I am Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
Ron coughs.
"Think my names funny, do you, Weasley. My father told me all about you Weasleys, red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." He turns back to Harry.
"You'll find that some wizarding families are much better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
He holds out his hand for Harry, but Harry doesn't take it, "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thank you," he says coolly.
"You better be careful, Potter. Or you'll end up like your parents."
All three of us stand a little taller, I step forward, "Get out of here, prat."
He looks at me surprised, "We can choose our mates," Harry repeats.
"Okay, students," the voice of McGonagall comes in over the voices of the crowd, we turn to face her, "We are ready for you. Now form a line, and follow me."
I get in line behind Ron, who's behind Harry and we follow behind her. She leads us up to the front of the great hall. I try not to look in the direction I'm sure Dumbledore and my father are sitting. McGonagall stops us when we are all in the front, and places a four-legged stool in front of us first years, and, on top of that, a pointed wizard's hat.
A rip near the rim opened and the hat began to sing:
Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finishes its song. As soon as the applause had died down enough for her to be heard, McGonagall started calling names in alphabetical order:
"Abbott, Hannah."
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat yells after a moments consideration.
McGonagall called out names, and I tuned out until she got to "G", and the bushy-haired Hermione Granger is called forward.
"Granger, Hermione," McGonagall calls. Hermione basically runs up to the stool and places the hat hastily on her head with excitement.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Ron groans as the hat calls out the house name.
After a few names, mine is called.
"Irbane, Alexandria," McGonagall calls, my eyes travel warily to where Professor Snape is sitting, his face is placid- as if it was just some normal-not-at-all-out-of-the-ordinary name, that meant nothing to him, being called.
Ron pats me on the shoulder and says "Good luck. Hope to see you down there."
I walk warily to the stool, placing the hat gingerly on the top of my head.
"Where to put you?" It talks quietly down to me.
"You have the courage of Gryffindor," I think of my mother, "Family too, I see."
"But, you could do great deeds in Slytherin," my thoughts drag over to where the man sits, eyes averted, "Family there as well, huh?"
It thinks for a moment before yelling, "GRYFFINDOR!"