Chapter One – Perfect on the Outside, Damaged Where No One Can See
This is my first story on here, so if you catch anything that I haven't yet, please let me know!
Disclaimer: If was J.K. Rowling, I'd have written Draco Malfoy as the main character, and made the books not very suitable for the younger audiences. ;) But sadly, I'm not Rowling, so I don't own her characters. But I do own mine. And the plot. Sort of…
Hazel pushed a trolley full of packages and her trunk as she strode to Platforms 9 and 10 in King's Cross Station. Her mother, Jillian, walked beside her as they took it all in: the snippets of conversation, the rush of people trying to catch their trains, and the energy that clogged the air.
They could hardly believe the day she got her letter. At first she'd thought it was a prank from one of the girls at school. But when she went to her dad's for the weekend, he assured her that it was no joke. He explained what she was in detail, and took her to Diagon Alley, one of the few things he would let her share with both of her parents.
A soft 'meow' came from the carrier Hazel's mother held. She lifted it up to her face and peered in as a cat's paw batted at Jillian's nose from an arm extended through the bars. She blinked a few times, looked at her daughter and they laughed.
Hazel was thrilled that she could take Jade with her, a three year old black cat with deep green eyes.
They stopped in front of the bricks as Hazel's anxious feelings peaked. She wondered if she'd get hurt going through the wall, getting absolutely no reassurance from Jillian's hand as it clasped hers. Then all the questions that Hazel had refused to think of came rushing back to her - What if she couldn't do well at magic? What if she was all alone there too? She was a very proud and competitive girl, contrasting her calm and collected mother. Oh, what if she didn't get put into a good house? Hazel didn't think she'd like Hogwarts all of a sudden.
Jillian looked down at her daughter and smiled, truly happy that for once she could get Hazel something special. Hazel's grip on her mother's hand tightened, and they ran into the wall. Only then they saw a steam engine, scarlet, that was idle at the platform while parents and relatives were loading their children onto it.
The very breath flew from her lungs as she saw all of the other people that were magic while looking completely normal.
"Well, hon, this is it. Let me help you get your trunk on the train," Jillian breathed, astonished by the world she'd never known.
Hazel just nodded and gripped Jillian's hand even tighter.
Once everything was loaded onto the train, Jillian knelt down and stared into her daughter's anxious eyes, so beautiful that letting her go would be heartbreaking. She ran her hand through Hazel's hair, and was surprised as her daughter, who was always embarrassed by her mother, embraced Jillian tightly.
"I'll miss you," came Hazel's muffled voice, and Jillian blinked back a tear. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small back containing pens, a quill, and green stationary.
Handing it to Hazel, Jillian smiled. "Please write, honey."
"I will, Mommy."
The train whistled and Jillian reluctantly let go of her daughter. "I love you so much, my beauty," whispered Jillian. "I always have and I always will."
Her daughter's eyes glistened. "I love you, too."
Jillian stepped back as Hazel ran into the train and arrived at the window to wave. The train slowly gathered speed, and then disappeared around the bend. Her mother was gone.
Hazel stared after the station for a while longer, but was interrupted by three girls coming into the compartment. The one in front had a sneer on her face. It was accented by the muddy brown roots in her bleached blond hair. "Can I help you?" she spat, her gaze lingering on Hazel's scuffed sneakers and messy ponytail, filthy in comparison to the girl's sparkling pink flats and softly waving hair.
Hazel swallowed. "I'm Hazel."
"Well, move. There's not enough room for us."
"There's a seat for each of you here. There's plenty of room..."
The girl's sneer deepened. "Courtney."
"Well, Courtney, I see no problem here. You just insist on making one."
She scoffed as the two behind her, a petite girl with black hair and a broad shouldered brunette, laughed. "Like we'd sit in here with pond scum like you. Now move."
"I'm sorry, no." Hazel averted her eyes and looked down at her book.
Courtney sniffed, a half smile on her lips. "Oh, you will. Your trunk's not even in here, now is it? Maybe you should follow it?" The brunette grabbed Haze's trunk as the petite girl put Jade back in her carrier. The carrier was shoved in her hands. The brunette was just about to open the door, but someone else beat her to it.
"What's goin' on here, huh?" A tall, willowy girl stood in the doorway with shockingly bright red hair streaked with black. Her black coat reached below her knees like a trench coat, and her red and white zebra striped pants stood out from the bleak colors in the compartment.
"Blake, darling, you're a little late. Your version of justice is unnecessary in this certain situation. Our little guest was just leaving, so run along like a good little sheep," Courtney giggled. Hazel was quite frightened when Blake's face grew red and the temperature rose in the compartment.
"I'm not a bloody sheep! You are, you little bitch!" Blake whipped out her wand and bright red sparks shot out as she pointed it at Courtney and her friends. "Now, Court, let's get this straight. If you don't want fire in your hair, I suggest that you whores leave now."
Courtney scoffed. "Fine, wouldn't want to be anywhere near street urchins like you." She turned her head up and left with the other two in her wake.
Hazel was speechless at the girl that spoke with such language and such security and certainty. Blake looked at her and smiled. "Come, let's sit. I hope I'm not intruding, am I?"
Hazel just shook her head no.
Blake grinned. "Great. The name's Blake, but most like to call me Blaze. I'm kind of a fiery person, excuse the pun." She giggled. "So where ya from?"
"Um, I've moved a lot, but I was born in America. I've been living in Britain for a while, though. I'm Hazel." She stuttered in fear and awe.
"Brilliant. I've been in foster care fer a while. My latest folks understood completely, and took me to Diagon Alley. I was real fortunate to find them." Blaze pulled a lighter out of her pocket and opened it. She stared into the flames and smiled. "It's a beautiful thing, fire, isn't it?"
Hazel nodded, and looked out the window at the countryside. When she looked back to Blaze, though, she had a lighted cigarette in her mouth. She stared.
"What?"
"You smoke?"
"Yeah, it's a fire thing..." she trailed off lovingly.
Later Blaze had left the compartment to smoke in a more open area and Haze was changing into her robes. She looked out into the dwindling light and was interrupted by Blaze rushing in. "You will never guess what I just heard!"
"What?"
"I just saw these three guys walking down the hall and they were really pissed off. So I asked around. They were fighting with Harry Potter. HARRY POTTER!"
Hazel gasped at the name her father had told her. "So it's true?"
Blaze grinned. "You can bet it is!"
The train stopped and the students filed out in their uniforms to the call of, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"
The first years followed a large man with lots of hair and a full beard down a steep, thin path. No one spoke, and then no one could speak.
Hogwarts, they could now see, was a magnificent castle on a high mountain overlooking a vast black lake. Hazel and Blaze got into a boat with Neville, an adorable boy who was very shy, and a girl who introduced herself as Hannah Abbott.
When they got to the castle, the man cried, "Oy, you there! Is this your toad?"
"Trevor!" Neville ran up and held out his hands. They ran up the stone steps, and the man leading them knocked once, twice, three times on the door. It swung open to a witch in green robes. She exchanged a few words with the man, and led them into a spacious hall, and then into an empty chamber. As everyone filed in, they grouped close together.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Prof McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."
Prof McGonagall left the chamber, and a few whispers started up.
Blaze's face was positively gleeful. "Did you hear that? It's gonna be awesome! Which house do you want?"
"Um, I don't really know. Isn't that why they choose?" Hazel was anxious because she did know where she was likely to end up. Her father had told her before he left that their entire magical side of the family had been in Slytherin. He told her not to worry if she was placed there, and disregard the rumors about Slytherins. He said that the only reason people hated Slytherins was the fear of their power, for they all became quite powerful people.
But just then a few people screamed, including Hazel herself. Many pale-white and transparent beings came through the wall, arguing.
The ghosts noticed the first years, one of which greeted them with a smiling face. The ghost was interrupted as Prof McGonagall came in. The ghosts then took their leave.
The witch turned to them and told them, "Now form a line and follow me."
She opened the double doors...
Thanks for reading. Please review! I must know what you think!
