Though she would never like to admit it, Marian is very happy to finally get away from her family. She thought she loved them, but they can be so meticulous and demanding at the best of times. The entire family was Ravenclaws, what would they do if she were to be sorted into something else?
Her older brother, Ealdwine, was the pride and joy of the family, taking after their parents and receiving a high-ranking job at the Ministry working with their father a few months after his seventh year at Hogwarts ended; Marian is expected to do just as well.
"Now, any bad marks on tests or exams will not be tolerated, though a few exceptions can be made since it's your first year," her father, Augustine Byrd, says flatly with a cold stare before his daughter nods and boards the Hogwarts Express.
"And no distractions from your work!" he shouts as the train starts to depart.
Marian holds the bag containing her robes and a book close to her chest as she searches for an empty compartment, avoiding the sea of students doing the same.
The number of students filling up the booths of the train decreases as she nears the end of the train. Sliding open the door to an empty compartment in the very back, Marian curls into a ball and relishes in the silence of being alone. At home, the family was always screaming at each other for something or praising Ealdwine for all to hear. The trouble with having divorced parents living in the same mansion as well as her stepmother being there was that there was barely ever any times where she could seek peace; only in the earliest hours of the morning could she find any calming stillness.
"Would you mind if I joined you?" a boy's voice startles the girl—she nearly falls out of the seat. "Oh! I'm terribly sorry, I-I didn't mean to—"
"It's okay. Yes, you can sit in here," Marian interjects, giving the chubby boy a patient smile. He thanks her and takes a seat across from the honey butter blonde.
"My name Peter, Peter Pettigrew, i-if you wanted to know," he says.
"I'm Marian, it's nice to meet you," she replies politely, smiling. He seemed kind enough— she knew her father said no distractions (the words were practically banging around the walls of her head) but hopefully she could at least have friends.
"Is this your first year too?"
"Yes, though I'm not sure if I'm ready to start it," Peter scratches the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I can attest to that," Marian agrees, nodding her head. "But I'm happy to get away from home a bit."
The two chat the rest of the way to the castle, becoming fast friends—their personalities meshing well together. Time passes quickly as the train grows closer to Hogwarts.
After they exit the train, Peter clutches Marian's sleeve as they follow the man, Hagrid, to the boats—a bit nervous at the man's enormous size. Both make sure to get seats next to each other as they ride the boats across the lake along with the other first years as well as standing next to each other as they meet Professor McGonagall.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup," a woman with sharp features announces to the new students before leading them through the Great Hall to be sorted. Their eyes wander in awe at the stunning room, thousands upon millions of candles float above their heads under the ceiling charmed to look like the night sky, students fill the four long tables of their house watch the younger students as they follow Professor McGonagall.
They are led up to an old hat perched on a stool in front of the Staff Table and Dumbledore's podium. The odd-looking hat begins its speech as all the first years are brought up front. After the clapping dies—the hat's speech had intrigued the first years as they had never witnessed such a thing before—the professor explains the sorting process.
Marian and Peter wait patiently—and nervously—for their names to be called.
"Byrd, Marian!" Professor McGonagall calls out.
Said girl smiles anxiously at Peter and takes a seat on the chair before the hat is lowered onto her head. The room seems to be swathed in silence as the hat ponders over which house would be best for the girl.
"Well, this is interesting. Brave yet cunning, a good head on your shoulders, intelligent, and hardworking—what house would you thrive in?" a voice says in her head, startling her a bit. "You seem to have all the qualities, however I can see your choice. Though it isn't as fitting as you would like." She could hear the amusement in its voice, dreading what the last part could mean.
"Gryffindor!" the room stares in shock before said house bursts into shouts of joy and applause. Marian herself takes a second before collecting herself and taking a seat at the Gryffindor table—next to a boy with shaggy black hair.
"I'm Sirius," he says, giving his hand to her to shake; Marian returns the gesture and introduces herself, facing the hat again and waiting for Peter to be called.
Finally, after at least twenty people, Peter is summoned up to the stool to be sorted. He waits in anticipation as the hat takes it time before announcing: "Gryffindor!"
Marian claps as Peter takes a seat beside her.
"We did it!" Peter exclaims, dropping down onto a couch in the Gryffindor Common Room adjacent to Marian—who in turn lets out a nervous laugh.
"Yeah, we did."