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It was such a bizarre sensation, to be standing somewhere that I had been remembering in my dreams for the last five years. Nothing had changed really, not that I had expected it too, except for the people, some I recognized only older and a hell of a lot of new ones. I guess, technically to all of these people though, I was new, five years is a long time to be away and to still consider yourself part of the woodwork. I was snapped out of my subconscious though when a hand was placed gently on my shoulder and I turned to see a warm smiling face, that hadn't changed a single bit.
"Caillen, it is so good to have you back!" came the delighted tone of the illustrious Albus Dumbledore, renowned headmaster of Hogwarts. I felt the smile spread across my face and the overwhelming sensation that I was finally back where I belonged. "I'm so glad to be home!" I exclaimed a little too high pitched for my own liking, drawing the attention of some of the students who were passing by. He laughed and began walking in the direction of his office and I naturally followed, taking in all the corridors, tapestries, statues and ghosts along the way, thanking my almost eidetic memory for never letting me forget this place.
When we entered his office, Fawkes was perched on his post and I swear he was happy to see me, as he ruffled his feathers and gave a nod in my direction. Before I had even taken a seat though, his office door burst open and in fell a pile of bodies all trying to be the first one through the door. I stifled a laugh as I studied the faces all picking themselves up from the ground, and like a rolodex my brain started going through the many people I had met in my life and attaching names to these faces. For the most part it was blatantly obvious, with their shocks of bright red hair flopping over their faces we had; Fred, George and Ron Weasley. And once they had straightened up I could see we also had Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and the boy wonder himself Harry Potter. "Boys, I told you not to go barging in there!" the exasperated voice of Professor McGonagall came flowing in after them, before she too appeared in the doorway to the office.
She was about to speak again when she noticed all of them were silent and still, as though they had just been petrified, and that's when she looked over to where they were all staring, and of course seen me. "Caillen my dear?!" as the words left her mouth she moved quicker than even I could remember she could and grabbed me in an embrace that was extremely unpredicted. "I didn't know we would be seeing you again…" she began before shooting one of her classic looks across to Dumbledore, "Albus! You knew and you never said?!" she snapped, but shook her head and smiled none the less. Before I even had a chance to speak I realized we still had an audience and things were quickly becoming awkward, so I just stepped past Professor McGonagall to face the gate crashers of my return meeting.
"Hello boys, what can I do for you?" I gave a cheeky smirk, attending school in America for 5 years I had picked up a lot of their mannerisms but never once did my broad Scottish accent fade. Seamus didn't look like he even knew how to speak anymore, Dean had already started backing out the room, Ron and Harry just looked from me back to each other over and over again which made me laugh and then the Weasley twins, you could always count on them to break the tension. Fred stepped forward, quickly followed by George, "Sorry to intrude on, whatever this…is," he waved his arms around the room, "But we heard Wood's was back and we were all just dying to see him…but instead we seem to have found you…" he trailed off only for George to finish the sentence, "Not that any of us are complaining about that though!" they both winked at the same time and now I couldn't even stifle my laugh. Professor McGonagall was about to interject when I could hear "Minervra…" being whispered in a tone that suggested just letting this play out.
"That's the trouble with rumours, they spread so quickly." I quipped, all eyes still firmly rooted on me. Now had I been back in Ilvermory, I would have probably just left the room at that point. I had built quite the reputation for myself based on my sarcasm and unwitting ability of being a bit of a bitch, but that's what happens when you get sent to a school you don't want to go to. I had swore to my parents if they allowed me to go back to Hogwarts now that I was 16, I would actually behave this time, and not actively try to turn people against me, so no time like the present to start. I smiled sweetly, not something I did very often, which evoked a raised eyebrow from Professor McGonagall that I chose to ignore and stuck my hand out. "You did hear correctly though that Wood was returning, you just all assumed it would be my, oh so amazing, talented, star quidditch playing, older brother. Sorry to disappoint." I drawled out – I said I would try to be nice, I didn't say it would come easy – imitating every girl and most guys I had ever met when it came to talking about Oliver.
The boys all looked stunned, Seamus's face hadn't really changed to be honest, but the rest were now standing with the usual confused expression, I was used to seeing at the announcement of my existence from my brothers big ass shadow. "Oliver has a sister" George said to Fred, who nodded but with an look that read, I had no fucking idea either. I could see the questions formulating in their minds, and thankfully so could the professors, who ushered them out at this point before anything more could be said. McGonagall gave me a final squeeze, then continued shooing them out the room and locking the office door behind her. Maybe I should have just stayed in America…
As quickly as that thought entered my head, was as quick as it left again, I couldn't really deny how happy I was to be back here after all this time, even if it did mean I was undoubtedly back in my brothers shadow. "It's always the same you know…" I sighed, throwing myself down onto one of the large plush armchairs that sat in the corner of the office. "But you my dear, are a remarkable witch in your own right, and we couldn't be happier to have you finish out your schooling here." Dumbledore spoke softly, knowing a little ego boost always helped after a comparison to my champion of a brother. "Thank you Professor, you're too kind" I joked, pretending to be embarrassed. "So… please tell me I don't need to be sorted… again?" I questioned, as my eyes caught to sorting hat perched on the shelf to my left.
I was sorted as every young witch and wizard is, on my first day at Hogwarts and was placed into Ravenclaw, which was no surprise to me, but to much distain of my family who expected me to continue on the family path. But I mean an eidetic memory only really works for Ravenclaw. But then when I was transferred to Ilvermory for my second year, due to my father working over there, they made me go through their entire sorting ceremony along with all the first years, which set me off on a bad note with the school from the outset, and I landed in Wampus and not the Horned Serpent like I had wanted. So now that I was back, I was hoping I could just slip back to Ravenclaw as the sorting hat had first predicted and get on with my school year from there. But I could see the look on Dumbledore's face and knew I wasn't about to like the answer. "If you had been sorted into the Horned Serpent then I would have no issue placing you back into Ravenclaw, but because you weren't I feel the most responsible action is to have the hat decide…" he trailed off as I sat like a petulant child in a huff. "But we can just do it here, instead of at the ceremony, so you have time to settle before supper!" I looked up as he said this, and he dropped the hat straight onto my head, and I couldn't believe I didn't see that coming. I basically ignored the hat; you get used to it by the third attempt and jumped as he yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" I don't think it realized there was no audience to appeal too. And my heart sank knowing how happy my family would be that I was finally fore filling the family honour and would graduate a Gryffindor. I gave a pathetic smile to Professor Dumbledore as I unlocked the office door and headed off no doubt in the exact same route as all the boys who left not too long before me. Yet again I wondered if I should have just stayed in America…