My first Harry Potter fic! There are some spoilers from all seven books, so beware! I don't own Harry Potter. Um...the rating may change in the future as they get older. I'm trying to stay as close to the canon as possible. If Hagrid shows up, I just wasn't sure what year he started, I know Molly Weasley made some vague reference to a different grounds keeper but we'll just keep that to ourselves, shall we? Um...enjoy, R&R, all that good stuff.
"Remember, if you get hungry, just tickle the pear in the painting of fruit underneath the Great Hall to get into the kitchens."
"I know, mum"
"Don't talk to anyone you don't know."
"Dad, that's everyone."
"If you get in trouble, don't forget the Disillusionment Charm your father taught you."
"I won't."
"Listen to everything your teachers say, dear."
At this, Montgomery could barely suppress rolling her eyes. Yeah, right. Climbing aboard the crimson train, she gave her parents one last kiss and a hug before turning and walking through the crowded corridor. She found an empty compartment at the back of the carriage and dragged her trunk inside just as the train lurched forward.
As she looked out the empty compartment window at her smiling parents, Montgomery couldn't help but grin herself. This is it. A new beginning. Of course, she would always love her home, but being an only child had always made her feel a little lonely. Now, she would have a whole school full of people to spend time with. Not to mention, her parents were so over-protective, Montgomery was looking forward to breaking some rules, maybe going out to wander the halls after hours…
A loud thump snapped Montgomery out of her reverie and she looked over her shoulder as two first-years walked in through the sliding door. One of them, a pale girl with dark red hair and green eyes, looked rather cross and sat down with a "huff" of anger. The other, a lanky boy with long dark hair and a hooked nose, followed suit, though he looked as though he were suppressing a smirk. Montgomery cleared her throat and they both looked up, apparently unaware that there was anyone else in the compartment with them.
"Oh, sorry. Do you mind if we sit here with you?" asked the girl in a friendly voice as she gave an apologetic smile.
"Course not," Montgomery said as she smiled back and held out her hand. "Montgomery Finkle."
"Lily Evans. This is Severus Snape," she replied as she shook hands and motioned over to the boy.
"Pleasure," he mumbled monotonously.
"So why were you two so late to get a compartment?" Montgomery asked, grabbing onto her first contact with classmates. Severus and Lily looked at each other awkwardly.
"These two guys were being prats is all," said Lily, giving a frustrated sigh. "Honestly, what a way to leave a first impression," she muttered to no one in particular. The boy looked at her for a minute before turning back to Montgomery, apparently keen on getting away from the touchy topic.
"So…any idea what house you are going to be in?" he asked with a light-hearted voice that didn't fit his dark features.
"No idea," she said, shrugging her shoulders absentmindedly. "My mum was in Hufflepuff, my dad was in Ravenclaw. I guess I'm up for grabs. What about you?"
"Slytherin," he said with a proud smile, his eyes lighting up for the first time since they'd met.
"I think I have an uncle who was in Slytherin...What about you…Lily?" she asked a little hesitantly. The girl was glaring out the window, as though she was still raging inside about the two boys from before.
"Oh, I dunno," she said casually, turning back into the conversation. "My parents are muggles so I've no idea really…" The three continued talking throughout the afternoon as the train sped across the English countryside. When it began growing dark, an older student peeked his head in and told Montgomery and Lily they were almost at Hogwarts, so they should probably change. Severus had apparently been eager about school as he was already in his robes.
When the Hogwart Express slowed to a stop outside Hogsmeade Station, the three looked at each other excitedly before hopping off the train. "Firs' years," shouted an alarmingly tall man that could be seen standing over the crowds of students. He looked over at Montgomery and gave a friendly wave. She smiled back undecidedly before Lily grabbed hers and Severus's hands and dragged them towards the gentile giant.
"Come on, this way!" she called, looking over her shoulder and laughing. Montgomery and Severus looked at each other with raised eyebrows before breaking out in laughter themselves. There's something about this girl, thought Montgomery as she allowed herself to be pulled into a boat by Lily, you can't help but smile around her.
The mood seemed to have been doused in ice water as all the first years stood in the entrance hall, awaiting their sorting. All of the students fidgeted quietly and shot each other worried looks as Professor McGonagall stood before them, delivering some sort of speech. Montgomery was too busy looking around at her classmates to really pay attention. She wondered vaguely which would be her friends. Which would be her enemies. Who she would die for. Who she would live to see everyday…
"That's them," Lily's hiss stopped her daydreaming as the two girls looked over at a couple boys that were huddled together. The one with glasses seemed to be trying to cheer up the other by turning Professor McGonagall's barely visible socks bright pink. Montgomery could only guess that he was as nervous about the sorting as everyone else around them.
"They don't look so bad," she whispered back to Lily, who was looking at her expectantly.
"Just you wait 'til one of them opens his mouth around you, you'll see." Montgomery only nodded as the crowd started shifting towards the door to the Great Hall.
Lily was the first of the three of them to be sorted. As the hat shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!" she walked over to the cheering table, giving Severus a sad look. Montgomery only had time to give him an encouraging smile before her own name was called.
"Finkle, is it?" whispered the hat in her ear as it was slipped over her head. She gave a small start. "Never know where you're going to turn up in your lot," it said thoughtfully. "Good intuition, but loyal too. Don't scare easy, either, eh? Eager to make friends…but still looking for fun, better be…GRYFFINDOR," it shouted finally. Montgomery got up and walked over to sit between Lily and the boy who had needed cheering up before. He looked plenty pleased now though.
"Sirius Black," he said jovially and he grabbed Montgomery's hand.
"Montgomery Finkle," she said, smiling. Hogwarts was just full of pleasant people. She looked over at Lily, who was staring at Severus.
"Do you…do you think he could be in Gryffindor?" asked Montgomery, trying to lighten the mood. Lily cocked her head thoughtfully but Sirius let out a snort.
"That kid? Just look at him!" he said indignantly.
"I thought you said all your family was in Slytherin," Lily retorted bitterly.
"Yeah, well they're a load of gits, aren't they?" Montgomery looked at him sternly.
"You're pretty quick to judge people. He seemed nice enough on the train." Sirius looked at her, apparently at a loss for words but then Professor McGonagall called, "Potter, James" and his interest was once again absorbed by the sorting.
Hours later, Montgomery and her roommates were all sitting in their beds, talking animatedly about Hogwarts. It was hard to believe, but there was already gossip flying around the school.
"Did you see that Sirius Black character?" asked one girl with dark pigtails whose name, Montgomery recalled vaguely, was Alison Hung.
"Yeah, what about him?" she asked in what she hoped was an interested tone. Alison gave her an exasperated look.
"He's only the dreamiest guy I've ever seen in my life." Lily looked like she was growing bored with the conversation.
"Please," she sighed, "He's eleven years old. I doubt that boys that young even have hormones."
"We're all eleven," piped in one of their other roommates, a small girl with a long brown ponytail who Montgomery thought was called Lorraine Wilson. "You don't have to be such a spoil-sport." Lily rolled her eyes and fell back onto her bed with a groan.
"I'm going to bed," she said as she pulled her curtains closed rather more aggressively than necessary. Montgomery looked at her watch, 10:30, before hopping down off her bed.
"I was going to go explore the school, anyone wanna come with me?" Alison and Lorraine shook their heads. Lily popped her head out of the curtains and said a polite "No thanks" before disappearing again. Their last roommate, a girl with golden skin and long, black hair named Janis Rodriguez looked like she was considering it, but finally declined the invitation. "Suit yourselves," she said with a content sigh as she walked over to the mirror.
A tall girl with droopy hazel eyes looked back. She was too thin and too tall for her age and could have passed for a boy had it not been for the wavy blonde hair she had tied to the side. As the other girls looked on, Montgomery smirked and gave her head a sharp jab with her wand.
Janis gasped. It was as though Montgomery was melting into wall behind her. "How'd you learn to do that," said Alison, her eyes wide in awe.
"My dad taught me," she said as her feet seemed to disappear into the floor. "It's one of the only things I can do though," she added as a second thought, not wanting to seem too conceded. Janis got up from her bed.
"If you can put that charm on me, I'll go with you," she said with a mischievous look.
The two girls slipped quietly through the portrait-hole, passed a confused Fat Lady and into the dark hallway. "Since there's no real light, these Disillusionment Charms should conceal us well enough," Montgomery whispered behind her to Janis. "Now, where should we go now that all of Hogwarts is at our fingertips?"
"I dunno," said Janis with a little laugh. "I guess it's just the fact that we're not supposed to do it that's so fun." The two edged along the hallway cautiously, still unfamiliar with their new surroundings. They headed down the stairs into the now abandoned Great Hall. Montgomery was suddenly reminded of how little she had eaten, having been too busy meeting new people at dinner to really take in a full meal.
"Wanna go down into the kitchens?" she asked. She could feel Janis's bewildered look, even if she couldn't see her face.
"We just ate."
"I was too busy socializing," she answered airily, pretending that she was above food.
"Haha, fine. But I don't know where they are, do you?" Montgomery nodded, but remembered that she was practically invisible.
"Yeah, my mum told me."
"You sure have useful parents." They both laughed quietly as they headed towards the kitchens.
"What are your parents like, then?" asked Montgomery after a while.
"Oh, well we moved here from Spain a few years ago and they opened up a chain of restaurants, so they're quite busy, thank god"
"Oh, so they're muggles?"
"Yup."
"You don't like them?"
"Well I mean, they're just a bit stressful to be around. But we get along well enough I suppose."
"You're lucky, my parents do nothing but hang around me," Montgomery said with an annoyed sigh. "Being an only child sucks."
"Can't sympathize with you there, I've got three older brothers."
"Do they go here?" she asked as she reached up and tickled the pear in the painting.
"No…they're…muggles, too," answered Janis, who was busy looking at the huge hall that had opened up before them with dozens of house elves bustling about. One of them stopped as the portrait opened and looked at them curiously.
"Um, is someone there, misses or sirs?" Montgomery smiled and tapped her and Janis on the head. As they reappeared, the house-elf gave a bow. "Anything I can do for you?" he asked as others stopped to crowd around the girls.
"Yeah," Janis giggled, "My friend here was hungry. Maybe some pudding to fill her deprived stomach?" At once, a dozen trays of all the desserts you could think of were thrust upon them and they grabbed the nearest one, showering gratitude onto the elves.
"Let's sit by the fire," suggested Montgomery. Just as the two girls were settling down for a nice little feast of their own, a squeaking signaled the opening of the portrait and they leapt up in surprise.
"…great-great-grandfather told me about this place. Annoying git really, but good for some…What are you doing here?" Montgomery looked in the direction of the voice, which sounded vaguely familiar.
"Whose there?" she shouted in what she hoped was an intimidating voice.
"Oh right, the cloak," came another voice from the same direction. As quickly as she blinked, there were two boys standing at the entrance to the kitchens: Sirius Black and James Potter.
"We were hungry," Janis finally answered, a bit defensively.
"I thought only guys had bottomless stomachs," said Sirius offhandedly as they ambled over to the fireplace and sat down beside them.
"Nope," said Montgomery as she took an exaggerated bite out of a cream puff.
"Never thought I'd see such young masters down in the kitchens," said an elf as he came by to offer the boys more trays of food.
"Yeah, well this school's gonna see a lot that it hasn't now that we're here," said James with a mysterious wink at the elf.
"Haha, I'm sure it will," chuckled Montgomery as an idea popped into her head. Tomorrow morning was going to be very fun indeed…