Disclaimer: Everything about Harry Potter and his world belongs to J K Rowling; I'm just borrowing it. The only things I own are the plotline and the characters that I've made up myself. My own characters are purely fictional and from my own head, any relation to other fictional characters or actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Summary: It's our choices that make us who we are, but what happens when a spirited girl with no prejudices arrives at Hogwarts and allows the Sorting Hat to make her choice for her?
Authors Notes: This story is something I never thought I would write, as it contains a lot of elements I never thought I'd include in one of my stories. For a start it introduces non J K Rowling characters in the form of the first years, it is from their point of view that most of the story is told. Secondly it also completely ignores the events of the sixth book, at the beginning of the story Harry is only just starting his sixth year at Hogwarts. Finally although there may be occasional references to things that actually happen in the sixth book for the most part this story will follow it's own plot. Ok now that's out of the way I hope I haven't put you off reading, I just have a few more things to add before the story begins.
Firstly the surname of my main character was in no way intended to be translated (as for example Draco Malfoy is) as far as I know it has no translation; it is simply a name I made up that sounded French.
Now last but not least I hope you enjoy reading this story and will be kind enough to review once you have read this chapter. Let me know where I've gone wrong, what I've done right and if you are enjoying it so far. Now assuming you're still with me and haven't fallen asleep, on with the story!
Chapter 1: Obliged To Offer A Service
"Get the post will you Maddie?"
Madeline groaned and dragged herself over to the window to untie the post from the owls' legs. They waited obediently as she paid for the family's Daily Prophet, wrestled with the knots on the weekly letter from Auntie Rosemary and finally untied an old fashioned looking envelope addressed to herself. One by one the owls flew off as they were relieved of their burdens and Maddie threw the post to the table, eager to examine her own letter. Already she could feel her heart thumping harder in her chest, could this letter be about her schooling next year? She hadn't heard anything yet and she was beginning to worry that maybe she hadn't been given a place in any magical school although she hadn't shared this worry with her parents.
Her heart leapt as she pulled out the parchment and saw the heading: "Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Bacon Maddie?" her mother was asking, but Maddie just sat dumbly a huge grin plastered on her face, her deep green eyes sparkling with happiness.
"Earth to Maddie." Her sister joked, waving a hand in front of her face. Suddenly to everyone's surprise Maddie leapt up from the table with a huge whoop of delight. Her mother only just managed to stop the bacon going on the floor as Maddie flung her arms around her.
"I got in! I got in!" she yelled, "I'm going to Hogwarts!"
It was several minutes before Maddie calmed down enough to examine the rest of the letter and several more before her mother managed to extract the equipment list and agree that they should go to Diagon Alley to purchase them that day.
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A few hours later Maddie, her mum, dad and sister were all standing in Diagon Alley ready to purchase Maddie's school supplies.
"Robes first." said her mother briskly, guiding them all towards Madam Malkins. Inside several other students were being measured for robes and when Maddie's turn came she found herself standing next to a tall red haired boy who looked a lot older and a lot more grown up than she felt right now.
"Mum, mum, look. It's Harry Potter." Her sister was whispering rather loudly as she tugged at her mums robes.
"Vincenza! Don't be so rude." Her mother reprimanded sharply before turning to a dark haired boy with an apologetic smile. Maddie hadn't noticed him standing there before talking with his red haired friend, but now he turned and smiled at her and Maddie caught a glimpse of his famous scar under his messy hair.
"Is it your first year at Hogwarts?" he asked. Maddie nodded dumbly, trying not to stare at his scar. "You'll love it there, don't be too nervous about the sorting, it's not as bad as everyone makes out." Maddie grinned, not really sure what to say. "I'm Harry, this is Ron." He continued in a friendly tone "We're in Gryffindor."
"I'm Maddie." Having finally found her voice, Maddie managed to shake the hands both Harry and Ron offered in her direction. "Nice to meet you."
"Well I guess we'll see you around school then." Harry finished as he and Ron gathered their purchases and started to head to the door.
"Bye." She called after them as they turned and gave her friendly waves.
As soon as the door closed Maddie's mum began scolding Vinny all over again about how it was rude to point at people and how Harry wasn't some sort of trophy to ogled over. Maddie though was just happy to have met someone friendly from the school, even if they were two boys who were a lot older and who she would probably never speak to again. The nervous knot that had been forming in her stomach ever since she read her letter loosened itself a little.
Maddie didn't see the two boys again as her mother hurried her to various shops, purchasing books, cauldrons, ingredients and much more, until her father was weighed down with packages. The last thing on the list was a wand, which they purchased from Ollivander's. Maddie was very proud of her unicorn hair and dragon heartstring yew wand, it was n unusual combination Ollivander had said, very good for charm work.
Finally all that was left to purchase was an owl, which Maddie's mum had promised to get her. Whilst they went into Eeylop's, Vinny and her dad went into Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Ten minutes later Maddie emerged carrying a magnificent snowy owl in a large gold cage, and Vinny cuddling a tiny Pygmy Puff she had convinced their father to buy for her.
After a brief look round Quality Quidditch Supplies they made their way back home, Maddie resolving to read all her set books before the beginning of the year and Vinny talking excitedly about her new Pygmy Puff and trying to think up names for it.
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September came round slowly for Maddie. Sometimes she wished she could speed the days up so they all rushed by in a blur, but she couldn't, so the days followed one another in the same neat and ordered way they had always done until eventually September arrived and Maddie was on her way to the station.
At the barrier between platforms nine and ten Maddie's parents said their goodbyes.
"Do be careful dear, you know how dangerous things are now." Said her mum worriedly, giving her another hug. "And try your best in all your lessons."
"I know you'll make us proud darling." Her dad smiled as he gave her a hug.
"Off you go now." Urged her mum "We don't want you to miss your train."
Maddie nodded and began pushing her trolley towards the barrier, the knot in her stomach twisting tighter as she turned to wave. She caught a glimpse of her sister hopping around excitedly, waving and yelling goodbye before she felt herself pass through the wall and onto platform nine and three quarters.
At once she stopped in amazement at the sight of the enormous steam train standing puffing at the platform. Students of all ages hurried around greeting each other in loud voices. Some like herself wore their school robes already, whilst others were dressed in muggle clothing. Some strode around confidently laughing with their friends whilst the younger ones who were first years like herself hung back shyly with their parents.
Grinning from ear to ear Maddie pushed her trolley over to an open doorway and began to try and heave her trunk onto the train. Her grin soon faded as she realised the trunk was far too heavy for her to lift and she resorted to edging it up onto the train inch by inch. Soon she was panting and sweating from the effort, but knew she couldn't take a break, if she did the trunk would slip and all her hard work would be lost.
"Need a hand there?" Maddie looked up at the offer of help. It wasn't an offer of kindness she noticed, there was no warmth in the voice, its tone was polite and cold as if this service was something the owner of the voice felt obliged to offer. Still an offer was an offer, she clearly wasn't getting anywhere by herself so she nodded up at the pale blonde owner of the voice.
"Yes please." She nodded, moving away from her trunk to give him room. To her surprise though the boy didn't move, instead he turned to two huge tough looking boys standing next to him.
"Give her a hand you two." He ordered and immediately they began hauling the trunk onto the train. Maddie was rather surprised at this, who was this tall blonde who could order around others so easily? Especially two who seemed so tough, they looked as if they could easily knock out the tall slender boy if they wanted to, yet here they were doing exactly as he told them without any complaint. They must be a bit stupid she thought to herself, perhaps this pale boy was the brains and they were the muscle in some little gang. That sounded about right. Maddie wasn't stupid; she knew how things like this worked.
"Thanks." She addressed herself to the blonde boy as she said this, even though he hadn't really done any of the actual work, she knew it was what was expected and she wasn't about to get on the wrong side of someone who obviously held a lot of power over other students. The two lackeys, as Maddie now thought of them, managed to get the trunk wedged into a compartment and Maddie followed with her owl.
"What's your name?" The blonde one asked. Maddie was a little unsure why he was asking, after all he had done what he obviously considered his duty by helping her and he was a lot older than her, he couldn't be looking for her friendship.
"Madeline LeCardieu." She replied a little nervously "But everyone calls me Maddie."
"Draco Malfoy and this is Crabbe and Goyle." The boy stated, jerking his thumb at the other two as he spoke. "Are you related to Helena LeCardieu?"
"She's my great aunt." Maddie blinked in surprise as Draco asked about her relative who lived in France, Maddie hadn't seen her since she was younger but she'd heard she was quite high up in the French Ministry of Magic. How did Draco know her? The question was soon answered.
"My father knows her." Draco continued, looking at Maddie with slightly more interest. "Well I suppose we better be going." He turned and exited before Maddie even had chance to respond, Crabbe and Goyle trailed out after him, leaving Maddie sitting alone in her compartment. She was a little confused about the meeting, at first Draco had seemed to regard her as someone he was helping to do his duty, but then when she mentioned her name he had seemed to look at her with more interest. Maddie hoped he didn't want her to join his little 'gang', she certainly wasn't about to start running round after him no matter how powerful he was.
The name Malfoy rang a bell as well, Maddie tried to remember what her mother had told her. The Malfoys were an old pure blood wizarding family like the LeCardieu's she recalled, her mother hadn't been very complimentary about them though, something about their father being in Azkaban on Death Eater charges? Maddie shivered slightly, she might be from a pure blood family but they had never had any time for Voldemort and his followers. The LeCardieu's were nobody's followers her father had always said. Besides the muggles let them live in peace nowadays, so why shouldn't they allow the muggles to do the same and if the odd one turned out to have magical abilities there was nothing wrong with that either. They had ridden out Voldemort's reign of terror by keeping themselves to themselves they had told her, speaking out for neither side and as far as Maddie knew that was what they planned on doing this time.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the train began to move and she watched as the station began to slide past the window before her carriage emerged into the open air and the houses around them started to blur as the train picked up speed. At first Maddie sat looking out the window wondering what Hogwarts would be like, but after about an hour she began to get bored of this and was just thinking about getting a book out of her trunk when the door to her compartment slid open again.
Draco Malfoy strode in, followed by his henchmen who closed the door roughly behind them.
"You don't mind if we join you do you?" It was really more of a statement than a question and before Maddie had time to respond Draco had sat himself down opposite her and spread his legs along the seat. Crabbe and Goyle plonked themselves heavily on the seat next to her, although thankfully nearer the door than to her.
Realising that she was wrinkling her nose at them in disgust Maddie turned away quickly, not wanting to appear rude and fearing that the older boy opposite her might have noticed. She glanced over at him and realised that he had, all he did though was give her a strange sort of smirk and bend his knees up so he could rest his arms on them.
"So which house do you think you'll be in?" Draco asked after a few minutes silence. Maddie looked at him in alarm, this wasn't something she had thought about much. She knew their were four houses at Hogwarts and that there was some sort of ceremony to decide which one you were placed in, but apart from that she didn't know much about it. After Harry had told her it wasn't that bad she hadn't really worried about it, assuming that it would be all sorted out once she got there.
"I don't know, I don't really know much about them." She confessed. Immediately she sensed this was the wrong thing to say as Draco's lip curled a little in disgust.
"What do you mean you don't know, you are a pureblood aren't you?" He was looking at her a little suspiciously now as if he suspected she had been lying to him. "What about your parents, they must have told you something? Or did they not raise you?" It was a strange question Maddie thought, and a rather impolite and personal one as well, but she didn't like the look Draco was giving her so she hurriedly explained.
"My parents were brought up in France, they went to Beaubaxtons. So did all my relatives." She frowned at him a little; just enough to let him know what she thought of his next question "Of course they raised me." She spat that last statement out a little more viciously than she intended, and for a moment was uneasy about how Draco might react. He did raise one eyebrow a little in surprise, but gave her a look that implied he would let her tone of voice graciously slide this time.
Maddie suddenly didn't care, who did this boy think he was anyway, the Minister for Magic? His father was in Azkaban; he didn't have that much to be proud of.
"Well that would explain it then." He mused half to himself before continuing "Four houses, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin." Maddie noticed his lip curl again as he mentioned Gryffindor and she remembered that was the house Harry and Ron had told her they were in. "I'm in Slytherin." Draco continued, "That's the best house naturally." He smirked at her again. You'll be sorted into a house depending on which traits you share with the founder who gave his name to that house. Supposedly Hufflepuffs are loyal, Ravenclaws value learning, Gryffindors are brave…" again his lip curled as he said this "and Slytherins are cunning. If you ask me though Gryffindors are just stupid."
"Why?" The question slipped out before Maddie could stop it and Draco hesitated for a moment looking confused, before he sneered slightly.
"They just are. You'll see. I don't expect you would understand being in first year."
Maddie said nothing she merely raised her eyebrows at him, letting him know that this wasn't a comment she took kindly to. Draco stared back and suddenly you could cut the atmosphere in the compartment with a knife. Before either one could say anything though it was broken by the arrival of a lady who popped her head round the compartment door.
"Anything from the trolley dears?"
Maddie turned to look, any annoyance with Draco forgotten as she gazed at the piles of treats. In the end she bought rather a lot, as did Crabbe and Goyle. Draco bought a couple of chocolate frogs and retired back to his seat.
There was silence in the compartment for a while, broken only by the rather noisy eating of Crabbe and Goyle. Maddie tried to ignore it as she bit the head off her second chocolate frog and examined her cards.
"Who did you get?" Maddie looked up at the question to see Draco gazing at her a sort of half smile playing across his lips as if he found something rather funny.
"Nicholas Flammel." Maddie replied, throwing it across to him "And Gildroy Lockheart." Draco looked surprised at Maddie throwing the card to him rather unceremoniously, but caught it deftly. Maddie had to hide her laughter as she realised Draco was probably more used to having things handed to him reverently by Crabbe and Goyle. "Who did you get?" She asked, realising he was waiting for her to ask the question and her curiosity making her oblige.
Slowly Draco turned the card round, a smile actually flitting across her face as Maddie's mouth fell open. Gazing up at her from the card was none other than Helena LeCardieu, her great auntie.
"I didn't know she was on these cards!" she squealed when she recovered her power of speech and began bouncing up and down in her seat. "This is so cool!" Draco gave a short laugh and threw the card over to her, Maddie wasn't such a good catch and it fell to the floor, where she dived to pick it up. It wasn't until she sat back in her seat that she realised Draco had actually been laughing at her rather immature reaction and she blushed rather violently, bending her head to examine the card to hide her red cheeks.
After a moment she held the card back out to Draco, and was a little surprised when he shook his head.
"Keep it, I don't collect them." He said it flippantly, again it wasn't a kind gesture, his tone implied that he was far too old for something so trivial as collecting chocolate frog cards.
Shrugging and not really caring if he thought she was babyish Maddie stowed the cards away in her trunk. What did he expect? After all she was a first year, she figured that gave her licence to do a few immature things.
Draco had his legs up on the seat again, arms resting on his knees and was now staring at the opposite wall of the compartment lost in thought. Maddie left him for a few minutes, concentrating on munching her way through a carton of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. After a while though she felt it was only polite to offer him some, after all he had helped her earlier and given her his cards even if neither gesture had been done out of kindness.
Draco looked surprised at her offer, as if it wasn't something he expected, but helped himself to a handful and lapsed back into silence as he ate them. Maddie was beginning to get rather bored, she actually wished she could wander round the train to try and find some more first years before they arrived at Hogwarts station, but she wasn't sure if she was allowed and besides she felt it might be a little rude to leave now.
To alleviate the boredom she began throwing the beans into the air attempting to catch them in her mouth. Her and Vinny had been practising over the holidays, but she still wasn't that good. One of the beans bounced off her nose and onto Goyle's lap, he grunted, looked at her, looked at the bean and then popped it into his mouth. Maddie wasn't that bothered, it wasn't like she would eat it after it had been on his robes; the way he was eating was absolutely disgusting. She went back to throwing her beans but was interrupted a moment later by a voice.
"You're not throwing them high enough." Surprised she missed the bean she had just thrown and looked down to see Draco staring at her with interest. "Watch." He said before throwing his last bean high into the air and catching it neatly in his mouth. He grinned suddenly at her and Maddie had to admit she was impressed, not only by his bean catching abilities but also by how much nicer he looked when he was genuinely smiling. Maddie grinned back and offered him some more beans.
"Show me again." She demanded as Draco helped himself. Obligingly he threw and caught another bean just as neatly. Maddie tried again, this time throwing the bean higher, but she still missed and the bean rolled off onto the carriage floor.
"Tilt your head back more." Draco instructed. Maddie tried but pulled her head forward at the last minute causing the bean to bounce off her nose.
"I'm always afraid I'll choke." She admitted, to her surprise Draco didn't sneer at her as she expected, instead he nodded.
"That's why you have to make sure your tongue is in the way so the bean can't go straight down your throat. Besides if you do start to choke it's ok, I've got my wand and I know how to stop it." He pulled out his wand and pointed it at her throat. Maddie wondered if this was meant to be reassuring, she wasn't quite sure she liked having a much older, more experienced wizard pointing a wand directly at her throat. "Go on try again."
Maddie did, this time the bean bounced off her lip and she cursed loudly. Draco raised an elegant eyebrow again and she grinned and blushed apologetically. She threw up another bean and this time she caught it! Grinning triumphantly she quickly swallowed and tried again. Another perfect catch! Draco nodded and put his wand away.
"See I told you." He said grabbing another three beans "Soon you'll be able to do this." He threw all three beans one after the other into the air and quickly caught them one by one in his mouth. Maddie was impressed.
"Now you're just showing off." she laughed and Draco grinned suddenly again, before they were interrupted by a voice booming through the carriage, telling them to change into their robes and asking the prefects to report to the front carriage.
"That's me, I'm a prefect." said Draco standing up, the rather haughty cold look returning to his face "We'll be there soon so I suggest you pack everything away, you're already wearing your schools robes so luckily you don't need to change. First years get taken across the lake by Hagrid the gamekeeper." There was that familiar curl of the lip again. "Maybe I'll see you at the feast if you're sorted into Slytherin, if not see you around." He gave a funny sort of half smile and strode out the door, his robes whipping around him as he went. Crabbe and Goyle also disappeared, although Maddie noticed they went in the opposite direction, probably to find someone else to boss them around Maddie thought to herself.
Left alone in the compartment she began to pack her sweets back into her trunk. The voice had told them to leave everything on the train and she didn't have much to pack away so she was soon left sitting silently again watching the scenery flash past. Draco wasn't that bad she decided, at least not when he dropped his guard, and he looked rather friendly when he was smiling. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be in Slytherin, at least she would know someone there. It would have been nice though if she could have met someone her own age, then she wouldn't have to face this sorting thing alone.
Sighing she pulled a hair band from her trunk and proceeded to wrestle her dark brown hair back into a plait before she opened the compartment door and peeked out nervously.
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Well that's the end of the first chapter, thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think, both of the story so far and also of Maddie as a character.
Love and lollipops,
Sivany