**First Meeting**
I leaned my head against the cold hard window of the Hogwarts Express, letting the vibration of it run through my body. It was my first year, even though I'd be starting as a fourth year. Until this year, my father, the wizard of our mixed family, had demanded I be home schooled. He needed me...for reasons that most would be horrid to find out.
"Excuse me?" My head snapped to the compartments door and I stared into the eyes of a brown haired witch. "Do you mind if we three sit with you? All the other compartments are full." Her voice was quiet and sounded very sophisticated. I simply nodded and motioned to the seats across from me.
The brown hair girl walked in followed by a boy with bright orange hair and a pale face and a boy with midnight black hair and a peculiar scar on his forehead. The brown haired girl smiled warmly at me and I gave a tiny smile back.
In the awkward silence the red headed boy held out his hand and cleared his throat, "I'm Ron Weasley. This is Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."
I stuck out my hand and in a tiny voice whispered, "Echo Shylo."
"That's such a weird na-" Ron was cut off by a sharp jab in his side by Hermione.
"So," Hermione began with a nervous laugh," What house are you in? I've never seen you before."
"This is my first year at Hogwarts." My voice spoke with quiet confidence, as I looked the three of them in the eye.
"Really?" Harry's voice spilled with curiosity, "How old are you?"
"I'm fourteen, my dad just home schooled me tell now."
"Oh, that's cool. What about your mother? What does she do?" Hermione's warm brown eyes gazed friendly in my own.
"My mother died when I was six." I glanced at the passing hills that rolled behind the window.
"Oh," Hermione crossed the compartment and wrapped her arms around me, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up." My body went stiff as her arms circled my shoulders and I stared morosely out the window.
"Its okay," I replied in a somber tone," happened along time ago. I barley even remember her." But even as I said that I knew it was a lie. I remembered everything about her. Her long natural black hair, her warm blue eyes, and the way she always smelt just a bit like cinnamon.
"Well," Ron rubbed a hand nervously across the back of his neck. "You'll want to be sorted into Gryffindor. It's the best out of the four houses."
I nodded and detached myself from Hermione's comforting embrace. "Well, I better change soon." I looked down at my black skinny jeans and tight black BVB hoodie and converse. I smiled and got up with my messenger bag with my robes in it.
I walked out of the compartment and dodged as a paper bird flew past me with two younger children chasing after it. I shook my head and put my hood up, hiding behind my thick black bangs, the one thing I actually inherited from my mother.
While walking with my head bent forward, my shoulder bashed into someone's. "Hey!" I shouted as a tall blonde boy kept walking.
He turned around d, his green eyes narrowed with distaste, "You have a problem?"
"Yeah, actually I do! I think it's rude when people shoulder check someone without even an apology!"
The boy laughed harshly at me, "You obviously don't know who I am."
I cut him off with a quick shove in the chest, sending him back a few paces. "You're right I don't know who you are, nor do I give a damn. You're just an ignorant little boy, who at any other time, I'd punch in the face, but I'm trying not to get expelled on my first day!"
"Don't touch me, you filthy little mud-blood!" His eyes stared furiously at me.
"First, being muggle-born is nothing to be ashamed of, second I'm not. My father's a Wizard while my mother was a Metamorphmagus. So before you go around insulting people with racial slurs get your facts straight!" And before he could reply, I turned on my heel and marched into the bathroom, ignoring the gawking stares I was being in given by all the passengers, and a few smiles from my new friends.
***Arriving***
I rolled my eyes and ignored the little kids that bickered back and forth as I waited impatiently to be sorted into one of the houses. I bit my lip nervously and watched as I changed my nail colors from black, to purple, back to black. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a first year begin to stare at me in astonishment, so I quickly hid my hand in my robes pocket.
"Echo Shylo?" Professor McGonagall's loud voice boomed over the hushed room. With a deep breath, I walked confidently over to her and sat on the stool that rested beside her. She lowered the magical witch's hat onto my head and I involuntary gasped as I heard its raspy old voice speak in my ear.
"Hmm,difficultdifficult.You'vebeenthroughsomuchinyourlife,whichhasmadeyoucoldandsecretive,soSlytherinwouldbesuchagoodchoice.Butfromyourdarkandunsettlingpast,you'vebecomestrongerandmorebravethenmostwilleverydreamofbeing,whichwouldmakeyouperfectforGryffindor.Hmm..." I could feel the sorting hat go through my past; turning up everything I went through, everything I've every saw, everything I've ever felt. My heart hammered in my chest, my fingers gripped the wooden stool's edge, as I waited for its finale decision." Okay!" The hat screamed to everyone's eager ears,"Gryffindor!"
Relief spread through my body and a small smile grew on my lips. I got off the stool and walked confidently to where Hermione sat with Ron and Harry. They all gave me a quick hug and introduced me to the people nearest to us.
"This is Percy, Fred, George, and Ginny. They're all Ron's siblings." I didn't want to sound like a smart ass, but I could've told anyone that from a mile away from all his or her orange hair.
Instead I smiled and introduced myself, "I'm Echo. Echo Shylo." I looked closely at Ginny and seen her cheeks grow slightly red as she replied. She was shy. A smile grew on my lips as I looked at her innocence. She was so little and fragile to the world, she didn't know of half the dangers that not only lurked in the wizarding world, but in the muggle world as well.
"Well, instead of following the first years round, why don't we show you the ropes?" Fred-or was that George? - Asked lightly.
"I'd love that. Thanks." A little warm feeling behind my eyes told me they were changing color and my friends gasped.
"What was that?" Ron asked breathlessly.
"Oh, my eyes? What color are they right now?" I laughed and touched the side of my face.
"A silver color. Almost like a full moon." One of the twins said.
"Ah, that's what color they usually are. What color where they before?"
"A light blue." Hermione cocked her head to the side, "You're a Metamorphmagus aren't you?"
"That would be correct. My mother was one, so I inherited it I guess." I shrugged and gasped as the big oak table in front of me suddenly filled with food.
Harry gave a slight chuckle, "Don't worry when I first saw it do that, I did the same thing." I stared fixated at the food, while Ron hungrily helped himself.
I helped myself to some nice, warm spaghetti, and a cup of milk. I smiled as the taste exploded in my mouth. My eyes shut slowly as I remembered how my mom would make us this every Thursday after she got off work. I opened my eyes, so see my friends staring at me curiously. I could feel my cheeks begin to burn as I explained. "It's just I haven't had a home cooked meal in a very long time."
"Why not?" Asked Ginny.
"I really don't know. Just haven't." I looked away at the floor, knowing very well why I haven't. My father didn't have time to cook, between getting high and beating me...
A large man with a white beard appeared at the head of the room and his voice boomed over everyone. I listened in hushed awe.
"It is my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house quiditch cup will not take place this year."
"What?" Harry gasped. He looked around at Fred and George, his fellow members of the quiditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbledore went on "this is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing through the school year, taking up much of the teacher's time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -" A man marched into the room, just as the ceiling started to flicker and storm. Screams filled the air and I ducked under the table and squeezed my eyes shut. The man yelled something and with a flick of his wand the ceiling turned back to normal. I slowly came out from under; just as my friends we're doing the same.
"As I was saying," he smiled at the see of students before him, all of who were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, and "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly.
The tension that had filled the hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.
"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag and a leprechaun who all go into a bar."
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.
"Err - but maybe this is not the time. No." said Dumbledore, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament. Well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.
"The Triwizard tournament was first established between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."
"Death toll?" Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and I myself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago.
"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.
"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial Judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."
"I'm going for it!" Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing as the Hogwarts champion. At ever House table, I could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. I myself gave the thought of what would it be like to win that. My head spun with the possibilities. But knowing me, I would never have such luck to live through such compitition, let alone, win it. "Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older- will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This" - Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had maid noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious - "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred and George's mutinous faces. I laughed at their glares and Fred turned to me.
"What are you laughing at? Tell me you don't want this as bad as we do!"
"I don't want things that I'm never going to get. I find doing that only causes you heartache and disappointment." I looked off to the side, noticing the boy from the train gazing at me from a few tables over. Me not being able to hold a grudge for very long, I gave him a sweet small smile and waved. He looked at me curiously. I turned back and listened to Dumbledore.
"I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.
"The delegations from beauxbatons and durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy too our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole0hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"