Copyright Disclaimer: I don't own the world of Harry Potter, or most of these characters and settings. They were wonderfully created by J.K. Rowling, who I am not. I don't really own Jack or Elsa, either, but I've tailored them to fit this story. Enjoy!
"Bye Uncle Draco, bye Aunt Astoria!" Jack called over his shoulder as he dragged his large school trunk towards the Hogwarts Express. Next to him, his cousin Scorpius was muttering his disdain for the heavy cases.
"What does an eleven-year-old even need during their first year?" Scorpius scowled.
"Come on, Scorp, stop whining! Aren't you excited about what house you're going to end up in?" Jack himself was going into his second year.
Jack's cousin snorted. "I'm obviously going to end up in Slytherin."
"What about what your dad said the other day about the House images changing? You know, inter-house unity and all that jazz."
"Says the Slytherin," Scorpius sighed and changed the topic. He looked around the platform, and spotted a bundle of trademark Weasley-red hair. "Hey, there are the Potters, Weasleys and Mrs. Scamander. Let's go say hi." Surely Jack would shut up if he were in the presence of his best friend, James Potter.
On the way over to the family, Jack remembered that Lorcan and Lysander Scamander had two years to go before attending Hogwarts. "Wait, what's Mrs. Scamander doing here?"
Luna Scamander, née Lovegood had made the headlines various times in Jack's youth, both for being a friend of Harry Potter and for marrying Rolf Scamander. Their two dark-haired twins were quite the tricksters at house parties, which Jack and Scorpius were only really invited to thanks to James and Albus. Lily Luna pretended not to like Scorpius, but she adored Jack.
"Mum told me that she has a distant niece that is transferring from Beauxbatons. Rare to see new students that aren't in First Year, but here Elsa is. She's in your year."
Jack stared long at the girl, noting that the stereotype of beautiful Beauxbatons students was true. "I think I'm in love, Scorpius."
"Get in line, Jack. Don't you notice all those other guys staring at her, too?" Surrounding Elsa were some other Second Years Jack recognized, and they were all gawking. Scorpius continued talking about the unlikeliness of Jack actually getting Elsa's attention.
Jack got distracted and didn't realize his cousin was trying to get his attention. "What were you saying?"
Scorpius sighed again. "She could file a bloody Muggle restraining order at this rate. You know, you could just introduce yourself."
"Scorp, you're brilliant!"
"Don't thank me yet," Scorpius said as he walked over to Albus. "I'll see you later." Jack heard his retreating cousin grouch about non-attentive cousins to himself and shrugged. Scorpius was being pretty moody.
On his way over to the large group, Jack devised a plan in order to not make himself look like a fool. He decided that he'd use his best friend to introduce him to the new girl, and sauntered over to the black-haired boy. "Hey there, James! How was your summer?"
James was a bit horrified yet humored by Jack's terrible swagger. "Looking good there, Frost. Wait, Jack, didn't you and Scorpius spent every day over at my house?" Jack let out an exasperated gasp, but James didn't catch on, still completely confused, not noticing Jack flickering his gaze over to Elsa until he spent a few minutes pondering the possibilities. "Oh, wait, I get it!"
Jack didn't look very amused, but was relieved that they were finally on the same page. James wasn't normally that oblivious. "So, how was your summer?"
Moving closer to Elsa, who was chatting with Rose Weasley, James cleared his throat. "It was great!" he loudly replied, enunciating clearly. He smiled triumphantly when he caught Elsa's attention.
Elsa frowned for a second, but then noticed who it was. "It's just James," she said before turning back around. James hurried to grab her focus back to his friend.
"Hey Elsa, have you met my best mate?"
Elsa looked at Jack for a while as he started getting butterflies in his stomach. Then, she held out a hand. "Hi, my name's Elsa Winter. What's your name?"
"J-Jack Frost," Jack stammered in return. "By the way, y-you're really pretty." James promptly started guffawing, and Jack glared at his "oh-so-supportive" best friend.
"Thanks," she smiled politely in return, unfazed, and went back to her conversation.
Meanwhile, Scorpius had caught up with Albus, who he had hung out with during the summer days at the Potters. The parents were extremely nice to him, and he knew that was saying something - considering his own father wasn't too buddy-buddy with Mr. Potter. He directed his friend's attention to his floundering cousin, swinging an arm over the Potter. "Look there, Al. Jack is trying to impress Elsa." Behind the pair, they could hear the group of parents comforting and quieting their younger children. Hugo Weasley and Lily Potter were upset that their siblings got to leave while they had to wait two more years.
Scorpius and his friend ignored the younger children and turned their attention back to the older kids. Even from far away, Albus could tell Elsa was trying to ignore the attention she was getting from Jack. "Dear Merlin," Albus choked out between laughs. "Poor Jack, being disregarded like that."
Later on the train, Jack found himself in a compartment with Elsa, James, Liza Nott, Elijah Wood, Roxanne and Molly Weasley, and Evan Boot. If Uncle Draco wasn't right about the new inter-house unity, then Jack wouldn't know what to believe.
Jack was spending most of his time indiscreetly glaring at Elijah, who was giving Elsa a small Hogwarts history.
"First, you'll be sorted into a House by the Sorting Hat with the First Years. See, we don't get too many transfer students. In fact, the last one was about fifteen years ago. Don't worry, though. There's no wrong House at Hogwarts. See, Liza there is in Slytherin, and I'm in Gryffindor. Who knows? You may be a Ravenclaw. No offense intended towards the Hufflepuffs, but you don't seem like one of them." Elsa smiled brightly in return, thoroughly interested. Elijah continued, oblivious to Jack's scowls. "There's also a staircase with a trick step. You might want someone to be with you on the stairs to remind you where it is. James almost got himself stuck last year.
"Then there are Quidditch tryouts in a few weeks. I'm trying out for Keeper, like my dad." Elijah seemed ecstatic to be talking about his favorite sport. Seeing as his dad was Puddlemere United's current star player, it made sense. Jack chuckled a little - of course Elijah loved Quidditch. However, his frown returned when he noticed Elsa hanging on to every word.
Next to him, James let out a quiet laugh. "Oh, what a joy love is at only twelve-years old." Across from James, Evan heard and let out a chuckle.
Then, Sixth Year Gryffindor Prefect Victoire Weasley stopped by, poking her blonde curls in. "Hey guys, Hogsmeade Station is nearing. Get your school robes on, yeah?"
"You got it, Cousin," James saluted. Victoire saluted in return and gave him a wink back before she closed the compartment door. "See, Elsa, that there was my cousin Victoire. She's a prefect, which are like the school's academic and leading Chosen Ones."
The eight students then began pulling on their robes, adorning themselves with House ties while Elsa's robes stayed bare. "Hey Elsa, how do you like the Hogwarts robes?" Evan asked.
"Much better than the blue vests and skirts you have to wear at Beauxbatons for sure," she joked.
"Tell us about Beauxbatons, Elsa," Roxanne pleaded. "The Triwizard Tournament isn't for two years." Even though there had been tragedy at the last Tournament, Headmistress McGonagall decided to continue them to promote good relations with the other European wizarding schools.
"Beauxbatons is beautiful, and Christmas is stunning," Elsa started. She spent the rest of the train ride earnestly telling stories about her former school. They learned of her friends there, and they also learned that Beauxbatons was very large in attendance, that it wasn't all-female, and housed many nationalities. Elsa herself was French, but she had Norwegian, German and Italian friends. The fair-haired girl finished a story about antics she had pulled in her Potions class when the train rolled to a stop. Outside, Professor Hagrid stood waiting for the First Years, as was the norm.
"Come on, Elsa," Elijah ushered. "You can come on a carriage with us and I'll show you to the First Years crowd for you to be sorted before we go to the Great Hall." Once again, Jack was jealous of Elijah but realized that Elsa was already attached to the tall boy. Reluctantly, he boarded the vehicle.
Jack was the last one on the carriage, so he heard the last few words of a question Elsa was asking. "-drawing the carriages?"
"Thestrals," Molly answered. "You can't see them unless you've seen someone die."
"None of you can see them, right?"
James answered for the group. "No, and I'm pretty glad I can't."
Elsa sat quietly, just immersed in her thoughts until the thestrals came to a stop. Elijah nudged her slightly, helping her off the carriage. Jack made himself noticed by helping her when her robes got caught on a rogue twig. "Thanks, Jack," Elsa smiled. "So, Eli, where is that First Year crowd that you said I'd have to join?"
Roxanne came up beside the two and gestured to Victoire, suggesting that she find her way from there. "She's bringing up the rear of the group, so you should be able to catch up with her quickly."
Elsa waved and quickly took off, but not before Molly could say goodbye. "Good luck, Elsa! We'll see you later!"
When the rest of the group reached the castle doors, they split up. Evan went to his Ravenclaw friends; James, Molly, Roxanne and Elijah wandered off to the Gryffindor crowd; and Jack and Liza were left to catch up with Kevin and Claude, Jack's roommates from the Slytherin Dungeons.
Jack plopped himself down onto the Slytherin table bench and sighed, thinking that it would be a long Sorting Ceremony.
**
When Elsa caught up to the pretty Victoire, she had no trouble getting in line to be sorted. "Alright, Elsa," Victoire kindly directed, "you're going to just wait here until Headmistress McGonagall and the Sorting Hat finish their introductions. Then, Professor Longbottom will be calling off names in alphabetical order by last name and the Sorting Hat will sort you! Will you be fine? I can keep you company until it's your turn and have Henry over there corral the others."
Elsa was touched by the gesture, but politely turned it down. "I'll be fine, but thank you, Victoire." After all, she'd ended up next to Rose. Victoire bounded away to attend to her prefect duties and Rose started a conversation with Elsa.
"Elsa! I'm so glad you ended up by me. Are you nervous?" Rose asked.
"A little bit, but I'm sure the jitters will go away."
"I feel the same way; you know, I hope that I end up in a nice House. Gryffindor runs in my veins, but my mum told me the Hat had almost placed her in Ravenclaw."
Elsa was happy for her new friend's enthusiasm, but quoted Eli from earlier. "I'm sure you don't have to worry, Rose. There's no wrong House here."
"I guess you're right," Rose replied, but then the Headmistress addressed the Great Hall.
"I'd like to welcome all of you back to another year at Hogwarts," Headmistress McGonagall began. "I expect many great things out of this year and years to come, for we have achieved greatness out of every year prior to this one. Now, before we can enjoy our feast, we must let the Sorting Hat do its job."
The Sorting Hat then sung its song, which was undramatic yet pleasing to the ear. It told Elsa many things she'd hadn't known before, and she was intrigued when she figured out that it was charmed for Legilimency.
Elsa and Rose then sat through the sorting. The first recognizable name called was Scorpius Malfoy, who was obviously put in Slytherin. Before Scorpius, though, names like Sean Longbottom had been called (he was sorted into Gryffindor) and Rose informed her that it was indeed Professor Longbottom's son. Rose also told her that the Professor had a daughter named Alice, a second year Hufflepuff.
After Scorpius' turn came the Albus' sorting. When he got sorted into Slytherin, Elsa cheered to make him feel recognized, knowing that Albus had been worried before. The whole Slytherin table erupted into cheers, but the rest of the Great Hall seemed a little surprised. James, all the way from the Gryffindors, decided to break the half-silence and applaud his brother.
Elsa found herself alone when Rose went up, the last of the Weasley trio. Before her had been Dominique and Lucy, sorted into Slytherin and Ravenclaw respectively. Elsa saw Rose excitedly join Lucy at the Ravenclaw table.
When it was her turn, she heard her name being called by Professor Longbottom. "Winter, Elsa." She saw his eyebrow quirk at the note of her being a transfer, but he gave her a kind smile and placed the hat on her head.
"Well, well, a Beauxbatons student," the Hat spoke in her mind. "You seem very aware and intelligent. You're not exactly bookish, but you have wisdom on your side. You'll find your true friends in RAVENCLAW!" Elsa couldn't help but jump when the Hat screamed her House, but she found smiles from friends at the Gryffindor table. Jack, James' odd friend, looked a little disappointed, but Evan Boot and the two Weasleys were waiting for her at the Ravenclaw table.
"Hey, Elsa," Evan greeted. Rose and Lucy were busy talking to each other, so Elsa took the opportunity to get to know her new friend. "Oh, here's your tie. A new one appears every time someone gets sorted in."
"Thanks, Evan." Elsa took the tie and gracefully wore it. Looking up at the next student to be sorted, she took notice of the boy's last name. "Hey, that Karson Wood is Elijah's brother, right?" Evan nodded. Elsa turned to look at her surroundings, admiring the vast Great Hall. Across from the Evan and Elsa sat a pair of very chatty, but nice-looking girls. They seemed to be waiting to be introduced.
"Elsa, this pair here is made of Jean Tran and Eva Wentworth. They'll be your roommates." Elsa waved.
"Oh, Elsa, you're so pretty! I can't wait for the rest of the year. It'll probably be amazing!" Jean gushed. "Scotland can be cold, though, so don't expect to be able to wear clothes like those silky Beauxbatons uniforms," Jean warned.
Amazing indeed, Elsa thought. I'm glad Aunt Luna convinced me to come live in England with her. "Don't worry, Jean," Elsa laughed, "I won't be wearing that uniform ever again."
End Author's Note: I hope that this was okay for everyone as a prologue. I admit that it isn't perfect, but I ran it through a few friends before posting. Remember to review (if you'd like) with your (greatly appreciated) reviews!