Chapter 1
Anita made her way to an empty compartment, not that finding one was much of a challenge, her parents had dropped her off at platform 9 3/4 early as they had new jobs to rush off to, in so doing Anita ended up as the first student to board the Hogwart's Express. She found it hard to imagine these already cramped quarters filled with students. And not for the first time she longed for the individual drop off her sister had when attending school in America. Sighing Anita opened one of the compartment doors,
"These British wizards sure are opposed to updating to the times." She mumbled as she stared at the dated burgundy hued seats, wishing that she had been able to attend The Salem School of Magicraft.
The American magic culture had taken to adopting more convenient aspects of muggle society, and it was more common than not for young witches and wizards to wander the halls of Salem with cell phones and laptops. Needless to say Anita was more than a little miffed when her parents informed her that her technological devices would not work at Hogwarts and all her notes would be taken using a quill.
Students had begun arriving on the platform, and Anita knew that soon her compartment would fill with fellow first year students, older students claiming compartments for their established friend groups. Anita decided to pass her time reading a magazine called the Quiddler, it seemed to be a naturalist magazine written by one Luna Lovegood. The feature article of this issue described the somnus slug, a slug whose mucus induced sleep through skin contact.
"Reading the Quiddler, huh? My da said it used to rubbish back when he was at Hogwarts." a girl said through at the door. Anita lifted her head and was drawn towards the girl's wide blue eyes, made all the more obvious by her blonde tight curls. "I actually enjoy reading it though. It recently did a highlight on the breeding habitat of unicorns, unicorns are wonderful creatures, I've been trying to convenience my granddad to buy me one for my birthday."
"How could your grandpa buy a unicorn?" Anita said incredulously.
"My granddad is filthy rich he could buy anything he wants. He's a grump about it though. Refuses to spend any of his money, and won't give my parents a dime. My names Goldrianna Southey, by the way, but you can call me Goldie, Goldrianna is such a mouthful." Goldie said.
"I'm Anita Hall." Anita replied.
"You're American! I've always wanted to visit America! What are American wizards like, do they go to school on a train?, Where do they get their wands?, Are Unicorns white there?" Goldie finished in one breath, eyes wide in anticipation for Anita's answer.
Anita's mouth hung open as she fumbled around for a response to such stupid question, turning her head in an attempt to delay longer as she formulated something to satisfy Goldie's curiosity, she noticed a small rotund girl standing in the door way staring at her and Goldie.
"Do you wanna to sit with us?" Anita asked snapping her mouth shut, thankful for the sudden and abrupt change in subject.
The girl nodded vigorously, auburn pony tails swaying with equal desperation. She made her way in and sat next to Goldie.
"Hi!" Goldie spat out, "I'm Goldie and this is Anita. She's an American!"
"Not anymore." Anita said, "My parents moved the Britain over the summer. Anyway, why did you want to get out of the hall so badly?"
"Albus Potter." The girl replied.
"Wh..." Anita started.
"Potter! As in the son of Harry Potter!" Goldie nearly shouted.
Just then a gaggle of students of all ages walked past the compartment surrounding a small boy. Goldie poked her head into the hall staring after them enviously, then slunk her way back in
"If you want to join them feel free." Anita said.
"No, thats okay. That much attention is sure to go to the boys head and make him unbearable to be around." Goldie said, not sounding entirely convinced.
"Now about those American Unicrons..." Goldie began.
Anita stifled a groan when suddenly she realized the plump girl was gone.
"Where'd she go?" Anita asked, hoping into the hall and looking either way.
"She was hear a moment ago, she certainly moves about silently. Maybe she joined the group of kids surrounding the Potter boy."
Anita thought that seemed unlikely, but she figured Goldie knew that and was just trying to form a reason for the girls sudden disappearance. Anita and Goldie made their way back to their seats and another boy appeared in the doorway.
"Hi." he said meekly, "Can I sit with you?"
Goldie nodded and the boy entered slowly with hunched shoulders.
"This is Goldie, and I'm Anita." Anita said, "What's you name?"
"Greg." he replied.
"You didn't happen to see a short girl with pig tails in the hall?" Goldie asked.
"No. But, I was trying to find a seat so she may have passed me." Greg replied.
The three of them heard the clock strike and the train lurched into motion. Their journey to Hogwarts finally begun. Anita stared out the window taking in the countryside as the train sped past. When she turned around Goldie and Greg had their wands out and were comparing them.
"Mine's a yew, with a phoenix feather core." Goldie said.
"Mine's Cedar, with dragon heartstring." Said Greg, "What's yours Anita?"
"It's cypress with phoenix feather."
"Cool, we all have different woods." Greg said, "I cannot wait until we start to do magic!"
"We have to be sorted into houses first." Goldie said, "I hope we are all sorted into the same house, that way we can have classes together, and room together, it will be great to have a familiar face to start things off!"
"What are the houses?" Anita asked.
"That's right I forgot you are not familiar with Hogwarts! She's an American Greg." Goldie said, "Well there a four houses you can be placed in. First is Slytherin, Slytherin house is for ambitious students."
"Then there's Gryffindor." Greg butted in, "Gryffindor tends to be for students with a sense of courage and adventure."
"Hufflepuff is the third house." Goldie jumped back in, "Hufflepuff tends to favor those who are loyal and determined."
"And last is Ravenclaw." Greg came back in, "Ravenclaw is for students who seek knowledge and tend to be clever. Slytherin has the worst reputation, mostly because that is the house Voldemort was in and got most of his follows from. But my aunt was from Slytherin and she fought against Voldemort during the second wizarding war so they are not all bad."
"And I have known Gryffindors full enough of themselves to challenge even the worst Slytherins." Goldie chimed in, "Gryffindor tends to be seen as a hero making house since that is where Harry Potter and his friends came from."
"So d'ya get pick your house?" asked Anita.
"No they place the sorting hat on your head and it decides for you. The sorting hat is the charmed hat of Godric Gryffindor." Answered Greg.
"So let me get this straight. I am gonna to have to sit in front of all the students, put a ratty old hat on my head, and the hat will then decide where I am going to live and who my friends will be for the next seven years of my life?" said Anita.
"Well I would not view it quite so negatively, I mean it is possible to be friends with people from outside your house. Although it is rather difficult since you have classes with your house and only members of your house are allowed in your common room." Said Goldie, "I have an idea lets form a club and promise to be best friends no matter what house we are sorted into! We can call ourselves the Unicorn Club!"
"Ya, I'm not so sure about the name, but the idea is good." Quipped Anita.
"How about The Mages Guild!" spoke Greg.
"That's not very original." Goldie retorted.
"What about the Silent Sirens?" Anita said, "It sound mysterious enough doesn't it?"
"That's good" Said Goldie.
"Let's all sign this paper, and then once we learn how we can charm it so only members can read it!" suggested Greg.
Greg signed his name with a flourish, Anita signed next noting that Greg's last name was Burtwright. Goldie signed last in a rather gaudy gold ink. The three then bickered over who should keep the parchment until they could charm it, an argument Goldie eventually won. Goldie folded the paper into an origami swan and dropped it into her trunk. The three talked for the rest of train ride over candy, did some of the crosswords Goldie brought along, and day dreamed about the adventures they would have. Soon the three felt the train lurching to a halt and they joined the rest of the first years waiting for the boats to cross to Hogwarts.
* * *
Cassandra sat in the boat with three other students. It had been raining out, yet the rain drops stopped once Cassandra had stepped into the boat. Magic was terribly foreign to her, and not for the first time today she wished she had born into a wizarding family rather then thrown blindly into this world. She glanced up at the castle the other students were staring so intently at, it was quite spectacular, windows glowing like stars at night, and rain made it even more striking in the darkness. Cassandra then returned her stare to the boat in front of her, where Anita and Goldie sat with two other boys. She did feel foolish about how she acted around them earlier that day, running off from their compartment without a word. But she had to see them closer and once she did she had become to terrified to remain.
They were the girls she had seen in the divination glass back in a shop in that mad wizarding market. She had just been perusing the shelves of some store when she reached up and touched the glass. She still could feel the wretched chill that shot through her body, and the burning that filled her head. Then the glass had filled with smoke and two figures appeared, ones she now recognized as Anita and Goldie. Cassandra had no idea what had occurred and the glass fell from her hand and shattered on the floor, causing her to bolt from the shop with a feeling of dread about the girls she had seen.
All she knew now that she needed to stay close to them or something would happen. Beyond that was as mysterious as the event that had occurred in the shop.
Anita, Goldie, and Greg hopped off the boat as it pulled up to the dock that sat below the castle. All three staring upwards at the pyres that made up Hogwarts. Anita felt in this moment that perhaps this form of British schooling would exceed that which took place in America. This mammoth estate was to be her home for the next seven years!
"Look at it, I'll admit I doubted how much I would like Hogwarts at first, but know...geez we get to live here!" Anita said amazed.
"Come on, come on, come on!" Goldie near shouted. "We are falling behind!"
Anita looked at Goldie and realized what she said was true. Only, Goldie, Greg, and herself remained on the dock. No, there was someone else, it was the girl from train!
"Hey!" Anita yelled.
The girl jumped, clearly startled and bolted ahead into the crowd of students making their way to the castle.
"Is that the girl you were looking for?" Asked Greg.
Anita and Goldie nodded simultaneously.
"Oi! What 'r you doing here. Stay to much longer and you'll miss the sortin'" A giant of a man said.
Anita, Goldie and Greg turned to see Hagrid, the man who had led them to the boats, standing over them waving them forward. The three spared each other a quick glance and then took off towards the castle.
"What do you think is up with that girl! You don't suppose she knows about the Silent Sirens, do you!?" Goldie asked worriedly.
"How could she?" said Greg, "Unless she was sitting outside our cabin door for hours."
"True" said Anita, "its more likely she wants to talk about unicorns with you, but is too shy to do so."
"You think?" Beamed Goldie, "I wonder if she knows what color unicorns are in America, since you still have not answered my question!"
Anita simply shrugged her shoulders and grinned at Greg, who grinned back. The students now stood in a crowd outside the main doors of Hogwarts, eager chatter flittered through the crowd.
"On behalf of the Hogwarts staff I would like to give you your first welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor Valline, teacher of Potions and head of Hufflepuff house. Once I open these doors I would like you to follow me to the head of the dining hall. Once there please gather in a group, I will then call each of your names off of this list one at a time. When your name is called you will sit on the stool placed on the dais and the sorting hat will be placed on your head. The hat will shout out the name of the house you will be in. Once the house has been called please head to the table of that house and take a seat."
Anita looked up at the witch whom was speaking, her skin was flawless and highlighted by violet eyes and lips painted a pale purple. Her hair was a pitch black void and shone as velvet. Suddenly, a small elf appeared behind her. The elf let out a belch and Professor Valline bent as the elf whispered in her ear.
"It seems that Headmistress Mcgonagall is ready for us. Please follow me."
The students obeyed still chattering away until the doors to the great hall opened, then silence fell. The hall was filled with students, candles hung in the air and the ceiling of the hall showed an image of stars as if stargazing on a clear night. Anita made her way forward, Goldie on her left and Greg on her right, to the front of the hall. There on a stool stood a shoddy old hat. Professor Valline proceeded forward lifted the hat and read the first name off of her list.
"Lloyd Merriweather."
A boy stepped forward. Curly hair cut short to his head. He walked tall and proud, a giddy smile on his face.
"He'll be one for Slytherin I bet" Goldie whispered.
Anita found herself nodding in agreement and noticed Greg doing the same.
Lloyd made his way to the stool and sat down. Professor Merriweather placed the old hat on its head, and nothing happened. Anita had expected the hat to instantly declare a house, yet there it sat on Lloyd's head unmoving. Then Anita noticed the smile on Lloyd's face a vanished, replaced by a look of deep concentration. Suddenly, a shout was heard.
"Gryffindor!"
Lloyd leapt off the seat and rushed towards the Gryffindor tables. Goldie shrugged, communicating her defeat in guessing.
"Rose Weasley" Professor Valline called.
A red haired girl made her way forward, Professor Valline had not even let go of the hat before it called out Gryffindor this time.
"Scorpius Malfoy"
A boy with platinum blonde hair walked forward. The hat placed on his head sat for nearly three minutes, Scorpius slowly giving into a fit of tears, before it called Ravenclaw. Scorpius then made his way to the Ravenclaw table where he was warmly welcomed despite the clear disappointment his sorting had caused.
"Albus Potter"
Silence quickly came over the hall. A young boy with unkempt dark hair made his way forward. The hat was placed on his head and a shout of Gryffindor filled the hall.
Names continued to be called until only five students were left standing. Greg, Goldie, the plump girl, a black haired girl with straight hair down to her waist, and Anita herself.
"Evianna Nightingale"
The black haired girl stepped forward. The hat was placed on her head.
"Slytherin"
Evianna glided her way to the Slytherin table.
Anita, Greg, Goldie, and the plump girl stood nervously at the front of the hall.
"Goldrianna Southey"
Goldie managed a weak smile for Anita and Greg as she made her way forward. Professor Valline set the hat on her golden locks and Anita waited. Two minutes passed, then three, then four, then...
"Ravenclaw"
The great hall erupted and Anita heard murmurs from nearby tables that they may have just waited on the longest sorting in history. Anita certainly hopped her sorting did not last as long as that.
"Cassandra Salone"
So that's her name Anita thought, as the plump girl jumped and made her way forward. A call of Hufflepuff soon rang out. And Anita and Greg stood alone at the head of the hall.
"Greg Burtwright"
Greg smiled at Anita and made his forward. Anita noticed Goldie staring nervously at her and Greg, and Anita realized that the Silent Sirens could be destroyed as quickly as they were created depending on which house Greg was sorting in.
"Hufflepuff"
Well that's that Anita thought as Greg made his way to his seat, Goldie look down trodden but smiled encouragingly at Anita. And suddenly Anita found herself faced with a thought of whether she would rather be sorted with Greg or Goldie. Such thoughts are always disturbing, so much so that Anita did not realize she had already sat down on the stool and the hat was being placed on her head. She felt the hat delving into her mind.
"Mmmm. Don't try to be so complicated my dear. You are clearly a...Gryffindor!"
Anita spared Goldie a glance as she walked to her seat. The Silent Sirens hadn't even made it one whole day. Anita took a seat next the boy named Lloyd as most of the other students had gravitated towards the Potter boy and the Weasley girl.
An old witch walked up to the podium next, Anita assumed it must be Headmistress Mcgonagall. Her grey hair was tucked tightly beneath her pointed hat. A small golden chain hung around her neck, holding a circular object with an hour glass in the middle.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts!" Mcgonagall said with her voiced amplified through magic. Cheers rose throughout the hall. "And a special welcome to our new students. The houses you have been placed will act as your home away from home, think of the older students as source of wisdom. And older students I expect you to pass on actual wisdom, and not mislead your new classmates. I would also like to announce a change to our class set up for underclass students. Whereas before classes were taken with students from your own house and one other house, this year classes shall be made up of students from each house. Each student will also be placed in a small study group containing one member from each house."
Mcgonagall paused to take a breath, and in that space of time groans immediately began to fill the hall.
"That," Mcgonagall began face becoming stern, "is exactly why this policy is being implemented. The house system was meant to encourage growth among students with similar characteristics. The staff and I feel that an unfortunate side effect of this policy has been a devaluing of the traits of other houses. Your study groups will be announced at breakfast tomorrow morning before classes begin. And with that, let the feast begin!"
Mcgonagall raised her arms and food flooded the tables, Anita recognized less than half of it causing her to get a sudden urge for pizza. She decided to settle for ham and mashed potatoes instead, forcing herself to take a scoop of peas for balance.
"Here try the pumpkin juice." Lloyd said as he handed her glass.
"Pumpkin juice, seriously! How does that sound appealing?" Anita replied.
"Hey, your..." he began.
"American? I know. And I think I will just have some water."
"You don't know what you're missing out on." Lloyd smirked.
"I don't even like to eat vegetables, why would I ever want to drink them?"
"Would rather have something more American? Like To-ma-to juice?"
"That's still drinking a vegetable, just not as weird. No one drinks pumpkin juice, even muggle vegans wouldn't touch that. At this point I would settle for apple juice."
"Muggle what?"
"Vegans, muggle who don't eat meat or dairy or fish."
Anita was met by Lloyd's blank face.
"O gosh. You're one of those crazy isolated purebloods aren't you!?"
"Excuse me! There is nothing wrong with coming from an established wizarding family!"
"There is when you ignore over half the human population. Do you know anything about muggles? Have you even heard of a laptop?"
Blank.
"Cell phone?"
Blank.
"Seriously! Ya'll don't know what you're missing out on."
"So fine I don't know anything about muggles. That doesn't explain why you called me a crazy pureblood."
"Bloodlines don't exist in the American wizarding community. We abandoned those when the American Magic Union split from the British wizarding community."
Lloyd shot her an incredulous look.
"Well. Most wizards have forgotten about blood lines."
"Same here. After the Second Wizarding War talking about bloodlines almost never happens. People are to afraid to labeled as a former supporter of Voldemort. The Wizarding community here is just not as accepting of muggle technologies."
"I know." Anita retorted.
Lloyd laughed. "Don't worry you will get used to writing with quills and ink. Soon you won't even be able to remember taking notes any other way."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
Goldie watched as Gryffindor exited the great hall, she felt a pang of jealousy as she noted Anita talking to a short haired boy. She had really wanted to be in the same house as Anita and Greg. She had never had many friends and to lose the two she had made so quickly had hurt her. Yet, that hurt had been short lived once Mcgonagall had made her announcement. Now she just had to find a way to make sure Anita, Greg and herself all ended up in the same small group.
"First years, follow me." A Prefect announced, "I will now show you the way to your dormitories."
"Hey Goldie?" A boy asked.
"Yes, Shawn?" Goldie replied.
"How do you think our study groups are going to be determined tomorrow?"
"I haven't clue, but I certainly wish I knew..."
"How would you feel about trying to find out?" Shawn whispered with a smirk.
"Let's do it!" Goldie replied.
Goldie and Shawn followed the rest of the Ravenclaws to the door of the common room so they knew where it was. Then they quickly ducked around a corner and waited for the prefect to enter and close the door behind her before sneaking back down the way they had came until they stood outside of the great hall. Suddenly the sound foot steps resounded down the corridor.
"Quick behind the statues!" Goldie whispered as she pulled Shawn behind the nearest statue.
Around the corner came Hagrid carrying a large trunk, he walked to the doors of the great hall and pushed the door open with his back. Goldie and Shawn shared a glance, determined smile crossing both their faces. And then they bolted between the doors just as they swung shut. Hagrid luckily had his back turned as they made their way in. Goldie and Shawn crouched behind one of the tables and watched as Hagrid set down the trunk.
"Oi" Hagrid shouted.
Goldie let out a squeal thinking they had been caught. Shawn managed to grab her shoulder before she stood up and pointed silently towards Hagrid. He was lifting the corner of the trunk and pulling out the end of his grey beard. Successfully freeing himself he walked out the doors, not even glancing in Goldie and Shawn's direction.
Shawn began to crouch towards the chest Hagrid had set down...
"Shawn! Hide!"
Shawn looked towards Goldie and then realized the doors to the great hall were opening once more. He scurried under the nearest table and tried to hide himself the best he could near one of the support legs.
Mcgonagall walked into the great hall followed by another tall dark haired teacher.
"You made sure the Potters and Weasleys were in their dormitories, Neville?"
"Yes professor."
"Neville you have been teaching her for two years now, you really must start calling me Minerva"
"Sorry Minerva" Neville grinned.
"The exploits you and your friends got in." Mcgonagall said shaking her head. "You know one of them has that map again?"
"Really, I thought Harry had locked that in his office"
"Apparently he underestimated the cleverness of his children."
Mcgonagall motioned to Neville and the two raised their wands in unison. The lock on the chest opened. Blocked table cloths made up of the house colors flew out and covered the tables, followed by center pieces made up of a snake, gryphon, eagle, and badger. Each animal held the name of a student and one of each animal was placed on the table.
"You know most of the students will be expected something a bit more...magical." Neville said.
"I found, Neville, as I am sure you can recall from your own experience, that magical objects have a way of making something decidedly simple and safe far more complicated than necessary. For this task I found a simple hat containing the students names was the best way."
Neville laughed and Goldie noticed the deep history that ran between these two for the first time. She had to admit she was rather disappointed that magic would not be used to choose their groups. And switching names on the table around would be far to obvious, so her chances of rigging the groups has dissipated. Mcgonagall and Neville left the great hall, and Shawn and Goldie made their way out from under the tables.
"Well that was a let down." muttered Shawn, "Well we might as well peak at who is in our groups."
Goldie and Shawn made their way around to find their names. Shawn found his first.
"Well, no names I recognize from the people I met on the train. You find yours yet? We should probably get going."
Goldie had in fact found hers and it seemed that the fates had winked in her favor.