1st September, 1984
It would have been slightly unorthodox for a child of eleven to be sent off packing to the Scottish Highlands in the care of an eccentric old man with an incredible beard, however, to the Bishop family, it was just growing up.
Violet Bishop was eleven and two fifths years old; she had a stiff upper lip (drilled into her by her father) and a very dry sense of humour. Not to mention, her family had magic.
Her mother was a witch, her father a wizard. Her brother, Jude, was about to start his third year of wizardry training in Scotland with said eccentric old man. Considering this old man was eccentric, he ran the biggest and best school of witchcraft and wizardry in the country. Hogwarts. Who cared if the headmaster was a bit cuckoo, Violet was going to learn how to bat-bogey hex someone - this meant ultimate power over the whole of her year group. She could show the slimy tosspot next door who was boss and that was of upmost importance.
Violet had awoken to a flurry of socks raining from the ceiling of her family home. She had immediately called for her mother to sort it out so she could finish packing for Hogwarts. Her trunk was a gorgeous navy shade with shiny brass buckles; engraved on the left side of the trunk was 'Violet J. Bishop' - the J obviously standing for June (her middle name). The small girl had begged and begged for her mother to erase her name from the case due to a tremendously common disease called embarrassment. Evidently, Mrs Bishop had sternly refused.
"Vi, are you sure you have enough parchment packed?" Violet's mother had asked for the twelfth time in under half an hour.
"I am so confident I have enough parchment, I shall insist that each girl in the Ravenclaw dorm writes you a short essay on how I definitely did have enough, Mum," Violet replied, a bit too sarcastic for her mother's liking. That was the other thing about Violet J. Bishop - she was bloody cocky. To her, Ravenclaw was the best house at Hogwarts due to its work ethic.
"Chicken, I know you have your heart set on Ravenclaw, but don't be too disappointed if you're not sorted into that house," Mrs Bishop pulled her daughter into a very tight hug and brushed her raven hair out of her bashful face. "The other houses are just as brilliant."
Violet recoiled from her mum's embrace like she had just been slapped; did her mother not think she was smart enough?
"Do you not think I'm intelligent enough to get into Ravenclaw?" She questioned. How dare her mother say something like that!
"Of course not! Don't be silly, Vi!" Her mum soothed. "I just think you shouldn't pine over something that might not happen! You have traits for all of the houses."
"I will get into Ravenclaw." Violet flicked away her mother's fingers and strutted out of her bedroom in search of her brilliant yellow toothbrush.
The gleaming scarlet steam train tooted its horn as a final warning of departure. Violet and her brother Jude were saying their final goodbyes to their mother and father whilst hanging out one of the tiniest windows on the Hogwarts Express.
"Bye, Mum," Jude shouted above the chattering parents. "You'll survive without us!"
Mrs Bishop just chuckled and wished her children a very successful year at school. She also wished Violet luck in her sorting and insisted the usual weekly updates in school life. Their father gripped Jude's hand with his in a firm handshake and pressed his lips against Violet's forehead.
"Be good, you two," Mr Bishop smiled.
Jude patted his mother's shiny, black head as the train grumbled into life. He wouldn't be seeing his parents until Christmas, which was a long time for a thirteen-year-old. But at least his sister was starting this year so there would be little homesickness. Jude had no idea which house Vi would be sorted into, he hoped it would be Gryffindor like himself as the siblings did create quite a lot of mischief.
"Well, I'm off to find Bill," Jude removed himself from the window just as the train stormed through a tunnel. "You're welcome to join me."
"Certainly not! I'm going to make my own friends," Violet snorted.
"Good luck with that, little sister," Jude chuckled and left his sister alone in the corridor.
Why did Jude think she needed him to make friends? Violet was going to make her own Ravenclaw friends.
Dragging her trunk by one of the golden handles, Violet made her way down the wood panelled corridor of the Hogwarts Express. She had spotted an almost empty compartment - there was a girl sat alone reading. The girl had brilliant blue hair and a soft face. She looked kind enough, surely she wouldn't refuse a first year? Violet didn't know whether to knock on the glass door or to just slide it open. Luckily enough for her, she didn't need to knock as the girl looked up and gestured for her to come in.
"Hello," the girl shut her book and placed it beside her on the bench. "I'm Nymphadora Tonks."
"Violet Bishop," Violet smiled as she tried to yank her bulging trunk through the small doorway.
Nymphadora Tonks was an interesting girl. She was obviously a metamorphmagus due to her ever changing hair colour (it went from brilliant blue to a bottle green to a hot pink and then to a lovely shade of lilac and back to blue). She was incredibly kind yet very clumsy. She had insisted that she help Violet pull her trunk free from the evil grasp of the compartment walls - which had ended up in a health hazard. Nymphadora had fallen over the case and landed in a heap by the very large window showing very boring countryside.
After helping the poor girl up, Violet settled into the other bench. She contemplated dragging Nymphadora by the ankles to show her brother that she had made a friend, but hastily decided against it. She didn't need to prove anything to Jude, she was going to be a Ravenclaw!
"Vi?" Nymphadora had spoken softly, almost as if she didn't want to frighten her.
"Mmhm," Violet mumbled.
"I was thinking, Nymphadora is such a mouthful."
"What would you shorten it to?" Vi questioned.
"My parents call me Dora," she brushed her lilac hair out of her eyes and sighed. Why did her parents have to give her such an obnoxious name?
"Maybe you should just go by your last name, lots of people do that," Violet suggested. Tonks was short and sweet - it definitely suited the lilac-haired girl.
"I love it!" Tonks' face lit up with excitement - she could reinvent herself to be a tough, stubborn and loyal girl who nobody could mess with.
Suddenly, it hit Tonks that they needed to be dressed in their robes by the time the train pulled in at Hogsmeade.
"Vi! We need to change!" Tonks scrambled for her robes which were lying precariously on the floor.
After about twenty minutes, Violet and Tonks were both dressed in their starched black robes.
"This is going to be brilliant!" Violet squealed. The Hogwarts castle had just appeared behind the loping hills. Within the valley, a small village was lit up like a beacon in the darkness.
"That's Hogsmeade!" Tonks pointed at the glowing village as they zoomed past.
Violet remained silent due to the overwhelming beauty of the castle. She was gobsmacked. She knew the Hogwarts castle was supposed to be stunning, but she didn't realise how breath-taking the design of the building was.
The Hogwarts express was braking as it glided into the Hogsmeade station just as the last rays of light had died out.
"Wow, I can't believe that castle is going to be our home for the next seven years," Tonks gushed to Vi as they vacated the compartment.
"I know!" Violet squealed as they pushed through a gaggle of fourth years.
The platform was swarming with Hogwarts students. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and Slytherin and Ravenclaw all whizzed past a gormless Violet and Tonks.
"Firs' years, firs' years!" A booming voice cried over the hustle and bustle of all of the students. Violet followed the stream of first years to the man with the booming voice. He was a giant with a very messy head of hair and beard and a round stomach.
"Is that all of yeh?" The man scratched the top of his head.
"I think so, sir!" A scrawny boy with glasses and freckles stood small and proud, Violet reckoned he suffered with Little Man Syndrome.
"Tha's good because Professor McGonagall would not be 'appy if you lot turned up late!" The man scoffed. "This way!"
The giant lead the first years away from the crowd of Hogwarts students.
"My name's Hagrid and I'm the groun'skeeper here at 'ogwarts," Hagrid announced as he led the way towards a very large lake. "You will be gettin' to 'ogwarts across the Black Lake."
Violet had believed the sight of Hogwarts from the train had been the most beautiful thing she had seen; she was sorely mistaken. The glistening water of the Black Lake was reflecting the castle. As Vi stared, mouth agape, she realised how truly lucky she was to be going to such an amazing school in such a breath-taking location.
"Four per boat!" Hagrid hurried the children along into the small wooden boats.
Violet and Tonks had ended up sharing with the obnoxious, scrawny boy with Little Man Syndrome (who was named Albert Sparrow) and another girl with unruly, spiral hair and golden eyes named April Winters.
The trip to the castle was silent but for the occasional lap of water at the sandy beach. It seemed to Hagrid the gamekeeper that this year was a moody lot. Usually, there was a tremendous amount of chatter and squeal. He tugged at his beard as they arrived at the other side of the lake and directed the first years up the hill where Professor McGonagall would be waiting.
The trek wasn't very long or tiring yet the children remained quiet - suspiciously so, in fact, Hagrid was sure they were all up to something.
As it turned out, Violet was definitely not planning anything, she was just in awe of the overwhelming castle.
"Thank you, Hagrid," a stern looking woman with a worn face and a spectacular witch's hat (who Violet assumed to be the infamous Professor McGonagall) nodded as the group neared the main entrance of the castle.
"The Sorting Ceremony is a ceremony that will sort each and every one of you into one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Your house will be a substitute family; you will earn points for accomplishments and points will be deducted for rule-breaking. Most of the students prefer to spend their free time within the comforts of their common room."
The professor explained to the nodding eleven year olds.
"Now, if you would please follow me," and with a flick of the teacher's wand, the fantastic wooden doors squeaked open to show a magnificent entrance hall.
The professor led them through the entrance hall with tapestries and paintings draping the stone walls.
"This is the Great Hall, here you will eat each of your meals," the professor opened one of the magnificent doors into the hall.
Every face within the hall had turned to gawk at the newbies. Each house was sat in long tables lined with students. Gryffindor resided on the right and Slytherin on the left.
Violet's brother was stood up, trying to catch a sight of his sister before her sorting. Jude could see Violet looking timid whilst stood next to a girl with hot pink hair.
Professor McGonagall placed a weathered and torn hat on a stool in front of the teacher's table. The hall grew silent as they waited for the great lament produced by the hat.
"And here I am,
the Sorting Hat,
not here for just display.
My tears and rips
show such wise tips,
on where you do belong!
Dear Ravenclaw felt such strong
belief of the survival of the brightest,
but did Slytherin feel
that blood had to be of the very purest,
Hufflepuff did huff and puff
against that dear suggestion
she believed that you to be loyal
and kind,
lastly came Gryffindor
with his proud lionheart
he wanted the brave and strong
not the weak and cowardly.
The four did squabble for a while
until Godric whipped me off his head
'he shall decide!
They shall be in houses!'
Since then I have been."
The hall errupted in applaud as the Sorting Hat bowed. McGonagall stood and opened a scroll. It appeared to Violet that all you had to do was try on the hat. How hard could that be?
"Alsford, Robert," McGonagall announced as a round blonde haired boy plodded up to the stool. He sat down as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head.
Suddenly, the hat exclaimed "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuff table cheered as the boy shuffled towards the table.
"Anderson, Sally." A dark haired girl strutted towards the stool and gracefully sat, crossing her leg over the other. She waited graciously as the Hat ummed and ahhed.
"SLYTHERIN!"
The Slytherin table whooped as the girl skipped for the bench.
Violet waited anxiously whilst two other first years were sorted. She snuck a glance at Tonks who smiled in return. She stared at the marble floor until she heard her name.
"Bishop, Violet."
Violet walked up to the stool. She was always so certain she was going to be a Ravenclaw, but now a wave of nausea hit her. What if she wasn't Ravenclaw material? How embarrassing would that be? The Hat was delicately placed on top of her head.
"Hmm... Another Bishop," the Hat whispered. "Very intelligent, and creative. But, I sense fire. Kindness too; you love unconditionally. Too level-headed to be a Gryffindor."
Violet squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the announcement. She couldn't bear to look at Jude, she was terrified she wouldn't be in Ravenclaw; she was terrified she wouldn't be like her Mum.
"You must be..." The Hat grumbled. "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Violet's eyes almost shot out of her head. Hufflepuff? Maybe the Hat was wrong.
Stumbling towards the Hufflepuff table, she glanced back at Tonks who just shrugged. Someone clapped Violet on the back as she sank into her seat, her mind whirring. She felt betrayed by her own personality; she didn't belong here.
Hello friends!
Let me know what you think of this first instalment of Violet and her friends.
These first few chapters will be extremely similar to my old story 'Funeral Flowers' (featuring the same characters – mostly), but because I started writing it 3+ years ago, I wanted to change the plot so much that it just made sense to delete the old story and start again with a clean sheet. This first chapter was so close to my heart I couldn't bear to change anything apart from a few plot changes, even though my writing style has evolved.
This fic should be updated regularly throughout the summer, but I start a fine art foundation degree in September which will be pretty hard work so I'm hoping to have chapters pre-written so I can upload them regularly when college starts up again.
But anyway, let me know what you guys think! I'm always open to suggestions on how to improve and I'd love to hear from readers.
- DISCLAIMER - I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS YOU MAY RECOGNISE (THAT PRIVILEDGE LIES WITH MY QUEEN JKR) -