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Chapter 2: Hogwarts

The sensation of sliding through brick was smoother than Nora would have expected. Quick and painless, for which she was relieved. They were certainly more fancy here than in Transylvania. Every year, a horse-pulled carriage came to her home to retrieve her for school. Two hours of uncomfortable bumps and jostling squished between other students was the expected mode of transportation. But here, a luxurious red train waited to escort them to Hogwarts.

Beside her, Nan gave a high-pitched "hmph!" in reply to it all. "I tell you it be here. We simply could not see it."

Nora humored her as she looked about. "You were right, Nan. It was just hiding."

"And what did I tell you about fighting?"

Nora recognized the voice immediately and turned to the source a few feet away. The blond man had a rough grip on his son's collar and his expression was cold and grave. The boy however seemed completely indifferent and was instead staring at a girl with short brown hair, her nose in the air as she boarded the train. He answered casually, "Make sure there aren't any teachers around first."

Nora raised her eyebrows in surprise, expecting the boy's curt reply to earn him a cuff on the back of the head. But to her shock, the man loosened his grip on the boy's collar and pat him on the shoulder in a fatherly way. Nora felt her jaw droop a bit. Her admiration for the man was quickly turning into disgust. For she now saw the way in which he looked down his nose at everyone, and the posture he had didn't just emanate authority, but his absolute disregard for any other being besides his family unit. And Nora was now convinced that the cane in his hand had been used as a weapon at one time or another.

Then, to her horror, the man suddenly straightened and stiffened, slowly turning his head in her direction until he looked right at her. His gaze settled on her and Nora found she couldn't look away for a second. Her breathing quickened and she had that distinct feeling again of ice water drenching her insides. After a moment, she tore her eyes away and fixed them on a first year trying to catch his rabbit. The man smirked with satisfaction and returned his attention to his son, who at that moment was trying to bat away his mother's hands that were straightening his collar.

Nora shivered at what had just happened. It seemed as if he was looking right into her, through her even. Almost as if he knew. It took her another moment to compose herself and another to ignore the cold that drifted from her left.

"Nora, do you come?"

She shifted her eyes to Nan, who also seemed reluctant to do this. It was the first emotion she'd really shown to Nora's leaving. The woman had taken a hankie from her purse and dabbed at her eyes with some sense of shame, for she did it hoping Nora wouldn't see. A man called out, "Five minutes! Five minutes 'till departure!" and Nora felt her stomach do another flip-flop. Nora hauled her two trunks off the cart, securing Maximus to one of them. Then she turned to Nan, who had given up trying to hide her tears, her eyes red-rimmed and glossy.

"Oh, Nan," she said quietly, giving her a hug. The woman pat her back soothingly giving another little high-pitched, "hm!"

Finally, she broke the embrace and Nan squeezed her shoulders. "Remember, be good. Be lady. Do work. Talk to—"

"Nobody. Yes, Nan, I remember."

The woman pursed her rouged lips and indicated the train with a wave of her hankie. "Go now."

Nora lugged her trunks to the train, getting ready to pull them up when a figure knocked into her. Nora gasped, shocked by the rudeness as the blond boy dragged his trunks past her, one hitting her own causing Maximus' cage to rattle him awake. The boy didn't give her a backwards glance. More than a little miffed, Nora continued dragging her trunks up into the train, more students following suit. She was tempted to simply gather one of the trunks under her arm, her enhanced strength well equipped to manage such a thing, but of course she couldn't risk anyone knowing.

So she fought her way through the crowd, trying to find an empty compartment. Most of them had filled up by now, so she simply continued on, hoping to find one with the least amount of people. Up ahead, Nora saw the blond boy enter a compartment, greeted with a few claps and cheers from within. Nora walked by it without glancing inside. Reaching the last compartment, Nora peered through the window, seeing four others. A round-faced boy sat there with a morose frog in his lap with a pretty, redheaded girl next to him. On the other side sat a thin boy with round, black glasses and seemingly unmanageable black hair. The last occupant was a mousy looking girl reading a magazine upside down. Nora raised an eyebrow at the lot. Well, they seemed like a nice group, quiet enough. Just what she needed.

Nora slid open the compartment door, dragging her trunks in behind her. The boy with glasses had looked up sharply when she entered, but lowered his head almost immediately, like he'd been expecting someone and she certainly was not it. Nora offered a brief smile to the group, who was now looking at her with interest.

"Good morning," she tried to say pleasantly, "May I sit with you?"

The girl with the upside down magazine lightly tilted her head to the side, her wide, unblinking eyes studying her over the top of the magazine. The boy with the toad gawked at her shamelessly, his mouth slightly agape. The boy with glasses nodded and stood, reaching for one of her trunks.

The redheaded girl was the first to speak. "Sure, have a seat."

Nora smiled at the boy helping her store her trunks, thanking him as she put the cage with Maximus snugly on top of the luggage. He nodded at her saying, "Not a problem." That was when Nora noticed an odd scar on his forehead. It was lightning-shaped and gave her an unsettled feeling in her already trouble gut.

She held out her hand anyway. "I'm Nora."

He received it and shook her hand, smiling lopsidedly. "Harry," he pointed to the other boy, "That's Neville, Ginny, and...Luna." Neville smiled shyly and Ginny inclined her head and also smiled. Luna gave a somber bow of her head, her large butterbeer-cap earrings jingling at the motion.

"Pleasure to meet you all," Nora replied, taking a seat next to Harry, "What are all of your grades?"

They went to explain that Harry and Neville were both fifth years, like Nora, and Ginny and Luna were fourth years. The conversation seemed awkward and strained, as they all stared at her quizzically and Nora could feel herself reddening. She was used to being stared at, mostly accompanied by sneers and rude remarks, as the kids at her old school would do, but she didn't think she'd have to deal with that here.

"I—is something wrong?" She finally asked.

"You have a curious accent," Ginny said. Was that all it was? Her accent?

"Oh, I'm from Romania," Nora explained, pulling at her shirt and shifting in the seat, "I went to school there for four years."
"Why did you transfer?" The boy Neville spoke for the first time, his nerve finally coming to him.

Nora had already planned the answers to the inevitable questions. "My family wants the best education for me, and the school in Transylvania was lacking. We'd heard a lot about Hogwarts and decided to try it."

"Your English is very good, for a foreigner," Luna's willowy voice spoke from behind her magazine.

"Oh...thank you. My mum is English."

The conversation died about there. Neville still looked over at her and Ginny twirled her bright red hair with a slender finger in boredom. Looking over at Harry, Nora motioned to him.

"I couldn't help but notice your scar, Harry," She tried to say delicately, "Are you...the Harry? Harry Potter?"

He tore his gaze from the window and nodded humbly. "Yeah, I am."

Nora could tell he was expecting her to do something, whether it was to excessively praise him, or make some harsh comment against him. Nora had read about his adventures the year before, during the Triwizard Tournament. And what he claimed when he brought back the dead body of that young man, Cedric something. The young Harry Potter had claimed You-Know-Who was back and had tortured him, and killed Cedric. Nora hadn't really given her opinion on the matter. It was quite the story to make up if it weren't true, and how else could one explain the death of Cedric? Nora had decided she simply didn't want to know. But now she was sitting next to the very boy who'd been called insane and said needed treatment at St. Mungo's. Well, she was put into a state of mild shock. Harry seemed to realize this and nodded, looking away.

"I understand. You can think what you want." And that was all that was said on the matter.

After a few more minutes of silence, Neville straightened in his seat and began rummaging through his school bag. "I forgot! Look what my great-uncle gave me for my birthday," and Neville proceeded to bring out a small Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Nora felt her eyes widen in surprise. She knew about the rare plant, as Neville started to explain, and all the things it could do, her father had owned one and displayed it proudly in their library.

"Sure, it can do loads of stuff!" He said enthusiastically to answer Harry, who looked less than impressed with the plant.

Neville took out a quill and looked like he was about to poke the plant. Nora gasped and reached across the compartment to stop him. "No, don't—"

But it was too late and the plant sprayed black, sticky Stinksap over all the occupants. Sighing regretfully, Nora retrieved her wand. It seemed Ginny had the same idea, but Nora beat her to it and with a wave of her wand, said, "Scourgify!" In an instant, the Stinksap was gone. Ginny nodded appreciatively at Nora and the rest thanked her. Nora turned red again as she replaced her wand inside the pocket of her jean-jacket. Neville was staring at his plant like he still had Stinksap all over him.

Nora decided to break the silence again, though Nan would have greatly disapproved such a thing. But she was determined to have at least one friend during the school year. "So what are the teachers like at Hogwarts?"

This seemed to be the right topic, for each of them contributed, describing the awkward Charms teacher, strict, but fair Transfiguration professor, and the greasy, cruel Potions master. When she asked about the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, they couldn't say enough good things about him. Nora's stomach was put slightly at ease from that. Meeting the Headmaster was going to be her first order of business once at Hogwarts. The matter of her condition had to be discussed.

"And what of the Defense Against the Dark Arts, class? I was told a werewolf taught it once," Nora asked with a sheepish grin.

Harry's features saddened some. "Yeah, Professor Lupin. The best DADA teacher we ever had. But he decided to leave before they could sack him."

At that moment, the lunch trolley came passing by, and each bought a hearty amount of food. They continued to answer Nora's questions about the school, giving her warnings about this and that, suggestions and such. Finally they explained the different houses. Nora knew there were four of them, but that was about it.

She discovered they were all Gryffindors except for Luna, who was a Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff and Slytherin were the remaining Houses. Nora thought she detected a sneer on their faces at the mention of Slytherin. Harry in particular.

Not long after that, the door to their compartment slid open and again, Harry looked up expectantly. This time he smiled as two people entered, a boy their age with fire-red hair like Ginny's, and a brown-haired girl with bright, inquisitive eyes came through the door. They were already in their robes and sported shiny badges with a "P" engraved on them. The redhead blinked at her and she thought there was some crimson creeping up behind his freckles.

"Hi there," He greeted, albeit awkwardly, and put out his hand, "Don't believe I've seen you before."

The girl behind him shook her head and sat on the other side of Neville. She smiled pleasantly at Nora. "I'm Hermione, and that's Ron." Ron was still shaking her hand as he sat down next to her. Harry took to explaining some about Nora; they also seemed interested in her Romanian roots.

"My brother's in Romania," Ron said as he helped himself to Harry's stash of chocolate frogs, "He's studying the dragons there. Have you ever come across a wild dragon?"

Nora almost wanted to tell them about the things more frightening than wild dragons that she'd encountered over the years. But she kept quiet about it, as she always did. Hermione seemed near to bursting to tell something, so Nora let the conversation drop for a new one to start. Hermione grasped the opportunity.

"All the new Prefects were at the meeting. Care to take a stab at Slytherin?"

Harry groaned. "Malfoy."

"And Parkinson." Hermione spat.

Apparently these were spiteful people. And Nora couldn't help but picture the blond boy at the train station. "Malfoy...is he blond? Pointed nose?"

Ron stuffed the rest of his chocolate frog in his mouth, his eyes clouded with anger. "That's 'im all right. How'd you meet him?" He asked with his mouth quite full.

Nora shrugged. "He shoved me aside getting on the train. His face was difficult to forget. And he seemed a tad like..."

"A wanker?" Ron finished for her, gulping the last of his chocolate.

Nora smirked. "In so many words, yes."

"Well now he's a wanker with power," Harry pointed out glumly, "which you know he'll take any chance to abuse."

The sky outside darkened and according to the others, that meant they were close to Hogwarts. Excluding Ron and Hermione, everyone retrieved their robes and donned them. Nora took care to cover her arms quickly, hoping no one saw the long shock of scratches up and down her pale skin. She sat back down relieved and convinced no one had seen. But she had the all-too familiar feeling of being stared at and she shifted her gaze to Hermione who held her stare for only a second before turning to Ginny.

"So you're fifteen then?" Ron's voice from next to her pulled her attention from Hermione.

"Actually I'm sixteen," Nora smiled as Ron's eyebrows hiked up a tad, "My old school only admitted those over twelve. They don't trust children with magic."

The train then noticeably slowed down and light from the great towers of Hogwarts twinkled in the darkness. Nora felt her insides churn again. In just a few minutes, her life would be completely different from the one she'd always known.

But in a good way. She reminded herself.

A swarm of students made there way out of the train once it stopped, Ron and Hermione going first to overlook, as their prefect duties required. The night was cold and wet and mist hung over a giant lake not far off. Frightened first years stared wide-eyed at their surroundings, their eyes bulging even more when a booming voice called them over to him.

"Firs' years! This way!"

This was apparently the half-giant Nora had heard about. The man was massive, easily twice as tall as the average man. He wore a musty moleskin overcoat and gigantic boots. He had brown, scraggly hair that reached his shoulders, accompanied by a bushy beard. The only parts of his face you could see were his twinkling eyes and large nose.

Nora continued to follow her new acquaintances out into the night, when Hermione appeared in front of Nora.

"You'll have to be sorted into your house," She said matter-of-factly, "You should go with the first years."

Nora made a short, incredulous laugh. Go with the little kids? Her amusement was lost when Hermione wasn't smiling. "Are you serious?"

Ron and Harry had stopped, also looking at Hermione oddly. "Hermione, she can come with us," Ron said, his brows drawn in.

"This is her first year here. So technically, she's a first year. It'll only be until she's sorted."

Ron looked like he wanted to counter this, but Nora interrupted him. "It's all right. I'll go."

Hermione nodded, looking almost too satisfied as she did an about-face and followed the other students. Nora was rapidly disliking the girl, getting the distinct feeling that she was trespassing on her territory...meaning perhaps her friends. Harry and Ron shrugged, both looking apologetic, but Nora just gave a small wave before treading reluctantly over to the first years, who had gathered around the giant. The latter looked down at her with beetle-black eyes, which narrowed in curiosity.

"This 'ere is fir firs' years, lass."

The group of eleven-year-olds looked up at her oddly and Nora felt her cheeks warm, despite the cold. "Yes, I know. I've been transferred to this school, and I have to be sorted into my house. I was told to go with the first years."

The man gave a silent "Oh" of understanding and shrugged. "Well then, there should be room in th' boats for yeh. Come along, everybody!"

Nora followed the nervous children as they neared the lake where several boats bobbed in the water without restraints. Nora got into one with a little girl with wild blond curls that looked as if she was about puke, and two gaunt twin boys who both sniffed loudly and rubbed their noses far too often for comfort. The boats glided across the lake effortlessly, despite the harsh wind that stirred the water's surface. Nora folded her arms tightly across her chest in attempt to keep out the early cold. Before long, they passed the castle and into a cave where a harbor led to great stone steps, where rested an impressive door. All were instructed by the man to get out and follow him. The great door opened before they got there, where an older witch seemed to have been waiting for them. She looked strict and grim, but curious, peering out over them beneath the rim of her great pointed hat. The man nodded at her, "Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid. This way," She motioned to the students. They followed her into an enormous hall, even bigger than the entrance hall at Nora's old home, the massive, cold castle she and her father had lived in only a year ago. She ignored the nostalgia that decided to nudge her and continued to follow the students to a staircase, where the witch stopped abruptly. She opened her mouth to speak when she seemed to notice Nora for the first time. She looked at her skeptically.

"And you are?" She asked politely.

Nora shifted her weight to her other foot nervously, knowing all eyes were on her again. "I'm a transfer, ma'am. Nora Kerensky, fifth year."

The professor's eyes suddenly lightened in understanding. "Oh, yes, I remember. But why are you with the first years?"

Nora ignored the scattered, stifled giggles from some of the kids. "I was told to...for the Sorting...into my house..." Nora's voice eventually turned into nothing, as the professor still didn't seem to think she should have come with the first years.

"Oh—well, you could have joined the others at a table before I called you, but no matter, you're here now."

Nora only half-listened to what McGonagall said next. She went on to explain the houses, house cups and the point system. But Nora was thinking about that Hermione character. What did she have against her? Were she and Ron "together" and was she miffed that Ron had been taken with her? Her thoughts drifted to the houses. Gryffindor seemed the ideal house, and Slytherin appeared to be its opposite. Since she was already acquainted with mostly Gryffindors, she was hoping for that house. Anyplace that accepted people like that Malfoy had to be less than desirable, to her at least.

Soon enough, they were moving again towards enormous double doors. When they were opened, a great din greeted them as the rest of the students were at four long tables in another gigantic room. Nora, already feeling foolish, followed the first years as they queued into the hall. She knew she must have looked ridiculous, she being about five and a half feet tall amongst all the smaller children. Many of the students already seated stared at her blankly, some hiding smiles, others just blatantly laughed. Nora hung her head. This was what she was used to. The old feelings of resentment came to be familiar to her again and she clenched her fists, keeping her eyes glued to the stone floor, not even noticing the cloudy sky that bewitched the ceiling.

When she finally did look up, the professor had brought out a stool and placed it in front of a long table where an assortment of adults sat, more teachers, Nora assumed. She took the opportunity to look about the room for her acquaintances. Ron's shock of red hair was difficult to miss, and Harry and Hermione sat on either side of him. The boys caught her gaze and smiled comfortingly at her. Hermione looked down at her empty golden plate.

McGonagall then brought out an old, torn, pointed hat and sat it on the stool. Nora had been told on the train what the Sorting Ceremony consisted of. But she simply couldn't imagine that something so dirty and useless had the ability to talk. But after a moment, and a hushed silence came over the room, the hat opened a ripped seam and, startling Nora and the rest of the first years, broke out into a long song, explaining the houses and all the qualities each required. When it was done, McGonagall unraveled a scroll and started calling off names. Each student went timidly to the chair, placing the hat on their heads. Sometimes within seconds, the hat would exclaim one of the house names. It proceeded like this until the last student was called.

"Zeller, Rose." The girl was sorted to Hufflepuff. Which left Nora standing there, all the students gawking at her.

"Ah, and last but not least, our Romanian transfer," McGonagall introduced her, "Kerensky, Eleanor."

Nora squeezed her eyes shut at the mention of her full name. Some low murmurs rippled throughout the hall as Nora stepped brazenly up to the stool, yet eyeing the hat warily. The thought of such an appalling thing sitting on her head made her scrunch her nose before gingerly plucking it from the stool. She half-expected it to move or twitch when she touched it, but it stayed as lifeless as a normal hat should. In one swift motion, she placed it on her head as she sat down on the stool. She started when it whispered in her ear, yet no one else seemed to be able to hear it, for which Nora was most thankful.

My, my, what do we have here? A half-breed? And such an unusual one at that. You carry a curious mix in your blood—pure blood, oh yes, very potent indeed. Dark blood it is though. You belong in "SLYTHERIN!"

Nora hardly had time to register what the hat screamed out to the masses when its weight was lifted from her head and the table where Malfoy sat erupted in cheers. The rest of the tables clapped politely. Nora just sat there in shock, her mouth agape, when a cold hand pat her on the shoulder.

"Go and join your peers, Miss Kerensky," McGonagall's stern voice instructed, her hand indicating the table that was filled with a number of unsavory characters.

Nora opened her mouth to say, "I think there's some mistake, Professor," but only a pathetic gasp of air escaped her. Nora stood shakily from the stool and walked over to the table bearing kids who resembled all the worst bullies at her old school. How could the Sorting Hat have thought this was where she belonged? Was it just based on her blood? Sure, her ancestors did some evil things, and her father had only reformed himself in the past fifteen years, but was that enough to place her here? A rather round second year boy moved aside at the end of the bench to give her room when she reached it. Nora gripped the edge of the table as she sat down, certain she would have splinters if she held on any harder. She then let her eyes roam over her house occupants. Most of them were simply frightening to look at. They were either sneering or smirking wickedly. Some looked at her in interest and gave her a smile that looked as if they were congratulating her on murdering someone rather than welcoming her. She immediately spotted the Malfoy kid and he nodded at her with something lurid in his eyes. Nora felt a frightening trickle of ice work its way up and down her spine when he looked at her like that.

Nora barely registered the Headmaster welcoming everyone and she only realized a great variety of food had appeared around her when the aroma assaulted her nose. Nora took a chance and glanced across the room to the Gryffindor table. Several of the people she'd met on the train were staring at her. Neville and Ginny looked sympathetic while Harry and Ron had a mix between confusion and...distrust? Hermione however looked downright shocked. And when she saw that Nora was looking at her, the girl hurriedly grasped a dinner roll and stuffed it in her mouth, bringing her eyes to her plate again.

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Well I suppose now I should ask if it's worth continuing? I do ask for reviews!