Chapter Two. Back To Hogwarts
September first fell on a Thursday that year. The residues of summer still hung in the air, making the breezes warm against Rose's face. Reds and golds, the colours of autumn, only faintly flushed the leaves upon the trees, most remaining green. For Rose, it felt good to be moving again, moving forwards, and in the same way, backwards. Back to Hogwarts, back to school, back to a routine she could fall into without the confusing mess that was being at home, surrounded by her parents and their famous deeds and Orders of Merlin, First Class. They haunted her even when she was well away from them, in the magical grounds and wilds that was Hogwarts, but at least their presence was lessened.
The commuters of the morning trains glanced once, perhaps twice, at Weasley family as the four strode across the platforms. Rose, who had long ago forgone the desire to dress immediately in her robes as soon as she was across the barrier separating the magical world from that of the Muggles, watched the commuters with a slight interest. They waved away the obscene, owls in cages, strange words caught in the air, with a finesse and talent. It was as if they wanted to stay oblivious to the world running alongside theirs, that they ultimately knew that any merging of the two worlds would only result in disaster and tragedy. Playing idly with her prefect badge, the blue and bronze background, emblazoned with the Ravenclaw raven and a white 'P', perched proudly upon her chest, Rose turned away from the Muggle crowd, pushing her way through with her trolley. Hugo, in his eagerness to be out of the Muggle world, was already leaning against the barrier, chatting idly to a housemate until they fell out of sight with a blink of Rose's eyes. Her mother and father waved Rose forward, walking confidently into the barrier as if it were nothing but air in front of them. For a moment, Rose felt the bizarre urge to miss the train, remain outside the barrier amongst the throng of strangers who discarded the eccentric and uncanny. To be faceless and unknown.
But what would her parents think? They wouldn't understand, she knew that immediately. They wouldn't know what it meant to live as the silhouette of those greater than you, to be nothing more than their dark outline upon the ground, where light and knowledge could not find it's way. Rose steered her trolley towards the space between platforms nine and ten, walking briskly towards the apparently solid wall. Her eyes screwed tight at the last moment as always, bracing for an impact that never came. As she opened her eyes, she could see the platform come into view; the scarlet train with steam billowing from it to obscure the platform in its thick, cloudlike mist. Around her, Rose could hear the magical world – Uncle Percy was, as usual, loudly announcing the latest safety proclamations while owls hooted from every direction around her. She could hear students talking about their (accidental) magical exploits, and their new broomsticks, and the fact that their cousin Benjamin had gotten himself into trouble by pulling out his neighbour's magical garden and was now expected to have a Howler sometime in the mail. The strange, extraordinary world around her was familiar, homely. It was where she belonged.
Where they all belonged.
"Oh, there you are Rose!" Louis exclaimed, coming into view as he approached her. "Your mother was getting worried. Or flustered. You know Aunt Hermione, it's all the same anyway. Come on, I'll help you load up your trunk." Louis offered. Like her, he already had his Prefect badge pinned neatly onto his sweater, the red and gold contrasting magnificently with the deep blue of the hand knitted sweater. "Dominique's come to see us off too – of course Teddy and Victoire can't though. Victoire had to work today, and Teddy was trying to organise himself for his move here. Still… you'd think Victoire would come and see her brother off, wouldn't you?"
Rose shrugged, trying to manoeuvre her trolley through the crowd without hitting a person. "You know Victoire, she's always busy, fixing up nonexistent flaws. She doesn't like to do things by half measures. Or do things wrong. She's a perfectionist." Rose had a fleeting mental image of Victoire rearranging her desk in the Department of International Magical Co-operation for a fifth time before she was happy. "Besides, I heard the representatives of the French Ministry were coming over this month to discuss the possibility of a dragon reservation for the Welsh greens, and to discuss the relocation of the Hippocampi population off Scotland." Rose informed Louis seriously. "So she will be busy, preparing for those visits. Translating, liasing and all such. You shouldn't be too hard on her though. She's been here most other years."
Louis gave Rose a small glare. "Why is it that you can reduce any anger I have with logic? I don't think I particularly like you Ravenclaws anymore."
Rose beamed back at him as she stopped the trolley by the train, and with Louis's help, hefted it into the baggage carriage. "You love us." Rose insisted stubbornly as she took the owl cage from the trolley, it disappearing with a flick of the porter's wand. "We make for a refreshing change from the testosterone of Gryffindor. Admit it. Sometimes bold and courageous just can't cut it, and that's why you love us, for our wit and minds." As if to insist upon her point, Alyda opened a bright eye and hooted her agreement. "See, even my owl agrees, and we all know owls are particularly wise animals."
Louis held up his hands in surrender. "You win, you win!" He exclaimed, stepping closer to Rose to ruffle her hand with his hand. Curly locks tumbled into her face, set free from behind her ears, falling in front of her blue eyes, her father's eyes. "I won't ever try to best you again – well, okay, that's a straight out lie, we all know I will. But I accept that you won. This time. One day, one day, you will be exhausted and mentally drained or sleep deprived and then I will win little cousin."
"That's cheating. Just a little."
"Hufflepuff is fair play. Gryffindor's competition."
"Then maybe you should have been Slytherin. They're cunning after all." Rose said slyly, ducking out from under his arms as Louis made a show of being shocked and reached to cuff the back of her head. Darting through the crowd, Rose called back to Louis, "Come catch me Louis, if you can!"
When Rose finally returned to her family (both the Weasley and Potter lines), she and Louis were both out of breath and laughing, with Rose's hair smoking a little after a run in with a first year, who had dropped his wand with alarming speed, leaving it to spark. While her father simply seemed amused at his eldest daughter, Rose's mother seemed exasperated, using her wand to remove the last of the sparks and smoke, examining the locks to make sure there was no damage. "Oh Rose," Hermione Weasley sighed, "what will I do with you? One minute you're the child I can trust, the next it's Hugo." Her mother gave Rose a small grin, looking slightly up at her daughter from their height difference. "Well, it's almost time."
Rose hugged her mother (Hermione muttered reprovals all the while in an almost amused tone) and her father (Ronald Weasley simply told Rose not to stir up too much trouble in the first week – that was what Hugo was for) as Louis went to his own parents, before turning to Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry, both of whom seemed to find the fact that Rose, serious Rose with eleven Outstanding O.W.L.s under her belt, had been caught giggling like a small child deeply amusing.
"Yes Uncle Harry?"
"Nothing Rose," he chuckled. "We'll see you for Christmas. And if you could…"
"Not killing James is a good thing," Aunt Ginny added. "Or transfiguring him. If you don't mind, of course."
Rose cast a glance at Roxanne, who had the decency to look slightly shamed at being caught handing information to the older generation. Pushing her hair out of her face, Rose hugged both her aunt and uncle, before kissing Dominique on the cheek, and hugging Uncle George tightly, who seemed to be in slight shock that his own daughter would betray a cousin to give away valuable information to a responsible adult. "When I was your age…" Uncle George began as he released Rose from his hug, shaking his head in disapproval. "I wouldn't have dared tell my mother about what I had planned for the gits at school. Or Umbridge either." Uncle George added. "Well go on then, get on the train before I decide to really lecture you missy!"
Roxanne gave a sheepish grin, linking her arm around Rose as she tugged them both towards the train. "We'll see you at Christmas!" She called back at the group of family members. "And I'll keep Rose in line, I swear."
Rose jabbed her in the ribs. "Sure, sure." Rose told Roxanne as the train whistle cried out through the air, and the conductor called for last boarding. The younger members of the family ran towards the train, James, Albus and Hugo hugging their parents swiftly before boarding and standing beside their cousins. Louis, shoving James to hurry up so Lily and Uncle Percy's daughters could board the train as well, yelled out to his mother in French. Molly and Lucy waved their final goodbyes before setting themselves down in a nearby compartment, while James rushed throughout the carriage, looking for his friends. A few remained by the door, Rose and Hugo, with Louis waiting patiently for Rose, as the train blew its final whistle. With a rumble, the train began to move, slowly at first, wheels moving faster fractionally with each passing second.
"Be good! You too Hugo!" Their mother called out, while their father placed an arm around her shoulders. Exasperation was clear on her expression. "If I get one more notice of misbehaviour Hugo…." Hermione threatened, but Hugo, in his joy of being back aboard the Hogwarts Express, seemed impervious to any threat, simply laughing.
As her family disappeared around the corner, Rose turned back to Louis, watching the back of her brother as he walked down the train carriage. "Shall we go to the prefect carriage then?" Louis asked, gesturing towards the front of the train. At Rose's nod, they embarked off together, two prefects of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, chattering idly away about how they could possibly humiliate James.
It was halfway through the day when it was elected Rose's turn to take hall duty. It was a general consensus of the twenty-two prefects, and the Head Boy and Head Girl, that hall duty was not an overall pleasant experience. First, it meant leaving the comfy seats of the carriage to walk almost aimlessly up and down the corridor of the train, and second, being a prefect was hardly a position to be held without fear of glares and general harassment. If one was a Gryffindor, walking through the unofficial Slytherin carriages was hardly an enjoyable experience, and vice versa. To be honest, Rose didn't really mind going on hall patrol. She was a Ravenclaw, and like Hufflepuff, was not severely disliked by the Slytherins and more forgettable.
Others called it being not worth the effort, but Rose liked her view better.
"Come on Matt," Rose said, standing up and stretching. The other sixth year Ravenclaw prefect stood up with resignation. Matthew Harvey, a talented Muggle-born was the only person Rose had known who was could truthfully say that he towered over her. Burly and tall, Matt was a menacing figure on the horizon, but a studious and thoughtful boy on closer inspection… and one of Rose's close friends. There was an understanding in Matt that could reduce even the most complex of dilemmas to the simplest of problems. In a way that no other could, Matt could see deep into the heart of issues.
"How were your holidays?" Matt asked as they left the carriage, ducking his head to avoid the doorframe. "I didn't really see that much of you around. I thought you were going to London and staying at the Cauldron at the end of July for a week. But Mrs Longbottom said you never checked in."
Rose looked up at Matt, the feeling still strange to her even after all the years of their friendship. Just once, she wanted to measure Matt's height, to try and figure out just how high he had his head in the clouds. "Yeah, it fell through. Sorry, I completely forgot that you were thinking of catching up with me there. Mum and Dad cancelled the trip after Hugo let an ashwinder into the house. I don't think I've ever seen Dad so angry. He kept harping on about responsibility and how the house could have burnt down. But what about you?"
"Same as usual. Just me, my parents and some strange normality. They don't really understand magic, so they just try to keep it in the corner of their minds. 'Oh, my son's a wizard. Yeah, we'll just leave that over there'. Of course, Em doesn't mind so much. She's always begging me to show her what I can do, even though I explain over and over again that I can't, it's against the law." Matt grinned. "It's a bit of a shame that she's not like me. She just turned eleven, and no letter. I think she's a bit sad about that, about not coming here. She would have liked it."
Rose didn't know what to say. She knew Matt was close to his half sister Emily, and his sadness at her being a Muggle likely stemmed from the new divisor that kept them apart and reminded him that they were not full blood relatives. But that was how life went, Rose supposed. Those deserving of a place at Hogwarts, the most eager and keen, were not always the ones who gained a position. It was magic that decided the students of Hogwarts, not their wanting to belong to the world of magic.
The walk through the train carriages was mostly uneventful. Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws from their year greeted them with a wave, and sometimes a small talk, as they walked past, while Rose's family caused a small traffic problem in the trains in their eagerness to greet Rose as an apparently long gone sister. It was easy to know the house areas from each other. Ravenclaw was usually closest to the front of the train, and were the quietest, sometimes reading or playing wizard's chess, while Hufflepuff dwelt next to them in a moderately noisy environment, greeting each other warmly and joking. The rowdy Gryffindors were in the middle of the train, and thus could be heard by everyone, while Slytherin lingered towards the back, close to silent. Since the Second War, the house of Slytherin was met with disdain and festering hatred, even by some of the Hufflepuffs, who were taught to foster tolerance and fair play. It seemed that no one could forget what had happened, what had been done by those once of Slytherin house, and laid their feelings from the past to the students of the present. It was unfair prejudice, but there seemed to be nothing anyone could do about it.
It was at the beginning of the Slytherin carriages that Rose was pulled into a compartment, and Matt along with her. Matt, as one of Rose's closest friends, knew that Rose and Scorpius talked about more than Ancient Runes, the subject Rose tutored him in, and to Matt's credit, did not judge or lecture her about the Malfoy family. As such, Matt was one of the only people Rose truly trusted to come along with her when she saw Scorpius.
Plus, he was probably the only person Rose knew who was a friend to Cody Bennet outside of her own house. Or just a friend.
It wasn't surprising that Scorpius and Cody were the only occupants of the compartment. Cody, for her short fuse and cutting tongue, was not a popular girl, while Scorpius, for his Malfoy blood was blamed for the dark reputation of the Slytherin house. Their combined presence was enough to ward away most Slytherins from being near them, as well as most other people. Cody sat on the left side of the compartment, resolutely reading the Daily Prophet and ignoring the new presence while Scorpius settled back into his seat on the right side of the carriage, patting on the space to his left for Rose to sit.
Matt took a seat next to Cody, ignoring her dark eyed glare as he craned his neck to read the Daily Prophet over her shoulder. Rolling her eyes, Cody gave one side of the Prophet to Matt, holding the paper between the two of them. This, Rose knew, was a sign of a burgeoning friendship. To any other person, Cody was more likely to hex them rather than share her paper, or give them a traditional black eye. The dark haired, dark eyed beater of the Slytherin house was not known for her outstanding patience, or control of her temper, and her threats were notoriously followed through.
"Glad to see they're getting along." Rose stage whispered to Scorpius as she sat next to him. Scorpius grinned in amusement. It was a physical pain to know that the Scorpius she could see, the smiling joking one, would be gone within days of their arrival at Hogwarts. A hated Malfoy could not be happy, nor were they allowed to have friends – and the people around him ensured that this was the case. Soon, he would become more quiet and withdrawn, less at ease and more troubled by the glares and actions the other students would take against him. "So, come on, where's my surprise? Don't think I've forgotten."
"I wouldn't dream it," Scorpius returned seriously. He reached to his right and brought out a wrapped parcel. It was long but not thick, though a strange square bump in the centre did make the parcel's contents a mystery to Rose. "Go on, open it." Scorpius urged.
Rose didn't need to be told twice. She tore through the brown wrapping, and gasped in delight. In her hands was an art book, blank and ready for her drawings, with her name emblazoned in gold across the black cover. On top of the book were two more gifts – a small calligraphy set and a box of charcoal.
"The pages are charmed," Scorpius told Rose. "As soon as the picture is done, it comes to life. And the paper won't smudge. Ever. I thought you might like it seeing as you're always drawing on scrap bits of parchment. Do you like it?"
Matt looked up over the Daily Prophet. "Of course she likes it." He replied, cutting across Rose as she opened her mouth. "You'd have to be an idiot not to see that. Are you an idiot?" Matt queried, his tone humoured. His smile was quickly dropped as Cody hit him absently over the head, his golden hair falling into disarray. Matt scowled at Cody but took the message, hiding himself back behind the Daily Prophet and reading.
Rose bit back a laugh. "This is wonderful, Scorpius." She told him. "I mean it. And, okay, fine, you win. I forgive you. Mostly anyway." Rose flicked through the book. It would be a shame when she ran out of pages, but not a loss. She would just pester Scorpius to tell her where he had got the book from, because it was certainly not from Diagon Alley. "Are you both looking forward to being back at school?" Rose asked as she closed the cover, and set the gifts down beside her. Scorpius gave a short laugh, bitter and sarcastic, but didn't reply – words were not necessary for Scorpius to convey his feelings about returning to Hogwarts. His response was not surprising to Rose, it was almost expected. However, Cody's response, or rather acknowledgement of the question, was surprising. Cody lowered the paper and gave Rose a long, complicated look, before sighing.
"I guess." Cody replied evenly. Rose was sure her mouth was hanging open in shock; Cody rarely spoke when Rose was around her. "I'm looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures this year now that some of the stupid gits in our class have left. Are you continuing the subject too? Scorpius said you got an O.W.L. in it." Rose nodded mutely, and Cody continued at once. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Cody asked, her brow furrowed and her tone slightly annoyed. "I just figured I should get on with you, if we're going to be in classes together. By Merlin, I thought you Ravenclaws were meant to be intelligible."
"Play nice Cody," Scorpius murmured, "you don't want to get in trouble before school even starts."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Cody returned, pulling the paper from Matt's hands and disappearing behind it. For a small moment, before the paper obscured Cody's face, Rose thought she saw the tiniest blush on her pale skin, a contrast between her black hair and sharp, angular features. If Cody's eyes had been a hazel, or a gold, Rose would have thought she were a cat, with her high cheekbones and quick eyes. "Do me a favour, tell Verity that I'm not coming up to the prefect carriage." Cody added, her voice muffled. "Every other prefect she sends down this way has been told to try and get my butt up there, but I can't be bothered. Besides, Turpin and Cadell are enough Slytherin without adding me to the fray."
Rose blinked. She had forgotten that Cody was a prefect, mainly because Cody did so little with it. She never joined the prefects in their carriage, nor did she abuse her power like some others felt the need to, or even wear her badge for that matter. To be truthful, Rose wasn't even sure that Cody used the prefect bathroom. Rose knew for certain that Scorpius didn't – many of the Gryffindor prefects thought it was insulting that Scorpius was equal to them in position, though he was only the Slytherin Quidditch captain. In the interest of peaceful co-existence, Scorpius had decided to stay firmly out of their way, even if it meant giving up a privilege he had earned.
"Sure, I'll pass it along. Speaking of which, we better finish our rounds." Rose stood, watching Matt as he tried to grab the paper from Cody again, but had his hand forcefully slapped away. He looked at Cody reproachfully, but she was oblivious to his attempt at shaming her into sharing the paper once again. With her presents gathered under her arms, Rose wrapped her fingers around Matt's wrist and pulled him towards the door to the compartment, sliding it open. "You do realise I'm going to show you every drawing I do in this book now, don't you? And pester you to get me more of these?"
Scorpius reclined backwards, stretching himself over the whole seat. "Wouldn't have it any other way Rose. I need something to amuse me after all."
The steaming breath of the Thestrals was something few people saw as the apparently horseless carriages came to the gates to collect the second to seventh year students. Ignoring the strange looks given to her, Rose patted the neck of the Thestral, the winged horse looking at her with interest with it's white, pupil less eyes. Smelling no blood or meat it was allowed to eat, it turned away in disinterest and stamped a hoof on the ground, the carriage remaining still as people climbed into it.
"What are you doing Rose?" Shian asked, peering out of the carriage's door. Her mass of dark curling hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned forwards to catch a glimpse of Rose. "Come on, I'm hungry. I want to get to the feast before the table fills up and we get shoved next to the second years."
"Coming!" Rose replied, "I'm coming!" She gave the Thestral a final pat before walking to the carriage and letting herself in. As soon as Rose closed the door and sat beside Shian, the carriage rattled forward, the dark shadows of the Thestrals catching Rose's attention as her friends around her spoke.
The carriage was full to capacity with it's six occupants of Rose, Shian Warrun, a fellow Ravenclaw sixth year, Matt, Pippa Drewe, a Ravenclaw prefect in the seventh year and the two Hufflepuff sixth year prefects Alexis Bell-Wakely and Thomas Stam. The mismatched group of sixth and seventh years, and of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, had been friends since the earliest days of Rose's Hogwarts life. After her somewhat shocking sorting in Ravenclaw, it was Shian, her dorm mate, who had accompanied her to every class and made her feel welcome in the house that Rose had not expected to be sorted in to. Shian had been friends with Matt before Rose, as they were both Muggle-borns and felt out of place, but they had accepted the half-blood Rose with no hesitation. The Hufflepuffs had become friends during their Potions and Flying lessons, in which it was discovered that Shian was a natural born flier, a fact around which the initial friendship between Shian and Thomas, a half-blood, had been built around. As Thomas was friends with Alexis, and Shian friends with Rose and Matt, the group had become acquainted soon after and became friends, often sitting together in their shared classes. It had only been later, when most students left for Christmas at home but Rose and Matt had remained, that she had met Pippa, one of the few Ravenclaw students remaining, after Pippa had answered the question posed by the raven knocker on the door to the Ravenclaw common room and let both Matt and Rose in. The fact that most of them were prefects seemed to be another bond between them, a secret influence that they all shared, even if Shian was no prefect.
There were, of course, other friends. Albus was close to Rose, as was Louis and Roxanne. The Scamander twins, though three years younger than Rose, were good friends, and Norah Rafferty of Gryffindor was a sweet person, even if Rose only saw her when they met as prefects, the year and house difference leading to almost no contact. Jimmy Thornton was always an interesting philosophical conversation about the nature of things, and Therese Witton and her boyfriend Charlie Winchester were two people who could always make Rose smile, regardless of her mood. They were all friends, but none so close as Rose's normal ragtag group of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw sixth (and seventh) years. There was barely a need to talk between the group, not about the important things. Instead, there was an unspoken understanding between all of them, that even if they were apart and didn't speak, they would still do anything for the others, still help in any way they could, even if they didn't fully understand why the other needed help. Even if it were beyond them, they would still try.
"So that's from Scorpius, right?" Shian asked, pointing to the art book. Rose blushed, torn between keeping the art book a secret and telling her friends. It wasn't that her friends excluded her for her friendship with Scorpius, or that they didn't know – they did. And most of them were perfectly fine with it, as long as Rose still cheered for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff whenever they met Slytherin in Quidditch. Matt and Shian were perhaps the most open about the friendship, most willing to keep her secrets and the most friendly to Scorpius, while Pippa had a disapproval about the Slytherin house as a whole. Thomas, for his part, was neither disapproving nor approving, simply above the situation, letting Rose live her own life, but Alexis had made no attempt to hide her whole displeasure and condemnation of any association above hatred with anyone of the Malfoy line. While Rose wasn't quite sure why this was, as her parents and Alexis didn't speak of it, she knew it was directly related to Scorpius's father, Draco Malfoy, and Alexis's mother, Katie Bell.
"Yes," Rose said slowly. Alexis ground her teeth together but said nothing. "And there is absolutely nothing wrong with him giving me a present Alexis." Rose continued wearily, wishing that Shian hadn't brought up the subject. "It's just an art book."
"He's just trying to bribe you into forgiving him after he called you worthless and said you should disappear." Alexis spat back, looking more like a Gryffindor than a Hufflepuff. "You're not stupid Rose, and nor are you blind. Do you honestly think he's that different from any other Slytherin we've come across? Or his father? All Scorpius Malfoy will ever be is trouble." Alexis's voice seemed obscenely loud in the silence of the carriage, even as it rattled across cobblestone and rock, the wood of the carriage creaking.
Rose clutched the art book tighter in her hands. "That's not what… you've got it wrong." Rose managed, looking down at her knees. "He was angry at James, at Albus, not me. He didn't mean to call me those things. He wouldn't ever… and he apologised. And I accepted it." Rose finished firmly. Why had all the Gryffindor courage skipped her? "And that's the end of it. We've been over this 'Lexis. Scorpius is my friend, and you are my friend. It doesn't mean you two have to be friends, because by Merlin, that would never work, but if you could respect my decision, it would be appreciated. He doesn't speak about you like you speak about him."
"Because he knows he's in the wrong!" Alexis exclaimed. "Rosie, I'm just trying to protect you! Slytherins are vile! They're cunning and manipulative. You don't think it's possible that he's using you, like his father used everyone around him? Rose…" Alexis reached across the carriage, placed her hands over Rose's. "I don't mean to make this hard, but… I just don't want to see you hurt when you realise he's just like every other Slytherin we've met. Look at who he's friends with! I mean, Cody Bennet! That girl has sent more people to the hospital wing than anyone else I can think of, and we all know that when she's playing Quidditch, she's more playing to kill than anything else."
"That's not fair Alexis." Matt said quietly. Alexis glanced at Matt, frustration written clear across her face. "And you know it. Look at Roxanne. I'd say whenever she plays Quidditch, she plays it to kill. That's what a beater does – they play to injure and hurt and killing is a part of that intent. They don't do half-hearted efforts."
Matt's interruption seemed to prompt everyone else to life. Shian placed an arm comfortingly around Rose, while Thomas pulled Alexis back into her seat. "Let it go." Pippa advised from beside her, looking at Alexis meaningfully. "We're back at Hogwarts, all together for the first time in months… let's not ruin this, shall we? It's my last year guys, my last start-of-term feast in the Great Hall for the rest of my life. Might I have the presumption of asking that I can have a good one?"
The carriage fell silent, the six occupants simultaneously looking away from one another, Rose turning to stare out the window. She could see Hogwarts beginning to come into view, with its high towers and stonewalls, light spilling out of arching windows into the dark sky. Home, in all of it's archaic, magical glory. A sigh escaped her lips. She could already see the Great Hall, it's ceiling reflecting the clear, starry sky, with lit candles hovering over tables full of chattering students. In her mind's eye, she could see the Ravenclaw common room, with it's silks and wide windows, and spectacular view of the mountains. Home. Her second home, welcoming her back to it's trick doors and hidden mysteries, it's magic and encompassing families of houses.
The carriage stopped at the base of the steps of the Entrance Hall, and Rose stepped out of it, waiting patiently for the others to come along. Alexis whispered a hurried apology as they followed Pippa and Matt up the stairs and through the Entrance Hall into the Great Hall, giving Rose a sad look as she and Thomas left for the Hufflepuff table on the far right of the hall, Rose turning to the table second from the left – the Ravenclaw table. She could see so many familiar faces as she took her seat, Shian sitting beside her and Matt opposite her. There was Justin Kendrick, who Rose did have a small crush on… still, and beside him Katherine Otto, his girlfriend since fourth year. And there was Lysander with his friend Adrienne Boot, both talking to Lorcan in the table next to them. And on the staff table… there was Professor Blandus, the charms teacher, and Professor Ward, the Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, and even Professor Dyanne, Professor Hagrid's assistant in Care of Magical Creatures. From the centre of the table, Professor Cyning, the Headmaster, sat, watching his students with warmth in his eyes. And… and there, the Sorting Hat, the frayed, dirty hat which had chosen Ravenclaw for her above Gryffindor. The familiarity of the setting washed over Rose. This was home, and she was finally back.
The deputy Headmaster, Professor Blanche, opened the wide doors to the Great Hall, leading in the first years. They looked so small to Rose's eyes, and so afraid of the unknown place that was Hogwarts. Silence descended amongst the students, even amongst the silverly shadows of the ghosts, as the first years filed in, their robes new and eyes wide as they pointed to the sky-ceiling and the floating ghosts. As they halted in front of the staff table, Professor Blanche stood by the Sorting Hat, a scroll in hand which Rose knew was full with the names of the first years. The first years, in confusion, stared about them, not knowing what to do, whilst everyone else stared at the shabby wizard's hat on the stool at the front of the hall. It amused Rose to watch them, trying to make sense of the strange happenings. As the brim of the hat opened to form a mouth, Rose turned her attention to the hat, waiting for its song. With a collective intake of breath, the hat began to sing.
"When these walls were young,
And thus I was too,
Hogwarts had its four founders,
To choose between you.
Brave Godric Gryffindor,
Of boldest nerve and dare,
Warm Helena Hufflepuff,
Of the fairest and kindest care.
Sage Rowena Ravenclaw,
Of the most careful mind,
And grand Salazar Slytherin,
Who was the most ambitious kind.
But who would take their pick
Once the founders were gone?
T'was then I came to life,
To sort and pick with merry song.
If you've a wit, a mind,
Or the gift of spell,
Perhaps it is to bronzed Ravenclaw,
Where you should let your mind dwell.
Or if you've an open mind,
With a loyal, ready heart,
Maybe it is to golden Hufflepuff,
Where you should make your start.
Perchance you're brave and daring,
Of determined mettle,
Then to the crimson Gryffindor,
You should let your heart settle.
Or if you've a resourceful nature,
Of vaulting, striving mind,
Then it is to the silvered Slytherin,
Where you will find your kind.
So put me up
Upon your shining head.
It is my honour and my duty
To make the choice in their stead."
As the hall burst into applause, Rose nudged Shian in the side. "Ever wondered if the hat just repeats the same seven songs? I figure, it must run out of words to describe the four founders after … what, at least five centuries?"
"More," Shian responded with a grin. "I don't know, maybe we'll just have to fail a year and come back. See if it's the same. If it was, it'd be a Hogwarts-wide conspiracy. Though, you'd think… you know… because it's just a hat that it would have plenty of time to think of synonyms. If not, I'm sure all the portraits in Professor Cyning's office will give him hints when he needs it."
The mental image of all of the previous Hogwarts headmasters helping the Sorting Hat craft a new song by shouting down synonyms and rhymes amused Rose immensely.
As the Sorting proceeded, Rose couldn't help but pity the young students. Even though Rose had known how she was going to be sorted before she came to Hogwarts, she had still been fearful of the Sorting Hat. She had wanted desperately to be a Gryffindor, but she wasn't cut from the same cloth as the rest of her family. The memory of her sorting flooded back to her, Rose's cheeks burning in shame. She had begged to be a Gryffindor, but the Sorting Hat had refused. She simply couldn't be a Gryffindor… and what was worse…
Ten year old Rose was scared, and nervous. Her stomach was in knots, twisting inside of her as the hat was placed on her head. Her mind was spinning in every direction, trying to hear for the first whisper of the Sorting Hat within her mind. The hat had just sung of the proud, chivalrous Gryffindor, but she was hardly that. But she needed to be.
Please, Gryffindor, I need to be a Gryffindor… Rose spoke within her mind. After a moment, she heard the hat's reply.
'A Gryffindor? No, I don't think so Miss Weasley, you're not a Gryffindor I fear. Are you loyal, are you brave? To be sure, we all know that. But are you proud? Reckless? Daring? No. What else hides beneath your hair, Miss Weasley?'
Rose gripped the stool tighter. She wasn't going to be a Gryffindor? The ache that the realisation caused within her was palpable and real. Please, she begged again, I need to be a Gryffindor. That's all I am, a daughter of Gryffindors. Please.
'That's all? Hardly. What can I see? A brilliant intelligence, your mother's hand with anything magic, an imaginative mind, a thirst for knowledge… all of this is here Miss Weasley… and the ambition to outshine your mother, and the ingenuity to do so, and… what's this? Could there be something more to you Miss Weasley?'
No, no. Please, please, Gryffindor, please, please. That's all I am.
How was everything going wrong? Her entire family was Gryffindor! She was destined to be a Gryffindor… but yet…
'Yes, I see it. A leader with the backbone you think you lack. That's here too.'
Gryffindor then. Bravery, strength… that's Gryffindor. I'm a Gryffindor, aren't I? But… I'm not. I'm not brave. That's James. That's Uncle Harry. That's Albus. He didn't even shake coming up to try you on, not like me. I'm not brave. But please, let me be Gryffindor.
Was this taking a long time, or a short time? Rose wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything. If she wasn't a Gryffindor, she couldn't be sure of anything in her life.
'Are you sure you aren't brave Miss Weasley? Are you sure Gryffindor is what you truly want? No, you wouldn't be happy there Miss Weasley. It's Ravenclaw or Slytherin for you Miss Weasley… but… I think…'
"RAVENCLAW!"
Ten year old Rose opened her eyes and took off the Sorting Hat, aware that her cousins weren't applauding, but staring at her, the first Ravenclaw in a family of Gryffindors, the first outsider.
Rose squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out the past and concentrating on the future. "Creevey, Colin!"
Silence. Colin Creevey was a name placed on the memorial of those dead during the Second Battle of Hogwarts. And yet… Rose opened her eyes. A small boy with a round face sat on the stool, swinging his legs backwards and forwards in comfort, smiling at the Sorting Hat spoke to him inside his mind, completely at ease.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled, and the table to Rose's left erupted in applause and loud cheers. The boy leapt from the stool, taking off the hat with a flourish and walking with his back straight towards the Gryffindor table.
That was a Gryffindor, not her.
Disclaimer: all of this ultimately belongs to J.K. Rowling (characters, setting, the world, basically everything you recognise). The plot, the writing – that's mine. No stealing. I have a man eating giant bunny on loan to track you down and gobble you. You have been warned.
A/N:
Um, you will notice that Rose is a little bit depressed about being a Ravenclaw. Don't get mad at her/me. It's not that she's got anything against being Ravenclaw – it's just part of her character development.
Oh, and I now have a greater respect for J.K. Rowling. Writing all those Sorting Hat songs would have been AWFUL.
Thanks go to SallyMadison (hope this doesn't disappoint! Just wondering, was it simplicity of writing or plot, because the latter is not going to be simple but at the same time, will be if that makes ANY sense), Mariketa the weylock (thank you!) and ProperT (Thanks! But now I'm feeling the pressure… how about, in the end, we compare thoughts and I'll see if you're disappointed or not? =) ) for the reviews and to teddy240b, AmazingMe and lumierelanuit for the watches. You make my story feel loved. =)
Feel free to watch, review, hate, flame, be a ghostie, or ignore. But no stealing.
xx
Ghost.
