As the sun faded in the sky, the view from the train window became drenched in a blue haze. Aubrieanna's music that was being played loudly enough to drown out he own heartbeat could not silence the antics of the seven boys sitting next to her. Mundungus had been attempting to teach them a card game that involved chips. British cuisine keeps getting weirder and weirder. As the train approached an immense glossy-blue lake (of course, everything seemed blue during twilight) Aubrieanna lurched forward in her seat as the vehicle, which had been slowing down for a few minutes now, finally pulled to a stop.
The four boys who had invaded the train compartment left, leaving Aubrieanna with Miguel, Mundungus, and Richard as they forced all of their belongings. Stashing her music-making device inside her coat pocket, Aubrieanna followed the boys out of the train to a cobblestone road. The humidity of the afternoon hadn't left the atmosphere completely, causing the scenery around Aubrieanna to blur as she struggled to breathe evenly. The cobblestone road winded through a small village, around the lake, and up to what Aubrieanna assumed was the castle. Huge towers loomed over the main parts of the building, creating large internal courtyards that were surrounded by arches on all sides. The ancient stones of the castle's foundation were playing host to various forms of vegetation; mostly what appeared to be mosses and ivies.
It almost reminds me of home. Aubrieanna thought as a bittersweet smile peeked through her stony masks. It only needs a little weaponry, a few demons, and angry mob or two... Shaking her head and turning to follow the crowd, Aubrieanna heard a deep voice behind her, calling all of the first year students towards the lake.
Poor kids, she thought without much sympathy, I hope they don't have to swim across. Although as hot as it is, they might be the lucky ones...
Continuing in her path down the cobblestone road, Aubrieanna began to see the tops of white carriages. As she got closer, the animals that were pulling the carriages came into full view. Aubrieanna was transfixed. While the other students walked right past the creatures, much like muggles passing the leaky cauldron, Aubrieanna studied the horrible, beautiful creatures out of the corner of her eye. They were black, not an absolute black but an eternal, entrancing black. Two wings sprouted out of their skeletal forms at such odd angles that it seemed they were broken. In fact, Aubrieanna believed them all to be broken until one flapped its wings violently, blowing hot, humid air into Aubrieanna's face. They seemed destructively wild, not proud, not powerful like a storm or a tornado, but like a glass knife, something that could be killed as easily as it could kill. Approaching one, Aubrieanna got close enough that when the wind blew, a bit of the mane lightly traced the features of her face. Looking into the beast's eyes, a dull, wispy reflection of herself could barely be made out.
Suddenly she felt someone grab her arm and start to drag her to the carriage. Spinning around, she found Miguel at her side.
"Self propelled carriages, brilliant isn't it? I heard that Dumbledore put the spell on them himself. Of course that was told to me by Dung so a few crucial truths might be missing..."
As the two pulled themselves into the carriage, they found that Richard, and the source in question were both sitting they're discussing their Head of House, Professor Slughorn.
"I hope he's not Deputy Headmaster again this year, just when I thought that he couldn't get any more full of himself, Dumbledore just has to give him a promotion."
"Yeah, but it will be funny to hear him read the names for the sorting. Think about it, 'Oh, my dear, wasn't your great-uncle twice removed a head minister, that was all my doing.' and 'My, my, I always knew your father would become a famous author, inspired him as a lad I did'..."
"Oh shut it you two." Miguel said.
"Oh, we forgot, Sluggy likes you, doesn't he. Thinks you'll show your father's brilliance in government, doesn't he." Dung replied.
"Completely beside the point." Miguel said hastily, but, of course, it wasn't. Eager to change the subject, Miguel turned to face Aubrieanna.
"So, where do you come from?" He asked in a curious manner.
"Nowhere." Aubrieanna said pointedly.
"Oh, come off of it, everyone comes from somewhere, and don't say that you've been at Hogwarts all of this time. Neither we nor the Marauders know you, so either you can turn invisible or..."
"Denmark." Aubrieanna said.
"You come from Denmark? You don't sound Swedish." Richard remarked.
"Denmark, California." Aubrieanna replied.
"Do you gamble often?" Mundungus asked.
"Not really..." Aubrieanna made a mental note to make sure she looked up gambling in her English/Runic dictionary.
Surprisingly, after they had got the answer, the boys dropped the subject. Now which of us is stupider, Aubrieanna pondered, me for making the lie, or them for believing it?
The carriages continued on their journey towards the castle. Occasionally, Aubrieanna could catch a glimpse of one of the creatures shaking its head or spreading its wings. Once to carriages pulled up to the castle, the side doors sprung open, beckoning the student to go through the intricately carved oak door. Aubrieanna quickly separated herself from the rest of the crowd and, when the iron latches on the great doors opened, she lingered outside of the castle as the other students flooded into the entrance hall.
Stepping form behind the stonework that had concealed her, Aubrieanna looked out onto the Hogwarts grounds. She could see the horse-like creatures flying free of their carriages and going towards a dense forest behind the castle. A tree appeared to be swaying in the non-existent wind.
So, is this a prison or a paradise? She asked herself. She exhaled deeply and began to turn to go inside the castle. She was just about to turn inside to follow the flood of bolstrus students into the great hall when she felt a strong, bony hand on her shoulder. Turning around rapidly, Aubrieanna bent her knees and raised her arms, ready for a fight. When she saw the face of her attacker, she was rather taken aback.
A witch, probably in her sixties, was looking down at Aubrieanna. The woman was rather tall, and the flowing green velvet robes that covered almost every inch of her skin accented the fact. Aubrieanna relaxed slightly, the woman was obviously not prepared to fight.
"I would like to remind you, Miss Aubrieanna, that promptness is an attribute we expect our students to have. Please step inside so we can sort you into a house before the first years need the hat." The lady in green said.
Hello Madame Gerly. Aubrieanna thought, recalling one of her more uptight teachers at the Institution. For a dance teacher that had put so much emphasis on portraying feeling in your movements, Madame Gerly had never been one to smile or smirk. She might break your ankles with her walking stick, but she would do so with an emotionless reserve.
"Now, I am sure that the Headmaster and your mother have made certain that you are prepared for your fifth year of magical schooling," the witch said. "But they might have neglected to go over some of the rules. You are to be in your common room at curfew. Any rule breaking that you participate in will lose you house points, and every house is competing to have the highest amount of house points in the school. Magic is not to be used against other students in the corridors and your magic is not to be used at any time during the year." At the last bit she a spun around to look Aubrieanna directly in the eyes. "That," she continued, "is not only a school law but also one of the regulations the Ministry expects you to follow."
The two walked inside the entrance hall, where candles were illuminating the surroundings. The witch produced a filth-ridden tattered hat and turn around to face Aubrieanna.
"Now for the sorting, please..." The woman looked Aubrieanna up and down in shock. "What are you wearing?"
Aubrieanna looked at her clothes. She could find plenty of things that she didn't like about them, they weren't black for one. The vest and the collared shirt rubbed against her neck in an uncomfortable manner. The shoes were clunky and heavy. Regardless, Aubrieanna had followed the dress code to a T, right down to the too baggy..."
"Pants! You bought a uniform with pants? Did no one inform you that you were to wear a skirt with your uniform what on earth..."
"I have a skirt for the uniform."
"Oh thank Heaven. Why didn't you wear it?"
"Because I had a skirt and two pairs of pants."
The witch, and Aubrieanna considered her a witch in all senses of the word, took a deep breath in order to compose herself. Then, she shook out the old hat and handed it to Aubrieanna.
"Put this on please, and wait to be sorted."
Eyeing the hat with disgust, it looked like it had been made centuries ago, Aubrieanna reluctantly placed the hat on her head.
No need to worry, I am a ninety-eight percent louse free. Said a voice inside Aubrieanna's head. Well, I suppose I should be honored to be able to decide the fate of one of the members of the great House of Death. Hmmm... Where to put you. You rebels are always irritatingly loyal to your causes, if not to each other, and the are equally ambitious that their goals succeed. You are a bit of a reluctant leader though, aren't you? And not all that loyal to the last living member of your own family... I can see you're clever, you'll have to be to make it to where you want to go... Perhaps we have a Ravenclaw. Ah, but here it is... You came here for your cause, not to run away, didn't you? And if that's the case then surely you are a..."
"Gryffindor!" The hat said softly. The witch blinked irritably.
"Well done, you have been sorted into my house." She said stiffly. "Join you housemate at the second table from the left please, I'm sure you can find it on your own, I have to get this hat back to professor Slughorn."
With that, the witch left Aubrieanna on her own.
