Song of Rain
Chapter 1 - Big Entrance
Erynn Bishop hung close to her cousin, and best friend, Ron Weasley as they made their way through King's Cross Station. It was her first time to Hogwarts, which made her feel weird and out of place because Ron, Harry, and Hermione, who'd she'd met over the summer, had all been there for four years already. Harry told her that he'd felt behind the times too, when he'd first learned of Hogwarts, but Erynn had explained, as nicely as possible, that he was famous and could have friends ever where he went. She, however, was the new girl, who was accustomed to the ways of magical schools, because she'd been in France for four years not the end of the Earth, but still wouldn't fit in.
"Erynn, it's this way," Ron said, steering her towards the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Erynn glanced at him sideways, like maybe all this magic was getting to him, but then Hermione ran straight at the barrier, disappearing as she should've hit. Erynn could only blink as Harry followed suit. "It's always a shocker the first time," Ron said reassuringly. "You go next, I'll wait here, just incase it doesn't it work and you can't get through."
Erynn paused before starting towards the barrier. "Wait, sometimes you can't get through?" She was having vivid visions of running at the solid stone pillar and cracking her head open.
Ron patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, that only happened once." Erynn nodded, not feeling any better. "No go, it's almost 11:00, wouldn't want to miss the train."
Erynn let out a strangled noise. "Miss the train?"
Ron rolled his eyes to himself. "Would you like me to go at the same time? Would that make you feel better?" She nodded. "Okay..." They started towards the barrier. "Geez Erynn, usually you're not such a chicken...I thought you had all those Irish warriors in your family tree..."
She nodded as the pushed against the barrier, and fell through. They came out on another platform entirely. Erynn looked behind her, but only saw a brick barrier. "I do have Irish warriors, my granddad was one, actually...He never actually fought, but he had some cool stories."
Ron laughed as they caught up with the rest of the group. Ginny, Fred and George were already on the train, while Molly and Arthur were waiting for Erynn, Ron, Harry and Hermione to get on. "I always love the stories about your dad's side of the family. Sorry Erynn," he added, seeing a flicker of sadness in his cousin's intensely blue eyes.
She shrugged it off as Molly gave her a hug. "Bye Aunt Molly, thanks for everything." She repeated the gesture with Arthur and followed the rest of her friends onto the train for final goodbyes.
Harry worked to make himself comfortable in the train seats. He'd hurt his back playing Quidditch over the summer, it wasn't anything serious, but it was a pain in the ass.
"Are you okay, Harry?"
He looked at Hermione, and nodded. "Yeah, thanks. What're you doing?" Harry looked at her strangely when she bent over in her seat, her forehead almost touching the floor.
"I'm trying...to -" she paused to give her bag one last shove under her seat. "There, it's so full of books and quills I couldn't quite get it under."
Ron joined them in the car. "That's when you know you're doing too much studying."
"Well, I have to."
Harry glanced sideways at Ron, who shrugged. Hermione was easily in the top 3 smartest people in all of Hogwarts. "Why?"
Hermione gave them a look that very clearly said 'boys'. "I have to study if I want to -" She stopped talking when Erynn and Ginny slid open the door and found seats.
Harry nodded to himself, understanding what Hermione was talking about. Over the summer, a couple days after she'd arrived at the Burrow, where Molly and Arthur had been throwing a get together of sorts, Erynn had displayed a talent for learning quickly without books. She was told a fact and seemingly never forgot it. She never had to study, and homework would always be a breeze. She'd have to do minimal work, which was what bothered Hermione. Erynn had outscored Hermione in a few trivia games they'd played, and Hermione hated it when people skated effortlessly through school work.
Erynn stood up. "I'm going to get a drink, does anybody want anything?"
Ron asked for pumpkin juice, Hermione told him to get it himself and Harry stood up. "Can I come with you? I need to walk this cramp out of my back." Erynn nodded and they left the car.
"What'd you do?"
"I fell off my broom and have had a constant pain ever since."
Erynn got a bottle of water and pumpkin juice from the trolley and they started back towards the car. "Maybe Hermione has a spell that'll help you. Girl's quick and good with her wand."
Harry nodded. "Yeah."
Erynn stopped quickly as a compartment door slid open and Draco Malfoy came out. Not seeing her he bumped into the arm holding her water, which she'd opened. Water soaked them both and Harry kept a close eye on Draco's wand hand. "Sorry," Erynn mumbled, trying to balance the pumpkin juice so she didn't spill that as well.
Draco only blinked at her. "Yeah...Do I know you?"
Erynn shook her head. "Not unless you're Irish. I'm a transfer student." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Erynn."
Draco shook her hand and Harry got an uncomfortable feeling from the look in his silver gray eyes. It was the usual malice, and Erynn was new prey. "Draco.... Nice to meet you Erynn...Do you have any idea what house you'll be in?"
Erynn glanced sideways at Harry, and he remembered that she didn't know what Draco was talking about. He told himself to explain the houses when they got back to their car. "No."
The look on his face suddenly changed. "Then you better hope it's not Slytherin, because I'll make your life a living hell." Draco pushed past her and continued down the hall.
Harry almost smiled as Erynn started back towards their compartment. She looked like she'd been fighting off the severe urge to dump Ron's pumpkin juice on Draco's head. He also had no doubt that she would. Ron had explained about his theory of Irish warriors living in Erynn's brain, telling her what to do. Harry had laughed it off before, but Erynn had proved to have a quick temper.
Erynn thought that she might collapse from nerves. She usually didn't get stage fright, but then again, she hadn't spent much time on stage recently. She was bouncing around in the hallway before what Ron had told her was the Great Hall, standing with a bunch of first years, waiting to be sorted when an old man with a long gray beard and hair to match stood beside her.
"Nervous are we, Erynn?"
She didn't look at the man. "Yeah."
"Don't worry, it's not hard. I'm Professor Dumbledore, and I just wanted to welcome you to Hogwarts."
Erynn stopped bouncing, when she remembered that she'd seen this man before. She'd gotten his wizard card out of a pack of chocolate frogs on the train. He was the Headmaster. "Thanks, Professor." He entered the Great Hall and a woman who fit Hermione's description of Professor McGonagall took a place in front of the group. "We are ready for you now."
Erynn waited patiently, or something in the realm of patiently as the rest of the first years were sorted. McGonagall finally read her name, explaining why she was a fifth year, just now being sorted. The sorting hat was placed on her head and Erynn heard a little voice in her ear. It was mumbling things like, 'yes, good mind' and 'well, then let me see'. Finally it said "Ravenclaw!", and the table to her right let out a cheer. Erynn looked longingly at the Gryffindor table, where her friends were sitting, as she took a seat next to a pretty Asian girl.
"Hello, I'm Cho."
Erynn shook the girl's hand. "Erynn."
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Cho said, smiling broadly at her.
Erynn tried to smile back. "Thank you."
The next morning Erynn woke up with a jolt. She looked around, or tried to, but could only see the dark blue hangings of her bed. She remembered that she was in Hogwarts and shook off her dream. It had been that one about being trapped in an inferno again. But it was only a dream, she told herself as she got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. She showered and changed into her school uniform. Cho was waiting in the common room when Erynn stumbled down the stairs from the dormitories.
"Good morning."
Erynn nodded. "Hello."
Cho led her to the door. "I figured you'd need someone to show you to the Great Hall. Hogwarts can be tricky to navigate, even if you've been here six years."
Erynn nodded again, still trying to shake off the last remnants of sleep. She'd taken a reasonably cold shower, but she was still puffy eyed. "Thanks."
"So, what brings you to Hogwarts?" Cho chattered on. "I meant to ask last night, but you seemed so overwhelmed I figured it could wait until you'd adjusted a bit."
Then why don't you come see me in a month, Erynn thought, watching the people in the paintings move and greet each other as they walked. "Well, my parents deaths played a big part in it," she said, more sarcastically than she'd planned. Luckily Cho didn't seem to notice. Erynn really didn't need to piss off the only person who'd offered to show her around, and knew the way back to the Ravenclaw Wing. "And my aunt and uncle's, or my guardian's kids go to Hogwarts, so it was only fit that I went too."
Cho nodded. "Who're your cousins?"
"Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George Weasley."
Cho tensed a little, but was still smiling. "Oh, you're related to Ginny Weasley?"
Erynn nodded. "Yeah..." She noticed the small difference in Cho, and wondered what she could possibly have against Ginny. Ginny was the nicest, sweetest person Erynn had ever met. They entered the great hall and Erynn noticed Cho glare at Ginny as Ginny glared at Cho. "Um, Cho, if you don't mind me asking...Why don't you and Ginny get along?"
Cho found two empty seats at the Ravenclaw table. "She has a thing for my boyfriend."
Erynn raised her eyebrows. The only crush Ginny had mentioned was the obvious one on Harry. "Oh, really...Who's your boyfriend?"
"Harry Potter."
Erynn blinked, her fork halfway to her mouth. Harry hadn't mentioned a girlfriend, neither had Hermione or Ron. "Oh." She glanced over her shoulder at Harry, who was laughing with Ginny. Then Erynn glanced at Cho who was, in turn, glaring at Ginny. Erynn got the odd feeling that Harry didn't know he was Cho's boyfriend, and Ginny was being set up for a heartache of sorts.
