~~ Two more years~~
After much fuss and argument Papa had finally consented to allowing me to go to Hogwarts. I promised to hide my homicidal tendencies, which had become easier as I had grown up. Papa, had forced me to stop practicing all of my Dark Magic, because my core needed to be cleaner than it was if Dumbledore wasn't going to catch on to me. The other thing that everyone believed was that Papa was destroyed years ago, when the raid on the Potter house went wrong. So I had to pretend not to know about who exactly my father was to begin with seeing as we were using my proper surname. The story is that I lived with Draco for most of my childhood, which would work well, I suppose. I only met him a week ago. Father wanted to put me in the care of Severus, but Severus wouldn't have it. He didn't want Dumbledore to get a whiff of anything strange early on. There was one other condition, I was NEVER to take off the necklace Father had given me while at Hogwarts, especially while at Hogwarts. Father promised that there would be hell to pay if I did. Father tells me that the necklace is a family heirloom, on top of that it will dampen my magic enough that no one will suspect how well trained I am. Father has basically reduced me to the magical level of a normal first year, how boring.
The clock rang and it sounded the five minute warning until the train would be off. Father hung around under a disillusionment charm.
"Goodbye Keket, keep your grades up, and write if anything bothers you." Father said as Narcissa and Lucius acted like suffering parents for both Draco and I. I walked away with my head held high and my trunk in my pocket. My owl had already gone ahead to the owlery at Hogwarts so it wouldn't get train sick.
Draco and I boarded the train and found ourselves a compartment with some of his other friends.
"Good to see you Drake," An Italian inclined his head in Draco's direction.
"OH! Drake-y poo! I missed you this summer!" Shrieked a pug looking girl, and gave me an evil look.
"Blaise, Pansy, good to see you as well. This is my friend Keket, Keket," I give him a look, "I mean Princess, these are Blaise and Pansy some of my other friends. We hope to all be in Slytherin together. As I imagine you will be."
They look dumbfounded and Draco is red in the face. All of a sudden the female clings to Draco's arm and starts to shriek, and the boy is just laughing at Draco's title for me. How that happened you wonder. Well Draco and I had a bet going about who would be able to win a duel earlier this week. If it was me, then he would have to call me princess for the forseeable future. While if he had won I would have to do his homework for him for a month. Obviously we know how that ended.
The pug looking girl, Pansy I believe, reminds me of a banshee. The italian looking one gives me a weird look every time I'm around like I'm some sort of food. And Draco, Draco just annoys the hell out of me. Always looking for ways to make himself look better in the eyes of others. I roll my eyes at the scene they are making and walk out of the compartment to look for one that is either empty or not as full of people. I end up sitting in a compartment all by myself near the Gryffindor section of the train from what I can tell. I put a silencing charm up in it and settle down to read my book on Hogwarts so I can't hear anyone outside of my compartment, unless they knock, then I can hear them. Papa told me to stay away from the light wizards like the Weasley's and the Potter's, most obviously.
"Hello, is this compartment full?" a girl with plain brown hair and glasses asks.
"Most obviously not, you may need to get your eyesight looked at again." I respond honestly.
"Well may I sit here?" the blush on her face makes her look almost sick, but I shrug. She doesn't seem too simple.
"Suit yourself."
"What's your name? Mine is Sophie Ropton." She tries to carry on a conversation with me. I continue to read my book. I don't want to be bothered by her.
"I wonder which house I will be in. I have heard great things about Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Which house do you believe you will be in?" She tries again.
"There is nothing to believe or think about. I will be in Slytherin like my Father before me and his ancestors before him. My name is Keket Elyse Riddle. It would do you well to stop talking now. Your voice may be more pleasant than most people our age, but it is starting to grate on my nerves. I am trying to read my book. I suggest you find something else to do." I respond annoyed.
What is it with people and mindless chatter anyways? If my Father had anything important to say, he would say it. There wouldn't be any of this useless garble like this Sophie was it?, is spewing.
"Oh, I'm sorry to have bothered you. I'm just so excited and nervous. I've never done magic before. Well at least not on purpose." She continues to ramble on.
"So you are a muggleborn to add to it? Would you just stop talking already? The more you talk, the less I like you." I respond evenly. The sad look on her face is too blatant to miss. Either she is a really good actress or I actually hurt her feelings. Either way, Father would be upset if I didn't try to be nice to these simpletons. At least they aren't muggles. At LEAST they aren't muggles. But a mudblood, Merlin, is this a test or something?
"Hey look," I pinch my nose and go on with this, "I didn't mean to upset you much earlier, I just don't talk much. I am much more content to read my books than to have any human interaction with other people my age. And it has been a stressful day." Hopefully that is enough to make an apology. With Father I never had to do these things, he knew when to stop talking.
"Oh," her face turns red again, "I didn't realize. I'm sorry. I figured you were just another kid like me. Looking for a friend. I would like to be your friend if I could."
"Sophie, just because we sat in the same compartment for a few hours, doesn't mean anything. We aren't friends because we don't know each other well. At the most we are mere acquaintances. Don't jump to conclusions quickly. You have a brain, make good use of it." I turn back to my book and it seems like she is actually thinking about what I said. Not too long after she gets out one of the books from her trunk and begins perusing it.
A few hours later we are getting ready to get off of the train, fully clothed in our uniforms, which are somewhat hideous. And being gathered up by a half-giant of a man by the name Hagrid. Sophie, she's still following me, and I along with two other boys climb into a boat together. One boy is scrawny with messy black hair, and the other is a red-headed, freckled boy with a mug of a face. The black haired boy has his hair parted so he can proudly show off a scar on his forehead. Why he shows it off I have no idea, but he does. Then the idiot turns to me while we are waiting for others to get in to their boats.
"Hello, I believe you know who I am, and this is my best mate Ronald Weasley." He says pompously.
"Hello I believe you know who I am, and Ronald. My name is Keket and this here is Sophie. If you would please get your head out of your arse and look forward that would be grand." I intone, Sophie snickers a little bit.
"Do you know who you are talking to?!" the black haired one demands.
"An arsehole who doesn't have the smallest idea of proper etiquette, and a red-headed groupie of a Weasley. Please tell me if I missed something." Dark sarcasm laces my words.
"I am Harry Potter! The Boy-Who-Lived. I defeated Voldemort single handedly. Do you want to take your words back now?" He regains his confidant cocky smirk, and I glower at him.
"Oh my goodness!" I turn to Sophie, in overly dramatic wonder, "I never thought I would live to meet the Boy-Who-Lived-With-A-Stick-Up-His-Arse. Actually scratch that, there are lots of those around here. Now would you allow me to indulge in some form of peace and quiet and shut your gobs?" I remark. The kids in the boat next to us happen to be Malfoy and his gang, does Merlin hate me or something? Seriously?
"Does the little princess need to run home to her mum?" Malfoy sneers
"As if Malfoy, you have always been the mummy's boy. Or don't you remember? 'Mummy, mummy, I scraped my knee. It hurts mummy!' Please leave the witty comments to your superiors. Now run along little Malfoy." I shoot back, and his face turns red.
Sophie can't contain herself and starts laughing at everything. To her it seems like some kind of sport I imagine. And for me its just the truth of what I see coming out of my mouth. No one is spared the truth when it comes to me. Maybe I will make a friend while I am here. This may end up being a good thing.
We come around the bend all of my thoughts fly from my head. Father said that the castle was nice, but he didn't describe it looking like this! This is wonderful! And all of the secrets are within my reach to unlock at my leisure. Now I am so excited for school to start but I keep my face looking calm. I see Sophie glancing around in wonder at what she has seen as do arsehole and the groupie. The boats brush against the shore and I step out. Someone taps my shoulder lightly and I look to see Sophie.
"You coming Keket? You look a little pale."
"Yeah, I'm coming. Thanks." I smile a little at her, seeing as there is no one around.
Seeing my little smile Sophie returns a huge grin my way and takes my arm only to quickly let it go when I hiss a bit at the contact. I've never really liked being touched by people I don't know.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall. Now you will follow me in one straight line into the Great Hall where you will stand and wait to be sorted into your houses. You will be called up one by one to sit at the stool, place the sorting hat upon your head and when it calls out a house, you shall go and sit with your housemates. Come along."
We all follow Minerva like little ducklings in a row. Sophie still attached to my side in an attempt to stay near someone she knows, and my hand stays attached to my locket trying to comfort myself in this foreign place. We enter the hall and look up at the ceiling, to see it has been replaced with the night sky. A beautiful night sky it is. I can't wait to see more of it sometime. There in the center of the hall is a stool, just like promised, and there is a dingy looking hat sitting on top of it. The large doors close behind us with a dull thud, and I see some scared faces looking around around me. I stare straight at the hat, making sure not to lock eyes with one Albus Dumbledore.
"Don't be hasty to judge by what you see,
For there will never be,
A smarter hat than me,
I can read your hearts,
I can read your minds,
And from what I learn
So will you in turn, be where you ought to be.
Mayhap brave Gryffindor,
With hearts so full of gold,
Together bravery will always win,
And pranks shall nary grow old.
Perhaps sly Slytherin calls out to you,
With wits and cleverness abound,
Your comrades will never kick you,
not even when you're down.
Alas fair Hufflepuff could be the place you seek,
For those of fair intent,
And those who seem too meek.
And finally there's Ravenclaw
where notes and tools surround,
you shall always find the thing you need,
you'll find it all around.
But don't be shy, don't bat an eye,
Begin to challenge what you know,
For I promise you will learn,
Much more before it snows."
The hat finishes its song and a great clamor begins in the Hall. And there stands Professor McGonagall with a list in her hands.
"Abbott, Hannah" one of the girls walks up the stool, picks up the hat and places it on her head. All of a sudden the hat yelled out "HUFFLEPUFF!" She walked over to the table with the yellow flags hanging over it.
A few more names are called, and then one muggleborn walks over and sits on the stool. She has bushy hair, large teeth, and isn't the most attractive. One would wonder if she even knew of hair care products to control her mane of frizz.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouts and she makes her way over to the table.
"Greengrass, Daphne" McGonagall drones, almost instantly there is a sound of "SLYTHERIN" sounding throughout the hall.
Followed by Draco, Nott, and Parkinson to Slytherin. Potter went over to Gryffindor along with a Finnegan, Longbottom, and one of the Patil twins.
"Riddle, Keket" McGonagall stumbles over my name and then looks at the crowd of us apprehensively. I move from the mass of people and feel Dumbledore's eyes on me almost instantly. The rest of the crowd gets pretty silent too as I make my way to the stool, just feeling the tension in the air. I take my time walking up there and go to pick up the hat, my hand on my locket as I feel someone's magic trying to brush with mine, I shudder. The hat feels the magic wrapping around me and before I can even grab it...
"SLYTHERIN!" it shouts out and the foreign magic barricades my senses full force, for some reason it just lets loose. I feel pressure build up in my head and a scream rips from my throat as I fall to my knees. My head throbbing in pain. My world goes dark very quickly as the foreign magic moves away from mine and I feel somewhat familiar magic wrap my own protectively.