Still working on the wording of some things! It's quite obviously a work in progress!
01-09-2019 (Still an approximate date! If you don't understand why, take a look at the last chapter!)
Age - 11
"Greengrass Alysia." My name was called. My brother turned to me from the Slytherin table and shot me a grin. I returned it feebly as I stepped onto the raised platform in front of the watchful eyes of the Great Hall. I was trying to remember the rhyme of the sorting hat. I couldn't even remember what it had said about each house. Luckily for me, no one shot me looks; I was using my mum's maiden name for reasons I'm sure you can guess. My dad didn't mind. He was ashamed of the name too.
I dropped onto the three legged stool in front of the whole school. Even the ghosts were watching me like they actually cared what house I made it into. I screwed my eyes closed, wrinkling my nose and clenching and unclenching my fists. The hat hit my head. I opened my eyes. It's true. I'm tiny. It reached my nose. I couldn't see a thing. I heard a giggle from the direction of the table my brother was sat at. That's when the murmuring began;
"Ah. A Malfoy child, eh?" I flinched. That wasn't something I wanted anyone to know. Under my breath I began to mutter to myself, my lips barely moving. "Well, then, I assume you're hoping to make Slytherin?" My heart did a little double-take. Yes. That's exactly what I wanted. I wanted my parents to be proud of me! "I'm sensing cunning." I almost nodded to myself. I couldn't hear anyone else in the hall. That was when it hit me; I didn't know how long I'd been sitting there. I swallowed, wondering how long I had been waiting to be sorted. What if the rest of the school had gone up to bed? "But there's bravery. Confidence, anyway." What house was that? Ravenclaw, right? "But then there's loyalty..." Just get on with it! "And impatience, I see." Damn.
After what seemed an age, the Sorting Hat's voice became a bellow. I wasn't expecting it. I jumped out of my skin. I thought he damaged my ear drums!
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat was plucked from my head. I looked up. The whole hall was clapping, but the table with the red and yellow ties were cheering and standing on the benches. For a moment, I remained on the chair before I was given a little nudge by Professor Magonigall. I stood and, almost tripping (but steadied by the redheaded girl who was now stepping onto the stage), scurried over to the Gryffindor table. I dropped down between two fifth years who raised their eyebrows at me.
"Sorry!" I stammered, removing myself from between the two friends who began giggling, and moved right to the end of the bench. I perched on the end and covered my ears. After a few other people had taken a seat at each table, I turned and looked down towards the Slytherin table. My brother? He looked back at me. He shook his head. He looked away.
I was lead, in shame, up to the Gryffindor dorms. I was so engrossed in my own disappointment in myself, I forgot to look amazed at the moving staircases. I walked straight past the Fat Lady's portrait and was dragged back by a prefect. I took no notice of the port hole. I didn't even notice the common room. I allowed myself to be lead up into the First Year dorms by the girl prefect, Victoire.
There were four other girls in my room. Five beds. Four of them were lined up along one wall. The fifth was pressed against the wall ninety degrees to that. I walked toward the fourth in the row of four, but the redheaded girl who had caught me in the sorting dropped her knapsack onto the bed before I got there. I was left to the solitary bed against the other wall. I swallowed and reluctantly sat down. The trunks had been delivered by the house elves. The four other girls were giggling amongst themselves and introducing themselves. A small girl with blonde hair and ears that stuck out slightly walked over to me and held out her hand.
"I'm Alice." She smiles at me. That brought me out of my daze. I blinked at her before taking her hand and stammering,
"Alys." She grinned and exclaimed that we were name twins. I remember not really being interested, but I returned her grin anyway. The four girls I was sharing a dorm were Alice Longbottom, Lily Potter, Viola Rose and Diana Woods. They were all very bubbly. Giggly. The girl who caught me in the Great Hall was Lily Potter. We were all shut up when Professor Magonagall came into our dorm and told us to be quiet and go to bed. I was already curled up in unfamiliar sheets.
In the morning, I got up early. Way early. I had been reading Alice in Wonderland in the Common Room when Alice, Lily, Viola and Diana came downstairs, giggling.
"Where'd you go?" Viola asked in a cute Scottish accent.
"Here..." I said quietly, gesturing around. She smiled, not asking anything else. I was going to like this girl. I already did.
"We're going to find the Girls' Showers before breakfast. Coming?" Lily looked at me. I closed my book and stood.
"Sure." She smiled and held out a hand. I took it unsurely and followed her. I left my book on top of the mantle piece over the fireplace. They'd brought shampoo. There were towels in the Girls' Showers. Probably provided by houselves. I took a red towel. The other four took yellow ones. I realized that these were my new house colours. They were incredibly soft. I walked into the shower room. It was dry. That was weird.I slipped into a cubicle which started spraying yellow and blue water at me. I squealed and jumped backwards. Lily and Viola came to investigate.
"Alys?" I stepped out of the shower, spluttering, still fully clothed.
"It... It spat at me!" I shook water from my hair. The others laughed.
"Hurry up. C'mon. We'll pass the shampoo down under the walls." They laughed at me. I got attacked by a shower and they laughed? Gr.
Either way, once we were washed and dried, the other four redressed. I wrapped myself up in two towels and we ran at top speed back to the Common Room. I dressed behind the curtains of my Four Post bed into my new uniform. A tie had been provided and my jumper now had a red band around the neck and a yellow around the waist. I investigated it before pulling it over my head. I stepped out into the bedroom. The other four were all dressed in over-sized uniforms. They took one look at me and bombarded me with;
"Oh Merlin, no fair!"
"How does it fit you?"
"You're smaller than me!"
"Agh! Not fair!"
I giggled. These were the only people I felt comfortable with. Apart from my little cousin, Kiara, and the Scamanders.
"I had it made for me." I said, smiling shyly. They looked at me and raised their eyebrows. I was then quizzed about how much my family made and yada yada yada.
When we got to the Great Hall, there were very few people eating already. We sat down next to Lily's brother, Albus. I had to admit. He was cute. But she was adorable. I'm the same age as her, but I'm allowed to think she's cute! She has freckles! I smiled at him and he gave me a look. Yeah. Okay. Point taken. One of his friends sat down next to him and pointed to the Slytherin table.
"It's Malfoy." Albus looked up and shrugged.
"Ignore him." He said. The girls started giggling. And talking. About my family. The family they didn't know I had. The Malfoys. Not the Greengrasses. I giggled and joined in, "dissing" (as Diana put it) my own family. Then it fell flat. Scorpius walked over and sat down next to me. Albus' friend looked up and snarled,
"Go sit on your own table."
My brother then proceeded to cooly reply,
"I'm just checking up on my baby sister." He looked at me and asked, "You're the only Malfoy to ever have not been in Slytherin, Al. How'd you manage that?" I swallowed and looked at the frowning faces of my new friends. I cleared my throat and replied, trying to be just as laid back as my brother,
"Because I'm a Greengrass." He laughed, patted my shoulder and left with a,
"You keep telling yourself that." Before returning to his table.
I turned back to the others. I turned back to six accusational glares. I turned back for less than a second before I threw down my knife and fork and bolted for the door.