Just when I thought the booth was going to reach the bottom of hell, it stopped. The voice called out once again, this time announcing we were in the Atrium. Lupin exited and he took my arm to guide me through the dark chamber. I barely noticed the booth rising because my attention was focused entirely on the perfectly waxed floor, the many marble fireplaces that lined both walls of the neverending room. It seemed to stretch on forever. I squinted to make out the people in the giant posters hanging from the ceiling, but it was so dark that my effort was futile. All the same really, I wouldn't have recognized anyone.
"Lupin," I said, breaking the silence, "Where exactly are we?" Lupin spared me a glance and I could see the hint of a smile on his lips. Apparently he was amused by this situation, but I sure as hell wasn't. I was almost killed, intercepted, and now dragged underground to only God knows where. This night wasn't making the list of my top favorites.
"We are in the Ministry of Magic," he answered calmly. We seemed to have reached the other end of the room, having passed an enormous fountain that trickled only a little bit of water. I glanced at the big white desk stationed just across the elevators. Well, at least they had an information desk.
Lupin pressed the button and the elevator opened its doors almost immediately. When the doors closed behind us, Lupin called out for the Auror Department; the elevator began to move, but I got the feeling we weren't always moving upward. I didn't question it, and when the doors opened again, Lupin strode out and I followed. There were dozens of desks, or cubicles you could say, all around the room. At the end, a big corridor held the entrances to big offices which I guessed were for the most important people. We reached the end and Lupin opened the door on his right directly across from 'Nymphadora Tonks, Head of the Auror Department.'
"Make yourself at home," Lupin directed, indicating to the cot, "At least for the night. There's nobody working here at this hour and you're probably a bit tired from the night's incursions." I gaped at him.
"So you're just going to leave?" I asked incredulously as he turned his back on me, "What the hell am I supposed to do now?" I had a million questions running through my mind, some of which didn't even make sense, and I could feel a big migraine working its way to my head.
"Sleep Caiden," he indicated with the smallest of smiles, "Tomorrow is another day." He made to leave, but hesitated before turning around to face me, "I believe I can tell you at least this, for now. There is a world, entirely different from the one you know, and far more dangerous. It houses the most terrible beings and also the best of them for most of the time. The Ministry of Magic is the... government, you could say, for the Wizarding World. Muggles, non-magical people, are completely unaware that we exist, unless of course they have a witch or a wizard in the family." My face was blank as I tried to make sense of all that he was telling me. I was just about to ask what I had to do in all of this when he uttered the words that would change my life forever.
"You're a witch, Caiden," he told me, very seriously, and with a nod of his head, promptly turned around and left me alone in the dark room. My mind was reeling from this newly attained information, but all I achieved from trying to think was to make myself dizzy. I sighed and laid down on the uncomfortable cot, willing myself to go to sleep. The act, of course, was very difficult at the moment. I just wouldn't shut down with all the unanswered questions running through my head. What did he mean, a witch? Why was I wanted killed? Why did red sparks fly from my hand? Where was Stephanie? Was she alright? The migraine that was threatening to explode finally did and all I could do to lesson the pain was to close my eyes and think of nothing. I tried to even out my breaths, to calm myself from all the excitement from tonight. The only certain thing that I could decipher was... I finally found where I belonged. The thought brought me only joy but I squashed that feeling right away. The only happiness I had in my life went hand in hand with depression and I didn't want to repeat that. Instantly, Hermione's 11 year old face popped up in my mind and I groaned. My present life wasn't enough to make me forget her, and just before exhaustion gave way to sleep I remember thinking that probably nothing ever will.
Someone was calling my name, but it was slightly muffled. I couldn't identify the voice and I didn't want to because I would have to wake up and I was extremely tired. I moaned and rolled over; then I was smacked plainly across the head and my eyes opened to find Steph looming over me with an irritated expression.
"You sleep like the dead," she told me, crossing her arms, "I've been trying to wake you, gently, for almost 10 minutes now but I should've known that only violence would wake you up."
"Nice to see you to," I said sarcastically, sitting up in bed. I was about to go on a rant about my latest, and most bizarre dream when I noticed my surroundings. The room was void of anything except the cot where I was sitting on and I sighed, knowing that what had happened yesterday was, in fact, very real. Then, I turned to stare at Stephanie intently, almost accusingly, as I stood up.
"How did you get here?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow to emphasize my question. She opened her mouth but closed it quickly, not finding a good enough explanation. My eyes went from her face to her feet and then back up again, stopping at the crest on the pitch black cloak she had on. It was red and gold, with a lion posing to roar. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. My brows furrowed in confusion; Stephanie was the queen of fashion. She wouldn't wear a cloak over her clothes. Hell, did they even sell them?
"What's that?" I motioned to the lion, and she sighed, meeting my eyes in what I thought to be a collected expression.
"These are my robes," she answered slowly, "and that is the emblem of the House I belong to at school." Okay, now I was seriously lost.
"Oh come on," I scoffed at her, "I know your school and it sure as hell doesn't require any goddamn robe." She stared at me, her features sad, and something clicked inside my head.
"You're- you're- you ar-" I stumbled through the words, not able to voice them out loud.
"I'm a witch, Caiden," she replied, taking my hand, "And so are you. The only difference is that I found out almost 8 years ago, and you are finding out now." My eyes widened.
"Yeah well, I'm pretty sure the time is important and somehow conflicting right?" Just when Steph was about to answer, the door burst open and in filed Josh, Craig and Natalie, all fashioning robes as well. I expected them to be the same as Steph's but all the crests were different; Josh's was yellow and black with a... beaver? otter? badger? Whatever the hell it was. Craig's was blue and gray with an eagle standing fiercely and Natalie's was green and silver with a snake curling around it. I backed away from it, immediately getting a bad feeling about it.
"What are you all doing here?!" I almost yelled in frustration, surprise after surprise smacking me in the face.
"Chill out mate," said Craig, holding out his hands, "It's all cool. We came to see you of course. Stephanie and Tonks recapped everything that happened to you last night and I got to say, I hoped that it would've gone smoother than it did." I let out a laugh, the first one since this whole ordeal and I felt slightly better.
"At least you're not harmed," offered Natalie taking my arm and forcing Stephanie to drop my hand.
"But wait," I said, shaking my head, "Stephanie said she belonged to one House in her school. Am I to understand you guys go there too?" Josh grinned and clapped me in the back.
"You're very perceptive," he told me, "I always knew you'd adapt quite quickly. To answer your question, yes, we all go to school together."
"What's it called then?" I demanded, feeling odd at being kept in the dark for so long.
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," answered Stephanie with a gleam in her eye, "All magical kids get accepted at the age of 11." The knowledge knocked me a step back.
"11? But I'm 18!" I cried, shocked beyond imagining, "Wasn't I good enough for them back then?" Natalie gasped and hugged me. I had to push her away for her to release the death hold.
"Of course not," she told me reassuringly, "It's just that..." She trailed off, not knowing how to continue and looking at everybody's faces, I saw how uncomfortable they were.
"What is it?" I asked, sounding weak, because I had an inkling bad news was on its way. Stephanie sighed and opened the door.
"Why don't we get you something to eat?" she suggested, leading me out into the hallway, "You look a bit peakish." I chuckled uneasily as I walked among throngs working people. Some were typing, others were yelling at each other as paper planes flew above their heads. It looked like a disaster waiting to happen.
"Don't worry," assured Craig, shrugging his shoulders, "It's typical behavior for them. Some of them are a bit anxious to get promoted to Field Auror. They hate planning and coordinating the raids." I stared at Craig, almost glaring at him for talking to me like I actually knew what the fuck he was saying. Catching my expression Josh hurried and continued to explain.
"Aurors are what you would consider the Wizarding police to be, only that it's slightly more dangerous than sitting in a car and eating doughnuts all day." I nodded, understanding little by little. Up until now, I'm a witch like my friends. There's a school of magic were kids are taught since the age of 11 and apparently something happened that I found out about this today. That something cannot be good.
We approached a cart that was in a secluded corner of the floor. Stephanie took out what looked like gold coins and asked the lady behind the cart for a corn beef and bacon sandwich with pumpkin juice. I grimaced at the sound of it, but just then my stomach growled and I wagered I would eat whatever was put in front of me. Steph held out the sandwich and the juice for me to take, and then motioned to the way we came for.
"Eat, and then we'll go see Tonks. Once Lupin arrives from Hogwarts, they'll explain everything to you... from the beginning." I was already cramming the sandwich into my mouth as she said this and I caught the sad looks that masked my friends faces. I swallowed and with a sigh, headed back the way I'd come from.
Afterwards, as I was sitting in Tonks's office staring at her and Lupin, I wished I hadn't eaten the sandwich so fast. I was starting to feel sick and nothing had been said up until now. Steph, Josh, Craig and Natalie were leaning against the wall behind me, waiting for someone to start talking.
"Caiden, I want you to keep in mind that everything that we're about to tell you may shock you. I ask you to keep an open mind and if you feel the need to ask something, please do. It is important that you fully understand your background." Lupin's word did little to calm the brewing storm inside of me but I managed to nod. He took a deep breath and as slowly as he could began to explain.
"The Muggle and the Wizarding World have always existed. This world that you are about to discover is filled with wonders and creatures that you never even dreamed of. Witches and wizards study and train to become professionals as any Muggle would. But like in the Muggle World, not everyone is good and there have been a significant amount of wizards that have gone over to the Dark Side." I swallowed deeply, attuned to Lupin's voice, listening to him like my life depended on it which ironically enough, it did.
"With me so far?" he asked, and I nodded, feeling very small in the seat before him.
"Yes, I think so. Wizards go bad, like criminals. It's part of life right?" Lupin nodded gravely, his lips a thin line.
"Years ago, there was a man that went as bad as one could get. He craved power, loved no one besides himself, and killed anyone who got in his way. His real name was Tom Riddle, but seeing as he hated Muggles and wizards or witches that came from Muggle family, called Muggle-borns, he changed his name to Voldemort."
"What does his name have to do with him hating those people?" I asked, getting confused for a second.
"His father was a Muggle, non-magical, and to him that was completely unacceptable. So he changed his name, and soon nobody would even dare utter his name for fear that he would kill you and your family."
"Voldemort began an army," continued Tonks, giving Lupin a rest, "Wizards and witches called Death Eaters bowed to him and did his bidding as werewolves, vampires, and giants wrecked havoc across all of London." Okay, so werewolves, vampires and giants aren't just stories. I could deal with that.
"So... all those unsolved murders in my, i mean, the Muggle world, they're all his?" I asked, getting a spike of anger deep within my stomach.
"Yes, he killed mercilessly. He was well on his to achieving full power and immortality and not even Dumbledore, the greatest wizard the world has seen, could stop him. The Order of the Phoenix, founded by Dumbledore to fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters were suffering losses by the day."
"What happened to him?" I questioned, "to Voldemort?"
"There was a prophecy," Lupin said, interrupting Tonks, "There's a lot of them here within the Ministry, but there was one in particular, made about the Dark Lord and a child, one that would be his equal born by the end of July. Now, by that time there were two kids that would be born that month, but Voldemort himself chose the boy and because of that the prophecy began fulfilling itself."
"Who was it?" I asked, and the silence that followed was eerie, "Who was the boy?" Lupin seemed to take a moment to collect himself before gazing right into my eyes.
"He's your twin brother," he answered, and my breath hitched in my throat, "Harry Potter." My mouth dropped open.
"Your mother, a brilliant Muggle-born witch, never knew she was carrying twins until the day you both were born. I still remember that day quite clearly. The damn medi-witch wouldn't answer my call, and your mother's screams echoed across the house. Your father, James, was nowhere to be found and I began to panic. Lily, however, kept a clear head, even through the pain and helped me regain my senses so I could help her deliver. And from that day on my life changed completely. The war was in full bloom, and she knew her son's destiny already. She didn't want you to be a target too Caiden, so she ordered me to keep you a secret and keep you safe until the war was over. And so I did, for a full year. I fed you, and took care of you, like only a godfather can." By then I was clutching the armrests of the chair.
"You're my godfather?" I asked, breathlessly. Lupin nodded gravely.
"Yes, Caiden," he responded, "But I failed miserably at it. When Voldemort killed your mother and father, and then tried to kill Harry as well, I was running away with you, running from my best friends trying to keep my promise to Lily. But I was intercepted by Death Eaters. I managed to Apparate with you successfully to a street in London and I left you, sleeping in a dark corner of an alley until I returned for you. Back home everything was a disaster. By the time I found out what had happened in your house, Godric's Hollow, how Voldemort had vanished the moment he tried to kill your brother because Lily's sacrifice protected him, it was too late. When I went to look for you the next day, you were gone. I don't know how long I looked for you until I gave up." Lupin's voice broke and I had no idea how to react. I stood up and gave him a hug, tears stinging my eyes. Never had I imagined my life to be like he was describing it. All those years I spent hating my parents, hating my life... and I never had a clue.
"My mother sacrificed herself?" I echoed, wanting to keep the information flowing. Tonks nodded once at me.
"It was her love that saved Harry that night, protected him all the years that followed until he went to Hogwarts. Caiden, he was destined to kill Voldemort since before he was born and he needed all the training he could get. The Dark Lord had begun his return and every year he tried to kill Harry and his friends. Every year, Harry defeated him."
"But he never died?" I asked, surprised, "He was mortal right?"
"Voldemort wanted immortality and he achieved it by making Horcruxes. Everytime he killed, a piece of his soul shattered and he hid it away in an object he considered valuable."
"So he never truly died," I said, in an emotionless voice. I'd never met the man, or thing really, seeing as he had no heart or conscience but I already hated him.
"On what should've been his last year at Hogwarts, Harry went AWOL on a mission with his best friends across all of London, tracking down the Horcruxes with the little information that Dumbledore had given them before he died. Only that way could Voldemort be mortal once again."
"He made it right? My brother killed him." It wasn't a question, but Tonks nodded anyway. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I smiled broadly and glanced at Steph who grinned at me in encouragement.
"Lives were lost and the Hogwarts castle was nearly destroyed but we've had time to restore it during this summer," Lupin continued, "And now the term has started, the everyone is repeating the year giving that Hogwarts had poor management during this last year."
"So... does this mean I'm going to Hogwarts?" I asked in a high pitched voice. Steph cleared her throat and came forward, an envelope in her hands. She handed it to me; it had my name and current address written on the front. The back was closed with the Hogwarts seal, which I immediately tore open. Inside were a few, thick parchment papers, all lined with gold. I unfolded the first one and with a speedy heartbeat began to read:
Dear Miss Caiden Potter,
It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While the term has already started, special accomodations have been made for you pending your arrival. Please remember...
The letter went on and on, but my excitement seemed to cloud my vision and all I could read were those first two sentences. I skimmed downward to see the signature: Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. Finally, I had found my true home, alongside my friends. I looked up to see them crowded around me, smiles on their faces. Stephanie hugged me fiercely.
"Finally, Caiden," she whispered in my ear, "You finally got your Hogwarts letter." Well, better late than never right?
"Shit!" I exclaimed, eyes widening at the long list of materials that was written on one of the parchments. As I read it, my face twisted into an unreadable expression. I turned to Lupin, eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, "Where the hell am I going to get a standard size pewter 2 cauldron? Or this things for... potion brewing?" Tonks shook her head in amusement and sat back down on her desk. Lupin nodded to Stephanie and then glanced at me.
"You'll find everything you need," he assured, "If you know where to go." When I was about to ask what he meant, Steph took my arm and led me out of the office with Josh, Craig and Natalie on our heels.
"Where are we going?" I asked, clutching my letter tightly in my free hand. The people working there barely spared us a glance. We quickly got into an elevator and descended into the Atrium.
"We're going to get your things," replied Josh, striding alongside me with a debonair feeling around him, "at Diagon Alley."
"Diagon what?" I asked, half entraced by the sight that greeted me. The Atrium was absolutely astonishing during the daylight hours. Wizards and witches were crowded everywhere, mingling about as they made mindless chatter. I was going to ask how all these people got here because I seriously doubted the phone booth crammed many people in one ride when a few of the fireplaces along the walls blazed green.
"Now that's cool," I commented, watching as a couple of wizards brushed some soot of their clothes and continued about their day.
"That's called Flooing," Craig told me, "You need Floo powder to travel. Just enter the fireplace, call out your destination, drop the powder at your feet and your off. You'll end at the connected fireplace."
"Come on," said Natalie, stopping at an empty fireplace. She took a pot that was just beside it, filled with black powder and offered it to me.
"Well go on," she instructed, "Take some of the powder." My eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Oh we're Flooing?" I asked, rather stupidly. Steph rolled her eyes at me and took some of the powder first. She promptly stepped into the fireplace.
"Diagon Alley," she called out and was intantly engulfed in green flames. The next moment I looked she was gone.
"It's perfectly safe," assured Natalie, when she noticed my hesitant expression. I swallowed and nodded, filling my hand with the powder and repeating everything Steph had done. The moment that the green flames circled, I felt like screaming but as fast as I had left I arrived, lost my footing and fell hard to the floor.
"You did alright," said Stephanie as she helped me up, "for a beginner. People often end up in unusual places when they first use the Floo system." She was brushing the soot off my shoulders when Josh appeared behind me, then Craig, and then Natalie. When we were all together once again, Josh took the list from my hands and set about to look for my books. My eyes darted across the store where we had Flooed in, glancing at the numerous bookshelves that took up all the space.
"This is Florish and Blotts', the best bookstore you'll ever find," explained Steph as she led me to the front of the store, "Josh is buying your books. He'll met up with us later. Right now, you have to go get your Hogwarts robes."
We exited the store and came upon a long street, surrounded by the most unusual of stores and buildings. I spared a glance to the biggest building in Diagon Alley; it was white, made of marble and it seemed to be leaning slightly on its right side. Natalie caught me staring.
"That's Gringotts, the Wizard bank. You have a vault there." I looked at her, stuttering like a fool.
"A vault? Like an account? I have money there?" Craig snorted and stifled a laugh with quickly died with a look from Stephanie.
"Yes, you have hundreds of galleons there," Steph supplied, not bothering to stop her walk, "You didn't think your parents left you broke did you? Don't worry, we went into the vault and withdrew a significant amount of Galleons to buy your school things and a little extra for the year. Of course, Harry's going to have to make a copy of his key so you can have direct access to it without having to get permission from the Ministry."
"Uhhh..." was all I could muster up at the moment. Natalie squeezed my hand, as a sign that she understood my perplexity. Stephanie stopped when she reached Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. She ushered me in without a single word. Nobody entered the store behind me which meant that, for the first time, I was left alone in the Wizarding World. Suddenly, a busy looking witch emerged from nowhere, a measuring tape around her neck. She looked at me pointedly and gestured me forward.
"A little late aren't you dear?" she started, grabbing a notebook from a nearby desk, "No matter. Name, year and house." She stared at me, waiting for an answer. I gulped, feeling nervous.
"Caiden, 7th year, unknown," I replied truthfully and the witch, who I took to be Madam Malkin, laughed at me.
"Don't waste my time dear, answer the question, starting with your full name," she told me seriously, arching one eyebrow. I sighed and hung my head.
"Caiden Potter, 7th year, and really, unknown. It's my first time going to Hogwarts so I don't know which house I'm in." Silence followed my statement as Madam Malkin regarded me for a long time. Just when I was about to tell her to get on with it, she moved grabbing a robe from one of the racks at the back of the store. She ordered me to extend my arms and stand completely straight, forcing me to stare at my reflection. Gray eyes watched as she placed the robes on me and began pinning needles into the sleeves. I noticed the crest on this robe was completely black with the emblems of all the houses.
"This is most unusual, Miss Potter, a 7th year not knowing her own house. Nevertheless, I'm always prepared. I'll be done shortly. I assume you'll need the whole order of a girls uniform, am I right?"
"Yes," I answered, my voice trembling slightly, "I guess so."
"I was told about you," she told me, accidentally poking me with a needle, "It's a pleasure to be able to serve the set." It took me a moment to realize that the 'set' meant Harry and me. I didn't reply to her comment and both of us stayed silent until she finished. The alterations were made quickly and soon enough I was walking up the street with my newly attained uniform. Natalie saw me first and she waved me over.
"We got your books," said Josh, motioning to his package.
"We got your pottion brewing kit and your cauldron," said Craig, waving his bag in my face.
"I bought your trunk," Stephanie told me, and I saw the thing resting on the floor, my name written in gold above the hatch, "I took the liberty of filling it with new clothes for the year. A couple of jeans, a pair of Converse and a few shirts and you're good to go." She sounded disapproving but she was fashiony and I was not. I was comfortable dressing simple.
"All you need now is a wand," Steph told me, motioning to the shop across from where we were standing, "Go on, it's getting late and tomorrow we head for Hogwarts. All of us."
"A wand?" I asked incredulous; the thought had never even crossed my mind. Craig smirked and crossed his arms.
"What? You didn't think you'd be shooting sparks from your fingertips now did you?" Actually that was exactly what I thought. I had already done it once. Steph knew what I was thinking and clarified the situation for me.
"You only managed the spell against the Death Eater yesterday because I was holding you. My power and your magic combined was enough to Stupefy his ass for a while. But you'll need your own wand for the spells. Wandless magic is only for advanced wizards though we did pretty well." She smiled at me and motioned me to the store and I grudgingly did as she told me. I feared that this experience would be like the previous one but I was proved wrong. Sure, the owner of the wand store wasn't particularly cheerful and I started to get nervous when I waved a dozen of the wands, destroying half the store in the process but I finally found the wand that 'chose me'. I payed and got out as quickly as I could, meeting with the gang outside. I stopped short however when I saw them smiling at me, holding a big cage with a bird in it.
"What the bloody hell is that?" I asked incredulously, coming up to them. I put the wand inside one of the bags and turned to look at them.
"It's your present," said Josh, amused at my surprise, "like a welcome to the Wizarding World."
"It's an owl," Stephanie told me, "You're allowed either a cat, owl or toad. I would never give you a toad and cats have a mind of their own. Besides, this one here is beautiful." And she was right. The owl stared at me silently, his feathers as black as night.
"Thank you," I said, my voice thick with emotion. Natalie informed me he was a boy, a baby owl and that he needed a name.
"Midnight," I told them, grabbing the handle of the cage, "That's his name." The owl hooted, happily thought, in acceptance of the name. Steph sighed and grabbing the bags, began walking.
"Let's go then. Tomorrow's a long day for all of us so we need to rest. The train leaves from King's Cross at 11 am." That night, while I laid in bed at my room in the Leaky Cauldron I couldn't help but think about all that I'd learned today, all that I'd gained. I was hours away from meeting the only family I have left, aside from Lupin, my brother Harry. The thought made me nervous but I managed to drift into a peaceful sleep with a grin on my face.
At ten to eleven, I was racing with my trolley, which held my trunk and my owl, down the many platforms, clutching my ticket for the train. It read platform 9 and 3/4 but I knew that didn't exist so I was eager to see how we would get to the Hogwarts Express. We came upon the platforms 9 and 10 and I stopped to look at what the others would do. Josh glanced around for Muggles and when he was sure no one was looking, winked at me, and ran straight to the column between the two platforms. When I thought he was going to smash into the cement, trolley and all, he disappeared.
"That's wicked," I breathed, in complete awe. Steph smiled at me, his eyes twinkling in prospect to returning to Hogwarts and told me to go next. I took a deep breath and prepared myself. I began to gain momentum and when the brick wall came to meet me it melted away as I ran through it. The whistle of the train startled me as did the magnificence of it. Scarlet and lined with black, the Hogwarts Express waited for us to board. Josh helped me haul my trunk into a compartment as the rest of my friends met with us. Midnight was seated next to me in his cage while Steph took the other available seat. Josh, Craig, and Natalie sat across from us, all of them excited and hyper.
We began easy conversation, and my heart lept the moment the train left the station. There was no going back now. During the ride we were offered candy and drinks and we all bought a stash, greedily eating while the scenery passed us by. At some point in the evening we all left to dress in our robes. My nerves spiked up heavily when the train began to slow down.
"We're here Caiden, come on," said Stephanie, motioning with her head to exit the train. I swallowed and followed them out. Nothing could've prepared me for the sight that waited for me. The enormous castle gleamed in the moonlight, absolutely breathtaking.
"Crap," I murmured, my heart speeding up considerably. Stephanie squeezed my shoulder.
"It's dinnertime in the Great Hall," she told me, "If we hurry up, we might get there in time. Don't worry about your trunk or Midnight, they will be waiting for you in your room after you're Sorted." I might've grinned but I think it would've come out as a grimace. We headed a little ways down a dark path and came upon a lake that surrounded the castle.
"First years always get the priviledge of riding in the boats to the entrance," said Craig, getting in one of the boats that lingered on the edge, "We already had the experience but seeing as its your first time we'll ride with you so you won't be alone." I smiled at him and followed him inside the boat. Stephanie nudged Natalie as she was heading to sit next to me. Steph filled the last space in my boat quickly, leaving Natalie glaring after her. The boat began moving on its own accord toward the castle.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask," I said, wanting to fill the silence of the ride, "You've been with me all this years... how is it that you've managed to study magic while in the Muggle world?"
"We studied everytime you weren't with us," Craig answered, "the teachers sent us the work to do at home. It wasn't easy; we had to keep an eye on you." I frowned at him.
"What do you mean?" Steph sighed, not wanting to get deep in conversation. But I wanted to know.
"We were all assigned to you as protection detail. Lupin knew you were in danger the moment that Voldemort resurfaced. He was busy dealing with Harry and the Order so he told us to keep tabs on you. That part was easier." She smiled at me; I knew she was refering to the fact that we were friends almost immediately. Before I knew it the boat had reached the other edge and my breath got stuck in my throat as I stood closer to the castle than before. The walk to the entrance of the castle was neverending. Steph kept a firm hold of my hand all the way. When Craig opened the big double doors that led inside I almost fainted.
"We're almost there," she whispered. I was barely aware that the others had caught up to us. Once inside I thought my heart would explode. Tonks appeared then, coming down the marble staircase to our right.
"Hello there Caiden," she greeted, "You look a bit pale are you alright?" I nodded faintly, sweat beading the back of my neck. She turned to face yet another set of double doors, but this time I could hear the many conversations ensuing inside the room. Tonks strode forward, and Stephanie pushed me in that direction. I closed my eyes briefly before following her. When she opened the doors, hundreds of heads turned in our direction.
"Relax," suggested Steph, whispering behind me but I was beyond that. Tonks smiled brightly at the all the faces and then announced me.
"Good evening, everyone," she started, walking briskly down the path that led to the table where apparently all the teachers sat. The hall was was filled with four tables which I guessed represented the four houses. I glanced behind me and saw that my friends had dispersed, each finding a seat at their table. Steph met my eye and nodded.
"Caiden Potter here, ready to be sorted," Tonks said, for everyone to hear. My heart pounded in my ears but I managed to hear the gasp that came from the table at my right. I dared to look in that direction and met the surprised emerald eyes that stared at me intensely. I broke eye contact and shortly found myself staring at the Headmistress. She was old, that was sure, her hair tightly bound in a bun as she stared at me with pursed lips. When she nodded, a dreadfully looking old man pulled up a stool where he motioned for me to sit. The last I saw was the face of my brother, his untidy hair sticking up, his eyes wide behind his round glasses. A hat was then pulled down my head so it would cover my eyes.
'Potter?' its voice echoed in my mind, 'how can this be? No matter of course, let's see. Nerves overpower you but underneath there's courage, oh yes.' All I could think about was Stephanie and her house, Gryffindor, she'd told me last night. I wanted to be sorted into that house desperately.
'Gryffindor eh? I can see what your heart desires young one, and what you can give to the world. With your strength and power it better be... GRYFFINDOR!' The hat shouted the last word so everyone could hear and the Gryffindor table burst into applause. I grinned, my nervousness dissipating a little. The hat was removed and I could see all my friends clapping for me. Harry looked in shock and two redheads were glancing back and forth between us. Those must be the Weasleys Stephanie had told me about; Ron, who was Harry's best friend and Ginny, Ron's sister, who was his girfriend. I couldn't keep focusing on them however because Tonks was beside me once again, her hand on my shoulder.
"Well, that's that," she said, "Caiden this is the Head Girl, she's going to show you to your quarters." I mustered up my best smile as I turned to the girl that Tonks was motioning to. Her brown eyes were the first thing I saw. My heart stopped and she gasped as I tensed, a muscle working furiously in my jaw. Tonks deemed it fit to introduce us seeing as neither of us moved.
"Caiden, this is Hermione Granger; she's in Gryffindor as well so she'll be able to guide you these next days." I stopped smiling, a glare working its way to my face. I turned away from her, very rudely, and practically ran from the room, ignoring Harry and Stephanie as they both called for me to come back.