So I hope you like this chapter. Please review and constructive critic is welcome.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by someone else. These are just my thoughts on it.
Ch. 2
Having just walked through the barrier between platforms nine and ten, the young brunette girl had entered what may have very well been an alternate universe. With her eyes wide open, Dorcas couldn't help but think she had never seen anything more wonderful or exciting. The brilliant red train, rested on the tracks as fellow students poured through its doors to begin their journey to Hogwarts, very much like she was about to.
Dorcas was exceptionally excited, but not excited enough as to miss the students with their families saying good bye to each other. She also noticed their hugs and tears of sorrow for having to leave. She frowned ever so slightly at the scene she would never fit into, before getting onto the train.
The young student was now faced with a more daunting task of where to sit. She did not know a single person, nor did she know how to go about meeting one. After growing up in an orphanage where all of her age hated her, Dorcas had issues making friends. Putting on a brave face, she decided to enter and sit in which ever compartment first struck her fancy after asking the previous occupants if she could sit of course.
Upon opening door number one, Dorcas found a petit red head and a boy with long greasy black hair sitting deep in conversation.
"Hi! Do you mind if I sit with you?" Dorcas blurted out quickly.
While the boy rudely ignored her, the red head answered cheerfully, "Of course!"
"Thanks." Dorcas said with a sigh of relief sitting down.
"Lily Evans. It's a pleasure to meet you." Lily said extending her hand for Dorcas to shack.
"Dorcas Meadowes." Dorcas said shacking Lily's hand in return. "Is he always so talkative?" Dorcas asked tilting her head in the direction of the boy.
"Don't mind Sev." Lily said. "He's not the most social of people around knew people."
"Severus." He said not liking the nickname one bit. "It's Severus Snape."
"Gasp! He talks!" Dorcas said teasingly.
"Clearly." Snape said with a hint of snide in his voice.
So it seemed from the beginning that Dorcas and Severus were doomed to disagree. The two just couldn't seem to get along. While in truth, the two were very similar in personality, both smart, a bit cynical and distrustful to name a few traits, perhaps they were too alike to ever get along well.
Lily on the other hand was a different story. Severus got along rather well with her having known her previously, as did Dorcas for Lily gave off a trusting friendly air. Needless to say on that train ride Lily countless of times needed to act as the mediator between Dorcas and Snape.
"I'm a muggle born." Lily said trying to strike up a conversation. "It came as quite a shock when Severus here revealed the truth to me."
"Didn't you take it as an insult?" Snape said laughing. "If I recall, you were under the impression that witches were old wicked ladies who brewed no good potions in their cauldrons."
"Well not everyone can be an informed half blood like you." Lily said.
"Half blood?" Dorcas questioned even newer to the magical world then Lily.
"My dad's a muggle but my mom's a witch." Severus explained.
"What about you Dorcas?" Lily asked.
"Well…. I don't know." Dorcas admitted.
"What do you mean you don't know? It's rather simple." Severus said. "If both your parents are magical, you're a pure blood. Only one, you're half. A muggle is one with regular parents."
"I got that." Dorcas insisted. "I just mean I really don't know."
"But how can't you know? Your family must have told you these things!" Lily said.
"That would be if I had a family." Dorcas said frowning slightly. "Which I don't."
"Oh." Lily and Severus said at the same time.
"Yeah go on. Let's all pity the orphan." Dorcas said bitterly.
"No! No! Honestly!" Lily said. "We didn't mean it like that."
"Whatever." Dorcas said. Wanting a change of topic, she added, "Any idea of how much longer it will be until we get there?"
"By the looks of things." Snape said glancing outside for a moment. "Not for a while."
Dorcas sighed. She hated waiting even more then she hated enclosed spaces such as this compartment.
"Be back in a bit." She announced opening the door and leaving before Lily could comment. In some ways Dorcas felt bad. She had no intentions of being back in a bit. Lily seemed nice enough, but any more time spent with Severus would drive her insane, hence the dire need to leave.
The train itself was not very crowded. Unlike the wandering Dorcas, almost everyone else was sitting peacefully in their compartment. The lack of people however did not prevent Dorcas from tripping over her own two feet, as the train went around a bend, and crashing into another individual.
"Watch it!" Snarled Lucius Malfoy, 5th year student and newly appointed prefect. "Keep your grubby paws off of me."
At this time, Dorcas did not understand that this guy was not one to mess with. He was the pride of Slytherin. Therefore, naturally Dorcas was immediately placed in their bad books which would lead to some miserable encounters and some awful feuds in the following years, but enough of that. What Dorcas was about to say, while having horrendous long term affects, was awfully brave and amusing of a first year.
"Well I'd rather have grubby paws then be someone with premature white hair Grandpa." Dorcas said referring to his extremely light blond hair.
Lucius was now fuming. For a first year to talk to him like that it was just outrageous and unheard of! He did not like it one bit. "Well stop being such a two year old and grow up." Lucius said storming off. It was not his best and brightest moment, but it would suffice.
Dorcas on the other hand just shrugged the encounter off. Before she could continue on her walk however, a nearby compartment door opened and a dark haired gray eyed boy pocked his head out.
"That was pretty cool what you did back there." He said.
"Oh it was nothing." Dorcas said.
"Trust me that was definitely something." He said. "You just told off Malfoy, king of the Slytherin." He explained. Sirius knew quite a lot about Lucius Malfoy. It was hard not to. His cousin, Narcissa, was dating him, meaning whenever family gathered Malfoy was all he heard about.
"Well then his subjects must be rather foolish to listen to that idiot." Dorcas speculated.
"I couldn't agree more." Sirius said grinning pausing for a moment to give her a chance to insert her name.
"Dorcas. Dorcas Meadowes." She said.
"Well Dorcas Meadowes, I'm Sirius Black. Care to join me in my compartment?" Sirius asked.
"Sure." Dorcas said cheerfully entering.
She didn't know much about Sirius, but anything had to be better than sitting with that drip Severus and Miss perfect Lily.
Sirius however was not alone in his compartment. There too sat James Potter with ever so messy black hair, Remus Lupin in his perpetually ill state, and Peter Pettigrew who could help but remind Dorcas of a mouse. Or perhaps it was a rat. The four boys had only recently met today when searching for a compartment to sit in.
With Remus and Peter on one side, Dorcas sat down next to Sirius and James on the other.
"So what was that Sirius? Seems like you hold a long time grudge against Malfoy." Dorcas commented in order to start a conversation.
"Well not him exactly. More like my snotty no good pure blood family and their associates." Sirius explained.
James shuddered at the thought. Unlike Sirius his pure blood family members were considered blood traitors of sorts because they didn't look at muggles with disdain.
"Sounds bad." Dorcas said almost glad for once she had no family and therefore by default no family issues.
"Worse than you can ever imagine." Sirius said.
"Well I for one am now ever so glad for my parents." Remus said. He always got along well with his parents aside for those numerous times they tried to make him do things such as clean his room. But that was nowhere near as problematic as Sirius' parents. Remus was beginning to recognize how lucky he actually was.
"What about you Dorcas? Any crazy cousins, heinous parents or squabbling siblings?" James asked.
"Nope, no, and nada." Dorcas answered. "Unlike you guys, I don't have any family to put up with." Dorcas said deciding it was too much of a bother to keep it a secret. In this case, she felt it was better to let the cat out of the bag.
"So you're an orphan." Peter said almost as if it was a question.
"Way to state the obvious." James said.
Unlike in the previous compartment there was no hint of pity which Dorcas was grateful for. She was a girl who just happened to be an orphan, but an orphan was not who she was, so Dorcas wouldn't let that define would she would be.
Dorcas laughed at said, "Unlike you lot I had no idea about the wizard world. It came as a great shock to find out."
"Wait! Rewind!" Peter said. "You mean you knew nothing?" He asked in shock.
"Not a clue." She answered.
The interrogation of individuals in the group went on and on and the sky got darker signifying their arrival at Hogwarts was soon to arrive.
"I should probably go get my stuff and change." Dorcas said.
Unlike the boys who had changed into their robes some time back, Dorcas' remained back in the compartment with Lily and Snape. It was about time she returned to them.
"See you later?" James asked.
"Of course." Dorcas said with a smile.
She navigated her way back to the original compartment and entered to find Lily and Severus in deep discussion about the classes they would take that year.
"Dorcas! Where were you? I was so worried you got lost." Lily said with honest concern.
"Sorry." Dorcas said apologizing for her delayed return. "I got a little caught up." She explained.
"No worries." Lily said. "We better change. The train is beginning to slow down."
With their robes now on and the train stopped, the trio pushed through the crowds to get out of the train.
"First years over here!" They heard s booming voice call out.
Said voice belonged to an enormous man with wild hair and a towering stature.
"Woah." All three said at once.
They, and their fellow first years followed him to a lake where there were a number of boats. Dorcas, finally seeing Sirius and his friends again waved. James gestured for her to join them in their boat, but Dorcas shook her head and mouthed sorry. She then nodded her head in Lily's and Snape's direction to indicate she was going with them. James shrugged and that was that.
When Dorcas entered the boat she found Lily and Snape already sitting there with two other boys who soon introduce themselves as Avery and Mulciber. From how Sirius had described pure bloods, Dorcas was easily able to deduce that was what they were, and to no surprise, she did not like that.
When the castle came into view, Dorcas' eyes widened with shock. She had never seen something so breathtaking as that view. However, needless to say, Dorcas was glad when the boats stopped and she was able to get away from the two unsavory pure bloods.
Hagrid led them into the castle where they entered a room. The near giant was soon replaced with Professor McGonagall. Dorcas couldn't help but smile and wave enthusiastically at her. After all McGonagall was the first one to ever show her any kindness. McGonagall as a teacher was not supposed to show favoritism, but she couldn't help but smile back at the young girl.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." She said. "The start of the term feast will begin shortly; however before it can begin you must all be sorted into houses. Your house will be like your family. You will eat together, have classes together and spend time with each other." She explained.
"The four houses are: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Triumphs with earn you points while rule breaking will deduct points. The sorting will take place in a few minutes, so in the mean time, I suggest to tidy yourselves up." McGonagall said before leaving the first years alone.
Immediately James began to attempt and failed miserably to tidy his hair and Peter straightened his robes. A smatter of whispering fell about the room as the students discussed which house they felt they would be sorted in too.
When McGonagall returned, she led the frightened students into the Great Hall. For a moment, the focus shifted away from the sorting to the amazement of the ceiling which mimicked the night's sky.
Now in the front of the room, the children stood in a huddle with McGonagall, a stool, and a hat in front of them.
"When I call you name you will put the hat on and sit on the stool to be sorted." McGonagall announced.
Alphabetically this year Black came first. Sirius with as much confidence as he could muster put on the hat praying not to be sorted into Slytherin like the rest of his evil relatives. His prayers were soon answered as the hat called out, "Gryffindor!"
Shock and silence fell across the room. A Black being sorted into Gryffindor was unheard of! After all, the Blacks consisted of a long line of pure bloods sorted into Slytherin.
But the sorting went on. Soon after this Lily Evans was sorted into Gryffindor, later followed by Remus Lupin. That however meant one thing. The Ms were approaching as in Meadowes.
"Mary Macdonald." McGonagall called up. The girl was timid but clearly there was more to her then first glance for she was promptly sorted into Gryffindor. Marlene McKinnon, a petit girl with curly dark hair was then sorted into Ravenclaw.
"Dorcas Meadowes." McGonagall called, indicating it was her turn. With that overly large hat on her head, Dorcas sat down on the stool.
'Ah another Riddle' The sorting hat told Dorcas
'I'm not a riddle!' Dorcas thought back. 'I think I'm perfectly clear."
'That you are my dear, but now where to put you?' The sorting hat mused.
'Don't ask me, I thought that was your job.' Dorcas thought.
'Indeed it is. Perhaps like your father you would do well in Slytherin. After all, you are rather ambitious and I sense a cunning side.'
'Wait a second! You know who my father is?' Dorcas asked. She had always thought she didn't care about who her family was but with the opportunity now presented she desperately wanted to know.
'Both your parents were fine wizards. It's too bad really.' The sorting hat sat ignoring her desperate plea.
'Can't you just stop your reminiscing for a moment and get back to my sorting?' Dorcas asked when she realized the hat wasn't going to tell her any more about her parents.
'Patience.' Said the sorting hat in return.
'Is not a trait I value or have.' Dorcas said.
'Indeed. Now let's see, you would do wonderfully in Slytherin, but I see there's more to you than that." The sorting hat thought.
'Damn right there is.' Dorcas thought.
"Well if you're sure then it better be Gryffindor!" The sorting hat shouted out loud.
She joined her fellow Gryffindor students gladly and was quickly followed by James and Peter. The group minus one Lily Evans who did not know the boys, was over all overjoyed to be together, thus starting what would be known in future years as the Marauders.
When people look back on the lives of these individuals for some reason Dorcas Meadowes is often overlooked and labeled as inconsequential, but she was anything but that. In fact, she made very sure that she was not a nobody. Gone forever was that timid little orphan who let herself be pushed around, and poof! She was replaced by a confident and outgoing witch who was not going to let anything get in her way.
