Author's Note: I do not own any characters, except Evelynn Edwards, from the Harry Potter series. I also don't own any of the magic that is used or brought up; along with any locations within this fanfic. All things magical and anything affiliated with the Harry Potter series is strictly that of J.K. Rowling, author of the series.
I shook my head and I realized we had stopped sailing and now everyone was exiting the boats and started walking underground somewhere. I wasn't really paying attention until the grounds had turned into a long hall, which was a huge, vast building with lit torches along the walls.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," an elderly woman echoed in front of us. She had to be Professor McGonagall with her black hair tightly wrapped in a bun. I faded out again as she droned on about the importance of the Sorting Ceremony, which I already knew about. My attention drifted to Malfoy, who was showing off something, no doubt, to his lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle. I knew that their parents had been Death Eaters. I don't even think my mother knows how much I hate the pure-blood mania. I mean, she was there when she had to literally scoop me off the floor of my dead Grandfather's house. She doesn't take the mania to the extreme especially since tensions, from the fall of Lord Voldemort to the fact that people are being thrown in Azkaban for small reasons, are so high.
"Would you like to take a picture?" Malfoy drawled across the hall to me as everyone else in between had most likely heard. I need to stop zoning out while looking at people...especially idiots.
"Yes, because the world needs more pictures of Draco Malfoy." I said smiling, then rolling my eyes. His pale face turned pink, while his eyes threw daggers at me. Those could be the eyes of a future Death Eater.
"Now, form a line and follow me." Professor McGonagall announced.
"Hi Evelyn." I turned and saw Hermione. Two boys in front of me had heard this and looked around, it was Ron and Harry.
"Hey Evelyn. You nervous?" Ron asked looking extremely nervous himself.
"Of the Sorting?" No. "I guess...yeah, kind of." I smiled kindly. This seemed to be a relief to him.
We finally entered the Great Hall, which was exactly, if not more, than I imagined. Four long tables rested in the middle of the hall illuminated by the glow of thousands and thousands of enchanted candles. A long row of teachers were sitting in the front gazing at students, their empty plates, or the first years. I looked up at the bewitched ceiling that also contributed to the glow with the twinkling of the stars of the black sky. I read about this room in Hogwarts: A History that I read with my grandpa about a thousand times. The book changed as history did.
"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History." Hermione whispered from behind me.
"Really? That's cool. I guess you learn something new every day." I murmured. She smiled and continued to talk to any one who would listen. My father loves that phrase. I would come home from my trips at grandpa's and tell what I learned and by the end he would always say 'I guess you learn something new every day.' I guess he could have kept telling me that to make me feel smart, like I did to Hermione. Hermione is far from stupid and I thought it was really amazing to find a muggle-born knowing so much, but I wanted to make sure no one knew that I knew as much as her, if not more, about things that an eleven year old shouldn't know. I'm sure that most of the things Grandpa told me, weren't suppose to have reached my ears at such a young age. I made my way up in front of the crowd of older Hogwartians. I wasn't waiting long as my last name was Edwards. I walked slowly towards the stool and sat down. The hat landed on my head. Okay, here's my thoughts Hat.
The hat chuckled loudly, "An aggressive one we have here."
Yeah, whatever. Look...I'm brave like my father and smart like my mother-
"Whose the Hat here, Edwards?" Not only could I hear the Hat talking in my head, but I could hear whispers and laughing. "Definitely not Hufflepuff-"
What's that suppose to mean?
"Silence. Ah, I see. Yes, of course. Quite easily answered, I just had to dig down under you false courage...GRYFFINDOR!" yelled the Hat.
My mouth dropped opened. False courage? I am brave. I stood up and walked towards the Gryffindor table and barely noticed the applauses of my fellow Gryffindors.
I should be happy. My grandfather was in this same House and so was my father. I do not have false courage. I nodded with finality as I looked up and watched Hermione walk over to the Gryffindor table too. As Malfoy immediately went to the Slytherin table, I muttered, "Of course."
Then Harry and Ron became Gryffindors too. I smiled at them, but they didn't smile back. The rest of the night consisted of piles of food, Dumbledore talking about no forbidden forests or a very specific third-floor corridor on the right-hand side.
This seemed like the only interesting information. I hid a smile as I followed Prefect Percy toward the Gryffindor Tower.
As I was walking back towards the Gryffindor Tower, I saw Ron and Harry ahead of me. They were walking side by side. I caught up and squeezed between them and threw my arms around their shoulders.
"So boys who's up for a very mysterious trip to the third-floor...more specifically, on the right-hand side?" I looked up at Ron and then over to Harry. I sighed and drew out my wand and muttered, "Oculus reparo." I pointed it towards Harry's glasses that quickly repaired themselves. "You should probably remember that one, Harry. Anyway, are you two up for some good ol' Gryffindor adventure?" I asked quietly making sure no one could hear, but of course I didn't see Hermione behind me.
"You would think that the total opposite of what Professor Dumblefore said is a good ol' adventure." Hermione mumbled.
"What's that suppose to mean?" I asked pretending to be offended, but then smiled, taking my arms of Ron and Harry.
"You didn't say you were a pure-blood." Run stated suspiciously.
"I didn't say I was muggle-born either. You just assumed." I said lightly.
"You could have just told us or you could have told off Malfoy for calling you a mudblood," Harry replied. I looked from Ron to Harry and quickly smiled.
"You guys didn't tell me what you were. I mean it's all about intuition. I knew Weasley was a pure-blood, Potter a half-blood, and Granger a muggle-born." I explained. "Plus, why would I go around talking about my blood purity? What's the advantage to that? Well anyway, if you guys want to go on a forbidden adventure, I'm just around the corner." I smiled before skipping away.
The Gryffindor common room was circular and fully furnished with scarlet and gold in every corner I could see. I headed up to the girls' dormitory and paired with Hermione along with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. As I hit the bed of my four-poster, I sighed, and my smile slid of my face.
