Tania felt uncomfortable with the staring. She hated the fact everyone insisted on calling her Titania, or "the girl who lived". They didn't even know the full story, just the rumors that spiraled out of control and ended up being printed.
She hated that name. There was a reason why Petunia said her name was "Tania" and not something as ostentatious as "Titania", which happened to be the name of the Faerie Queen in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
They acted like they knew everything about her, when they didn't even bother to get to know her at all. It was ridiculous!
Neville, once he got over his shock that he had been talking with Titania Potter, was one of the few who bothered to call her just "Tania".
Hermione, however, had a bit of hero worship going on.
At least until she realized how uncomfortable it made Tania. Tania hated being the center of attention, and she hated it even more when people bugged her about some scar.
She never had a scar, at least none she remembered. If there was one, it was likely Petunia had it removed years ago, or it healed over.
The worst were the Gryffindors and the Slytherins. The Gryffindors (one in particular) hated her, saying she had "let them down" because she wasn't brash like them.
She really didn't like Ron, and she felt like his older brothers were worse.
Percy, the one who yelled at her on the train for summoning Neville's toad, was a pompous and arrogant boy who was always telling people off. He took his position to mean that he had to regulate everyone who was younger than he was, even if they weren't doing anything against the rules.
Fred and George, the twins, were almost bullies with how they picked on the Slytherins. Everyone pretended to laugh, but she could see they only did it to avoid being targets. And no one enjoyed the howlers that always came the morning after from their mother, who had the voice of a banshee, in her opinion.
Ron was her biggest headache though. He took it personally that she was sorted into Hufflepuff, and was very lazy. More than that was the way he watched her...it was disturbing and she didn't like it.
Her second biggest headache was Draco Malfoy. He was a real jerk, and he seemed to think it 'amusing' she had bought the "White Imp" and was always going on about his father like it meant something.
In short, Xion hated Hogwarts, specifically the students.
She couldn't wait until Christmas.
Tania found a new reason to hate this school. Without fail, every time she left one of her 'modified' robes in the hamper to be cleaned, it would disappear and never return. She only had three left, and no matter what she did the house elves told her that the Deputy Headmistress had told them to confiscate them.
Something about how it was 'against school dress code'.
Finally, after an attempt to retrieve her clothes which failed miserably, she took preemptive measures.
She told the house elves they were relieved of duty when it came to her room and bathroom. She knew perfectly well how to wash clothes, even if it awkward to do so without a washing machine.
"Tania? Why are your robes wet?" asked Neville.
Tania's eye twitched.
"Because I told the house elves they no longer had to clean my clothes."
"Why?" asked Susan, baffled.
"They've been stealing my robes and refuse to return them even when I ask politely. It's gotten so bad that I barely have any left, and I refuse to lose anymore. So I've been practicing my household charms," said Tania. She looked at her wet robe with dismay. "It's a work in progress."
"What do you mean, the house elves have been stealing your clothes?! Being given clothes by a master is the ultimate insult to them!" said Hannah, shocked.
"You know how I made a few minor alterations that didn't come with the robe? The silver tassels and the zippers?" said Tania. Everyone nodded. "Well apparently Professor McGonagall didn't like them for some reason, so she told the house elves not to return my clothes. I tried to ask her for them back, but she said they were against school regulations even though they cover everything they're supposed to cover and are still the standard black."
"That's not right! They were a few harmless decorations! I mean they are Slytherin colors, but that's no reason to confiscate your robes!" said Susan shocked.
Aside from giving her a brief second look, none of the prefects told her to remove the robes. They were still the required black, and they weren't revealing. Yes the muggle zipper was a bit odd, but it was perfectly harmless.
She had even asked Professor Sprout, who was the head of Hufflepuff if they were alright, and she had given the okay. Though she had mostly gone to see her to make sure it was fine for her to keep Shadow in her room.
Considering he was clearly a magical pet, and she lived in a Muggle neighborhood, Sprout had agreed only if he didn't cause trouble.
"That's not right, taking your clothes like that," said Hannah. She looked at Susan, who nodded. They grabbed Tania's hand and dragged her to find Professor Sprout.
In the greenhouses...
Sprout looked up to see two of her Hufflepuffs leading a third. It was Tania Potter.
"What seems to be the problem girls?"
She noted that Tania's clothes seemed drenched, yet the other girls were dry.
"Did Peeves hit Ms. Potter with one of his water pranks?"
Susan Bones shook her head.
"Tania said she's had clothes going missing, and that Professor McGonagall ordered all her modified robes to be confiscated by the house elves. She said they were against school regulations."
The house elves couldn't break into her trunk, but they could steal them when she left them out to be cleaned.
Sprout's eyes narrowed.
"The ones she added those muggle 'zippers' to?" asked Sprout to clarify. Tania nodded. "Have you talked to Minerva about this?"
"She said I wasn't going to get them back, because they went against the school dress code even though I checked with you first before I wore them to class. It's gotten so bad I told the elves not to bother picking up my laundry and I've been practicing the house hold charms I found... unfortunately I'm not very good at drying."
Any thought of this being a minor misunderstanding went out the window at that. Forcing a mere first year to learn household charms just to avoid losing their clothes was ridiculous.
"I'll have a word with Minerva about this. Rest assured I will get to the bottom of why she's having the elves take the robes without notifying me of the issue," promised Sprout.
A few hours later, most of the school was treated to the sight of Professor Sprout having a very loud row with Professor McGonagall about her confiscation of the robes through the house elves. It wasn't the fact that Tania had felt forced to resort to cleaning them herself with charms that had the Hufflepuffs close ranks against the Gryffindors...it was the fact that McGonagall interfered with a minor issue that Tania had already cleared with her head of house prior to classes starting.
Tania was a Hufflepuff, not a Gryffindor. If she had an issue with the modifications she should have pulled her aside and said so, and at least listened to Tania's side of the story.
Needless to say Snape was rather amused by the whole turn of events, even if it was because of "the Potter brat". Seeing McGonagall get chewed out by the normally jovial and warm Sprout was something he definitely enjoyed.
In the end Sprout had to pull rank on McGonagall to get the robes returned...the ones that weren't lost anyway. As Tania's head of house, she was able to clear up the matter...though Tania kept practicing her cleaning charms until she was able to do her laundry without the elves.
She never did find out what exactly McGonagall had against her modifications.
"So we're supposed to fly using sticks?" said Tania, looking at the brooms with open distaste.
"..."
"They're brooms! Of course we're supposed to fly with them!" said Susan.
After the incident with her robes, Tania had become close to the duo of Abbot and Bones. Though they didn't quite take to Hermione as quickly, but having Tania there to buffer the girl made it easier.
Tania poked her 'broom' with her boot.
"It's just... I can see the cracks on this thing from here, and the bristles at the end look one good fireball away from becoming charcoal. I don't think these things are very safe to fly with."
"Oh hush Tanny," said Hannah. Where she came up with that silly nickname, Tania would never know. "They've been used for years and haven't broken yet."
"My aunt replaces her brooms every six years, and these look like they should have been replaced decades ago," said Tania flatly. Then she noticed Neville was more nervous than normal. She put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay to be afraid of heights. Some people aren't meant to fly," she said gently.
Neville looked at her, and nodded. He trusted Tania, because she didn't tease him like some of the other kids their age. She had Shadow calmly explain the differences in potions and how to prevent blowing them up. It was only because of the odd creature he was even passing that class.
Though apparently his annoyance upon hearing how this "Snape" character taught the class was getting to him. He said he might end up sneaking into class to see how bad it was, because from the sound of it Snape didn't bother to even teach reaction tables.
Which, according to Shadow, was just asking for trouble.
Right now though, Tania just wanted to get this particular lesson over with.
The more she learned of the magical world, the more she couldn't wait for the seven years to be over with so she could leave. If only she still had her coat! Then she could leave this world and go someplace a little more sane and less irritating.
Like Castle Oblivion. Or the Castle That Never Was.
Tania felt nothing but irritation as she sat on the broom. It felt ridiculous, but then again she had flown in Neverland without the aid of a stick. Then it hit her how she could help Neville and Hermione, who were on either side of her.
"Hermione, have you ever read Peter Pan?"
"You mean the boy who could fly using pixie dust?" asked Hermione. Tania nodded.
"Remember how he was able to fly?"
"He needed belief," said Hermione.
"Well pretend you've been hit with Tinkerbell's dust and believe that you can fly. Don't overthink about it."
Hermione seemed to take that advice to heart. Her hands were a little more sure on her broom. Neville seemed to consider her suggestion, and tried to not think about the flying.
Tania was one of the few 'naturals', but her distaste in using brooms was clear. Still, she was given the option of joining the reserve team for Hufflepuff. She wouldn't be allowed to own a broom, but she would be allowed to fly one with supervision during team practice.
It was more than the other first years were allowed, and it made some of them insanely jealous.
In the case of Ron, he started to target her more than normal.
In the case of Draco, who had been told flat out that he wasn't allowed to join the team (even as a reserve) until next year when an opening would be available, it drove him to challenge Tania to a wizard's duel.
Unfortunately for Draco, Susan happened to be right around the corner when he made his declaration. And she told Sprout.
Tania...no, this was Xion, lay in bed looking up at her canopy.
It had been two months, and she would honestly rather being back in Little Whinging.
At least there she didn't feel like a lab rat that people were trying to force into a mold.
"It's a shame you can't have one of the Dusks to bring you one of your spares, kupo."
"I don't know if they'll even listen to me anymore," said Xion.
Shadow sat up and said "Have you tried calling them, kupo?"
Xion blinked. To be fair she hadn't even thought of trying.
Perhaps she was becoming lazy.
She closed her eyes, focused her magic...and called.
Imagine her shock when she opened her eyes again and saw the familiar sight of the Dusks, chattering away like they always did.
"You... you came?" she said in quiet shock.
The Dusks tilted what passed for their heads, before giving her what she could only assume was a Look that said "You called us, didn't you?"
Xion smiled. Even after she grew a Heart, she was still a Nobody like them.
"Could you retrieve one of my spare coats from the castle? I'd like to see the rest of you properly and these just don't have the same enhancements," she asked.
The Dusks disappeared, and fifteen minutes later came back slightly charred...but carrying a familiar coat.
It could almost pass for one of her robes, but there was a distinct feel that Xion recognized.
Once she swapped out her robe for the coat, she felt normal again.
"So what happened to you?" asked Xion.
The chattered to her, and to anyone else it would have sounded like nonsense but to her it made perfect sense.
"Maleficent took our castle?!"
Xion fumed. She had half a mind to go back to the Castle and give that stupid dragon a piece of her mind. Then an idea formed.
She could wait until Christmas, then head back to the Castle and offer the evil witch an agreement. Odds were Maleficent didn't even use most of the castle, and the section that she was planning to use was mostly bedrooms that faced the 'moon' which was actually Kingdom Hearts. The bulk of the castle wasn't even part of the apartments, as they were connected by a hallway.
If she remembered Maleficent right, she likely didn't even bother with that section and kept to the main castle.
If she was lucky, the witch might be willing to tolerate a few tenants provided they agreed never to see each other. Or to acknowledge that the other part of the castle existed.
For now, she was just glad to have her own clothes back.
Xion went with the Dusks to see the other 'lesser' Nobodies, who were somewhat happy to see her again. At least it meant they had something to do other than float around and hope a Greater Nobody was formed.
At least now she could get away from the castle full of idiots and actually enjoy something she had missed for so long. Which was why the second thing she did after getting her coat back...was to buy some sea-salt ice cream and bring it back with her. She was sure Shadow would enjoy some as well.
