Thanks for the follows and reviews! keep 'em coming!
Chapter 7: Castle on the Hill
King's Cross Station was busier than Athena anticipated and she felt guilty she had shrunk her suitcase while the twins, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny pushed their trunks and cages housing their rambunctious pets through the crowds of people moving in every direction. Though large and difficult to maneuver, their trunks forced the crowds to move out of the way which allowed Athena, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Charlie to follow the younger students without much difficulty. Bill and Charlie insisted on accompanying the group to see them off for the school year, and much to Athena's annoyance, kept referring to "something big" they would all find out about later.
Her annoyance paled in comparison to the anxiety and excitement she felt burning through her body the longer they walked through the train terminal. Soon, the group came to a halt between platforms 9 and 10. Athena quickly pulled out the golden train ticket that came enclosed with her letter from Professor McGonagall to see which platform their train would be leaving from. She thought it was odd that Hogwarts would transport its students in plain view of the no-ma...muggles. If she was going to be here for the foreseeable future, she might as well pick up the slang.
Her ticket read that the Hogwarts Express departed from Platform 9 . Her confusion must have been obvious because a low voice whispered to her, "to your left."
Athena felt an odd sensation in her abdomen hearing Charlie's voice just over her shoulder, but she followed his instruction and looked ho her left to see the twins, one after the other run straight for the wall. Thinking it was one of their pranks, Athena wondered just how angry Molly Weasley would get. They were in public, after all. Nothing happened as the twins disappeared through the wall and their siblings, Harry, and Hermione followed.
"That makes more sense," Athena giggled looking over to Charlie who had an odd look on his face. "What is it? Do I have something on my face?" she asked him.
"Most people don't react like that the first time," Bill noted as he slung an arm over his dumbfounded younger brother's shoulders.
"Well c'mon then, it's your turn now."
It was her turn. She looked at the blank brick wall before taking a deep breath. The others had made it through just fine, but for some reason she was frozen in place. It could be her human instinct was telling her not to run face-first into a brick wall, or maybe it was the thought that had been plaguing her for the past two days that none of this was real. A warm hand grasped hers pulling her from the thought.
"Let's go together," Charlie suggested, giving her hand a light squeeze. She couldn't repress the smile that came to her face and she nodded in approval.
"One, two, three..."
She didn't know who was leading who, but they made it through the barrier just in time to hear Ginny calling from a window of the gorgeous scarlet steam train in front of them, "Oi Charlie, tell your girlfriend to hurry up and get her arse on this train!" Which was quickly followed by an admonishment from her mother.
Athena glanced at the man who was guiding her through the throngs of witches and wizards, still holding her hand, to see his face pale as though he were going to be ill. Damnit Ginny. She had put the thought in Athena's mind that her older brother might be interested, but his reaction to the youngest Weasley's comment just proved that theory wrong. He looked sick at the suggestion that Athena was his girlfriend, but why did she care?
She already told all of them she didn't want anything like that right now anyway. She didn't, but it still hurt her pride to see the handsome dragon tamer's face that way. They reached the entrance to the train car where Ginny had popped out from and came to a halt in front of the stairs. Athena dropped Charlie's hand and started towards the train.
"You're not going to say goodbye?"
No, she thought bitterly, but turned around to see the disappointment in his face. Maybe he was just trying to be a good friend and she was projecting her own emotions onto the situation because she found him attractive. She felt like an idiot. She knew the man barely two days, why would he feel anything but sympathy for her situation.
"Of course! Sorry, I'm a little scatterbrained today. Goodbye, Charlie," giving the red head a small smile. His face broke into a goofy grin and he closed the distance between them to scoop her up in a hug. He was not making this easy for her, but she appreciated the gesture anyway. He put her down and made her pinky promise to write before he let her get on the train.
The engine's whistle blew while she climbed into the first compartment of the train car where Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Harry sat before falling into an empty spot on one of the benches. The train gave a small jerk, then began to slowly move away from the platform which brought back the excitement and anticipation Athena felt earlier that morning. It was a welcome distraction from whatever just happened on Platform 9 .
The train ride was eventful as Athena was introduced to what she imagined was a majority of Gryffindor House, listened to Hermione talk about her house elf rights campaign Ron nicknamed S.P.E.W., and offered to help the younger girl with the legal aspects of her activism. Athena also had the displeasure of meeting an obnoxious fourth year Slytherin by the name of Draco Malfoy who took to calling her "the Yankee" in a snide, demeaning tone, and was relieved when the nasty boy left. She swore she heard him praising Durmstrang Institute while presumably making his way back to his own seat, claiming he could have and should have gone there for his schooling instead of Hogwarts. Other than that interaction, the rest of Athena's journey was pleasant.
She was enjoying the scenery of the Scottish countryside, noticing the way the light played with the rolling hills in the distance and blended oranges and pink, like a scene from an oil painting she's seen once in Boston. When darker hues of blue and violet began to overwhelm the now barely-illuminated sky, Hermione announced that they should get changed, as they'd be arriving at Hogsmeade within the next hour.
While her companions left the compartment to change into their school robes, Athena decided to stretch her legs and explore the train. Professor Snape was going to provide her with her school robes when they arrived, so she had nothing to do until then.
Walking up the aisle of several train compartments, Athena observed students of different ages wearing yellow, maroon, blue, and green chatting excitedly about the upcoming school year. There was a group of noticeably younger students who sat together in a compartment looking terrified. First years were the same here as at Ilvermorny: small.
I don't remember ever being that tiny, she smirked. A rumble of laughter caused her to jump and she drew her wand, pointing at the source of the noise.
The tall boy had his hands in front of him in surrender and he glanced from the area just below his ribs where her wand was aimed to her eyes. He had caramel hair and eyes of the same color which twinkled in amusement, high well-defined cheekbones, and a strong jaw. He was handsome and had an athletic build, probably from quidditch because almost everyone in this country (well, besides Hermione) played.
This boy had a classically handsome look about him that reminded her of Johnny, the major difference being the paleness of this boy in comparison to her friend and teammate. Her heart lurched at the memory of her friend who wasn't even alive yet in this reality. Athena's shoulders slumped and she lowered her wand realizing she still had it aimed at him.
"Sorry," she muttered, "it's been a weird day." In truth, it has been a weird week altogether.
"No harm done," the boy in front of her said giving her a crooked smile. He had his uniform robes on and wore a yellow and black tie, so he was a Hufflepuff, if she remembered correctly.
"I think I've said the same thing every year," nodding his head in the direction of the first years, the smile on his face growing.
Her face flushed in understanding and brought her palm to her face in embarrassment. "I said that out loud, didn't I?" She already knew the answer to that.
"Fortunately for me, you did. My name is Cedric Diggory, I'm a Hufflepuff prefect, and I've been instructed by the Head Boy to 'find the American transfer student and escort her to Professor Snape when we arrive.'"
She removed the hand covering her face. So, this was Cedric Diggory, the boy Ginny and Hermione gushed about yesterday. They were right, the tall boy in the hallway with her was very handsome, and the accent which she had been admiring all week only added to his good looks. She'd been staring at him too long and she needed to do something before it got too weird.
"Athena - I'm Athena Mayall. Sorry, I'm not usually this awkward – actually, that's probably not entirely accurate - I don't know why I reacted the way I did, and I'm really sorry about pulling my wand on you. I'm sure you've noticed I'm a little out of place here," she told him gesturing to herself.
Oddly enough, he took a moment to look her over with a serious look almost as if he were about to appraise a painting, and she wished she wore something a little nicer or done her hair differently. Cedric finished his assessment with a slight nod, a crooked smirk gracing his lips, and his caramel eyes met hers.
"You play quidditch, so I think you'll be just fine," he said confidently.
"How did you possibly know I play quidditch?"
He shrugged, "I can just tell." Athena gave the Hufflepuff prefect a look that screamed bullshit.
Grinning widely, Cedric knew he'd been caught and admitted he may have overheard the Weasley twins talking about the Ilvermorny transfer student's brilliant quidditch skills while he was walking to his prefect meeting earlier that day. Athena smirked at the Hufflepuff but her undoubtedly sarcastic response was cut off by a screech coming from the train followed by a series of small jerks. The train slowly pulled into Hogsmeade Station which was dimly lit by several lamps.
Students flooded the platform when the train came to a complete stop, and Athena didn't miss the stares and whispers that followed while she and Cedric navigated through the sea of students. Hundreds of voices were ringing out from each direction but Athena was able to focus on a few.
"Who's that with Diggory?"
"Why hasn't she got her robes on?"
"She's got tits, mate, no way she's a first year."
But by far, the voice that took over the gossip came from a huge man with full wiry long hair and a matching beard shouting, "FIRS' YEARS THIS WAY!" She guessed that the man was Hagrid. Harry described the gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures professor in great detail the previous day, and she was able to appreciate the accuracy of the fourth year Gryffindor.
Cedric led her away from the platform to the edge of a forest where older students were piling into a long line of horseless carriages. Instead of joining the other students, he directed her to the right side of the path the carriages were following where a halted carriage sat alone. Beside the carriage stood a pale wizard with shoulder-length black hair and a hooked nose and clad in long black robes. He gave Athena and Cedric a sour look as they approached, and when they were close enough Athena could practically feel irritation radiate off the man.
"Mr. Diggory, that will be all you may join your classmates," the man in black drawled, his dark sunken eyes looking at the prefect.
"Yes, Professor Snape," came Cedric's polite reply. Before he began walking back to the carriages, Cedric made sure to give Athena an encouraging smile and a wink.
Then the professor's eyes turned on her which made her straighten her posture. His eyes narrowed at her in a way that appeared as if he were trying to figure her out. She felt uncomfortable under the professor's gaze and she decided to cut the tension.
"Professor Snape, thank you for taking the time to meet me. I am Athena Mayall, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He looked perplexed by her pleasantries but did not return them.
"Professor Dumbledore has enlightened me on your," pausing to let his lip curl partially in a sneer, "situation."
She assumed the Headmaster would have to explain to the professors why, on such short notice, Hogwarts would have a transfer student from the United States. However, the way the Professor emphasized the last word made her think that it wasn't the cover story Dumbledore conceived Snape was referring too. He didn't say anything else about it while they rode the carriage up to the castle.
When they arrived, Athena admired the beautiful structure she'd only seen in books. The way the moon illuminated the stone towers was...magical. As corny as that sounds, it was true. She wasn't able to admire the architecture very long because Professor Snape ushered her inside directing her to a room where a set of school robes were left for her to change into. She was advised that the rest of her belongings and school supplies would be waiting for her in her dormitory once she'd been sorted. She changed quickly and met Professor Snape once more.
They walked through the halls of the castle at a brisk pace so she was unable to truly take in her surroundings. During their walk, the professor explained the sorting ceremony, but Athena did not want to interrupt the grumbling man to tell him she already knew. They arrived at a large set of wooden doors, the Great Hall, according to Snape just in time to witness a thunderstorm coming from the ceiling. Several students screamed and Snape drew his wand, but it wasn't needed as a spell shot out from the far side of the hall, stopping the storm and changing the ceiling to reflect a calm night sky.
All eyes focused on the source of the spell: a stocky, middle-aged wizard with thin hair protruding in odd patches and patterns from his skull, and clutching a wooden staff limped up to the table in the front of the room where she saw Professor Dumbledore standing. Athena saw that the reason for his limp was an artificial leg, but more interesting than this was the contraption strapped to his head. From this distance Athena, wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it looked like a wildly spinning eyeball.
Dumbledore introduced the odd man, who was currently taking a large swig from a flask, as Professor Alastor Moody who would teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for the upcoming school year. Loud whispers and polite applause followed the announcement with excitement. Then Dumbledore looked to the spot she was standing in the doorway to the hall, and out of her peripheral vision, Athena noticed Professor Snape was no longer there. The brooding man had snuck away during Dumbledore's announcement, leaving Athena to stand alone in the doorway.
When the noise among the students subsided, Dumbledore addressed the students once more, "Professor Moody is not the only new addition to Hogwarts this year. It is my pleasure to announce Athena Mayall of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the United States of America will be joining us for her seventh year. She will be sorted just as the first years have, so let us all extend a warm welcome to Ms. Mayall."
The older wizard clapped politely in her direction and the entire student body of Hogwarts whipped their heads around to look at the mystery transfer student. More applause and whispers erupted in the Great Hall as she made her way to the front of the room. She heard the Weasley twins whistle at her and shout encouragements from somewhere to her right, but she was focused on a witch in emerald green robes who stood by a stool in front of the raised table in the front of the room. In one hand she held an old brown pointed hat. When she finally reached the stool, all the noise in the hall ceased.
"I am Professor McGonagall, please have a seat so you may be sorted," the witch in green told Athena. Professor McGonagall looked exactly as Hermione told her the previous day, right down to the tight bun and cate-eye glasses.
Complying, Athena sat on the stool facing the crowd of students as Professor McGonagall lowered the hat onto her head. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to lower her heart rate. The adrenaline coursing through her was causing her pulse to beat like a bass drum in her ears.
A raspy laugh filled her head. Well this is a first for me, how exciting! An American at Hogwarts!
That will NOT be my defining characteristic, she thought back bitterly. People had begun using her nationality as a label. Even that greasy Malfoy kid called her Yankee, attempting to demean her.
Oh indeed, indeed...mused the raspy voice, you'd do nicely in Slytherin.
Athena confirmed the voice in her head was the Sorting Hat and satisfied her curiosity from the first time she read Hogwarts: A History by learning this was the method the hat used to sort students: reading their minds.
Very good, very good! Perhaps Ravenclaw would suit you as well? No, I think not. I think Slytherin would best suit the ambition I see in you, but there is also the peculiarity of your presence here.
Athena agreed with the Sorting Hat's assessment and agreed Slytherin was the best fit for her, but the hat also saw the intense conflict raging within her because of her background, what she knew, and the effect of her presence here. Unless Dumbledore could send her back to the future, she would be forced to remain here, watch a war that she'd studied happen before her very eyes, and she would lose even more friends.
You are braver than you know, child. Just because you do not come from this time does not mean you do not belong to this time.
Athena didn't even bother trying to suppress her thought that that was exactly what that meant. She also wasn't sure how long they'd been sitting there, but by the faces in the crowd that began turning to one another to whisper, she could tell this wasn't a common occurrence.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed suddenly.
The table directly in front of her on the left burst into cheers and she could see the Weasley twins pumping their fists in the air, whooping and hollering. Professor McGonagall removed the hat from Athena's head and allowed the new Gryffindor to join her house. She ran over to where the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were to join them. Once she'd taken her seat she was welcomed by members of her house with hugs and handshakes.
Professor Dumbledore announced that they'd had quite a bit of excitement and wasted no time in announcing that dinner be served. Platters of different foods instantly appeared on the tables in front of the students' eyes. At Ilvermorny, meals were buffet-style, so this came as a shock to Athena. She was too hungry to ask questions and luckily so were those around her. Sampling several of the dishes in front of her, Athena settled in to her first meal at Hogwarts – her first meal as a Gryffindor.