"All those who offer an opinion on any doubtful point should first clear their minds of every sentiment of dislike, friendship, anger or pity,"
–Sallust
Chapter Eleven:
By the end of the sorting, Gryffindor had gained thirteen new additions, one of which was Lily Evens, the unpleasant girl from the train – who looked shocked as anything by the result, but not as shocked as her Slytherin friend, Snape.
Throughout the feast – gathering from a mix of stories told by other students and his own speech that left me with more questions than answers – I managed to gain an abundant respect for Dumbledore. He proved, by far, my theory that to be knowing and wise, you first must become completely insane.
But still, by the end, I was utterly exhausted, and so with a full stomach and drooping eyelids, I along with the rest of the Gryffindor's followed a cheerful boy named Fabian Prewett – who I was informed was a Prefect – out of the Great Hall.
"Wonder where the Gryffindor common room is?" Sirius bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly, "I know where the Slytherin common room is, my family told me, since they expected me to become a Slytherin and all… aren't you exited Riley?"
I yawned, "Yep,"
"You don't look exited?"
"Well, I'm also tired," I clarified.
He grinned madly, "Well, I'm not!"
"I can see that,"
He seemed to miss my blunt sarcasm and continued on his ramblings, I don't think I'd seen him so hyper in all my life, "I can't wait to see our rooms, I wonder who I'll be with? Did you see–"
Suddenly, the girl in front of me stoped, causing me to walk right into them, "Sorry," I muttered sheepishly.
Craning my neck over her shoulder, I saw we had all stoped outside a painting of a women in a pink silk dress, "Password?" The moving portrait asked.
"Veritatem," Fabian whispered and held the door open as a stream of Gryffindor's poured into the common room.
I felt myself be pushed and shoved by older, taller kids through the opening in the wall, but managed to keep a grip on Sirius's wrist as we jumped to the side and out of the way, itching to get to their rooms and unpack.
"They really need to think of expanding that door…" Sirius muttered and I agreed.
Once everybody was inside, most of the older students had dispersed, leaving the first years standing awkwardly in a small group.
"Okay, the boys dorms are up the left staircase and the girls are to the right," Fabian explained, "You things will be waiting for you,"
The realisation suddenly hit me that, so far, every friend I've made had been a boy (Sirius, James, Lupin…) and I had absolutely no idea who I'd be sharing a room with. I never really had many friends in my life, most kids at school strayed away from me. They feared me, well, actually it was more so my temper, which when provoked, blazed fiery-hot like the sun. I may have been small, scrawny and gangly looking child, but I was quick, with bones like a bird and an attitude as sharp as a razor, but it was my overall strangeness that seemed to attract the torment of my fellow classmates, who soon realised I was not to be messed with.
Still, there were always the ones who got a kick out of seeing me get so angry – they would hide my books and pull my hair and snicker whenever I made contribution in class – which always ended with me jumping up for an attack, from which I was swiftly sent to the principal's office.
And, I guess I gained a reputation.
Every new kids at school would start of the same –naïve and unknowing – until the other children got to them with their whispers – some true, most untrue and the rest over exaggerations of the truth that had been twisted, gnarled and distorted with every new voice that passed the story along.
'Oh, don't go near the O'Conner girl, she'll bite your head off for even saying hello'
'Once Riley attacked me simply because I looked into her eyes'
'I heard she lives in an attic and talks to the bats'
'Almost as insane as her grandmother'
'She's too weird'
'Too creepy'
'Too strange'
And so, they became as brainwashed as the rest of the kids, before I even got a chance to prove my worth. I was excluded from most games on the playground, which left me with nothing better to do than read or join in the football games that took place most days with the elder student, who didn't seem to care. They didn't really know me.
The only girls I'd ever known are my sisters, Sooki and Indiana – who are all eighteen or older. The only person my age that was my friend back then, I'd thickly mistaken for a dog for three years!
I didn't know how to make friends! I'd never done it before, although it seems I am graciously gifted in the art of chasing people away!
How is it, that when I try to make friends I scare them, and when I don't need friends I make them accidentally, just as it happened with Sirius and my fellow tunnel dwellers?
It didn't make sense!
"Are you okay, Riley?" Sirius asked, seeing the sour expression on my face.
I yawned, "Yeah… I'll see you in the morning. Good night,"
"Right back at ya'," He grinned and followed the rest of the boys.
Being the last one left in the common room, I took in a deep breath and advanced the stairway, then I followed the hallways until I found the one with my name on it, along with four others my tired eyes couldn't be bother reading.
When I opened the door I saw three of them were asleep, while one sat in her bed with a book in her hand.
"Oh, it's you," She said bitterly, looking up from her page.
"Yeah, it's me," I scowled at none other than Lily Evans herself, "Don't get up and celebrate or anything…" I goaded.
"What are you doing here?" She asked stiffly.
"Breathing, standing, digesting…" I muttered tiredly.
"I meant why are you in this room," She demanded, looking annoyed.
"I live here now," Was my blunt reply, "You must be so glad to be in Gryffindor," I smirked.
She put down her book, frowning deeply, "What's your problem? You know I wanted to be in Slytherin, why do you have to be such a hag about it!"
I shrugged, "Hey, I'm just wondering why you'd rather be a snake then a lion?"
"Slytherin's not bad! I just don't realise why…" She drifted off, but I understood the meaning.
I snorted, "Because, Slytherin values blood purity over all else and it's pretty easy to pick you as a muggle-born… there was no way you'd get in…"
For some reason, it felt good that I wasn't the most oblivious one in the room anymore – I was truly thankful for Sirius and Andromeda's lecturing over the past two weeks of the holidays.
She looked deflated, "W-what? How'd you know I'm muggle-born? And all that stuff about the Slytherin's… it can't be true?"
I shrugged, "Well, for one, I'm muggle-born and two, I live across the road from one of the most agonisingly muggle-hating, pure-blood family ever. Been Slytherin's since the Middle Ages," I paused and added with a sly smile, "Their son is my best friend, Sirius Black,"
The confusion washed across her face, "One of the boys from the train? The one with the glasses…"
"Nah, that's James, we meet him today," I grinned.
"I don't like him,"
"I'm not surprised,"
"He's cocky,"
"That he is," I laughed, "But I'm not too fond of your friend either? What's his name? Snivels?"
"Severus," She corrected automatically, "And he is nice… deep down,"
I laughed bitterly, "Very deep down,"
Her face screwed up, "Ugh, can you go five minutes without insulting somebody?" Lily sneered.
"Nope," I smirked, "Can you go five minutes without acting stubborn and uptight?"
She groaned, rolling over to go uniform to sleep, "To hell with you, then,"
"And all the way back," I muttered under my breath, blowing out the candle on my nightstand and collapsing into bed – still wearing my school robes.
And so from then on, we kept a mutual agreement that, neither of us liked the other and neither of us cared.
Now, I am aware that the Marauders didn't become Animagi (well, all but poor Lupin) until later on in their Hogwarts schooling life, but since this site is for FanFiction, I have the right to do whatever I please with my writing and if you don't like my intentional incorrect-ness, then deal with it!
Sorry for my annoying ranting.
Also, 'veritatem' means 'truth' in Latin, or so Google Translate told me.
O_o