The train seat was cold. Lonely even. The trees and fields outside moved quickly. Passing in a flash. The details lost to speed. Eleanor readjusted in the seat, the room was empty minus her and her bags. She had little with her, but that seemed to be the key component to her life. Emptiness. It was alright though. She had adjusted to an empty life much like she adjusted to the too still room. The seats that should have felt soft under the weight of her felt more like concrete one falls on while playing outside. It was blunt and stunning.
This place. Her fresh start was little more of the same. She had no home to go to and she would find no home here either, no matter what the headmaster said of finding her purpose here. The bustle of the station had given her false hope. To be surrounded by people who were just like her had given her a sense of security but it was all ripped away when once again she found herself alone in an empty room. The sound of the doors being pushed open pulled her from her revere.
Laughter and the brightness of two red mops of hair filled the room. The air around the two boys was light and easy. Soft and welcoming. Something Eleanor had always dreamed of. They fell into the seats across from her bickering about something unimportant, they quieted when they noticed the small girl across from them.
"Oh sorry-" One started while the other one caught onto the end of the forming sentence "We thought it was empty in here." The twins picked up their forgotten bags, before making moves to stand.
"You can stay, if you want." The two boys sighed with matching smiles and dropped their bags again, "Thanks, all the other compartments are full." The one to the left said. The one on the right nodded along with the statement. "That's Fred." "And that's George" They each said pointing to one another.
"I'm Eleanor." She said softly, the way one might speak to a dog they didn't want to spook. The boys looked at one another before refocusing on her.
"Want to see something?" Fred asked with a huge grin. Before Eleanor could respond George and Fred were pulling out their wands and a box of what appeared to be jelly beans, they both said something that she didn't quite catch before handing the box towards her.
"It's a spell that takes out all the bad ones." George supplied, she appeared suspicious at the offered food. Fred noticed and poured a few in his hand as example. He popped one in his mouth before making a face that resembled a reaction someone might make before throwing up. It took a minute before he was able to swallow down the treat, all the while George laughed. Eleanor looked at the boy with concern before he supplied.
"Booger flavored." George broke out into huge chortles "The spell doesn't always work." He said in between laughs and Eleanor found herself laughing along. Fred and George found themselves explaining the strange candy to her and then offering them up again. Eleanor took one haphazardly and after examining it for a moment popped it into her mouth. Her face quickly twisted up.
"Lemon." The twins said at the same time before laughing again, Eleanor swallowed and laughed along after the sour taste had left her mouth. This went on for a time before they found themselves with an empty box and aching bellies from laughter. An older girl came by their compartment to let them know that they should start getting changed into their robes soon. As they began to move around the cabin to grab their things, George asked Eleanor a question.
"So what house are you hoping to be put into?" She stopped and turned away from her things to look at him quizzically. "What?"
Fred smacked him in the shoulder, "She's muggleborn." He stated like it was obvious. "I'm what?" She asked becoming more confused by the moment. George stopped rummaging around his disorganized bag to explain.
"Muggleborn means that both of your parents were muggles, non-magic people." Eleanor nodded in agreement.
"I don't really have parents. I live in a foster home." She supplied softly. Both boys looked at her with equal amount sympathy and sadness. "It's okay, really there are worse things." She said with a smile. "So what about the houses?" With her question the tense air seemed to dissipate.
"Oh so there are four house-" George started, "Ravenclaw, which is basically for all the smart kids, Hufflepuff which all the nice kids go to. Gryffindor which is the best house." Fred said with a proud smile "And Slytherin, it's filled with the worst kinds of people. There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. . I would recommend staying away from them." Fred finished. George nodded along with the assessment of the houses.
"Well then I want to go to Gryffindor." Eleanor said proudly. They both smiled and nodded at her renewed enthusiasm.
"Everyone does, but the sorting hat picks your house." George said. The older girl returned at that moment and chided them on not being in their robes. The group quickly shuffled off to change and rejoined each other back in the room, they finished out the ride to the school with jokes and laughter becoming fast friends. It felt like a blur the moments getting off the train and being rounded up by a man 4 times her size. He told them his name was Hagrid and he had an air around him that spoke of kindness. He told them they would be crossing the water and as people moved about she managed to stick to the side of the two boys she met. As they reached the boats George offered a hand to help her on, she took it with a soft smile.
The ride was quiet and filled with nerves from all around her. Fred had mentioned that they had siblings that went to the school as well, and George explained that all of them were in Gryffindor as well. She imagined that had to add a lot of pressure for them to get in as well. The boat was cold under her and the air around the lake was drifting around them in waves of fog. She wondered for a moment if that was something someone had done to make the experience more magical or if the lake always had that sort of intense air around it. People started pointing up to the ever approaching castle and for a moment all the words in the world were lost on her. It was magnificent. Magic.
It struck her in that moment that this was all a fresh start. And one filled with magic. This is what people dream about. When she was young and read Peter Pan she always dreamed of what life with magic would look like. This was it. This giant castle and fantastical people was what a life filled to the brim with magic looked like. It was powerful and overwhelming and she found herself looking at the reactions of the boys on either side of her. Their expressions matched that of her own. It was awe inspiring. Hagrid was saying something but she couldn't catch it over the sound of the blood in her ears. She could hear her heart beating and for a moment she feared so could the others but everyone else seemed engrossed in their surroundings as well.
The castle was in front of them in moments and suddenly they were walking through halls that had to be hundreds of years old. The ceilings were high and the halls appeared to go on forever. Fred and George were pointing out things on each side of her. Paintings their brothers had mentioned, or stories of certain rooms, and teachers. They talked of their three older brothers. The group soon found themselves in front of women who radiated power and authority. Her face left little in the way of questions but her eyes spoke of a hidden kindness.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." Her voice managed to cover the entire corridor and when she mentioned the houses some students looked to their friends and smiled. Fred and George seemed animated at the prospect of the sorting ceremony. Eleanor on the other hand was more apprehensive at the coming sorting.
"Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup." Everyone seemed to be a mix of excitement and nerves as she spoke again "The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." She turned towards the intimidating doors and entered through them without so much as a sound. Fred and George were chatting animatedly about something called quidditch and their favorite players. George seemed to notice Eleanor's sudden silence and hesitant glances at the foreboding doors.
"It's going to be okay." He said placing a soft hand on her shoulder, Fred glanced at the gesture but said nothing. The conversation around them seemed to calm a bit as the women reentered the hall.
"We're ready for you now. Follow me." The conversation stopped altogether as they entered the grandiose room. There were thousands of students and four long tables each with a different colored banner hanging above them. Above that it appeared to be the night sky.
"It's a spell." George clarified as he saw her gaze stay on the ceiling. She nodded and explored the room more with her eyes. People stared back. The different colored robes marking individuals as groups. They had made it to the front of the room when the woman spoke again.
"Will you wait along here, please?" We shuffled up further to stand alongside the platform that sat a stool with a single hat and behind that a group of adults sat, she suspected they were the teachers and staff. She stepped aside and the hat which had previously given no indication was alive began to sing a song. The history of the founders and of the sorting ceremony. It gave a touch more information on each house describing the virtues that define them. Once the hat stopped singing the women moved to the front of the group again.
"When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses. Mildred Allen." The girl moved slowly out of the crowd towards the sorting hat, she sat down and seconds after the hat was placed on her head it called out "HUFFLEPUFF" the table covered in yellow erupted in cheers for the girl, she smiled as she walked over. This went on for some time before she heard "Fred Weasley." He proudly strutted up to the hat and before the thing was even fully on his head it yelled out "GRYFFINDOR!" He jumped up and ran to the bellowing table. She had noticed the Slytherin and Gryffindor did seem the loudest of the four houses.
"George Weasley." George did not move with quite so much flair but he was still beaming as the hat quickly called out "GRYFFINDOR!" he jumped down and quickly joined his brother.
"Eleanor Wright." She turned to look at the two boys, they beamed up at her urging her on. She smiled back before turning around towards the hat. She moved slowly up the steps. She sat down on the stool and softly the weight of the hat pressed into her head. Seconds ticked by, precious moments. The crowd started to notice and the hat had said nothing as of yet. Why hadn't it spoken, she thought. Did she do something wrong. And as the moments passed on finally noise came from the hat.
"Difficult… Ah, right then...hmm..." The hat continued with this for a moment. The crowd had grown curious and concerned as the moments pass with little talk from the once talkative hat.
"Your blood speaks volumes, but you know nothing of it." The hat uttered out finally. The teacher at her side seemed to recognize the confusion but the understanding shown by the teacher was lost on her. She had no special blood, she was not important. She did not matter. Why this was taking so long, she questioned. Her eyes went downcast as the stares continued,
"Not special, she thinks." The hat uttered out her thought as though it was a private conversation and not a room full of thousands. "You could find loyal friends in Slytherin" Her head shot up to look at the two red mops of head that had shown her kindness. Fear. It coursed through her, one emotion after another found its way onto her face. They seemed concerned for her, but it was anticipation that filled most faces. "Slytherin could foster your family bonds. But Gryffindor could aid you on your coming journey." She glanced at the teacher at her side looking for some sort of explanation but she was looking back to the headmaster with concern marring her features.
"I see a gentle mind." The hat continued "But smart." She wished the hat would stop everyone looked frightened, for her or of her she did not know. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. This was supposed to be a fresh start, she was supposed to find peace here. Build a home for herself surrounded by true friends. All she wanted was the day to be over. The hat regained its silence and minutes past with no movement or sound. Softly the hat spoke, as if for only her to hear.
"Slytherin." She looked back to the twins and they looked stricken but the eruption from the Slytherin table drowned out the thoughts in her head. The professor quickly helped her off the seat and sent her in the direction of the group embraced in green. A girl that had been sorted earlier welcomed her over to the table and she sat next to her. The ceremony went on with little more fanfare.
"I'm Tabitha." She said holding out her hand. She was pretty girl, with olive skin and dark black hair. Eleanor Shook her hand, "I'm Eleanor." The girl smiled again. Conversation flowed easily around the students. But Eleanor found herself looking over to Fred and George. She found them purposely avoiding her eye. She sighed softly but turned back to the table. The boy next to her noticed the exchange, and he nudged her gently.
"Don't mind them. Snooty bunch the Gryffindors. I'm Miles." Eleanor smiled at the comment before all attention turned towards who she now knew to be Professor McGonagall as she tapped her glass.
"Your attention please." She said making sitting as Professor Dumbledore stood "Let the feast...begin." Food magically appeared on all the tables, and the hall filled with awe and chatter.
"Woah." Came the soft response from Eleanor, the two on either side of her smiled as the all three dug into the food. Soon ghosts erupted from the walls and under tables, the noise level in the hall rose by at least two octaves. Some shouts of fear or of laughter.
"That's the bloody baron." Miles said pointing, Eleanor looked over to the haggard man, he appeared as dead in the eye as the rest of him was. "He is the house ghost." Tabitha supplied. Nodding along to the information. An older boy stood from the end of the table and directed all of the Slytherins to follow him. They descended lower into the dungeons of Hogwarts. Arriving at a door that required a password. The boy at the front said the password and move out of the way as the door opened.
"Girls to the left and boys to the right." Tabitha grabbed Eleanors hand and they headed up the steps to the left of the common room. Inside the room they found their things, Eleanor found her newly adopted owl violently fighting against his cage.
"He doesn't look happy." Tabitha commented as he cat jumped up to join her on the bed. Eleanor walked over to the cage and tried to softly calm the bird while opening the cage door. He pecked at her aggressively before flying out to land on the post of her bed, cleaning at his feathers ignoring her. Eleanor looked at the effected finger and sighed.
"Is he always like that?" Tabitha asked with concern.
"He's just had a rough go of it. He needs kindness and patience." Eleanor said grabbing plasters from the bag sitting at the foot of her bed.
"You know that bird is completely mental, right?" Tabitha asked. Eleanor laughed a bit at the comment. Ira had been separated from the other owls in the shop, and when she entered the shop owner was yelling at the bird. She did not think anything could be happy in an environment like that and had decided then that she was going to adopt him. Although the shop owner had warned her and Ira himself had put up quite the fight she wasn't one for giving up on someone.
"He needs time but he's alright." After she had said this a few more girls found their way into the room and they all settled in for the night.
As Eleanor settled in for the night she looked back over the last few days and smiled. This would be a fresh start. She would talk to Fred and George and work things out with them, and set them straight that not all Slytherins were bad. She closed her eye and found that sleep was easy that night.