Daria Owlyear Settling In One
DISCLAIMER: Daria is the creation of Glen Eichler and is the property of MTV Viacom. Harry Potter is the creation of JK Rowling and is the property of JK Rowling, Wizarding World, and Warner Brothers. I own neither franchise, and neither expect nor deserve any sort of financial compensation for this work of fiction.
Rated "T" for foul language
Daria Ravenclaw: The Year of the Owl* Daria Ravencl* Daria Ravenclaw: The Year of the Owl aw: The Year of the Owl
The dinner ended, and the students began to stand up.
"Ravenclaws, follow us!" said a couple of older students. Daria guessed that they were in their late teens.
"Who are they?" Daria asked Violet.
"They're house prefects," said Violet. "Ravenclaws."
"Oh," said Daria. Other students began to follow them, a mixture of first-years and students who'd been attending Hogwarts before she got here. Since she had no idea as to what was where at Hogwarts, she followed the crowd of Ravenclaws to her new House and dorm room.
They weren't alone. Another crowd of students was also following their prefects out of the Great Hall. Daria was still very new at Hogwarts, but she could recognize Gryffindor colors. Was the Gryffindor Tower this way too?
The Gryffindors peeled off at carved stone landing. "This way, this way," said the Gryffindor prefects.
"Ravenclaws this way," said a boy with a Scottish accent. Daria fell in with the crowd of Ravenclaws heading towards her new House and dorm room. The boy wore a blue necktie under his robe: Daria decided that he'd lead them to Ravenclaw Tower.
They climbed up ten flights of stairs, coming to what must be the castle's fifth floor. They didn't stop there: instead they found themselves at the base of a circular staircase. Daria looked up and a long, circular staircase. Eeep, she thought.
There was nothing for it except to start climbing stairs. Eventually, sshe and the other students reached the top. There was a middling-sized landing with a few portraits, as well as a thick wooden door with a bronze eagle that seemed to be a door-knocker, but no door handle or peephole.
"We wish to enter," said the female prefect, much as if she was playing a game with someone.
"Not without answering my riddles," replied the door-knocker.
A door-knocker with a brain-twister on it, thought Daria. This is going to be a pain. She knew that she was smart, but she wasn't smart all the time.
"Give us the riddle," said the female prefect.
"What forms a cord while it is created, is cut at birth, then is cut again when it dies?" asked the door-knocker.
"A life," said Majda. The other first-years looked surprised. So did some of the upper-years.
"Good answer," said Daria sotto-voce.
The door swung open. "Enter," said the doorknocker.
Daria's jaw dropped open as she walked through the door and got a glimpse of her new living quarters. The Ravenclaw common room was incredible. It was light and airy, with arched windows, and with not just one floor, but a second floor shaped like a balcony. Except for a large marble statue of some famous witch and a few paintings, most of the walls were covered in bookshelves. Desks and reading lamps covered most of the floor space, although there were a couple of leather chairs and small couches. It looked like what Daria hoped a library would look like in Heaven.
"Oh, wow," she said, a smile on her face. "This is what a dorm ought to be."
The teenaged girl who'd led the procession of Ravenclaws from the Great Hall to the Ravenclaw Common Room turned around. "Hallo, I'm Simone Willoughby, and I'm one of the prefects here at Ravenclaw House," she said.
"I'm Andrew Brae," said the teenaged boy wearing the blue Prefect badge. "I'm the other one."
"We know you're all rather tired from your journey and the feast, so we'll send you off straight to bed. Get a good night's sleep. There will be a house meeting in the common room at 9:00 AM."
"I'm going to show you girl fledglings to your rooms. First years: two floors down, left staircase: to the right, first bedroom: Dahlia Banks, Marietta Edgecombe, Cynthia Farmer, Daria Morgendorffer, and Anahita Waring. Upstairs to the right, second bedroom: Abby Armitage, Cho Chang, Majda Paderewsky, Tabitha Rolle, and Elizabeth Wolfe."
"I'll do the same for the boys," said Andrew.
"Off we go!" said Simone. She led and Daria and the other first-year girls followed. They descended tow floors, then turned to the right. There was a sign over a door: First Year Girls' Dormitory.
The dorm room was nice: it was pleasantly light and airy. It made her think of some of the medieval stories she used to watch with her friends back in Highland: it had five curtained poster beds, each with a small dresser and night-table. It was nicely portioned: it was as large as her parents' master bedroom back in Highland, except that with four other girls it was going to be more crowded. Still, she'd be able to tough it out; it was a lot like sharing that small bedroom in Highland with Quinn.
She looked around the room and was relieved to see that her suitcase was next to her bed. She picked it up and put it on top of her covers. She was tired: this had been one hell of a day. Even so, she still had enough juice to wash up, so she dug up her toiletries and her night clothes—in her case pajamas. She silently thanked Martha Haddaway for talking her Dad into buying the expandable suitcase.
She walked to the bathroom: there were two of them, both communal. That didn't bother her that much. It was just a little like sharing a bathroom with Quinn and Veronica at home, except that there were more sinks, toilets, and showers. She returned to her dorm bedroom, cleared her bed, then slipped under the covers. She was asleep in minutes.
The next morning, Daria was awakened by the stirrings of the other four girls in her room. She wasn't entirely sure this wasn't a dream; she half-expected to wake up in the bedroom she used to share with Quinn back in Highland and realize that everything that had happened during the last couple of years was just a dream. But no, this was real. She was in a cramped but comfortable bedroom with four Brits in a tower that looked like something out of a fairy tale.
"Oh, my!" said Cynthia Farmer. "Look what they've done to our uniforms!" That brought Daria to full wakeful alert. She'd put up with enough bullying back in Highland that her subconscious always feared the worst.
She put on her eyeglasses and looked at the chair next to her bed where she'd set her under-uniform the night before. Her uniform had undergone some modifications: her black Hogwarts tie had been replaced by a blue tie with silver stripes and that her school jacket, vest, and skirt now had blue and silver trim. She sighed in relief; there was nothing wrong, save for the fact that her uniform now looked like those of her older dorm-mates.
"What time is it?" she asked.
"8:15," said Dahlia. "We'd better get going. There's that house meeting at Nine."
Eeep, thought Daria. That was a tactful way of saying that she'd better get up and get dressed. She hurriedly splashed water on her face, blushed her teeth, dressed and scurried up the stairs leading to the Ravenclaw common room.
Most of the rest of Ravenclaw House was already there when she finishing climbing up the stairs and stepping into the common room. A little man was standing behind a short podium. He looked extremely short, so short that he was only able to peer over the top of the podium by standing on top of a couple of thick, leather-bound books.
"How do you do," said the little guy. "My name is Filius Flitwick and I am head of Ravenclaw House as well as your charms professor."
Daria looked at her new Head of House with interest. There was something about Professor Flitwick's features that reminded her more than a little of the goblins she'd seen at Gringott's Bank and elsewhere in Diagon Alley. Was he part-Goblin? She resolved to sound out her older housemates for more information on Professor Flitwick.
"I'd like to welcome you all to another year at Ravenclaw House, both returning students as well as our new fledglings. He means us firsties, thought Daria. "Our house has a well-deserved reputation for scholarship, knowledge of magic and the mystic arts, wit, and for academic achievement. During this coming year, I look forward to watching you learn the ways of magic as well as seeing you work hard. Many of you come from families that have been magical for generations. Others have come from families where magic has awakened more recently. And some of you are come to this world from non-magical backgrounds. I place no pre-set expectations of magical ability based on heritage, but I do hope to see each of you learn to tap the magical abilities you were born with and then learn how to wield it.
"Our house's symbol is that of the eagle, a bird that soars far above where others struggle to climb, and sees in all directions. I believe that you all have the innate ability to soar like other members of this house in the coming months.
"Some of us will have some difficulty at first in learning to fly. Older students, I expect you to help our fledglings to take flight." Daria heard a brief titter of laughter. "I would like you to introduce yourselves to our fledglings and get to know them."
"I will also be scheduling meetings with each of our new students this coming fortnight. Are there any questions?" the professor finished.
A hand went up from a young male student who looked to be about Daria's age. Daria noted the hair-styling and that the boy wore a uniform that reeked of money and custom-tailoring.
"Yes," said Professor Flitwick. "Mister _?"
"Sanderson, Ammon Sanderson," the boy replied arrogantly. "I've got a question."
"Well, go on, then," Professor Flitwick replied jovially.
"What sort of school would put a little half-breed like you in charge of a class, let alone a whole house?" said Sanderson.
There was a gasp of shock and outrage from the students in the Common Room.
"Stow it, you little pure-blood wanker!" shouted a girl with a loud Cockney voice. Her hair had broad blue and silver stripes and her face was made up in Goth style. She was several years older than Daria.
Professor Fitwick raised his hand and the Ravenclaws in the Commons fell silent. Great crowd control, Daria noted.
"I am here because I achieved my status through hard work and my magical abilities, not through family connections," Professor Flitwick replied coldly, "and because I am a superior Charms Master."
He looked Sanderson coldly in the eye in what Daria later learned was the gaze of an experienced duelist. "What skills do you possess?" he finished.
"That's two points, Sanderson," said Andrew. He glanced at his head of house. The boy who'd insulted Professor Flitwick smiled. "Five points, I mean," he corrected herself. "And detention."
The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped by five degrees.
Daria raised her hand.
"Yes," said Professor Flitwick. "Miss _?"
"Morgendorffer, Daria Morgendorffer," said Daria.
"That's "Morgendorffer, Sir," said Simone.
"My apologies, Sir," said Daria. "I'm new at this."
"My question is that I've already practiced a few spells back home. Should I be concentrating more on theory at this point or application?"
"How much magical theory have you studied, Miss Morgendorffer?" said Professor Flitwick.
"Very little," Daria replied.
"I would study magical theory," said Professor Flitwick. "That you're already to perform some charms with your wand is commendable, but you need to know the theory behind the charms you'll be performing."
"But don't neglect your wand work. You may have learned some on your own but your techniques may need refinement, and what you do know you can teach to your peers." Professor Flitwick smiled benignly at Daria.
"Yes, sir," said Daria. "Thank you."
The ice now broken, other Ravenclaws raised their hands and asked questions. The topics were as varied as the topic of study groups, tutoring sessions for Ravenclaw students having difficulty with certain subjects, questions about lunch hours and Quidditch team try-outs.
The meeting broke up over an hour later.
"Daria," said Violet.
"Yes?" said Daria.
"I'm going to show Dahlia around the castle so she can learn what is where and what is what," said Violet. "Care to tag along?"
Daria remembered her confusion from the night before and her glimpse of the multiple sets of staircases past the Great Hall. Violet had claimed that some of them moved around.
You'd better, she told herself. "Sure," she said.
-(((O-O)))—
Despite her rumbling stomach, Daria was later grateful that she took up Violet's offer. Even that was only a start; she soon learned that she had so much more to learn about navigating her way around the school. While the stair to Ravenclaw Tower and the route from the front entrance to the Great Hall were relatively simple and straightforward, much of Hogwarts was like an evil mash-up between the works of Giovanni Piranesi and MC Escher translated into three dimensions, then animated by a computer gamer. Hogwarts had over 140 staircases, many of which not only moved, but were also equipped with vanishing stairs and other booby traps. Hogwarts also had doors that weren't really doors, and doors that had to be handled differently to open. Daria soon learned that the portraits she'd hoped to use as landmarks were untrustworthy: the people in them often moved around like Max Headroom jumping from computer network to computer network.
She'd been warned about Argus Filch, the Castle's caretaker and Mrs. Norris, his evil-tempered female tattle-cat: thus far she'd barely stayed within school rules and he'd only given her one or two warnings. She was more worried about Peeves—she suspected that she and the Poltergeist were going to have a run-in.
She finally had one in one of the worst places possible—down below ground where she soon found that she was not on her way to the entrance to Hufflepuff like she'd hoped, but was instead in the dungeons near the entrance to Slytherin House.
OK, she told herself. You're in a jam. Take a few breaths, calm yourself, and THINK, Morgendorffer.
She then heard the already-familiar sound of the Poltergeist's laughter.
"Hello, Ickle Firstie, lost your way?" said Peeves. "Let Peevsie show you the way back to the bird cage!"
Yeah, right, thought Daria. Like I really trust you.
"But first Peevsie wants some fun with Little Missy Daria!" shouted Peeves. He apparated from in front of and above to behind Daria, first knocking the spiral notebook and ballpoint pen she had with her out of her arm, then tugging at her skirt.
You four-flushing bastard, thought Daria. She drew her wand from her jacket pocket. She grinned savagely. This time I can get a bead on you, she thought, finding that she was successfully tracking the Poltergeist.
Then Peeves changed the game. He disapparated, leaving Daria alone just long enough to decide that things had calmed down enough for her to gather her pen and notebook, then reappeared above her and poured a jug of ice water directly on her head.
"You little shit!" she shouted.
She did not expect what happened next. Peeves disapparated, then reapparated again, then yanked her eyeglasses off her head.
"Peevsie's got Miss Daria's spare eyeballs!" he cackled with glee. "Miss Daria can't see Peevsie or find her way back to her bed of twigs and feathers!" Peeves thought that his last comment was so hilarious that he started laughing again. Daria tried to track him by his voice and failed.
He'd learned a little from sparring with Daria. He didn't stay in one place but kept moving. He popped in and out of existence once or twice to make it even harder for her.
"PEEVES!" said an unfamiliar voice. Daria wondered who that was. She hoped it wasn't Professor Snape, although it sounded like a ghost.
"Leave the girl alone!" said the light-colored blur. Definitely a ghost, thought Daria. Which one?
"And drop that!" the voice added. Daria heard the sound of her eyeglasses hitting the dungeon floor, then the sound of Peeves popping away.
She went down on her hands and knees in the direction of where Peeves had dropped her eyeglasses feeling for them with her hands. It took a bit of searching, but she found them and put them on.
She was again able to see clearly. She turned towards her rescuer to thank him, and saw to her surprise that it was the Bloody Baron, the leading house ghost of Slytherin.
Daria didn't have her mother's attitude towards ghosts. Her Mom might be a terror, but Daria found one or two of the ghosts near Hogwarts frightening. The Bloody Baron was definitely in that category.
"Thank you, Milord," she said, hoping that she'd used the right form of address.
The Baron nodded to her, surprisingly giving her a small smile.
Daria nodded back, then began to turn away.
"Stay, child," said the Baron.