Chapter 4: First Day at Hogwarts
Harry didn't believe his eyes. A girl that looks exactly like his mother is attending school…with him. He couldn't wrap his head around it. At the feast, everyone whispered about the new student. But seeing her walk through those doors is even more surreal; watching her get sorted into Gryffindor like before. However, he sensed she was different. Harry saw nervousness, pain, and fear in her eyes along with determination, loyalty, and courage. Whatever happened to her must have been horrible to endure. Even last night after dinner, all the boys would talk about (while playing their game) was the new girl, A.J. Hernandez.
Flashback (After the Feast)
All the students were heading back to their dorms. Harry headed up the stairs with his friends and the rest of Gryffindor house to Gryffindor Tower. As the staircase moved to the appropriate painting, Seamus ran up to give the Fat Lady the password.
"Fortuna Major." Seamus said, but she just held out a hand to stop him while trying to break a glass in her other hand using only her voice. Seamus stared in exasperation turning back to the rest of his friends. "Here, listen. She won't let me in." Harry stepped forward to try again.
"Fortuna Major," but the Fat Lady still gave the same result: absolutely nothing.
"No, no. Wait, wait. Watch this." She cleared her throat, gave an out of tune scale, and screamed. When the glass had no impact, she shattered it on a pillar behind her.
"Amazing! Just with my voice," she praised herself. Unfortunately for her, the Gryffindors were not impressed.
"Fortuna Major!" They said together. She kept smiling, but deflated seeing their faces.
"Yes, alright. Go in." The door unlocked granting them entry into their home.
"Thank you," Harry said. As they all walked in, everyone talked about the Fat Lady's 'singing,'
"She's still doing it after three years." Harry commented.
"I know." Seamus agreed.
"She can't even sing,"
"Exactly." Harry concluded. As they walked to their dorms, Dean Thomas walked through a ghost, disgusted and felt the coldness that radiated from the ghost.
"Oh, God. That's awful." While the girls went to their dorm, the boys headed to theirs and began playing their game, "What Am I? Jellybean Edition."
"Green. That's a monkey." Seamus ate the green jellybean and began hooting like a chimp: gestures and all.
"What is that? You call that a monkey? Seamus kept doing the monkey sounds and gestures. "Do not give him one again." Ron said.
"Hey, Neville, try an elephant." Neville caught the bean, ate it, and began making elephant noises.
"Ron, catch." Seamus offered. Ron put the bean in his mouth and began roaring like a lion while Harry, Seamus, Dean and Neville were applauding.
"Oh, don't try one of them." Ron warned Harry. He put it in his mouth and steam came blasting off from his ears as long as he chewed. The boys all laughed and threw candy at each other. After their little war, Seamus began talking about the feast…or more about the new transfer student.
"A.J. Hernandez. What do you guys think about her?"
"She seems pretty cool."
"Yeah, from Ilvermorny." Harry looked confused about this Ilvermorny school since he was still new to this 'being a wizard thing.'
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"Ilvermorny is a prestigious magic school in America like how Hogwarts is for England. There's lots of magic schools all over the world and very special in their own way, but in America, it's one of the elite schools that could go up against Hogwarts." Dean admitted. "Actually, Terry Boot from Ravenclaw is related to the adopted son of the founders of the school, Webster Boot." Dean remembered.
"Really?" Harry was stunned at this revelation.
"Yeah." Ron confirmed. Something bugged Harry a bit, so he asked his question.
"You said Webster Boot was 'adopted'?" Harry gave a look of confusion as towards why.
"The founders of the school was a Muggle named James Steward and Isolt Sayre, a Pureblood and descendant of Salazar Slytherin from her mother's side." Neville continued. Everyone stared at him towards this knowledge.
"Whoa." The boys whispered.
"They wanted a school where everyone can learn and not be brought down by the stigma of blood paranoia or something like that." Seamus continued.
"Incredible." Harry breathed in awe. A magic school in America that has the same prestige as Hogwarts is mind-boggling to process. "But whatever happened that caused her to transfer here must have been bad. We hardly ever get transfers here." Seamus acknowledged.
"But Harry couldn't take his eyes off her. You like her?" Dean said suggestively. Harry shook his head.
"No, but she looks exactly like my mum, so I'm curious to try and get to know A.J."
"Maybe she's your sister you never knew before. Giving her up for adoption to keep her safe from You-Know-Who."
"That seems likely, but my parents died when I was one and she's the same age as us. As far as I know, I was an only child."
"Who knows?"
"I wonder why she uses initials." Ron wondered. Everyone nodded in agreement.
"It's because people keep mispronouncing her name, so she uses the letters of her first and middle names. She said it was a lot easier to remember." Neville attested to this. Ron, Dean, Seamus, and Harry all stared back at Neville.
"What?"
"You talked to her? And you weren't nervous?" Dean surprised at Neville's sudden confidence towards the new girl.
"She's nice and someone I can call a friend. A little nervous to be here, but still really excited."
"Maybe we might have her for a class so we can talk to her." Ron thought out loud. Murmurs of agreement came from the room until they heard the Fat Lady entrance slam shut.
"Who could that be?" They all rushed down the stairs to see who entered Gryffindor Tower. Stopping before the last step, they peeked out to see who came in.
"It's A.J." Harry whispered. "Wonder why she's coming in so late. Or where she was this entire time?" Harry's friends nodded. She began taking off her jacket since it was too warm for her. As she began to head upstairs, she stopped.
"Do you have anything better to do than spy on people, boys? And don't bother, I know you're there watching me." She stated.
"Sorry." Ron sheepishly said.
"Guys, I'm going to see you every day for the rest of my time here in Hogwarts, so stop this spying thing…it's weird. Good night."
"Good night, A.J." She headed upstairs, heard the door close in the girls dormitories, and all headed back to their own dorms.
"We better get ready for bed. School starts tomorrow and I want to get a good seat for the warm oatmeal we're going to have." Ron hinted.
"Yeah, you're right." They all began cleaning up their mess, went straight to bed where they passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillow, except for Harry. Thinking about A.J. and her uncanny similarity with his mother, he's a little worried about it. But, Harry will put it out of his head for now.
Going back to that talk, Harry wondered about the different magic schools around the world and how they rate up to Hogwarts. He got up first before his roommates to get ready. While standing under the spray of hot water, Harry thought about the Dementor that plagues his thoughts. At first, he just put it aside for later, but now that they're everywhere around the school, the unease of coming into contact with one again and experiencing the woman's scream brings a shiver down his back. He finishes getting dressed, grabs his bag and heads downstairs out the door to the Great Hall for breakfast.
SQUAWK! A.J. blinked her eyes open, rubbing the drowsiness away as Agni crowed and tugged her hair as a new version of 'rude awakening.' The curtains on her canopy – as is everyone else – is a dark, wine red. All the beds were surrounding the tiny fireplace, which made it more homey and comfortable. The dorm room in various shades of reds and gold made it more inviting and safe for anyone. A.J. glanced at her watch and saw the time '6:45am.'
"Time to start another day. Joy." A.J. grumbled, but got up nevertheless. To say she's worried for the first day of school is an understatement. Terrified is more like it. High school then art and business school is one thing. Being in the same time, in the same place as Harry Potter, learning magic as a third year, while trying to prove a man's innocence, all the while looking exactly like Harry's deceased mother is more distracting in her opinion…not to mention creepy, weird, and uncomfortable.
However, she was the first one to get up, so she grabbed her clothes from the chair, headed to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and stepped into the spray. The hot water pouring dripping over her head helped A.J. relax and think for the plans she made. She knows who Sirius Black is, what he's capable of, and how to achieve it. In her opinion, she thought it a desperate attempt to kill the traitor that sold out Lily and James to Voldemort, even more so he's pretending to be Ron's rat hiding out in the Weasley's house for the past twelve years.
"Just go on as normally as possible, befriend the Golden Trio, make sure no one gets killed, and send the bastard to hell. Simple enough." A.J. avowed.
She turned off the shower, put on her sports bra and underwear, and began getting dressed. She began putting on her Current Elliot Ankle Jet Black Skinny Jeans and her Freeman's Woman's 2 in 1 Sweater top. Exiting the bathroom, A.J. glanced at the time, which read '6:50 am.' Reaching for her black combat boots on her trunk, A.J. began placing her feet and tying the laces. Finished with her task she walked over to her mirror and put on her gypsy jewelry and her cuff earrings. Her reflection stared at her with her lip ring, nose stud, and tattoos on her hands.
"I am calm. I am brave. I am peaceful. I am not afraid of anything. I am a strong, powerful woman. I can face anything I come across. I do not bend backwards for anyone. I am a person who says what she thinks and regrets it later. I am fearless. I am courageous. I have the power to fight for what's right. I am not scared." A.J. asserted herself to the mirror quietly. Some of her classmates were still asleep, so she put on her Gryffindor school robe, grabbed her bag, and headed downstairs to the common room. A.J. had no intention of waiting in a chair until breakfast so she walked out the door and began looking around.
Professor Snape made his usual rounds until he saw a girl with red hair coming towards the hall. Upon closer inspection, it was the new transfer student from America: A.J. Hernandez. Hesitant of seeing a teenage Lily Evans, he hid behind a pillar to avoid detection. He hid behind the stairs like an idiot, but even then, she still sensed his presence. Snape saw her walking down until suddenly, she stopped…right in front of where he was hiding.
"When you hide like that, it means you're terrified of something…or someone. So why don't you come out and face me like a man?" A.J. said. Professor Snape emerged from his hiding spot and turned to look.
"Miss Hernandez, what are you doing?"
"I decided to wander around the school until it was time for breakfast. Why?"
"Usually, students wait in their common rooms until the doors open."
"I'm not someone who can wait in a room. Trying to gain a sense of where I am is a lot more fun for me." She replied. Snape nodded his head as acceptance to this answer, but she wasn't finished. "So…why were you hiding? Did I do something wrong?" She questioned him.
"How did -"
"I grew up in a place where magic is a normalcy in New Orleans. It's basically a requirement to sense when someone is following or watching you." A.J. states. He nods his head, but her gaze remained unwavering. "I ask again: why were you hiding from me?"
"I - I didn't -"
"Don't lie to me. You are a horrible liar." A.J. said. "You were hiding from me because I look like Lily, am I right?" She countered. Professor Snape's mouth was open and stuttering; completely speechless to reply back. However, he nodded his head since he couldn't speak.
"Does it bother you that I look like her or is it something else?"
"A little bit of both."
"I'm sorry the appearance of her makes you feel sad."
"It's perfectly alright, Lily." He jolted back in shock and embarrassment. "I - uhh…I mean…" He began to apologize, but A.J. held up a hand to stop him.
"I don't mind if you call me that. That is what my name means." She said. "But be wary when you say that; some people might not take it very well." She gave a smile and headed back where she came from.
A.J. headed back down to the doors of the Great Hall waiting to eat breakfast. The doors swung open and she headed inside towards the Gryffindor table to eat. She sat on the furthest corner, got her bowl of oatmeal, a plate toast, eggs, fruit, and tea, sat down with her book and began eating. A few minutes later, the Great Hall is filled with students from all houses eating breakfast and talking to their friends about their summer. But the biggest piece of gossip was the new transfer student. The Golden Trio saw A.J. reading at the end of the table, trying to figure out why she was here and if they gather the courage to talk to her. Before Harry could stand, Neville walked over to her about to get her attention. The whole school stopped to see what happens next. The whole school knew that Neville wasn't as brave or good with magic as the other students, was a lot shyer than a lot of the students but seeing him go over to her was incredible in itself. A.J. was minding her own business when a throat cleared. She looked up and saw the first person she befriended.
"Morning, Neville."
"Good morning, A.J." He greeted. She knew he was nervous but kept smiling at him. "Is it...um - ah-alright to sit with you?" A.J. gave a chuckle.
"Out of everyone, you are the only person who isn't afraid to meet new people. Of course you can sit with me." A.J. replied happily. He gave a smile and put his plate down right across from her. All of Hogwarts saw them both talk and laugh like they have known each other for years.
"Wow."
"Bloody hell."
"Incredible." Harry, Ron, and Hermione stare in awe at Neville's courage to do something like this.
"Why don't we go talk to her?" Hermione insisted. "You said that she was nice last night when she came back into the common room."
"Yeah, but we wouldn't know what to say. She sensed us watching her last night, so it's kind of intimidating just to go up to her and say hello." Ron interjected. As nice as he is, Ron gets a little nervous around people he has never seen before.
"How do you know she's intimidating when you don't know what kind of person she is?" Hermione hinted at the two idiots she calls her 'best friends.' Professor McGonagall began passing out the timetables for her Gryffindor cubs ready to begin the day. By the time she reached where Neville and A.J. was she gave a small smile and handed them their schedules for the rest of the year.
"What classes do you have for today?" Neville politely questioned. She took a look at her schedule and saw the class she had for today.
"Umm...I have Charms first." A.J. confirmed. "What about you? Whatcha got for this morning?"
"The same."
"That's great to hear!" A.J. exclaimed. "Now I don't have to wander around like an idiot trying to find the right class."
"And the other classes?"
"I've got Transfiguration, Art and two Free Periods until Orchestra." Neville stared back.
"Orchestra?" He questioned.
"I play the violin. Something about its sound calms me." Neville noticed her rubbing her wrists a lot when she talks about her personal interests.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm not sure yet." A.J. truthfully said to her only friend. "But right now, I don't want to talk about that. What about the rest of your classes?"
"I've got Herbology, Transfiguration, and History of Magic; then a Free Period until Dinner." She looked disappointed, but covered it up.
"Don't worry about it." She said. "I'm sure that we have some other classes together throughout the year. It'll be fine." Her statement assured Neville that they both would have some classes together for the remainder of the year. The bell rung and students gathered their bags heading off to their respective classes. The Golden Trio followed Neville since they all have Charms for this morning.
"Good morning class!" A tiny goblin, Professor Flitwick, greeted his third year students.
"Good morning Professor." The class echoed back.
"Today we will be learning about one of the third year charms you will be learning: The Cheering Charm. Now, can anyone tell me what is the Cheering Charm?" Only two hands rose straight up. Hermione Granger and A.J. Hernandez.
"Ahh…Miss Granger?"
"The Cheering Charm is a spell in which a person happy. However, if the spell is overdone, it can cause bouts of hysterical laughter towards the person cast upon."
"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor." He said. Ron and Harry were happy they got their house some points in the beginning of the school year.
"The Cheering Charm is a harmless charm when done correctly, but its effects can leave you smiling for a few hours. We will study the theory of it and then practice the incantation. Now, please open your textbooks to page 76." As the entire class did, only silence was left when Professor Flitwick explained the theory of the charm. A.J. copied down the notes for the lesson while thinking about the Golden Trio two seats down. Thirty minutes has passed where all the students felt they understood the concept of the incantation, he let them do nothing for the remaining fifteen minutes. The bell had rung signaling students to go to their next class. Walking out the door, she headed into the hall.
"You're that new girl, A.J. Hernandez, right?" A voice spoke behind her. She turned around and stared at the blonde haired guy wearing Slytherin robes.
"Yeah. And you are…"
"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." A.J. stared him down, unimpressed by this cocky, egotistical Slytherin student.
"Hi." She politely responded. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Not really, but wanted to let you know that you shouldn't be hanging out with people like Potter or Longbottom. I can help you in that." He held out his hand, but A.J. didn't take it.
"The only help I need is locating where my Transfiguration class is otherwise I am going to be late." A.J. snarked back a response. Malfoy grew pale at the thought of Professor McGonagall.
"Actually, that was my next class, so I'd be happy to show you where to go." He offered his arm, but she shook her head.
"Just show me where it is, please." Down the hall and third door to the right, A.J. and Malfoy reached the Transfiguration class early.
"Thanks for the help." Malfoy watched her walk away from him, trying to find a seat. She sat down with a girl from Hufflepuff, Susan Bones. The Golden Trio, along with the rest of the class, saw her interacting with Draco Malfoy.
"Still think she can be trusted?" Ron said.
"Yes." Hermione snapped back. They didn't say anything back because they witnessed first hand how scary Hermione can be. Before Harry could say something, Professor McGonagall came in, ready to begin the lesson. Even though she talked about the theory of Animagi and turning into one, someone – whose name escapes her – from Slytherin, asks how someone can turn into an Animagus; that's where things got interesting.
"Turning into an Animagus is a difficult process and very few people actually succeed. But, the animal you turn into is based on your personality traits, or the Corporeal Patronus."
"What do you mean by 'corporeal Patronus' Professor?" Hermione asked.
"The Patronus charm is a very powerful spell, beyond the approved level for wizards and witches. The Patronus is a burst of white light where it can transform into one of two things: either a non-corporeal Patronus, which is a silver mist shield or a corporeal Patronus, which takes the shape of an animal. However, this is a very advanced, powerful spell to accomplish and many people can never cast a Patronus charm in their entire lives."
"What animal can it take the shape of?" Harry asked.
"Based on your personality traits, it takes the form of whatever animal it reflect on that." McGonagall said. "Like I said, it is a very complicated spell, one you will probably learn in fifth or sixth year. Mostly used for protection against Dementors." She concluded. No one spoke. The new information rattled around their brains, curious for more. "Now, let us continue with the lesson of Animagi." From there, McGonagall explained how someone could find out their animal form by looking in a specific mirror and seeing their animal. Another way was putting a Mandrake leaf on the roof of their mouth and holding it there for a month, letting it dissolve and turn soft (thereby leaving behind a horrible aftertaste). As fast as it began, Transfiguration class ended with a two-foot essay about the theory of Animagi is, finding out your animal, and understanding the significance of it.
"You're A.J., right?" Susan spoke. A.J. nodded her head and gave a smile.
"It's nice to meet you."
"Same."
"What class do you have next?"
"Umm…Art."
"Perfect! So do I." A.J. and Susan left, side-by-side, heading to art class. Making new friends kept her calm and collected. Since it was a fun class, everyone decided to use this time (since the Professor doesn't start until tomorrow) as a free period to get to know people. Susan and A.J. talked about everything; family, friends, embarrassing moments, school, what their homes like, favorite foods, etc. She never had a friend that doesn't treat her differently. Back home, A.J. thought of all the people that befriended her only for her money, the fact she was famous, and the free stuff that came with it, so it was a pretty lonely childhood. Here, in Hogwarts, no one knew she was rich and powerful. For the first time, A.J. was a normal person; something that was taken away from her all too soon.
"So, do you have any classes right after Lunch?" Susan coaxed.
"Let me check." A.J. pulled her timetable to see if there was anything. "Nope. I have a Free Period before and after Study Hall, and then I have Orchestra and at midnight, I have Astronomy." Susan gave a smile.
"And you? What's your schedule?" Susan pulled out her timetable and checked.
"I've got…the same as you!"
"That's great! We can finish talking about how you stuck your head in a door, your hair getting caught on the doorknocker, and cutting off almost all your hair to escape." A.J. laughed. Soon enough, the bell rang, signaling for Lunch, so they headed down towards the Great Hall when she heard a giggle. A.J. turned around and saw that same redheaded girl and the black haired boy with a crooked nose talking near the window.
"A.J.!"
"Huh? What?"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm not sure. Something weird is happening and I don't know what."
"Is it harmful?"
"No, just memories."
"Of what?"
"A life I could have had." Susan pitied A.J. She comes from a different country, has no family, and is completely alone in the world. Susan felt guilty about mentioning her family.
"Hey," Susan looked up. "It hurts that my parents are gone, but I have a family that loves me. Don't feel sorry. I was alright before and I'm still alright now." A.J. reassured her new friend. Susan grinned towards her new friend's attitude on her life. Grabbing her arm, they walked together to the Great Hall as friends. Lunch passed as well as her Free Periods, Study Hall, and Orchestra, things flashed in a blur. After dinner and going back to the Common Room to get ready for Astronomy, A.J. can't help but think of that little girl and boy she saw.
"Probably nothing important." She thought to herself. "But those kids, they seem familiar…I just do not know from where." The more she thought about it, the more curious to solve the puzzle. The grandfather clock chimed midnight, so she grabbed her stuff and headed towards the Astronomy Tower with some Gryffindors to learn about the stars. Seeing constellations in the sky, Professor Sinistra dismissed the students back to their Houses. A.J. climbed up the stairs to the girls' dorm, changed into her pajamas, brush her teeth, and fell into a deepless sleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Disclaimer: I do not - in any way, shape, or form - own the Harry Potter universe, characters, movies, books, etc. The only thing I do claim is my OC, A.J. Hernandez and part of the plot from my imagination. First of all, I would like to say I am sorry for publishing so late. Between work, finding out Republicans won the election, and paying off my school debts (as well as graduating), I've sort of hit a writer's block when coming up with this chapter. Now that I'm back, my block is over and gone so I can continue on with my story...Thank God! Don't worry, I am still continuing with this Fanfic story and have no intention of putting this on hiatus.
Second, this entire chapter was edited by me (and a helpful grammar computer program...i think), so if you see any errors - again - I apologize in advance and I finished this on Saturday somewhere around 3am, which is no wonder I was tired therby making my OC tired.
Also, I would like to thank you guys for liking this story so much and waiting for the next chapter! 12 favorites and 19 followers is an amazing dream come true! I'd like to thank:
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I'm already in the process of starting my next chapter, so stay turned and review and comment on my story; see what you like and dislike, advice, ideas from the books/movies, etc. because I'd really appreciate your feedback :D Thanks for reading everyone :D -A.