Chapter 7: A Hat? Really?!
"First years! This way. First years. Oi! Leave your trunks there, you lot…" Hagrid started. "I swears… every year," he mumbled to himself.
"Go on with Hagrid now, Anna. I'll see you at the feast. Enjoy the ride up to Hogwarts. It is definitely worth it," Elsa said giving her sister a sweet smile.
Anna still gave Elsa a tight hug really quick. "I'll see you then," she said a little sadly. She felt it was a little too soon to part from her sister after what happened with the dementors.
"Hello, Hagrid. I'm Anna Evergreen," she said with a smile to the giant of a man.
"I saw ye talking to yer sister. Don't you worry none, you'll be seeing her again soon enough. If even half of the things she said about you are anything to go by, there'll be no way she won't be seeing ye whenever she can," he said to Anna with a wink.
Anna gave a giggle and smiled brighter to that. There was something about Hagrid she already liked as she stood to wait with the other first years.
"You're the Ravenclaw Princess' sister?" a boy with blonde hair and light skin asked.
"Yep. I asked her all I could about Hogwarts. She didn't say anything about the sorting though," Anna said.
The boy laughed to that. "My sister didn't either. I'm Abram Abbot, by the way. My sister, Hannah, is in the same year as your sister. They usually sit together in Potions," he said with a smile.
"I'm Anna. Nice to meet you, Abram. What house do you think you'll end up in?" Anna asked.
"Not sure. Hannah says I'm probably a sure shot for Hufflepuff though. I guess that will be nice. I just hope she won't go and be all… big sister on me the whole time. What about you?" he asked.
"I'd like Ravenclaw, like my sister, but she says I'll probably be in either Hufflepuff or Gryffindor," Anna replied.
"Ugh… Gryffindor," a haughty looking girl with dark brown hair scoffed in a very audible way.
Anna looked her over and gave a nod. "You probably want Slytherin," she said to the girl who rudely interrupted them.
The girl blinked to her. "How did you know?" she asked.
"Why else would you be that way about Gryffindor," Anna said. "Slytherins are probably just as predictable as they claim Gryffindors are."
"We are not!" the girl replied heatedly as she walked away. She hadn't even told them her name.
A different girl giggled to the scene. This girl had light brown, almost blonde, hair. She gave a smile. "Sorry… I just overheard you two and couldn't help but laugh. It is kind of true. My name is Mary-Elizabeth," she said.
"Anna," the princess replied smiling to her. This girl at least knew to apologize and gave her name.
"I like your hair, Anna. Especially the blonde streak. It looks like your sister's. I saw you two talking a moment ago," Mary-Elizabeth said.
"Thanks. Yours is nice too. I like how you have it styled," Anna said.
"Thanks," the girl grinned.
"Alright. That'll be everyone. Follow me. We're going this way," Hagrid said as he led the group of eager first years. They seemed to have at least momentarily forgotten the horrible train experience.
[-] [-] [-]
After the eventful train ride, the group broke up. Ron and the twins went into a carriage with Ginny. The twins saw Ron doing this and were about to tease him for having a little sister complex. Ron looked to them and hinted what Ginny experienced on the train, they instead followed. Gone were the pranksters at the moment and in their place were Fred and George Weasley, Ginny's older brothers.
Elsa stopped dead in her tracks while approaching a carriage with the others. She had to blink a couple of times to be sure she what she saw was actually there. She didn't know what to make of the sight before her.
The carriages all students but first years took always seemed to move on their own. Now, Elsa realized that wasn't the case. Before her stood a rather horrifying creature, it looked like a serpent horse or something. The creatures were a deep black and looked rather skeletal. They had bat like wings at their sides. Their eyes were a ghostly pure white. They didn't even have pupils.
The creatures seemed docile enough. The rest of the student body went by them without much fuss. There were a few older students who gave them wary glances, but it seemed they were mostly use to them.
"I see them too. I first saw them around Hagrid's Hut just inside the forest last year," Luna said as she stood next to Elsa. "Thestrals are only aggressive if you're an enemy and deserve it. They're actually really smart and usually willing to help people," Luna said.
Elsa nodded as she walked closer to one. She carefully reached out a hand and touched it. The Thestral she touched seemed to lean into her hand. Despite looking like death, they felt full of life and were comfortably warm. Elsa gave a smile to it. The creature gave her a bow of its head.
Luna came up and swallowed as she reached out her own hand to touch it. She knew what they were, but still felt wary of them. She also smiled when the creature gave her a nod and let her stroke it. They looked ghastly, but they were surprisingly pleasant to the touch.
Hermione, Neville and Harry were looking at Elsa and Luna curiously. Hermione wasn't sure what they were doing. It seemed they were petting something invisible. Neville was a little worried by what it meant. It meant there was something they couldn't see, but Luna and Elsa could. He always figured the carriages were enchanted to move on their own. It seemed he was wrong.
"Looks like the others can't see them," Elsa said quietly to Luna.
Luna nodded. "Only those who have witnessed death can see them. I'm actually surprised you can," she said while looking to Elsa with that typical Luna look.
Elsa seemed to straighten up. Luna felt bad when she saw the Wrackspurts disappear around Elsa. She knew what Wrackspurts were now. She felt them disappearing meant she messed up and upset Elsa. Elsa usually went all calm and controlled like this when she was bothered by something, but it wasn't enough to really get her angry.
"We should get going. We've held the others up long enough," Elsa said. She guessed she shouldn't be surprised to see creatures only those who have witnessed death could. Considering what she did to the Acromantulas… They were probably close enough to count, especially with the number she killed.
"What were you two touching?" Hermione asked.
"Thestrals. Luna was telling me about them," Elsa answered.
"What are they?" Hermione asked the younger blonde.
Luna spent most of the carriage ride answering questions about Thestrals. When Hermione got extra curious and asked how they could see them, Elsa interrupted. "It is best if you don't pry too much on this, Hermione. Only those who have seen death can see them," she said.
Hermione gave a nod in understanding. Elsa gave her a friendly smile and was about to change the subject when suddenly Luna grabbed on to her tight.
"Oh no… I hoped we would be done with them after the train," Hermione said with a frown as she saw what Luna reacted to like that.
All around the edges of Hogwarts' ward line were dementors evenly spaced out. Close to the main gate, there were a few of them close together. Elsa looked to the dementors with that determined look again and once more her eyes glowed.
Luna held Elsa tighter, but realized the effects weren't as bad this time around, even with more of them present. She looked curiously at the creatures. They were acting cautiously around their carriage it seemed. Luna looked to the other carriages and noticed their occupants seemed affected by the beings. It was clear their group was an exception. She looked to Hermione, Harry and Neville in turn. They seemed focused, but also realized the effect wasn't as bad here.
Once they were past the dementors, which was quickly since they were moving in carriages, the effects passed. "Weird…" Neville said.
"Not that weird when you think about it. Obviously, they're here because of Sirius Black," Hermione said out loud in thought.
"I wasn't talking about that," Neville said. Hermione looked to him in question. "I was talking about how the effect wasn't as bad," he said looking to her.
"That is odd," Hermione said with her eyebrows scrunched in thought.
"Maybe it's the chocolate Professor Lupin gave us," Harry answered.
"Maybe it's the fact we're in the carriages?" Luna asked a little carefully as she kept an eye on Elsa's reaction. She blinked when she thought she saw her eyes glowing. "Ravenclaw Princess indeed," she thought once again. It was Luna's way of mentally documenting most things with Elsa that really stood out to her.
"It could be a combination of the two," Elsa said as the carriages came to a stop and students got off rather quickly. It seemed they were all eager to get inside. "One thing is clear though. Dumbledore is probably not at all happy about this," she said.
As they stepped inside, Professor McGonagall actually called to them quickly. "Miss Granger. You will follow me," she said in her usual no-nonsense manner.
The group looked to Hermione. Hermione seemed excited as opposed to upset or confused. "Yes, Professor," she replied. She turned to the others and said, "Save me a spot at our table. This shouldn't be too long. It's probably just about my classes. Nothing to worry about." She quickly trotted after Professor McGonagall.
Luna nodded and smiled as she said quietly to Elsa, "They're pink."
Elsa giggled to that. "It clearly is good news then," she said as she and Luna sat down at the Ravenclaw table near the other girls in Elsa's year. They eagerly waited for the Sorting Ceremony.
[-] [-] [-]
"Wow!" Anna exclaimed with large eyes. She was drinking in the view of Hogwarts from her boat with Mary Elizabeth, Abram Abbot, and another girl who introduced herself as Vanessa Wrightway. They were four to a boat with Hagrid in the middle on his own boat.
"The view really is amazing!" Mary Elizabeth said with a bright smile. Abram was too busy looking for the giant squid like a few other boys. He wasn't properly appreciating the sight of Hogwarts.
"You shouldn't lean over like that. You might fall in," Vanessa said to him.
"Fine…" he said and sat back. He then gasped. "Whoa!"
Anna giggled and said, "To think, you almost missed it."
After the lake trip, their boats came to an underground harbor and docked. It was pretty cool seeing the small hidden away harbor. The lighting made for a really cool effect Anna thought.
"The First years," Hagrid said as he presented them to a stern professor. Anna instantly figured she was Professor McGonagall. Elsa had described her perfectly.
Once they were just outside of the Dining Hall, they could hear all of the chatter on the other side of the doors. Then something incredible happened. "Oh wow! So that's what ghosts look like," Anna said in awe as the ghost made their entrance.
"What are you all doing here?" one ghost asked. He looked intimidating with his bloodied tunic and sword by his side.
"You ask this question every year, Baron. The answer is as always, the same. These are the first years. It's the opening feast," a ghost said next to the baron. He had a ruffled collar and if you looked closely enough you might make out where his neck and head were barely attached.
"These can't be them, Nicholas… I know some of the first years. They aren't here," the baron replied.
"That's because the first years change every year," Nearly Headless Nick said to him.
"Bah. Things also seem to change… Except that old heart. It's annoying," the baron said as he flew through a different wall.
Sir Nick turned and gave the first years a smile as he said, "It is good to see so many new faces. I'm the Gryffindor House Ghost. Perhaps I will see some of you in my old house."
The kids were staring in awe apart from a few who were talking to each other excitedly about the ghosts.
"Well… Until then," Nick said with a slight mischievous smile as he tipped his head to them in parting.
Some screamed in horror. Others exclaimed how cool it was. A couple laughed, because they caught his smile and knew it was a prank. It was both funny and horrifying to Anna.
"Enjoy the feast. Welcome to Hogwarts," Nick said as he too left and the remaining ghosts followed suit. Some of them were laughing at the prank as well.
"Wicked…" Abram said.
Professor McGonagall reappeared and led them into the dining hall. All of them took in the scene before them. Anna did as well.
She quickly noticed a ratty old hat sitting on a stool. She overheard a nearby student sitting with friends say how cool it was to see the sorting hat again.
"A Hat? Really?! That's how they sort us?" Anna asked louder than she meant to speak. There were some chuckles in response to her statement. It was obvious she felt disappointed. Anna almost blushed, but decided to take a leaf out of Elsa's book and remained outwardly calm, even if Elsa was loads better at it then her.
Once the few chuckles died down, there was a clearing of a throat. "A Hat I may be. But not just regular old hat. I have the wisdom of the founders in me," the hat said.
"Ohhhh… A talking hat," Anna said sounding happier at this revelation.
"Chit and chatting is my pastime. But it is for a reason! So, put me on and find your way. For sorting is tricky and much is at play. I'm the best for the job," the hat said. It then paused for a moment and the brim grinned as it concluded, "I don't even need hands."
A number of people laughed. Some groaned. The first years were wishing it was already over and they were sorted.
"When I call you name, step forward and sit on the stool," Professor McGonagall said.
"Abram Abbot," she called.
The boy gulped and muttered about unfortunate family traditions. He sat down and the hat was placed on his head. It was only a few seconds later the hat gleefully called out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
And so, the sorting continued. Anna had even more questions. How did the hat know where to put you? Why did it talk? She did think that was appropriate for the magical world at least.
After a few students, but seemingly ages to the young princess, Professor McGonagall called out, "Anna Evergreen."
Anna took in a deep breath and tried to put on what she thought of as her Perfect Princess Mode, only Elsa got to have a Queen Mode. Anna walked forward and immediately heard people whispering about her last name. It seemed her sister was very well known here.
Anna almost ruined her Perfect Princess Mode by giggling when she heard people referring to her as "Ravenclaw Princess' sister." She found it amusing how despite her sister not wanting to be outed as a princess. She was in fact known to many as The Ravenclaw Princess.
Once she sat down on the stool, the hat was placed on her head. It soon slipped over her eyes like it did so many others.
"Ooo! Another Arendelle Princess! Your family is always fun," the hat said.
"You know?" Anna asked in question.
"There is little I don't know. Not even Occlumency can truly keep me out. But… I only know what the school wants me to know," the hat said.
"Sounds complicated," Anna said.
The hat seemed to chuckle. "My dear Princess Anna. There is little regarding magic that isn't at least somewhat complicated. Now where to put you…" the hat asked.
"Ravenclaw?" Anna asked hopefully. Probably too hopefully.
"Your mind is bright… you do apply yourself to your studies…" the hat thought out loud.
Anna was thinking maybe she could get in Ravenclaw after all.
"But… you do not get the deep and excitable joy when studying like a Ravenclaw," the hat said.
"Dang it…" Anna said with a pout. She then sighed and said, "You better not put me in Slytherin…"
The hat chuckled loudly to that. "Ohhh I won't do that. I know Slytherin wouldn't survive you. Then if it somehow did, there would be your sister as well. No… Hogwarts is supposed to have four houses. Not three and the ruins of one," it said.
"So then Gryffindor?" Anna supplied a little hopefully. That wouldn't be so bad. She could spend time with Harry and get to know all of his and Elsa's friends.
The hat seemed to be in thought on that for a moment. "You do have more than enough courage for Gryffindor… However… your courage comes from something deeper to you. Something more important than bravery for the sake of bravery. Yes. I see it. You are as strong and brave as you are, because of your deep love for you sister and your country," the hat said.
"Then… Put me in Ravenclaw. I'll learn to love studying… maybe," she said to it.
The hat chuckled as it said, "Willing to make such extreme changes just to be by your sister's side? You do indeed belong in HUFFLEPUFF! I'm sure your love and loyalty for each other will go well beyond Houses."
With those parting words, the sorting hat was lifted from Anna's head. She was a little disappointed she wasn't in the same house as Elsa. The hat was right though. No House lines would keep her from her sister. She gave a small smile to Elsa as she made her way to her house table.
Elsa was sitting on the Hufflepuff side of her table this time. She reached out and gave her sister a quick hug. "I'm sure you'll love it, Best Little Sister in the World," she said quietly to Anna.
Anna did feel a lot better hearing Elsa say that. She thanked her sister and sat down at the Hufflepuff table. They seemed to be really excited about having an Evergreen sister joining them. Maybe they were just excited for all new students joining them though. They were happily talking to each of them in turn.
[-] [-] [-]
During the feast Elsa kept looking over to Anna, she was worried for her little sister. It didn't matter the other Hufflepuff first years were already getting along well with her. It didn't matter the newly instated Hufflepuff Prefect, Cedric Diggory, was busy answering their questions and explaining Hogwarts to them. Elsa kept throwing glances over her shoulder.
"You're worrying too much, Elsa. Anna will be more than fine," Luna said from next to the nervous Ravenclaw Princess.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she ends becoming the Hufflepuff Princess. What with the way she seems to be getting along with the rest of the house," Morag said.
She then gave a grin and leaned in a little to stage whisper to the other girls. "Should we warn them?" she asked.
"Warn them about what? What are you planning? You better not get Anna involved!" Elsa said quickly.
The others laughed to her reaction. Elsa actually blushed. She needed to calm down. The feast hadn't even finished yet and she was already thinking there were plots afoot regarding Anna.
Morag turned to the Hufflepuff table and loudly said, "Be careful! You lot have an Evergreen. She'll be collecting a Chocolate Tax."
"A what?" Cedric asked.
Anna was blushing cutely. It was an idea that crossed her mind after Neville mentioned it on the train.
"A Chocolate Tax. Evergreen girls love chocolate. They will get some. No matter what," Morag said.
Elsa was pretending to be extra interested in her plate of food at the moment. She realized she hadn't eaten much of her meal yet. She needed to be sure she ate something before going to bed.
"It's true. The Gryffindors know of it. Elsa is friends with some of them in our year," Mandy added.
"Elsa here's even told us a maid of theirs jokingly calls both sisters Chocolate Goblins," Lisa said.
"That makes so much sense now!" Anna couldn't help but say out loud from her table.
The other Hufflepuffs looked to her as she blushed. They all realized she hadn't denied it and even seemed to agree it was true.
"Still. You lot have an Evergreen now. Best take care of Anna. Even with the Chocolate Tax, they're more than worth it," Morag said.
Luna nodded as she said, "Also. You wouldn't want to get on the Ravenclaw Princess' bad side."
The badgers were taking in the information. They would all agree the 3rd year Ravenclaw girls were probably the Evergreen sister experts.
Hannah scoffed. "Who do you take us for? We're Hufflepuffs. We always stick together. Besides," she started. She looked to Elsa and smiled. "Helping out Anna is the least I can do in thanks to you for Potions," she said.
Elsa gave a smile and nod in answer. Oddly enough, she actually felt better. It was stupid to have worried about Anna like that. "I do appreciate it. I will still always be here for my sister," Elsa said.
Anna was a mix of embarrassed and relieved as she returned to the rest of her meal. She liked knowing she would have people she could count on when needed. She was embarrassed by the chocolate thing. She also wouldn't be surprised if Hufflepuff started stashing it away in secret. That could limit the amount she got for the tax.
Elsa turned to Morag. "While that was hardly necessary. Thanks. It did put me a bit at ease," she said to her friend. The other girl smiled to her and nodded as Elsa went back to eating.
[-] [-] [-]
As the opening feast came to an end, Dumbledore stood up to give the announcements. Most of them were the same as always. He did end with something different though.
"As I am sure you are all aware, we are hosting a contingent of Dementors this year. Minster Fudge wishes to assure you all it is for our safety and they will not enter the grounds under any circumstance. The one exception being if they do so to apprehend Sirius Black, should he come to Hogwarts. I have always been an vocal critic of the Ministry using Dementors, but I still warn you all not to approach them under any circumstance," he said looking over the students in full sincerity.
"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds just outside the ward line. No one is to try and sneak past them. They will not be fooled by any tricks or disguises. Not even invisibility cloaks can escape their notice," Dumbledore said. Elsa could have sworn he looked in Harry's direction at that comment.
"Now that the unfortunate news is out of the way," the Headmaster said as he seemed to lighten up. "I am pleased to announce we have two new professors joining us," he said.
The students gave polite applause. Some were whispering who the second new professor would be. The first was obviously their new DADA professor.
"First, I am saddened to say Professor Kettleburn has retired after many years of service as our Care for Magical Creatures instructor," he said.
A few older students voiced their sadness as well.
"In his place, we have brought on a familiar face to pretty much all students. Rebus Hagrid will now be Professor Hagrid of Care of Magical Creatures, in addition to his other duties," he said.
A lot of people cheered to this as Hagrid stood up and bowed to them. He even got a little teary eyed in happiness before he sat down again.
Elsa was happy for Hagrid, but internally worried for him. "That explains our books," Morag whispered to her. Elsa nodded in agreement. She hoped she was wrong, but she wasn't sure how Hagrid would do as a professor. He was a great friend and very friendly, but he wasn't the most responsible at times. After all, it was a group of first years who dealt with his illegal baby dragon issues…
She still smiled politely and clapped with everyone else. Hagrid was knowledgeable, even if he had some rather… unique… ideas regarding magical creatures. He did know his stuff and did have some extra insight. He could be very good as a Professor, but she was still worried.
"Yes. We are all very excited for Professor Hagrid. Now, our seemingly annual position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor has again been filled," he said as several people, including the professor from the train, chuckled to his joke. "I am happy to welcome Professor Remus Lupin as our newest staff member," he said as Professor Lupin stood and gave a wave and a slight bow.
"Unfortunately, several of you got an early introduction to him on the train due to our… guests. On the Bright side, I am pleased Professor Lupin has already shown more competence than our previous DADA Professor did throughout all of last year," he said.
Most of the students laughed to that. The girls who were still fans of Lockhart by summer kept quiet on the matter. "Now then… Welcome back everyone! To another great year!" he said. A cheer rang throughout the hall. "And I wish you all, a Goodnight!" he said in dismissal.
[-] [-] [-]
Anna was in just as much awe as the rest of her fellow new puffs as they entered the common room right behind Cedric Diggory. He was really informative and helpful. Some of her fellow girls were obviously already crushing on the handsome older boy. He did have a certain heroic charm to his looks.
Anna however, was too busy looking around the place. She loved it already! Hufflepuff had to have the best common room. She was pretty sure. It was a large open room split into two themes.
The first theme covered the part with a lower, but still high, ceiling. It had a romanticized rustic village pub of yore look to it. The kind you see in fantasy movies and shows, and it was warmly lit. There were wooden tables with cushioned wooden chairs and stools. Anna was running a hand along one of them and inspecting it.
"They all have cushioning charms on them additionally to them. We feel you should be fully relaxed and comfy in your house common room. The dorm rooms are really nice too, but you will see them in a bit," Cedric said as the first years listened eagerly.
"Are those working taps?" Anna asked as she seemed to suddenly appear in front of them.
Cedric gave a laugh at her excitement. It seemed the younger Evergreen sister was more outgoing. It would be interesting to get to know Hufflepuff's Evergreen. "They are. Last Call is an hour past curfew. You just think of a glass or cup you want and it appears," he explained to them.
He then demonstrated as a beautifully carved wooden mug appeared in his hand. "Personally, I like to keep with the theme. You then serve yourself. The closest we have to any alcohol is Butter Beer, but a Prefect can cut you off if needed. It isn't too strong, so that rarely is an issue," he said.
"We can drink beer?!" a muggle born boy asked excitedly.
"It isn't like muggle alcohol. It is more like a sarsaparilla or cream soda with just a small amount in it. It also breaks down quickly," Anna said.
"You're right, but I'm surprised you know that," Cedric said.
"I asked Elsa everything I could about Hogwarts after learning I had magic too. She wouldn't tell me about the sorting hat though," Anna said.
"Good to get all of the information you can. Hufflepuffs are about hard work. It seems you will be a good fit here," Cedric said to her to a friendly smile.
He then said to the others, "As Anna said, Butter Beer isn't very strong. It is perfectly legal for almost any aged child to drink it in our world. Though parents usually save it for a treat or just allow you two for a day."
Anna next moved to the other half of the common room. She really loved this half. It was brightly lit and had enchanted skylights mimicking the outside conditions. What Anna really loved were the potted and hanging basket plants everywhere. There was even a beautiful tree with multicolored leaves on it along a wall opposite the grand fireplace. The fireplace was beautiful too. It had magical vines along the outside and a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff centered above the mantle.
"Yes, that's right. We have a portrait of our founder here. Sadly, it is a really old portrait, especially since it is from her younger adult years. Unlike the rest of the castle portraits, she doesn't talk or move. It is like a muggle portrait, but the colors and style make it a lot more lifelike," Cedric explained to Mary Elizabeth who asked about it.
The furniture was nice too. This whole half of the common room gave you the feel of a beautiful relaxing garden in perfect weather. The chairs were of different styles, but all in similar groups and would be right at home in a fancy public garden.
"I'm going to love it. It feels so… warm, inviting... alive!" Anna said with a smile as she carefully touched a plant's leaf and sniffed the flower. She wanted to be sure it was real.
"That's the point," a female prefect said with a warm and friendly smile as she exited a rounded hall way.
She seemed to be Cedric's age with mid length curly brown hair in a braid only accomplished with magic. She had a light complexion with just the right amount of healthy coloring to her cheeks. She also wore light red lipstick and dark purple eyes.
"Well. It is about time for bed. I'm sure you are all tired after such an exciting day. Boys, follow me," Cedric said after giving the other Prefect a smile and nod. She blushed at him and smiled in return.
"All you lovely ladies, follow me. I'll show you to your dorm. You will be staying in it your whole time here at Hogwarts. So, we encourage that you make it feel like home. But you do have to keep it from getting too messy. The House Elves are very good, but very busy. It also only makes sense to keep your living place tidy to an extent. My name is Grace-May Welles. You can either call me May, Grace, or Grace-May," she said as she led the way.
"I think I'll call you Grace-May. It sounds pretty," Anna said.
"Thanks. You're Anna Evergreen, right?" Grace-May asked.
"Yep. You could probably even say I'm the playful sister," Anna said.
"Just realize we have rules," Grace-May said with a giggle.
[-] [-] [-]
Anna now understood what Elsa meant about the dorm rooms. It was slightly larger than her room at home, but this one was shared with six other girls. The beds were smaller too, but a good size and looked comfy. Anna did like bed curtains.
Each girl had her own space in the room. There was a changing area, a vanity, and a desk for them each. There were also a couple of tables in the center of the room. The chairs in here were nice, but they weren't as lovely as the common room chairs. They still looked comfortable. Anna picked her bed and Mary-Elizabeth ended up in one next to her.
Anna next looked into the bathroom and frowned. She was used to a lot more privacy than this. It was better than a very well cleaned and maintained public restroom, but it wasn't like her private bathroom back home. It didn't even have a bath tub.
"But what if I want a bubble bath," Anna thought out loud.
"That would be nice… I guess they went with function over form," Vanessa said. "The showers are roomy at least," she added.
"I guess…" Anna said. She was getting a better grasp at how different being royalty was. Her roommates were impressed with how big the dorm room was. Anna would get used to it eventually. She just wished she was sharing a room with Elsa instead. She really liked that when they were younger.
She frowned to herself.
It was her fault that came to an end when it did. If she hadn't been so foolish and rushed Elsa… Life could have been so much better for them both. They would've separated rooms eventually, but it would have been at a time they both felt appropriate. It wouldn't have suddenly happened over night. Anna woke one morning and was in a completely different room and alone.
"Never again…" Anna thought to herself. She was now a witch too. They were once again able to grow closer without secrets. She would be the best little sister ever and grow into a lovely princess everyone looked up to and depended on. She needed to make up for her past mistakes by being an even better Princess Anna and sister.
Despite such thoughts, Anna cheered up again and smiled brightly. She was here, at Hogwarts. Finally!
"You seem in a really good mood," Mary-Elizabeth said with her own smile.
"Of course, I am. We get to learn magic! I finally get to see Hogwarts. I don't have to spend most of the year away from Elsa. And… I'm getting to meet new people," Anna said.
"Speaking of…" Vanessa started with a mischievous smile. "Who wants to play Truth or Dare?!"
"Sounds fun," Anna said with a smile.
She wondered how Hufflepuff Truth or Dare would go. She knew a little how Ravenclaw Truth or Dare went. Elsa grumbled about Luna being too good at coming up with ideas for Dares and Truths. The now second year Ravenclaw knew how to bend the rules to get what she wanted, even if you said Dare instead of Truth. This did make their games with Luna a lot more interesting though.
"How do we pick who starts?" a girl with short blonde hair in tight ringlets asked.
"I'll write down a number between 1 and a 150. Whoever gets closest starts us off. If no one is withing 25 of the number, I'll go," Vanessa said.
"Seems fair," the blonde girl said.
Anna would get all of their names soon enough. She was just too excited about everything after getting placed in her house. She wasn't really paying attention to evreything. Her year seemed pretty big too. Cedric hadn't been surprised by that and briefly mentioned the last war.
Each girl wrote down a number after Vanessa finished her own.
"Alright… the winner and first to start us off is… Anna with 67," Vanessa said.
"Let's see…" Anna said in thought. She called out, "Vanessa."
"Dang… should have said I can't be the first one called," Vanessa said as the girls giggle.
"Too late now," Anna said in a singsong voice. "Truth or Dare?"
Vanessa was in thought for a moment. "Dare," she said giving a confident smile.
"I dare you to turn your hair bright purple!" Anna said.
"What?!" Vanessa asked in horror.
"Relax it is only for tonight. The spell is in this book," Anna said. She then handed over a book called 101 Simple Magical Joke and Tricks. There was a disclaimer inside which guaranteed they worked and didn't have long lasting effects… mostly.
"Okay…" Vanessa said as she looked it over.
"If you need me to cast it, I can," Anna volunteered.
"I'm Hufflepuff now. I will get it down. It isn't too hard," she said. She then nodded and gulped. "Pip Pippy Poppy Purple!" she said. As soon as she finished the last word, her hair turned bright purple. She was horrified as she looked into her vanity mirror.
"This is going to be so fun!" a different girl said cheerfully.
"Don't worry Vanessa. It will be back to normal tomorrow," Anna said with a giggle.
Vanessa gave a sigh. "That's Truth or Dare," she said.
She then brightened up and grinned. "Alright… Cathy," she called.
Cathy was a girl with fair skin and golden hair in cute braids. She gave a gulp. "Alright… Ummmm… Truth!" she called.
Vanessa grinned at her. "Have you ever walked in on your older brother?" she asked while waggling her eyebrows.
Cathy looked horrified. The other girls looked very curious. Anna was trying to figure out how pervy it was. Vanessa wasn't specific enough. Did she mean in the shower? While he was looking at a naughty magazine? With a girl? Something more personal? Maybe while he was getting "The Talk".
"Ooooo that would be embarrassing!" Anna thought to herself about the last idea and hid a giggle.
Whatever the case, it seemed obvious the first year Hufflepuff girls would get to know each very well tonight… Maybe a little too well.
A/N: This was mostly an Anna chapter. I wanted to show her experience of starting Hogwarts. I also wanted to take it as a chance to showcase Hufflepuff House in this story. I will again point out Anna won't be taking over the story. She will get some POVs and such. She may later take on a bigger side character roll, but she won't be at the level of Elsa and Harry, or the others.
It should be obvious, but I will have to use mostly OCs when it comes to students in Anna's year. I am not really a fan of using OCs, but there wasn't a choice here. It may be hard to believe, but Elsa's roommates are all characters from the wiki, even if they have very little characterization apart from Padma. And Padma doesn't exactly have much in the first place. In fact, few characters do outside of the main professors and the golden trio.
Pretty early on I decided to have Anna come to Hogwarts in third year. I felt it would be too harsh on Elsa if Anna didn't recover her memories. I also quickly decided to put her in Hufflepuff. I don't see Hufflepuff as a bad house, and neither does Elsa if you can remember that far back in this series.