VII. WACKADOODLE'S SCHOOL FOR GIFTED YOUNGSTERS
Lying about needing to check on my brother, I escaped Neville and Hermione after a while of searching the train for Trevor the toad. I was in full uniform, robes and all. Hermione even forcibly did up my tie for me. I kept my thick, wild dark red hair down to cover my scar, dodging the odd student on my way back to my compartment to kick the hell out of my brother and our possible new friend.
I loosened my tie, pulling at it with a grimace.
Better me than them, they probably thought-when I get my hands on those little traitors, they'll be praying for Hermione Granger to drag THEM off-!
Okay, look; Hermione seems alright, and we have our love of reading in common-and how fascinating we find everything to do with magic seeing as we both grew up in the Muggle world, but she's really pushy and bossy.
She's one of those in-your-face know-it-alls.
I, on the other hand, procrastinate and slack off and lower the bar to a comfortable and unassuming level-which, thinking about it, is probably why everyone's always so surprised when I do something smart.
"Bloody...some twin...ginger prat...when I get my hands on those-shit!"
I hit the floor with a thump and a shriek.
The idiot that ran headlong into me cursed.
"What the hell-!"
"Would you just-"
"Get the hell off-"
"I'm trying, just quit-"
I let out a loud embarrassing squeak when, tangled up with my attacker, we rolled head over with a second thump.
"Get your arm out of my face!"
"You get your face out of my arm!"
"That doesn't even make sense-"
"Your face doesn't even make sense-"
"Just-watch it-"
"You watch it! You knocked me over, dingbat-!"
"...Wait-"
We rolled again, my back smacking against the floor and the boy landing on top of me.
Finally, we got a good look at each other.
"You!"
The boy from Madam Malkin's and I locked glares.
"What the hell is your problem?" I snapped.
"Me?" he shot back. "Trust me, if anyone has a problem here, it's you."
"You knocked me over!"
"You stood in my way!"
"I was just walking down the corridor, you stuck-up dingbat!"
"Don't call me that!"
"I'll call you whatever the hell I want to call you-and would you get the hell off of me-"
"With pleasure," he spat as he moved, sitting up, and I awkwardly pushed myself up onto my elbows. "I don't need Mudblood dirtying up my new robes."
A few feet away, two mean-looking thickset boys suddenly sniggered.
The boy to the right had a thick neck, a flat nose, and a pudding bowl-style haircut while the one to the left had small dull eyes, broad shoulders, large feet, and short bristly hair that sat low on his forehead. They were slow-witted, I could tell with a glance, and, apparently, the blonde boy's followers. Damn, we haven't even reached the castle yet-say what you want, but the dingbat works fast.
"And I don't need stuck-up prat stinkin' up mine," I flung back smartly.
Blondie sneered at me as he climbed back up to his feet, purposely standing over me-probably to seem more intimidating than he actually was.
The larger boys behind him shut up.
"I'd watch it if I were you-"
"Why?" I laughed sarcastically, sitting up and brushing my hair back out of my face, "are you gonna dob me into your daddy, Blondie? Ooh, I'm shaking."
The boy scowled, a pink flush rising to his face.
"You don't know who you're messing with, Mudblood-"
"And, evidently, neither do you," I interjected wryly.
"What's that supposed to-" he stopped short, staring fixedly at my neck.
Realising in a flash that my very distinctive crescent-shaped scar was in full view, I stifled the urge to groan out loud.
Scarves and stetsons. We need scarves and stetsons. Just, a whole wardrobe of them. I'll have Dakota organise them by colour.
"...what is that?"
"I was attacked by a demonically possessed croissant as a child and it bit me in the neck," I deadpanned. "What does it look like, dingbat?"
Blondie looked behind him, in the direction of my compartment, and I realised with a jolt that he and his bodyguards had just come from there.
He went to check out me and Harry because people all down the train were going on about us, I suddenly knew, but he only found Harry and Ron.
A green rubber band was forcefully snapped.
"You're Jewel Potter? You?" he demanded, his face twisted in disbelief.
"Okay, maybe dial back the scepticism a bit, buddy-" I bristled.
"You and Potter don't even look anything alike," he stated.
"We're fraternal twins," I said defensively. "And, I'll have you know, we have the same eyes-kind of-I mean, his are really bright, and mine are more of an emerald or a jade green-but they're basically the same-"
The boy stared at me.
Then, to my taken aback, he hesitated before offering me a hand.
I looked at it blankly.
"Is this the part where I take your hand and you push me back over?" I snorted derisively.
"I'm trying to help you up, Jewel," he said, biting back his annoyance. "Would you just-?"
I blinked at his use of my first name.
Somehow, him pulling on the brakes and changing his tune just because I'm 'the famous Girl Who Lived' just ticked me off even more.
Narrowing my eyes, I ignored him and stubbornly got up myself.
Blondie rolled his eyes hugely.
"Jewel Potter," he said.
I dropped my hands onto my hips.
"Yeah-so?"
Eyeing me critically, he stretched his hand back out against his better judgement.
"This is Crabbe and Goyle, and I'm Draco Malfoy," he introduced.
Once again, I just looked at him blankly.
"Yeah-so?"
Malfoy scowled and retracted his hand.
"I'm guessing you're sitting with your brother and that blood traitor, Weasley?" he sneered.
"First off, Malfoy, his name's Ron-" I retorted through my teeth, "and-blood traitor? Seriously? Is that a thing? I mean, wow, that sets a whole new bar for dumbest insults I've ever heard, and that's saying something. Then again, I really should've expected that, coming from a dingbat of your calibre."
Malfoy's pale eyes hardened slightly.
While obviously irritated, I think he kind of expected a response like that but figured he might as well take a stab at it anyway.
Made me wonder how Harry reacted.
-and why it ended with Malfoy and his bodyguards sprinting out of our compartment and headfirst down the corridor.
"You're just as stupid as your brother, getting mixed-up with Weasley and his sort-"
"As opposed to who? People like you?" I scoffed, "God, you have to be the biggest cliché I've ever met-swaggering about with your slicked-back hair and acting like you're so much better than everyone else just because your daddy has money and influence-"
"I don't act like I'm better than everybody else," he stated, "I know I am."
"See!" I pointed at him exasperatingly, "That's exactly what I-"
Taking a deep breath, I roughly ran my fingers through my hair.
"You know what, screw this-" I spat, "I'm going to go hang out with my brother and Ron-who, while being traitors, don't act like stuck-up dicks one second only to try to save face when they realise the person they're being a complete jackass to might actually matter. Nice running into you, though."
With a big fake smile, I pushed past Malfoy and stalked away.
"Excuse me? You-"
"Nice chatting with you, as always, Blondie!" I hollered, shooting him an exaggerated wink over my shoulder before vanishing down the hall and into my compartment(subconsciously using my unconventional 'Harry radar'/subtly tingling scar to make sure I didn't accidentally storm past in my anger).
"-been knocked out-No-I don't believe it-he's gone back to sleep-"
I slammed the door shut harder than necessary.
Harry and Ron jumped.
"What the hell was Blondie Mcinsultspeople doing in our compartment?" I snapped as I turned to my startled-looking twin, lips pursing and hands on my hips, "and why does it look like you and Ron had a candy food fight in here?"
"Do you mean Malfoy?" Ron said disbelievingly as he held an unconscious Scabbers up by his tail.
-if I wasn't so aggravated, I'd probably have more questions about that.
"How did you-?"
"That stuck-up prat-" I huffed, briefly looking over my shoulder to scowl at the door, "sprinted straight into me and knocked me over down the hall. I took a wild guess. We had a lovely little chat, too, all about how stupid we are for befriending Ron and how he's so much better than everyone else, blah, blah-so?"
Harry quickly explained what had happened-how Malfoy came in here, was his usual pleasant self, then Scabbers bit Goyle and they ran off screaming like little girls.
That mental picture was especially appreciated.
I was just leaning against the compartment door, slightly calmer after Harry's explanation but still smarting over stupid Malfoy's stupid face-
When it suddenly opened.
I jerked forward in surprise.
"Oh, Jewel!" Hermione exclaimed, and I fought back a wince, "I was wondering where you'd gotten to-" She paused, blinking at the colourfully packaged sweets all over the seats and floor. "What has been going on?"
"You've met Malfoy before?" Ron asked me and Harry, ignoring her.
We shared a look before glossing over our run-in with the blonde at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Diagon Alley.
"I've heard of his family," Ron told us darkly when we were done. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."
It took everything in me to not start dramatically humming The Imperial March/Darth Vader's theme.
"Of course Malfoy's family followed Voldemort," I muttered derisively under my breath, rolling my eyes.
Ron looked at Hermione.
"Can we help you with something?"
"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on," she said in reply, "I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," Ron defended, scowling. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"
"Alright-I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly," Hermione sniffed, "racing up and down the corridors. And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"
Ron glared at her until she was gone.
Eyeing the smudge on his nose, I sniggered quietly.
"Uh-Jewel-"
Harry and Ron were staring at me pointedly.
"Do you want me to turn around?" I said blankly.
Ron's ears went red.
"A little privacy, yeah?" he said.
"But I just got here," I moaned, "and Malfoy's a git-and my tie's too tight and I hate it-and this is my compartment-and you're both traitor pricks-"
"Jewel, please?" Harry pleaded.
"Oh, for god's sake-fine, I'll wait in the hall," I huffed, "big babies."
Swiping a cauldron cake and my abandoned potions book, I stepped out into the hall and shut the door.
Inside, the blinds were swiftly yanked down.
Rolling my eyes, I sat down on the floor and, leaning against the door of my compartment, settled back to read.
I tried to focus on the page in front of me, but I was too angry.
It's just-I've met a lot of Draco Malfoy's; people that do whatever they want, and treat people like dirt, just because their parents have money and powerful connections.
I'll never let someone like him treat me like that ever again, I decided in that moment, jaw tensing.
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time," a voice suddenly announced through the train speakers, snapping me out of my swirling thoughts. "Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
After a couple of minutes, the compartment door slid back open.
"You can come back in now, Jewel," Harry said, watching me carefully. "You okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," I sighed, smiling wryly as I shut my book.
"Are you sure?" he said uncertainly. "You were pretty upset before."
"Malfoy just-rubs me the wrong way," I admitted darkly.
"It's not just you," Harry muttered.
I grinned slightly.
"Come on," he said, holding out a hand.
And, unlike with Malfoy, I took it without hesitation.
꧖ꦿꦸ⊰ ⊱꧖ꦿꦸ
"Maaaybe we should stay put a while?" I suggested as we peered out of our compartment door at the students stampeding by.
Harry and Ron rolled their eyes at me and, acting in tandem, took either one of my arms and dragged me into the fray.
"Oi! Would you gits just-Argh, you guys suck-" I groaned, not appreciating being manhandled into having my personal bubble invaded. "When I get flattened to death," I added melodramatically, dragging my feet, "I swear to the Great Goddess of Jelly Babies I'm comin' back to haunt your sorry asses!"
Ron looked at me weirdly.
"Are you always so-?"
"Mental? Dramatic? Take it up with that one."
I nodded at Harry who just shrugged when Ron looked at him.
"Thanks," I said dryly.
We hopped off the train onto Hogsmeade station.
Luckily, we weren't flattened to death.
Unluckily, we had no clue where the hell we were supposed to go.
"Maybe we should just start shouting Marco and see what happens?" I mused jokingly.
"Let's-not do that," Harry said.
Suddenly, a familiar voice boomed over the noise.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"
Looking around I grinned, mood doing a 1-80, spotting the towering, bearded gamekeeper illuminated by a bobbing lamp.
"Hagrid!" I exclaimed brightly.
Hagrid beamed over the heads of the eleven-year-olds flocking to him.
"Alright there, Jewel? Harry?"
I yanked my arm free from Ron's slackened grip to wave like a lunatic.
Hagrid laughed and wove back.
"C'mon, follow me-any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Grabbing Harry and Ron this time, I dragged them over to the crowd, hurrying to follow Hagrid as excitement replaced my previous anger and gloominess.
Hagrid led us down a dark narrow path.
Several people, myself included, slid and slipped on the muddy path.
I held onto Harry to stay upright, much to the green-eyed git's amusement.
Maybe I'm not the only evil twin in this relationship.
I could hear sniffling-Neville, I was almost certain. We didn't find Trevor and I felt bad for him. We talked during the time I helped them search(Hermione was so busy rambling that she didn't notice we were carrying on our own conversation)and, unlike another Pureblooded blonde wizard I know, he was really sweet(he even said it was okay when I asked if he minded if I bailed). He also has a concerning lack of self-confidence. He wasn't even sure he was 'magic enough' to be accepted into Hogwarts until he got his letter. The first time he showed any magical potential was when his Great-Uncle Algie accidentally dropped him by the ankles out a window and he magically bounced to safety. It was one of many attempts to make him show signs of magic. The same uncle even pushed him off the edge of Blackpool pier. He almost drowned. I really hope he finds Trevor. Toads might not be 'fashionable', but he really cares about the slippery little bugger.
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here."
As the dark path widened to reveal the edge of a lake-Black Lake, alternatively known as 'the Great Lake'(it was mentioned in Hogwarts: A History and-and I'll stop now), there was a chorus of 'Oooooh!'s.
After shoving an eleven-year-old or two so I could see properly(it's not like I'm short or anything, I've got a good inch on Harry, but all the tall people decided to converge and stand directly in front of me), I looked up in awe at Hogwarts castle.
The large stone structure with tall towers and turret's stood proud across the lake, its windows lit up against the night sky-probably by candles or torches(Hogwarts is seeped in magic which makes technology glitch out so the castle doesn't have any electricity-which will be a huge adjustment, especially with my dependency on my walkman, but as long as they have a well-stocked library, and good food, I'll live).
It was like I'd stepped into a medieval painting or a fairytale book(I was strongly reminded of that scene from Mary Poppins when they jump into that chalk drawing on the pavement and it comes to life around them).
As a huge fiction/fantasy geek, it was everything.
On the lake, wooden rowboats waited to take us across.
"No more'n four to a boat!"
Hearing that, I grabbed back onto Harry's arm.
"Once again, I pitch the idea of swimming."
"You can't swim all the way to the castle, Jewel-"
I cocked an eyebrow like 'you wanna bet?' and he switched gears.
"It'll be fine," he promised, pulling me after Ron.
"I'm gonna haunt you prats so hard-" I groaned, reluctantly stepping into the boat.
Not giving Harry or Ron a chance to argue, Hermione just kind of hopped into our boat and quickly took the seat next to me.
"If I die," I said, looking at her seriously, "give 'em hell for me, will you?"
Hermione blinked, no doubt wondering what on earth she'd wandered into.
Ron rolled his eyes hugely.
"It's just a rowboat, Jewel. I don't see the big deal."
"But they're not even stable!" I complained, throwing up my arms.
"What, are you scared?" Ron asked, grinning.
"Shut it, Freckles-" I stuck out my tongue, face pink, "I'm not scared-I just think they're boring-at least capsizing them is fun-"
(I may or may not have had a foster parent who liked to take the kids in their care fishing...let's just say me, a rowboat, and my short attention span/restlessness and how easily bored I get = a fantastic recipe for disaster-).
"Wait, capsizing is what-?"
Ron's amusement instantly fled.
He looked at Harry, slightly alarmed.
"She's not going to capsize the boat, is she?"
"Uh, probably not."
"Probably?"
"I mean, I don't think she will."
"You don't think-?!"
"She didn't last time?" Harry offered unsurely.
Ron did not look reassured.
When he glanced back at me uneasily, I had a bright impish grin on my face, suddenly perfectly comfortable exactly where I was.
"Everyone in?" Hagrid shouted.
To no surprise, he had a boat all to himself.
I stretched my legs out across Ron and leant back on my palms, smirking at his look of disbelief.
I liked him a lot more, I decided, when he didn't shove my legs off.
"Right then-FORWARDS!"
All at once, the boats pushed off on their own and glided towards the glittering castle.
Everyone was unnaturally silent-we're eleven, most of us are rowdy by nature-as we approached the cliff on which the castle stood.
"Heads down!" Hagrid suddenly called out as the first of the boats reached the base of the cliff and slid through a curtain of ivy.
When it was our turn, Hermione grabbed onto me, urging me to duck down as our boat passed through the ivy and carried us into a darkened passage that, from the looks of it, ran beneath the castle.
I mean, the front door works too, but whatever.
Wizard madness.
We soon reached a harbour where our non-capsized boat safely docked(I swear I saw Ron let out a silent breath of relief).
"Oh, we're alive-that's cool, I guess," I remarked as I stepped onto the pebble-filled dock.
"You guess?" Ron repeated.
I bounced impatiently as I waited for everyone to get their asses into gear so we could go be Sorted into our houses-and then, food. I didn't read anything about the Sorting Ceremony in Hogwarts: A History so my best guess on how they're going to do it was pulling names from a hat which I can't see happening.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?"
Looking over quickly, I perked up.
Hagrid, who had been inspecting the boats to make sure nobody left anything behind, picked up a toad and held it out to Neville(whose boat just happened to be beside ours).
Neville looked blissful.
"Trevor!"
I looked at Hermione and, to both of our surprises, we shared a grin.
With that sorted, Hagrid led us all away from the boats and through a passageway in a rock because, sure.
We followed the gamekeeper's bobbing lamp in the dark as we left the rock-filled harbour(I had to stop to hastily shake a pebble out of my shoe-and thanked Merlin that I live in flats and cleats, which made it so much easier)and exited onto a grassy area in the shadow of Hogwarts castle.
I jogged to catch up with Harry and Ron as everyone climbed a flight of stone steps.
We all crowded around the large oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
Would the first years lost back in the harbour really respond if they weren't here?
Raising his fist, Hagrid knocked.
To my disappointment, the door immediately opened so he didn't have to inadvertently break it down with his crazy strength-or kick it in like the protagonist in an action movie, which would've been awesome.
Instead of a one-eyed purple octopus, or Dumbledore in a toga, I found myself staring at a tall older witch with a very stern face.
She was wearing square spectacles, emerald robes, and a pointed hat and her black hair was combed back into a tight bun.
She looked strict.
I'm calling it-we're totally gonna be besties.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."
"As in, deputy headmistress-?" I muttered to Harry and Ron in surprise.
She looks like a deputy headmistress.
I could see her running a school.
Dumbledore?
I could see him blowing up a school-hence why I've taken such a liking to the bearded wackadoodle.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
As she opened the door, I caught my first glimpse of the massive entryway.
It was lit by torches-and high enough that Hagrid wouldn't have to duck to get in, which he probably appreciates. Right across from the door stood a long sweeping Cinderella staircase and, to the right, a large pair of wooden doors that, judging by the noise coming from inside, led to the Great Hall.
With a quick wave to Hagrid, I followed McGonagall and the others inside.
Instead of taking us into the Great Hall where the rest of the school were likely waiting for us, the deputy headmistress led us into a small chamber across from it. I wriggled uncomfortably in the crowded space, squeezed between Harry and Ron as I was. The chamber was saturated with so much nervous tension that you could slice it in two with a butter knife. It was like all of our anxiety was swirling about and feeding on each other. It made for a quiet group, at least.
A pink rubber band snapped several times in quick succession.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall said, catching everyone's attention. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be Sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin-"
"But I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been-imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" popped into my head and I scowled. I actually moved to mentally respond before reminding myself that arguing with Malfoy, a boy I'd met twice, in my head wasn't just mad but not worth it.
"Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Her eyes lingered on Neville's cloak, which he'd fastened under his ear, Ron's dirtied-up nose, and my untucked and rumpled uniform.
Rather than flatten my hair nervously like Harry was beside me, I ran my fingers through my messy red hair, ruffled it, and shot the professor a cocky grin.
She looked startled and, out of nowhere, I found myself picturing an older hazel-eyed Harry with a slightly longer nose(and no glasses)running his fingers through his untidy jet-black hair and ruffling it with an identical cocky grin.
-okay, so that's kinda weird.
I shook my head, brushing the image off.
A blue rubber band snapped.
"I shall return when we are ready for you, please wait quietly."
McGonagall left.
I immediately turned to Harry and Ron, eyebrows high.
"You'll be sorted in front of the entire school-" I mimicked McGonagall's voice and pulled a stern expression, "all eyes on you, while you do something I won't explain to you until you're doing it-" I dropped the impression and snorted sarcastically, "that's reassuring, don't you think?"
Ron sniggered.
Harry visibly swallowed.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
"Nah, Fred never jokes," I deadpanned.
Ron snorted.
Harry looked at us like he'd just been told Dudley would be attending Hogwarts with us.
"Mate, don't even worry about it," I reassured, patting him on the shoulder, "whatever it is, we can handle it-just take a deep breath and, if it's anything crazy dangerous-like boxing a manticore or something equally as mental because wizards are mad, just trip Ron and leg it."
"Ha, ha," Ron said sarcastically.
I shot him a wink, grinning at Harry.
While relaxing slightly, he still stared fixedly at the door as if he could see McGonagall playing hopscotch on the other side-and, while he and Ron didn't seem to notice, I wasn't much better.
How nervous everyone else was had me twitching in anxiety.
I can't stand being in crowds like this.
I can't focus, and I get all dazed and spacey, and it's like a kind of-sensory overload.
A green rubber band continuously snapped.
Unable to think straight, I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths like I was taught to by Ms Dodds when I start to feel overwhelmed-
Suddenly, screams broke through my concentration and my eyes flew open in alarm-that swiftly turned to shock when I saw what everyone was freaking out about.
Ghosts, actual freaking ghosts, were streaming through the back wall.
There had to be at least two dozen of them-all caught up in their own conversations and completely ignoring us, if they'd even noticed us at all.
"Told you I'd come back to haunt you," was the first thing I could think to say. "Hey, hey Harry-" I added almost immediately after, dropping my voice ominously, "I see dead people."
Ron and Harry dragged their eyes away from the ghosts to stare at me in disbelief.
A couple of ghosts seemed to be locked in an ongoing argument.
One of the ghosts, a fat monk, said, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-" to a ghost dressed in tights and a ruff, like an actor in a bad Shakespearian reenactment.
"My dear Friar," Shakespeare cut in, disagreement clear in his tone and expression, "haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost-I say, what are you all doing here?"
Shakespeare stopped in surprise as he looked down at all of us.
Nobody answered.
"New students!" the Friar realised with a smile, unfazed by our gawking and the stupified silence. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
Several people nodded dumbly.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."
"Move along, now," McGonagall said sharply and I jumped at the out of nowhere oh-my-god-where-the-bloody-hell-did-she-come-from?! interruption. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."
One by one, the ghosts vanished through the wall.
Tensions skyrocketed as us lil' firsties turned back to face McGonagall and, in that, our fates.
-mwahaha!
"Now, form a line," she instructed once she'd gotten back our attention from the floating translucent dead people, "and follow me."