Chapter Two: The Sorting
A booming voice pierced the girl's ears. She turned to look into the face of a giant.
"Dorrin Chambers? Dorrin Chambers!" he yelled, looking up from a piece of paper. Dorrin stepped up to him.
"I am Dorrin Chambers." The man looked down at her and smiled.
"Well all righ' then Dorrin. Dumbledore told me to look after ye. So, um, follow me." Hogwart's Keeper of Keys and Grounds soared over her like a giant tree. He was just as round as one too, but had the face of a gentle bear. He turned around and beckoned the girl to follow him. He walked her to the rowboats that would take them up to the castle.
"Hogwarts has never had a new student start in their seventh year before. Dumbledore don't really approve of it."
"There is a first time for everything."
Dorrin climbed into a small rickety old rowboat with two other smaller children. They looked nervously back and forth at each other and decided, in their best interest, not to engage in conversation with this girl. The ride to the castle was long, tedious, and completely unnecessary. The sun had set, and the night was as black as a raven's feathers. There were no stars out that night, and Dorrin frowned because of it. Even the moon was shrouded in an eerie glow, casting an even more ghostly reflection on the water. The ink black surface of the lake rippled slightly as the boats passed over it. The girl was glad to reach the shore, for as much as she loved the water; her two companions practically clung to her robes in fear of falling overboard. Upon arriving at the front gates, Hagrid shuffled the first years--and Dorrin--into the foyer. Everything was made from a light marble stone. Great carvings covered every inch of the space and every footstep the children made echoed a thousand times through the area. As they climbed the steps an old witch was waiting for them. She unfolded her arms and surveyed this new batch. The girl's eyes met the old woman's.
"Miss Chambers. We've been expecting you."
The girl forced a smile and the witch returned the same half sincere motion. Then she turned to address the rest of the first years, who itched with anticipation and nervousness. Dorrin sighed at their childish behavior. When she had finished her speech, the old woman walked to the great oak doors that were previously behind her. The rest of the group followed her and the doors opened by themselves as they were led to the front of the Great Hall. It was filled with light from flickering candles above them. Dorrin noticed that the ceiling seemed to be nonexistent, and instead the hall was open to the night sky outside--which was still starless. Four tables lined the floor, and one perpendicular one sat at the front of the room. The tables were filled with the rest of the student body and staff at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The room fell silent as heads turned in Dorrin's direction. Standing two heads taller above her entire squadron, the girl ignored the whispers and the eyes that scrutinized her. When her group stopped walking, the sorting began. The girl looked up at the staff table to the man whom she owed her life. He looked older than the last time they had met, but he looked youthful in spirit. She gave a curt but deeply respectful nod; he, a wink.
"Chambers, Dorrin."
The teachers and students laid all eyes upon her as she stepped up to her seat on an old stool. Dorrin had no choice but to look at the see of faces staring back at her, examining her. She averted her gaze to the doors straight ahead of her as the witch placed an old ragged hat on her head.
"Ah, it's you. I've heard you were going to be joining us this year," the hat said into her hair. "So which house will it be?"
"Where bravery comes before cleverness and kindness, for I need nothing of the latter."
There was a pause. "Despite the fact that you seem to misunderstand the criteria of our houses,"
The girl sighed and started to twitch from aggravation.
"GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted.
There was no clapping as the girl rose from her seat and took one at her assigned house's table. She sat next to her Hogwarts Express companion, and proceeded to watch the rest of the ceremony. She became a people-watcher once again, and noticed that the boy and his friends from the train were also Gryffindors. After the sorting was finally over, and the Headmaster gave his beginning of the year speech, the once empty tables were suddenly covered with foods of all sorts. The students grabbed at everything in a most unprofessional way, while Dorrin looked around for something worth consuming. She looked up once more at the staff table, but this time her eyes strayed to the end, where a dark clothed man sat silently watching. Their eyes met. His were dark and cool--empty like his heart, which Dorrin could sense through the tunnel-like holes. He immediately felt strange inside; it was like something was inside him--swimming through his veins--trying to find something. He didn't know what. He just knew that this girl looking at him now was no ordinary witch. Albus Dumbledore never took on new students unless there was a very good reason--if he only knew.
"Blaine?"
"Yesh?" The boy shot up from the bread roll he had been consuming.
"Who is that professor that sits at the end of the table?"
Blaine looked up to where the girl's gaze led. The professor had looked away almost instantly after Dorrin had laid her eyes upon him.
"That's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he's been after the Dark Arts job ever since he came here a few years back. He's always got a stick up his bum about something. Pretty strict, so don't try anything funny with him."
"Potions..." she drifted off as she poked at a leg of chicken the boy had placed on her plate. He was not so sure about his decision to befriend the girl.
"Don't they have chicken down in Australia?"
"Yes, but it is not a common intake of nutrition among my people--family." She reached for the platter of vegetables, and Hopkin's fellow Gryffindors gave him odd looks. He shrugged his shoulders and continued with his own meal.
After the feast, the students were lead to their respected houses. The Potions master watched as the new student exited the Great Hall. Just as she was about to turn the corner, she turned around and locked eyes with him...and winked. Instantly he was warmed to the core. It was a feeling that he had never experienced, and he was quite surprised by it. This girl intrigued him, and he looked forward to their first Potions class together.
When Dorrin turned to follow her classmates, she met instead the headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Regalya, Miss Chambers. Please, may I have a word?"
Dorrin nodded and was lead to Dumbledore's office. It was quite a pleasant place, with more gadgets than she had ever seen in one place. A great phoenix cooed softly as Dumbledore took his seat behind his desk, but the girl remained standing.
"How was the trip here? No trouble I hope."
"No, indeed I was quite safe. Thanks to this." She pulled out a stone from her pocket. A stone that contained a Halongel, a magical flower which repelled Dark Magic. It seemed forever ago that he had given it to her for her protection, but in reality was only a few months ago. Dorrin remembered the night
perfectly.
***
She had written to him only as a last resort. There was nowhere else for her to go; nowhere else for her to hide. So she took the advice of a very reliable friend of hers and contacted Albus Dumbledore. She explained her situation; how she had landed herself in quite the predicament and how her life was now in danger. He wrote back saying he was eager to have her. They met on an unusually cool day at the end of July. She arrived by horseback and when she dismounted he was there waiting for her. After a stiff introduction, she was led up to the same room she was in now. They talked for hours about everything; it was an amazing conversation. Albus had offered her the choice of staying at the school sooner than the start of the term, but she wanted her new identity to seem as real as possible. Before she left, the Headmaster embraced her as they stood outside in the evening sun, with the wind rustling their clothes and hair. It was an odd sensation for her--being hugged by a human--but she had gathered that he was a jaunty and optimistic sort of fellow. His arms were warm and welcoming, and she melted into his hug. She really hoped, as she climbed back on her steed, that every human she met would be as sweet as this one. But it was wishful thinking.
***
Dumbledore took the stone and placed it in his top drawer. "Thank you again for all of your assistance, Albus. I cannot comprehend a way to repay you," she caressed her chin, thinking. "Although I have noticed my 'human' survival skills have frightened some of the other students here."
The old wizard's eyes twinkled as he let out a hearty laugh. "Ah yes, I too have noticed their odd behavior. You can only learn so much about us through books and stories. In order to act like a human you must have experience in the field with them. Study them--the way they talk and act. You'll get the hang of it before you know it." The girl smiled as he led her to the door. Before exiting she gave him a hug.
"Thank you, Albus. It is so good to see you again." He smiled. His periwinkle eyes twinkled in the soft candlelight that filled his office. They paused in silence for a moment, examining each other. Dorrin smiled.
"What is it, child?"
The girl shook her head. "It's nothing of great importance." He raised his eyebrow. She sighed and replied, "It's just that...you remind me of a man I once knew." She stopped.
"And who was this lucky fellow who you once knew?"
"My father." The old man smiled and gently pushed her out the door. Waiting outside was Blaine.
"Hey. I saw you go with Professor Dumbledore--is everything all right?" he asked after noticing the water in her eyes.
"Yes. Everything is fine."
"OK," Blaine replied, not totally believing her. "Well, I though I would wait for you so you made it up to the dorms OK."
"That is very kind of you," Dorrin said as he escorted her to the Gryffindor common room. It was a good thing that he had waited for her; the castle was so dark and enchanted that her sense of direction was completely thrown off and had she been alone she would have gotten lost in a heartbeat. Before heading upstairs to her room Dorrin laid a hand on Blaine's shoulder. "Thank you for everything you have done for me today. I greatly appreciate it." She kissed him on the cheek and walked up the stairs, never looking back.
"Your welcome," a torpid Blaine whispered.
When Dorrin finally found her room, she collapsed on her bed. It had been a very long day. She looked to the chair at her left and noticed that new robes had been placed there with the Gryffindor emblem implanted on them. She smiled at the thought of less abrasive robes. All her things were there and her bed was turned down for her. She pulled herself from her recumbent position and changed into her pajamas. Her roommates were sound asleep when she crawled back into bed--a warm and comfortable bed. It had been a very long day, and sleep came fast to the new student.
That night the girl dreamt of him. He was becoming more vivid in her visions every night. He wanted her, and he would eventually find her. The only question was 'when?'
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