By: Teressa Luminos And Shineh Megami
Chapter Two- Sorting CatastropheAurie shivered at the sight of the Thestrals.
Harry frowned. Sirius and Cedric were on his mind again. He helped Zai to the carriages. The girl was not waking up. Luckily she was really light.
Aurie crouched down next to Zai and frowned. "Wake up Zai… Please?"
Zai's eyes opened slightly. She groaned and stood up carefully. "My head hurts…"
"We're at the school Zai…" Aurie smiled slightly. "We'll be sorted soon."
Zai frowned. She suddenly remembered what had happened. "Lights… Walls… Wisdom… Strength… Agility… Voldemort… Dumbledore… Darkness?" She sighed. "That made absolutely no sense."
Aurie smiled. "You had me worried."
"Why?" Zai asked curiously.
"You're my only friend here…" Aurie said solemnly. "I was afraid your test of friendship was you dying and leaving me alone."
"Oh…" Zai looked out the carriage and realized as they drew close to the school entrance that it was pouring. She pulled her wand out from its rungs on her thigh. She waved it around experimentally and muttered something.
Aurie looked at her wrist as she felt a sudden tingling sensation. A brilliant scarlet bracelet with a garnet stone and gold edging appeared magically. Engraved on the stone was an A in fancy lettering.
A similar bracelet wove itself around Zai's wand hand, which was her left hand. It was dark green with an emerald stone and silver edging. Engraved on the stone was a Z.
"Friendship bracelets… The one charm I can perform without accidentally hexing someone. They glow if the other is in danger. If the person dies both bracelets will shatter." Zai smiled slightly.
Aurie grinned.
"We're here…"
+++
"Why are there so many people here?" Aurie whispered. She felt very uncomfortable. There were so many people around.
"This school's big…" Zai muttered. "There are too many people here…"
"Yeah… I don't like it here already…"
"Same here."
"Welcome back students. Before the sorting begins I'd like to announce that we may have two transfer students from America this year entering their sixth year." Dumbledore spoke as everyone in the Great Hall fell silent. Aurie looked around the Hall at the students eyeing her and Zai. Zai placed a silver bang behind her ear and looked to Aurie anxiously. "These exceptional young ladies must be welcomed well by the school. We must show them how lovely our school is. I hope that their housemates and classmates will help them feel at home."
Aurie swallowed and fidgeted with her robes draped over her clothes. Zai and her had the whole schools attention, rumors being mumbled under the students breaths. A tall, aged, female professor stalked in with a stool and hat. Aurie's eyes widened. 'No I can't remove my hat!' She looked petrified at the hat. It opened its mouth and surprised the both of them by singing.
Summer endsA new term begins
But, ho, this year is different.
Two students are new
Three of them special
And a fellow will defend them.
Though sort I must
For it is my duty
There's advice I must give.
Safety is only
Temporarily secured
Troubled they will live.
Now of Hogwarts houses
I must explain
Their expectations with their names…
It's song faded away. Aurie's heart pounded in her head. Zai was shaking a little. They looked at each other, stunned. What did that raggedy hat mean? When the sorting hat fell silent an uncomfortable silence fell.
Zai closed her eyes. "Daisai, Zai." Called the professor whom Zai automatically felt a strong distaste for her from. She stepped forward and sat upon the stool. She had never encountered such a sorting process.
The hat fell over her forehead. Her eyes closed.
"Ah, powerful. Very powerful in the Dark Arts. Slytherin could nurture that talent of yours. Yes, your personality suits Slytherin well…" Whispered the hat into her ear.
She wasn't sure what to think. Slytherin didn't sound so bad.
"SLYTHERIN!" Zai winced and cursed loudly at the bellowing hat that she tossed off. The professor frowned at her while other houses giggled. Slytherin rooting cheerfully. Zai walked over to the table and sat to herself.
Aurie was frozen to the spot. Zai had a cold twisting feeling in her gut, a numbness spreading to her limbs. Was this their test?
Zai finally found someone who could understand who shared similar loss… and they had to be tested?
The professor walked up to Aurie and lowered her head to Aurie's. She whispered into Aurie's ear and the pale girl nodded. Her mostly black hair starkly contrasted her pale skin. Her silver eyes as wide as saucers. The professor stepped back and swished her wand.
Aurie's hat transformed into a scarf that wrapped around her head. It was weird and a couple Slytherins laughed. She flushed with color and sat on the stool. Happy when the hat fell over her eyes, tilting forward.
"Ah, another good student. Yes determination in you so vivid. But a sense to prove yourself. Slytherin offers you that chance… Ah, but your quick wit, yes, Ravenclaw would appreciate that. But your bravery is undying. A challenge, that you are. Maybe Hufflepuff."
'I'm NOT a reject!' Aurie thought hastily.
"Then where to, Aurie? With such an action in your recent past, Slytherin could accept you. But there's an absence of Malice within you. No Slytherin's not right."
'But Zai's in Slytherin.'
"Indeed. The house suits her. But you…"
'The other kids I met were in Gryffindor.' She thought.
"Hm… Yes. Gryffindor is safer for a fragile light."
'Huh?'
"GRYFFINDOR!!!" The hat finally bellowed. Aurie yelped painfully, her sensitive ears ringing. She removed the sorting hat as she did her scarf transfigured back into a hat. Her eyes met Zai and suddenly she knew… This was their test.
Being separated into rivaling houses. Aurie walked to the excited cheerful table of the Gryffindors. She located the Granger girl and sat beside her and across Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley.
She looked across to Zai, anguish in her eyes. Hermoine frowned. "If she's in Slytherin, Aurie… maybe." Hermoine began, Ron shook his head.
"Draco was right."
Aurie was too stricken to speak.
+++
The rest of the sorting went by many cheered. Harry noticed Aurie held a silence so loud across from him that he found himself trying to figure out why she refused to speak. He looked into her small sorrowful face. She was plain, wearing no traces of makeup. Her skin was fair and her complexion clear. Her eyes weren't outstandingly vivid and yet their simple clear gaze was very alluring. Her long black hair flowed from her hat, framing and contrasting her face giving the illusion that she was glowing.
She was extremely withdrawn and she seemed very curled up as if willing herself to fold up into nothingness. Hermoine and Harry met eyes.
He saw in Hermoine's chocolate eyes the same pity and compassion she had for house elves. Ron was stuffing his face and oblivious to Aurie. Harry suddenly remembered something. "We need to arrange a Quidditch tryout." Aurie blinked and was drawn into reality. She blinked once again, interested.
"Oh yeah…" Ron said thoughtfully. "Gin wants to be a Chaser Uh…"
"With Angelina and Alicia gone… We need another Chaser." Aurie's lips curled into a slow smile.
"I'm a good chaser." She chirped softly. Hermoine seemed pleased. Aurie found a foundation to join them. Harry looked to Aurie. "I've been on a Quidditch team in LAAS…"
Hermoine's eyes widened. "Oh my, you're from there?" Aurie nodded. "That's one of the most prestigious schools in the world!" Harry looked confused. "Liberty academy for Advanced Sorcery. ADVANCED." Hermoine emphasized. Ron looked really impressed. Harry was as well.
"Well yeah." Aurie said dismissively. "I'm not a genius. I mean I have my weak points. I'm horrible at defense."
"We'll we can help you." Hermoine smiled. "After all the three of us always had good marks in defense."
Harry nodded.
"We're all bad at potions. Our teacher is one mean person. He's Slytherin's head of house." Ron managed through a mouthful of food.
"Head of house?"
Hermoine smirked. "Each house has a teacher in charge. Professor McGonagall is our head of house. Professor Snape is the head of Slytherin. Professor Flitwick is the head of Ravenclaw and Professor Sprout is head of Hufflepuff."
"Who's McGonagall?"
"The teacher that transfigured your hat into a scarf." Harry nodded towards the stern professor.
"Oh…"
"Professor Snape is over there." Hermoine pointed to the hook nosed teacher next to McGonagall.
"Snape is the worst. We have to take potions and he's always taking points off of us." Ron scowled. "The Slytherins are the worst lot. They're always bothering everybody just because they feel they are better."
"Ron…"
"Most of the girls are horrible there. Most are really ugly and mean. Actually most Slytherins are mean and ugly."
"Ron…" Harry hissed this time. Aurie's eyes were on Zai again.
It's best not to befriend any of them. They always end up stabbing you in the back." Ron continued.
"Ron!" Hermoine yelled across the table. "Her friend is in Slytherin!"
"Aurie are you…" Hermoine trailed off.
Aurie was staring at her new bracelet. Her thoughts were on Zai.
Was being in Slytherin going to ruin their friendship?
+++
"So I was right…"
Zai sighed as Draco Malfoy sat next to her. "What do you want?"
"That amulet of yours… The Dark Lord gave it to you…" He whispered into her ear. "Keeping tabs on you…"
"I'd knew you'd be a problem…" Zai murmured in return. She drove her knife angrily into the wooden table. "You're too close to me… So scoot over…"
Draco didn't budge.
"I told you to scoot over…"
Draco moved closer though and Zai attempted to move away. She forgot she was seated at the end of the table. So she fell out of the bench.
"Ow…"
Draco smirked.
"Creep…" Zai murmured. She stood up and glared. "Move."
Draco shook his head. "Nope. You don't order me around."
Zai picked up the dessert and waved it in front of Draco's eyes. "Okay… You may be hot… But tempt me and I'll cool you down…"
"Is that a threat?" Draco smiled slightly. "I dare you to try…"
Zai smeared the ice cream dessert on Draco. "And I dare you to get a life…"
Draco spilled his juice on her shirt.
Zai glared.
Draco smirked.
Both reached for another item.
"In America… This is called a food fight…" With that she threw a handful of corn bits at Pansy Parkinson.
The curly haired sixth year blonde responded immediately by throwing mash potatoes.
Zai grinned as more Slytherins joined in at flinging food. 'Maybe this table isn't so bad…'
+++
Aurie blinked. Was Slytherin having a food fight? Hermoine laughed. Ron suddenly had yams smack the back of his head. Aurie jumped and looked petrified as she watched the battle unfold. Soon the entire Great Hall is under siege of flying food. Aurie begins to tremble. A hand clasps her wrist and leads her to a safe corner. She looked into Harry's face, a mask of whip cream on his sour expression.
"This is horrible." He murmurs. Aurie smiles gratefully at him. "You want to leave?"
"Yeah. It is." She replies softly, stoking some of the cream off of his cheek. "When I get the chance…"
+++
Zai giggles as Draco slips on the floor. She's about to turn to Aurie when she sees her taken off to a corner. She sneers. 'That Harry Potter…'
"See with those friends, she doesn't need you." Draco whispered into her ear. His finger stokers her lower arm. "You're a Slytherin now Zai. You don't need her…"
Zai shudders and looks into Draco's grey eyes. She suddenly pushes him away. "Aurie's not you." She sits down ignoring the flying food. Draco smirks at her. Zai frowned.
'Aurie's my friend. She wouldn't abandon me for Harry Potter… Would she?'
+++
Suddenly the great doors flew open. There stood a young, tall, slender woman. A leggy blonde with a demanding stance. Her blue eyes were deep and vivid, like sapphires. She blinked once.
Then again.
"I know I'm late, Professor Dumbledore but all this over my tardiness? I'm impressed." She said chidingly. The teachers around Dumbledore were stricken. The intruder flicked her wand and the food before her moved out of her way.
Dumbledore stood and smiled pleasingly. "Ah, Professor Nowls, You made it!"
"But of course." She replied lightly. "Is that 15 0r 20?" She questioned looking around.
"It's beginning of the year. Let's make it ten."
"Ah. O.K. Ten point from each house for the food fight!" She said cheerily. She looked around at the students. "And no one leaves until the hall is perfectly clean. You ruined my entrance." She chided. Everyone was still grumbling when the new professor removed her robe and began helping the clean up.
+++
"So you're captain?" Aurie asked with pure admiration.
"Yeah, well, I'm horrible at leadership. I might have Katie Bell take the job from me since she gave it to me." Harry said heavily. The two left the Great Hall before Professor Nowls arrived. They were on their way to Gryffindor Tower. Aurie smirked.
"I doubt it. You just lack confidence." She said softly. She sighed and fidgeted with her hat. She stopped. Aurie brought her brought her wand to her hat and transfigured it into a scarf. He smiled at her.
She was different.
She was pretty and sweet, like Cho.
But Harry found it easy to talk to her. He stopped. "Your turn."
Aurie nodded. "The Liberties came in second place for the three years I was Seeker in the Interstate Championships. When I changed to Chaser we made it to first place for the first time in 57 years!" She said happily. Then her eyes twinkled. "And out of all our games we only caught the snitch four times!"
Harry smirked. "Proud aren't you?" Aurie's smile changed and her eyes became deeper. Harry wondered if she was going to cry and suddenly felt melancholy remembering Cho.
"It seems Quidditch was everything for me. Everything else in my life…" She trailed off, her voice small and childlike in this state.
Harry understood. Did he ever understand.
He was glad to understand because he hated when he didn't understand why a girl changed moods. "I feel the same too. It's only on the Quidditch pitch do I forget all my…"
"Problems. I feel at peace." Aurie finished. The two met eyes. He said something right! Aurie smiled. "Yes. We do have the same feeling."
"Tryout for out team."
"I will." Aurie said brightly. "It's the one thing I'll look forward to."
"And I promise not to go easy on you just because we're friends."
Aurie's smile was positively brilliant. Harry looked into her bright silver eyes.
Both forgot nor knew that they needed the password to enter Gryffindor common room.
+++
Zai was relieved to finally be headed to her house.
They made her clean.
And added to the 10 points already removed from Slytherin, another 40, 20 for each Zai and Draco, were taken for starting the fight. Zai avoided Draco on her way back but his eyes constantly fell on her and raked over her.
It was partially discomforting.
Partly amusing.
Zai wasn't sure why but she found an interest in Draco's persona. She was so intrigued that the salt he rushed into the wound of not being with Aurie suddenly didn't seem so bad. She grinned also forgetting about the scenario on Hogwarts Express and the sorting.
Maybe this… Game would even be fun…
Zai sat on her bed, fiddling unconsciously with the amulet her other tormentor gave her.
Draco DID look good. Zai giggled mischievously to herself as she changed into a slinky silver night gown.
She hadn't acknowledged the other presence in the room. Pansy was snarling at Zai. Before the skanky American transfer, Pansy was Draco's "squeeze".
There was no competition between Zai and Pansy. Even without the makeup, techni-colored hair and skanky attire Zai's beauty was still vivid. Pansy was plain at the most. "Slutty whore, you waltz into this school like you own it." Pansy hissed.
Zai blinked twice and her red eyes flickered. "Excuse me?" She shifted her weight, stroking a bang from her face and glaring at Pansy from across the room. "What if I do?"
"Please. Yankee trash. There are no pure wizards or witches in America. You're all whores. Is that why you eye Draco so much? Because you've never had a pure bre in you?" Pansy snarled.
Zai would have been mad over the insults. Instead she let out a resilient laugh. "Oh Parkinson… Don't get your girdle in a bunch. Sorry if he sees in me what you only dreamed you had. And speaking of dreaming, he's doing so if he thinks he's getting ANYTHING from me." She said coldly with mock casualty. She picked up her wand. "Now shut the fuck up or I'll jinx to no end."
Pansy's eyes bulged with fury but she silently ob eyed. Zai smirked. 'Oh yeah. I could get used to Slytherin.' Zai sighed contently and crawled into her bed. She laid there for a moment and then sat up. She removed the atrocious serpent amulet and layed down. 'Like hell Voldie's going to cut into my sleep.' She thought before drifting to sleep.
+++
Zai had barely touched her breakfast when she was pulled away from it. She turned to see a vibrant Aurie beaming at her. Zai smirked. "Yeah?"
"Oh I love it here Zai… but." She frowned. "I still wish we were in the same house together."
"Well, don't worry. We'll still be friends."
"Best Friends?" Aurie whispered naively. Zai laughed at Aurie's question and then nodded.
"Yes."
The conversation replayed after Aurie hugged her and returned to her table with an extra bounce in her step.
Best Friends. Zai played with her bracelet. She didn't remember having such a friendship. It felt… nice…
"Don't look so happy Zai…"
She turned and scowled at Draco. "Don't start with me this early Draco…"
"I said not to be so happy… Our first class of the day is double potions with the Gryffindors… With Aurie's new best friends."
Zai frowned. A class with the-boy-who-lived, Harry Potter.
----------------------
(A/N: Zai seems to cause a little bit to much trouble in the school already dragging her house 40 points below every other house in one day! And she obviously has problems with her fellow Slytherins. Aurie's got a secret that makes her so distant. Can the Slytherins and the Gryffindors get through their first call of the year without killing one another? Find out just as soon as I post Chapter 3.)