Disclaimer: The Satine girls are mine; basically everything else is JK Rowling's.
AN: I've decided not to focus this on any particular time period (modern or MWPP) since the stories just intertwine anyway. I'll just write whatever I feel like doing, and when I have more reviewers (notice I say 'when' and not 'if' – I'm very optimistic), I'll be glad to take suggestions. Okay – just bear in mind that *~*~* means a switch between time periods, and that I'd love for you to read & review (& criticize if you want) this story! Thanks, Rose.
Chapter Two: But What About Ravenclaw?
Samantha stood in front of the Great Hall nervously hopping from one foot to the other. Left, right, left, right. Lily tapped her on the shoulder, and whispered, "Stop that, you have nothing to worry about." Samantha stopped, but started again as a professor stepped forward to announce the beginning of the sorting ceremony. Left, right, left, right. Lily was suddenly too nervous to reprimand her friend, and instead found it rather comforting to focus on the rhythm of Samantha's feet. Left, right, left, right. All too soon, her name was called.
"Evans, Lily!"
Lily stepped forward, trembling, when a mocking voice met her ears.
"What's wrong, Evans? Scared?"
Lily didn't have time to turn around to see who had spoken, but she could guess easily enough. James Potter had been teasing her ever since their first day together at Muggle day-care (AN – There must have been some wizards who sent their kids to day-care. Besides, I'm sure Mrs. Potter could've used some time away from her little Marauder-in-training.) She squared her shoulders and walked bravely to the stool in front of the long staff table. It was only a second after she placed the sorting hat on her head that it yelled the word, "GRYFFINDOR!" out to the hall. Lily smiled, relieved, and made her way to her new house table. Sitting down, she grinned encouragingly at Samantha, who was still hopping nervously in place.
"Too bad," Samantha thought. "I really wanted to be in the same house as Lily. Oh well, maybe Ravenclaws and Gryffindors will have some classes together." She continued to watch the sorting with mild interest. She laughed as "Potter, James" was made a Gryffindor. She could just imagine the fights he and Lily would start together. Only two more people before her turn. "Queens, Emily" became a Hufflepuff. One more . . . "Reven, Donald" became a Ravenclaw. Samantha bit her lip.
"Satine, Samantha!"
She stepped forward and found her way to the stool, sat, and placed the hat on her head. "Stop trembling!" she reminded herself. "Only a few more seconds and you'll be sitting beside Sarah at the Ravenclaw table."
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat cried.
Samantha stayed frozen in place. She was imagining things. The hat hadn't spoken yet. It was supposed to say "Ravenclaw." She would leave when it said "Ravenclaw." A few students started laughing as Samantha remained on the stool, unmoving.
Samantha heard someone clear her voice just behind her. "Miss Satine?"
Samantha looked up sweetly. "Yes?"
"You may take your seat now."
"No I can't."
"Umm . . . why not?"
"The hat hasn't said 'Ravenclaw' yet."
Pause. "Uh, no, it hasn't. You're in Gryffindor."
It was as if someone had just lit a fire under the little girl on the stool. She jumped up and cried defiantly, "BUT I'M A RAVENCLAW!"
Before the Professor could stop her, Samantha had collapsed on the floor in tears. "I'm a Ravenclaw! With Sarah! We're supposed to be Ravenclaws together – she promised! Just like mum and grandmother and everyone! Your stupid hat made a mistake! Make it take it back! Tell it I'm supposed to be a Ravenclaw!"
Professor McGonagall was new to the school, and stared at the sobbing eleven-year-old helplessly. What a perfect way to start her career at Hogwarts! She sighed, still wondering what to do, when a smiling girl with flowing red hair appeared and leaned over Samantha. "Come on, Sammy," she whispered soothingly. "Come back to our table. I'm really glad you're in the same house as me. Sarah's doing fine already, but I'll need your help if I'm ever going to adjust to this place." Slowly but surely, Lily coaxed her friend over to the Gryffindors, and the sorting continued.
"Snape, Severus" looked put-off that he had had to wait so long for his turn, but the first year Gryffindors hardly noticed as he was sorted into Slytherin. They were all peering curiously at Samantha and Lily.
"Hey, Evans!" Lily cringed as she heard James Potter's voice. "Is that the only kind of people who will be your friends – sniveling cry-babies?"
Lily had spent three years of preschool ignoring Potter's comments, but this time she whirled around and slapped him hard across the face. "Stuff it, Potter," she responded icily. "I happen to love having a high-strung emotional friend. She's a lot more interesting than people like you – devoid of any real feeling." She turned back to her friend, leaving a stunned James.
Sirius Black, James' best friend, was highly amused by Lily's reaction. He had always taken her for the non-confrontational kind. He went and sat next to Samantha. "Don't worry, you'll love Gryffindor. Any class with James and me in it is bound to be entertaining."
Samantha looked up at him with a faint smile. He was startled by how pretty her bright blue eyes were. She shrugged, "Thanks. I'll be fine. I guess it just never occurred to me that I might not be with my sister." She giggled lightly. "I let my emotions get the better of me sometimes."
"Sometimes?" Lily smiled at her friend fondly.
Sirius just nodded dumbly, his eyes still riveted on her face. He was about to reply when James poked him in the ribs. He was still in a bad mood from Lily's comment, and was angry with Sirius for not coming to his defense. "Watcha staring at, Black? You falling in love with her?"
Sirius jumped away from Samantha. "What?!?" he cried, disgusted. "I would never fall for a crybaby like that!"
He and James retreated, leaving Samantha and Lily to roll their eyes and mutter, "Boys."
*~*~*
"Elizabeth!" Sarah Satine looked wildly around for her daughter. "Elizabeth! Where are you? We're going to be late!"
Sarah jumped as a head poked out of the car window next to her. "I'm right here," Elizabeth smiled. "I've been waiting for you ten minutes at least. What were you doing?"
Sarah looked frazzled as she walked around to the driver's side. "Just gathering up some last minute things for you to take to school," she responded. "Oh, dear, I hope we make it on time to catch the train. The Hogwarts Express doesn't wait all that long at the station. Then again, we were always late when Sam and I were in school, so I wouldn't know all that well."
Elizabeth looked at her mother curiously. In thirteen years she had heard Samantha's name mentioned only once or twice, so it surprised Elizabeth that over the past five months she'd heard it at least ten times. Then again, the past five months hadn't exactly been normal.
Once Sarah got the idea into her head that they should move back to England, she had pursued the goal with a passion. She put her husband in charge of selling their house in Connecticut and finding a new one in England during one of his business trips. Amazingly, the old Victorian home in Winchester Sarah had grown up in was still uninhabited. Apparently the Ministry of Magic had intervened when it was put up for sale on the Muggle market, claiming the magical residue in it was too thick for any Muggle to live a normal life there. Sarah was thrilled to have her old home back.
Meanwhile, she was busy every second trying to catch Elizabeth up on magic so she could enter 4th year with the other kids her age. It was no easy task, but with Sarah's persistent teaching, innumerable late nights and early mornings, and dozens of old school books, Elizabeth was caught up through first, second, and half of third year by the end of August, only five months after receiving the letter from Hogwarts.
Then again, it's a lot easier to teach when you only have one student to focus on rather than a full classroom. Despite the difficulty of cramming so much new information into her brain at once, Elizabeth was grateful she was missing out on all the homework assignments and compositions she would have had to do in school. With her mother teaching, being able to perform the magic was enough, who needed to write about it? Of course, she still had half a year of material to make up, but Professor McGonagall, astonished at what Elizabeth had accomplished so far, was certain it could be covered in spare time at school.
It seemed like those months had flown by, and now here Elizabeth was, less than a day away from becoming a part of Hogwarts. She wasn't nervous. After all her studying she felt like she'd been a part of the wizarding world all her life. But she worried how her mother would take it with her away at boarding school. "It's okay, Mom," she said reassuringly. "We'll make it with plenty of time."
Sarah took a deep breath. "Yes, yes, of course you're right. We'll be fine."
They arrived on Platform 9 ¾ just in time to watch the scarlet Hogwarts Express pull out of the station.
***
"I've been late for the Hogwarts Express dozens of times, but I've never missed it altogether!" Sarah cried despairingly as she and Elizabeth drove away from King's Cross.
"I've missed it every time over the past three years," Elizabeth responded.
There was a pause before Sarah asked, "Do I detect a tone of resentment in your voice?"
"Well how come you never told me about the wizarding world? Why wouldn't you let Hogwarts find me?"
With a sigh, Sarah said, "Because you're my little girl."
She didn't realize she'd said it aloud until Elizabeth replied, confused, "My going away to school can't change the fact that I'm your daughter."
Sarah tried to answer cheerfully, "No, I guess not," but Elizabeth saw a tear glistening on her mother's cheek before she had the chance to brush it away.
Elizabeth sighed. It was going to be a long ride to Hogwarts.
***
Sarah gave her daughter one last hug before pushing her off towards the entrance to Hogwarts. "Now don't forget to give my letter to Professor McGonagall, and remind her you'll need flying lessons – I packed a broomstick in with your clothes so you're all set. Tell her I'm sorry, but I really don't feel like re-entering Hogwarts quite yet. Now hurry! You're late as it is! Find the first years and wait with them, the sorting should be starting any minute. See you at Christmas! Make sure to write! And have a great time! Love you! Bye!" With that, Sarah jumped in her car and drove away. It seemed to Elizabeth that her mother was a little too eager to leave the school grounds.
Elizabeth was left stranded, staring up at the large old castle in apprehension. She waved a wand at her trunk, muttered the banishing spell, and quickly added, "Go wherever the trunks are supposed to be." She watched as her belongings sailed away, hoping they'd end up in the right place.
She wanted to stay outside a little longer to summon some confidence, but the heat was sweltering, although the sun had set long ago. Sitting in an air-conditioned car all day had made her forget the awful heat wave. She therefore darted inside, only to discover it was just as hot and stuffy there as outdoors. A group of tiny first years were standing in a side room, dripping with sweat under their heavy black robes.
No one looked up when Elizabeth entered, and she smiled, realizing her unsettled nerves were nothing compared to the nerves of these kids. They were either unnaturally still or jittering like crazy. Some looked ready to faint, although that could have been from the heat.
A second later a stern looking woman with graying brown hair pulled into a tight bun appeared in a doorway at the opposite end of the room from the one Elizabeth had entered. "Okay," she said, "follow me." The first years filed out of the room silently, Elizabeth following curiously behind. The bright lights of the Great Hall were dazzling, so Elizabeth stepped back into the shadow of the doorway and found a place with a good view of the stool and sorting hat.
Slowly but surely all the first years were sorted into their new houses. After "Zwen, Stephanie" became a Hufflepuff, Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll of names and was about to remove the stool and hat when she caught sight of Elizabeth, hovering in the doorway. Elizabeth smiled politely, but stopped, confused, as McGonagall raised her eyebrows and gave a disapproving click of her tongue.
The Professor cleared her throat. "My mistake," she announced. "It appears we have one student left to be sorted." The Great Hall rang with the groans of hungry students. Elizabeth stepped forward uncertainly and the Hall instantly silenced. She could feel every pair of eyes instantly glued to her.
Professor McGonagall suddenly laughed. Many of the students looked shocked. "You must be Elizabeth?" she asked. Elizabeth nodded faintly. "Well," an amused smile played on her lips. "You certainly are just like your mother."
Then the Professor turned to the rest of the Hall. "Students," she announced. "I'd like to introduce Miss Elizabeth Satine. She will be sorted as the first years are, but she will be joining our fourth years. Indeed," McGonagall glanced at Elizabeth again, (AN: Oops! I suppose this would be a good time to mention that I made up this story before the 4th book came out, so this is basically an alternate 4th year. Not that it matters too much, this just needs to occur after Harry & co. discover Sirius' innocence, but before Voldemort's return to power. Sorry for not mentioning that sooner . . . Anyway, back to story . . .) "if she were a first year I'm sure someone would have made sure she had put on her robes for the Sorting."
Elizabeth suddenly realized why everyone was looking at her so strangely. She had forgotten her robes and was still wearing her Muggle clothes – a pair of jean shorts, a bright pink tank top, and her favorite sandals. Then again, maybe those were envious looks. After all, everyone else looked like they were dying from the heat. "Miss Satine?" Professor McGonagall beckoned her forward, and Elizabeth sat, placing the hat carefully over her ponytail.
The hat slipped down over her eyes, but she could still feel hundreds of eyes staring at her. A bright pink tank top was bound to stick out in a sea of black robes. The hat seemed to be probing her mind, looking for some clue as to where to place her. It opened at the brim and started to call out, "RAVEN . . ." but suddenly stopped. Elizabeth jolted. It felt as if something inside her had been opened up, some locked away information uncovered. A strangled sob emitted from her throat. Her head was pounding and her heart was racing and an insurmountable panic rose in her chest. "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat cried. The pain stopped, and Elizabeth took off the hat, blinking rapidly to recover from her dizziness. Professor McGonagall was looking at her, concerned, and the Hall was dead silent again.
The silence was broken as an eruption of cheers broke out from the Gryffindor table. Elizabeth made her way towards her new house members, and sat down with a heavy sigh. She watched dazedly as Headmaster Dumbledore made his speech, and by the time the tables had filled with food, she found herself too exhausted to lift a fork.
A concerned prefect was easily persuaded to lead her to Gryffindor tower before commencing his meal. Elizabeth wearily dragged herself through the common room and up the stairs to her dorm. She was pleasantly surprised to find that her belongings had made it to the right place, at the foot of her four poster canopy bed, but she didn't even go through them to find pajamas before collapsing on her mattress and falling fast asleep.
AN: I know that kind of dragged on with some of the explanations, but I'm trying. Now that the story's set up I'm hoping it will be easier to get into it. Okay, I suppose I should go try uploading this before my computer freezes on me again . . .