Chapter Three: New Surroundings
Eventually, September first came, and eleven days after the funeral, Hecate had become withdrawn and cold, though she still prayed every night to the spirits of the dead. Derrick was worried about her, and had sent a letter to Dumbledore expressing his concerns for the child. He had done all he could.
At the station, barely a goodbye had been said, although she had thanked him again for enlarging her trunk to hold all the dozens of runic texts and her school supplies. Then she had walked off to find a compartment in the train.
Alone at last, Hecate pulled out her Nordic History and began to read. Every time the door opened with someone looking for a seat, she gave such a fierce glare that they shrank away from her. Even second and third years. The whole journey she was left alone, apart from the occasions when a fluffy-haired girl calling herself Hermione came looking for a toad (and left muttering "How rude") and when the lunch-lady popped her head in. By the time they arrived, she was over halfway through the thick book.
When the train pulled into the station, her ears were assaulted with a very loud "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!". As she approached, she heard the voice, directed somewhere behind her, say "All right there, Harry?" She followed the large man, ignoring his continued tattering to the 'firs'- years' and hoping that her trunk (namely her books) was safe. There was a loud "Oooooh!" from the crowd around her, and she noticed that if her eyes left the ground, she could see the castle across the lake. The large man then directed them into the boats and Hecate clambered in, not paying attention to the other three people in her boat.
The group climbed out into a small, stony harbour. They clambered up a passageway to a large door, which thudded three times as the large man's fist came down on it. A tall, black-haired witch opened it, and the man called her Professor McGonagall. She in turn, called him Hagrid. She led them into the entrance hall and gave them what amounted to a small lecture, before departing. There was a short confrontation between a white-haired boy, and two others, a black-haired boy and a red-haired boy. Hecate ignored it, much as she ignored the rest of the conversations going on around her. Professor McGonagall returned and led them all into the hall. The fluffy-haired girl was now muttering about the enchanted ceiling to whoever would listen. In front of them, a wizard's hat was placed on a wooden stool, and after a few moments, it began to sing. Hecate didn't listen to the song. She was lost in thought. Thought that mostly included the fact that she was here alone. She was startled back to reality when the professor began reading names off a scroll. "Abott, Hannah!" After a few moments, the hat proclaimed the pudgy blonde girl's house "HUFFLEPUFF!" and she was cheered over to her house table. Next, McGonagall proclaimed "Aiwe, Hecate!" As she walked to the stool, she grumbled to herself "It's Aiwe, not Aiweee". She finally approached the stool and put the battered hat on her head. She heard a voice begin to mutter. "Where to put you? You were once a Gryffindor, no mistake there, but you have seen so much since then, and you changed." "Yeah, my family died." she thought back at the hat. "Temper, temper, I know where to put you. SLYTHERIN!" The last word was shouted to the hall, and she joined her house table. As she walked, she thought over what the hat had told her. Have I really changed that much? Then another part of her spoke up. Of course you have! The Gryffindor in you died with Loki. She half-nodded to herself and then sat at the Slytherin table as Bones, Susan was also pronounced a Hufflepuff.
Through the rest of the sorting, Hecate stared into space. She looked up when the name Potter, Harry was called, unsurprised when he became a Gryffindor, then removed her gaze back to the enchanted ceiling. By the time the sorting was over, there were a half dozen new Slytherins, none of whom Hecate particularly liked the look of. She ate silently, praying for the end of the feast and her welcome bed. Dumbledore made several announcements, to which Hecate paid little attention. She looked wistfully over to the Gryffindor table and thought: we should be there. But Loki would never see Hogwarts. Soon the hall was filled with a murmuring and shuffling as the prefects rose and called for the first-years to follow them to their house dormitories. Hecate followed the Slytherin prefect who had been sitting nearest to her. They came, eventually, to the dungeons, and the prefect stopped beside a blank wall. Gesturing to a tapestry that hung on the opposite wall he spoke: "Remember that hanging - it marks the entrance to the common room. The password is ." "Has been changed." Spoke a loud, intimidating voice. Turning, Hecate recognised it as belonging to one of the professors - presumably her head of house. "May I ask why, professor?" "No, you may not. The password is now Veritaserum." As he spoke the last word, the wall opposite the tapestry opened and revealed a large, green decorated, stone room. Hecate made to enter, but the professor put a hand to her shoulder. "A word, if you please, miss Aiwe."
Hecate followed Snape into his office. She tried to hide the fear she felt at being singled out so early. "Miss Aiwe. I have been asked by Professor Dumbledore to have a word with you before you settle in. I know it must be hard to be here alone, and if you ever need to talk to anyone you can generally find me here." Hecate nodded and then he added: "Don't just bottle it all in. Try and make friends - you will be amazed at the healing powers of friendship." Snape looked at the girl standing before him, at the pain in her eyes and the way she choked back tears at his words. He was glad that he had had the password changed - he didn't want to think of her reaction to having to a password like that. He almost felt like he should take her in his arms and comfort her. Almost. However, he did have his reputation to uphold.
" Thank you, professor." "Any time. Now, lets get you to bed." He half-smiled at her, before leading her back to the common room. "If I remember correctly, right is girls, left is boys. Look for the sign 'first years'." And with that, Professor Snape left her, scowling at himself. If anyone saw him around the girl then his reputation would be ruined.
She found her way to the dormitory, and went over to the one unoccupied bed. The other two girls appeared to be asleep as Hecate undressed and put on her nightie. She then sank to her knees beside the bed and muttered her prayers, before climbing into bed and letting sleep overpower her.
***************************End of Chapter Three*********************************
A/N: I was going to wait until I got at least one review before I updated, but I figured that may never happen, so I'll update now. If anyone HAS read, please tell me if you liked (or not) - it can't be THAT bad, can it?!
Eventually, September first came, and eleven days after the funeral, Hecate had become withdrawn and cold, though she still prayed every night to the spirits of the dead. Derrick was worried about her, and had sent a letter to Dumbledore expressing his concerns for the child. He had done all he could.
At the station, barely a goodbye had been said, although she had thanked him again for enlarging her trunk to hold all the dozens of runic texts and her school supplies. Then she had walked off to find a compartment in the train.
Alone at last, Hecate pulled out her Nordic History and began to read. Every time the door opened with someone looking for a seat, she gave such a fierce glare that they shrank away from her. Even second and third years. The whole journey she was left alone, apart from the occasions when a fluffy-haired girl calling herself Hermione came looking for a toad (and left muttering "How rude") and when the lunch-lady popped her head in. By the time they arrived, she was over halfway through the thick book.
When the train pulled into the station, her ears were assaulted with a very loud "Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!". As she approached, she heard the voice, directed somewhere behind her, say "All right there, Harry?" She followed the large man, ignoring his continued tattering to the 'firs'- years' and hoping that her trunk (namely her books) was safe. There was a loud "Oooooh!" from the crowd around her, and she noticed that if her eyes left the ground, she could see the castle across the lake. The large man then directed them into the boats and Hecate clambered in, not paying attention to the other three people in her boat.
The group climbed out into a small, stony harbour. They clambered up a passageway to a large door, which thudded three times as the large man's fist came down on it. A tall, black-haired witch opened it, and the man called her Professor McGonagall. She in turn, called him Hagrid. She led them into the entrance hall and gave them what amounted to a small lecture, before departing. There was a short confrontation between a white-haired boy, and two others, a black-haired boy and a red-haired boy. Hecate ignored it, much as she ignored the rest of the conversations going on around her. Professor McGonagall returned and led them all into the hall. The fluffy-haired girl was now muttering about the enchanted ceiling to whoever would listen. In front of them, a wizard's hat was placed on a wooden stool, and after a few moments, it began to sing. Hecate didn't listen to the song. She was lost in thought. Thought that mostly included the fact that she was here alone. She was startled back to reality when the professor began reading names off a scroll. "Abott, Hannah!" After a few moments, the hat proclaimed the pudgy blonde girl's house "HUFFLEPUFF!" and she was cheered over to her house table. Next, McGonagall proclaimed "Aiwe, Hecate!" As she walked to the stool, she grumbled to herself "It's Aiwe, not Aiweee". She finally approached the stool and put the battered hat on her head. She heard a voice begin to mutter. "Where to put you? You were once a Gryffindor, no mistake there, but you have seen so much since then, and you changed." "Yeah, my family died." she thought back at the hat. "Temper, temper, I know where to put you. SLYTHERIN!" The last word was shouted to the hall, and she joined her house table. As she walked, she thought over what the hat had told her. Have I really changed that much? Then another part of her spoke up. Of course you have! The Gryffindor in you died with Loki. She half-nodded to herself and then sat at the Slytherin table as Bones, Susan was also pronounced a Hufflepuff.
Through the rest of the sorting, Hecate stared into space. She looked up when the name Potter, Harry was called, unsurprised when he became a Gryffindor, then removed her gaze back to the enchanted ceiling. By the time the sorting was over, there were a half dozen new Slytherins, none of whom Hecate particularly liked the look of. She ate silently, praying for the end of the feast and her welcome bed. Dumbledore made several announcements, to which Hecate paid little attention. She looked wistfully over to the Gryffindor table and thought: we should be there. But Loki would never see Hogwarts. Soon the hall was filled with a murmuring and shuffling as the prefects rose and called for the first-years to follow them to their house dormitories. Hecate followed the Slytherin prefect who had been sitting nearest to her. They came, eventually, to the dungeons, and the prefect stopped beside a blank wall. Gesturing to a tapestry that hung on the opposite wall he spoke: "Remember that hanging - it marks the entrance to the common room. The password is ." "Has been changed." Spoke a loud, intimidating voice. Turning, Hecate recognised it as belonging to one of the professors - presumably her head of house. "May I ask why, professor?" "No, you may not. The password is now Veritaserum." As he spoke the last word, the wall opposite the tapestry opened and revealed a large, green decorated, stone room. Hecate made to enter, but the professor put a hand to her shoulder. "A word, if you please, miss Aiwe."
Hecate followed Snape into his office. She tried to hide the fear she felt at being singled out so early. "Miss Aiwe. I have been asked by Professor Dumbledore to have a word with you before you settle in. I know it must be hard to be here alone, and if you ever need to talk to anyone you can generally find me here." Hecate nodded and then he added: "Don't just bottle it all in. Try and make friends - you will be amazed at the healing powers of friendship." Snape looked at the girl standing before him, at the pain in her eyes and the way she choked back tears at his words. He was glad that he had had the password changed - he didn't want to think of her reaction to having to a password like that. He almost felt like he should take her in his arms and comfort her. Almost. However, he did have his reputation to uphold.
" Thank you, professor." "Any time. Now, lets get you to bed." He half-smiled at her, before leading her back to the common room. "If I remember correctly, right is girls, left is boys. Look for the sign 'first years'." And with that, Professor Snape left her, scowling at himself. If anyone saw him around the girl then his reputation would be ruined.
She found her way to the dormitory, and went over to the one unoccupied bed. The other two girls appeared to be asleep as Hecate undressed and put on her nightie. She then sank to her knees beside the bed and muttered her prayers, before climbing into bed and letting sleep overpower her.
***************************End of Chapter Three*********************************
A/N: I was going to wait until I got at least one review before I updated, but I figured that may never happen, so I'll update now. If anyone HAS read, please tell me if you liked (or not) - it can't be THAT bad, can it?!