This is my first Harry Potter story, so I ask that you please be understanding of any mistakes.
Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter, or any of its characters. While most of the plot is my own, only a few of the characters are of my original creation and even they are based on the world created by J.K. Rowling. As I am making no profit off of this, the sole purpose being only to amuse (and bide us over until the next book comes out), please do not sue me.
Summary: Helaine Arriman's first year at Hogwarts will be nothing like what she imagined.
Rating: PG
The Arriman Files
Chapter Two
Slytherin House
"Now are you sure you know what to do? I can explain one more time if you like –"
"Mum, we'll be fine! Right Laney?" Gwen poked Laney in the ribs to get her attention.
"Right, fine," she muttered as she stared at the barrier to platform nine and three quarters.
"Have a good term girls. I'll see you at Christmas," Mr. Arriman hugged Gwen, then Laney, goodbye.
"Be careful girls! Stay out of trouble! And avoid...that boy!" Mrs. Arriman called as Gwen and Laney, pushing their loaded trolleys in front of them, walked towards the barrier calmly. Behind them, they could hear their father say,
"Maredyth, how many times have I told you? There's nothing wrong with Harry Potter, it's the Ministry –"and then they had gone through and were staring at the Hogwarts Express in awe.
"Hurry Laney or all the seats'll be taken!" Gwen exclaimed after the train whistled; warning that it would soon leave. Laney followed her sister silently. Quickly they loaded their luggage on board and then began to walk through the crowded train.
"Gwen, do you think we'll be in the same House?" Laney asked quietly, trying to keep up with her sister.
"What? Oh, of course we will! We're twins, aren't we?" Gwen replied distractedly as they walked by compartment after compartment, all of which were filled with students. Just before the train was about to take off Gwen stopped in front of a compartment with two girls sitting inside.
"Hello, are those seats taken?" Gwen asked, indicating the bench opposite the two girls.
"No, you can sit there," the girl by the window said with a smile. She had shoulder length blonde hair that was pulled back in a tight ponytail and dark green eyes that glinted in the light.
"Thanks, everywhere else is so crowded. I'm Gwendolyn-Gwen for short- Arriman, and this is my sister Helaine, but we call her Laney,"
"Hello," Laney added, wishing she had a different nickname. Gwen had called her Laney since they were babies, and it had stuck.
"I'm Daphne Gentry, nice to meet you," said the blonde girl, smiling at them again.
"And I'm Julie Winlow. Is this your first year also?" the girl next to Daphne had curly reddish-brown hair that flew in all directions, freckles, and a pair of red glasses that clashed with her hair.
"Yes, it's our first year too. I'm dreadfully nervous," Gwen added, almost as an afterthought.
"I wonder what the Sorting will be like," Daphne ventured after an awkward silence.
"I don't know. I don't care what House I'm in, so long as it's not Slytherin." Julie grimaced while Gwen and Daphne nodded gravely.
"What's so bad about Slytherin?" Laney blurted out. Of course she had heard vague stories about how You-Know-Who had come from Slytherin, and that for the most part they were a bad lot, but as her mother had been in Ravenclaw and her father in Hufflepuff, and neither talked much about their school days, she didn't feel it was fair to condemn one House based on rumors.
"What do you mean 'What's wrong with Slytherin?' It's the worst House, that's what. Everyone knows that the Slytherins are a bad lot," Julie said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Laney knew she should let the matter drop, but she'd always had a slightly rebellious streak that made her take an inane pleasure in arguing.
"But they can't all be bad, can they? Or else they wouldn't still have Slytherin. Everyone that got sorted there would simply be chucked out of the school, wouldn't they?" Perhaps sensing an argument between the two girls, Daphne quickly interjected.
"Of course, I'm not so sure about Gryffindor either. That's the one Harry Potter's in, and my mum and dad told me he's dangerous. They almost didn't let me come to school!"
"Rubbish." Stated Gwen matter-of-factly. "My father works for the Daily Prophet. He says that everyone there's just writing whatever they're told to by the Ministry." Somehow when Gwen disagreed with someone, it never came out offensive, but whenever Laney had a view that differed from someone else's, they instantly disliked her. It was one of the reasons Laney let Gwen talk for both of them so often. Gwen always knew just what to say, and she was so sweet that everyone ended up liking her. Laney, on the other hand, was miserable at introductions and at 'small talk' conversations in general.
"Still, I wish I could have come last year, you know, during the Triwizard Tournament," Daphne said. This started a lively conversation of the events they had all heard about over the past year, and each discussed their speculations about whether You-Know-Who had really returned or if Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore were just crazy. Even Laney ventured an opinion or two. All four girls, though Julie rather reluctantly so, decided that it was probably safer, if nothing else, to assume that You- Know-Who had indeed returned.
Their debate lasted the entire train ride, by the end of which all four girls were hoping that they'd end up in the same House.
"Stay close to me Laney!" Gwen said as they made their way off the train. Laney was just a little pleased to hear a note of anxiety in Gwen's voice.
Clutching each other's hands, they waited with Julie and Daphne for instructions on what to do.
"First years line up please! All first years to me!" called a loud voice. As one, the four girls turned to see a woman calling above the din of the crowd.
"Who's she?" Laney asked out loud, but Gwen could only shrug since she didn't know either.
They followed a crowd of other first years to where the woman was standing.
"Hello first years, and welcome to Hogwarts. I'm Professor Grubbly-Planks. If you will please get into the boats, they will take you to the castle," listening to the woman's brisk tone, Gwen and Laney exchanged glances before climbing into one of the little boats at the edge of a large lake.
There was a collective gasp among the students as Hogwarts came into view. At the sight of the brightly lit school, Laney felt a little excited, rather than simply scared, for the first time since she and Gwen had received their letters.
"It's beautiful!" sighed Gwen. Laney could only nod in mute agreement.
The boats reached the shore and Professor Grubbly-Plank led the students up to the front of the castle and knocked on the door briskly. The door was opened by a stern looking woman with a thin line for a mouth. Yet she smiled, in a way, as she surveyed the children.
"The first years, Minerva."
"Thank you Wilhelmina." the woman replied.
"Any time, good luck first years," Professor Grubbly-Plank called as she walked back down the steps.
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall." The woman spoke as she ushered them into the entrance hall. "The banquet will begin shortly, but first, of course, you must all be sorted into your Houses –"as Professor McGonagall continued, Laney got the impression that she had memorized a welcoming speech which she probably repeated almost every year. She went on to explain how each House was like a family, had its own noble history, and competed in the House Cup. Somehow this didn't seem quite right to Laney; the students were divided up and then pitted against each other?
'Stop it! Hogwarts has been around for thousands of years! Smarter people than you organized it!' she scolded herself.
"Wait here for a moment, please," Professor McGonagall instructed before disappearing through two large doors.
"Oh I wish it was over with," Gwen muttered under her breath. Laney couldn't help but agree. Minutes passed, though they felt like a century, before Professor McGonagall returned.
"Follow me please," she said, and led them into the Great Hall, filled with older students. Above, the ceiling showed a star filled night. At the front of the Hall a table filled with teachers watched with mixed degrees of interest. A peculiar feeling, something akin to panic, filled Laney and she struggled to control her breathing and not turn and run away as fast as her legs would carry her. After a moment she realized everyone was staring at something. Following their gaze, she saw an old, battered wizard's hat sitting on a stool. The entire hall was quiet, as though waiting for something. Laney realized what when the hat suddenly began to sing.
She watched, captivated, along with everybody else in the hall. The hat's song was a little depressing and slightly confusing as Laney wasn't entirely familiar with Hogwarts' entire history. As the hat began to echo Laney's earlier thoughts, about how the school mustn't be divided amongst themselves, she couldn't help but feel a little more justified about them. Then the hat finished its song and everyone clapped politely, though Laney heard whispers around the room. Apparently this song was a little unusual for the Sorting Hat.
"Now, then I call your name, I would like each of you to come and put on the Sorting Hat, which will then tell what House to put you in," The idea of being sorted with the entire school watching made her feel faint, and the panicky feeling increased. Judging by the nervous looks of the people around her, she wasn't the only one who wished it could have been done in private. But there was nothing they could do; Professor McGonagall held up a list and began to call out names.
"Abercrombie, Euan" a pale boy stepped forward, and with shaking hands placed the hat on his head. A few moments passed and then-
"Gryffindor!" the hat cried out. Everyone clapped and those at the Gryffindor table cheered. After waiting for the room to quiet down again, Professor McGonagall continued.
"Arriman, Gwendolyn" Laney gave her hand a tight squeeze as Gwen walked quickly up to the stool and put on the hat. Laney crossed her fingers, though she didn't know what to hope for.
"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted again, and again everyone clapped. Gwen hopped off the stool, looking pleased, and waved to Laney. Seeing Gwen get through it helped to calm Laney's nerves, especially since she now knew what House she'd be in.
"Arriman, Helaine" as though in a dream, Laney approached the stool and put on the hat, hoping her hands weren't shaking as badly as Euan's had. To her surprise, she heard a voice in her mind say,
"My, you are a difficult one..." Laney was startled at this; surely it mean to put her in Gryffindor; how different from Gwen could she be?
"More different than you know..." the hat said again. Laney frowned, and waited for it to hurry up and sort her. "Let's see...a hard worker, but a good mind too. You could do well in any of the Houses..."
'Just put me where I belong!' thought Laney desperately as the faces watching her became curious since the hat was taking so long. Still the Hat was silent for awhile longer before saying, "Yes...I understand now...Slytherin!" Several emotions swept through Laney. The first was relief as she set the hat back on the stool. The second was shock as she took in what the Hat had just said.
"But...but..." she stammered, slowly walking towards the Slytherin table in a kind of horrified trance. She looked over to where Gwen was sitting, her mouth open in surprise. As she passed by, Laney heard Julie whisper,
"And she seemed so nice on the train!" to Daphne. Feeling herself start to blush, Laney couldn't help feeling slightly indignant. What was wrong with Slytherin anyway? Hadn't they listened to the Sorting Hat's song?
Trying to curtail a feeling of misery, Laney took a seat next to a tall blonde boy and tried to smile in a friendly fashion, though at this she failed miserably. Laney was in such a daze that she almost didn't hear Daphne being put in Ravenclaw and Julie being sent to Hufflepuff. However, she was able to watch, with curiosity, the Headmaster stand up to talk to the students. Laney felt a little relieved; her father and mother had always spoken most highly of Dumbledore, and she was rather annoyed when he was interrupted by one of the new teachers; a rather ugly looking woman in Laney's opinion. The woman stood up as well and began to speak, and at first Laney tried to pay attention. When she realized that the woman was droning on about some nonsense-or-other, Laney's thoughts and attention returned to her present situation.
Looking around the table, Laney had to admit that most of the other Slytherins didn't appear too friendly. Well, at least she still had Gwen...and Alanna. Suddenly Laney missed her cat fiercely. 'Wish she'd shut up so we can to bed' she thought as she glanced back at the woman. She didn't even care about the feast, having lost her appetite after her sorting.
Finally the woman sat down and Dumbledore was able to finish his own quick speech. Food appeared on the plates and amidst the talking and laughing students; Laney nibbled at the food and sat apart from the rest of the Slytherins. By the end of the feast Laney was so tired that she barely noted the way to the Slytherins' dorm rooms. The pale blonde boy she'd sat next to explained about the passwords.
"Finite mortis," he spoke to a section of the wall they'd walked to, and a door appeared instead of the gray wall. The common room was too dark for Laney's taste, and she trudged up the stairs leading to her dormitory behind four other first year girls. The others eyed Laney suspiciously, but she ignored them and quietly got into bed. To her delight, Alanna was already curled up next to the pillow and her purring quickly lulled Laney to sleep. Though not entirely unpleasant, it was not the ending she had pictured for her first night at Hogwarts.
Chapter Three
New Friends and Potions
All reviews/comments are welcome, though as I already have chapter Three written, no major plot changes will be made. (probably) Thanks,
-Luna Sealeaf
Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter, or any of its characters. While most of the plot is my own, only a few of the characters are of my original creation and even they are based on the world created by J.K. Rowling. As I am making no profit off of this, the sole purpose being only to amuse (and bide us over until the next book comes out), please do not sue me.
Summary: Helaine Arriman's first year at Hogwarts will be nothing like what she imagined.
Rating: PG
The Arriman Files
Chapter Two
Slytherin House
"Now are you sure you know what to do? I can explain one more time if you like –"
"Mum, we'll be fine! Right Laney?" Gwen poked Laney in the ribs to get her attention.
"Right, fine," she muttered as she stared at the barrier to platform nine and three quarters.
"Have a good term girls. I'll see you at Christmas," Mr. Arriman hugged Gwen, then Laney, goodbye.
"Be careful girls! Stay out of trouble! And avoid...that boy!" Mrs. Arriman called as Gwen and Laney, pushing their loaded trolleys in front of them, walked towards the barrier calmly. Behind them, they could hear their father say,
"Maredyth, how many times have I told you? There's nothing wrong with Harry Potter, it's the Ministry –"and then they had gone through and were staring at the Hogwarts Express in awe.
"Hurry Laney or all the seats'll be taken!" Gwen exclaimed after the train whistled; warning that it would soon leave. Laney followed her sister silently. Quickly they loaded their luggage on board and then began to walk through the crowded train.
"Gwen, do you think we'll be in the same House?" Laney asked quietly, trying to keep up with her sister.
"What? Oh, of course we will! We're twins, aren't we?" Gwen replied distractedly as they walked by compartment after compartment, all of which were filled with students. Just before the train was about to take off Gwen stopped in front of a compartment with two girls sitting inside.
"Hello, are those seats taken?" Gwen asked, indicating the bench opposite the two girls.
"No, you can sit there," the girl by the window said with a smile. She had shoulder length blonde hair that was pulled back in a tight ponytail and dark green eyes that glinted in the light.
"Thanks, everywhere else is so crowded. I'm Gwendolyn-Gwen for short- Arriman, and this is my sister Helaine, but we call her Laney,"
"Hello," Laney added, wishing she had a different nickname. Gwen had called her Laney since they were babies, and it had stuck.
"I'm Daphne Gentry, nice to meet you," said the blonde girl, smiling at them again.
"And I'm Julie Winlow. Is this your first year also?" the girl next to Daphne had curly reddish-brown hair that flew in all directions, freckles, and a pair of red glasses that clashed with her hair.
"Yes, it's our first year too. I'm dreadfully nervous," Gwen added, almost as an afterthought.
"I wonder what the Sorting will be like," Daphne ventured after an awkward silence.
"I don't know. I don't care what House I'm in, so long as it's not Slytherin." Julie grimaced while Gwen and Daphne nodded gravely.
"What's so bad about Slytherin?" Laney blurted out. Of course she had heard vague stories about how You-Know-Who had come from Slytherin, and that for the most part they were a bad lot, but as her mother had been in Ravenclaw and her father in Hufflepuff, and neither talked much about their school days, she didn't feel it was fair to condemn one House based on rumors.
"What do you mean 'What's wrong with Slytherin?' It's the worst House, that's what. Everyone knows that the Slytherins are a bad lot," Julie said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Laney knew she should let the matter drop, but she'd always had a slightly rebellious streak that made her take an inane pleasure in arguing.
"But they can't all be bad, can they? Or else they wouldn't still have Slytherin. Everyone that got sorted there would simply be chucked out of the school, wouldn't they?" Perhaps sensing an argument between the two girls, Daphne quickly interjected.
"Of course, I'm not so sure about Gryffindor either. That's the one Harry Potter's in, and my mum and dad told me he's dangerous. They almost didn't let me come to school!"
"Rubbish." Stated Gwen matter-of-factly. "My father works for the Daily Prophet. He says that everyone there's just writing whatever they're told to by the Ministry." Somehow when Gwen disagreed with someone, it never came out offensive, but whenever Laney had a view that differed from someone else's, they instantly disliked her. It was one of the reasons Laney let Gwen talk for both of them so often. Gwen always knew just what to say, and she was so sweet that everyone ended up liking her. Laney, on the other hand, was miserable at introductions and at 'small talk' conversations in general.
"Still, I wish I could have come last year, you know, during the Triwizard Tournament," Daphne said. This started a lively conversation of the events they had all heard about over the past year, and each discussed their speculations about whether You-Know-Who had really returned or if Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore were just crazy. Even Laney ventured an opinion or two. All four girls, though Julie rather reluctantly so, decided that it was probably safer, if nothing else, to assume that You- Know-Who had indeed returned.
Their debate lasted the entire train ride, by the end of which all four girls were hoping that they'd end up in the same House.
"Stay close to me Laney!" Gwen said as they made their way off the train. Laney was just a little pleased to hear a note of anxiety in Gwen's voice.
Clutching each other's hands, they waited with Julie and Daphne for instructions on what to do.
"First years line up please! All first years to me!" called a loud voice. As one, the four girls turned to see a woman calling above the din of the crowd.
"Who's she?" Laney asked out loud, but Gwen could only shrug since she didn't know either.
They followed a crowd of other first years to where the woman was standing.
"Hello first years, and welcome to Hogwarts. I'm Professor Grubbly-Planks. If you will please get into the boats, they will take you to the castle," listening to the woman's brisk tone, Gwen and Laney exchanged glances before climbing into one of the little boats at the edge of a large lake.
There was a collective gasp among the students as Hogwarts came into view. At the sight of the brightly lit school, Laney felt a little excited, rather than simply scared, for the first time since she and Gwen had received their letters.
"It's beautiful!" sighed Gwen. Laney could only nod in mute agreement.
The boats reached the shore and Professor Grubbly-Plank led the students up to the front of the castle and knocked on the door briskly. The door was opened by a stern looking woman with a thin line for a mouth. Yet she smiled, in a way, as she surveyed the children.
"The first years, Minerva."
"Thank you Wilhelmina." the woman replied.
"Any time, good luck first years," Professor Grubbly-Plank called as she walked back down the steps.
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall." The woman spoke as she ushered them into the entrance hall. "The banquet will begin shortly, but first, of course, you must all be sorted into your Houses –"as Professor McGonagall continued, Laney got the impression that she had memorized a welcoming speech which she probably repeated almost every year. She went on to explain how each House was like a family, had its own noble history, and competed in the House Cup. Somehow this didn't seem quite right to Laney; the students were divided up and then pitted against each other?
'Stop it! Hogwarts has been around for thousands of years! Smarter people than you organized it!' she scolded herself.
"Wait here for a moment, please," Professor McGonagall instructed before disappearing through two large doors.
"Oh I wish it was over with," Gwen muttered under her breath. Laney couldn't help but agree. Minutes passed, though they felt like a century, before Professor McGonagall returned.
"Follow me please," she said, and led them into the Great Hall, filled with older students. Above, the ceiling showed a star filled night. At the front of the Hall a table filled with teachers watched with mixed degrees of interest. A peculiar feeling, something akin to panic, filled Laney and she struggled to control her breathing and not turn and run away as fast as her legs would carry her. After a moment she realized everyone was staring at something. Following their gaze, she saw an old, battered wizard's hat sitting on a stool. The entire hall was quiet, as though waiting for something. Laney realized what when the hat suddenly began to sing.
She watched, captivated, along with everybody else in the hall. The hat's song was a little depressing and slightly confusing as Laney wasn't entirely familiar with Hogwarts' entire history. As the hat began to echo Laney's earlier thoughts, about how the school mustn't be divided amongst themselves, she couldn't help but feel a little more justified about them. Then the hat finished its song and everyone clapped politely, though Laney heard whispers around the room. Apparently this song was a little unusual for the Sorting Hat.
"Now, then I call your name, I would like each of you to come and put on the Sorting Hat, which will then tell what House to put you in," The idea of being sorted with the entire school watching made her feel faint, and the panicky feeling increased. Judging by the nervous looks of the people around her, she wasn't the only one who wished it could have been done in private. But there was nothing they could do; Professor McGonagall held up a list and began to call out names.
"Abercrombie, Euan" a pale boy stepped forward, and with shaking hands placed the hat on his head. A few moments passed and then-
"Gryffindor!" the hat cried out. Everyone clapped and those at the Gryffindor table cheered. After waiting for the room to quiet down again, Professor McGonagall continued.
"Arriman, Gwendolyn" Laney gave her hand a tight squeeze as Gwen walked quickly up to the stool and put on the hat. Laney crossed her fingers, though she didn't know what to hope for.
"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted again, and again everyone clapped. Gwen hopped off the stool, looking pleased, and waved to Laney. Seeing Gwen get through it helped to calm Laney's nerves, especially since she now knew what House she'd be in.
"Arriman, Helaine" as though in a dream, Laney approached the stool and put on the hat, hoping her hands weren't shaking as badly as Euan's had. To her surprise, she heard a voice in her mind say,
"My, you are a difficult one..." Laney was startled at this; surely it mean to put her in Gryffindor; how different from Gwen could she be?
"More different than you know..." the hat said again. Laney frowned, and waited for it to hurry up and sort her. "Let's see...a hard worker, but a good mind too. You could do well in any of the Houses..."
'Just put me where I belong!' thought Laney desperately as the faces watching her became curious since the hat was taking so long. Still the Hat was silent for awhile longer before saying, "Yes...I understand now...Slytherin!" Several emotions swept through Laney. The first was relief as she set the hat back on the stool. The second was shock as she took in what the Hat had just said.
"But...but..." she stammered, slowly walking towards the Slytherin table in a kind of horrified trance. She looked over to where Gwen was sitting, her mouth open in surprise. As she passed by, Laney heard Julie whisper,
"And she seemed so nice on the train!" to Daphne. Feeling herself start to blush, Laney couldn't help feeling slightly indignant. What was wrong with Slytherin anyway? Hadn't they listened to the Sorting Hat's song?
Trying to curtail a feeling of misery, Laney took a seat next to a tall blonde boy and tried to smile in a friendly fashion, though at this she failed miserably. Laney was in such a daze that she almost didn't hear Daphne being put in Ravenclaw and Julie being sent to Hufflepuff. However, she was able to watch, with curiosity, the Headmaster stand up to talk to the students. Laney felt a little relieved; her father and mother had always spoken most highly of Dumbledore, and she was rather annoyed when he was interrupted by one of the new teachers; a rather ugly looking woman in Laney's opinion. The woman stood up as well and began to speak, and at first Laney tried to pay attention. When she realized that the woman was droning on about some nonsense-or-other, Laney's thoughts and attention returned to her present situation.
Looking around the table, Laney had to admit that most of the other Slytherins didn't appear too friendly. Well, at least she still had Gwen...and Alanna. Suddenly Laney missed her cat fiercely. 'Wish she'd shut up so we can to bed' she thought as she glanced back at the woman. She didn't even care about the feast, having lost her appetite after her sorting.
Finally the woman sat down and Dumbledore was able to finish his own quick speech. Food appeared on the plates and amidst the talking and laughing students; Laney nibbled at the food and sat apart from the rest of the Slytherins. By the end of the feast Laney was so tired that she barely noted the way to the Slytherins' dorm rooms. The pale blonde boy she'd sat next to explained about the passwords.
"Finite mortis," he spoke to a section of the wall they'd walked to, and a door appeared instead of the gray wall. The common room was too dark for Laney's taste, and she trudged up the stairs leading to her dormitory behind four other first year girls. The others eyed Laney suspiciously, but she ignored them and quietly got into bed. To her delight, Alanna was already curled up next to the pillow and her purring quickly lulled Laney to sleep. Though not entirely unpleasant, it was not the ending she had pictured for her first night at Hogwarts.
Chapter Three
New Friends and Potions
All reviews/comments are welcome, though as I already have chapter Three written, no major plot changes will be made. (probably) Thanks,
-Luna Sealeaf