Disclaimer: All disclaimers apply. I own nothing that belongs to our hero, J.K.
Note to readers: I hope this chapter is long enough for you! I am really sorry about the shortness of chapter four, but it was such a good place to stop… Oh well, I hope this makes up for it.
Oh, and I'd like to inform you of something else, I have no idea what ships will be in this fic. For you people out there unfamiliar with fanfiction jargon, what I mean by "ships" is the relationships (Relationships? Ships? Get it?) such as Harry/Hermi or Ron/Hermi that we find so common in fanfics. So don't get your hopes up, or come after me with torches and pitchforks. I guess you could say that I don't know "where my loyalties lie"(I know, it's a bad Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone quote…). But by chapter thirteen or fourteen, (yes, I've planned out that far) I'll have a poll up for you readers to decide what ships should be in this fic.
And once again, more personal thank yous and notes:
To Lindsay ) – I really hope the chapters keep getting better and better, or I'll probably be in trouble with you readers. I can't wait for the next chapter of your fanfic and I promise to send you a fanart pic of Harry as soon as my scanner decides to start working again… Thanks again for your reviews!
To CloudChick – I will keep writing gosh darn it! And none of you can stop me! (Okay, I know that sounded really stupid, but it was fun.) See you in the message boards!
To Michelle ) – I love it when people tell me that they love this fanfic. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something worthwhile. So thank you, because just a few words can change someone's view of everything. We all love HP fan fiction so we might see what else is brewing in the depths of Hogwarts… (Sorry, I'm getting a little too poetic.)
To Mira Zareel – Thank you sooooooo much for liking my fanfic. It's a great compliment hearing praises from such a great writer like you. I can't wait for the next chapter of "Learning to Breathe". I love that fic so, so much. Your originality is amazing and I can't wait to read more.
To Feather – YAAY!!! You finally reviewed my fanfic! I was worried you never would… sweatdrops Silly me… How could I doubt you?… I hope the "cliffie" wasn't too bad. I wouldn't want to leave you in suspense (yeah right). I'm glad you think this is an original story, but I'm not that sure. I've found a sickening amount of "Heir of Voldemort" stories, and I hope this fic won't turn out like most of them. I'm not worrying about the Mary Sue thing too much anymore, cause I retook the Mary Sue test after long and tedious planning of the story and character work and - drum roll please - I PASSED!!! Rouge's isn't a Mary Sue!!! So, as you can see, I'm happy. I hope to see more writing from you soon!
To CaptinNobody – Wow… You reviewed my fanfic… Frankly, I'm amazed. I was sure you'd look down on it with disgust because it's a Harry Potter fic, but no, you gave it a good review. Alyssa, you never fail to amaze me… I really like your two little fics (anime is funny…) and I hope you write more "Stupid Anime-Related Things To Do During School". Those are great (I'm sure we've both done a few. Teeheehee…). I'll keep writing, I can promise you that.
To Kiota – I love your review. Short and to the point, but still positive. I'll keep writing as long as the readers like you keep reading.
To Draco (Valgaavsan) ) – OH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I'm so happy you read my fanfic, and it's such a wonderful compliment that you like it. I could never write spurt of the moment, I just can't. It's not right for "more-than-one-chapter-long" fanfics. I'll continue writing it, I promise! Please keep reading! I'll be online almost all the time during winter break and I hope to spend quite a lot of it RPing with you and Ashley.
To DarkenedSunrise7 – Thanks for liking my fanfic. And I'm glad to know that someone reads my profile on Neopets. I was starting to think no one did…
To Purple Ink – Thanks, I just randomly chose the name Rouge while in an RPG one day. And don't worry, Lord Voldemort will eventually get his… maybe… oh I don't know… Oh, well. Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
Thank you everyone for all the reviews! I've gotten twenty-one so far and I love them all! You're all so kind for always encouraging me to keep writing and I will keep writing. Really. You can count on it.
Chapter 5: An Unlikely Heir of Slytherin
Pushing all her weight behind it, Rouge opened one of the giant, oak front doors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her trunk floated beside her like an obedient dog, an aura of levitation spells and charms around it. September 1st had finally arrived, and Rouge had arrived in Hogsmede by portkey earlier that afternoon. The setting sun's brilliant, glowing light hit the doors as Rouge closed them behind her. It was almost nightfall and the school held no students yet, except for one and her trunk.
Rouge walked across the flagged stone floor of the Entrance Hall, going through a doorway to the left at the top of the staircase, and down the long main corridor, trying to feel as though she knew where she was going. Though despite her efforts, after a few minutes of hopeful wandering, she felt utterly lost. After another few minutes, a tall, strict-looking woman with her hair done in a tight bun turned a corner from another entranceway and walked into the long corridor. Rouge seized the opportunity and ran over to the woman calling out, "Excuse me? Prof—...Professor?" She struggled with the word, as 'Professeur' had immediately came to mind, and the English felt awkward on her tongue.
Professor McGonagall looked up from the piece of parchment she had been reading and stared at Rouge with surprise.
"Yes? May I help you?" she answered, blinking at Rouge.
"Would you please tell me where the Headmaster's office is?" Rouge asked with forced politeness.
Professor McGonagall blinked again and, without answering Rouge's question, asked, "And why do you need to see the Headmaster? The train can't possibly have arrived yet..."
"I'm a new transfer student and I arrived early to sort out some last minute details with the Headmaster, as was his instructions," Rouge replied quickly.
Professor McGonagall blinked once again then nodded, still looking at Rouge in a curious manner. "Yes... oh, yes, of course. His office is down this corridor, up the staircase to the second floor, down the empty corridor and behind the stone gargoyle. The password is 'Sugar Quills'."
"Thank you, Professor—..." Rouge said, smiling weakly, forcing her tongue to move around the title of authority, though she trailed off, prompting the Professor for her name.
"McGonagall," she finished for Rouge, and recited her résumé as a method of formal introduction, "I'm the Deputy Headmistress, Transfiguration Professor, and Head of Gryffindor House."
Rouge nodded as though she understood. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall. I shall see you in class." And Rouge walked down the corridor without another word, leaving a nonplussed Professor McGonagall muttering to herself, "Now, that couldn't have been her..."
"Sugar Quills," Rouge commanded, feeling a bit silly and uncertain, hoping that the information Professor McGonagall had given her was correct, but then the gargoyle leapt aside, revealing a moving spiral-staircase, spiraling steadily upwards. Rouge stepped onto the first step and let it carry her spiraling up, her trunk still floating behind her. She knocked on the gleaming oak door at the top of the staircase with the griffin-shaped brass knocker, and heard a faint, "Come in," from inside.
The door opened and Rouge stood timidly in the doorway as she stared around the circular office, waiting for permission to come forward, as it was proper Beauxbatons manners.
She didn't have to wait long. "Come in, miss, and sit down," Professor Dumbledore said kindly as he gestured to the chair in front of his claw-footed desk. Reluctantly, Rouge stepped forward and made what would have brought an onlooker to think was a heroic effort to cross the room, and she sat down. Her trunk waited at the door.
"Now, who are you, my dear girl?" Professor Dumbledore asked. "I don't believe I've seen you around the school before—"
"You haven't," Rouge finished for him, somewhat forgetting her Beauxbatons manners in her increasing nervousness. "I'm a new transfer student."
"Ah, yes. The student from Beauxbatons," Professor Dumbledore said leaning back in his chair. "We received word of you a couple weeks ago."
Rouge nodded quietly.
"Before we get started," Dumbledore said slowly, "what is your name?"
Rouge wasn't quite sure why he asked this. He must have received her name along with the rest of her information, but Rouge answered obediently, "My name is Rouge Rid—"
She faltered as Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair, his blue eyes twinkling. Rouge got a strong feeling that she shouldn't use her real name, no matter how her father felt about it, or even her mother. It would be far too suspicious, especially to the ears of Albus Dumbledore.
Rouge continued, "Rouge Magie." This wasn't completely untrue. 'Magie' was her mother's surname. Why shouldn't Rouge use it? She always had. Professor Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his blue eyes still twinkling.
"...Red magic," he repeated. Apparently he knew French. "Quite a beautiful name."
"Thank you, sir," Rouge said, staring down at the floor, avoiding Dumbledore's eyes. They gave her the unnerving sensation that her knew more than he claimed to. That he knew all about her... all her secrets...
There was an awkward silence suddenly broken by Dumbledore. "You have quite the English accent for a Beauxbatons student."
"English is a fairly easy language to learn with enough motivation. I had to take lessons, of course, and maman encouraged me to use it at home, even as a young child, so it was like I grew up leaning both languages," Rouge explained on reaction. "I stayed in England all summer, since part of my family is English..." Rouge's voice trailed off as she realized she had said too much. But was it really too much? How could he possibly know?
Professor Dumbledore acted as though he didn't hear anything strange as he reached into his desk and pulled out some pieces of parchment that were covered in emerald, calligraphic writing. He read them for a few minutes in silence then said, "Your classes have already been decided, all your papers are in order, for permission to go to Hogsmeade and the like... but you still need to be sorted."
Rouge looked up. "Sorted?"
"Sorted into your house," Dumbledore said matter-of-factly.
Rouge stared blankly at Dumbledore, but said nothing. The phrase "sorted into your house" meant nothing to her.
He continued, "You can be sorted with the first years at the Start-of-Term feast, or sorted here. You may decide."
"Here please," Rouge answered a little more quickly than she had intended. "I wouldn't want to make a spectacle of myself..."
"Perfectly understandable," Dumbledore said as he got up from his desk and walked over to one of the many bookshelves to the side of his desk. He picked up an old and battered wizard hat and continued, "I'll simply place this hat on your head and it will say in which house you belong. Either Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin."
The last thing Rouge saw before the brim of the sorting hat fell over her eyes were Dumbledore's eyes twinkling at her, all his wisdom behind the sparkling blue. Rouge folded her hands neatly in her lap and she heard a small voice in her ear.
"Hmm... this shan't be too difficult. A good mind, yes, and put to good use when you're motivated... And a hard, dedicated worker when it suits you, though fickle... But you're ambitious and self-preserving, and even more importantly, the newest Heir of Slytherin has come to Hogwarts. There's no doubt where to put you."
Slytherin? Rouge thought. The name sounded familiar. Isn't that Father's old house?
"Of course," the hat said airily, "he was probably the greatest Slytherin since Salazar himself. He was his heir after all..."
But I don'twant to be like Father.
"You can hide it from the world, Rouge, but you can't hide it from me. It is who you are."
No, Rouge thought firmly, her neatly folded hands now clenched into fists, I refuse to become a Slytherin, family or not.
"Ah... a rebellious one," The hat said thoughtfully. "That's a Gryffindor quality-"
Fine, Rouge interrupted, put me there.
"Are you sure?" The hat asked as though it were taunting her. "You're father won't be too pleased, him with him Slytherin pride and all..."
JUST PUT ME IN GRYFFINDOR! Rouge thoughts screamed in her head.
"Well, if you're sure... It's your choice," The hat said in Rouge's ear, then yelled aloud, "GRYFFINDOR!"
"Gryffindor," Dumbledore repeated fondly as he set the sorting hat back on the bookshelf. "A fine house. I'm glad to see we have yet another student to help Gryffindor win the house cup for the fifth year in a row."
"Yes, sir," Rouge replied tonelessly.
Dumbledore pulled a pocket watch from his cloak and stared at it for a moment. "Well, the Start-of-Term feast will start shortly. I shall escort you-"
"Er, excuse me, sir?" Rouge interrupted timidly.
"Yes, Miss Magie?"
"Would you terribly mind if I would just go to the dormitories? I need to unpack and…"
Dumbledore nodded. "No, not at all. That's quite all right, you may go to your dormitory. The Gryffindor common room is through the Entrance Hall, up about five staircases, though doors hidden by sliding panels, hanging tapestries, and such, and, on the seventh floor, is behind the oil painting of the lady in a pink silk dress. The password is 'Skinned Shrivelfigs'." Dumbledore smiled warmly as though this were insanely simple. "I'm sure you'll find it."
"Thank you, sir," Rouge thanked him as she got up from her chair and walked toward the door. Dumbledore chivalrously opened it for her and they rode down the staircase together with Rouge's trunk floating behind them.
As they reached the parting of their ways, Rouge bid Dumbledore goodbye, turned, and walked down the corridor.
Dumbledore watched Rouge walk swiftly down the corridor until she and her trunk were just a flicker of movement in the distance and said to himself as he walked towards the Great Hall, "Goodbye, Rouge Riddle."