Section 4.
"15 steps forward, 2 back."
By OldScout
Professor Sprout – Hufflepuff Professor Minerva McGonagall – Gryffindor Professor Filius Flitwick – Ravenclaw Professor Severus Snape Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
The lake shimmered dark blue with brilliant streaks of yellow, orange and red reflected from the cloudless sky and the setting sun. Hogwarts castle stood on a hill on the far side of the lake dominating everything around it. Dawn took in the picturesque setting before turning to watch the other students crowd the platform as they waited for transportation to the castle.
"Firs' years! Firs' years!" A large man with a shaggy brown beard and long hair called out to the students. "Firs' years to the boats!" He saw the only two not wearing Wizarding robes and approached. "Ah, ye must be Miss Summers and Miss Burkle." He introduced himself. "I'm Hagrid, grounds keeper and Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore told me ta' be on the look for ya."
"Hi, I'm Dawn." Dawn shook the giant man's hand and that's Fred." She indicated Fred who had wondered off to inspect something at the far end of the platform.
"Pleased ta' meet ya." Hagrid said looking at Fred. "Not much of an attention span, huh?"
"You have no idea." Dawn replied.
"Well your bags will be taken up to the castle and there's a carriage waiting for ya with the older students." Hagrid pointed to where the other students were heading.
"Thanks, Hagrid." Dawn smiled.
As Hagrid wondered off to get the rest of the students moving, Harry Potter came up. "Hey Dawn, how's it going?"
"This is really beautiful." Dawn replied as she looked at the sunset and the countryside around the small train station. She looked at him. "You never came back to the compartment. Were you ashamed to be riding with a couple of muggles?" Dawn knew it was probably not the case, but wanted to jab him for causing that Malfoy jerk to show up.
"What, no. Not at all." Harry cringed. "Ron and I just got to talking with some of the team about Quidditch and before we knew it, we were here."
"Who's Quididtch?"
Harry laughed. "Not who, what. It's a sport."
"What kind of sport?"
"It's played on broom sticks; I guess it's a little like football."
"You mean flying broom sticks?"
Harry nodded.
"Stereotype much?"
"What?"
"Nothing, so how are we getting to the castle?"
"Carriages." Harry pointed to the line up of carriages ahead of them.
"Of Course."
"Why would creatures like those be used to escort the students?" Fred asked coming up behind the pair.
"You can see the Thestrals?"
"You mean the winged horses? Yea. Aren't we supposed to?" Dawn replied.
"Only somebody who has seen or experienced death first hand can see Thestrals." Harry said. "Most students think the carriages a propelled magically."
"You saw somebody die?" Dawn asked.
"I've lost some friends to the Dark Lord." Harry replied quietly. "And you?"
"More than you could imagine." Dawn admitted just as quietly.
"Hey, Dawn, Harry." Hermione said from behind the trio as she and Ron rushed up to meet them.
"Did you hear?" Ron said as they approached. "Malfoy's still on the train. He's making big deal about you hitting him. Say's you and Hermione jumped him in the train, broke his nose and stole his wand."
"Why would he include you?" Dawn asked Hermione.
"Because he's a stupid git." Harry said.
"Because he doesn't want to admit he could be taken by a muggle girl?" Hermione theorized.
"I guess I don't really care what he says." Dawn said.
"But you and Hermione could get expelled if people believe him." Harry stated. "Of course you probably don't care since you don't really belong here anyway but what would Hermione do?"
"Don't worry." Dawn smiled. "Fred was there, she'll be a witness." Dawn watched the others relax at the reminder that an adult had been present.
Big deal. Hermione thought. There was something strange about Fred. She seemed nice enough most of the time but every once in a while she thought she saw the woman change; her demeanor, tone of voice, the way she held her body all reminded her of a different person. Don't forget about the odd things she said like "droplets of magic", what was that all about, and offering to show Dawn how to kill somebody, not to mention Dawn's "be nice" comment. There was something strange about Fred and she was going to find out what was going on.
--
After an oddly quiet ride to the school, Dawn and Fred found themselves with the rest of the students in the great hall; a beautiful large dining room with a ceiling charmed to reflect the weather outside. The school was now performing something called the Sorting Ceremony where a magical hat decided which dormitory a new student would be assigned to for his or her career at Hogwarts. Finally, after sorting a student named Iylene Seersmith there was some confusion and discussion on the platform and Headmaster Dubmledore and a witch who had been introduced as Professor McGonagal appeared to be having a disagreement over something. After several minutes, Professor McGonagl frowned at the Headmaster and appeared to accept what ever he was arguing about. She continued the ceremony without incident.
The only new student not sorted was Dawn Summers. Dawn and Fred sat with at the front of the dining at a guest table watching the proceedings. She was glad she wasn't sorted; there was something about that hat that made her not want to put on her head. She didn't even want to consider what it would do about Illyria.
"Before we continue with the feast." Dumbledore said as he stood up to address the student body. "We have two special guests with us this year." He indicated Dawn and Fred. "Dawn Summers and Winifred Burkle."
At the mentions of their names, the two women waved to the students. Dawn gave half a smile and left lifted her hand in a non-enthusiastic wave. Fred stood and smiled, and waived enthusiastically to the students. "Hi ya, all."
"Miss Summers and Miss Burkle are muggles." Dumbledore said bluntly. "However, they work for an institution that deals with magical, occult, supernatural and other non-muggle matters. In an effort to open a relationship between their institute and the Wizarding world, the Ministry of Magic has requested we accept them here as part of an exchange program of sorts. Miss Summers will be taking classes mostly with seventh year students, while Miss Burkle will be conducting research and perhaps assisting in some classes where she has expertise such as DADA and Potions." Dumbledore turned to look at Snape with this last announcement and was pleased to be getting the 'glare'.
"Miss Summers," he turned to Dawn. "Since you are not a witch, you do not have to be sorted. We could place you in a house, in fact Professor McGonagall has already suggested you might do well in Gryffindor. You may choose to be sorted or select a house on your own."
Dawn stared at the strange pointed hat sitting on the stool. She could almost make out its face in the folds of the wrinkled old cloth. If she wasn't sorted, then it would set her even further apart from the rest of the students who she had to live with for the next nine month. If she was sorted, the apparently got into the wearer's mind, what would it see that nobody talked about. Even in private meetings of core Scooby gang. She stood and walked up the Dumbledore. "Does it tell you what it sees?" She asked quietly.
"Sometimes we talk about students." He replied. "Just so the staff knows who to watch out for. We really just have the students' best interests in mind."
"If I'm sorted," Dawn said very quietly. "You must guarantee nobody will talk to the hat about what it sees." She looked Dumbledore in the eyes. "Even you."
"Why not child?" Professor McGonagall asked after over hearing the request. This was such an odd request. Could one so young have such a fractured past? Of course she did grow up on the Hell Mouth with the Chosen One for a sister. She may have seen or done things most only do in their worst nightmares.
"You know enough about me to know I might have enemies." Dawn whispered to the two. "I don't know what that hat will see but what ever it sees it must not reveal to anybody."
"Very well." Professor McGonagall said. "But you could choose to not be sorted."
"I need to fit in as much as possible." Dawn replied. "This is a big part."
Professor Dumbledore stepped in front of the hat, blocking it from view of the rest of the students. As he did so, he pulled out his wand and whispered a spell. "Dissimulo." He picked up the hat and motioned for Dawn to have a seat of the stool.
The hat settled over Dawn's head the upper fold of the hat opened into tired old eyes as the shape of a nose formed when another large wrinkle near the bottom moved and formed into a frown. Its eyes narrowed as it sorted its wearer's traits but it said nothing.
Dawn wasn't sure what would happen when she put on the hat. At first there was nothing, just the sound of dining hall, the students talking and the professors whispering. Slowly the sounds around her faded and everything became quiet.
"Who are you?" A voice whispered in the back of her mind. Dawn could recognize the telepathy; it was the same feeling of voice she got when Willow did it.
"I'm Dawn Summers." She thought back.
"Is that all you are, just a name?" It asked softly.
"Names have meanings." Dawn replied in thought. "I am Oriens, the morning light and I am a Summers part of a family who loves me." She hated the old name, but it was who and what she was. "That's enough."
"The power that is in you is something only your companion can begin to understand. In time, if her weaknesses do not destroy her or you, she will show you how to find what you bare." The hat's tone was neither ominous nor menacing; it spoke very softly as parent might speak to a very young child. "You have so much to teach the people here you belong at the head table but I can not sort you there. Which house would you like to stay with while you're here? I understand Gryffindor has already offered an invitation. They are good students you would do well there."
"That would be fine." Dawn told the hat silently. "I know some of them already."
"May I reveal your decision?" The hat asked.
"Yes."
Professor Dumbledore watched Dawn with the hat. She sat perfectly still; eyes closed a very calm look on her face. He wondered what the hat was saying to her. Was it recounting her bravery fighting beside her sister? Was it reviewing her achievements in school? Perhaps it was looking at her apparent history with Wicca magic. What ever it was, he would never know.
After a long silence of reading the young student, the Sorting hat finally sang out in joy. "GRYFFINDOR!"
There was a smattering of applause throughout the room. Mostly from the Gryffindor table and led by Harry and Ron.
The doors to the great hall swung open allowing in Draco Malfoy and Madam Pomfrey into the great hall. The two approached the head table and spoke to Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore for several minutes. Dumbledore finally nodded and motioned toward the side entrance where Draco, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape headed.
"Before the feast begins." Dumbledore said to the room. "I just want to let the first years know and remind a few of the older students who apparently forget easily that the forbidden forest is well, forbidden. It is extremely dangerous and students are not to go there at any time. Can Miss Summers, Miss Burkle and Miss Granger please come forward." As the three got up for their seats, Dumbledore said. "Let's eat!" The tables were suddenly filled all types of food, meats vegetable, potatoes and every other kind of favorite food.
To be continued..................
"15 steps forward, 2 back."
By OldScout
Professor Sprout – Hufflepuff Professor Minerva McGonagall – Gryffindor Professor Filius Flitwick – Ravenclaw Professor Severus Snape Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
The lake shimmered dark blue with brilliant streaks of yellow, orange and red reflected from the cloudless sky and the setting sun. Hogwarts castle stood on a hill on the far side of the lake dominating everything around it. Dawn took in the picturesque setting before turning to watch the other students crowd the platform as they waited for transportation to the castle.
"Firs' years! Firs' years!" A large man with a shaggy brown beard and long hair called out to the students. "Firs' years to the boats!" He saw the only two not wearing Wizarding robes and approached. "Ah, ye must be Miss Summers and Miss Burkle." He introduced himself. "I'm Hagrid, grounds keeper and Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore told me ta' be on the look for ya."
"Hi, I'm Dawn." Dawn shook the giant man's hand and that's Fred." She indicated Fred who had wondered off to inspect something at the far end of the platform.
"Pleased ta' meet ya." Hagrid said looking at Fred. "Not much of an attention span, huh?"
"You have no idea." Dawn replied.
"Well your bags will be taken up to the castle and there's a carriage waiting for ya with the older students." Hagrid pointed to where the other students were heading.
"Thanks, Hagrid." Dawn smiled.
As Hagrid wondered off to get the rest of the students moving, Harry Potter came up. "Hey Dawn, how's it going?"
"This is really beautiful." Dawn replied as she looked at the sunset and the countryside around the small train station. She looked at him. "You never came back to the compartment. Were you ashamed to be riding with a couple of muggles?" Dawn knew it was probably not the case, but wanted to jab him for causing that Malfoy jerk to show up.
"What, no. Not at all." Harry cringed. "Ron and I just got to talking with some of the team about Quidditch and before we knew it, we were here."
"Who's Quididtch?"
Harry laughed. "Not who, what. It's a sport."
"What kind of sport?"
"It's played on broom sticks; I guess it's a little like football."
"You mean flying broom sticks?"
Harry nodded.
"Stereotype much?"
"What?"
"Nothing, so how are we getting to the castle?"
"Carriages." Harry pointed to the line up of carriages ahead of them.
"Of Course."
"Why would creatures like those be used to escort the students?" Fred asked coming up behind the pair.
"You can see the Thestrals?"
"You mean the winged horses? Yea. Aren't we supposed to?" Dawn replied.
"Only somebody who has seen or experienced death first hand can see Thestrals." Harry said. "Most students think the carriages a propelled magically."
"You saw somebody die?" Dawn asked.
"I've lost some friends to the Dark Lord." Harry replied quietly. "And you?"
"More than you could imagine." Dawn admitted just as quietly.
"Hey, Dawn, Harry." Hermione said from behind the trio as she and Ron rushed up to meet them.
"Did you hear?" Ron said as they approached. "Malfoy's still on the train. He's making big deal about you hitting him. Say's you and Hermione jumped him in the train, broke his nose and stole his wand."
"Why would he include you?" Dawn asked Hermione.
"Because he's a stupid git." Harry said.
"Because he doesn't want to admit he could be taken by a muggle girl?" Hermione theorized.
"I guess I don't really care what he says." Dawn said.
"But you and Hermione could get expelled if people believe him." Harry stated. "Of course you probably don't care since you don't really belong here anyway but what would Hermione do?"
"Don't worry." Dawn smiled. "Fred was there, she'll be a witness." Dawn watched the others relax at the reminder that an adult had been present.
Big deal. Hermione thought. There was something strange about Fred. She seemed nice enough most of the time but every once in a while she thought she saw the woman change; her demeanor, tone of voice, the way she held her body all reminded her of a different person. Don't forget about the odd things she said like "droplets of magic", what was that all about, and offering to show Dawn how to kill somebody, not to mention Dawn's "be nice" comment. There was something strange about Fred and she was going to find out what was going on.
--
After an oddly quiet ride to the school, Dawn and Fred found themselves with the rest of the students in the great hall; a beautiful large dining room with a ceiling charmed to reflect the weather outside. The school was now performing something called the Sorting Ceremony where a magical hat decided which dormitory a new student would be assigned to for his or her career at Hogwarts. Finally, after sorting a student named Iylene Seersmith there was some confusion and discussion on the platform and Headmaster Dubmledore and a witch who had been introduced as Professor McGonagal appeared to be having a disagreement over something. After several minutes, Professor McGonagl frowned at the Headmaster and appeared to accept what ever he was arguing about. She continued the ceremony without incident.
The only new student not sorted was Dawn Summers. Dawn and Fred sat with at the front of the dining at a guest table watching the proceedings. She was glad she wasn't sorted; there was something about that hat that made her not want to put on her head. She didn't even want to consider what it would do about Illyria.
"Before we continue with the feast." Dumbledore said as he stood up to address the student body. "We have two special guests with us this year." He indicated Dawn and Fred. "Dawn Summers and Winifred Burkle."
At the mentions of their names, the two women waved to the students. Dawn gave half a smile and left lifted her hand in a non-enthusiastic wave. Fred stood and smiled, and waived enthusiastically to the students. "Hi ya, all."
"Miss Summers and Miss Burkle are muggles." Dumbledore said bluntly. "However, they work for an institution that deals with magical, occult, supernatural and other non-muggle matters. In an effort to open a relationship between their institute and the Wizarding world, the Ministry of Magic has requested we accept them here as part of an exchange program of sorts. Miss Summers will be taking classes mostly with seventh year students, while Miss Burkle will be conducting research and perhaps assisting in some classes where she has expertise such as DADA and Potions." Dumbledore turned to look at Snape with this last announcement and was pleased to be getting the 'glare'.
"Miss Summers," he turned to Dawn. "Since you are not a witch, you do not have to be sorted. We could place you in a house, in fact Professor McGonagall has already suggested you might do well in Gryffindor. You may choose to be sorted or select a house on your own."
Dawn stared at the strange pointed hat sitting on the stool. She could almost make out its face in the folds of the wrinkled old cloth. If she wasn't sorted, then it would set her even further apart from the rest of the students who she had to live with for the next nine month. If she was sorted, the apparently got into the wearer's mind, what would it see that nobody talked about. Even in private meetings of core Scooby gang. She stood and walked up the Dumbledore. "Does it tell you what it sees?" She asked quietly.
"Sometimes we talk about students." He replied. "Just so the staff knows who to watch out for. We really just have the students' best interests in mind."
"If I'm sorted," Dawn said very quietly. "You must guarantee nobody will talk to the hat about what it sees." She looked Dumbledore in the eyes. "Even you."
"Why not child?" Professor McGonagall asked after over hearing the request. This was such an odd request. Could one so young have such a fractured past? Of course she did grow up on the Hell Mouth with the Chosen One for a sister. She may have seen or done things most only do in their worst nightmares.
"You know enough about me to know I might have enemies." Dawn whispered to the two. "I don't know what that hat will see but what ever it sees it must not reveal to anybody."
"Very well." Professor McGonagall said. "But you could choose to not be sorted."
"I need to fit in as much as possible." Dawn replied. "This is a big part."
Professor Dumbledore stepped in front of the hat, blocking it from view of the rest of the students. As he did so, he pulled out his wand and whispered a spell. "Dissimulo." He picked up the hat and motioned for Dawn to have a seat of the stool.
The hat settled over Dawn's head the upper fold of the hat opened into tired old eyes as the shape of a nose formed when another large wrinkle near the bottom moved and formed into a frown. Its eyes narrowed as it sorted its wearer's traits but it said nothing.
Dawn wasn't sure what would happen when she put on the hat. At first there was nothing, just the sound of dining hall, the students talking and the professors whispering. Slowly the sounds around her faded and everything became quiet.
"Who are you?" A voice whispered in the back of her mind. Dawn could recognize the telepathy; it was the same feeling of voice she got when Willow did it.
"I'm Dawn Summers." She thought back.
"Is that all you are, just a name?" It asked softly.
"Names have meanings." Dawn replied in thought. "I am Oriens, the morning light and I am a Summers part of a family who loves me." She hated the old name, but it was who and what she was. "That's enough."
"The power that is in you is something only your companion can begin to understand. In time, if her weaknesses do not destroy her or you, she will show you how to find what you bare." The hat's tone was neither ominous nor menacing; it spoke very softly as parent might speak to a very young child. "You have so much to teach the people here you belong at the head table but I can not sort you there. Which house would you like to stay with while you're here? I understand Gryffindor has already offered an invitation. They are good students you would do well there."
"That would be fine." Dawn told the hat silently. "I know some of them already."
"May I reveal your decision?" The hat asked.
"Yes."
Professor Dumbledore watched Dawn with the hat. She sat perfectly still; eyes closed a very calm look on her face. He wondered what the hat was saying to her. Was it recounting her bravery fighting beside her sister? Was it reviewing her achievements in school? Perhaps it was looking at her apparent history with Wicca magic. What ever it was, he would never know.
After a long silence of reading the young student, the Sorting hat finally sang out in joy. "GRYFFINDOR!"
There was a smattering of applause throughout the room. Mostly from the Gryffindor table and led by Harry and Ron.
The doors to the great hall swung open allowing in Draco Malfoy and Madam Pomfrey into the great hall. The two approached the head table and spoke to Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore for several minutes. Dumbledore finally nodded and motioned toward the side entrance where Draco, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape headed.
"Before the feast begins." Dumbledore said to the room. "I just want to let the first years know and remind a few of the older students who apparently forget easily that the forbidden forest is well, forbidden. It is extremely dangerous and students are not to go there at any time. Can Miss Summers, Miss Burkle and Miss Granger please come forward." As the three got up for their seats, Dumbledore said. "Let's eat!" The tables were suddenly filled all types of food, meats vegetable, potatoes and every other kind of favorite food.
To be continued..................