Chapter 2
Beginnings of Beginnings
The castle rose high and mighty into the night sky. Its wavery reflection in the lake was as impressive as the real thing. New kids stared, awed by the stupendous sight.
The four girls, Sam, Harry, and Ron were all jammed into one horseless carriage. Sam extended his hand to Harry, who shook it. "I'm Sam, Anna's younger brother."
"Younger?" asked Ron.
"We're only 11 months apart." He replied, sticking his tongue out at Anna. Harry nodded.
"I'm Harry, and this is Ron," he said, sticking his thumb in Ron's chest.
"Ow!" Ron exclaimed.
Rose stuck out her hand. "I don't think I've met you, Sam. I'm Rose." Sam smiled and looked her over, letting his eyes linger on her hair and lips.
"I hate to interrupt this touching moment," Anna broke in wryly, "but we're here." Everyone jumped out of the carriage and wandered up the steps, nudging their way through the expansive crowd. Anna paused for a moment to look at the odd horse-skeleton things that pulled the carriages, and then followed the others inside.
An impressive old man in billowing turquoise robes and a matching pointed hat beckoned the newbies to follow him and pointed to the line the first years were making.
"Excuse me!" he said, and the hall instantly quieted. "I have a quick announcement to make before the sorting begins. Would you please welcome our five exchange students from Burnethel Academy of Magic, Paige Beebe, Rose Greene, Anna Henzy, Sam Henzy, and Caroline Western?" Polite but loud applause filled the hall, and the girls blushed.
The
sorting began.
"I will call out your names and you will
promptly take your seat on the stool. Then I will place the Sorting
Hat on your head and you will sit at your house table. As for the new
exchange students starting your seventh year, you will be called
after the first years," Professor Mcgonagall said for the umpteenth
time in her teaching days.
Then the Sorting Hat's song began.
"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me
You can keep your bowlers black
And your top hats sleek and tall
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The sorting hat can't see
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be
You might belong in Gryphindor
Where dwell the brave at heart
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryphindors apart
You might belong in Hufflepuff
Where they are just and loyal
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw
If you've a ready mind
Where those of wit and learning
Will always find their kind
Or perhaps a Slytherin
You'll make your real friends
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (Though I have none)
For I'm a thinking cap!
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. The ceremony had started.
Professor Mcgonagall called out, "Alwine, Zachary," and a yellow haired boy stepped out of the crowd and walked sheepishly up to the stool.
After a short pause with everyone holding their breath, the Sorting Hat screamed, "HUFFLEPUFF!" and the Hufflepuff table burst with applause.
A through Z names were called out. Finally, it was time for Caroline, Paige, Rose, Anna, and Sam.
The professor cleared her throat and called, "Beebe, Paige!"
The hat was placed on her head. It appeared to be thinking, squirming about on her head. Soon, it shouted, "GRYPHINDOR!"
Over
at the Gryphindor table, Paige sat down next to Harry.
"Welcome
to Gryphindor!"
"Thanks! I was hoping. I hope everyone else gets in, too!" Paige said earnestly, smiling.
Harry nodded as Rose was called up. Paige crossed her fingers under the table. "Gryphindor!" the hat shouted. Paige grinned as her friend sat across from her.
"Yay!" Rose squealed.
Anna was up next, and the hat was placed on her head. "Gryphindor!" and went to go sit at the table with Paige, Rose, Harry, and Ron. Then Sam- "Gryphindor!" Finally, Caroline was sorted into "Gryphindor!" Paige clapped along with Ron, Anna, Sam, Rose, and Harry.
"Ah! Jolly good. Now then, for the first years, and new comers, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden. I can't think of anything else to say, besides flubberdoink, tweak, and mushugana." Dumbledore smiled and sat down as food appeared on the dishes. "Eat!" Everyone obeyed.
About an hour later, everyone was full, warm, and sleepy.
"Hey, Paige, I-I-I-I..." Harry tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. "I'll show you around tomorrow. C'mon...follow me to the common room," he said generously, helping her get up.
"Thanks, and all right," she said, waiting for the others to get up.
Caroline, Sam, Rose, Ron, Harry and Paige all made their way up to the common room. Anna made her way over to the Slytherin table and stopped at Draco. "Hello. I'm Anna," she drawled, holding out her hand. Draco looked up and shook her hand delicately.
"Draco. Why are you here?" he asked in a voice that was elegant on him and snotty on anyone else.
"Because I like you. You're elegant. You're refined. You're in charge. You're me, but in Slytherin, and male." Draco nodded.
"Good reasons, but why should I care?" Anna grinned slowly.
"Because I have a proposition for you.
Anna and Draco walked around the lake in the evening mists, Draco listening intently to Anna's words. "Voldemort isn't the problem. I know that, since your father died, you've been part of the force resisting him. There is another, more powerful, more evil wizard who is taking over. He does it in secret, using Voldemort's name, so few know he exists.
"Paige, Rose, Caroline and I are a few of them, along with Dumbledore. He is the one we should be resisting. He is Goliniathor Odgenius Dothelin, or GOD, as he calls himself." Draco listened to all of this, and then shook his head.
"Why are you telling ME this?" he asked. Anna smiled.
"Because you have a power we need."
"Why should I believe you?"
"Because of THIS!" She shoved her palms into the air and fire erupted from them, flowing like water from a fountain, lighting up the night sky like it was day. He watched, and on any other person there would have been astonishment. However, Draco had been trained for 17 years not to show his emotions. Even something as dramatic as this couldn't change that. "That would explain it," he said sarcastically. "So what's my power, if you're so special?" She took his hands and raised them up high.
"Push with your mind. You have to want this to happen. Just...just want it." He pushed mentally, focusing all his will power on just wanting whatever it was Anna had to offer him. Tiny snowflakes drifted down, settling gracefully into his hair. "The girls and I are elemental mages. Paige is air, Caroline is water, Rose is earth, and I'm fire. Elemental magic. Upon our first sight of the moon after our seventeenth summer solstice, we received our powers. It was written in a prophecy long ago this would happen, as it was written you understand yours because of us. You're ice. Practice and you'll get better."
With that, she walked back towards the castle, leaving Draco staring dumb-foundedly at his palms.
The next morning, Paige stretched out her arms- and hit solid wall.
"Damn!" she cursed. She looked right and saw three other sleeping forms under their red blankets. Smiling craftily, she put out her hand and set a little blast towards them.
"Aah!" Rose sat up, hit her head, and then rolled off the bed. "Oof."
"Eek!" Caroline scooted down to the edge of the bed. Anna just sat up and glared at Paige before sending a tiny lick of flame to scorch her bum.
"Ouch! Hey, that's not fair!" Paige yelled.
"So? Anyway, I've got big news," Anna announced.
Rose grinned wryly. What? You asked Draco out and he said yes? Anna giggled.
No, silly, I recruited him. she thought back, smiling.
And then you asked him out and he said yes. Paige added, all the while getting up and looking for socks.
"No I did not!" Anna pouted, throwing a pillow at her.
You're a bum! Paige taunted, sticking out her tongue.
Pa-aige! You still have to recruit Harry! Rose sang.
"Yeah, yeah..." Paige replied offhandedly.
"Well, go!" Anna commanded, pushing Paige out the door. She was still hopping around trying to put her sock on when she bumped into somebody. She looked up and saw Harry adjusting his glasses.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked her.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I was trying to put on my sock."
"Need help?" She nodded and put her hand on his shoulder and finished putting on her sock.
"Thanks!" She smiled.
"Sure, any time." He smiled back.
"Hey... you want to take a walk with me?"
Upstairs, the three girls were chatting. Caroline, you seriously need to recruit Ron. We will need his powers to call animals. Anna urged.
I think it is SO special that he can call animals. I will definitely do it today!
After getting dressed, they all slid down the banister unto the common room. There, Caroline met Ron.
"Ron, I need to talk to you. Can we walk somewhere?" she asked him urgently.
"Sure. What about?"
"You'll see."
Ron and Caroline walked through the freshly dewed grass to the quidditch pitch. "What did you want to talk about?" Ron looked at her. She looked away to see if anyone was watching.
"Well, I know you have been helping Harry fight Voldemort, right? Well, there is another dark wizard. Not just any run of the mill dark evil guy either. He calls himself GOD! His real name is Goliniathor Odgenius Dothelin," Caroline whispered urgently.
"Okay... but why are you telling me?"
"Watch." Caroline pulled up her robe's sleeves and put her palms up to the sky. Water shot out of them with ease in torrential waterfalls.
"Whoa! What was that?" Ron exclaimed.
"That was water, my magic. Paige is wing, Rose is earth, and Anna is fire. You, you are animals."
"What do you mean me?"
"Put your palms up." He did so. "Now, concentrate very hard on pushing mentally. Want something to happen." Soon, a bird fluttered out towards him and perched on his outstretched hand.
"How did you know?" he whispered, gently petting the little starling.
"It's part of my magic- to recognize other people with it. You see, we are elemental mages. Harry is weather, Draco is ice, and Sam is metal. Cool, no?" She smiled lightly and tried to walk away.
"Wait! Can I try one more time?" Ron begged. Caroline was pleased he was so enthusiastic.
"Sure," she offered, grinning. This time, a rabbit came out of its hole and rubbed against Ron's leg. "Wow, you're getting good!"
"Will I get better if I practice?"
"Of course you will. You'll even be able to call things like dragons! They'll obey you and love you. You'll make lots of new friends," she explained.
"Caroline, I know I have only known you a couple of days, but..." Ron paused, thinking if he wanted to say anything or not.
"Yes?" Caroline said.
"Do you want to go out with me?" he gushed as quickly as possible.
"I'd like that!" Caroline said, trying to conceal her excitement. Ron smiled.
"That really takes a big pressure off me!" he joked, wiping a dramatic hand across his forehead. "You want to go back inside?"
"Yeah, it's freezing." As they walked back towards the door, Ron gently slipped his hand into hers.
"You really think I could summon dragons?" he asked tentatively.
"Sure! I can make tidal waves and fill a whole room with water in seconds flat. Not to brag or anything." They both laughed.
"Well, I'll get you back when I practice more. You just watch." They walked up the stairs in silence, not believing how great their days had started out.
"Can I sit there?" a voice rang out, breaking Paige's train of thought.
"Huh? What? Oh, yeah, sure," Paige said a little offhandedly, not paying attention to who sat next to her.
"So, this is your first time in Binn's class, eh?" the voice asked.
"What makes you say that?" Paige said indignantly, finally looking over and seeing Harry.
"Well, you look awake and like you actually expect to learn something." He smiled, and she blushed slightly.
"Oh...what are his classes like?" she asked.
"Boring, dull, and completely pointless," Harry replied grimly, grinning. Paige giggled before she could stop herself.
All through the lesson, Paige and Harry passed notes to each other.
Harry-
Hey, so you want to meet me in the Astronomy tower after lessons end?
-Paige
Harry swallowed hard when he received this note. The Astronomy tower was where people went to snog.
Paige-
Sure. What will we do there?
-Harry
Harry-
You'll see.
-Paige
The bell rang and the class left for lunch.
After lunch, the rest of the day went by quickly. A little too quickly for Paige's liking. She was nervous about meeting Harry. What would she say? How would she bring up the subject? What if he didn't show? What if he thought her insane? Hundreds of questions swam around in Paige's brain.
Before she knew it, she heard the last bell of the day and her legs were carrying her to the Astronomy Tower.
The door opened with a creak and she saw a shadow over by the window. She closed the door silently and walked over to the figure, reaching out and touching it gently on the shoulder.
"Ahhh!" Harry screamed rather shrilly. "Oh, Paige! You scared the bajeebers out ofme."
"Oh, sorry about your bajeebers." Paige smiled.
"Ah, it's okay. I didn't need 'em anyway... I hope," he added before laughing. "So, why'd you want to meet me here?"
"Well," Paige started, "I want to show you something." She took his hands and pulled him into the center of the room.
"Now, take off your robes," she ordered.
"Ex...excuse me?" Harry stuttered, his voice breaking.
"Take... off... your... robes... Or you can roll up your sleeves, either will work," Paige explained. Harry looked relieved and rolled up his sleeves; Paige followed suit.
"Now then," Paige said before closing her eyes and thrusting out her palms. With a howl, a mini tornado formed between the two, and it was just strong enough to pull them closer together. Paige lowered her hands and looked Harry in the eyes. He was astonished.
"That was my power," she smirked. He swallowed.
"Okay... why tell me? Do I have a power?"
"Right in one. Now, keep your eyes on the sky," she ordered. His gaze focused on the sky as Paige walked in front of him. She kissed him long and hard, and when she pulled away, Hrry saw the sky was red. So was he.
"Your pwer is weather. Whenever you feel a strong emotion, or use your powers to do so, the weather will react." She smiled a satisfied smiled and her eyes twinkled, making him blush again.
"Wow... I'm glad you did that. Otherwise I might enver of had the courage to ask you out if you hadn't done that," he said as fast as he could.
"What are you saying, Potter?"
"Will you go out with me?"
"Let me think...no." Harry's jaw dropped. "Duh, you idiot! I was kidding. Of course I will." He looked relieved...until it started to rain golden owlets.
"What in the..." Paige laughed at his surprise.
"I told you your emotions control the weather!"
She went on to explain about GOD and the trouble with the wizarding world.
Rose had been watching Sam all day, but hadn't gotten the courage to talk to him. Finally, right before dinner ended, she approached him.
"Uh, Sam? I need to talk to you. It's important." Sam rose, looking confused.
"Okay." They walked down to the lake, but turned in the opposite directing when they saw Ron and Caroline walking around it's edges. Eventually, they reached the fringe of the Forbidden Forest.
"Well...I don't know to put this...here, watch." She put her palms up.
Vines exploded from them her and created twirling chaos all around them. Flowers bloomed in record time in vibrant blues and reds. "Wow..." Sam whispered. Rose laughed lightly.
"Caroline, Anna, Paige, Harry, Ron, Draco, and I all have certain powers. You do as well." Sam stared at the vines again and turned to Rose, his eyes wide.
"What's mine, then?" Rose grabbed his hand and pointed it towards the vine wall.
"Concentrate, and you can cut this wall open." Sam screwed up his face in concentration, and before he knew it, metal blades were slashing the vines to pieces.
"Wicked." Sam smiled.
Anna had been watching Draco through her lashes all evening. She watched as he got up to leave and followed. "Draco!" she called. He turned around slowly. "Time to practice."
She led him to the quidditch field and sent up a wall of flame. "Freeze it," she commanded. Draco put his palms out towards the fire and a great flood of ice shot out and encircled the fire until it ceased to exist.
"Well done! You've been practicing." Draco nodded slowly.
"Anna...I don't think we can meet out on the quidditch pitch anymore. If other Slytherins saw, I'd be scorned." Anna thought for a moment.
"Harry's Defence Against the Dark Arts group is meeting again. I'll see if we can use that room." Draco nodded and walked back to the castle, leaving Anna to melt the ice wall he'd created.
