"Nev, please make sure you never wander the castle at night. I know it's tempting, but stay in the dorms."
"Yes, Mum, I know," Nev said patiently. She was leaning out of the window so her mother could impart some last words of wisdom before the Hogwarts Express puffed away from King's Cross.
"Nevermind anything about the Sorting," her father was saying to Evan on her left. "Any House is just as good as the other, and we'll be proud of you no matter what."
"Nev, are you listening? Don't offend any teachers on your first day, or you will regret it for the next seven years. Be polite to everyone, and if anyone treats you differently from the rest just ignore them--"
"Why would they do that, Mum?" Nev asked curiously. Sure, she was the daughter of the Minister of Magic, but that was no reason for discrimination.
"Oh, never you mind. I think the train's going to leave. Be good, dear! Write often! Study hard! Your O.W.L.s will be here sooner than you think and it can seriously damage your future prospects if you don't gather quite a few of them. And always start studying for exams at least a month ahead of time or you'll just be cramming and you won't remember anything."
"Hermione," Nev's father cut in sharply. "I only got 5 O.W.L.s and it didn't harm my career in the slightest. Don't start pressuring them already."
Her mother sighed and bit her lip. Before she could say anything else on the subject, however, the train started to move and Nev found herself waving furiously and shouting good-byes until her parents were out of sight.
"I can't believe you insisted on sitting with me," Evan grumbled, his ears turning slightly red. "How are we going to make any friends if people think we're friends."
"Evan, honestly! We are friends, and I'm sure lots of other people will want to be our friends."
At that moment, the door to their compartment slid open to reveal two boys and a girl, all with black hair. Nev thought that one of the boys and the girl looked like twins, and the other boy slightly older. Definitely all siblings, though.
"D'you mind if we sit?" asked the girl, already putting a bag overhead and arranging her skirt around her knees.
"Not at all," Nev replied, shooting Evan an I-told-you-so look. "I'm Nev Weasley, and this is my brother Evan."
"Is your Da the Minister of Magic?" the girl asked, her blue eyes widening slightly.
"Yeah," Evan replied, shrugging. "What of it?"
"Oh, nothing, I was just wondering. I'm Kella Zeller, by the way. Terribly nice to meet you."
"I'm Anton Zeller," said one of the boys, taking a seat next to Evan. "I'm a second year. You are both first years?"
"Yeah," Nev replied. "Is this your brother?"
The boy who hadn't spoken blushed to his roots and shook his head. "I'm Zach Davies," he told Nev in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
"He's my cousin," Kella said. "I hope he learns to be a bit more outgoing at Hogwarts or he won't have any friends."
"Your cousin?" Evan asked, looking from Kella to Zach. "You guys look really similar."
"It happens. Cousins can look uncannily like one another. Besides, his mum is my mum's identical twin, so that has to count for something." Kella swept her long black hair from her face and smiled at Nev. "So what House d'you think you'll be in."
Evan looked over at Nev, and she determinedly avoided his gaze. She hadn't been lying about Hufflepuff, but... "Both of our parents were in Gryffindor," she said with a shrug. "So I suppose that's where we'll be."
"My mum was in Gryffindor, and my dad was in Ravenclaw. Anton's in Hufflepuff. So really I have no idea where I will be," Kella said with a small laugh.
"What about you?" Evan asked Zach, who looked shocked at being spoken to.
"My mum and dad were in Ravenclaw," he said quietly. "But I don't think I will be."
"Wait," Nev said, frowning slightly. "I thought your mum was Kella's mum's twin."
"That's right," Kella agreed. "They weren't in the same House, though."
Nev looked over at Evan and tried to imagine not being in the same House as him. She knew that he wasn't overly fond of her, but she hoped that it was just an outer sibling-rivalry thing because Evan was her best friend. If she was in Hufflepuff and he was in Gryffindor, would they ever even see each other?
Kella moved the conversation on the other topics, and the five children spent the ride to Hogwarts becoming friends, although Zach was incredibly reticent to take part in any conversation at all. Nev's heart seemed to be beating unnaturally fast as she changed into her school robes. The next thing she knew she was boarding a small boat beneath the star-spangled sky. Kella got on right behind her, and then Evan. Zach looked around wildly when he realized there was only room for 3 in a boat and stepped into one with two girls who were chattering excitedly to each other.
The entrance hall was larger than anything Nev had imagined. Their cozy Hogsmeade house would have been dwarfed in it. She shivered slightly and took a step closer to Evan. He gave her what could have been an encouraging smile and she felt better.
"Good evening, first years. I am the Deputy Headmaster, Professor Flitwick. In just a moment's time you will be Sorted into your Houses. These Houses will become your Hogwarts family, and you can both earn and lose points due to your behaviors in class and the school. Each House is just as good as another. Alright, everyone ready? Follow me, please."
The first years, all suddenly very quiet, lined up behind the short man and followed him through a door. "Wow," Nev thought when they entered the Great Hall. The ceiling was just as star-spangled as the sky outside had been, and it was huge. Candles floated in the air above four long tables, and a multitude of students in blacks hats and robes were making quite a din as they spoke with one another.
There was a very worn hat sitting on a stool, and Nev eyed it warily. Her parents had never told her what a Sorting entailed, but she thought through some of the spells she knew and wondered if they would be helpful. Evan looked slightly ill next to her. Suddenly, the hat broke into song, startling the small huddle of first years.
Long ago I was given intelligence
to help the noble founders
in their quest for students
with talents and aims like theirs.
For Godric Gryffindor did crave
those students both strong and brave.
Yet Rowena Ravenclaw did prize
those students both honest and wise.
None for Salazar Slytherin would do
but those with cunning and brains, too.
Helga Hufflepuff asked for nothing more
than loyalty and a heart that was sure.
To this day I can do their choosing,
just put me on your head.
I'll tell you where you will be snoozing,
in a great, four poster bed!
"Just put the hat on our head?" Evan whispered to Nev. "That's a relief."
"I agree. I was wondering if Wingardium Leviosa would do me any good." For some reason, that had been the first spell that Nev and Evan's parents had told them about, and they had seemed to find it quite amusing. Nev hadn't been able to do it for ages, although that was partly her nervousness about the Underage Restriction of Wizardry, despite her father's assurances that he wouldn't let her get in trouble.
Nev realized that Professor Flitwick had been calling forth students and several of them had already been Sorted into their Houses. It seemed to be going in alphabetical order, which meant she had a long time to wait.
"Davies, Zach," Professor Flitwick called, and looking frightened out of his wits, the black-haired boy went forward.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted, and Zach made his way down to the table that had exploded into cheering.
"I'm probably going to be last," Kella said with a sigh. She didn't look nervous at all. "At least you won't go too much before me."
"Weasley, Evan."
Evan grinned broadly at Nev, but he looked nervous. The hat sat on his head for what seemed like ages before it shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!" Looking quite relieved, Evan made his way over to sit by Zach and the two chattering girls from Zach's boat.
"Weasley, Ginevra."
Nev sighed. She certainly wished they didn't insist on using her full name. It was as ugly a name as could be, and despite her parents assurances that Ginevra had been a very famous and powerful witch, Nev had never heard of her. She made her way over to the stool and sat down. The hat fell over her eyes and the Great Hall disappeared into darkness.
"I wondered when I would be seeing you," the hat murmured. "I see your father's worth in you, yes, and you're powerful like your mother, and you are quite unique from them as well. Difficult decision, but yes, I think it has to be GRYFFINDOR!"
Feeling weak with relief, Nev jogged down and took a seat next to Evan, who grinned at her. So he wasn't mad that she was in his House! She gave him a quick hug before turning around to watch the last bits of the Sorting. "Wettach, Ashley," went to Slytherin and then "Young, Jordan," went to Hufflepuff, and then Kella was taking her seat on the stool. The hat had barely gone over her eyes before shouting out "GRYFFINDOR!" and Nev clapped wildly.
"Sit here," she called to Kella, making sure there was room. "I'm so glad you're in my House!"
"Me too, Ginevra," Kella replied with a mischievious grin.
"Oh, call me that and die," Nev muttered with a sour look.
"May I have your attention, please! Yes, thank you, everyone." Nev turned in her seat to face the high table, where a stern-looking woman had gotten to her feet. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! We look forward to the excellence you will bring to these halls. Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, would have you know that Canary Creams have been added to the list of forbidden items. Please, now, enjoy your feast."
Food suddenly appeared on the golden plates, and Nev realized that she was starving. "Is that the Headmistress?" she asked as she served herself some potatoes.
"Professor McGonagall, yeah," Evan told her, rolling his eyes.
Nev was mostly silent throughout the rest of the meal and as she followed the others up many staircases to a potrait of a rather fat lady in pink. Someone said the password—Pax Romana—and she climbed through a hole. She should have been drinking in the sight of their common room and listening to the prefects like the others, but her mind wasn't in it at all. She couldn't stop thinking about what the hat had said to her. Sure, so her father was famous, but how would a hat know that? And what about her mother being a powerful witch? Sure, she knew that her mother had been the top of her class at Hogwarts, a prefect, Head Girl, and all that, but that didn't seem to be what the hat had been referring to.
"Well, 'night, Nev. See you in the morning," Evan was saying to her, and she nodded and bid him good night as well.
"Come on. Our dormitories are right up here," Kella exclaimed, taking the steps two at a time. "Oh, look, take the bed next to mine!"
Nev changed into her pajamas slowly, half-hearted taking part in the introductions with the four other girls in her dorm room. Maybe the hat had said similar things to Evan, but she felt strangely reluctant to ask. It seemed oddly personal. Perhaps it would make more sense in the morning.
