Disclaimer: All characters recognized in the Harry Potter books are under copyright of J.K Rowling. The character Stuart Barnley belongs to me.
-oOo-
Chapter 7 – Awaking Memories
Thankfully, everything became civilized a while later, after the catfight had been torn apart. Luckily, none of the girls desired for their hair to be in clumps on the floor, and they had agreed to clam down. Vanessa and Scott – having the power of Prefects – told them that if they hadn't settled down they would deduct an obscene amount of House Points.
"You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves," scolded Scott, in a voice that reminded Princesa very much of her father. I feel like a child...she blushed crimson and said nothing.
Olive rolled her eyes. "I said I was sorry," she groaned with a yawn.
"It's lucky we don't deduct points for your behaviour," Vanessa added coldly, for some reason glaring very hard into Princesa's eyes when she said so, as if she blamed her for all of this. "Although we'll let you off this time."
"Try to keep your tempers under control, ladies," Scott remarked in mock humour, finally linking his arm with his girlfriend's and talking together as they walked down the hall on duty. Princesa caught the words "unbelievable" and "immature" as they disappeared.
She frowned and whirled on Olive. "Well, thank you very much," she spat with irony.
Olive merely smirked. "You're welcome," she sneered. "but I'd keep it in mind that we only got into trouble because you just had to put your big nose in my business." She glanced over at Myrtle in the corner, who sat squatted on the floor, playing with the ends of her pigtails mournfully.
"Just leave her alone from now on," growled Princesa out of the corner of her mouth. "and I won't in the future."
Olive rolled her green eyes. "Ooh, I'm scared."
A loud sniff came from the corner. Princesa's attention diverted to Myrtle, who sighed miserably and then stared down the hall at passers by, looking away when they glanced back. The Ravenclaw couldn't help feeling sorry for her. She chewed on her lip as she watched Olive get to her feet.
"I'd love to stick around, but I'm not that bored," smirked the girl, tucking her red hair back behind her ears and throwing a hidden glare at the huddled student in the corner, looking like someone had just dumped a bundle of clothes on the ground. And with that, she stormed off before Princesa could say anything back.
It was a short while before Princesa came to her senses and let her eyes wander over the stone corridor, feeling ill. All she could think about at that moment was teaching that Hornby girl a lesson she would never forget.
She can't do this to others, she fumed in her head, tapping her foot against the floor. One day she's going to be sorry that she ever picked on that girl. One day, she will.
Her attention then drifted to Myrtle, who she saw had taken to wiping the tears away from her cheeks, smearing them against her stringy hair. Cautiously and not wanting to seem intimidating, she walked over and sat down next to her, playing uncomfortably with the hem of her robes.
"Um, Myrtle?" she asked quietly.
The girl spun around, and now Princesa could see her face for the first time. Her black hair hung around her face, concealing her dark brown eyes. They were rimmed red with past tears – or at least what Princesa could see of them, anyway – and were on the verge of dripping more. A few freckles dotted her nose and cheeks (Princesa was too polite to ask if they were freckles or not because she was sure they were spots), and spectacles hung from the bridge of her nose.
"What do you want?" she sniffed, turning away.
"I'm sorry for what happened," Princesa said in a small, reassuring voice. "I was only trying to help."
At her words, Myrtle didn't say anything for a while. Then, seconds later, broke down into a new bout of tears, moaning softly in her throat and staring at the floor.
"I'm sorry!" said Princesa in alarm, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What did I say?"
"Oh, sure you were just trying to help!" growled the girl through her weeps, her tone taking on one of anger now. "Everyone always says that...at first. Then the next thing I know, they're teasing me, or calling me names...stupid, Muggleborn, worthless, moaning Myrtle!" she burst into tears again, wiping them on the backs of her hands.
The Ravenclaw stared at her, stunned for a moment. "But I was just –"
"Don't act like you're sorry for me," she sighed, turning away from her. "I know you don't really care. You've just come over to make fun of me."
"No, I haven't!" Princesa explained, looking down over Myrtles tear-soaked robes and seeing the Hufflepuff crest branded there, concealed beneath the baggy scrunches. "I'm just trying to cheer you up! I defended you back there when Olive called you spotty...I'm just –"
Myrtle let loose a long howl here, as if she had just been injured. She buried her head in her hands and got to her feet, running as fast as she could down the hall, sobbing all the way. Other students gasped in astonishment at seeing how distressed she was (or perhaps because she almost ran into some of them).
Blushing, Princesa scrambled to her feet and gathered her books, trying to ignore the accusing stares of the others in the corridor, boring their eyes into her back.
"Oh, she's impossible," she murmured to herself, mostly for defence.
-oOo-
Back in the Ravenclaw common room, Princesa pondered over some early Transfiguration notes, in preparation for her next lesson. However, she couldn't concentrate. No matter how she didn't keep wanting to, usually around some time in the day her mind would wander to thoughts of Esterella, and her condition.
Princesa secretly felt guilty when she thought about her. She had been so busy catching up with Tom lately that she hadn't visited her friend in ages. She couldn't remember the last time – it must have been at least a week ago, maybe more.
What was wrong with her? Why didn't she feel like going every single day like some of her friends were? Maybe I really don't care, she thought, rolling her eyes. She scribbled down a few more notes.
Wait. What am I thinking? Of course I care! I must care!
She looked up from her parchment to see Harriet scribbling something down, then growling and screwing it up in her fist, throwing it over her shoulder. Somehow it didn't seem to lighten the girl's mood by seeing someone else with a problem.
Sometime today, I'll go, she told herself, jotting down sketches of a cow transforming into a milk jug. I swear it.
-oOo-
"Students! When I call out your name, please come up and place the Sorting Hat on your head. Then, you will be sorted into your houses."
Princesa twiddled her fingers nervously in front of her, staring around at all of the other students' strange, unfamiliar faces. She tried to feel slightly encouraged by Professor Flatterwock's calm words – after all, it sounded so simple. Just walk up to the stool, sit there and have some hat plonked on your head.
No big deal, right?
"Barnes, Danielle!" called out Flatterwock.
Princesa heard a small gasp emit from her right, and turning there, she saw a young looking girl with frightened blue eyes walk up to the stand and sit there. Princesa fidgeted on the spot, gazing around at all of the other students, trying to guess herself what houses that they were going to be in. However, when some students caught her eye she looked away, afraid that they were doing the same.
"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat, and Danielle sighed happily and went to join the Ravenclaw table.
Ravenclaw...thought Princesa. I wouldn't mind being there – I wish that was me, then I would know already! She clapped along with the others as she saw the girl accept her place at the table, feeling sick inside. Why couldn't she be next?
"Barnley, Stuart!"
A freckled boy with matted black hair swallowed his pride and stepped bravely up to the stand, sitting down on the stool.
Princesa looked back at Danielle, perched on her table and beaming with pride. The girl now nervously looked around at the rest of the students in the Great Hall, all clumped together like sardines in a small tin. How many first years were there in here? How long would it take to get through them all?
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat, and Stuart leapt off of the stool, looking extremely pleased with himself.
Princesa didn't really seem to be paying much attention anymore. She simply stood there, silently telling her heart to slow down and for her hands to stop shaking. She slipped them into the pockets of her robes, hopefully to find something there to fiddle with...but there was nothing.
"Bishop, Rosa!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Cooper, Mandy!"
A tall, mean-looking girl with long, black hair pushed her way through the ground; accidentally stepping on Princesa's toe (at least, she hoped it was accidental). Princesa opened her mouth in a silent cry, wincing.
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat cried as it sat on Mandy's head.
Not surprised, Princesa grumbled, as she mulled the pain away.
"Dickinson, Coralie!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Duisternis, Jessica!"
Princesa spotted over the decreasing crowd a rather tall, fresh-faced looking girl, with auburn curls bouncing behind her shoulders as she got up to sit on the stool. She smiled pleasantly and snuggled into the hat as it was fit onto her head.
This was the first time that morning that the hat had seemed to ponder so hard. It must have been on Jessica's head for more than a minute, before the hat suddenly cried out:
"SLYTHERIN!"
What! Despite herself, Princesa felt her jaw drop to the ground. How could she be sorted into Slytherin? She doesn't even look that bad! She turned to look at the reaction to everyone else there, but it was mostly whispers and nudges to one another. Someone made a small, choking noise.
It was then that Princesa spotted another girl, and her reaction could have made the girl swear that she was looking into a mirror. This student was staring, wide-mouthed at Jessica, as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "It's unbelievable, isn't it?" she whispered.
Princesa didn't think that she was talking to her. "Sorry?" she murmured quietly, just in case she was.
"I just...didn't see that coming. It makes you wonder what it has in store for us." She chuckled dryly, turning and shining her blue eyes into Princesa's.
Princesa shifted uncomfortably. "Um...yeah."
"I'm Esterella, by the way," she said now, with a smile, shaking Princesa's hand. "What's your name?"
"Err, Princesa," she laughed, smiling back, hearing Furneaux, Jack become another Slytherin and Hart, Deborah make Gryffindor. "I'm sorry...I know I must look nervous. My momia said that if I don't get into a decent house I'll never hear the end of it."
"I know how you feel," laughed Esterella, tucking back strands of her blonde hair, clipped below her neck. "My parents are expecting me to get into a good house too; preferably Gryffindor. At least, that's what my dad wants – just like he was. He's sort of sick, now." The way that she said the last few words were a little disconcerting. Her eyes faded a little and she cast them to the floor.
"I'm sorry."
"Nah, don't be. He'll be fine."
"Hornby, Olive!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Hornswoggle, Myrtle!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Jewell, Esterella!"
The girl cursed. Her eyes darted about the room at first, as if looking for somewhere to run and escape. It couldn't be her next! However, in the end, she sighed. She gave a nervous grin at Princesa before making her way to the stage.
"Good luck," Princesa whispered.
She watched Esterella boldly climb the stairs and sit comfortably on the stool, and she couldn't help admiring her. She was being so brave! She wasn't sure what she would do when her name was called. Perhaps she would turn and run away, or pretend to be someone else. Yeah, that was it. When her name was called, she wouldn't go.
Shut up, she thought afterwards. Do you honestly think that everyone else won't go up? And then you'll be the only one left? Come on, you silly cow.
"RAVENCLAW!" she heard the hat yell to the others, and Esterella's face collapsed into relief. She looked as if she had been holding her breath for the last two minutes, but she smiled when the growing applause came around the room. As her already trembling knees managed to carry her down the stairs, she spotted Princesa clapping too. She grinned, and joined her table next to Danielle.
Princesa watched her enviously. She seemed so friendly and so brave...and now her turn was over. Oh, why, oh why couldn't she just get it over with? She tried to pay attention, but only a few names seemed to pass by her ears as she watched them join their tables.
"Lonton, Olivia!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Marshall, Phillip!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"McLean, Luke!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Princesa shifted from one foot to the other. 'M'. Flatterwock was in the 'M' section already. That meant that it would be her turn soon. She glanced nervously at the Sorting Hat on Luke McLean's head. What exactly did the hat do when it was sitting there? What could it do? Could it see deep inside her mind...know her deepest secrets?
I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with this, she told herself, just as she heard Flatterwock's clear, ringing voice, like the caw of an eagle, hit her directly in the face:
"Ozean, Princesa!"
Damn! Her mind was screaming. She glanced away, as if willing her body to move. Move, damn you...move! You have to do this! Eventually, her feet seemed willing and she nervously came forward, although she seemed to be taking her sweet time. She felt the other students' eyes on her as she perched herself on the stool and felt the hat slide over her head. Her legs were trembling.
She couldn't see a thing with the hat covering her eyes, only the inside material, brown, old and patchy. Then, she heard something – a voice – whispering in her ear. She shivered.
"Hmm. Yes, I see. Very interesting. A bright mind hidden away here...not often brought out. Hmmm...a little insecure, are we? I see...well, it will have to be...RAVENCLAW!"
Ravenclaw...a gigantic flood of relief swept through her entire body, and it was only after she heard the echoing of applause around the tables that she realised she had been holding her breath. She let it out with a sigh and a smile on her blushing face. I'm in Ravenclaw...
She wasn't sure how she managed to make it down to her appropriate table, but she did, with her legs feeling as if they had been turned to jelly. However, before she could sit down, she felt Rosa Bishop wrap her arms around her housemate, beaming all over.
"Well done!" she grinned.
"Great! I knew you'd get in here!" laughed Esterella, as a flustered Princesa parked herself next to her on the bench, sliding down a little for others to make room. "I just knew it!" She hugged her tight. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks," the girl said, smoothing down her robes from Rosa's previous crushing embrace. "Everyone here seems nice."
"Yeah," Esterella agreed, her blue eyes shining around the table with excitement and determination. "I think we're going to enjoy being here."
"Powis, Regen!"
Much talking and rapid conversation swarmed across the table at that moment, particularly between Princesa, Esterella and a few other girls who had squatted together in a first-year clump. They spoke a lot of their families, and how much that they were looking forward to studying magic.
"Hey, did you hear that?" Rosa declared over the rush of rising applause. "Someone else has just been sorted into Ravenclaw!"
They smiled and greeted the nervous looking young boy who had just joined them. His brown hair circled his face and he grinned politely, sliding next to Princesa on the bench. He was almost immediately attacked by a group of first-years who came to congratulate him for getting in.
"You got the best house!" Esterella laughed to him.
He clasped his hands together, in a bid to stop them from trembling. He was still willing his nerves to relax after the ordeal on the stool. He returned her smile. "We'll see," he joked.
Regen was immediately introduced and welcomed by others, and after calming down after his sorting, was starting to open up a little. It always felt like this, for some reason. Anxiety seemed to be the biggest problem, but after the first initial greeting, things seemed so much easier.
Princesa found herself respecting the older students for making them feel this way.
Through the constant whispering, Princesa found herself paying attention to the Sorting Ceremony again, this time watching other unfortunate students whose faces turned chalk white when their names were called.
"Prewett, Richard!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Riddle, Tom!"
Esterella turned to speak to her new housemate, but noticed that she wasn't paying attention to anyone. "Oi!" she whispered, playfully, poking her in the ribs. She laughed when the girl returned the favour, and found herself staring at the boy on the stool now, with raven black hair and a steady stride. He seemed genuinely calm – and was one of the first to be so.
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted, and the boy went to join his fellow Slytherin's, who all shook his hand and clapped him on the back.
"Trocken, Drew!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Yates, Lorna!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The last few students were almost cleared through and sorted. The new Ravenclaw, Drew, marched over to the table with a triumphant gleam spreading all over his freckled face. His enthusiastic nature made everyone chortle and they greeted him warmly.
Regen came up behind him and banged him on the back.
"Well, you seem mighty pleased with yourself!" he sniggered, humouring himself at Drew's wince and shaking his hand. "Good for you! Welcome to Ravenclaw."
Drew chuckled and ruffled his new housemate's hair in retaliation. "Thanks," he smiled. "I'm sure that I'll remember – and feel – this moment for always."
-oOo-
"Hey! Princesa!" Slam!
Princesa jolted upright as if she had been electrocuted. She blinked, looking around the Transfiguration classroom, already half full with Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, ready for their lesson. She cleared her throat and found herself staring into Danielle's concerned face, her hand on Princesa's desk.
"Oh...hi," she mumbled, collecting her books together.
"Are you okay?" her friend asked, raising an eyebrow. "You were a million miles away."
"Yeah, I was just...daydreaming."
"Daydreaming? About what?"
Princesa shook her head, staring out of the window. "Nothing."
"I bet she's thinking about Tom again," giggled Drew from behind his hand, muttering it under his breath. However, Princesa heard him, and she swung around to gaze at him, her cheeks blazing.
"What does that mean?" she asked, in a rather high-pitched voice.
Drew peered from behind his hiding place and gave her a knowing look, smirking at the blush creeping across her face. "You were considering taking him to the ball, weren't you?" he teased, battering his eyelashes. "Have you asked him yet?"
"No!" she hissed in embarrassment. "I only said that I was thinking about it –!"
"That's good enough for me," Drew sang in triumph, leaning back on his chair and crossing his hands behind his head. "I smell love in the air already!"
Princesa folded her arms, an eyebrow shooting up in question. "Speaking of which: how's Jess been lately, Drewie?"
Rosa smirked.
The cocky behaviour seemed to wear off on him at that moment. His freckles exploded across his face (brighter than before because of the heat in his cheeks) and he sat up straight, keeping his head down in his book, suddenly very interested in the diagrams of water goblets that lay on the pages. He didn't answer.
Professor Dumbledore still hadn't arrived to the lesson. Secretly, some of the students wondered what could be keeping him. It wasn't like Dumbledore to be late for a class. What could be wrong?
Bang! The door nearly came off its hinges as it collided into the wall. Everyone in the room jumped, glancing in the direction of the very puffed out student that had just barged in. No one said a word, although Deborah shot them a sour glare, wincing from the ringing in her ears.
Princesa gaped as Olivia, wheezing and grasping onto the table for support from running so fast slumped next to her desk. Her eyes were wide and full of urgency.
"Olivia?" Princesa gasped, dropping her quill pen. "God, are you all right?"
"Printhetha..." the girl panted, pulling up the shoulder of her robes that had slipped down during the sprint. "I...I ran...all the way..."
"We can see that," Drew said, rolling his eyes.
It was then that Olivia stared into Princesa's questioning eyes, the bright orbs swimming with so much seriousness that everyone knew – this couldn't be a joke. She bit her lip.
"Ith Ethie," she puffed, clutching the stitch in her side. "Sheth awake...! She woke up!"