Chapter 4: The Ferret and the Sorting
We get to know a bit more about Demeter and her point of view of how she sees the world.
"What?" I said in complete surprise.
His father maybe in big connection with Voldemort, but I knew he would only tell Gathor
about the mission because he was my trainer, not Lucius. Besides, Voldemort couldn't have told Lucius about it because Lucius is in Azkaban.
"How did you know?" I asked outraged, crossing my arms and giving him a dirty look.
He just gave me an evil smirk and stared at me through his gray blue eyes. He didn't speak for a moment, as if taking in the pleasure he felt for taunting me. I was
really beginning to hate this guy.
"I have my connections," he said simply.
Of course, how could I forget? His mother, Narcissa Malfoy, is a Death Eater too! Surely she would have the same connection in her husband's absence.
"Well, so what if you know?" I said in an annoyed tone, "What's it to you?"
Again, he just looked at me with his taunting smirk.
"Well, let's just say I can give you any information you want about Potter," he said with a hint of pride in his voice, "I can pretty much do any thing to make your mission easier,"
"What's in it for you?" I asked suspiciously sensing a catch.
"Just for Potter to disappear from the face of the earth completely is enough pay for me,"
he said with a slight bitter cold cheeriness in his voice.
I sure I didn't want this guy breathing down my neck asking me if I had done my job yet over and over again. Besides, I didn't need his help. I was more then capable to handle this mission on my own.
"Thanks, but no thanks," I said trying to see if I could taunt him just as much as he did,
"But I don't need a little Death Eater amateur following me around telling how to do my
job," I said hotly.
His eyes grew wide with surprise that I would talk to him in such a way. He was also gaping at me like a goldfish, completely lost for words.
"If you don't mind I have go change into my robes," I said satisfied with his reaction while leaving him there stunned.
I made my way back to the compartment, leaving Malfoy dumbstruck. Feeling much better since I had arrived on the Hogwarts Express. After we all got into our robes, our conversation went on asking me questions about America and myself. Occasionally I would ask a question about Hogwarts or themselves. All the while, Luna still refused to trust me and kept asking me suspicious questions. She always answers short and simple whenever I would ask her a question. But I didn't pay very much attention to her. I was too busy earning Harry's trust to care.
Before I knew it, we were at Hogwarts. The train had stopped and everyone was leaving the train in a hurry. There were a lot of people hustling down the hallway of compartments. When we finally got out of the train, I took in a deep breath of fresh air. It felt good to be out in the open again. I followed Harry and the others as I heard a loud deep voice call out,
"Firs' years! Firs' years come wit' me!"
I looked to see who was calling out. And saw a giant man, in a distance, with black wild
hair that made Hermione's hair look like something out of a muggle super model magazine. He had giant patched leather boots and had an oversized coat completely covered in pockets.
He held out a big lantern as he led a bunch of first years and a black bloodhound, which was at the giant's heels, to the lake instead of the carriages that we were heading to.
I looked to the direction of the carriages, and saw that they were each being drawn by a pair of Treskles. I had always admired Treskles. They were a mix of two of my favorite
animals, horses and reptiles. I always thought of horses as symbols of beauty, independence, and strength, where as reptiles, beauty, cunning, and sly grace. I stared admiringly at the Treskles; thinking I was the only one who could see them.
"You can see them can't you?" said a dreamy voice from out of nowhere.
I looked around and saw Luna standing next to me, looking at me in a whole new light. I
think it was called pity.
"Did you see one of your relatives die?" She asked in a sad dreamy tone.
"No, not exactly," I said unsympathetically thinking of all the innocent people I had
heartlessly slaughtered.
"Why?" I asked curiously, "Did you see one yours die?"
"Yes," she said in her ghostly like tone, while slightly going off into her own little
world, "My mother,"
"Oh," I said without a single hint of pity.
She must have gotten the hint that I didn't really care about her loss. She just went back
to watching me like a hawk as if I was about to steal one her cookies from her cookie jar.
Through out the trip in the carriage, I sat in silence while the others picked up from where
they left off form the conversation on the train.
When we stopped, I followed the others out of the carriage. When I got out, I found myself standing in front of a magnificent castle. I stood stunned in front of the castle for a moment, then followed Harry and the others
inside.
The inside looked just as magnificent as it did on the outside. We entered a large room with three grand staircases all of them leading up to the same upper level with large doors
similar to the ones we just entered. Between the left and right staircases were more stairs that lead down into an unknown darkness.
On the walls up high were elegant looking windows with the Hogwarts crest on each of them. On the high ceiling were chandeliers, swaying lightly and gleaming with the light within them.
I had no light within me, just a lonely darkness that thrives and lives by blood shed and
pain. That's all I would ever be, a mere demon that hunts and kills for survival. I followed as we climbed the middle grand staircase, which was the largest out of the three staircases.
The doors opened automatically as the front of the group neared it and entered.
"Demeter Duller?" a voice called from the front of the group. "Demeter Duller, please come forward,"
I pushed my way to the front of the group with a bit of a struggle. When I made it to the
front I found myself facing a woman in emerald green robes with her graying hair in a tight bun. She had a stern expression on her face and wore square spectacles.
"May I have a quick word with you Ms. Duller,"
I had no choice in the matter because she was already leading away from the group.
"You need to wait here until were done sorting the first years. Then when wee done we'll call you in. Come up to the staff table when you enter," she said as she led me to a bench
like seat next to the Great Hall doors.
Naturally, I sat down and watched as the rest of the group filed into the Great Hall.
A few minutes after all the students entered and were all seated at their house tables, a
group of first years began to gather in the Main Entrance Hall.
The woman who had escorted me to my bench seat suddenly walked right passed me as if she appeared out of nowhere. She went over to the first years and stood tall and stern facing the little munchkins.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she announced out loud to them as they quieted down, "My name is Professor Mcgonigall. You will be following me into the Great Hall to be sorted into your houses. They are Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. Now wait here and I'll be right back," She said, and then entered the Great Hall doors.
All the first years then began to talk among themselves. It didn't take them long for them to notice me. Some began to point and whisper, while others just stared with curiosity and fear. They all smelled with excitement, fear, and curiosity.
I gave them all an evil look as if I were about to eat them.
They all hunched together in a tighter group and back away in terror.
I chuckled silently to myself at their reaction. They all now smelled strongly of fear.
Professor Mcgonigall came back through the large doors.
"Were ready for you … now," she paused in mid sentence before she finished.
She looked curiously at all the frightened faces before her.
"I know it may seem a wee bit scary coming to a new school and not knowing what to expect. But I assure you, there is really nothing to be this frightened of,"
All the first years then turned to me, their expressions still covered in fear, they seemed
to expect me to spring at them next.
Professor Mcgonigall followed their frightened gazes and gave me an odd look. I just simply shrugged my shoulders and examined my nails as if nothing had happened.
Professor Mcgonigall seemed to have brushed it off and she turned back to the young
students.
"Come and follow me, and you will be sorted,"
She turned back to the Great Hall and the first years all followed closely behind her, still
huddled in a tight group and trying their best to avoid me as much as possible.
Once they were all inside, the doors closed, blocking me completely from what was inside.
I sat there in silence. Every so often I would hear a cheer from inside. While I was
waiting, I decided to do some meditating. I sat there for a little while listening to the distant cheers.
A few minutes later, a loud booming voice from inside called out,
"Demeter Duller please report to the Great Hall to be sorted,"
I was startled by the loud voice. But never the less, I stood up from my seat and stood in
front of the Great Hall doors. I took a deep breath, and pushed open the door and entered
the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was just as big as I had pictured it. In front of me were four long tables. Each table had a large group of students all staring at me. I noticed that each table had a certain color. From left to right, black & yellow, blue & black, red & yellow, and green.
I figured that these had to be the house tables. High on the walls were the same grand
windows as in the Main Entrance Hall. I looked up past the windows, and up at the beautiful sky like ceiling that Gathor told me about. It looked just as beautiful as when Gathor told me about it.
Passed the house tables was, what I guessed to be, the staff tables. Like Professor Mcgonigall told me to do, I walked up to the staff tables to be sorted.
On the way, walking between the blue and red table, I could feel their eyes on me, I could
hear their whispers about me, and I could smell their judging curiosity.
But I didn't care. I just held my head high and walked proudly up to the staff table.
Showing them no fear of their judgment, showing them I didn't give a damn of what they
thought.
I got up to the staff table and stood in front of, whom I assumed to be, the infamous
headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
He was exactly as I had pictured him, his white long hair and beard, his wise, charming, all knowing blue eyes, hidden behind his half moon spectacles.
"Welcome Miss Demeter Duller, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he said in a kind voice.
Though he and the rest of staff applauded politely in welcome, the students seemed to be too stunned to applaud.
I turned my attention to Professor Mcgonigall, who had just come in with a sitting stool and an old, brown, patched, dirty looking hat.
Luckily, Gathor had told me what to do at the sorting. When Mcgonigall placed the stool in front of me, I sat down facing the four house tables, all still looking at me with curiosity and wonder. Then Professor Mcgonigall placed the hat on my head.
"Hmmm… Interesting," said a voice.
I knew it was the hat, so I wasn't surprised.
"A very talented girl, very clever I see," the hat said again.
"I see many qualities for Gryffindor,"
I was surprised when it said that. I was thinking o using my powers to trick the hat into
thinking that I belonged in Gryffindor. But this seemed to be working out much better.
"Okay, GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted, and the whole Gryffindor house applauded for the first time in welcome.