A/N: A quick disclaimer, which I only want to be bothered to do once, I do not own Harry Potter, the idea of Hogwarts or the characters from other stories. However, I feel that Ileana, her basic history and family are an original idea, as well as the plot and therefore copyright of yours truly. Ok?
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Chapter VI
The Hogwarts Express and the Sorting ceremony
The Hogwarts Express left the station on September 1st. Ileana met the twins in front of the train. Their blond hair stood out like flags weaving to and fro, as they moved through the crowd toward Ileana.
"Good morning Silvey! I'm so excited!" Alice said pulling her cart from the crowd of anxious parents.
"Silvey?" Jake said following her.
"Yeah you know, she got a silver wood wan, and her name is pretty, but has too many syllables…Lets see, four syllables, Silvey only has two." She said clapping her hands to the names, and counting out the breaks.
"So now I'm going to call you Silvey. I thought of Lana, but that sounds too old."
Jack rolled his eyes and stepped onto the train pulling his bags up behind him.
The train whistled, as Ileana's mom gave her a hug.
"You be careful you hear. If you do anything to harm yourself, I will punish you far worse than any pain you might have at the moment!"
Ileana laughed and following Alice, stepped onto the train. She waved once more at her parents and disappeared into the train car number 30.
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Ileana, trailed along behind Alice until she finally stopped in front of an almost empty
Train car. Jack was sitting inside reading a large book titled "To curse." His baggage was already put away, in the baggage compartments.
Alice lifted her baggages and placed them next to Jacks. Ileana did the same on the other side of the compartment, and then sat down with a sigh opposite Jack and Alice. The door opened once more and what looked to be a second year entered. A baseball hat covered his face, though a few pieces of brown curly hair peeked out from underneath his hat. He pushed his luggage next to Ileana's and sat down with his face towards the door and pulled his hat down over his face.
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The rest of the journey was uneventful. The boy refused to answer any questions or even talk at all. He sat in the same position the entire time and only moved when the train stopped. Alice was talkative and had changed Ileana's new nickname to Anna. "She'll change it within the hour again." Jake said, passing her in the train corridor once, on his way to buy some sweets.
Jake had read just about the whole time, but listened and made a few comments throughout the journey. Ileana was quiet at first, but was hyper soon after eating three chocolate frogs and a box of Bertie Botts every flavor Jellybeans.
The ride felt short when they filed off the train and into boats sitting on the bank of a wide lake. Through the fog covering the lake, Ileana saw millions of small lights. Ileana ended up in a boat with the twins. Alice was unusually quite, the boats were pushed off the bank and they drifted towards the lights. Slowly a large Castle revealed itself through the fog.
Towers stretching towards the black abyss of the sky, small lights came from thousands of windows splattering the towers and walls of the School Hogwarts.
Ileana breathed the chilly air and sighed with delight at the sight. A part of her that unknowingly seemed to be missing was filled, giving her the feeling of completeness.
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The huge doors of the castle slowly opened, as the group of first years trickled up the staircase, revealing a woman in her early fifties, wearing a black robe and pointed witches hat.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Deputy Headmistress Darla Fordinta. I do hope you'll enjoy your stay here at Hogwarts. Do not for any reason enter the forbidden forest."
She said pointing to a large black blob against the night sky.
"Upon entering the Great Hall you will be sorted into your house. Accomplishing tasks and doing that which pleases the teachers will earn you house points. Pranks and that which is frowned upon will lose your house points. Do not walk around at night, which will earn you only detention and lost house points. Now if you will follow me."
At which point professor Fordinta spun around and walked back through the doors, the first years following.
"This is so exciting," whispered Alice "I can't wait to find out which house I'm in!"
Ileana laughed nervously.
"I hope I'm in Gryffindor, or even Ravenclaw." She said wistfully
"Ha, like you could, Slytherin is what's best for you my evil twin." Jack said grumbling "I hate suspense."
"Oh please, I'm not evil."
"Just loud." Ileana heard Jack whisper
Luckily Alice was too busy looking around her to hear.
They had entered the Great Hall, gasps of awe and a flurries of whispers erupted from the group of first years. It was a large hall the ceiling was covered in misty fog and within shooting stars bounced around and off the surrounding walls, each other, lighting up the room.
Dozens of students sat at four long tables and in between the first years were lead to the front of the Great Hall and towards a small stool.
A sad looking witch's hat sat on top of the stool. The first years were stopped a few feet away and as they did so, the patchy hat started to sing, in a tune that sounded strangely like a lullaby.
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Welcome, welcome, children dear,
to this School of many years.
Hope you'll like your stay this year and
many, many coming years.
Within these humble halls you'll find,
that your skills will grow and grow,
I'll sort you out now,
into the four great houses.
There is Dear Brave Griffindor,
Strong of Spirit, strong of Strength,
There is Dear Old Hufflepuff,
Dedicated and loyal,
There is also Ravenclaw,
Minds of steel and learning,
Last of all is Slytherin,
Bringing with them cunning,
Welcome, welcome, children dear,
to this School of many years.
Hope you'll like your stay this year and
many, many coming years.
Put me, put me on your head,
and then you'll see,
I will find where you belong.
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At this point the hat fell silent.
"Freddy Gorge,"
Professor Fordinta read aloud from a paper floating in the air in front of her,
the recently named nervously stepped forward, a mousey haired boy with dark brown eyes.
He looked at Professor Fordinta inquiringly and she gestured to the stool and hat.
Slowly he stepped up to the hat, picked it up, sat down and put it on.
The hat stayed silent for a bit then shouted out,
"Gryffindor!"
Amongst loud cheering Freddy sat down at a table with students dressed in black robes and red and gold shirts.
A few more names were called then Alice was called up,
She sprang towards the hat and gently placed it on her head then sat nervously tapping her foot on the floor.
"Hullfepuff!
The hat announced and a disappointed Alice stalked over to the Hufflepuff table among cheers and sat down, the hat still on her head. At which point she had to get up again put the hat back on the stool and red faced walked back to her seat, looking as though she was about to bolt at any sudden noise.
"Jack Quir" was called next and Alice's twin walked forward and placed the hat on his head.
"Ravenclaw!" The hat shouted almost immediately.
"Jerry Sliver." was next and was sentenced to Slytherin.
"Ileana Shire."
Ileana jumped when she heard her name called and nervously walked up to the hat. Placing it on her head she waited, incoherent mumbling and whispers filled her ears.
None too soon the hat shouted out a welcome word,
"Griffindor!"
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