Chapter Four
Disclaimer: I own no characters other than Raven, Kairos, and the cat Cameo, and I own the plot line. Everything else belongs to my muse, J.K Rowling. So, really, you should be thanking her for this.
Announcement: Even though Harry is telling the story of her past, it is going to be from Kairos's P.O.V, only because this is her story, and it'll be easier to write/understand from her point of view.
I had been dumped at King's Cross station without any instruction whatsoever. Well. That was a bit of a lie, I had been told to find platform nine and three quarters. And that I'd have to run at full speed with all my belongings at the wall between platforms nine and ten. Personally, I didn't trust that big guy. I suppose anything could happen in the wizarding world, but I still didn't believe him. It must have been some large, elaborate prank.
I grew up in a magical home, but I was home-schooled by my mom and dad. I figured they taught me well. They told me I was ahead of all the other witches and wizards my age. They were not very loving, sometimes cruel, and very strict. I was the only magical person in all of Greece who had never flown a broomstick. One night, when I was fourteen years old, however, they came bursting into my room and told me to hide. For the first time in my life, I had seen fear in their eyes. I always imagined my parents to be fearless, so you can imagine how freaked out I would have been. Of course, I did as I was told and crawled underneath my bed. All I heard was a large amount of shouting and a flash of green light from under the door. I think I passed out from shock. Of course I knew exactly what had happened. They had been killed, by Voldemort. Hours later, I was woken up by a big, hairy giant who introduced himself as Hagrid. He told me he worked for Hogwarts, School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in England. Before I even knew what hit me, I was being transported to London to attend this school. Hagrid told me I'd be safe under the watch of their headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Many people are shocked when I tell them I don't miss my parents. But, I don't know what I can do about that. I'd rather be a freak and not miss my parents, then be normal, miss my parents horribly, and suffer for it greatly.
I decided to hang around near platforms nine and ten, and wait for some other wizards to come by and go through the wall first. Sure enough, a large group of eight people came by, six of them had flaming red hair, one boy had black hair, and another girl had brown. Just like Hagrid had said, they all ran through the wall, making sure that no one was watching. As soon as they had made it all through, I decided to do the same thing. I took a quick look around, to make sure the coast was clear before I went bursting forward and felt an interesting sensation as I ran through the wall.
As soon as I got though, I almost ran into the woman with the red hair.
"Sorry." I apologized as I picked up the bag that fell off my trolley. Platform nine and three quarters was insanely busy. There were people, and students running every which way and trolleys everywhere. I decided not to waste anytime, so I immediately got my stuff loaded onto the large, scarlet train and went inside to find myself a seat. Eventually, I found myself a room that was completely empty. I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes. Barely two minutes later I heard a knock on the door. I opened my eyes to see that brown haired girl I had seen with the group of red haired people. She opened the door just enough that I'd be able to hear her.
"Um. All the other seats are filled." She explained in a thick British accent.
"Go ahead." I said.
She smiled her thanks and sat down, followed by one of the red haired boys, and the black haired one. The girl sat across from me, the black haired boy next to her, and the red haired one sat next to me.
"You must be new." the girl said.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"Well. I've never seen you before. And...most of the people at Hogwarts don't have Greek accents." She smiled, and I returned the gesture.
"Yea. You're right. I'm from Athens. I've been homeschooled for the past four years."
"So you're in the same year as us, then? Year Five?"
"I'd imagine so, yes."
"I'm Hermione Granger" She said, extending her hand for me to shake.
"Kairos Haemon" I introduced myself, shaking her hand.
"I'm Ron Weasley." the red-haired boy finally spoke up.
"Nice to meet you."
The black haired boy said nothing. He just stared into space, completely lost in his own thoughts.
"Um. Do you have a name, or...can I just call you the black haired one." I asked him. He just stared at me blankly. Hermione elbowed him, but he still sat there.
"His name is Harry Potter. He can be a tad difficult sometimes."
"Hello, Harry." I held out my hand for him to shake. He just stared at my hand blankly for a few moments, but he eventually gave in, and gave my hand a very stiff shake. The carriage became quiet for quite a long time. I tried not to notice, but I knew Harry's eyes were on me the whole time. Eventually I couldn't stand it anymore.
"I don't have a second head, you know!" I said to him.
"I know." He mumbled.
"Ah! He can speak! I was beginning to think you were mute." I exclaimed. He just glared at me and flipped his head to look out the carriage door.
"Perhaps I should explain a few things." Hermione said quietly. "You know, the Dark Lord?" She asked me. I mentally rolled my eyes.
"Of course I do. He killed my parents." I saw Harry's head flips back towards me with that. The look on Hermione's face was that of sheer terror.
"Oh, for god sakes. I am so sorry." She exclaimed.
"Hey, don't worry about it. You didn't know." Harry looked back out the door.
"Well. I'm assuming you've heard of the Triwizard Tournament?" I nodded my agreement. "Well, even though Harry is underage, someone slipped his name int the Goblet of Fire, and well. He got picked, as well as another Hogwarts student. Cedric Diggory. Well, to make a long story short, Cedric was killed by one of the Dark Lord's servants. Harry witnessed it. Hasn't been quite the same ever since. And well...when Harry was a baby..."
"I've heard the rest of the story." I laughed. Harry's head flipped back towards me, but this time he had a look of shock on his face. "no need to explain your shocked look there, Potter. Of course I knew it was you all along. I just figured...you got recognized so much, you wouldn't want me to be freaking out over you."
For the first time that whole trip, Harry smiled at me.
"Thanks." he said.
No one spoke much for the rest of the trip. Every once in awhile, Ron and Hermione bickered, but Harry said it was to be expected from them.
When the train stopped in front of Hogwarts, Hermione told me to go find Hagrid again. I'd have to go with him and the first years so that I could get sorted.
"Where do I get my bags back!" I shouted over the crowd.
"You don't!" Hermione shouted back. "They'll just show up in your room!"
"Oh!"
I finally pushed my way over to the tall hairy man I recognized as Hagrid.
"Hello, Hagrid." I said.
"'Ello there, Kairos. Ready to be sorted?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." I said.
"Do you know which house you want to be in?"
"The people I was with...they didn't mention anything about the houses."
"Oh. Well, it'll be a suprise then! Find a boat, and follow me!"
I could barely see where I was going, but eventually I stumbled into a boat that was empty, because I didn't know any first years.
To my dismay, a bunch of first years followed me into the boat, and my plan of being anti-social failed miserably.
"You don't look like a first year." one kid said to me.
"It's cause I'm not. I'm a fifth year. So, don't talk."
No one said anything for the rest of the trip.
We got off the boats at the other side of the river, and were led up this muddy path that led to a large marble door.
"Aright you lot. Stay where you are, Professor McGonagall will be meeting you here any second." Hagrid informed us.
Not soon enough, the large marble door opened and a stern woman wearing a scarlet cloack and matching hat and small round glasses came out.
"Hello, first years, and Ms. Haemon. You are about to pass through these doors, be sorted by our resident sorting hat, and then join your fellow students at that house's table. Is that clear?"
Everyone mumbled their "yes" and we were lead into a giant hall that was made of delightfully perfect marble, and the ceiling had been bewitched to look like the sky. There were floating candles to light up this giant room, and it was already packed with students and teachers. I found Hermione, Ron and Harry sitting at a table and I waved to them, and they waved back. I must have jumped so high up when suddenly I heard a shrill voice bust into song. The song was nearly half over by the time I realized it was coming from the hat that was placed on a stool up on a stage. The only part I caught, was that the four houses in Hogwarts were named Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. One by one, each student was called up to the stool, and had the hat placed on their heads. Seconds later, the hat would shout out a house name, and that student would join their respective table.
Finally, my name was shouted.
"Haemon, Kairos!" Professor McGonagall shouted. I walked calmly up to the stool, sat down, and felt the hat placed upon my head.
"This is stupid." I thought to myself.
"Is it?" A voice replied. I jumped, and looked around trying to find out who spoke. "That sounds like the kind of talk that belongs in Slytherin."
"This is ridiculous, hats can't talk."
"But, I am no ordinary hat. I am a sorting hat, and I can most definitely talk." the hat replied.
"I want to be in the same house as Hermione. So I can be with her, Ron and Harry."
"Hmm, Harry Potter. You and him have more in common than you might think."
"Then...maybe we should be in the same house..."
"I suppose so. Better make it...GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table roared and cheered as I smiled, removed the hat from my head and ran over to join Hermione, Ron and Harry.