Harry Potter and the Junior Order
By: Lawrali
Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and characters. New characters will be introduced in further chapters.
Chapter Three
Whoosh!
Sydney and her mother walked through a cloud of smoke as the train's engine released pressure. Platform 9 3/4 looked oddly enough like the platform she'd stood on the past six years.
Must be the most logical way to avoid unwanted Muggle attention, Syd decided.
The mother-daughter pair stopped outside a car somewhere in the middle of the train and turned toward each other. The heavy smell of diesel and smoke filled the air. Several small groups of students and parents surrounded the two. Off to her left stood several red-heads with a portly woman. As Syd watched a bushy haired girl walked up to them followed by two lean business-typed parents.
"Seventh year. Oh my, whey did you grow up so quickly?"
"When you weren't looking." Sydney smiled, love filling her eyes.
At that moment the whistle blew, a warning to the students to board or be left behind. Sydney jumped at the unexpected noise and found the red-head group as the portly woman began pushing the children on board. Sydney watched as the bushy-haired girl climbed the stairs, an orange fluff animal clutched in her arms. A raven-haired boy followed, although she couldn't see him properly.
Sasha turned Sydney's attention back to her as she pulled her into a hug. She smoothed her hand over Syd's hair. "I love you. I'll be at the Cauldron. Don't get into to much trouble." Sasha released her daughter and straightened Syd's shirt. "Don't get behind on your schoolwork. Seventh year goes by very quickly." Sasha pulled her into another hug and kissed the side of Syd's head.
"I know, Mum. It's not like I haven't gone to school before." Syd said, trying to rumple up her sweatshirt to it's comfortable wear.
Sasha smiled and pushed back a loose strand of Sydney's hair before hugging her again, not wanting to let go. Syd watched as several students were eyeing her with laughter in their eyes. Syd desperately wanted to hex each and every one of them for interrupting the personal moment with her mother.
"Mum, I have to go."
Sasha released Syd, wiping a tear from her eye. Syd's eyes grazed over her mother one last time, memorizing the glint of light shining in her eyes, the way the sun shone on her black hair and the way her dress billowed in the soft, cool breeze.
Syd walked toward the car's stepladder and paused as two redhead children jumped up the stairs, bickering as they went. Syd followed a voice, high-pitched and squeaky, to see the read-head woman standing just behind her own mother.
"What are you talking about? What are you meeting Dean for?" the boy was calling up to his sister.
"Sod off, Ron. Don't you have duties to attend to?" Ginny said, extracting herself from her brother and following Harry.
Harry and Ginny detached themselves from Ron and Hermione (Ron walking off in a huff), who had to go about their Prefect duties, and found an empty compartment at the back of the train. As they sat, after shoving Pig and Hedwig into the overhead storage area, the door opened and Neville's plump face met them.
"Hello, Harry. Ginny."
"Neville, please join us. It's ok, right Harry?"
Harry shrugged and looked out the window as the train began moving forward and the whistle blew, a farewell to the parents. Crookshanks jumped into Harry's lap, turned a circle, rolled up into a big ball and promptly went to sleep. Neville drug his belongings into the compartment and stored them before seating himself next to Ginny.
Neville and Ginny exchanged pleasantries and a deafening silence followed. After a few moments, Ginny opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the door sliding open for the second time. Outside the door stood an attractive girl with shoulder-length black hair.
"Excuse me, would you mind if I joined you?"
Neville quietly stared at the girl, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. A squeak escaped his lips and he stupidly muttered something about the seat being "fragrant." Harry hadn't even moved his gaze from the window and simply shrugged. Ginny shook her head at the boys and rose to her feet and held out her hand.
"I'm Ginny Weasley, nice to meet you."
Syd wasn't sure exactly how Ginny knew she was new. Of course, Sasha had told her how big Hogwarts was. It was possible to attend the school for years and not notice someone until you were thrown face-to-face. Could it be possible that this young girl would think they'd attended the school together all this time? Syd hoped so; she wasn't ready to be outcast by this new school by the fact of who her father was. When she told people her last name, they had immediately thought of the serial killer and would shun her or simply just run away in terror. Syd looked at the girl for a moment, deciding whether or not she would be one of those people, before closing the door and taking her hand.
"Sydney."
Ginny looked down at the girl's luggage. She kicked Neville as she sat and asked him to put Syd's things away. Syd sat at the opposite end of the seat Harry was seated at. The silence filled the compartment once again. Neville had seemed to have lost the ability to speak or blink as he continued to stare stupidly at Sydney.
Syd sighed, reached into her pocket and withdrew a palm-sized piece of gray-brown fuzz. Ginny looked at her with a look of confusion as Syd quietly began talking to the ball in a loving voice. As Ginny sat watching the ball of fuzz began moving and a little head popped up and the ball released a small squeak.
"This is Flash." Syd told Ginny, answering her questionable look. "He's a pocket owl."
Syd looked up to the other animals invading the compartment. She saw the orange tangle-haired cat resting, and snoring, in Harry's lap. Above her head, she noticed the small gray owl buzzing around wildly in his cage and another white owl glaring at the smaller one with a look of annoyance.
Ginny watched as the tiny owl stretched out its wings trying to look bigger than he actually was. Syd chuckled and clicked her tongue at the bird. Flash flew out of her hand and sped around the ceiling before landing lightly on Syd's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek.
"He's a little sensitive about his size."
The girls' shared a giggle when the door opened for the third time. Ron and Hermione entered quarreling. The two quickly stopped mid-argue when they spotted the new occupant. Hermione's jaw dropped at the sight of the girl while Ron ushered forward and sat down next to Harry.
"Hello." Hermione took the vacant seat in between Neville and Ginny. "I, uh, don't believe we've met. I'm Hermione Granger."
"No we've yet to meet. I only just moved here from Paris. My name's Sydney."
Hermione waited for her to continue but sighed as she realized Sydney wasn't going to offer her last name. Syd had nudged her tiny bird who immediately pushed himself back into her jacket pocket. A silence followed in which Hermione watched Sydney very closely. She watched as Syd backed the rest of the owl into her pocket, withdrew a treat from her opposite pocket and place them inside with Flash. She watched as Syd began taking in the others in the compartment.
Syd's eyes cast over each member of the compartment. The girl who had introduced herself as Ginny was now in a quiet whispered conversation with the boy called Neville. Every once in a while the two would steal glances at her then continue with their hushed dialogue. The boy next to her, looked much like the younger girl, with fire-red hair and freckled cheeks. All she could see of the last boy, Harry she thought he was called, was still staring out the window as if no one shared the train compartment with him.
"So, uh, Sydney. What year are you?" Hermione questioned, searching for some background.
"Actually this is my last year." Syd's French accent shone through her words.
"Kind of hard changing schools at the start of your last year, isn't it?" Ginny asked from across the compartment.
"Maybe a little." Syd shrugged.
"You weren't connected to your school?" Neville piped up.
Syd laughed. She hadn't really thought he could communicate a complete sentence. "No, I didn't exactly fit in at the Academy."
"Why?" Ron asked, joining a verbal quiz.
"Come on, Ronald. Does she look anything like Fleur-" Hermione squealed.
"Yeah, Beauxbaton isn't exactly like Hogwarts. From the stories I hear from Mother about Hogwarts. Hogwarts is… mellower? Beauxbaton was colder. There was little acceptance to "unnatural" wizards or rather mixed bloods and Muggle-borns. Also came a high expectation from the Professors. We either succeeded or--" Syd let the sentence trail off.
The four others joined in Harry's silence as they sat mouths agape. Neville had heard that Beauxbaton was different than Hogwarts but he didn't really think that Madam Maxime was that hard on her students. She hadn't seemed to be two years ago when she and several of her students had been at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament.
"Not that the Professors were abusive physically or mentally. Emotionally, maybe on occasion. Madam Maxime cared about us but she did have her favorites. Of course, I wasn't one of them."
Hermione suddenly turned to Harry.
"Harry?"
Harry turned to face her. Suddenly, as Syd looked toward him, her breath caught in her chest and she choked slightly on a bit of saliva that had sucked in with her breath. She was looking at her magical photograph in real time.
"Harry? Harry Potter?" Syd's breathy voice questioned.
Ron hiccupped then gawked at her in awe. "How did you know his name?"
"Honestly, Ronald; everyone knows his name." Hermione said with an aggravated sigh.
"No, no-" Syd began.
"But, you can't see his scar. How would she know he's Harry Potter without seeing his scar?"
Neville's look of admiration increased (if that was possible) and he began stumbling over his words again. Ginny looked at Neville with mixed emotions. Half of her look was one of laughter but she looked as if she was about to put a silencing charm on him at the same time.
"No, I've known Harry since before…"
Syd began muttering to herself and a smile broke across her face. At that moment the little plump witch came rapping at their compartment door.
"Anything-"
Before she could finish her usual question, Neville rushed forward to buy a few treats. Sydney put Flash back into her pocket and followed Neville to search the selection of goodies the witch had brought them.
"Bonjour, Madame." Syd spoke to the plump woman with a smile.
"Anything off the trolley, dear?" she smiled in return.
Syd looked at the array of goodies the woman was offering her. She saw many that she loved and a couple she'd never tried.
"Two Chocolate Frogs, a Pumpkin Pasty and a Licorice Wand, please."
The witch handed her the sweets and collected the money ("That'll be fourteen sickles, darling."). Sydney had turned to return to her seat but bumped into Harry who'd came to the door to buy sweets. She excused herself as he muttered his own. She sat and watched as Harry kindly bought treats for the remainder of his riding companions.
A little while later the children broke off into small groups again. Neville and Luna began a debate over fresh-water fish oils and salt-water fish oils used in Herbology to aid in fertilization of Mandrake Root. Hermione joined Ginny, Harry and Ron in a game of Exploding Snap.
Syd pulled out that morning's copy of The Daily Prophet. On the front page was another story of deceit and treachery. Of course the story was about Harry and Dumbledore and their lies to the Wizard community about the return of You-Know-Who. Syd had never feared Lord Voldemort; no, she hated him. If it weren't for him her father would be at home at this moment waiting to hear that she had made it safely to school for her last year.
Syd had almost read through the entire Prophet when she heard a commotion outside the compartment. She put down the paper (She'd been reading an article that claimed Sirius Black was spotted in Little Hangleton) and followed Harry to look out the door to see what was going on. The sight she was faced with was one which filled her with great hatred. Crabbe and Goyle were holding hostage some very scared first year students just three compartment's down. Goyle was threateningly holding his wand to the students while Crabbe emptied their hands of the candies they'd just bought from the trolley.
"Malfoy and his goons?" Hermione quizzed lazily.
"No, actually, just Crabbe and Goyle." Harry commented from in front of Sydney. "I have an idea."
Harry reached up into his bag and pulled out his invisibility cloak and swung it around himself. Syd watched as Harry disappeared before her eyes. She had an idea what he was going to do. She waited to feel the swish of Harry's cloak before she followed him out of the compartment and toward the two boys.
"Excuse me? Is there a problem here?" Sydney asked as Crabbe stuffed another chocolate frog into his pocket.
"No problem. We're just taking care of some business." Crabbe told the girl.
"What's that? Proving to these kids that you are the same age as them? You know by the end of the year they are going to surpass your knowledge. I wouldn't be surprised if these boys are the one's that are ripping off your sweets on the train ride home. Do you even know how to use that wand?"
Goyle grunted at her and a vein, much like Uncle Vernon's, popped out of his neck.
"You do know that you have it turned around backwards."
At that moment, Harry snatched the wand from Goyle's hands and dropped it. As he bent to pick it up Harry grabbed the end of his robes and pulled them up over his head then turned and kicked him in the butt causing him to fall flat on his face. He then grabbed Crabbe's necktie and pulled forward until the chubby boy tripped over his accomplice.
"What's the matter? Having problems?" Goyle looked up to see Syd standing straight-faced with her wand in hand. Syd bent and picked up the sweets from the floor and also snatched the one's stuffed in Crabbe's pocket. She turned toward the boy and handed them back to the shortest boy with dark hair. "Here, I don't think they'll be messing with you anymore." With that, she pocketed her wand once more and walked back to her compartment where the occupants were laughing hysterically.
An hour later the train began to slow into Hogsmede Station. The group began to collect their belongings. Harry and Ron stood and handed out bags from the overhead as Neville stuffed Trevor into his pocket and Ginny and Hermione piled together the games and books they'd withdrew on the train ride.
Syd followed the group as they descended the train steps into a crowd of hundreds of students. Somewhere to her left Syd heard a very husky voice call above the rest ("Firs' years this way. Firs' years over here."). She found the owner of the voice in a giant of a man with long, bushy dark hair and a beard that matched and hid most of his face.
Coming around a bend, still following the others, to find hundred carriages driven by what looked like nothing. Syd looked at the eerie site in complete confusion. The carriages were being driven by no man and were pulled by nothing. Harry had also stopped as they turned the bend to stare at the carriages.
"Are they still there, Harry?" Hermione whispered.
"What?" Syd asked.
Harry didn't say a word but pulled in a heavy breath and walked forward to climb into one near the back. Ron followed him, as usual, not sensing the uneasy. Hermione followed solemnly while Neville climbed in, desperately trying to clutch onto Trevor. Ginny started forward and climbed in before sticking her head back out and calling out to Sydney.
As the students filed inside the castle Professor McGonagall was waiting at the oak door. Her stern nature was immediately replaced with a softer gaze as she saw Sydney walking with the Gryffindor students.
"Sydney. Welcome to Hogwarts. Follow me please."
Syd bid farewell to her traveling companions and followed the familiar Professor. She was lead to another set of doors and up a marble staircase. Once at the top the pair stopped and turned to watch the twin doors underneath them.
"Professor?"
McGonagall shushed her as the doors below opened and the huge man entered followed by a line of younger students. They each held wore scared faces. Some slightly pale others slightly green.
From the boat ride, Syd deduced.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. Through these doors you will enter a world of knowledge and comradery within your separate houses. Hogwarts houses four separate Houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. You will each find refuge in one of these houses and embrace it as a family away from home."
McGonagall turned and strolled back through the hall behind her. Sydney followed her without saying a word and heard several hurried steps behind her as the group quickly followed. She turned to see the younger students silently following her and looking very nervous. She grimaced at how much taller she was and how silly it would look, her standing waiting to be sorted with much younger kids.
The oak doors opened and inside she saw four long tables filled with eager looking students all craning their necks to see the new students. Up at the end of the hall was a long table in which sat the Professors of Hogwarts. In front of them, she saw as they drew closer, was a single stool with a tattered, old hat sitting atop it.
"When I call your name, step forward to be sorted." McGonagall spoke, looking down at her list.
"Abernathy, Charisma."
A quiet little girl timidly stepped forward and sat down on the stool. After a few moments of complete silence the hat screamed to the room, "Gryffindor!"
A table on the right erupted in applause and the girl smiled, jumped down and took a seat near the end. Four more kids joined the table and were welcomed with enthusiastic whoops. "Keller, Freddie" became the first Hufflepuff of the year while "Bryant, James" and "High, Michael" joined the Ravenclaw table.
"Williams, Tucker"
The last child walked forward with his head held high and a smug grin on his face. The hat sat on his head for only moments when it yelled out, "Slytherin!" As the boy took his seat and the entire room turned to look at the last remaining person still waiting to be sorted.
Professor Dumbledore stood and the room fell silent at once.
"It is a first in the history of Hogwarts in which we open our doors to a transfer student. She comes to us from France and the Beauxbaton Academy of Magic. I'm sure that those of us here at Hogwarts will open their hearts and show her the true spirit of Hogwarts."
Dumbledore returned to his seat and McGonagall turned back to the room and called out her name. "Black, Sydney"
She stepped forward and sat on the stool. Just before the hat covered her eyes she saw the stunned faces of her traveling mates.
"Another Black? I have waited many years for you. Now here you sit. I see lots of courage and intelligence. What is this? I also see that you are territorial and protective. Friends and family are your sole priority. Should you follow your mothers footsteps with your cunning will shine through? Or in the house of your father where your loyalty and wisdom will lead you into greatness?"
The hat paused and finally shouted, "Gryffindor!"
A/N: Sorry it's been so long and I had got stumped somewhere near the beginning of the train. You probably noticed that the description of Beaxbatons isn't exactly accurate. My mistake. I wrote that part before the movie had come out and got it confused with Durmstrang but when I went to fix it I couldn't make it sound as if she wouldn't miss the school because she didn't fit in so I left it the way it was. Truth be told, Syd really doesn't fit in at Beauxbaton for the sheer fact that she doesn't overdo on her beauty. Her intellect is more important to her than her looks. Hope to get the next chapter out sooner than it took on this one.