Disclaimer: Obviously, most of these characters are JK Rowling's, not mine. Also, thank you to MinervaEvenstar, for letting me use her title.
I'm Not a Dessert!
Chapter Two: A Train, a Friend, a House, and Enemies
Halfway through the train ride, the door to his compartment slid open and a young, dark haired boy poked his head in. "Can I sit here?" he asked quietly. Cornelius nodded and gestured toward the empty seat across from him. "Thanks."
There was an awkward silence between them. The new boy spoke first. "My sister threw me out of her compartment. Said she didn't want to be seen associating with a scrawny First Year. Is this your first year too?" he asked eagerly.
"Yeah. Cornelius Fudge," he introduced himself, holding out his hand as his mother had taught him. The strange boy smiled gratefully.
"Alphard Black," replied the boy, shaking Cornelius's outstretched hand. After finding acceptance in each other, the conversation began to flow more easily. As they drew closer to the castle, the conversation began to steer toward Hogwarts as well. "What house do you think you'll be in?" Alphard asked.
Cornelius squinted his eyes as he thought. "I don't know, really. My dad was in Slytherin, but me mum was in Hufflepuff. I haven't really thought about it."
Alphard snorted with laughter. "Hufflepuff?" he laughed. "I certainly hope you don't end up there. It's where all the rejects go, you know."
Cornelius drew back, shocked. "No, it's where the kind and caring and loyal go," he cried.
"Anyone who's anyone is in Slytherin," Alphard replied with another snort. "Everyone in my family has been put there."
"So I suppose you'll be in Slytherin too?" Cornelius asked quietly.
"I better be." Before Cornelius could reply, there was a knock on the door and a tall, older girl with a long dark braid and square glasses poked her head in.
"The train will be arriving at Hogwarts in fifteen minutes, you'd better change into your school robes," she sang and ducked back out. Cornelius looked at Alphard, who shrugged.
---
A few minutes later, the train was pulling into the station and everyone was filing out. Cornelius gasped as he looked out over the lake and saw the castle. His parents had described it for him millions of times—even shown him pictures—but nothing compared to the real thing. It was simply breathtaking. Towers stretched up into the clouds and the sun shone cheerfully down from overhead, sending bright glints over the dark lake.
A tall body slammed into him from behind and shoved him aside. He tripped and would have fallen to the ground if Alphard hadn't grabbed him around the shoulders and helped him keep his balance. Cornelius looked to see who had bumped him, and found himself looking at a female version of Alphard.
"Hey Walburga," Alphard called to his older sister. She simply sneered in response and took the arm of another dark-haired girl. They hurried over to the horseless carriages waiting a few yards away. Before they climbed in, a younger looking boy ran over and pushed between them, laying an arm over each of their shoulders. Cornelius started after them, but was pulled up short by his new friend.
"First Years go over in boats," he whispered.
Sure enough, within ten seconds, a deep voice could be heard booming over all the commotion. "FIRST YEARS FOLLOW ME! ALL YOU FIRST YEARS, COME DOWN TO THE BOATS!" They hurried after the man and climbed aboard a boat.
In no time at all, they were approaching the castle doors. "I can't believe we're going to be here for seven years," Cornelius whispered.
"I know. And by the end of this year we'll know our way around," came Alphard's reply. Cornelius shuddered. He knew he was bound to get lost a million times before the end of the year, and he wasn't looking forward to it.
---
"Ackerley, Jonathan." A scrawny little boy with light hair stumbled toward the stool sitting at the front of the room. He placed the large, faded hat over his head. The hall was silent.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat called loudly, and the group at one of the middle tables cheered as the boy took the hat off and tottered toward them, a grin on his face. Cornelius gulped.
"I'll be put into Slytherin," Alphard repeated quietly, more for his own benefit than for Cornelius. "All Blacks are put in Slytherin."
"Would it be so bad if you were in a different house?" Cornelius asked in a whisper. "Maybe you're braver than the rest of your family. Maybe you'll go to Gryffindor." That was probably about the worst thing he could have said.
"I don't even want to find out what my family would do to me if I didn't get into Slytherin. They might even burn me off the family tree, for all I know. No Black has ever been in any other house." He began to shake Cornelius by the shoulders to drill his point home.
"Black, Alphard." Alphard, oblivious, continued to shake Cornelius.
"I have to be in Slytherin!" he chanted, almost to himself. "I have to be in Slytherin."
"Black, Alphard?"
"…have to be in Slytherin. I have to be in Slytherin. I have–"
"BLACK, ALPHARD!" Alphard's head jolted up upon finally hearing his name, and he hurried toward the stool with the hat. Laughter could be heard from more than one table.
Cornelius watched as his friend slid the hat over his head. After a long silence, the longest yet, during which Alphard's face became more and more pale, the hat shouted out "SLYTHERIN!" and relief was plainly visible in the boy's eyes. The Slytherin table clapped as he hurried toward them.
Now with no one to talk to, Cornelius peered out into the Great Hall. It was a huge room with four long tables filled with students. One large bloke at what appeared to be the Gryffindor table caught his attention. Actually, large would probably be an understatement; this kid was positively enormous. He was at least twice the height of anyone around him. His long, shaggy mane of hair was horribly tangled, and even from across the room Cornelius could see bits of cobwebs infested in it, as if he had perhaps recently inserted his head into a giant spider web.
"Fudge, Cornelius." Cornelius drew his attention back to the sorting when he heard his name, and hurried up to the hat. Unlike his friend, no trace of fear could be seen on this boy's face. Personally, he didn't care what house he was placed in, though he figured he'd be in either Slytherin or Hufflepuff. He placed the hat on his head eagerly.
Ah, I remember the name Fudge well. Your father was in Slytherin, was he not? The hat was talking to him.
Yes, he thought. And me mum was Hufflepuff.
Aye, I remember her as well, the hat went on. Nearly went to Gryffindor, that one did. But I think elsewhere for you. Hufflepuff or Slytherin. You have the bloodlines for a Slytherin, though not all Slytherins have pure blood. You have ambition, too, and a need for wealth. But I detect a loyalty and quietness about you as well. You grew up with a muggle, did you not? I think the house more fitting would be "HUFFLEPUFF!" he screamed the final word for the whole hall to hear. Fudge lifted the hat from his head and walked over to the cheering Hufflepuff table.
He took a seat next to a tall, skinny boy who had smiled at him as he passed. "Hey there mate, welcome to Hogwarts," the boy greeted him. "My name is Gordon."
"Cornelius," Cornelius replied, sticking out his hand politely.
Gordon chuckled. "That's a bit of a mouthful for someone your age, isn't it?" he asked. Cornelius shrugged. "I think we'll call you Corny," the boy exclaimed, taking the offered hand and shaking it warmly. "Welcome to Hufflepuff, Corny."
Cornelius smiled weekly. He'd always gone by Cornelius. But having a nickname did help him feel slightly more at home in his new, strange surroundings.
A girl approached the Hufflepuff table to the sound of Hufflepuffs cheering, and Cornelius realized that she'd just been sorted into his house. He smiled, grateful for a name in the first part of the alphabet. Sitting on this bench surrounded by new housemates was certainly more welcoming than standing in side room anxiously awaiting a sorting.
The ceremony dragged on and on. When the sorting was finally finished and the feast had been consumed, Gordon and a girl from the opposite end of the table stood. "Everyone follow us, it's time to head down to the dorms!" called the girl. The Hufflepuffs stood and followed the two prefects out of the main hall with Cornelius right at Gordon's heels.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Alphard Black walking behind him. "So, Hufflepuff," Alphard sneered. "Aren't we Mommy's little boy?"
"I–" he began, but the dark-haired boy cut him off.
"You know I can't be friends with a Hufflepuff, I'd never hear the end of it. We Slytherins have our reputation to keep." He slapped Cornelius across the back, somewhat sympathetically. "Sorry, mate."
He strode away, and Cornelius blinked back tears. Looking around, he realized that the rest of his house was long gone, and that he had no idea where the Hufflepuff common room was. He turned back to the Great Hall, to ask a teacher where to go, deeply embarrassed that he hadn't managed five minutes before getting hopelessly lost.
A/N: Aww, poor wittle Fudgey. Anyway, tell me what you think. I'll get the next chapter up soon. Thanks for reading!