The Sorting
After they got off the train, the students—except the first years, filed off the platform and went toward the grounds where they waited for carriages to take them to Hogwarts. It was still raining hard, so Mizuki pulled out her umbrella as they waited. Mizuki heard Pansy's voice behind her and felt someone shove her from behind. She turned her head slightly and saw that Pansy and her friends were sniggering as they looked at Kuro-chan. Draco wasn't with them.
"Look at that stupid cape," Pansy snorted. "Wouldn't be caught dead with an animal like that." Pansy and her friends began laughing, Mizuki ignored them—she was used to teasing.
The carriage arrived and Mizuki and Kuro-chan climbed on, closing her umbrella since the carriage had its top up to protect them from the heavy rain. As she got comfortable, she saw that Draco was now standing with Pansy and his two friends—who looked more like bodyguards than anything else—and he was watching her with a scowl as more people climbed on.
Why did it have to be that stupid Potter? Why couldn't it have been someone else? She should be sitting with me, not him!
She turned her attention back to the front and realized that Harry, Hermione, and Ron were sitting with her, Hermione was sitting next to her. The carriage started moving.
"Hello, I don't believe we've met," Hermione started with a smile, "I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Ronald Weasley, and that's Harry Potter," she introduced as she gestured to the two boys who nodded at her. Ron gave a little wave and an embarrassed smile. Mizuki had seen them before at the Quidditch World Cup, but she decided not to tell them that.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Mizuki greeted. "My name is Mizuki Saito."
"What were you doing, speaking to Malfoy like that?" Harry asked suddenly. Hermione's mouth dropped open in horror.
"Harry! You can't just go around asking people things like that. Honestly, it's not proper." Hermione shook her head like a disapproving mother might. Mizuki smiled and shook her head.
"No, it's alright. We were just talking about our summers," she explained, but Harry scoffed, and Ron rolled his eyes.
"You're new here, yeah?" Harry asked, and when Mizuki nodded her head, he continued. "You need to stay away from him. He's a horrible person, thinking he's better than everyone else just because he's got money and comes from a line of purebloods," Harry looked disgusted as he leaned forward.
Ah. It all made sense now. The way Lucius Malfoy looked at her when she introduced herself to Draco, how even Draco had looked at her when he first saw her, the treatment from Pansy; but what about when they talked at the stadium and when he had helped her? Clearly, Harry and his friends knew Draco better than she did.
"What else can you tell me about him?" she asked.
Harry and his friends exchanged looks and for the entire carriage ride, they told her all about Draco Malfoy from Harry's first meeting with him, to thinking he was the heir of Slytherin, to all the things he did and said in between, including calling Hermione a Mudblood. Draco Malfoy sounded like the worst sort of person that Mizuki could imagine—not unlike all the students at her old school who constantly teased her because of her lavender eyes and Kuro-chan.
The carriage pulled up to the castle, and Mizuki gazed at it with amazement. It was much bigger than the castle in Japan, and unlike the castle in Japan, this one was made of stone and looked like something from a fairy tale, the type that princes and princesses lived in and where they might fight dragons and rescue damsels in distress. The thought was ludicrous, but that was what she pictured when she saw the castle towering in front of them.
Harry, his friends, and Mizuki got off the carriage and headed inside the Great Hall—dozens of candles floated in the air to provide light along with the long braziers around the room, and the ceiling was enchanted to show outside, so it looked like it was raining inside the room. Students were already gathered inside and seated at their respective tables. Mizuki didn't know where to sit.
"Oh, you haven't been sorted yet, have you? Come sit with us," Hermione said, taking Mizuki's arm and steering her toward the Gryffindor table. Mizuki smiled and followed Hermione, taking a seat.
She glanced at the horizontal table at the front of the hall where all the professors were seated, and her gaze landed on Professor Dumbledore who was watching her over his half-moon spectacles. He gave her a little nod of acknowledgment, which she returned politely before taking a seat.
Once all the students had gathered in the hall, Dumbledore stood up at the podium with his arms outstretched, a smile on his face as he welcomed the students. Professor McGonagall was waiting at the doors with a line of first-years who were nervously looking inside.
"Greetings, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts," Dumbledore started. "I have a few announcements to make, the first of which is to welcome our newest addition to the school who will be sorted into her house. Please welcome, Mizuki Saito, who has transferred from Mahoutokoro." All eyes fixed on her as Dumbledore gestured for her to come up and sit on the stool so she could be sorted into her house.
Mizuki took a deep breath and made her way to the front of the hall. She bowed politely to Dumbledore, then took a seat. He placed the sorting hat on her head and the hat came alive.
"Hmm…you're another difficult one to place," he muttered. "You have a desire to prove yourself as well as be courageous, but you are also logical and studious." Mizuki nervously scanned the hall as the students stared, and as she looked to the far-right side of the hall, her eyes found Draco's. For a brief instant, she forgot that she was in the hall being gawked at because she was the 'new girl from Mahoutokoro.' "Ah, yes, I know just where to place you! Ravenclaw!"
The second table on the right side of the room closest to her burst into loud applause and whistles, and at the table closest to the wall, Draco Malfoy's scowl deepened. A shot of disappointment punched him in the stomach like a bludger to his gut.
Why isn't she in Slytherin? Why does she have to be in Ravenclaw? What's so good about them anyway? –What's so good about you, Draco?
Dumbledore lifted the hat from her head, and she gave a little nod to Harry and his friends before walking to her new table where she found a seat beside a pretty fifth-year girl named Cho Chang who welcomed her with a big smile and immediately began asking her questions about Mahoutokoro as the first-years came into the hall to be sorted into their houses.
Attention off her, she relaxed as she chatted with Cho, who introduced Mizuki to her friends. She had been so engrossed in her conversation that she hadn't noticed that Draco was staring at her until Cho's face paled. She eyed the Slytherin table pointedly, and Mizuki glanced over. Draco's mouth was pulled downward, and his nose crinkled.
Look at you, talking to other people that aren't as good as I am.
–But you're not as good as them, Draco. She's better off over there.
"We heard that Malfoy was talking to you on the train. Did something happen earlier?" Cho asked nervously.
Mizuki looked away from Draco and back at Cho. She shrugged her shoulders.
"Not especially," she replied.
First-years sorted, Dumbledore stood back at the podium to inform them that they would be hosting the Triwizard Tournament and that students from two other schools would be joining them before dinner. He also said that they were putting an age restriction on who could enter the tournament. Many students complained about this, but Mizuki didn't really care as there was no way she would ever enter such a dangerous competition. Students had died during the tournament before.
Dumbledore introduced the first school, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and a group of students walked in who performed a little dance as they entered. All the boys in the hall were staring at the girls from the academy in particular as they wiggled their way in with their satin robes. Mizuki rolled her eyes. Boys. She happened to glance at Draco, and even he was watching them with the same dazed look on his face as everyone else. To her surprise, he shook himself out of it and glanced at her. Mizuki felt her cheeks flush, and she looked away quickly. Headmistress Maxime was very tall, towering over Dumbledore, who led her in, greeting her politely with a kiss on the back of her hand. The students of Beauxbatons found seats at the Ravenclaw table, Fleur Delacour sitting next to her.
Dumbledore rushed up to the front again to introduce Durmstrang. The boys of the school walked through the doors, banging their staffs on the floor and whirling them around. They performed some acrobatics—back and front flips, spinning around on the floor, but Mizuki's eyes were caught by the white coat that Headmaster Karkaroff was wearing, and that was when her eyes fell on Viktor Krum. Mizuki's breath caught in her throat as she looked at his surly face as he waltzed right into the Great Hall and past their table. Holy mother of Merlin, it's Krum, it's freaking Viktor Krum! The Durmstrang students found seats at the Slytherin table, and Viktor Krum sat next to Draco, who looked particularly pleased.
Settled, food appeared on the tables that accommodated the new students, including Mizuki, to welcome them. She tried some of the Bulgarian food called sarmi—stuffed cabbage, and banitsa—a type of cheese, egg, and yogurt pastry. There was also bouillabaisse—a type of fish stew that she tried. Mizuki loved trying new foods, and these ones did not disappoint. The sarmi was so flavorful with all the spices that were mixed in with the meat that her mouth watered before her second bite, and the bouillabaisse was even better than she had expected. As for Japanese food, she spotted some chicken karaage, donburi, korokke, and even agedashi tofu—some of her personal favorites.
"Ugh, zis castle iz too cold!" Fleur complained, shivering in her satin robes, and no wonder, it was pouring outside, and the interior of the castle felt damp and chilly. Mizuki was glad that she had chosen her long-sleeved cardigan otherwise she just might be as cold as Fleur, but the food and drink had warmed her up considerably. Fleur then went on to brag about how she was going to enter her name in the Goblet of Fire. Mizuki tuned her out, glancing across at Draco and Krum who were talking to each other.
"Look at him, all smug because he's got Krum there!" Mizuki heard Ron hiss from the Gryffindor table. She smiled, looking down at the dessert on her plate. It was only her first year at Hogwarts, but it was already proving to be very interesting. Not only had she met someone that everyone appeared to fear or hate, had been welcomed to her new house and accepted by her housemates, and there was the Triwizard Tournament—and Viktor Krum was there!
After dinner, Mizuki followed the rest of the Ravenclaw students out of the Great Hall and up to the large staircase. Cho warned her that they liked to change, and as they climbed up with a bunch of other students, the uppermost portion moved. She couldn't help but wonder if a lot of students got lost or if they found new places to discover. Mizuki made a mental note to explore the castle later.
They arrived at the Ravenclaw tower and huddled together to figure out the riddle as everyone was tired after the journey to Hogwarts plus all the excitement over the two other schools that would be joining them. Riddle solved, they went inside the common room where Mizuki gawked openly for she had never seen a room like this one before.
The walls of the room were white and smooth unlike the rest of the castle walls, large archways led from the open common room that contained comfortable-looking navy blue armchairs and a couch surrounded the fire, a table in front where students could put their books and study. A large dark blue circular rug with constellations clearly labeled in bronze spread on the smooth dark stone flooring, its edges outlined in thick bronze with a swirling motif in silver that reminded her of interlacing branches. Small desks peppered the walls of the room, and arched bookcases were built into the walls filled with books that were screaming her name. Globes, parchments, and other instruments lined the tops of the bookshelves, and to her excitement, there were some telescopes stationed in front of the arched windows, thick navy-blue tapestries hung over the windows, pulled back and tied securely with thick bronze cords.
To her right and left near the door she had entered from, were two winding staircases with silver railings, their design similar to that of the interlacing branches on the rug. Both staircases led up, and she assumed that was where the dorms were as many yawning students were headed up the staircases—boys on the right and girls on the left.
As she looked up, she noticed that the domed ceiling was painted in navy blue with silver stars glistening above. It was just a painting, but once or twice Mizuki could have sworn that the stars winked at her. She walked onto the center of the rug, which was almost as wide as the room itself, and kept gazing up, turning as she admired the painted ceiling. Enchanted blue lanterns bobbed up and down in the air around the common room, the flame a bright blue of Everlasting Fire. Mizuki past the bookshelves, running her fingers along the leather-bound books, feeling giddy and like a child on Christmas morning. Her fingertips grazed the smooth stone archway that led into the next room, cool to the touch. A large grandfather clock stood against the thick archway, facing the other side of the arch, its pendulum swinging rhythmically.
Beyond the archway led into a little nook where there was yet another cheery fireplace, desks were peppered throughout the room, and it appeared to be a little area where students could study. The same blue lanterns hung here as well as sconces on the walls, arched windows that were floor to ceiling lined almost every inch of wall save for where the fireplace was. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she turned, noting that there was another staircase against the wall to her left that led up to a little loft where there were even more built-in bookcases and desks for students to study. It was a dream come true. If ever Mizuki wanted a library in her home, it would look exactly like this.
The dorms at Mahoutokoro were nothing compared to this—and that was saying something because Mizuki adored traditional Japanese-styled castles, but she had never felt at home or at ease there—not even her very first day or night there, and especially not throughout the years. She didn't even know how she had survived with what little sleep she got, finding hiding places where she could curl up and take naps undisturbed without being harassed left, right, and center by all the boys and girls at the school. This, Mizuki thought, was home, and she felt it deep within her, a calm came over her the longer she stood in the common room, admiring everything that it contained. A calm that she had never known before like she was a jigsaw puzzle, and this was the final piece that had been missing for so long, finally in its rightful place to make her complete. She was home.
Mizuki went back out and headed up the spiral staircase where there was a long corridor with many doors that led into the separate dorm rooms. Mizuki peeped through the doors until she found her trunk resting at the foot of a bed near the window. The room contained five four-poster beds—all identical. Navy-blue curtains hung from the beds, pulled back to reveal the comfortable beds with matching navy-blue bedding, silver sheets, and silver pillowcases, their pillows fluffed up and inviting. Kuro-chan hopped up on the bed and got comfortable while Mizuki rummaged through her trunk to find her pajamas. She changed into them as she listened to Cho and her friends talking excitedly about the Triwizard Tournament and what type of tasks they thought they might see in the coming months—their voices carrying all the way from their room just across from hers.
Soon, the dorms settled into a peaceful silence as everyone drifted off to sleep, everyone except Mizuki, who was wide awake and nervous about starting classes the next day. She went over to the window seat, resting her back against the wall with her legs drawn up to her chest, gazing out the window.
What would tomorrow bring? Would the students still be as nice to her as they had today? Why had Draco been staring at her like that at dinner, did he hate her because she was in Ravenclaw? Harry and his friends' warnings came back to her, and she thought of all the nasty things that Draco had said and done to them over the past three years, what she had seen on the train. Was Draco really a bully like they said? Was he really just like all the Mahoutokoro students who had harassed her? But what she couldn't figure out was why he had been nice to her at the World Cup, why he had helped her. Mizuki's mind was flitting quickly like the Golden Snitch, and she stayed up all night gazing out, lost in those thoughts until morning.
Meanwhile, Draco was staring at the castle ceiling in bed with the covers drawn up over his chest. He had his arms behind his head, hands folded together to cradle his neck. He had been watching her when Krum came in. She had looked pleased to see him, her eyes lighting up. He felt annoyed at himself for wishing that she would look at him like that.
Why would she? You're nobody when compared to Krum and Potter. There's no way that she would be interested in someone like you.
–Then why did she keep glancing at my table? Why did she blush on the train when I talked to her?
–She's just shy. Yeah, that's it. That's all. It's not like you made her blush for any other reason than that.
But he thought that not even Pansy blushed quite as much as Saito did. Pansy simpered because he was a Malfoy because he was, as the other Slytherins liked to call him, The Prince of Slytherin. Pansy, like everyone else, was only his friend because they knew how powerful his father was, they knew that one day Draco would be just as powerful and influential, but what they didn't know was that was the last thing Draco wanted.
No one knew what it was that he truly desired—and he hadn't really known what he desired himself. All he wanted was for someone like her to notice him—the real him. Not the boy that pretended to be what his father wanted, not the boy that was mean to Potter and whose jealousy reared its ugly head like a cobra, ready to strike at any second. No, he just wanted to be noticed, to be loved, and for his true self to be validated; and he desperately wanted it to be her. The tiny bud of hope buried deep within him truly wanted it to be her; but the voice in his head kept telling him that it was impossible because the real him was undesirable, unlovable, and broken.