Author note: Shorter chapter this time. Wherever you see -italics- , the words are meant to be in Irish Gaelic. Was going to actually try to translate the words, buuuut, yeah, I don't speak/write Irish Gaelic, and rather than make myself look like an idiot or accidentally call someone's mother something unpleasant, I'm just going to go ahead and use different notations.

CHAPTER FOUR

The Serpent's Daughter

The rain beat a steady rhythm on the carriage when it rolled into Hogsmeade Station, Juvia's paranoia manifesting in a downpour that matched the pulsing of her heart. She followed in Gajeel's shadow as they disembarked, letting the taller boy cut his way through the throngs of students, shielding her from view. But still, she heard the voices.

"That's her. I saw Professor Jose dragging her around Diagon Alley."

"She doesn't look like much."

"Is it really going to rain all school year?"

"Why'd they let her come?"

"Don't let them see they bother you, Raindrop," Gajeel muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. "They don't deserve to see."

Taking a deep breath, Juvia straightened, held her head up and joined the other first years as they gather around a man with a lantern. She picked out Gray in the group, and his eyes landed on her a second later. The Fullbuster boy smiled at her and she tried to smile back, but it was a weak effort at best. She looked away when the first years were herded to a series of small boats waiting on the lake's edge. The rain and wind sent waves across the lake's surface, leading more than a few of the students to eye the boats nervously.

Juvia, too used to the rolling sea to be nervous of a storm-stirred lake, had started her way to one of the small boats when a dark-haired girl grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. "Stop it already! It's a nuisance!" The girl glared at her.

Whatever fleeting courage she had tried to muster when following Gajeel fled her in a flash. Juvia flushed and stammered a reply. "Ju-Juvia can't. She-she doesn't know how."

"This is what happens when pathetic little mudbloods think they can do magic. They can't handle it." The girl folded her arms over her chest, glaring at the blunette.

Juvia tried to stare her down. Tried to be braver like Gajeel told her to be, but her rain betrayed her. It came down cold and hard.

"Shut yer face, Orland," Gajeel snarled, taking a step to place himself between the girl and Juvia before he flashed the black-haired girl a wicked grin, "or I'll show you a few tricks my folks taught me before they were carted off to Azkaban."

The girl paled and reflexively took a step back before seeming to find some semblance of a spine, even if she still largely looked like a cornered rat, desperately eying an escape. "Whatever. Have fun with your little mudblood girlfriend, Redfox," she said with a dismissive wave as she stalked off.

"Mudblood?" Juvia whispered to Gajeel as he gently pushed her to one of the boats.

"Tell ya later," he said as they settled in the small boat. Each boat seemed to sit four, but no one approached theirs, which was just as well. She couldn't see Gray among the boats nearby and the rain wouldn't let her see further. She took a seat at the front of the boat while Gajeel took one towards the middle holding on to the lantern for the boat. Juvia leaned forward as the boat propelled itself onto the lake, the other boats coasting along with them, rocking in the swelling waves. She couldn't make out a thing ahead, the rain and fog a wall between them, so she looked down to the lake instead. A moment later, she smiled.

"It's singing!" she whispered back to Gajeel.

"What?"

"The lake! It's singing! Just like the sea!" she beamed at him.

The boy's brow furrowed. "I don't hear a thing, Raindrop."

Juvia closed her eyes and sang along, using the words the sea had sang to her since her childhood. -Sink with me, my love. Down with me, my love. To the sea, the loving sea-. She sang soft at first, but the more she sang, the safer she felt, and her voice grew stronger. -Be with me, my love. Safe with me, my love. With the sea, the loving sea-. She heard the whispers still, but they didn't matter. Not now. The lake sang with her. The rest was all background noise. At least until Gajeel shook her shoulder.

"Oi, Raindrop, look!"

Juvia opened her eyes to find that the rain had largely dispersed, save the occasional patter against the lake's surface, and the fog had rolled back. The lake's surface had gone calm, and they all were gliding smoothly along now, but that wasn't what Gajeel was pointing to. Unobstructed at last, the towering castle of Hogwarts rose up into the night sky, shining like a beacon. Juvia's breath lodged in her throat.

"It's beautiful."

The boats docked along the shore a short time later. Gajeel scrambled out the boat first and helped Juvia climb out afterward. The group of first years followed the groundskeeper, up a number of stairs to where an older, sour-faced woman cloaked in red waited for them, her bright pink hair pulled back into a bun.

Gajeel and Juvia kept to the back, both ignoring the glances they received. They waited while the woman, who introduced herself as Madame Porlyusica, explained the Sorting Ceremony — Gajeel scoffed at the mention of a Sorting Hat but was quickly nudged by Juvia. "What do ya want from me, Raindrop? It's a stupid idea." — and then followed the woman and the rest of the first-years to the front of the Great Hall to be sorted in their Houses.

Juvia looked at the professors' table behind them on the dais and saw at once that Professor Jose was staring at her, feeling her skin itch a little at the realization. She also found that another professor, a little mustached man in brightly colored robes, was also watching her. When their eyes met, he smiled. A kind, warm smile that Juvia couldn't help but return. She kept that smile on while the woman at the front started with the first name.

"Alberona, Cana," she called out.

A smiling brunette girl climbed onto the chair on the center stage and the woman set a worn looking hat on the girl's head. After a short pause, the hat opened at some seam in its center and called out: "Hufflepuff!" A cheer erupted from what Juvia assumed was the Hufflepuff table as the girl slid off the chair and ran to join them, beaming.

"That's it?" Juvia whispered to Gajeel.

"I guess? I don't know more about this than you, Raindrop."

She frowned as a boy named Max Alors was called up next. The hat sat on his head just a moment before it called out Ravenclaw. "Which House do you want to be in, Gajeel?"

"I'll be in Slytherin," he muttered.

"That wasn't what Juvia asked."

He just grumbled a response.

Neither said anything further while the next few students were Sorted until Madame Porlyusica called out, "Dragneel, Natsu."

Gajeel groaned next to her, and Juvia glanced up at him quizzically. "I forgot that pink-haired idiot's in this class. His uncle's a friend of my uncle. The old man sent me to stay with them for a summer a few years ago. Trying to make us friends. Spent the entire trip trying to kill that damn idiot."

Juvia glanced at the aforementioned pink-haired idiot as he made his way to the stool, yelling, "I'm all fired up!" as he went. She caught sight of Gray as her eyes swept over the group. He was laughing, like that day at Ollivander's, and she smiled absently to herself as she watched him.

"Of course that idiot ended up in Gryffindor," Gajeel growled beside her, pulling her attention away from Gray. She turned to see the pink-haired boy bounding over to the Gryffindor table.

"Dreyar, Laxus."

The hall quieted a little and all seemed to be focused on a blond-haired boy as he approached the chair.

"Gajeel?"

"He's the Headmaster's grandson," he explained, answering the unspoken question, with a jerk of his head to the small professor who had smiled at her earlier. "His grandad's a good sort, allegedly, but his father was one of Zeref's lot. He's with my folks in Azkaban. Met the kid a couple of times before my folks went away. Didn't like him."

Juvia nodded in understanding and watched expectantly as the hat was placed on the boy's head. It paused longer than before, though the blond boy made no indication of irritation, concern or impatience. His impassive expression never changed. At length, the hat called out, "Slytherin!"

The table at the far end of the Hall erupted for the first time that night, cheering as the blond boy joined them, not that he seemed to care. His expression never changed. Juvia glanced at the Headmaster. He clapped with the rest of the professors, but the smile he had earlier was gone.

"Guess that answers who he takes after," Gajeel muttered.

Juvia would have asked more, but the next name immediately drowned away any thoughts of the professor and his grandson.

"Fullbuster, Gray."

Juvia had to bite down on her tongue to stop a squeal from escaping — it probably wouldn't have helped her already abysmal first impression — as Gray made his way to the chair. The hat scarcely touched his head before it called out: "Gryffindor!"

She clapped enthusiastically until noticing the stares she was getting. Flushing, she shifted closer to Gajeel. Gray paused on the stage and looked back at the unsorted first years. He caught her eye and smirked. Told you, he mouthed to her, and she grinned back at him. He left the stage and joined the cheering table.

A handful of students were sorted before Madame Porlyusica finally called out: "Lockser, Juvia."

"Good luck, Raindrop," Gajeel muttered.

Juvia moved forward, her feet seemingly knowing to move without her bidding. She glanced at the Headmaster who was smiling again at her and then at Madame Porlyusica, who, though not smiling, looked less severe than she had a few moments ago. As Juvia took the seat, she caught sight of Gray at the Gryffindor table, who grinned and held up a thumbs up at her. As she felt the hat set on her head, she closed her eyes.

Well now, what do we have here? She nearly yelped as she heard a voice in her head. I haven't seen one like you in quite a while.

Like Juvia? Have you met others like Juvia?

It, whatever it was, paid her no mind. Now where to put you? You've power, of course, but little control. A good mind, a good heart, a strong sense of loyalty. So many possibilities, but where to put you? Hmmm… And what's this? Such determination. Such desire to conquer all within you, to make it obey you, to make others respect you. Slytherin will help you get there.

Slytherin? Juvia's blood ran cold. Juvia isn't evil! She isn't! She doesn't belong in Slytherin.

It has nothing to do with good or evil. Slytherin will make you great. What you do with that greatness is yours to decide.

Please!

I am never wrong in this, it told her. To everyone else, it announced: "Slytherin!"

There were no cheers. No applause now. The Hall had gone silent as her body moved forward in a fugue. She didn't look to Gray. She didn't look back to Gajeel. She stared at the floor, letting her feet take her where she needed to go, to the serpent's table, to the seats left vacant for the new students. She took one of the seats not occupied on other side and sat down, her eyes on the table, trying to ignore the whispers. Madame Porlyusica moved on quickly to the next student, but Juvia paid no mind. She stared at the table until she heard Gajeel's name called. She looked up to see the tall boy take a seat on the chair.

Much as if had when Gray had been called, the hat barely sat on Gajeel's head when it called out: "Slytherin!" There were a scattering of cheers from the Slytherin table, not that Gajeel seemed pleased to hear them. He scowled as he stalked his way to the seat next to her.

"Told ya I'd end up in Slytherin."

"That's still not what Juvia asked."

The feast began after the last of the students were sorted and the Headmaster had given his welcome speech. Gray picked at his plate, half-listening to the gossip around him, most of which was supplied by Lucy. She had been irritated to learn that the Juvia he had been about to introduce them to had been the same Irish rain witch that had half the school gossiping.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us you met her already, Gray. Entire train ride over and you didn't say a word about her," the blond scolded him. He merely grunted in reply, stabbing at his plate with his fork. "You went with her to get her wand, yeah? Did she really get an elder wand?"

Erza looked to the blond in surprise while Gray didn't glance up from his plate. "An elder wand? Are you sure?"

Lucy nodded. "Mira overhead one of the Professors talking about it."

"Is that really true, Gray?" Erza asked. The boy winced. Ignoring Erza was much more difficult than ignoring Lucy. Erza was simply not the type to let herself be ignored.

"So what if it is?" Gray snapped back irritably. The scarlet-haired girl narrowed her brown eyes at him, and he was dimly aware of Natsu sliding away to distance himself from the raven-haired boy. Still, Gray wouldn't back down even as his brain began to recite the last rites.

"What's wrong with an elder wand?" asked Mest Gryder, a Muggle-born first year, drawing Erza's attention away from Gray while the Fullbuster boy muttered a prayer of thanks to the Sorting Hat for placing the boy in Gryffindor.

"You don't see many wizards with elder wands. They're said to be unlucky. The Headmaster himself says they're trouble and won't use them. They're hard to control, and they're not always loyal to their owners," the girl replied. "I wonder that Ollivander gave one to a student and a first year, no less."

"Maybe he figured that she was already unlucky enough as it is," Loke offered. "Not like the wand can do much worse."

"What was it like when she got the wand, Gray? Did the Death Eater crest really appear?" Lucy asked.

"Wait, what?" His fork clattered onto the plate as he turned wide-eyed to the blond girl. "What the hell are you on about?"

"Cana heard from Laki who heard from Jenny who was told by…"

"Is there an end to this, Lucy?" Erza asked, fixing her glare on the Heartfilia girl.

"Well, anyways, they're saying that the elder wand summoned the Death Eater crest when she held it. You know, the green crown -"

"I know what the damn crest looks like, Lucy! We all saw it when… Well, we all saw it. And no, nothing of the sort happened. It just chose her, just like mine chose me or yours chose you. Can't believe you really listen to such idiotic garbage," he snapped.

"Enough," Erza said. "Hurry up and eat before we have to head to the Common Room. You want to know more about the girl, you can find out tomorrow morning. We have Potions with the Slytherins first thing."

The group fell silent for a bit, but Lucy still seemed eager to talk. Still, not even Lucy was going to directly defy Erza and talk about the rain girl. "Little surprise who ended up in Slytherin. All purebloods, all suspected Death Eater families," she said idly.

"Except the blunette girl," Natsu said as he gnawed on a chicken leg, the words muffled with his mouth otherwise occupied. "Not many Muggle-borns in Slytherin. They're gonna eat her alive."

Gray glanced at the Slytherin table, the cerulean blue waves easy to pick out, particularly since all the other Slytherin first years save the Redfox boy had given her a wide berth. She had a plate in front of her, but like him, she wasn't eating. She was looking to the ceiling, a wistful expression on her face. He looked up as well but only saw the enchanted ceiling, made to look like the night sky except for the clouds that blanketed the sky outside. Confused, he looked back again to her. Her expression was the same as before.

The sky.

Realization hit him slowly and painfully. This was the first she'd ever seen stars either. Even if they were just a spell.

Gajeel and Juvia hung to the back of the group as the Slytherin prefects lead them and the other Slytherin first years down into the dungeons of the school, to the Slytherin dorms. Juvia followed in Gajeel's shadow, and he didn't say anything when her fingers gripped the arm of his robe as they descended further into the dark.

The group paused in front of a plain stone wall where one of the Prefects, a dark purple-haired girl, said something Juvia didn't quite hear. The stone wall pulled back, revealing the Slytherin Common Room. As much as she wished to be in any other Common Room at that moment, Juvia still felt her breath catch.

The Common Room itself didn't hold much interest for her. Elegant furniture decked in green and black were arranged around the room, and grand paintings and tapestries mounted the walls. She imagined that most would have seen the room as very fine, but to her, it was just cold and unfeeling. The Common Room rather reminded her of the abbey, beautiful but meant not to be touched. Meant to be worshipped, revered, but never touched. Just like the abbey, this was no home.

The windows, however, called to her. The Common Room, it seemed, was submerged deep beneath the lake's surface and had a number of floor to ceiling length windows, looking out into the lake. She couldn't quite see what was beyond the glass, dark and rainy as it was, but she could hear it. She could hear the song the lake sang to her coming from the windows.

Gajeel nudged her to get her attention back to the Prefects who were directing them to their respected dormitories. "See ya in the morning, Raindrop," he muttered to her before he started towards the boys' dorms.

"Good night, Gajeel," she whispered back. She followed the girls down to their dormitories. She stayed silent as they reached the dorm room, a number of four poster beds waiting for them, each of their trunks positioned at the foot of one of the beds. Juvia located her trunk and bed, relieved to find that it was positioned next to one of the dorm windows that peered out into the dark lake.

After changing quickly into her bedclothes, Juvia curled up beneath the covers. She said nothing to the other girls, and they said nothing to her, though they seemed eager enough to chat amongst themselves. Blocking out the sound of their voices, she focused instead on the gentle song coming from the darkness beyond. Exhausted from the day's events and comforted by the singing lake, she soon fell asleep.