Out on the platform I'm hugged tightly by mother and my shoulder is given an encouraging squeeze from father as we (Draco) is reminded of the do's and don'ts at hogwarts. Lucky for me I can pretend I can't hear them to get out of punishment.
We make our way into an empty compartment and I open 'Magical Drafts And Potions' And start 'reading' through Cure For Boils showing Draco the ingredients before reading the steps on my own.
Ingredients
Horned Slugs
Porcupine Quills
Snake Fangs
Making the potion
Part one
Add 6 Snake Fangs to your mortar.
Crush them into a fine powder using your mortar.
Add 4 measures of the crushed fangs to your cauldron.
Heat the mixture to 250 for 10 seconds.
Wave your wand.
Leave to Brew
Part two
Add 4 Horned Slugs to your cauldron.
Add 2 Porcupine Quills to your cauldron.
Stir 5 times, clockwise.
Wave your wand to complete the potion.
We are interrupted by the compartment door being slammed open as Crabbe and Goyle walk in and sit down across from Draco and I.
"Well, Wh~t ha~ you ~o he~rd?"
"Mi~ing to~"
Crabbe grunts "H~ry P~ter"
I tilt my head and Draco writes on my hand
"Missing toad and harry potter's on the train"
Draco smirks and stands up Looking at me
"Gem~ you co~ing"
I look up from my book nodding before closing it with a snap.
After a few minutes of searching we finally find potter's compartment as Draco slides the door open to two people sat opposite each other
'Same magic from shop'
"So ~ it tru~? ~ere say~g all d~n the tra~ th~t H~ry ~otter's in th~ ~mpart~nt. So it's ~u is ~?"
I tilt my head and walk closer to the window I'm looking out of
"Boy from shop?"
The boy must have done a gesture because I hear Draco from behind me
"Sh~ ~eeds a ve~al answe~ even ~en she m~ht not hear."
I tap his shoulder and he questions me
"Oh ~ ~u hea~ th~t"
I nod my head tracing onto his hand
"Yes I heard that"Draco then steps forwards and points to the two mountains behind us
"Th~ is Cr~be a~d ~yle."
He then points towards me
"Th~ ~ my t~in si~te~ ~emini ~nd I ~m Malf~. ~aco ~lfoy"
The ginger boy sat across from Harry gave a slight cough sounding suspiciously like a snigger which I hear.
"Rude"
Draco then launches into a rant/dig at the red haired boy that he traces onto my back so I can keep up"Think my names funny so you? No need to ask who you are. Our father told us all the Weasley's have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford"'He's not wrong, their blood traitors too'
Draco then rants to Harry"You'll soon find out that some Wizarding families are better than others potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you their."Draco then holds out his hand
'I think he holds out his hand,he's moved closer to harry'
I don't hear Harry's reply but Draco is back to tracing on my back.
"I'd be careful if I were you potter, unless your a bit politer, you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. You hang around with riff-raff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you"both boys move quickly and Draco pushes me behind him slightly. I don't hear what's said but Goyle steps forwards for a few seconds before he leaps back and lets out a horrible yell as a small animal? is on his finger. Draco and Crabbe step back dragging me back with them as Goyle moves around in circles with the small animal going around in bigger circles around him.
'Animals Gonna be dizzy'
The small animal then stops going in circles and lets go of Goyle's finger and I hear a bang as the small animal moves forwards at high speed hitting the window leaving a period of time for us to escape.
When we made it back to our compartment I grab my book again as Draco rants out loud and on my hand
"Famous saint Potter hanging out with traitors like the Weasley's"I look out of the window blankly 'listening' to my brother rant as the compartment door opens again with Theodore, Blaise, Daphne, Millicent and Pansy joining us
'glad this is big compartment that holds Ten'
when they sit down Draco starts his rant again as Theodore sits down on my right so I put 'Magical Drafts and Potions' half on his knee half on mine knowing he prefers reading to listening to Draco's rants. I reread the brewing time for a pewter cauldron and After Theodore finishes the page I turnover to the next page which is all about The Forgetfulness Potion
Ingredients
Lethe River Water
Mistletoe Berries
Valerian Sprigs
Making the potion
Step one
Add 2 drops of Lethe River Water to your cauldron by pouring smoothly.
Gently heat for 20 seconds.
Add 2 Valerian Sprigs to your cauldron.
Stir 3 times, clockwise.
Wave your wand.
Step two
Add 2 measures of Standard Ingredient to your mortar.
Add 4 Mistletoe Berries to your mortar.
Crush into a medium-fine powder using your pestle.
Add 2 measures of your crushed mixture to your cauldron.
Stir 5 times, anti-clockwise.
Wave your wand to complete the potion.
A voice then echos throughout the train as Theo translates
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in 5 minutes time, please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately"
When we arrive I link arms with Draco and Theodore as we have to push and shove our way onto the dark platform on the cold autumn night. A light is then shone through the crowd accompanied by rough voice called out but I struggle to hear what he said so Theo translates for me
"He's shouting for the first years"
I tap his hand twice, stumbling slightly as everyone follows the big brown blob with a light down a steep and narrow path. The narrow path then opened up to a great black lake with the castle perched atop a high mountain on the other side"No more'n four to a boat"This time Draco translates as I get into a boat with Draco, Crabbe and Goyle.
Once everyone's in the boats the blob shouts
"Forw~d"
as we begin sailing on the boats over the black lake towards the castle known as hogwarts. When we reached the cliff the blob now known as Hagrid shouts out again as Draco translates"Heads down!".
When the boats finally stopped we climbed out onto rocks and pebbles, we then clamber up a passageway in the rocks before crowding around a huge oak front door as Hagrid moved slightly and knocked three times on the castle door.
'We're about to enter Hogwarts! I can feel the magic from here'
The door swung open revealing a person wearing emerald green robes as Hagrid speaks
"the firs' years Professor McGonagall"Draco continues translating on the back of my right hand as 'Professor McGonagall' replies
"Thank you Hagrid. I will take it from here"
she then pulls the door wide. The next room we enter was a hall that was huge and I could feel the magic radiating off of it. We make our way up the marble staircases
'it's definitely marble because of the way everyone's footsteps echo off of it'
the staircase led to the upper floors with all of us following Professor McGonagall. I heard the voices of the rest of the school through a door to our right but we stopped right outside the door.
"Welcome to hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the great hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because while you are here your house will be like your family within hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at hogwarts your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while your waiting."Draco quickly scans himself before scanning my uniform confirming that it is all neat and smart. McGonagall then speaks again
"I shall return when we are ready for you"
She then left.
Everyone begins shifting from side to side even Draco does as I tap his hand to get his attention
"Slytherin"
he then taps my hand back as People behind us then screamed as around 20 people 'ghosts' came in through the back wall. They looked pearly white shiny blobs
'So that's what ghosts look like'
The ghosts then glided across the room talking to each other, they seemed to be arguing as blaise translates for me
"Forgive and forget I ought to say, give him a second chance"
another ghost replied
"My dear friar haven't we given peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name you know, he's not really a ghost"
he must have noticed all of us
"I say what are you all doing here?"
Nobody answered him another ghost answers him instead
"New students about to be sorted I suppose?"
A few people around us mumbled answers "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff My old house you know" McGonagall's voice interrupts "Move along now. The sorting ceremony's about to begin" Professor McGonagall had returned as one by one the ghosts floated away through another wall. "Now form a line and follow me" I stood between Draco and Blaise, We then walked through a pair of double doors into the great hall
The room was lit by thousands of candles floating in mid air over the four tables where the rest of the school was sat. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting 'I think they have no colour codes' I then look up to the ceiling tilting my head in fascination noticing that I'm looking at the night sky. we are then led us to the front so we were in lines facing the other students with the teachers behind us. A brown stool was placed in front of us as well as a pointy wizards hat the hat then began to sing and blaise translates.
"
Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
"
The whole hall burst into applause when the hat finished its song as Professor McGonagall moves closer to us "When I call your names you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted" Professor McGonagall then started reading out names as blaise continues to translate
"Abbott, Hannah"
he hat then shouted out "HUFFLEPUFF"
"Bones, Susan"
"HUFFLEPUFF""Boot, Terry"
"RAVENCLAW"
"Brown, Lavender"
"GRYFFINDOR"
"Bulstrode, Millicent"
"SLYTHERIN"
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin"
"HUFFLEPUFF"
"Finnigan, Seamus"
"GRYFFINDOR"
"Granger, Hermione"
"GRYFFINDOR"
"Longbottom, Neville" said boy tripped on his way up to the hat
"GRYFFINDOR"
"Malfoy, Draco"
"SLYTHERIN"
"Malfoy, Gemini" the hall goes silent as I make my way up to the stool Turning around to look at the four coloured rows as the hat is placed on my head making it go dark.
"Your mind is very loud" I then say outloud "Quiet" the hat responds outloud so the hall can hear "This is quiet for you? I'd cover my ears with my hands if I had any" the hall remains silent "Let's see what else is in here other than noise... surprisingly ambitious, definitely cunning judging off of how you tease your brother, resourceful using your condition to help you deceive others. I think it's quite obvious where to put you"
"SLYTHERIN"
I clap my hands twice as the slytherin table claps at my arrival with my robes turning green as well as my ring changing from black to green to match. I then sit next to Draco who translates the next sortings.
"Nott, Theodore"
"SLYTHERIN"
"Parkinson, Pansy"
"SLYTHERIN"
"Perks, Sally-Anne"
"RAVENCLAW"
"Potter, Harry"
"GRYFFINDOR"
"Daphne Greengrass"
"SLYTHERIN"
I ignore the rest of the sorting looking up at the stars until blaise is called
"Zabini, Blaise"
"SLYTHERIN"
The sorting hat was then put away as the man in the middle gets to his feet
"Welcome to a new year at hogwarts, before we begin our banquet I would like to say a few words. Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, Tweak" I tilt my head to the left still looking up at the stars wondering if I 'heard' that right, turns out I did and Everyone clapped as food appears on the table. As Draco traces on my hand "What do you want it's a full Sunday roast?" "Yorkshire Pudding?" Draco then turns to blaise who's on my left "Bla~se, p~ss the y~kshi~e pu~ing to gem~" blaise puts one onto my plate as Draco puts some turkey and mash on my plate. I grab my fork and move my gaze from the stars to the wall opposite me which faces the other three tables. 'Luckily eating has been engrained into my head so I shouldn't embarrass myself yet but then again the first bite is the hardest to guess' when I lost the fork to my mouth Draco moves my arm to the left slightly so the food and tip of my fork actually make it into my mouth 'close enough' I am then able to continue eating the rest of my meal without any more nudges from Draco. When I finish eatin the man in the middle who I now know as Dumbledore stands again as blaise traces "Now that we're all fed and watered, I have a few start of term notices that I wish to announce. First years please note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all students and a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by mr filch the caretaker to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term and anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact madam hooch. And finally I must tell you that this year the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.And now bedtime. Off you trot"
All the first year slytherin's followed our prefect out of the great hall and down into the dungeons albeit sluggishly due to the huge amount of food we'd eaten. When going down the stair cases a step he magic coming off of it so I grabbed Draco's sleeve as it disappeared and we stepped over it, as we make it further down into the dungeons we approach a wall that has slightly more magic radiating off of it than the other walls. The prefect said the password "Salazar" causing the wall to disappear as we enter a dungeon-like room with greenish lamps and chairs. This dungeon extends partway under the lake, giving the light in the room a green tinge. The common room has lots of low backed black and dark green button-tufted, leather sofas; skulls; and dark wood cupboards. One of the wooden tables has a Wizard's Chess set on it. It is decorated with tapestries featuring the adventures of famous Medieval Slytherins. It has quite a grand atmosphere, but also quite a cold one. I walk off from the group towards the window looking at the blue/green light of the lake as a creature comes closer to the window. Unknown to me everyone was watching me as all the pureblood know about me and my 'condition' I then raise my right hand up the the window "Person?" The prefect answers outloud whilst tracing on my back already knowing how to communicate with me "No it's a mermaid they sometimes come over to say hello" I nod my head and let the prefect guide me back to the group my eyes still locked onto the window as the prefect explains what's happening with daphne translating for me "Girls dorms are down and to your right, boys are the same on your left. Your belongings have already been brought up, now then us snakes stay together the other houses have grudges against us slytherins so you should stay in groups of three or more. That said should any of the other houses hurt you or try to hurt you then tell one of the older students and we'll help you enact revenge we're not cunning for nothing. Now then that said before lessons we will direct you to your classrooms we don't want you being late like a bunch of Gryffindors we as slytherins are better than that. Now then off to bed you'll have a long day tomorrow"
I follow daphne to the girls dorms and run my hand over the name plaque "Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkinson, Tracy Davis, Gemini Malfoy"when I enter the room I sense Aquarius (Fluffy white cats name) on the bed opposite the window so I sit down and pick my kitten up cuddling her close to my chest running my thumb over the pad of her paw as pansy complains whilst daphne traces my back for me knowing I like to listen to the gossip/arguing "I wanted the bed across from the window!" I smirk faintly "My Bed" "Yes I know Gemini no need to rub it in but I want a window across from me!" Tracy Davis then answers "Well that's not possible" I clap my hands twice pointing at Tracy "like you" daphne expands what I meant "She's saying she likes your attitude welcome to the group." I nod my head and rub my eyes before going back to stroking Aquarius and daphne stands up tracing on my back "Alright bed time" Pansy mumbles under her breath "Yes mother" so I clap my hands twice "Daphne Mother now" getting a huff of laughter from everyone as we change into our pyjama and I drift off to sleep looking out the window at the swirls of blue and green.
[Tidy Note: I remembered after chapter 3 was posted that their were some questions asked so I've decided to answer them here]
ThetaGraphics: "Will there be some clarification about Gemini's exact condition in the future? At times it sounds like she's blind or can't comprehend what she's seeing without using some sort of magical sensing."
Well my answer about Gemini's condition is that her sight is blurry and the 'quieter' it is in her head the more clear her vision becomes the same with her hearing and in terms of her comprehension of things the magical sensing is what I am going for in terms of her surroundings. In terms of her academics she can remember knowledge and facts but struggles to put them together in sentences. So she can probably answer one worded questions but will struggle with essays and things like that.