Chapter 3

MATILDA WORMWOOD WAS RIDDEN WITH PANIC as she approached the brick pillar, still remembering Minerva McGonagall's instructions to merely walk into it. That was easier said than done, and Matilda couldn't help but feel the apprehension creep up her neck. Still, she figured there was no use standing around and risking unnecessary attention, so she merely walked into the pillar with her fingers gripping around the metal cart. She gulped, but she felt her body slip through the barrier with no issue, as if the pillar were made from water instead of breaks.

Children swarmed over the platform, excited with their parents at their side. The chatter and life filled the air with a sickly sweet murmur that made a slight smile spread over Matilda's lips. She went to move her cart, only for someone to slam into her cart with a thump. She glanced over towards the boy in question, noticing his dark skin and extremely short hair. He raised an eyebrow, as if signifying her to move faster.

"I apologize," she told him, quickly clearing out of his way. In doing so, one of her textbooks dropped to the ground, having loosened from its placement from the ramming of their carts. She closed her eyes for a moment, slightly embarrassed and feeling foolish for it. The boy, however, let out a sigh, lifting the book up to her to take. "I'm Matilda."

He raised a single brow, once more reminding Matilda that her company might not be desired. He must have decided to give her a break, and he said, "Blaise Zabini."

Matilda nodded, walking beside him, coincidentally going at the same pace. She felt better in his company, especially since most of everyone was saying goodbye to their parents while she and him were one of the only ones alone. She loaded her cart onto the storage room on the train, once more nearly bumping into Blaise as she did. She awkwardly smiled, but his face remained impassive, causing her to feel all the more uncomfortable. She walked past him, retreating onto the train.

The inside was luxurious, aligned with bits of red outlining the sides of the walkway. She ran her fingers over the wood, feeling the cool brush under her fingertips as a sense of wonder clouded her senses. She took a step forward, then another, and before long she got her legs to finally move down the narrow path. Her eyes peered into the many rooms, watching as many had already been taken by children or teens who were just laughing amongst themselves.

Feeling a brush of loneliness, she settled into the first empty one she could find all whilst hugging her bag close to her side. The moment she was alone, she opened her pack and pulled out a one of her text books, Magical Drafts and Potions. It was the only one of her textbooks she had yet to finish, mostly due to there being just so many and she'd hate to be caught unaware lest they start to think they made a mistake in letting her come to this school in the first place. She couldn't be sent home now, for her mother and father would never let her forget it.

When strapped with a good book, Matilda lost herself in the pages, barely paying attention when the door to her compartment opened. She peered over the binding and towards the entrance where Blaise walked in, and sat down across from her. His face remained impassive and she could tell he wasn't there to make conversation. She offered him a kind smile, but made certain to keep her mouth shut. She lowered her gaze back to her book and began to jot down notes and reminders in her mind as she read.

She had thought to write notes, but all she had were rolls of parchment and a quill with a bottle of ink. It was hardly a practical method of taking notes, but she dared not question the supply list Minerva McGonagall had instructed her with, so she brought it without complaint. However, she truly didn't see how a roll of parchment was more practical than a note book and a pencil.

Unfortunately, she only had one notebook and she would rather save the pages for important notes rather than frivolous jottings. She nearly jumped from her thoughts when the train began to move, the soft vibrations rumbling from underneath her feet. She glanced out the window, able to see the soft cloud of smoke from the train, fogging up her window. She pressed her palm against the glass, feeling the rumblings of the train, like a monster springing to life, and then watched as it jolted forward.

It was a slow decent into speed, and it made her cheeks burn with a soft smile as she pressed her face close to the glass as if to peer outside. She wanted to see more, but it was a limited view outside.

"Isn't it exciting?" Matilda asked, glancing over to Blaise who had his head turned towards the window panels. He still didn't look anymore comfortable with starting a conversation, but she was anxious for some kind, any kind, of communication.

For her, she nearly felt starved from human contact and all she wanted was to speak with somebody with a couple brain cells. Her mother was always only interested in drama and her own face. Her father likely lost the last of his intelligence on the day she glued his hat to his head and he was forced to cut it off with scissors. Whatever remained of it was likely still stuck on that hat. She had her brother, but he was high most of the day and she highly doubted if he ever had brain cells.

Blaise was silent for a long time, just staring her down as she still had a hand pressed against the glass. Finally, after a long while just staring into her eyes, he finally let out a deep sigh, throwing her a bone and answering her question.

"I guess," he said with a sigh. She felt her smile begin to waver when he went right back to staring aimlessly out the window. It wasn't the conversation she craved, but she understood that she couldn't force someone to talk to her.

She went right back to her book, but now her mind was lost in the window and the trees that rushed outside the train window. She wanted nothing more than to feel that breeze, to get back to the school of her dreams.

It was funny, she always knew there was something she desired for her whole lifetime. She just never would have guessed this was what it was and now that she was here, she just had to stay sane. She had to be in control. She couldn't screw it up.

She knew her magic was strong. She always knew that there was something different about her and despite that, she knew she couldn't ask even Minerva Mcgonagall. A part of her was afraid to know. She wanted to fit in and stop being an outcast on the sidelines.

"You should change," Blaise said, not long towards the middle of the journey. Matilda glanced towards him, but he wasn't looking at her. She glanced down at her skirt and jumper, slowly nodding with a small sign of gratitude before she jumped up to her feet and shakily motioned to slide open the sliding doors out the cabin.

The hallway of the train was empty and the cabins passing were filled with envious laughter and conversation. She couldn't complain, however, since she'd rather have Blaise's company than to be saddled with nobody. Nothing would be more lonely.

The train lurched, causing a fraction of unbalance just as a cabin door opened and a boy stepped out. She tripped, falling onto her ass at the same time as him. She recognized his disheveled haired and thick glasses as the boy from the robes shop. Her lips spread into a friendly smile while his cheeks enflamed into a solid red.

"I know you!" Matilda perhaps came off as a bit too excited, but she felt if she didn't, she'd never make any friends.

"O-oh. Yeah. The scar. I won't be getting used to people knowing me right off the bin," he said in an awkward tone that made her wonder if he were perhaps famous.

"No. From the shop. Getting our robes. I'm Matilda Wormwood. Pleasure," she said, standing back up and dusting her skirt.

"Everything alright, Harry," said the voice of a ginger boy as he opened the cabin door. "Oh. 'Ello. I-I'm Ron Wesley."

"Matilda," she greeted again. She went to say something else, perhaps a way to make them her friends, but when she felt a pang in her gut, she knew that it was impossible. The burn spread over her skin like a thousand knives and she glanced behind them where the girl's lavatory rested. "It was lovely meeting you."

She rushed out of their way before either could get another word. She all but threw open the door and didn't even bother turning on the light before she locked the door behind her. Her stomach was hurting, but in the dark of the loo, she could breathe.

"You're okay. You're okay. You're normal," Matilda chanted to herself, as if she could repeat it enough to make it true. Her blood was boiling and she could feel that entity in her chest grow stronger. She had gone so long without an episode, so long without flying off the rails and actually hurting somebody. She had to keep it up.

Whenever things like this happened, her solace was picturing the life that could have been hers. She pictured picnics in the park with Ms. Honey. She imagined being raised by a woman who actually cared enough to nurture her abilities for good. She thought about roller skating in that big house and actually being able to call somebody her mother.

The darkness that had spread over the dim room slowly crept back into the shadows of her body as she forced it to do as she asked. As if it were something living, it often rebelled. "You're okay. You're normal."

She was too afraid to find out that if even amongst her kind, she would be an outcast.

She sat in the dark, her head in her knees, when the train finally came to an abrupt stop. It lurched her forwards and reminded her that she still hadn't gotten changed. She did so quickly, and opened up the door only to be merged into the crowd of students who were restless to get out of the train to see the school. She couldn't even attempt to go back to the cabin where Blaise and her books rested.

The outside was stunning, and the night sky was breathtaking. Along with it was the moon that lit up the lake in a soft array of black and silver. She barely remembered the walk before she spotted Blaise leaning against the train. They made eye contact before he pushed off and held up her book and satchel. She took it and opened her mouth to express her gratitude.

"Zabini, lets get this boat," said a group of kids off to the right. They were already boarding the boat and Blaise took no time to join them. She motioned to step after him before realizing that with him, their boat was a full team of four.

Watching him begin to sail away with a group stung, but she couldn't let that dissuade her from her enjoyment of the castle. She did desperately want to get to know him, but trying too hard would only bring her humiliation.

A giant man stood in the middle of the crowd of students, ushering and helping kids onto the boats. He looked scary, but his eyes were kind, so Matilda approached him without hesitation. She opened her mouth to greet him, but his eyes were set on the boy with scraggy hair and glasses.

"Ello Harry," the man said, and proceeded to ignore the other students in order to get this one boy to a boat. Matilda stood back, awkward and uncomfortable.

Most of the students had already boarded their boats by the time he noticed her. By then, she was too absorbed in her own awkwardness to make conversation. He ushered her to a boat, one that was practically empty with nothing but a girl with light brown hair, like crushed chestnuts smeared into a soft hue. She met Matilda's gaze with an airy and light glance.

"Hello there." Even the brunette girl's voice was kind, but it was absent with emotion.

"I'm Matilda," she said, not wanting to miss her chance to make a friend. Everyone else seemed to have already made their lifelong companions on the train. "How do you do?"

"I'm Ariana. How do you do?"

She didn't answer Matilda's 'how do you do', which the girl found to be rather amusing. Still, despite Ariana's airy tone, Matilda had a remarkable ability for discovering people's character just by their eyes. Even despite Blaise's obvious disregard for her, Matilda knew that he was a good person.

"Isn't it exciting?" Matilda asked, hoping this time, the person she asked this to would answer it without looking like her voice was an inconvenience.

"Oh yes. Very exciting. My brother would tell stories about the castle. I am excited to discover my own to tell him," Ariana said, and Matilda felt a pang of jealousy, but she pushed it down so it could not fester. "He's a bit of a tosser, you see, so I'm anxious to have something to comment." Matilda didn't have a comment for that, so she moved on past it.

"I do hope there's food," Matilda said, tilting her head to the side and running her fingers along the black lake as their boat slid across it.

"What house are you keen on?" Ariana asked, and Matilda raised her eyes. She had read the books, done her research, but she didn't know which house would be good for her. The characteristic they looked for, she liked to believe she had all of them. How could they choose? At that point, she only wished to be in Ariana's house. Or Blaise. Or that scraggly boy, Harry. Or the ginger boy, Ron.

She just didn't want to be alone.

"I don't particularly mind which," Matilda answered. "I just want somewhere to sleep so I can study in the morning."

The boat was awkwardly silent at first, being that it was only her and Ariana and neither girls knew how to keep up conversation. Slowly, however, they got the hang of it and got to talking to one another. They spoke about shallow things like favorite foods or favorite anything really. For most part, neither girl was very good at conversation so it all came about rather flat.

Matilda didn't have much in common with others, let alone kids who grew up among wizards and happy parents.

"My favorite house is one that has a good view of the sky," Ariana admitted, and Matilda smiled wide.

"That would be splendid."

"You have an accent. I did not realize Americans would be amongst the students of Hogwarts," Ariana said and that brought about yet another point that stroke a pang of fear in the young girl's heart.

"I haven't been American in a long while," Matilda said, still remembering the fragrance of flowers outside Ms. Honey's small cottage. Despite the years, that was often what she thought of when she pictured home.

"I've always wanted to see San Francisco," Ariana said, her voice so light that it was a wonder Matilda could hear her over the sounds of laughter of the other kids in the boats.

Matilda would have liked to see anything after so long in the dark.

The boats pulled up to shore, and Matilda was nearly shoved by other students at every turn in their hasty attempts to make it to the great big castle that nearly looked as if it could reach the stars. Matilda felt her eyes water as she approached, and she opened her mouth to say something to Ariana, but the brown haired girl was nowhere to be seen.

Matilda frowned, but did not let that discourage her or turn her into an anxious kitten amongst the crowd of many. She nearly tripped many times up the great stairs that led up the cliff. When all the students lined up in front of the castle, she watched the great big doors slowly open at the giant's knock that sounded three times.

The door swung open, revealing professor McGonagall, or at least what she could see of the woman from behind all the students that blocked her sight. She was too short, and she heard the man, Hagrid as it were, exchange words of greeting. The doors opened wide, but Matilda couldn't really see it until all the students had practically flooded inside the gigantic entrance hall.

There were no lamps or light bulbs, perhaps because they were out in the middle of nowhere, and instead the walls were light in a basking glow from flame torches. Not even those could help see where the ceiling began and ended, but did illuminate the marble staircase facing her straight ahead.

Matilda could hear laughter and life through the doors to her right, and she nearly wondered if McGonagall would even notice if one lone student snuck off to join those festivities. She contained that feeling, having promised herself to stay out of trouble at least once. She followed the students into a rather small empty chamber off the hall where they all crowded inside. Matilda wasn't happy with the amount of space she was offered, but she dared not be the first one to complain that she was practically suffocating.

McGonagall greeted them, droning on about the houses and the classes they would take, the sorting ceremony, and the like. All of which Matilda had long since read about in Hogwarts: A History, so she didn't put all her attention on the speech for a second time.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

How Matilda tried, but her heart lurched when she heard Harry and Ron's familiar voices to her left. She politely moved past other students in her attempts to draw near them.

She didn't get far as many ghosts flooded the halls around her and her eyes widened at their pearly white figures weren't the same as the text books had described. She caught the eye of a scary looking one off in the back, lingering near the statue of a knight with his robes filled with blood and wrapped with chains.

"How do you do?" Matilda had a hard time talking to the other first years, but she spoke quickly to the dead. He, however, did not answer her. "I'll say, I'm sure you get this a lot, but you have the most spectacular eyes." They were wide, as if he had seen too much. That was fine with her, she had seen quite a bit too.

"Move among now. The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin," McGonagall said, her voice sharp enough to cut through steel. Matilda had wanted to talk more with the man, but she didn't seem to have luck on her side when she wanted to get to know anybody.

She waved goodbye to the man, who watched her every move as if he had reason to fear her despite him already being dead. She escaped into another room, lit by thousands upon thousands of candles in the sky like ceiling, just above four long tables that made rows in the room. She took notice to every detail, lost in them when the hat on the stage had begun to sing.

She was lost in excitement, watching students try on the hat and become placed in their houses.

She finally caught sight of Ariana when her name was called with a loud "Bletchley, Ariana," and she looked so at peace when the hat was placed on her head. "Ravenclaw!" She was sorted not long into time. That peaceful look slowly morphed into excitement, as if that had not been the calling she expected.

"Bletchley, Alice." This time, a girl identical to Ariana walked up on stage, coming the opposite side of the crowd of students as her sister. The only true difference in physical appearance between the two were the slight curls in Alice's hair. More than that, Alice had a certain haughtiness in her gaze that made Matilda wonder if she thought she owned the entire room.

The hat barely touched Alice's head before the booming voice shouted "Slytherin!" Matilda adamently decides that Slytherin couldn't be bad either if she could somehow become friends with somebody there, but that someone she preferred was Ariana. Alice took a seat far as can be from her sister, next to a slightly older boy in green robes who immediately put his arm around the girl's shoulders. The ceremony went on.

"Boot, Terry."

"Ravenclaw!"

"Bulstrode, Millicient."

"Slytherin."

The scene went on like that, kids being sorted and going to their table. It seemed easy enough and even Matilda was unlikely to mess that up.

Not much time later, Harry went onto the stage next after his name was called. People whispered from all around her, saying things like "The Harry Potter." This was strange for her, but she didn't want to ask lest they think she were a fool for not knowing. She did get some social cues like "he doesn't look like he could defeat you-know-who."

Matilda's nose wrinkled, suddenly very confused about the whole thing. Still, she supposed there were other times to ask her questions than now. Harry was taking a frightfully long time to get sorted, and many of the first years who had not been sorted got understandably anxious. She was nervous along with them, but she just wanted to get on with it so she could be seated. Only then could she actually learn something worthwhile and really prove that this place was where she belonged.

"Gryffindor!" After a long time, Harry was sorted and Matilda let out a breath of relief.

Not too long after that, her name was called. There weren't many students at that time, so all eyes were truly on her when she sat on the stool and the hat was placed upon her head.

"Ah," said the hat, his booming voice echoing in her head. "So much in this small head of yours."

She had read so many books by now, practically cleaning out the local library. Perhaps it had been too many. "I assure you, my head is adequate to my body."

"Awfully brave. Very kind. Genius intelligence. Ambition to succeed." The hat's remarks made her lips thin, hoping he'd speed it all up so the kids would only stop staring at her. "Where to put you?"

Her potential friends were in two different houses, so she truly wanted to be in either.

"This is about you, not where your friends were placed." The hat's comment was harsh, and it made her bite her lip rather hard. "What is it you want?"

"I don't only want to belong," she admitted, and her eyes ran over the students who might think she could never. "I want to succeed."

"Ahh," the hat said, as if it had a revaluation. Out loud, its voice boomed, "Slytherin!"

Neither Ariana, Ron, or Harry were sorted in Slytherin, and while that was lonely and disappointing, her lips spread into a wide smile. She sat amongst the Slytherin table who welcomed her, attempting a seat near Ariana's twin, only to see the girl didn't look at all friendly. Not long after that, Blaise was finally sorted and he took a seat across from her.

"You made it," she whispered, her smile bright as the food then appeared as if it erupted from the wood around her.

Blaise glanced over to her, and perhaps they would never be best friends, but Matilda was thankful she wasn't completely alone.

Author's Not

Can you believe how long that took ?

There's so much more to come for this series, since it will be dealing with puberty, growing older, and making friends. You know, kid stuff. All including a wizard Hitler that is hell bent on killing a portion of the population. Exciting stuff planned for the future.

I did I have a bit of trouble sorting Matilda, since if I were going off of who she was in the original movie when she was six years old, I'd say she honestly could have been any of the houses since she embodied all those characteristics. After some contemplation, I inevitably decided on Slytherin based on who she is now and the life she has led up until this point. I just thought this was for the best.

Also, I'm a Slytherin and I have a personal bias for it, and I think she displays many Slytherin traits.