Night had fallen by the time the train finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the doors and Rohini felt suddenly nauseous, her palms all sweaty and her breath coming out louder than usual. She felt her heartbeats getting faster when she lost Harry in the crowd, but thankfully was able to join him after pushing her way through a group of older students.
"You ok?" Harry asked, speaking loud enough for her to hear him and Rohini nodded, thought she felt anything but ok. The air was cold and she was glad their robes were thick enough to protect them from the wind. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Rohini felt better as they heard a familiar voice:
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!", Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. "Hello, yeh two." He said as the twins reached him. "Yeh alright, Rohini? Yeh seems a bit pale."
"'m fine." Rohini lied once more. Hagrid gently patted her shoulder before turning to the crowd.
"Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. Rohini grabbed Harry's hand, worried she would lose him again. She didn't care if it seemed childish. The path leaded them to a black lake, its surface shining under the moonlight. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side was a vast castle with many turrets and towers: Hogwarts. Lights came from his thousands windows and reflected on the lake. It was beautiful.
"Wicked…" Ron said in awe, and Rohini couldn't have found a better word to describe how she felt right now.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats floating by the shore. Rohini gulped, hoping the trip would be more pleasant than the one with the Dursleys. At least, there was no storm this time. She followed Harry and Ron and they were joined by Hermione.
"Hello again." Rohini said and Hermione smiled briefly before reporting her attention to the castle. "I've read everything there was to know about Hogwarts." She said and Ron groaned, getting an offended glance from Hermione. "It's important to have a minimum of knowledge." She pointed out and Rohini agreed.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then—FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Rohini touched the water with one finger, shivering at the sudden coldness. She wondered if students were allowed to swim in it during hot days. She wasn't truly a good swimmer, and neither was Harry.
She glanced at the other boats, and pulled a face when she realised the blond boy was on the boat right next to them. They stared at each other, Rohini refusing to lower her gaze first.
It was Hagrid who settled the silent battle by telling them to bend their heads as the boats entered a dark tunnel. They reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
"I lied, I'm actually dying." Rohini said as they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, followed by a flight of stone steps and ending in front of a huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? Good." Hagrid knocked three times on the castle door. The door swung open at once. A tall, old witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross. Rohini was now squeezing his hand so hard he feared she would break his fingers.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She said and Hagrid left with one last wave of his hand at the twins. McGonagall spoke again:
"Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Now, while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup-"
"Trevor!" A chubby boy shouted at the sign of a toad next to McGonagall. He kneeled and grabbed the toad, before apologising as McGonagall raised an eyebrow.
"The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily. Please, wait a moment." She said before taking her leave. Hermione seemed ready to speak when the blond boy spoke, loud enough for all to hear him.
"It's true then, what they're saying on the train. The Potters have come to Hogwarts."
Rohini hold back a curse as everybody began to whisper around them. So much to avoid attention…. "This is Crabbe, and Goyle and I'm Malfoy...Draco Malfoy." Draco introduced himself, and Ron snickered. Malfoy looked at him with disdain. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair, and a hand me down robe? You must be a Weasley."
"And you must be quite a jerk, aren't you?" Rohini snapped, taking a step closer with her fists clenched. Draco was taller than her, she realised. Harry joined her, trying to pull her away and Draco turned to him. "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. Don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He extended his hand, glancing at Rohini before looking back at Harry.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort is for myself, thanks." Harry said coldly and Rohini smirked as Draco's expression shifted into something darker. The two boys that were in the boat with him stepped closer, cracking their fingers.
Then something happened that made everybody jump and some yell: ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and floating around the new students with curiosity and interest.
"New students!" said a fat monk smiling at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
A few people nodded mutely. Rohini was slowly realising what living in a magical world implied. Still, ghosts?!
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old House, you know."
"Pff! Everybody knows there's no House as noble as Gryffindor!" A ghost in armour said and soon all of them were arguing about their own House's prestige.
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. "Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Rohini and Harry exchanged a nervous glance. Rohini tried to ignore the fact that as soon as they will pass the doors, a hoard of students will have their eyes on them. McGonagall leaded everyone through two large doors and into the Great Hall.
"Wow." The twins said at the same time. They had never even imagined the breath-taking scene that followed. The Great Hall was flamboyant from the thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where hundreds of students were sitting. As they crossed the room, Harry's attention got caught by the glittering golden plates and goblets while Rohini was gasping at the ceiling that reflected the starry night.
Hermione whispered to her: "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." And Rohini absently nodded.
At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here and Rohini accidentally bumped into Ron when the boy came to a halt. "Sorry. The sk- ceiling is distracting." She said.
Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.
"It must be as old as the school…" Rohini pointed out and Harry nodded. Suddenly the hat twitched and…grinned. "What the-"She began, eyes wide opened as the hat began to sing. After ghosts and an enchanted ceiling came a bewitched hat. They hadn't been here for an hour that Rohini was already charmed by Hogwarts.
"(…) 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 folk use any means To achieve their ends. (…)"
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. McGonagall took a step forwards and eyed each table before speaking:
"Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbldedore would like to say a few words."
He was just like the picture from Harry's card; same long nose, same glasses… He stood up and offered everyone a welcoming smile.
"I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch," He pointed at an old man in ragged clothes and a red eyed cat at his feet, "has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you."
"Death?" Ron whispered, exchanging a nervous glance with Rohini who gulped loudly. It sure wasn't the most welcoming speech that one could have expected at the beginning of the term.
"When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses." McGonagall said before unrolling a parchment. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A little girl with pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. Rohini wondered if they will all look that silly with the old hat on their head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. The ghost from earlier was here too, smiling brightly.
"Bones, Susan!" McGonagall called, and this time it's a pale looking girl who left the group of first years to sit on the stool.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah, finally releasing the breath she had been holding.
Their little group was getting smaller and Rohini could see that Hermione looked as frightened as her. Harry seemed a bit sick too and Ron was on his tip toes, trying to spot his brothers among the Gryffindors.
"Hermione Granger!"
"Oh, no. Okay, relax." Hermione said and Rohini wished her good luck.
"Ah, right then...hmm...right. Okay...GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted and the Gryffindor table cheered louder than the other tables before. Hermione smiled and Ron groaned.
"Draco Malfoy."
Draco sauntered up proudly, bumping into Rohini and Ron as he left the group. McGonagall had barely dropped the hat on his head that it screamed "SLYTHERIN!"
"I hope I'll not be a Slytherin." Rohini said and Harry agreed. "Seriously, I would never get along with that ferret…"
Harry's attention was caught by one of the teacher that sat at the last table. He had long, black straight hair and looked terribly pale.
"Ah!" Harry grimaced, touching his scar.
"What's wrong?" Rohini asked with a frowned, before following Harry's gaze. "Wow, he sure looks like a necromancer, or something equally morbid…" Harry secretly hoped that she was wrong; necromancy sounds pretty scary.
The toad boy was called and sorted into Gryffindor. A girl named Parvati Patil was sorted into the Lion House too and her twin sister into Ravenclaw.
"We're not the only twins!" Harry said but Rohini only nodded for her throat too dry to speak; there were merely ten of them left now. She was squeezing Harry's hand again, and the boy tried not to grimace. Ron glanced at their joined hands and gave Harry an empathic smile. Then, at last-
"Harry Potter!"
The Great Hall which had been filled with conversations suddenly became awfully quiet. Rohini wished him good luck before letting go of his hand. As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Harry Potter?"
"Where's his twin?"
The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. He waited.
It was taking longer than the others, Rohini realised with a gulp. What if something was wrong with them? Narrowing her eyes, she realised that Harry was whispering to the hat. She grimaced as the hat suggested Harry would do great in Slytherin and finally-
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table where he was grabbed by the Weasley twins and Percy even got up and shook his hand vigorously. He glanced at Rohini from across the room and gave her a bright smile. However, Rohini thought she had forgotten how to breathe when McGonagall stared at her from across the room and said:
"Rohini Potter!"
"Relax." Ron told her before pushing her forwards. Her vision was getting blurred now and she could hear nothing else but her frantic heartbeats. Everybody was staring at her and whispering. Finally, she took place on the stool.
"Ah, the second Potter…" The hat said as he was put on her head, covering her eyes. Somehow, the sudden darkness helped her to relax. "Just as difficult as your brother. Great mind, yes. There's talent, oh yes, and a thirst for knowledge. A bit more eccentric, perhaps."
"Not Slytherin." Rohini pleaded and the hat chuckled.
"Oh, do not worry- You would have no place in Slytherin. Hmmm, yes… maybe? Ah…"
A pause. Rohini bite her lips. Then-
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaw table cheered just as loudly as the Gryffindors with Harry and Rohini hurried to hand back the hat to McGonagall before heading to the table. Students welcomed her but she barely smiled, her head spinning a little. She finally sat next to Padma Patil with a shy smile. The Ravenclaw prefect offered his hand that she shook awkwardly before glancing at Harry. She felt a bit sad that they hadn't been sorted in the same house but at least, none of them was a Slytherin.
"My grandmother was called Rohini, too." Padma told her with a friendly smile. "Funny, both our twins are in Gryffindor!"
"Guess we're not as similar as what people tend to think." Rohini said before looking back at the students that weren't sorted yet. Ron was dancing from on feet to another, waiting for his turn.
Dean Thomas, a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. Lisa Turpin became a Ravenclaw and timidly asked Rohini if she could sit next to her. Then it was Ron's turn. Rohini hoped he would be a Ravenclaw too, but it's Gryffindor that the hat shouted. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.
Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide.
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
"What does that mean?" Rohini asked, puzzled, and Padma shrugged. Suddenly the empty golden plates were now piled with food and every first year gasped. Rohini couldn't believe it; she had never seen so many things on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy… She realised she was quite hungry and jumped on the food, filling her plate with a bit of everything except from the carrots because she hated it.
"Look at the Slytherin's ghost, he's so scary!" Lisa Turpin whispered and when Rohini glanced at the Slytherin table, she saw an ill looking man with his robes stained with what was probably blood. A shiver ran down her spin as the ghost raised his head to stare at them, and she looked back at her plate instead.
Both Padma and Lisa seemed to be quiet girls and Rohini found their company rather pleasant. There were still a few students that stared at her openly, but everyone else was too occupied with serving themselves some desserts that had replaced the chicken and peas. There were blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding…
"We're going to get fat if every dinner is so copious." Lisa pointed out and Rohini shrugged; it was the first time in her life that she could eat so many different foods in such quantity, and she wasn't going to complain about it. Besides, she probably needed to gain some weight.
While eating what seemed to be a toffee ice cream, Rohini glanced at the teachers table again. Hagrid was here too and waved at her when he saw her watching. She also recognised Quirrell who was in a deep conversation with the gloomy looking man from earlier. He suddenly turned his face in her direction and Rohini pretended she hadn't seen him; somehow, she felt uneasy about him.
At last, the desserts too disappeared and Dumbledore stood up again with a smile.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" he said and the other teachers' smiles melted into grimaces. Rohini herself groaned; she liked to sing, but it was in private and often off-key.
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.
"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"
The song had been, to put it simply, a disaster. Some students seemed quite into it, others were only mouthing the words. Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march and Rohini laughed a bit too loud, blushing as a few heads turned towards her.
"Ah, music," Dumbledore said. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
"First years, follow me!" Every prefects yelled, lines forming in front of them. They left the Great Hall into the marble staircase. Rohini thought she was dreaming at first, but realised after a second check that the portraits were indeed moving and waving at them.
They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet and at some point the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins took a different corridor. Rohini slowed down to be at the end of the line to be at the same level as Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Hey." She said and Harry gave her a tired smile. "I think I've eaten more in one night than in ten years at the Dursleys."
"Yeah,me too." Harry said but the Ravenclaw line took another turn and Rohini quickly waved at Harry before he disappeared after a turn. She felt suddenly lonely, and jumped when someone touched her elbow. It was Padma who gave her an understanding smile; it was probably the first time she was separated of her sister too. They took many stairs and Rohini was dumbstruck when she saw them moving.
"Keep an eye on the staircases...they like to change." The prefect said and Rohini wondered how they were supposed to find their way back if the castle kept moving.
"Our emblem is the eagle, which soars where others cannot climb; our house colours are blue and silver, and our common room is found at the top of Ravenclaw Tower, behind a door with an enchanted knocker." Their prefect kept going as they passed yet another arch. "Our common room has the best view of the school grounds: the lake, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch and the Herbology gardens…" Finally, they reached the enchanted door. There was no doorknob or keyhole, but a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle that suddenly opened its eyes before saying in a sharp voice:
"Where do Vanished objects go?"
"Into non-being, which is to say, everything." Said the prefect and every first year glanced at each other, thinking the same thing: There was no way they would be able to enter the common room all by themselves. The door opened and they all gasped in awe.
The common room architecture was simply gorgeous; the walls were white and there were columns rising towards the ceiling which was made of blue, white and yellow mosaic forming the sky at night and its constellations. There was a comforting smell of wet ground after the rain floating around, even though there were no plants and Rohini could hear the soothing sound of rain.
"The smell isn't always the same." The prefect explained. "It changes depending of your global emotions. It's pretty calming, tonight. Probably because you're all excited on your first night." He explained and Rohini wondered if the Gryffindor common room was as relaxing. "That's for the Common Room." He said, before leading them out again towards another corridor.
"Our dormitories are in turrets off the main tower." He said before pointing at two doors on each side of a beautiful woman statue. "Girls, on the left. Boys, on the right."
Lisa was the first one inside. The dorm was as beautiful as the Common Room. There were four-poster beds covered in sky blue silk eiderdowns and the sound of rain was still there, even though Rohini had saw earlier by a window that the night was clear of any cloud. There were a set of stairs at each corner, probably leading to more beds. Their trunks had already been brought up and so they spent the next few minutes trying to find their own stuffs.
"Thranduil!" Rohini said when she spotted her cat, asleep on a bed right next to a window. The cat meowed and stretched before jumping of the bed and rubbing his tiny face against her ankles.
"He's beautiful!" Lisa said and Padma kneeled, letting the cat sniffing her hand before gently scratching him behind the ears. "My bed is downstairs, goodnight!" Lisa said before going back to the first bedroom.
"I'm right next to you." Padma said, pointing at the bed on Rohini's left. "I'm a bit too nervous to sleep." She admitted and Rohini felt the same. They finally put on their pyjama on silence and wished each other goodnight before slipping under the warm blue blanket. Looking at the Forbidden Forest by the window, Rohini wondered how Harry was doing.
Thranduil meowed and lay down on her back and before she knew it, Rohini was deep asleep.