The New Chapters of Hogwarts
Chapter 4: Houses
Once all the children had filed into the large entrance, they were met by two people. One was the person she recognized as the current headmistress, Professor McGonagal. The other was a decrepide old man standing off to the side. He glared at all the new comers with his beety little eyes while petting a stuffed cat eagerly on it's fine, flat head. Catching his glance and realizing that she had the misfortune of standing the closest to him, Carvera quickly tried to direct her attention elsewhere. However, the man had already started stomping his limpy way towards her. The poor girl's heart pounded relentlessly against her chest.
"You. Girly!" the man hissed.
"Y-yes sir?" Cara reluctantly made eye contact with the unpleasant man.
"You've got a problem wit' Mrs. Noris?"
"W-who?" She yelped as he shoved the the deceased animal into her face. Although the cat had probably looked as healthy as the day it died, the fact that it was indeed dead disturbed her.
"Who?! You'll be sorry for showing Mrs. Norris such disrespect! You little scum I'll...!"
"You'll do nothing of the sort." the headmistress cut in sternly. Due to the apparent comotion, the silver-haired woman had made her way down to the source. Her light robes robes fluttered with her quick and tempered steps as her small, spectacled eyes looked from one person to another.
She sighed "Must you always start a ruckess with the first years, Filch?"
He narrowed his eyes to the point of where they appeared to be slits, "She was disrespectin'..."
"Mrs. Norris" McGonagal finished and rolled her eyes "They are always 'disrespectin' Mrs. Norris. I swear, I should have made you burry that thing."
The caretaker looked shocked and appauled at the idea of burrying his beloved feline. He slowly nodded his head and stepped back to where he once was, as if he had lost some grand arguement. The professor turned her stern look towards everyone else who had been watching the fiasco.
"All of you shall do as directed and take any available seats in the Grand Hall." With that that said the large mass began to file in, all except Narcicuss who'd been waiting for his new companion. As she started away, someone grabbed Carvera's arm softly. She looked up to see McGonagal raising her eyebrows expectantly.
"And where do ya think you're headed, young miss? I'd like there to be no more disturbances tonight if ya don't mind."
Carvera nodded, an embarassing blush rushing to her cheeks "Yes ma'am."
"Your name?" the woman inquired.
"Carvera. Carvera Potter."
As if some holy light had shined down upon them, the professor's eyes showed total shock and awe. The girl looked up at her with a confused expression. Was something wrong?
"Your Potter's daughter then?"
It took Cara a moment to realize she was talking about her father. "Yes. Harry Potter, ma'am."
The professor nodded and seemed to be recooporating from her previous shock "Well then Ms. Potter, you and your friend should be off with the others."
The girl looked back to see that her the boy was still waiting for her. She shrugged apologetically and nodded towards the professor.
"Your name, young man?" McGonagal called across the hall.
"Narcicuss Malfoy." he answered blankly.
Again, the teacher seemed to be in a state of shock. However, she nodded towards Carvera so that she may be off. As soon as the girl was an ears distance away, the teacher slapped a hand to the side of her head.
"Potter and Malfoy?!" she asked herself aloud "Merlin's pants, this world has gone topsy-turvy tonight."
"It is a bit of an odd combo, ma'am." snickered Filch from behind the headmistress.
She turned and nodded. "Come along then, we have to attend to the students."
Back in the hall, Carvera and Narcicuss had luckily found seats together. They anxiously looked up towards the infamous Sorting Hat and wondered what results it held for them. Suddenly, the raven-haired girl felt a pit at the bottom of her stomach. What if he's in Slytherin and I'm in Gryffindor? she asked herself What if we never see one another again?!
"Nari?" she asked above a whisper.
"Yes?"
"Please be my friend...Even if I'm in Gryffindor."
The blonde boy looked at the girl with an astonished express. Surely she did not want to deal with someone who was certain to get into Slytherin. But with this inquiery he couldn't help but smirk and nod.
"Really?" she confirmed.
"Of course." he whispered. A small smile graced both of their features. The small moment was soon interrupted by the headmistress.
"Welcome, new comers, to another wonderful year at Hogwarts! I wish you all the best of luck. However, I must also inform you of the rules. There may be no tom-foolery, horse play or trickery of any kind. The third-floor library is strictly forbidden. And also, no one is permitted to enter the Dark Forest unless accompanied by our groundskeeper, Hagrid." The professor motioned towards the giant man. He lifted his large right arm in acknowlegement. Carvera had heard of Mr. Hagrid from her father. Supposedly he was part giant. But he seemed nice enough.
"And now" Professor McGonagal announced "I shall begin to call people up to the Sorting Hat. It will be placed upon your head and you shall go sit at the designated house table."
The anticipation between the two friends grew and grew until finally...
"Narcicuss Malfoy."
He looked at his companion as he got up. They're eyes both held fear. If they were to be torn apart so soon, it would prove difficult to stay friends.
The hat had barely touched Narcicuss' head before hollering "Slytherin!"
He sighed and strutted towards the table while all the other Slytherins clapped for him. But he felt cheated. He had finally met someone he could stand, a girl no less, and now they were going to be seperated. He slowly sat down on the bench and slouched as five other people were called until something caught his attention.
"Carvera Potter."
Whispers echoed off the wall as the shy girl slowly made her way towards the stool. From the moment the Sorting Hat was placed on her head, Cara could feel curious eyes bore into her. She yelped as she was suddenly sucked into a dark space inside her mind. She stood facing the Sorting Hat that was supposed to be on her head. She walked towards it until it boomed "A Potter, eh?!"
She stumbled a bit but responded "Y-yes, sir."
"Hm. It seems sickly simple to just throw you into Gryffindor like the rest of your family."
She glanced downward and the wise hat rose his eyebrows in shock.
"Not Gryffindor?! Interesting..." the hat probed her mind and heart until he laughed haughtily.
"Ho, ho, ho! You've befriended a Malfoy have you? Yes. Young Narcicuss. Your father wasn't so dull as to take up with the boy's father. But then again those were different times. Do you want to know something, girl?"
She nodded.
"Your father was nearly a Slytherin."
Her eyes widdened a bit.
"Never told you that did he?! Interesting. Very mysterious. But none the less, Potter chose the valor of Gryffindor over the strength of Slytherin."
"The strength of Slytherin?" Cara asked.
"Oh yes! Your father was quite destined for that house. But he pleaded for Gryffindor. It's quite ironic little one. I'm ready to hand you the glory of Gryffindor on a silver platter, yet you have come to an impass. Will you choose your family's heritage or your new found companionship?" he chuckled darkly "Quite interesting, quite interesting indeed!"
"Why would you let me choose like this?"
The hat's small expressions darkened into a mischevious smirk. "Because like your father...I sense a power in you. Something that could be multiplied phenomonally in the House of Slytherin. Besides, you don't have friends in the other houses to join. That's what swayed your father's decision after all." He looked up at her and she looked down at him in thought. "So, what shall it be Carvera Minerva Potter?"
She thought and then as if he had read her mind, he laughed darkly "Intrigueing, INTRIGUEING! We shall soon see what this path holds for you, young one!"
Cara slowly opened her eyes. It felt like hours had passed by since she saw the lighting of the Hall. But her emerald orbs needed no adjusting, and as soon as she sat herself upright again she heard the hat bellow her decision.
"SLYTHERIN!!!"
Gasps could be heard coming from all sides of the room. Yet she was smiling softly. Her father had told her that the Sorting Hat would take your opinion into consideration. Though, curiously, he had not mentioned specifically what his was. But it didn't matter, because now she could be with her friend. She took the old hat off her head and looked it in the eyes. She whispered a 'thank you' and it slyly winked at her. She handed it to the professor and couldn't help but notice her shocked expression. Carvera nodded in appreciation and began to walk towards her new house. The girl was greeted with an assortment of cheers, hoots and hollers. Soon she had found a clearly pleased Nari with a wide grin on his face. As she sat down beside him he whispered, "Thank goodness the Hat chose for you to be here."
She smiled and confessed "The Hat didn't choose here, Narcicuss. I chose."
He looked at her with wide eyes but soon gave her a genuine smile. "Well then, thank Albus for that as well."
They both sat close beside one another and enjoyed the spectacular feast presented to them.
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As soon as all they young Slytherin's could eat all that they could, the group was shown down to their Common Room. Carvera was simply amazed by the changing staircases that lead to the dungeons, while her friend just walked down them absent mindedly. The portraits moved and greeted the new students. Again, she gasped with excitement. However, she caught Narcicuss rolling his eyes.
"What?" she frowned.
He glanced at her "You act as though you've never seen these things before."
"I've only seen the small pictures move." she explained "I don't think we could keep large portraits in the muggle world."
Nari gave her a horrified expression "You were raised in the muggle world?!"
She cocked her head "Is there something wrong with that?"
"How the bloody hell did you survive?!"
She giggled "It's not hard at all! Mother and Father said it builds character if you're risen some place where you have to do things manually." She smiled at her friend "Grandpa Weasley always has a field-day tankering with things when he visits."
"I don't think I'd last two minutes" the Malfoy mumbled.
Carvera laughed and put a friendly hand on his shoulder "I think you'd do fine."
They smiled and came to hault. In front of them was a portrait of Salizar Slytherin. He sat in his throne-like chair of green velvet looking outrageously stuck up.
"Password." he demanded.
The head-girl came to the front and replied "Basilisk venom."
The founder nodded and his portrait slowly slid to the side. As the students filed in, Carvera couldn't help but try to get a better glance at the man's portrait. He looked at her as she examined the background.
"New Slytherin, eh?"
"Huh? Oh. Yes, sir."
"Has your family a tradition in this house?"
She shook her head "No, sir. I'm the first."
"Where does their history lie then?"
"Gryffindor."
The portrait hissed with discontent. Carvera backed off a few steps before bumping into Narcicuss' chest.
"What is your surname, girl?" Salizar asked as he tried to compose himself.
"P-Potter, sir."
To her surprise, the portrait laughed. "About bloody time! Your father rejected this house. Did you know that Ms. Potter?"
She nodded "The Sorting Hat told me."
"I suppose he wanted a good laugh then."
She frowned "No, Sir. I came of my own valition."
Again the portrait chuckled and rubbed his chin as if to ponder some great mystery "I see. It wouldn't happen to be because of the Malfoy behind you would it?"
Carvera had nearly forgotten that she was still pressed against her friend's chest. She blushed softly but nodded. "Yes. He is my only friend."
The portrait narrowed his eyes "Even so, the Hat wouldn't give you a choice unless he saw something. What could it have been I wonder?"
Curious as to where this was leading, she said, "He mentioned something about posessing a similar power to that of my Father's."
Slytherin seemed to take an interest and nodded "Quite. Well, perhaps you two had best get inside before I close for the night."
The two pre-teens nodded. However, before Carvera could enter completely the portrait said "Good night, Little Potter."
"Good night, Sir." Once the portrait had slid shut, she saw her friend. She became a bit stiff to find him staring at her like he had on the train.
"What the hell was that?" Narcicuss asked.
She looked at him in puzzlement. "What do you mean, Nari?"
"It sounded like you were hissing."
"I couldn't have been! I was just saying 'good night'."
The boy looked at her with an odd expression but decided to let it go. It had been a long day. "Well, alright. If you say so." He looked towards the stairs leading down to the boy's dormitory "Well, good night."
"Good night." she said normally as she headed down the other flight.
As Narcicuss headed down the rickety spiral, his eyes narrowed. He knew that he had heard the girl hiss. He was possitive of it. But if he hadn't known any better, he'd say she was speaking Parsal Tongue.
Father did tell me that Potter had gained it from the Dark Lord, he thought, But how could it have passed only to her and not her other siblings?
He remembered Cara telling the portrait of Salizar Slytherin that the Sorting Hat had sensed something in her. A 'power like her father's'. The girl was different. Strange almost. But he smirked. It didn't bother him as much as it should have. She was his new friend and it already seemed like Cavera Potter was making his life a bit less dull.