Chapter 3
"Welcome to Hogwarts. In a few moments, you will enter the great hall and be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Your house will be like your family here at Hogwarts. Triumphs will gain you house points; any rule breaking and you will lose house points. The house with the most points at the end of the year will win the House Cup. I will back for you momentarily." Professor McGonagall told them and stepped into the Great Hall.
"It's true, then. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." A voice rang out. Ivy heard excited whispers all around her. She smiled slightly, knowing that Harry was a bit embarrassed. She heard the exchange between them and heard the nastiness in the boy's voice when he spoke to Ron. "I'm Draco Malfoy." The boy said. Harry didn't take his proffered hand, which caused him to sneer. He looked over and saw Ivy, and his expression softened a bit. She was quite lovely. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but some tendrils had come loose to hang around her ears. Her face was pure, her eyes green; why was she just staring off into space like that. The professor came back to get them and they filed into the Great Hall.
Ivy felt all eyes on her as she made her way behind Harry. "Four tables, two on the left and two on the right, all parallel to each other." Harry whispered to her, trying to give her the lay of the room so that she didn't run into anything.
"When I call your name, please come up and sit on the stool. The sorting hat will then be placed on your head." Professor McGonagall called out to them. She began calling names and one by one the students went up to the hat.
"Looks like Gryffindor is the far right table, Hufflepuff is the closest on the right. Ravenclaw is the closest on the left and Slytherin is the far left." Harry told Ivy so that she would know where to go when she was called. "Of course it will be opposite when you come down the steps."
"Harry Potter." The professor called out. Harry went up and the hat was placed on his head. After several minutes it called out 'Gryffindor' and Harry took his place at the house table. Several more names were called and the students happily joined their tables.
Ivy was the last to be called. She started forward, "There are 3 steps here, dear." She heard Professor McGonagall say. She nodded and felt forward with her white cane to find the steps. Stepping up carefully, she turned around and felt the hat being dropped onto her head.
'Hmm… a great mind, but a determination and great amount of courage overshadow all.' She heard in her mind. 'Gryffindor', the hat shouted out. Ivy smiled and the hat was removed from her head. She stepped back down the steps and started making her way to the left. She felt a hand on her arm and knew it was Harry, helping her to sit down at the table. Timber sat down beside her as the headmaster stood and called for quiet.
"A few announcements before we become too befuddled with food and drink. The first years will note that the forest on the castle grounds is forbidden. And a few of our older students might remember that as well." He paused, looking over at the Gryffindor table. "As you may have noticed, we have a new challenge this year. We have a blind student, Ivy Mitchell. She has a Seeing-Eye Dog and that is the only reason he is allowed on the grounds. He helps her get around without falling down steps and bumping into things. I hope you all will help her any way you can." He sat down as Ivy ducked her head, embarrassed to have attention called to her. Harry chuckled to her right. "Tuck in." the headmaster said and the food appeared on the plates and platters on the table.
Harry's eyes almost bugged out of his head, he had never seen so much food before in his life, let alone be able to eat as much as he wanted to. He started to reach for the nearest thing and saw Ivy out of the corner of his eye. "There's chicken and beef and fish, along with any side you could imagine. Would you like me to tell you where everything is, or just pass things to you?" he asked.
"Just pass them, please." Ivy said, always independent, never wanting to be a burden on anyone. Harry passed a platter of chicken to her and she put a piece on her plate. He followed with side dishes, remembering not to give her anything with seafood in it, as she was allergic.
"The jug of juice is in front of you and your cup is on the right of your plate." Harry told her as he loaded his plate up with food. Ron and Hermione watched from across the table, very interested in this connection between Harry and Ivy. They watched as Ivy reached for the jug and her cup. She placed her forefinger on the edge of the cup where it draped down over the edge, then poured the juice from the jug into the cup, stopping when she felt it touch her finger. She replaced the jug on the table and lifted the cup to her lips to drink.
Ron stared, gaping at her, "How'd you do that?" he squeaked.
Ivy swallowed and said, "I just pour until I feel it with my finger, then stop. No mess."
"Brilliant." He said, shaking his head. They all continued to eat, talking about things they've done, and getting to know each other. The noise in the hall was loud, but in a companionable way. Ivy felt the stares from across the room; it was something she was used to. People always stared at those who were different.
Draco kept watching Ivy, 'So, that's why she was staring off into space earlier. She can't see a blasted thing. She's very pretty.' Pansy Parkinson was sitting beside him and making comments about everyone who was not a Slytherin. He made a disgusted face and ignored her, continuing to watch Ivy, wondering what she was like.
Dumbledore stood and raised his hands for quiet once again, "I forgot to mention something in regards to Ivy. While here, her dog, Timber is on the job. Please do not torment him or try to lure him away from Ivy. He is here to protect her and help her. If anyone is caught tormenting him or keeping him from his work, you will be punished and house points will be taken away." He said and then dismissed them all to go to their rooms for the night. Harry helped Ivy to stand and Timber stood as well, allowing her to reach the handle on his harness better. She took it and shook out her white cane and began walking towards the door, following the sound of the prefects voice as he led them to Gryffindor house.
They arrived at the portrait and he spoke the password, telling them that it changed occasionally and that they would be informed when it did. Ivy felt a warmth when she entered the common room. Not just from the fire, but from the companionship of the people. "Girls rooms are up those stairs and to the right, boys the same and to the left. Boys are not allowed into the girls' rooms." The prefect said. "You will find that your things have already been brought to your room." He then turned and headed off towards his room. Harry looked a little concerned. He wasn't sure how Ivy was going to find her things. Then he noticed Hermione walking towards the stairs.
"Hermione, would you help me find the room and my bed?" Ivy asked, beating Harry to it.
"Oh, yeah, sure. What do I need to do?" she answered.
"Just hold on to my arm and lead me there, after this I should be able to find it on my own." Ivy replied. Hermione took her arm and led her up the stairs and to the girls' rooms. They found the 1st years room and entered.
"Here are your things, Ivy. The first bed we come to." Hermione told her.
"Thank you, Hermione. You've been a great help." Ivy said and stepped to the bedside. She felt around and found the trunk at the foot of the bed. Opening it, she pulled her clothes out and put them in the drawers in the chest by her bed. Grabbing a nightgown, she changed and then climbed into bed. Timber jumped up to the foot of the bed and settled in for the night. Ivy smiled to herself as she closed her eyes and sleep took her.
The next morning, she woke to her alarm and heard only the sounds of light breathing. Guessing that the others were still sleeping, she roused Timber and pulled her uniform off the chair. "Timber, do you know where the shower is?" she whispered to the dog. She started to try to find it on her own, but knew that it was pointless. Hermione sat up in bed, seeing Ivy up.
"Ivy? You okay?" she asked.
"Oh, Hermione, I didn't know you were awake. I was just wondering how I was going to get to the shower." Ivy stated.
"Oh, well, I'll show you." Hermione said and got out of bed, reaching for her own uniform and shower things. She took Ivy's arm and they made their way to the end of the room where the shower was located. Silently, Ivy counted the steps from her bed to the shower room. Hermione told her where the showers, toilets and sinks were located.
"Thank you, Hermione." She said and stepped towards a shower stall. Timber sat down outside the stall and waited for her to finish. She took time to wash her hair and her body. Turning off the water, she used a drying spell to dry her hair and body quickly. Dressing in her Gryffindor uniform, she stepped out of the stall and over to a counter to brush her hair and pull it back in a ponytail.
"Why don't you leave your hair down, Ivy?" Hermione asked.
"Well, since I can't see it, it's just easier to pull it back and then I don't have to worry about what it looks like." Ivy answered.
"I could help you. I could make sure it looks okay for you." The girl offered.
"Thanks, Hermione, that's sweet of you. I'll think about it." Ivy replied. She smiled and placed her things back in her bag as a few other girls came into the shower room. She grabbed the handle on Timber's harness and left to finish getting ready. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she pulled on her socks and shoes. Her uniform consisted of a pleated gray skirt, a pair of knee high black socks, black shoes, a white button down shirt and a sweater vest with the Gryffindor seal on the left chest. Her black robe went over this along with a burgundy and gold striped tie. Turning, she smiled, "How do I look?" she asked Hermione.
"Wonderful. Everything is in the right place." Hermione told her new friend. Ivy grinned and let Timber help her down the stairs to the common room. She had counted the steps the night before and knew which way to go when she came out of the room to find the stairs. Using her white cane, she found the top step and carefully walked down them.
"Good morning, Harry, Ron." She said as she entered the common room. She smelled other smells and knew that others were in the room, but she had yet to be introduced to them.
"Hey, how'd you know we were here?" Ron asked.
Harry laughed, "Your smell, Ron. She can tell us all by the way we smell."
"Hey, I don't smell, I took a shower." Ron said, indignantly.
Laughing, Ivy said, "It's not a bad thing, Ron. Everyone has a distinctive smell. Like, Harry for example, he smells of lime soap and spearmint toothpaste. Ron, you smell of lemon shampoo and orange toothpaste."
"Orange toothpaste? Really, Ron?" Harry said, looking over at him.
"Hey, I like the taste." Ron said, turning red. Hermione joined them and they set off for breakfast in the Great Hall. Once there, they sat in the same spots that had the night before. Harry told Ivy where each thing was on the table and she helped herself to the food and milk. While they were eating, Professor McGonagall came around with their class schedules.
"Here you are, Ivy. I took a course of the weeks after your birthday in Braille, learning how to write it and read it. I hope I got everything right, you'll let me know if something is wrong?" she said, laying a paper down beside Ivy's plate.
"That's very nice of you, Professor. I will certainly let you know, but I'm sure everything is just right." Ivy smiled at the professor. Reaching over to the paper, she skimmed her fingers over the bumps.
"Wicked." She heard Ron say across from her.
"It's Braille, Ron. It's how I read." She explained, continuing to skim her fingers over the paper. "Hmm… looks like Charms is first, then Transfiguration, then lunch and then Potions. I see Hufflepuff beside Charms, does that mean we share classes with other houses?" she observed.
"Yes, we share each main class with another house. Looks like we are with Hufflepuff for Charms and Transfiguration and then Slytherin for Potions. Tomorrow we will have different classes." Hermione told her. "I suppose we should get our books for today, class begins in half an hour."