The Tragedy of a Hero
Year One: Tragic Curiosity
Chapter Three: The Tragedy of Circumstance
Skylar looked up at the huge red and black train on Platform 9 ¾. The Hogwarts Express was set to take her and her sister to their new home in Scotland. Despite Claire's wish to go to school in France, the headmistress of Beauxbatons never responded to their mother's letters. So, now she was going to be attending Hogwarts with Skylar.
"Bye mum! By Dad!" Claire called as she gave her parents a tight hug.
Skylar smiled and hugged them as well, "Bye." She said, eager to get onto the train and away from the crowded platform.
Isabelle's brown eyes gleamed as she blinked away tears, "Goodbye Darlings." She said with a mix of sadness and pride in her soft French accent. "Take good care and don't talk to mud… er… strangers!"
Skylar rolled her eyes. Don't talk to Mudbloods. Her mother had been telling them that for weeks and frankly Skylar didn't understand or care.
"Be sure to write and let us know how your sorting goes." Jean said with a proud smile. He had been very excited that the girls were going to his Alma Matter and would possibly be in the same house he was, Slytherin.
"We will daddy." Claire said before giving her parents' one last hug. She grabbed her trolley and began walking towards the train.
Skylar was trailing next to her with her trolley as well. She smiled at the pet cage housing her cat Orion. "I'm so excited!" She told her sister happily as they managed to reach the back of the train where the trunks were being placed.
Claire smiled slightly, "At least we're going to school together." Her face said she was happy, but her voice left much to be desired.
Skylar sighed. "It makes it easier." She mumbled. She hated that the only good thing her sister could find about going to Hogwarts was that they would be going to the same school. Even so, she linked her arm with Claire's, "Together forever." She smiled widely.
Claire's smile brightened a bit, "Absolutely, where do you think we should sit?" she questioned as the stepped onto the train.
Skylar shrugged as she peered into a compartment, her eyes landing on two identical, red haired boys huddled over a trunk. She instantly recognized from her trip to Diagon Alley. "Wherever you want." She mumbled to her sister, causing one of the boys to notice her and wave.
"Come on, I think I see somewhere empty." Claire said as she pulled Skylar away by their still linked arms before she got the chance to wave back to the boy. Skylar wasn't sure if it was because Claire had noticed the boys or if it really was because she had seen an empty compartment.
Claire led her twin to a compartment not far from the twin boys which was, surprisingly, empty. "Perfect!" The brown eyed twin said as she took a seat leaving room for Skylar to sit by the window.
Just as Skylar had sat down the compartment door slid open and a young girl with red hair, pale skin, and freckles looked at them hopefully. "I… I was wondering if I might be able to sit with you… all the other compartments are full."
Claire smiled warmly, "Sure, come on in." She said brightly. It seemed she was getting into the spirit of finally going to school even if it wasn't the one she wanted to go to.
The girl smiled thankfully as she took her seat across from Skylar, "Thanks. I'm Ginny Weasley." She said holding out her hand.
Skylar and Claire looked at her oddly before Skylar reluctantly took her hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Skylar Darlington."
"And I'm Claire…" Claire said before leaning close to her sister and whispering lowly, "Sky, what are you doing? We're not supposed to talk to the Weasley family… mum said so."
Skylar gave her sister a look that said she didn't care, "And she's not here, is she?" she whispered back before turning again to Ginny. "Is this your first year?"
Ginny looked between the twins curiously before nodding. "But I have family that goes here…" It was clear that the girl was uncomfortable and probably thought Skylar and Claire were talking bad about her when they were whispering.
Before anyone got the chance to speak again, the compartment door slid open and the three girls were greeted by another girl who looked around the same age with blonde hair and a dreamy look. "Um… I'm sorry. I thought… I'll find somewhere else." She said before starting to close the door.
"Wait!" Ginny said causing the girl to look at her oddly, "There's still room in here if you want…" she added unsurely.
The other girl smiled and nodded before taking her place in the compartment. "Thank you." She said brightly. "I'm Luna." She introduced herself.
The other three girls quickly introduced themselves before Claire pulled out Hogwarts, A History and started reading. Skylar took to gazing out of the window while Luna and Ginny talked quietly. Skylar watched as the buildings and homes of London slowly changed into more natural scenery of pastures, trees, and distant mountains. She turned her eyes to the cloudy sky as she began to ponder what would go on once she arrived at Hogwarts. How would they be put into houses? She hoped that they wouldn't have to do any magic in front of the entire school… she hadn't practiced anything.
Idly she pushed her left hand into the pocket of her robe where her wand was and let her fingers trail over the smooth, walnut wood of her wand. If she was required to do any magic she hoped that the dragon heartstring core would help her. Dragons were her favorite magical creature after all and she didn't see it as a coincidence that the core of her wand had something to do with them. No, she saw it as fate and a good sign.
Suddenly, she sat up in her seat as what she was seeing registered in her mind. There was a blue flying car above the train. "Is that normal?" She asked, glancing back at the other girls in the compartment.
"Is what normal?" Ginny asked before glancing out of the window in search of whatever Skylar was talking about. "I don't see anything."
Skylar looked back out to see that the car was no longer there. She blinked, "What?" She shook her head, "Never mind…"
"Do either of you have any pets?" Claire asked suddenly, giving her sister an odd look.
Ginny shook her head while Luna responded verbally, "I've always wanted a Blibbering Humdinger."
Everyone in the compartment gave the blonde girl a strange look, but ignored the statement. "I have a ferret." Claire told the two with a proud smile.
"And I have a cat." Skylar added, though with less enthusiasm as her sister who seemed to be rubbing the fact that she had a pet in the girls' faces… well, that's the way Skylar saw it anyway.
"Which has attempted to kill my ferret more than once." Claire shot a glare at her sister.
Skylar simply shrugged, "It's not my fault. Orion likes to play and Binger is the only thing he has."
"His name is Bouncer!" Claire said angrily since Skylar had been getting her ferret's name wrong since the day she got him.
Suddenly the compartment door slip open and the twin boys from Diagon Alley were standing there, "There you are Ginny!" One of the called urgently, without even noticing the other three girls. "Have you seen Ron and Harry? We can't find them anywhere?"
"Yeah, we don't think they came through the platform… you were the last one through right?" the other said before glancing at the twin girls and blonde in the compartment.
"Sorry Fred, George. I haven't seen them at all…" Ginny answered, her face turning scarlet.
Both boys sighed, "We'll keep searching… We're going to ask Neville if he's seen them." And just like that the male twins were gone.
"Who is missing?" Claire asked curiously causing Ginny's face to turn more red than her hair.
"My brother, Ron, and Harry." She answered simply before pulling out a journal and beginning to write in it.
Claire didn't say anything more as she went back to reading her book. Luna continued to stare dreamily at the ceiling while Skylar went back to looking out the window.
Once off the train, the Darlington twins made their way with the other first years and a giant man named Hagrid, across the lake to the large castle known as Hogwarts. An elder woman named Professor McGonagall had told them to wait in a rather small room for the sorting to start.
"I'm so nervous." Claire whispered to her sister as she liked arms with her. "I wonder what we'll have to do in the sorting…"
Skylar shifted so that her sister's arm link was comfortable. "I don't know…" She whispered back, "I just hope we don't have t perform magic…" She added as her left hand again found the smooth wand in the pocket of her robes.
"Oh, don't worry, there's no magic involved." Ginny said from beside the twins with a smile. "I have six brothers who have all done it, and only Fred and George have tried to convince me that it hurts and you have to do complex spells… you can't trust what they say half of the time." She explained.
Before either of the twins got the chance to reply, the door swung open and Professor McGonagall's commanding voice rang in the room "Alright children! Make a line two in a row and follow me." She called and the first years automatically obeyed. None of them wanted to see this professor angry, she was foul enough as it was.
"Let's get this over with Sky." Claire whispered as the twins got in line behind Ginny and a brown haired girl.
Skylar sighed and followed as the line started to move out of the room. Butterflies began to rise in her stomach as she came closer to finding out what this storing was all about. Silently she wished that her sister would cheer up and be as excited as herself, but she knew that it wouldn't happen. Claire wanted to go to Beauxbatons and didn't want anything to do with Hogwarts. Oddly Skylar felt that if Claire had gotten her way and went to Beauxbatons she wouldn't want anything to do with her sister either and that made her sad. It seemed like her twin was drifting away and-
"Oh my Wizarding God that is AMAZING!" Claire's voice called in awe, pulling Skylar from her thoughts and forcing her to look around the large room they had stepped into.
Amazing didn't even begin to cover the room… something more like spectacular or awe inspiring would be better. The entire room appeared to be lit by thousands of floating candles. There were four long tables each with tons of students sitting at them… no doubt for each house. There was another long table at the front of the hall where all of the professors sat and in front of that was a stool with an old wizard's hat.
Skylar smiled and instantly looked up she had to see the enchanted roof for herself. It was completely awesome! It showed the scene of a night sky complete with hundreds of stars, clouds and a thumbnail moon. Skylar couldn't help but let out an excited giggle as the group of first years walked to the front of the room.
"Look at that hair!" Claire whispered as they she looked up to an elder man with long silver hair and a long silver beard. "It's horrible!" She added with a wrinkled nose.
Skylar rolled her eyes, "Really Claire? Look at this amazing room with that amazing roof and all you think about is hair? I mean granted it is bad hair… but look at the candles… and the fire… Merlin this place is amazing!"
Claire was about to respond when she was suddenly cut off by singing… the old wizard's hat started singing.
A thousand years or more ago
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favourites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!
As the song ended the four tables erupted in cheer, filling the room with happiness. Skylar smiled, but it didn't last long as she tried to figure out what they would have to do for the sorting and what exactly the hat meant when it said 'look inside your mind'.
Claire smiled slightly at her sister and looked like she was about to say something when Professor McGonagall moved to stand next to the hat with a large looking roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." She called to the first years before unrolling her parchment. "Adland, Summer."
As a girl with bright blonde hair walked up to the stool, Claire leaned over to whisper in her sister's ear, "What if it sorts us into different houses?" She asked with worry in her brown eyes.
Skylar paused and thought on that for a second… did she want to be separated from her sister? They had never been separated for more than a couple of days before, but Skylar was getting used to the idea when it was decided that they would be going to different schools. At least now they were in the same school, but what would being in different houses mean?
Hufflepuff! The hat yelled suddenly, pulling Skylar from her thoughts. The blonde girl looked disappointed, but quickly ran to the table that erupted in cheer.
Professor McGonagall called name after name and as she became closer to the D's Skylar and Claire became more nervous. Claire would be called up first, and then Skylar… but what if they were in different houses and what if neither of them was in their father's house, Slytherin? Would their father be angry about that?
With that thought in mind Skylar watched as Professor McGonagall called her sister's named and the brown eyed twin nervously walked up to the platform.
Two minutes passed and still Claire was sitting on the stool with the hat on her head. What could be taking so long? Was it really this hard to get sorted? Were the other sorting this long? Skylar hadn't paid much attention, she was too busy trying to figure out which house she would be in…
The sorting hat had said that Gryffindor's were brave… Skylar didn't think she was brave. If she was she would have stood up and said something the day their letters came and her mother wanted to move back to France. Ravenclaw's were clever… was Skylar clever? She didn't know… Hufflepuff's were hard workers… Skylar snorted at that. There was no way she could ever be considered a hard worker… she liked to procrastinate and relax too much for that. Slytherin's were power-hungry… Skylar was many things, but power-hungry wasn't one of them. Though she was very competitive and hated to lose… but that wasn't the same thing was it?
And what about Claire? Claire didn't really seem to fit into any of those categories… she was too quiet to be brave. Though she was quite clever when it came to some logic. She wasn't a hard worker either, but she did work harder than Skylar. And she was far from power-hungry… or course she always hated to have anything other than the best… Skylar didn't know if that was the same with magic or not since they hadn't really talked about it.
SLYTHERIN! The hat yelled suddenly, pulling Skylar from her thoughts. The green eyed twin shook her head, "I guess it is the same with magic." She mumbled under her breath as she watched her twin quickly walk to the table that cheered and sit next to a blonde boy.
"Darlington, Skylar!" Professor McGonagall yelled as the room became silent once again.
"Well crud… here goes nothing." Skylar whispered as she walked up to the stool, giving Ginny a slight smile as she passed her.
Skylar took a deep breath as the sorting hat feel in place over her head and nearly screamed when it started to talk to her.
Well, would you look what we have here? You're vastly different from your sister aren't you? You don't mind breaking the rules on a daily basis… but you have the same loyalty to family that she does. You're also very ambitious and competitive… hmmm. I see you're not sure if you want to be in the same house as your sister. You could be great on your own you know?
Skylar swallowed. Being on her own didn't sound bad, but leaving her sister on her own… she didn't think Claire would survive.
You are brave to deny your own wishes for your sister… you would do well in Gryffindor.
It was tempting to take the offer of Gryffindor, but she had to stay with her sister… Merlin only knew what would happen to Claire if they were separated.
Very well then. I shall place you with your sister in SLYTHERIN!
Author's Note: Well there you have it. Skylar and Claire are in Slytherin. :) Sorry I didn't use a different song for the Sorting Hat... I didn't feel like making one up. :P Reviews are always welcome :D