It was breakfast and I was sitting at the head table nervously picking at the food in my plate. Slughorn, who was sitting to my left, noticed my uneasiness. "Are you alright my dear?"
I gave him a sheepish smile and continued to pick at my food. "Just a little nervous I guess."
Slughorn smiled at me, "You'll be just fine my dear! Nothing to worry about." He patted my hand before returning to his own breakfast.
The reason for being nervous was because today was the end of summer break, and that meant all of the students would be returning to the castle. I wasn't sure how they would react to my presence. Especially Riddle, considering I would actually have to try and interact with him.
Besides the fact that I was going to try and get close enough to him to try and change the closer (which, by the way, I still don't know how I'm going to do) I actually wanted to get to know him. What was he like? Was he different from how the movies and books portrayed him to be? Was he the same? What made him become Voldemort?
These were the questions that circled through my head as I walked up to the RoR. When I entered I wasn't surprised when the founders turned out to be absent. Ever since the night I had shown them I was from a different time and dimension I hadn't seen them. They were most likely waiting for me to come to them, but I just haven't yet.
The familiar red painted walls and roaring fireplace immediately calmed my nerves. I relaxed into the leather couch and took out my almost finished map. I set the book onto the table before clearly speaking, "Cross my heart, Hope to die, the Jester is here to mystify." It was a little wordy but I liked it. I came up with Jester from the night I opened the wolf portrait.
The books cover whipped open and the pages shuffled by until I was looking at a picture of the school grounds. I was able to add the grounds as well as the dungeons thanks to the Hogwarts map the Room kindly gave me.
I rubbed my chin because I still had to make it so I was able to see everyone in the castle. For now it was just a map.
Maybe if I connected it to the castle wards then that would help to get everyone to appear on the map. The best people to go to about the castle wards would be the founders, naturally.
I sighed I suppose I've waited long enough. I stood from the couch and gathered the book into my hands before turning around and stopping.
In the middle of the room there stood a pedestal. Sitting innocently on top of the pedestal was a rather thick book. I walked up to the book with cautious confusion. It hadn't been there before.
I looked at the cover and found the Hogwarts symbol staring back up at me. I opened the book and found names. A couple hundred names listed in the book. I looked through the names and found several that I recognized.
Tom Riddle, Charlus Potter, Abraxas Malfoy, Minerva Mcgonagall, Alphard Black, I recognized others last names as well like Weasely, and Rosier. There was a Diggory as well. Next to all of the names were addresses that I assumed was where they all lived.
I looked at the book for awhile before finally realizing this was the Book of Names. This was the book that was used to write out the Hogwarts letters every eleven year old in Britain would receive. At least I think it's throughout all of Britain. I thought.
I didn't know why the room would bring up this book but I remembered my own book. I opened it again and tried to figure out how to make it so that the spells used on the Book could be used on my map.
"You could ask for help." Used to Salazar's sudden appearances I casually glanced at him before returning my attentions to the two books.
"No thanks Sal. I want to be able to say I did this all by myself." My eyes flicked to him as I waited for the parchment I fished out of my bag to finish listing down every spell used on the Book of Names. "What are you doing here anyways?"
"It's been a while since we last saw you and we were wondering what happened to you."
I smirked at him and raised an eyebrow, "Why Salazar, did you miss me?" I batted my eyes innocently at him.
He sniffed in what sounded like distain, but I knew it was fake. "I did nothing of the sort. Gryffindor wouldn't stop pestering me about you."
"Oh?" I looked over the list to hopefully find the spell I was looking for. "If he was the one pestering, then why isn't he here?" When he said nothing I knew I had caught him.
"I'll be honest Sal I missed you too." One spell caught my eye and I pointed my wand to my map "Homonculous" (AN: Not the spells incantation, it's just what it's called.)
I looked at the book for any possible changes. I didn't see any and flipped the page to the other floors, but still saw nothing. I was going to try another spell when I caught a small bit of movement. My eyes immediately zoomed in on the movement and saw, clear as day, a set of footprints labelled as one Horace Slughorn heading towards the dungeons. I tracked his progress until he entered his office. I was beyond excited at this point and flipped to find Armando Dippet sitting in the headmasters office.
My book snapped shut and I jumped all around the room. I ran up to Salazar and gave him the biggest bear hug I could muster. He awkwardly patted my back, "I assume you are done with your map?"
I let him go, but didn't lose my excited smile, "Not quite, I have to add a few more things." Reseating myself on the leather couch I opened my book up to the map of the grounds. I held all of the blank pages I hadn't used against the books cover before pointing my wand and putting a simple sticking charm onto it. I closed the book, and when I opened the cover it went straight to the grounds page. The blank parchment successfully stuck together. I did the same thing with the back of the book so the only moveable pages were the ones I had mapped out Hogwarts on.
With my wand still pointed at the book I added another spell against the Aparecuim spell. I didn't want just anybody to be able to get into my book, on the off chance they were able to use my password. "My promise is done, but the fun has just begun." The book snapped shut, but this time without the shuffling pages. Considering I stuck them together.
When I tried to open the book it proved futile. It was as if I had just glued the whole book together instead of just those blank pages. I set the book on the table and looked at the blank front cover. I had to put something on there and I knew what I wanted.
With the tip of my wand pressed against the book I imagined exactly what I wanted. I closed my eyes so I could get a better image. It would be labelled as The Jesters Joke in gold writing. I figured Joke would be best because it started with a J, and Jesters always played jokes and what not. Underneath the words I, naturally, had a picture of a black wolf sitting proudly with its head held high. Its tail wagged slowly and occasionally blinked it's purple eyes. I knew if someone found it, and they were smart, they would know it was mine. It's not likely they would even know what the book was anyway so it was alright.
I opened my eyes and looked down at the books cover to find the image from my mind had copied down exactly as I wished it to. I smiled, "Thank you, my magic." I felt it's response run through me as it always did.
I put the book into my bag and realized Salazar was still there. I turned to him, "Now I am done." The pedestal and the Book of Names was no longer there.
He nodded, "That's good. You have just enough time to get to the great hall before the sorting." His calm voice was the exact opposite of what I felt.
"What?!" I almost shrieked the word as I raced out of the RoR. I sprinted through the Barnabas tapestry and followed the tunnel all the way to the ground floor where I came outings a room of staircases.
Hearing loud noises coming from the other side of a door I looked out and realized this was the staircases the teachers use. The room I was looking into was the Great Hall and the normally empty tables were filled with children from twelve to seventeen. The eleven year olds had yet to be sorted. I could tell because they were standing in front of the head table, waiting to be sorted.
I saw Dumbledore standing next to an old wooden stool, holding the familiar sorting hat and the list of names. His eyes were flitting around the room and he looked a little nervous. I realized he was nervous because he was looking for me. I had disappeared all day and they probably couldn't find me. I didn't know how to get his attention. Yelling out his name would draw attention and I didn't want that. I would get enough of it when he introduced me to all the students.
I looked at the head table and saw professor Kettleburn sitting at the very end. He was much closer to me than Dumbledore. "Professor!" I hissed out the word, but it didn't seem to be enough.
"Professor Kettleburn!" I knew he heard me because his eyes started looking around the room instead of gazing off into space. "Professor over here!" His eyes snapped to me and I saw his relax slightly. He turned to the teacher next to him, probably to tell them he had found me. The information was passed down until Dippet had finally heard it and that's when he stood up.
The students immediately stopped talking when they saw him stand. "I welcome you all to another year at Hogwarts. I hope you enjoyed your break." He waited for the murmurs of agreement before continuing, "It is time to sort our newcomers," he gestured to the eleven year olds, "before we start the welcoming feast!" He sat down and the attention turned to the little firsties about to be sorted. I suppose, technically, I'm a firstie.
As the list went on I never recognized any of the names, and as the last kid went up to be sorted into Hufflepuff Dumbledore rolled up the list and picked up the stool. He brought it over and opened the door I was standing behind. He set them in there with me and gave me a reassuring smile before he returned to hi place in front of the head table.
He sat in his chair and Dippet rose again. "Before we begin the feast there is one more student to be introduced. Miss Danielle Abby has come here from America," the information caused whispers to break out and Dippet raised his voice to silence them, "and has been staying here at Hogwarts throughout the break. She is going to be joining the fifth years and has been sorted into Gryffindor." The announcement caused the Gryffindor table to burst into applause.
Dippet turned and looked at the door I was standing behind, signaling me to come out and introduce myself. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. Everyone's eyes snapped to me, and I took another shaky breath before steeling myself and walking confidently along the head table and standing across from Dippet.
He nodded and smiled to me before holding his hand out towards the sea of students. I turned around and looked at everyone's staring faces. When they saw my purple eyes they stared at them, mesmerized.
A wolf whistle broke the silence and I looked to see who had done it. It was a Gryffindor with messy brown hair and hazel eyes looking at me from behind a pair of glasses. If I didn't know any better I would have thought I was looking at Harry Potter. But I did know better. This must be that Charlus Potter I saw in the Book of Names.
I did nothing but raise an eyebrow at him before calmly walking towards the table. One of them noticed me looking for a seat and she waved me over to join her. When I sat across the table from her I whispered, "Thank you." She smiled at me and whispered back, "No problem."
We turned our attention to see Dippet standing up once again to announce, "Now that that is settled. Let the feast begin!" He clapped his hands and the buffet of food appeared before us.
I started setting some things on my plate and noticed my goblet had its usual water in it. I smiled at the fact Hatty was still able to give me water instead of pumpkin juice.
"So," I looked up at the girl who had waved me down, "America huh?"
I knew everybody's attention was on us, even though they feigned conversation with the friends around them. I rolled my eyes and answered anyway, "Yes."
She nodded, "I can hear your accent."
I smiled at her, "Accent? Your the one with an accent." She, and a few other people, laughed at that.
When she stopped laughing she held her hand out to me, "Minerva Mcgonagall."
I didn't hesitate to take her hand, "Danielle Abby, as you know."
When she retracted her hand I couldn't help but observe her. She still had her hair up in a bun, but there was no hat on top of her head. Her hair wasn't the grey color from the movies but a shiny black color. Her face was young and held no wrinkles. Good thing too or else I would have been worried.
"They said you were here in the castle these past two months?" she inquired.
I nodded and swallowed my mashed potatoes before speaking, "Yup. I've been learning the curriculum."
"Was it different from your schools?"
I smiled mysteriously, "You could say that." I decided to interrupt any more possible questions she could ask me. "Are you a fifth year as well?"
She shook her head negatively. "Nope, a sixth year."
I nodded and noticed a small badge pinned to her robes. I pointed it out, "What's that?"
She looked down to see what I was talking about, "Oh! That's a prefects badge. You know what a prefect is I assume?" I nodded to show her that I did, in fact, know what a prefect was.
We continued eating in silence until Minerva whispered to me, "Potter is staring at you."
I feigned confusion. "Who?"
"The one who whistled at you earlier. His name is Charlus Potter. He's the Potter families heir." She continued to whisper as if to not draw attention.
I looked down the table to see that Potter was, indeed, staring back at me. He smiled at me and winked.
My response of course was to flip him off. I never did like it when guys tried to be flirty. It never failed to irritate me.
He looked at me in surprise and his friends all laughed at him. Anyone else who saw it were laughing as well. The other tables looked to see what the fuss was about but soon went back to what they were doing. Didn't stop them from not-so-secretly staring at me.
Minerva was chuckling, "I can't believe you did that. Most girls would blush and either turn away or bat their eyelashes."
I shrugged unperturbed, "I guess it's cause I'm American." We laughed together before finishing up the rest of our meal, casual small talk filled up any silence.
The food disappeared soon enough and I looked up to see Diplet standing once again. "I once again welcome you all to another year here at Hogwarts. I hope it will be as successful as the last." I barely contained my snort at that statement, knowing Riddle was going to release a basilisk. "Prefects! Please show the students to their common rooms. I wish you all the best of luck for your classes tomorrow."
That was the signal for everyone to disperse. Minerva looked at me and sheepishly gestured to her prefect badge, "I have to go."
I waved her off, "Don't worry about it. I'll see you up there."
I followed the group of Gryffindor's up to the seventh floor where the prefects, Minerva and surprisingly Potter, turned around and addressed the group. "This is the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. To enter you will have to speak the password which would be changed every month. To get the new password find either me or Potter and we will tell you." Minerva turned around and addressed the fat lady, "Quagswagging."
The painting swung open and we all filed inside. As I passed the fat lady I waved at her with a smile, she returned the gesture before shutting.
The first years were stopped by the prefects, most likely so they can be told the layout of the common room and some castle rules or something.
Lounging on one of the common room couches by the fire I took out a book on the patronus charm I had borrowed from the library. I knew what was needed to cast the charm but I wanted to be sure.
"Er, 'ello." I looked away from my book to find the owner of the voice. My eyes traveled up, and up, until I met the beetle black eyes of a scruffy boy. Although his eyes were black they shone with nothing but kindness. And his hair was messy and short, it didn't even touch his shoulders.
"Hello." I smiled back at him and it seemed to make him relax. "Can I help you with something?"
"Would ye mind if I joined ya?"
"Not at all!" I pulled my knees up against me and allowed him to sit on the couch with me. His sudden weight made the couch give an ominous creak and my side of the couch tilted up a bit. But it was enough to make me tumble right into the boys shoulder.
He started apologizing immediately and started to get up. "Ah'm sorry ah'm sorry! I didn't mean tah!" He stopped apologizing when he heard me start laughing.
"It's fine, really!" I adjusted myself so I could lean my back against his side and stretch my legs over the arm of the chair. "This is much more comfortable." I looked at him over my shoulder and held out my hand, "I'm Danielle. I'm the new fifth year."
He eventually took my hand and shook it, jostling my whole arm. "Mah names Hagrid. I'm ah third year."
Considering his appearance and speech I should have seen that coming. "It's wonderful to meet you Hagrid." I returned my attention to my book and I noticed everybody in the common room staring at me and Hagrid.
"What?" I asked rudely, "You've never seen people make friends before?" Everybody quickly looked away from us. I rolled my eyes and placed my book back into my bag.
"We're friends?" I looked up at Hagrid.
"Oh! I'm sorry Hagrid if you don't want to be friends then that's fine–" my babbling was interrupted by Hagrid standing from the couch, dragging me up with him and giving me a bone crushing hug. Seriously, I think I heard some of my bones creaking.
"Thank ya. I've never 'ad a friend b'fore." He sounded on the verge of tears and I awkwardly patted his side, considering I couldn't reach his back.
"You're welcome." I wheezed.
Apparently someone noticed my discomfort, "Hey Hagrid, could you put her down please?" I was never so grateful to hear Minerva's voice.
Hagrid must have noticed how his hold was affecting me because he quickly, but gently, put me back on the floor, "Sorry bout tha'."
I waved him off, "Don't worry about it." I rubbed my ribs and started for the dormitories, "See you tomorrow Hagrid, Minerva."
At the top of the stairs there was the familiar hallway of dorm rooms, only this time there were plaques on the doors. I searched down the hallway and made it to the fifth door down where I found my name along with two others, Augusta Rookwood and Annabelle Chambers. With a name like Augusta I could only thing of one person. She's Neville Longbottoms grandmother. I could only hope she wasn't as sour as she was portrayed as. As for Annabelle, I knew nothing about her.
I opened the door and saw the four beds displayed in the room. Sitting on the bed to the far right of the room sat who I assumed to be Augusta. She was rather thin, and a little on the tall side. The curtains were closed on bed next to her. When they looked up at me I saw Augusta's pinched expression. She observed me with her beady blue eyes and I observed her back.
She broke the staring contest first, "Are you one of those muggle-borns?"
I blinked once, "And if I said yes?"
She shrugged indifferently and started reading a book sitting in her lap, "Doesn't matter really. You could be taken as a pureblood with those eyes, and I know all the purebloods."
I nodded even through she couldn't see it. I decided to take he bed on the far left of the room, directly across from Augusta's.
"You never answered my question." I set my bag on the bed and looked at her.
"Hm?"
She sighed, "I asked you if you were a muggle-born. You never gave me a direct answer."
"I'm a muggle-born." As far as you know. I added in my head.
She nodded as if she knew all along. "We are the only fifth year Gryffindor girls. If you need help with anything you can come to us." with that she closed her own curtains.
I took out my trunk and set it at the end of the bed to enlarge it. Seeing the image of the Morrickson family wolf I knew Augusta would most likely recognize it. I cast a disillusionment charm to prevent them from seeing it.
"Sorry about her." I looked at the bed, that once had the curtains drawn closed, and saw an unfamiliar girl looking back at me. She had curly brown hair and kind brown eyes. "I'm Annabelle Chambers, by the way."
I smiled at her, "Danielle Abby."
She returned the smile. "I'm a muggleborn as well. She asked me the same question when we met. I hadn't understood what she meant at first. It wasn't a good start to the relationship."
"Are you two friends?"
Annabelle laughed, "More or less. When I need help with something she'll help me, and on the occasion she needs help I will help her." She bade me a final "Goodnight" before closing her bed curtains once again.
I returned to my trunk and changed into my pajamas before climbing into bed. I drew my curtains shut and Basil slithered herself onto the pillow next to my head. I put a sticking charm on the curtains and had Hatty make sure the other girls didn't open my curtains, I didn't want them seeing Basil. Who knew what they would do. Especially Augusta.
I set the alarm clock on my nightstand to wake me up before I fell into a peaceful sleep, wondering what the next day would bring.
