Hold your head up high gorgeous, they'd kill to see you fall - Unknown
Chapter 4: I found time can heal almost anything
"Girls! Hurry up!" Madame Zellar said motioning for some girls to join her. We were in the carriage and Madame Zellarhad called us all into a circle to tell us something.
"We'll be arriving at Hogwarts in about 20 minutes girls. Your bags will be dropped of in the corridor and once you will be sorted, the bags will be moved to your dormatories. In other words, don't touch your bags once we land." The girl's carriage erupted in talk, well, except for me.
"Are you alright?" Dom whispered.
"No I'm fine Dom. You see, once Potter and his stupid friends recognize me I have a wonderful suicide plan thought out already!" I had gone from scared to nervous and then I was angry. Why should I be scared of Potter and his friends? They don't deserve that sort of acknowledgement. Dom looked worried sick. I know I shouldn't frighten her like this but right now I was about to land in the place I vowed never to step foot in so I didn't really care.
"There are four houses you can be sorted into, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Once you get sorted into one of those houses, you will be staying with them for the rest of our time here. They've sorted out a whole feast to welcome you all too there school so you better be on your best behavior! If you get to many complaints then you will be expelled-" My eyes lit up. All I needed to do was get in trouble a lot of times and then I'd be expelled so I could go back to Beauxbatons! "-from Beauxbatons once we get back." My happiness sprouted legs and ran off without me. Either way I was stuck at Hoggie's it seemed.
"The subjects you chose last year at also subjects that you can choose at Hogwarts so you'll be out into those classes. Arienne, could you please hand out the timetables?" A girl with a large smile and amber hair nodded. She had a large pile of timetables and handed piles to other people and Dom and I received ours pretty quickly. Madam Zellar went back inside her private room and the carriage erupted in another outburst of noise.
"Divination and Charms first, Gen why do you still do Divination? It sucks!" Dom asked as we made our way to the balcony again. Other girls seemed to realize that the balcony was now 'ours'.
"You might've forgotten but I kind of can see into the future." I laughed. A few girls in front turned around and gave me a confused look. "I'm just kidding!" I lied.
This was one of the great plus you got for being friends with Dominique, being the only one related to the 'Chosen One' or the almighty Harry Potter who somehow shared genetic information with the loser, James Potter II, she ruled Beauxbatons with an iron fist (Not really but she likes to say so).
I pulled a chair out from underneath the white table. It was a beautiful starry night when the scent of jasmine drifted through the chilly air. "Shouldn't we be getting ready?" asked Dom.
I straightened my beret. "There." Dom snorted with laughter. It was hard to believe that just this morning we were sitting around the long Seventh year table in the Grande Salle of Beauxbatons.
The smile from Dom's face vanished and I was about to ask her what was wrong when I heard someone yell from inside the carriage, "LOOK! IT'S HOGWARTS!" Girls crowded the windows and some made their way outside onto the balcony. Dom and I stood up to get a better view.
Hogwarts was nowhere as big as Beauxbatons but as much as I hated the school, I knew it sure was beautiful. It looked like some fairy tale kingdom with lights that shone from rooms inside and one's that lighted up the corridors. There was a large lake and beyond that was a Quiddich pitch (I'm sure Mase was jumping up and down right about now since It was a lot bigger than ours). A huge forest covered a large majority of the land to the right and even more lights were set up in a runway position that our Stallion's seemed to fly towards. Hoggie's had lots of towers and turrets but a large window was the thing that caught everyone's attention. It was arch-shaped and so big that you could easily see through it. Four tables were arranged length wise and stood side to side but they were empty. As we got closer to the ground, I realized the children of Hogwarts were waiting for us on the ground, yelling out our school's name and jumping up and down with their wands lit and held towards the sky. "Come on!" I said to Dominique and we made our way inside our carriage. Maybe Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad.
"Don't leave meee!" I groaned. After we had landed, the Hogwarts students had left. Madame Zellar and Monsieur Valentine (who was with the boy's carriage) arranged us into alphabetical order. Dominique's last name was 'Weasley' so it was common sense she was put at the end of the line. Madame Maxime was at the front of the line and was telling us something about being on our best behaviors at hat people from the Ministry would be present too and then we were off. Jem and Mason were at the front of the line and Dom was at the back so the closet person to me was Tristan. I looked back and yelled out his name. Someone shushed me so I gave him an apologetic look and marched on into the Great Hall. Everybody was tired but had taken fifteen minutes to freshen up, it had been an extremely long day but when we saw the Great Hall, all our tiredness seemed to melt away.
The Great Hall was probably not as big as the Grande Salle but it seemed to possess this magnificence to it. The ceiling was a reflection of the beautiful starry night outside, dark clouds and all. Four tables were placed side by side and a space was left at the end of them so that once was got sorted, we'd have a place to sit. The beautiful archon window that we had seen from our carriage was even bigger in real life (Obviously) and the walls were decorated was Beauxbatons banners and Hogwarts banners.
By this time I was wondering what everybody was thinking. Everyone in front of me seemed scared out of their wits in whether or not they'd be put into the same house as their friends. I found myself wondering the same thing but then I realized whether or not I'd be actually sorted. Could you be sorted again? Would the teachers allow it? Would they even remember me? I prayed they didn't so I wouldn't have to be put in Gryffindor. Whatever house Jem got into, the rest of us needed to do the same and I wished he wasn't put in Gryffindor.
I membered the first time I was sorted. I was deathly frightened. When I got to the stool, Professor Longbottom had put the Sorting Hat on my head an in less than a second it had shouted it, "GRYFFINDOR!" "Please not Gryffindor. Please not Gryffindor." I muttered to myself.
Madame Zellar, Madame Maxime and Monsieur Valentine had each taken a seat on the table behind the stool, the staff table. Every teacher was siting except for Professor Longbottom who had a role of parchment and the sorting hat in his hand. Professor Longbottom looked older and more tired than when I last saw him. He had bags under his bright eyes and his brown hair and he had smile wrinkles on his cheeks. A person from the table next to us giggled. I suddenly felt self-conscious. We must have looked like little kids, standing in a line and looking scared out of our wits.
"They look like children..." the person muttered. Apparently they thought we couldn't understand English that well. The people in front of and behind me stayed perfectly still and pretended they didn't hear the rude person. I followed their example.
"Agnes Arienne." The girl in my year with amber hair walked up to the stool, positively shaking. Professor Longbottom put the hat on her. It only took a minute and Arienne was put in Hufflepuff. I wanted to be put in Hufflepuuf too, or maybe even Slytherin. They were the decent houses.
"Allen Sara."
"RAVENCLAW!" I watched Sara as she ran over to the Ravenclaw table who were cheering as if she was the best thing that happened to them. Sara sat next to a girl with curly blonde hair. She and the girl engaged in a deep conversation and it wasn't until watching her intently through 6 people's Sortings that I realized who it was.
Maddy laughed as if nothing in her life had gone wrong. She looked different to what I remembered of her. Maddy looked sick with her blonde hair unmanaged and tangled her. Her eyes had even bigger bags under them then Professor Longbottom's and her skin was blotchy, pale and sort of green. She looked like she had been crying for days, even a few girls near her gave Maddy sad looks.
Mental note: Find out what Maddy's problem is.
I was so obsessed with what had happened to Maddy that I didn't even realize someone had been calling my name.
"GENEVIEVE HENDERSON!" I screamed and looked back at the front. Monsieur Valentine had been calling my name for quite some time.
The Seventh and Sixth years of Hogwarts who remembered me burst into talk. I didn't move a muscle. I wanted to be unknown to the students of Hogwarts for as long as possible. I could feel my face quickly heating up from the attention received by the students.
"Since you have attended Hogwarts before and been sorted, you will return to that particular house otherwise it will make a mess of paperwork in the Ministry." Stupid Valentine, couldn't say it more subtly could you? "If you can please go and sit down now, we may proceed with the sorting." All the heads of the Beauxbatons students turned to face. I probably looked horrified.
Apparently I was holding up the sorting so I moved out of the line and looked around the Great Hall aimlessly. The murmuring had quieted down so I moved towards the table in red on the left of me. I sat next to the only other Beauxbatons student who had been sorted into Gryffindor, Claude Beauguard. No one clapped for me, or even cheered. They just sat there staring. Extremely and utterly AWKWARD.
Claude was half French and half African. He had olive skin and dark brown eyes but it was his hair that caught most people's attention. It was brown with tips of blonde. Claude was easily the coolest kid at Beauxbatons and he and I had a rather hilarious history when he had accidently pushed me of a cliff on an camp in third year. I had been hanging of the edge and my fingers were slipping. Claude had gone into a panic mode and stepped on my fingers by accident. Jem had to dive down and grab my hands before I fell to a rather horrible death.
"Hey Mort! Never knew you went to Hogwarts before Beauxbatons!"
For as long as I can remember, lovely Claude had called me 'Mort' which ironically is French for 'dead' as in if I did fall of that cliff I'd be 'dead meat'.
"J'ai bien fait assassin." I said smiling. I had called Claude 'assassin' since it was the French word for 'assassin' or 'murderer.'
"Henderson? As in 'Chicken' Henderson?" Someone whispered and there was a few giggles. I grimaced. 'Chicken' was the rather annoying nickname Freddie Weasely had given me. Just he thought of Freddie Weasley made me never want to turn back just in case Potter and his friends had caught sight of me. It was apparently supposed to be funny since 'Hen'derson was my last name. Let me tell you, people clucking at you around every corner for two years isn't that funny.
"Poulet?" Claude asked, raising his eyebrow. I just ignored him.
"Beaumont Jeremy." My head turned from Claude to the Sorting Hat so fast I hurt my neck. Jem looked freaked out but he went and sat on the stool anyway. This time I wasn't praying for Jem to be put in Hufflepuff but rather his safe arrival in Gryffindor.
"GRYFFINDOR!" yelled the hat. I sighed in relief. At least I'd have a friend now. Jem waved to me and came and sat down.
"Merlin that boy is hot!" a girl whispered from somewhere on the Gryffindor table. A few girls giggled too. I frowned. Stupid Gryffindor Chiennes.
"Yeah! Look at those eyes!" Another joined in.
"Are you alright? You looked like someone just cancelled Christmas up there." Jem said.
I nodded. "I don't think I'm going to make it through this year Jem!"
"Just ignore what they say about you." I wanted to tell Jem that wasn't as simple as it seemed but he told me to shut up because Mason was about to get sorted.
Mason was probably the easiest to sort.
And sure enough, the Sorting Hat yelled out, "GRYFFIDNOR!" And Mason did his slow, 'sexy' walk over to Jem and I, winking at some swooning girls along the way.
"OH GOD MY EYES! THEY BURN!" I yelled as Gryffindor erupted in applause just as they did for everyone, well, everyone except for me. I still hadn't gotten over the shock of the whispering and how everybody had been dead silent. I never wanted to be in that position again.
"You're just jealous!" Mase stuck his tongue out at me. Claude had engaged in some sort of conversation with a Gryffindor boy over what seemed like 'How to make girls understand that sweat is highly manly and they should be practically fawning over a guy who swats a lot'. How that conversation started, I didn't even want to know.
"Hey Jem! Aren't those boys over their incredibly hot? I bet they'd l-"
"Like hell they would!" said Mason in a low voice. He narrowed his eyes and started doing the fist-in-palm thing again. I caught Jem's eye and we both stifled back laughter as the Sorting went on. My guard was still up though even if two of my friends were in Gryffindor. I felt like someone had been watching me since I sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"Moreau Tristan." The Sorting went really quickly.
"GRYFFINDOR!" I joined Jem and Mason as the only ones standing up and clapping for Tristan's arrival at our table.
"Man! How many hotties attend Beauxbaons!" the same girl from before hissed.
"Désolé chérie, prises!" I said in a sing-song voice to the boys. Jem nearly choked on air.
Before we knew it, It was Dom's turn to get sorted and Tristan was seated at the table with Jem, Mason and I.
"GO DOM!" yelled Tristan and the whole Beauxbatons student body erupted in whooping noises. Dom was so red in the face she resembled a tomato. She shuffled over to the stool and sat down with her hands crossed on her lap. It all started when Dom had volunteered to pick up a couple of guys in the 4th year camp (We had one every year except for Seventh). It had actually gone extremely well and they had offered to spend the night with her but she ran away. When she arrived at the Camp Fire, she told us what had happened and we started whooping. Even Mason thought it was funny.
Dom's Sorting was the longest I've ever seen. It took about six minutes, thrity-five seconds to be exact.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled.
"It was going to put me in Gryffindor then Hufflepuff then Ravenclaw then Slytherin but it decided on Gryffindor." she huffed and then she turned to Tristan and hit him over the head. "Really? The whooping?"
"Je suis désolé." he said in an extremely seductive tone that made the girls around us sigh.
"Tu es pardonné..." Dom muttered leaning closer to Tristan that caused an outburst in the Gryffindor table.
"WOAH! Smooching for later!" snapped Mason grabbing the back of Tristan and Dom's head and pulling them away from each other.
"Bitch..." muttered a girl a few seats back. I had just about enough of this chick. She was really starting to piss me off. Dom's expression turned venomous.
"Oh yeah! We've got something to tell you guys!" said Tristan and Dom's eyes lit up. She seemed to temporarily forget her murder plan for the girl a few seats behinh her.
"Yes! We're going out!" Dom said, pointing to her and Tristan.
They must have been expecting a great amount of applause or something because that is not what they got
Jem rolled his eyes. "Tell us something we don't know!"
"Wow!" snapped Mason sarcastically. "Since we totally didn't figure out from all the snogging, hugging and looks of-"
"Shut up!" Tristan snapped back growing the colour of Dom when she was being Sorted.
"Really?" I said. "I wish you guys luck! Tell me when the babies are coming!"
Tristan's eyes lit up. "Why does he look like his birthday's come early?" asked Dom and I burst into laughter.
"Mason want's to sleep with your children." I said and Dom actually fell of her side of the bench.
"He wants to WHAT?" said the now very horrified Tristan.
I grinned, patting him on the back. "Say hello to your new son-in-law Snow!"
"PEOPLE! PAY ATTENTION!" That wasn't me. Or anyone else I know of. A short teacher was yelling at the top of his lings. He was so short he probably had a high chair to reach the staff table but he looked friendly enough. The Great Hall quieted down. "THANK YOU!" he said muttering, "Finally!" afterwards.
A women who looked to be in her 60's or 70's made her way to the front of the Great Hall. She was bottle green robes and a tight bun. He mouth was a line but her eyes twinkled like the starts, old and filled with knowlege.
"I am Professor McGonagall!" She didn't have to even raise her voice because everybody stopped talking immediately after she started. " Welcome the student form Beauxbatons. You are much awaited guests ("Yeah, right!" I hissed and Mason put his hand over his mouth to stop laughing.) and we would love to make you as welcome as possible to our home. The head of the department of education from the Ministry of Magic would like to have a few words with you."
There was some applause and a frail, sun-burnt man game up to where Professor McGonagall was standing. He had sun spots and a short nose with nearly invisible silver hair.
"Hello children of Hogwarts , Bonjour les enfants de Beauxbâtons. I am Mr. Cunningham" What did this guy think we were? Dumb? Didn't he realize that we could understand English perfectly well?. "This is an amazing learning opportunity given to you by the Ministry so please! Grasp it with two hands! (Um, what?) Beauxbatons, you will be not only learning the values and traditions of those of Hogwarts but there will also be traditional French food cooked as well as other French events that will be compulsory for all those in Seventh year to attend." Cue groans. Well sor-ry dear Hogwartians, we have to adapt to your culture so excuse us for being so thick! "On last minute notice, there will be a French ball-" And that's when both the girls from Beauxbatons and Hogwarts started chattering like crazy and the boys groaned again in displeasure.
"A ball!" Mason said.
"Mase, hot girls in hot dresses!" Jem pointed out. Mason lost all his boredom and hi-fived Jem.
"Will you go to the ball with me?" Tristan asked Dom who covered his mouth and nodded in the most dramatic way possible.
"What don't you just ask her to marry you while you're at it?" I asked him and Dom hit me on the arm.
Professor McGonagall stepped out in front and the Hall quieted down again.
"As I was saying! A French ball which requires everyone in Seventh and Sixth year to attend in either traditional French clothes or traditional English-"There was another outbreak of talk, I was a little lost here since I was Half French and Half English but Mr. Cunningham kept on talking. "-Which ever one you choose it entirely up to you. We from the Ministry would like to point out this a great oppurnity that doesn't involve you competing against each other and it actually furthers your studies since you will be learning a few things that I daresay you learnt in your school. Hogwarts students, I thank you for your agreement and I promise you you'll love it! (I seriously doubt that) and Beauxbatons students, I thank you for giving up your last year at your school for this! (Like we had a choice) and both of you, have fun!" With that, he went back to the staff table and sat down.
Professor McGonagall went back out in front. "Thank you Mr. Cunningham for your kind words. Remember students of Hogwarts, it is your duty to teach those at Beauxbatons what is permitted and what is not (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!). No one is allowed in the Forbidden Forest!" she said looking at the Gryffindor table. "And Seventh year lessons will be the same. Please enjoy and Mr Filch would like to remind you that Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes is a highly illegal product and any one in ownership of their products will go straight to Azkaban!" A few of the younger kids gasped but everybody else held back laughter. "Now, a few words from Madame Maxime."
Madame Maxime stood up and so did all the students of Beauxbatons and Madame Zellar and Monsieur Valentine. Some of the Hogwarts students looked confused; some thinking everyone had stood up, sttod up too but quickly sat down realizing their mistake. Everyone else just thought it was weird.
"Rappelez-vous, nous sommes invités ici afin de mieux vous être à votre meilleur comportement. Un pied hors de la ligne et vous savez ce qui va arriver! Profitez de ce temps que les enfants, c'est votre dernière année d'école et je suis désolé pour vous éloigne de Beauxbâtons, mais c'est aussi une opportunite fantastique. Gardez la tête haute, et de représenter notre école dans l'orgueil! Beauxbâtons, la fierté de la France."
"La fierté de la France." we choresed after her. As you can see, we really do love our school.
Madame Maxime smiled. "Let ze feast, Begin!"
And the tables were miricoulsy brought to life by wonderful food. Plates and plates full of food! I grinned widely and the Hogwarts students started to dig in but I still couldn't shake of the feeling that I was being watched.
Glossary
J'ai bien fait assassin : Well I did murderer
Poulet : Chicken
Chiennes : Bitches
Désolé chérie, prises! : Sorry darling, taken!
Je suis désolé : I'm sorry
Tu es pardonné You are forgiven
Bonjour les enfants de Beauxbâtons: Hello children of Beauxbatons
Rappelez-vous, nous sommes invités ici afin de mieux vous être à votre meilleur comportement. Un pied hors de la ligne et vous savez ce qui va arriver! Profitez de ce temps que les enfants, c'est votre dernière année d'école et je suis désolé pour vous éloigne de Beauxbâtons, mais c'est aussi une opportunite fantastique. Gardez la tête haute, et de représenter notre école dans l'orgueil! Beauxbâtons, la fierté de la France : Remember, we are guests here so you better be on your best behaviour. One foot out of line and you know what will happen! Enjoy this time kids, this is your last year of school and I am sorry for taking you away from Beauxbatons but this is also a fantastic oppurtunity. Keep your heads held high and represent our school in pride! Beauxbatons, the pride of France
La fierté de la France : The pride of France
A/N: Did you guys like this chapter? PLEASE RVIEW! I included a glossary so hopefully that helped you guys :D SO...THEY'RE AT HOGWARTS! But the REAL adventure starts from CHAPTER 5! SORRY FOR THE WAIT :( I've got a LOT of homework for term break :( Things will get heated pretty soon and I promise you guys won't want to miss a thing! Okay, THANK YOU TO ALL THE REVIEWS AND PEOPLE WHO READ THIS! It means A LOT to me :) And thank you to Lily, Lekha, Jakey and you to Johnny :D
-The one and only Aria :) (There's probably a lot more but for the sake of sounding awesome, let's just stick with that)