When Athena was done in the room, and she had put Delilah away, and took a deep breath, placing her hand on the door handle and opening it all the way. She stood out in the hall, calming herself and leaning against the door, when she heard a quiet sound above her.
She looked up and her knees buckled, causing her to drop to the ground in fright.
There was a boy above her, couldn't be more than twenty, and he was staring at her, his ethereal form floating above her as if he were on a chaise lounge.
"So, which one of my siblings do I have to thank for dropping off such a determined little girl?" He looked at her, an eyebrow raised, and Athena was speechless.
Was that a bloody ghost?
"I-I..." She stammered. He floated down and sat next to her, his legs crossed. She shivered slightly, but that was the only sign she had that she wasn't hallucinating. He was transparent, yes, but everything he had, had a touch of color. His hair the most though. It was a pastel orange, and she smiled inwardly at it.
"Fred Weasley, at your service." He said proudly, grinning and holding his hand out.
She stuck hers out too, hesitantly, and placed hers right outside where they would have touched, had he a mortal form. They mock-shook hands, and she gave him a nervous smile.
"I-I'm sorry, but I'm not a Weasley. B-But there's Rose Weasley. She's very nice a-and very sweet. Th-There's also Albus P-Potter, if you know his f-family." Her eyes were wide when the man jumped up, soaring through the air and hollering loudly. He stood in front of her after her was done celebrating, and he held the crook of his arm out.
"Would you like to join me for the feast, Miss...?" He raised a brow, and she stood up, linking her solid arm through his ethereal one. And if she wasn't mistaken, she could actually feel the semblance of an arm. It wasn't solid, no. But if was more like having your arm hooked through a cloud.
"Athena Glas" She stated simply, smiling up at him. He looked down at her, and she realized his feet seemed to float a couple of centimeters off the floor. She herself was a mere 131 cm(4'11) and even if his feet were touching the ground, he'd be well over a foot taller than her.
"I got in just in time to hear your speech up front. It was very nice. Your parents should be proud." He said these words softly, and she scoffed.
"My parents would be happier if I wasn't magical, let me tell you that. Anything I do here, it means nothing to them. I could have a tea party in the forbidden forest, and they'd hope I got eaten." She said these words scornfully, and he looked at her, a flash of pity in his eyes, before it left without a trace.
"Well, Miss Glas, shall we make our entrance?"
He was grinning, and she nodded silently, following him and not wanting to lose the feeling of comfort this odd, deceased man instilled in her.
He walked her down a few halls, until they were at the grand doors leading to the Great Hall. She pushed the door opened, and she gasped quietly. She actually hadn't noticed the room at all, in all honesty. She was too nervous to.
It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Athena looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heaven.
She felt a breeze across her cheek, and she looked up to see Fred's hand brushing against her face. She smiled, and he bowed to her, "releasing" her arm, and floating away towards the Gryffindor table, towards a confused-looking redhead. Athena silently walked over to the table, full of curious students in green and black robes.
She looked for a place to sit, when suddenly there was a boy beside her. He had to have been in third or fourth year, because he was tall and had short-cut dark hair, it looked as if it were an out-grown military cut.
"I'm Marcus Pucey. Would you like to sit with my friends and I?" He seemed nice enough, and she decided to take him up on his offer. She sat down beside him, and a handsome, brunet boy who held his hand out and smiled at her graciously.
"Justin Higgs at your service, mademoiselle." He kissed her knuckles, and she rolled her eyes, pulling her hand away from his and laughing slightly. She caught the eye of a black-haired girl a few seats across from her, and the girl wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, causing Athena to cover her mouth to hide her giggles. Justin looked at his friends, dumbfounded. Girls usually couldn't resist him.
Headmistress McGonagall stood up front, and all went silent as they awaited her words.
"Welcome, students new and old, to the 2017 school year of Hogwarts!" There were whistles and hoots for a moment, before she held up her hand to quiet them.
"I am pleased to hear new names, and happy to hear old ones. I hope that this year will be full of new friendships and lots of learning. Now, to begin, we will feast!" There were more hollers, and Athena gasped as food just suddenly appeared in front of everyone. Her eyes were wide, and Marcus bumped his shoulder against hers, raising his brows.
"I-I'm just not used to all of this. M-My parents.." Are both squibs. But you all don't need to know that just yet. "Believe in using your own two hands for everything. Magic was just a plus.."
They all nodded their heads, albeit a bit confused, but they went along with it. This red-haired girl was alright in their books. She knew how to stand up for herself, and even for her entire House, even though she had never spoken to them before.
"Maybe you should have been in Gryffindor." Justin whispered in her ear, and she turned to him, a questioning look in her eyes.
"That was brave of you, what you did. Braver than any of us could be." He looked earnest, and Athena allowed him a small smile.
"I see. But what you don't know, is what goes on in my mind when I do something idiotic like that. It may seem brave, but I'm certainly nothing special. I'm just determined to make the next seven years the best of my life, and I will do anything to make sure that they are, even if it means standing up in front of an entire school and telling them off for being bloody idiots."
She said this while filling her plate. She grabbed a few rolls and a piece of ham. She knew she wouldn't be able to eat much more than that. She'd be sick if she ate so much, because her stomach wasn't used to digesting so much at once.
"That's where the Slytherin is!" He said, patting her on the shoulder and turning before he could see the pained look upon her face as his hand connected.
Athena saw people moving around, going to talk to friends at other tables, and she decided to do the same. She grabbed her goblet of water, and she got up, getting a few confused stares from the people she was sitting with.
"I'm going to see a few... people I met on the train. They've been sorted into Gryffindor. I'll be back, I promise." She grinned, and they all nodded, giving her curious glances as she walked away. She could feel their eyes burning into her back.
She walked behind Rose while the other girl wasn't looking, and threw her arms around her shoulders, hugging her while Rose laughed. The three boys looked up and smiled at her, and she pressed Roses hip, pushing her so she could sit between her and Albus.
"Gryffindor, huh? I knew it." She said smugly, looking at her four new friends. It was odd. She'd only had one friend before, in the muggle world. Now she had four more, easy as that. It was an odd, but not unwelcome thing.
"Slytherin, huh? I... Didn't know it." Said James, causing them, and a few others to chuckle. Athena looked around at the gold and red surrounding them, and she suddenly knew she was placed into the right House. She was meant to be a Slytherin, and she knew it was time to right this school.
Suddenly the boy who had winked at her earlier, was sidling up in front of her, his hands in his front pockets, and trying desperately to look cool.
"Hello." She said surprising him slightly. She was sitting on a bench, with her legs crossed, and her back to the table.
"Hi... Uh, Hi. I'm Liam Jordan." When his voice squeaked on the first "Hi", he cleared his throat, trying to make it sound deeper than it really was.
"Well hello, Liam Jordan. I'm Athena, and if you really want to make friends so bad, maybe you should try being yourself?" She said these words kindly, a smile playing on her lips, and his eyes went wide, before he nodded, sitting across from her, and between two Ravenclaw boys who patted Liam knowingly on the shoulder.
"Well, hi, Athena. What brings you over to our humble table?" His voice was decidedly a bit higher than before, and she gave him another smile.
"Well, I decided to tell off this red-haired girl, that had terribly abused me, before she even spoke to me!" She mock glared at Rose, and the other girl giggled, lightly pushing her arm. She grinned and leaned over, pressing a friendly kiss to Roses cheek, and her friend returned the favor.
All of the boys were looking at them, amused, when a small voice piped up.
"Where's our kisses?" Scorpius had a mischievious look upon his face, and Athena grinned wickedly. The two girls looked at each other, and Athena stood up, walking to his side, while Rose stayed seated on his left.
They winked at eachother, and leaned towards him, each set of lips landing on each of his cheeks. His face turned bright red, and they both pulled away, giggling hysterically, when a friendly ghost decided to bust in.
"Rose Weasley did you just kiss a Malfoy?"
"Uh-Ohhhh.." Athena whispered, and Fred Weasley's head popped out of a large ham.
Athena held back a few chuckles, when Fred looked absolutely peeved.
"Do you know what your father would think about that? That boy's father was-"
"Probably young and naive, just like you seem to be!" Athena interjected, pointing a finger at the ghost. He looked startled, before sticking his tongue out, and disappearing back into the ham.
"Thanks, Athena. It just must be hard for him, you know? Seeing us. I don't think that Uncle George doesn't know Uncle Fred is still here, but if he did, he never told us..."
Athena nodded, then stood up, grabbing her goblet and ruffling Jameses and Albuses hair.
"Don't get into trouble, you four. At least, not without me. 'Kay?" They all nodded and gave her a solemn, "Yes, Athenaaaa." before she walked away, grinning and shaking her head. When she came back, instead of sitting beside the two boys she had before, she sat next to the black-haired girl she had caught the eye of earlier.
"Hi." The raven-haired girl said, confident smirk upon her face.
"Hello. I'm Athena, and you're a pretty girl who's name I'd love to know." Athena was being very polite, and almost.. flirtatious? And it might have even made the other girl blush a bit.
"Sierra Davis. I'm a third-year. And I know who you are, the entire school does now. It's kind of hard not to." Athena blushed at that, and looked a bit remorseful.
"No, no don't take it bad! What you did was really brave. We're all thinking maybe you should have been put into Gryffindor."
Oh. Why was everyone saying that? Couldn't they see her hands shaking? Couldn't they see her head basically imploding?
"I-I'm really not. I wanted to cry I was so terrified." She mumbled, and she looked up at Sierra. The girl had piercing blue eyes, and she had a small, yet pouty mouth. Her bangs were off to the side, and she was smiling. The girl was stunning, and it wasn't hard to guess why half the boys at their table, and maybe some from others, were staring their way.
"Well, you didn't look it. Why don't you find a bed next to mine in the dorms? I'd love to talk to you more." Athena's smile nearly broke her face, and she nodded quickly.
"Alright students! Now if you'll follow your heads of houses, we can all get unpacked and relax for the rest of the night! Your schedules will be at the foot of your beds when you wake up, so make sure to be up and getting ready by six-am sharp!" Called McGonagall, looking around and smiling slightly.
They followed their Head of House, who was a very tall, dark-skinned woman named Jolene Sharp. She was their potions teacher, and had been Head of House for three years, after Slughorn had officially retired, and died a year later of heart failure.
Sierra told Athena this as they walked down, down, down, to the dungeons.