The Harry and Rose being had been overwhelmed with the sights they'd seen, the entrance hall big enough to hold the Dursley's house, the ghosts which had joined them in a small room off the great hall, and the great hall itself with it's four house tables of differing colors with floating candles and a roof that looked like the sky outside. The Harry and Rose being stood in a line with the rest of the first years, still next to each other and watching as Professor McGonagall, who they'd met coming in, placed a very old and rather dirty pointed wizards hat on a four legged stool. They didn't know how they were going to be sorted, but they'd never imagined that a rip near the brim would open and that it would sing a song.
Everyone clapped after it finished and bowed to each of the four tables, then Professor McGonagall began calling names after she unrolled a scroll. Each person went to the stool when their name was called, placed the hat over their head, then proceeded to their house table once the hat shouted it out. The four houses were Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Hermione ended up going to Gryffindor along with Neville, which was surprising. Malfoy went to Slytherin, a house the Harry and Rose being decided to avoid.
"Potter, Harry!" Professor McGonagall finally called.
Everyone began whispering as the Harry half made his way to the stool and sat down. Professor McGonagall placed the hat over his head and he saw the inside of the hat. The Rose half looked around at everyone staring and heard their whispering.
"No way, it's really the Harry Potter! Wow, who would have thought!"
"This is going to be awesome, I hope he's in Ravenclaw!"
"Hmm." A voice echoed in the Harry and Rose being's mind. "You're separated by distance but have one mind, quite odd, and not a bad mind it is, either. Plenty of courage, talent, and yes, a thirst to prove yourself. Hmm, difficult, difficult."
"Gryffindor." The Harry and Rose being thought fiercely. "I have a friend there."
"Loyalty, yes, though perhaps not entirely known to you yet." The hat thought.
"Gryffindor." The Harry and Rose being thought insistently.
"Yes, I do believe Slytherin would put you on the path of greatness. It's all here in your mind, are you so sure you don't want Slytherin?" The hat asked.
"Gryffindor." The Harry and Rose being thought.
"I see you have your mind set on..." The hat then shouted the last word. "GRYFFINDOR!"
The clapping and cheering was quite loud and several people were cheering as the Harry half took off the hat and stood, chanting, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"
The Harry half made his way to the Gryffindor table and Percy Weasley, a prefect, rose and vigorously shook his hand. He then sat back down and the Harry half did the same next to the ghost in the ruff, who patted his arm making the Harry and Rose being feel as if they'd plunged it in a bucket of ice water. The cheering went on for some time before settling, allowing Professor McGonagall to call out the next name.
"Potter, Rose!"
The Rose half moved forward, though wasn't nervous. She was grinning widely and moved quickly, waiting to join the Harry half. As she sat down, Professor McGonagall gave her a flash of a smile before placing the hat on her head. Several people were whispering and pointing, staring at her and not knowing how or even why there was another Potter.
"Back so soon?" The hat's voice said in the Harry and Rose being's mind again. "I've already sorted you."
"Yes, so say Gryffindor, not everyone knows of our single soul bond." The Harry and Rose being thought.
"Ah, yes. Yes, yes, I see it now. Very well, then... GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted the last word as usual.
The Rose half stood and gave the hat to Professor McGonagall, quickly joining the Harry half and sitting next to him. The cheering and clapping wasn't quite as loud, and through it, the Harry and Rose being heard puzzled people's voices, speculation on how there was another Potter when another Potter wasn't indicated in the records. Well, this would probably be in the news, the Harry and Rose being thought with resigned annoyance.
The Harry and Rose being could see the table where the teachers sat properly now. The large man sitting at the end nearest to them gave them a thumbs up and a cheery wave, though they weren't quite sure why. In the center chair sat Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster. The Harry and Rose being recognized him immediately from the chocolate frog card. He smiled brightly and cheerfully, blue eyes twinkling as he caught their gaze. The last four others were sorted including Ron Weasley, who went to Gryffindor, the Harry and Rose being cheering as he came to sit across from them. Once everyone was seated, Albus Dumbledore stood up and beamed, spreading his arms wide as if the sight of all of them was the happiest thing he'd ever seen.
"Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
He sat back down and the Harry and Rose being chuckled a little, clapping along with the rest.
"Really strange!" The Rose half said.
"Is he a bit mad?" The Harry half asked.
"Mad? He's a genius! But yes, he is a bit mad. Potatoes, Harry?" Percy Weasley asked.
The Harry and Rose being stared around at all the dishes that had just appeared on the table. They had never seen so many things they wanted to eat. Immediately, they began piling the exact same foods on their plates, working in unison with each other. People stared at them, then Hermione asked in her familiar bossy tone, "How are you a Potter, Rose? My research didn't indicate any other Potter's."
Many people crowded around or leaned forward, eager to hear the answer to the question that was on everyone's minds.
"No one believes me." The Harry and Rose being said. "I'm a single being in two bodies, the Rose half is the girl, the Harry half is the boy."
"I believe you, mate, though it's kind of hard to fully accept." Ron said with a grin. Everyone else stared on in confusion, some in disbelief.
"That is not an actual bond." Percy said, sounding as if he knew all there was to know, and couldn't possibly be wrong. "I see you've been learning from my brother's Fred and George."
"It is a real bond." The Harry and Rose being said. "I'm one being with two bodies."
Despite not wanting to tell everyone unless they would be accepted, it seemed the truth of their bond kept coming back to get them in the end. They were resigned to never being believed, along with explaining it over and over again. They wished that others, not just Ron, would also believe in the bond, even if he didn't completely accept it.
"Well if they don't believe you, at least I do." Ron said proudly.
"Thanks, Ron, I'm glad you believe me." The Harry and Rose being replied. "But it would be nice to be more accepted."
"The bond you speak of is legendary, not actually proven to have existed." The ghost in the ruff said calmly. "I've been here for over four-hundred years, and have seen no one as unique as yourselves. It's possible, I suppose, but difficult to accept."
The Harry and Rose being sighed, then said, "Yes, I'm sure it will be."
"I must say, watching you is quite fascinating." The ghost said, staring at them as they cut up their stakes in identical movements. They noticed everyone else staring at them as well and felt a burst of anger.
"I wish people wouldn't stare at me like that." The Harry and Rose being snapped. "Just because I'm different than the rest of you doesn't make me a circus show!"
They only shouted a little, didn't change their physical movements any. They felt hot from the anger but breathed deeply and calmed as everyone suddenly found their food very interesting to stare at. The Harry and Rose being sighed again, then began to eat.
"Well, I suppose now's as good a time as any to introduce myself, I don't believe I've done so yet. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower." The ghost said.
"I know who you are!" Ron spoke up suddenly, sounding eager. "My brother's told me about you, you're Nearly Headless Nick!"
"I would prefer that you call me..." The ghost began stiffly, sounding as if the conversation wasn't going how he wanted it. A sandy-haired boy named Seamus Finnigan interrupted.
"Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?"
Sir Nicholas sighed in a grumpy sort of way, then said, "Like this."
The Harry and Rose being watched in fascination as he took hold of his left ear and pulled. His entire head swung off his neck and fell on to his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. They looked back down at their food and continued to eat after Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, hearing him tell the new Gryffindors he hoped they won the house cup. The conversation grew rather boring and not too interesting. People spoke among themselves, talking a little about their backgrounds as the desserts appeared once they'd eaten as much of the main course as they could. When Neville spoke of his family, the Harry and Rose being looked up with a frown.
"Nearly drowning, being dropped out a window? Sounds like my family." The Harry and Rose being said.
"What do you mean by that?" Dean Thomas asked.
"They weren't the kindest people you could meet." The Harry and Rose being responded. "I don't really want to talk about it."
"Will you stop that?" Dean snapped.
"This is who I am, if you don't like it, move." The Harry and Rose being stated coolly, feeling furious again, though it only lasted a brief moment.
The Harry and Rose being gazed up at the High Table after finishing their desserts, feeling a little tired. As they calmed, their exhaustion rose. They swept their eyes across the table as Percy Weasley introduced the teachers to the first years. The large man, who's name was apparently Hagrid, was drinking deeply from his glass. Professor McGonagall was talking with Professor Dumbledore. A nervous and twitchy looking man who was the Defense Against the Dark Art's teacher named Professor Quirrell, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. Quite suddenly, the black-haired teacher looked past Professor Quirrell directly into the Harry half's eyes. A sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on the Harry half's forehead, but didn't hurt enough to cause them to flinch or cry out in any way. The teacher looked as if he didn't like the Harry half at all, quite a change from everyone else who seemed to want to stare at him and the Rose half, she for simply being a Potter, something that was apparently unknown to everyone.
"Who's the teacher next to Professor Quirrell?" The Harry and Rose being asked Percy.
"That's Professor Snape, forgot to tell you about him when I was introducing the other teachers." He responded. "He teaches Potions, but doesn't want to. Everyone knows he's after Professor Quirrell's job and knows a lot about the Dark Arts."
"I don't think he likes the Harry half much." The Harry and Rose being said.
Percy stared at the Harry and Rose being oddly, then the plates cleared yet again and Professor Dumbledore stood as the Harry and Rose being yawned, wanting to get some sleep and feeling pleasantly full. Everyone went silent as he began to speak.
"Ahem-just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
Dumbledore's eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins and the Harry and Rose being glanced briefly at them with the Rose half.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
The Harry and Rose being chuckled a little at that, then said, "Is he serious?"
"Must be." Percy said, frowning. "He usually gives a reason why we shouldn't go somewhere, it's odd. I thought he'd at least tell us prefects. The forest, of course, is full of dangerous beasts."
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore cried. The other teachers smiles became rather fixed at that and Dumbledore flicked his wand, as if trying to get a fly off the end. A long ribbon flew out of it and rose high above the table, twisting itself into words.
"Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!" Dumbledore said.
The Harry and Rose being didn't join in the discord of singing. It sounded like a rather disorganized mess to them. They did listen attentively. Fred and George Weasley were the last two singing and Dumbledore conducted their lines with his wand. When they finished, he was one of those who clapped the loudest.
"Ah, music, a magic beyond anything we do here." He said, wiping his eyes. "And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
The Harry and Rose being began following the first years from the great hall, through several different corridors, up stare cases, and past portraits that whispered and pointed at them as they passed. It seemed there were secret passage ways of sorts that they were led through and they tried to remember the rout, though it was difficult. Eventually, just when the Harry and Rose being were wondering how far they had to go, they stopped in the middle of the hall with the other first years, seeming to have run into someone called Peeves, who was apparently something called a poltergeist. After Percy warned them about him, they continued to a portrait of a rather fat woman in a pink dress. She prompted for the password and Percy gave it. They remembered it, Caput Draconis. Once inside, Percy directed the boys and girls to separate dormitories and the Harry and Rose being separated, each going to their own dormitory. Quite tired, they lay down after closing their curtains, closing their eyes and attempting to sleep.
The Harry and Rose being tossed and turned, unable to sleep even though they were exhausted. They felt uncomfortable, as if something important was missing. They had never tried to sleep apart, and doing so didn't seem to be working. The sensation of something missing was uncomfortable and something they couldn't dismiss. They unconsciously reached for their other half throughout the night, and not finding them, sighed and struggled to be still.
They continued to try and sleep until the early hours of the morning, when the Harry and Rose being got up and moved to the common room after changing into their robes for the next day. They sat on one of the couches and leaned against one another, their eyes closing. Almost immediately, they drifted to sleep, feeling far more comfortable and natural.
Two hours later, Percy Weasley shook them awake and looked at them disapprovingly.
"You should be sleeping in your dormitory." He said with a frown.
"I tried." The Harry and Rose being said, standing and still feeling exhausted. "I couldn't sleep at all."
"Hmm." Percy said disbelievingly. "You have enough time to gather your things and get to breakfast."
"Thanks." The Harry and Rose being replied.
Percy still looked at them disapprovingly. The Rose half walked up to her dormitory as the Harry half clambered out the portrait hole. Entering, the Rose half glanced at the other girls changing, got a hair brush from the trunk which had been put at the foot of her bed rather than the Harry half, quickly brushed her hair, then packed their books in their backpack. As the Harry half walked to the great hall for breakfast, whispers and pointing people stared at him. People did the same to the Rose half as she followed behind the Harry half, though he had already reached the great hall.
The Rose half showed up a few minutes later and sat down next to the Harry half, who had dished food on to both their plates. They then began eating at the same moment as always, listening to conversations around as people came into the great hall. When owls began streaming into the great hall and circling, the Harry and Rose being jumped, startled and staring up in awe. Packages and letters were dropped in the laps of people who received mail, then the owls, after taking scraps of bacon from some, took off again.
"Owls is how mail's delivered?" The Harry and Rose being asked Ron, who had been eating for a few minutes already.
"Yeah." He responded. "You should get one."
"Hmm." The Harry and Rose being said.
Professor McGonagall and Percy were passing out the schedules to the students. The Harry and Rose being were glad that each half of them had the same exact schedule. Ron also had the same, so they would have a friend with them, it seemed.
Finding classes was quite difficult, especially since they didn't have a map. The Harry and Rose being observed intently and remembered everything they could as they wandered. Unfortunately, they got on the bad side of Argus Filch that morning attempting to go to their classes, and unknowingly, trying to force their way into the forbidden corridor on the third floor. He didn't believe them when they told him they were simply trying to find their classes, but luckily, they were rescued by Professor Quirrell before he could carry out any of his threats to lock them in the dungeons.
Mrs. Norris, Filches cat, seemed to be everywhere he was, and scout ahead for students out of bounds. If you saw her, you knew that Filch wouldn't be far behind if you stepped out of line. He would show up within a few seconds, and seemed to know the school better than anyone accept, perhaps, Fred and George. The Harry and Rose being vowed to learn some of the secret passage ways in their spare time, but didn't quite know when that would be yet.
There was far more to magic than waving your wand and saying some funny words, as the Harry and Rose being found out their first day. Herbology was held in the greenhouses, taught by a witch named Professor Sprout. The Harry and Rose being took notes as she explained to them what they would be learning about, and thought the magical plants might be rather interesting.
They had the rest of the day off afterward and the Harry and Rose being got in some reading, deciding to try and stay awake before attempting to sleep that night. Even through their exhaustion, they felt an eagerness to do the best they could at Hogwarts, deciding not to hold anything back as they'd did when going to school at the Dursley's.
Once again, the Harry and Rose being couldn't get comfortable and sleep, despite exhaustion weighing them down. The night dragged on as they struggled to sleep, even a little. It was futile, though. They remembered what had happened the previous day on the couch, having slept when they were touching. Maybe that was the solution, the Harry and Rose being thought, then stared at the Harry half's watch. It was only twelve in the morning.
The Harry and Rose being felt utterly despondent, quietly crying a little. It wasn't likely they would be allowed to sleep in a single bed, despite sharing everything else. The girls and boys were separated here, so the Harry and Rose being decided to work with that. They were determined to get used to this Separation.
Herbology was the first period of the day again. The Harry and Rose being felt as if they were moving through the day and simply existing, trudging along behind Ron. They'd told him of their difficulty and he thought they could go and speak with Professor McGonagall. The Harry and Rose being hadn't considered that, though their mind was clouded with exhaustion and lack of sleep. It wasn't surprising they would forget a few details.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was a joke. Professor Quirrell stammered his way through the lesson and the Harry and Rose being paid very little attention. It didn't seem to matter, though, as he didn't seem to notice. Instead of paying attention, the Harry and Rose being tried to doze without touching, but it was futile. It almost seemed as if there was some kind of block preventing them from getting any sleep at all.
Once again, the night dragged on, though they did talk with Professor McGonagall who promised to give them some time to speak with her the next evening. It seemed days passed instead of hours, hot tears rolling quietly down their faces. As the Harry and Rose being got up after hearing movement, Ron caught sight of the Harry half.
"You look exhausted, mate." He said, then looked closer. "You look like you've been crying."
"I have." The Harry half said as the Rose half brushed her hair slowly, curtains open.
"Rose, you okay?" Hermione Granger asked as she caught sight of her.
"I haven't slept for three days." The Rose half answered in a flat, robotic tone. "Can't."
"I'm sure you're just adjusting to a new place." Hermione said, looking into her eyes. "Give it time and I'm sure you'll be fine."
"I can't sleep without the Harry half." The Rose half stated, finishing brushing her hair and starting to change slowly into her robes for the day. "I'm going to talk with Professor McGonagall this evening."
"I don't know why you insist on telling us this impossible story about being separated into halves, but I never read anything about that." Hermione said in a tone of voice that seemed to state she was right and couldn't possibly be wrong. "That single soul bond is probably something you made up, perhaps for sympathy?"
"I didn't make it up." The Rose half snapped in sudden fury. "Leave me be!" She wasn't questioned after that.
Herbology passed in a blur yet again, but the day was very long. They hardly noticed History of Magic, which was taught by a ghost. When evening finally approached, the Harry and Rose being felt as if the day had been about three. They felt forced to stay awake despite the exhaustion that poured through them. After they knocked on Professor McGonagall's office, she bid them entry. They trudged inside, careful not to touch, then slumped in two seats in front of the desk, feeling sheer exhaustion.
"Have you been sleeping at all?" Professor McGonagall asked, gazing at the two of them with concern. Her stern look dropping quite a bit.
"No, but I've tried." The Harry and Rose being said. "We got sleep when we were touching Monday morning, we were in the couch in the common room."
"I see." Professor McGonagall responded, looking at them with disapproval. "And you believe the only manner in which you can sleep is when you're touching, I take it, perhaps by sleeping in the same bed."
"I'm not going to be groping me, Professor." The Harry and Rose being stated, not realizing just how strange that sounded. "I can't sleep, I've tried."
"I wish both of you to attempt this again." Professor McGonagall said. "I will place monitoring charms on both of you to determine exactly what it is you are doing. It isn't that I don't believe you, but a situation and bond such as yours is highly unusual. To have two people of the opposite gender in the same bed is frowned upon by myself and the other Hogwarts staff. I am certain that if it is the only solution, we can work something out."
"I'll tell you what we've been doing, laying in bed, trying to sleep, crying!" The Harry and Rose being shouted angrily.
"If that is so, we shall find out." Professor McGonagall responded in a frosty voice. "Will you allow me to cast the appropriate charms?"
"Yes, Professor." The Harry and Rose being stated with a scowl.
The charms were cast and they proceeded to the common room, eyes half closed as they slowly walked. After making their way to their dormitories, they flopped down in bed after dressing for the night. Again, the night dragged on and they felt as if weights were dragging them down. Anxiety and anger crept in and the Harry and Rose being thought about all the mean and cruel things they could say to Professor McGonagall even as they tossed in bed, struggling to sleep. They weren't disturbed and Professor McGonagall didn't come to check on them. When early morning came, the Harry and Rose being hauled themselves out of bed and dressed, their arms flopping and their faces sagging with the sheer exhaustion they felt.
The Harry and Rose being didn't even notice when Professor Flitwick, a tiny wizard, fell off his books after calling the Harry half's name. He responded flatly and they got to learn about what they would learn in charms, along with attempting the Lumos charm, which was supposed to light up the end of your wand.
When Transfiguration came around, which was taught by Professor McGonagall, she was quite stern in her lectures. The Harry and Rose being struggled to pay attention, sitting far enough away from each other so they wouldn't lean against one another and drift off to sleep. They felt as if the slightest touch would cause that.
The Harry and Rose being barely tried to perform their assigned work. As a result, the matches they were attempting to turn into needles did nothing. Professor McGonagall came up to the Harry half and said quietly, "I wish to speak with both of you after class concerning what we discussed yesterday."
"Discussed?" The Harry half asked, unable to remember exactly what that was.
"Your sleeping difficulty and the monitoring charms." Professor McGonagall responded.
"Oh." The Harry half stated. "K."
Professor McGonagall called the Harry and Rose being back after class, as they were simply following the other first years as they were used to doing by now. They remained and turned to face her. After closing the door, she said, "I went over what the monitoring charms collected. It seems you were truthful with me."
"I wouldn't lie." The Harry and Rose being stated flatly. "What now?"
"I spoke with Professor Dumbledore regarding your situation. He has set up a room for the two of you to access which is just off the common room." Professor McGonagall replied. "Your trunk has been brought there. I will warn you, however, that should you abuse this room in any way, your privilege to use it will be revoked. This is temporary for your first year only. If the solution is adequate, we shall discuss where to place you for your remaining years of schooling."
"Understood." The Harry and Rose being stated.
"Take the rest of the day to sleep if you wish." Professor McGonagall said. "I shall set an alarm to wake you for classes tomorrow, presuming you are still asleep."
"Okay." The Harry and Rose being replied.
Professor McGonagall showed them to the room, then told them the password was H. R. P. They could change it if they wanted, which the Harry and Rose being decided to do after they slept. Once they entered, they dressed in pajamas and went over to the queen sized bed. After climbing inside it and hugging, their eyes closed and they immediately drifted off to sleep.