Harriet Potter Year 1: Life, Death, and Rebirth
"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are".
~Bertolt Brecht
Harriet Potter, Kings Cross- September 1, 1991
"You want me to what?" gaped Harriet, staring at her parents incredulously. Today was the day she left for Hogwarts. The mood around the Potter household had been melancholy all morning as they got ready to leave for Kings Cross. Remus and Sirius had met them there, which was how Harriet found herself with four people telling her that she had to-
"Run through the wall between platforms nine and ten," repeated her father. Harriet stared at the very real, very solid looking wall in front of her. Hesitantly, she took her hand and placed it on the bricks.
They didn't move.
She gave them another incredulous look. Sirius rolled his eyes and leant against Harriet's cart, which he had been holding for her.
"It won't work if you do it like that," he informed her. She sighed and looked again at the wall, located directly in between platforms nine and ten, as her father had instructed. Her ticket had informed her that she needed to get to Platform 9 3/4, but she had first assumed that it was just a misprint.
"Can't I just Floo to Uncle Sev's office," she begged. No matter what anybody told her, she honestly did not feel comfortable running headlong into a wall.
"Harriet," her mother said, "if it would make you feel better, one of us could-"
"Honestly!" came an annoyed voice from behind them. Confused, Harriet twisted around and saw a plump, red haired woman leading her way through the throng of people, six red-haired children in tow, five boys and one girl.
"Packed with Muggles, of course," she was grumbling. "Now, what was that platform number, dears?"
"Nine and three-quarters!" answered the little girl, who looked to be a bit younger than Harriet. "Please, mum, can't I go?"
"You're not old enough, Ginny!" chided the woman, as she reached the platform. Her face gentled a bit when she saw them, her stern face becoming softer. "It looks like somebody has beaten us to it! Hello, there!"
"Hello," responded Sirius just as cheerfully. He had missed human interaction while in Azkaban (among other things), so he made sure to take advantage of it when he had the chance. The woman did a double take when she saw him. Understandably, it had been difficult for the wizarding world to accept that the man they had thought guilty of murder for over nine years was actually innocent.
"Sirius Black?" she gaped, and Sirius winced. He had been met with some less-than-favorable reactions in the past and was anticipating another. What he, or Harriet, was not expecting was for her to throw his arms around him and begin sobbing.
"Oh, Sirius!" She gasped, as Sirius shot panicked looks to his friends and goddaughter, "I couldn't believe it when I first heard! I mean, when they first locked you up, I was so shocked! Fabian and Gideon always had such great things to say about you! And you were there for so long-"
Sirius patted her back, looking remarkably uncomfortable at all the attention he was receiving. He seemed to come to a realization, however.
"Molly?" he asked hesitantly. The woman backed away from Sirius and straightened her robes. She gave Sirius a watery smile.
"I'm sorry," she said, sounding a bit embarrassed. "I know we've only met a few times, but Fabian and Gideon used to talk about you all the time, I feel as though I've known you for ages." She turned to Remus. "You must be Remus! Its been far too long!"
He gave her a small smile as she, once again, ran to embrace him. Harriet didn't really know whether she should laugh or hide before she was squeezed next. The woman then turned to Harriet's mum and Dad, both of whom were looking very prepared for the inevitable reaction that was to follow.
"James," she gasped, wrapping them both in firm hugs, "Lily! Oh! I can't tell you how happy I was when I found out you were awake!" Harriet watched the proceedings wide-eyed, then turned towards the woman's children, all of whom looked just as shocked as she did.
She managed to catch the eye of the youngest boy, who, like the rest of his family, was covered in red hair and freckles. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with large hands and feet, and a long nose. He gave her a pointed look that clearly said, "Adults are nutters." Harriet nodded in agreement, causing him to give her a small smile, which she returned.
"This must be your daughter!" The woman (Molly, Harriet remembered) said suddenly. She could tell that Molly had been about to say her name, and was extremely grateful that she had stopped short of it. Their group was already attracting enough attention, between their odd possessions, apparent propensity to sob, and flaming red hair (or, in Harriet and her father's case, untidy, jet-black manes).
"Oh, you look just like Fabian and Gideon said you did," she sighed, "so much like your parents! But look how much you've grown!"
"Thank-you?" she said, unsure of what other words would be appropriate in this situation.
"Molly, we were just explaining to her-"
"How to get onto the platform?" Molly guessed. Harriet's mum nodded and Molly turned to Harriet. "Don't worry, dear, its Ron's first time, too."
The young boy Harriet's age gave her a small wave. Harriet waved back.
"We'll show you how to do it," she assured Harriet. "Percy, why don't you go first."
What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten as her parents moved out of the way.
Harriet watched, careful not to blink in case she missed it — but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.
"Fred, you next," the Molly said.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"
"Sorry, George, dear."
"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, making Sirius and her father laugh loudly and Remus tried to stifle his laughter. Off the boy went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone. Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there — and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.
"All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten." Molly explained, just as her parents had. "Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."
Her mum and father both nodded in encouragement while Sirius handed her the cart with her things. She walked in front and stared at the wall once again.
She started to walk toward it. People jostled her on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harriet walked more quickly. She was going to smash right into that barrier and then she'd be in trouble — leaning forward on her cart, she broke into a heavy run — the barrier was coming nearer and nearer — she wouldn't be able to stop — the cart was out of control — she was a foot away — she closed her eyes ready for the crash — It didn't come… she kept on running… she opened her eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. Harriet looked behind her and saw her family emerging from a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it.
She had done it.
She felt her parents come up behind her and heard her father ask, "Beautiful, isn't it?"
Harriet could only nod. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.
The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harriet's mum took her cart and pushed it off down the platform.
"Lets go find a seat," she explained, and the rest followed. They passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."
"Oh, Neville," she heard the old woman sigh.
A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.
"Give us a look, Lee, go on."
The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.
They pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. She put Hedwig, her newly named owl, inside first, then returned to where her father and Sirius were lifting her trunk toward the train door. When they tried to lift it up the steps, however, Sirius let his end drop, and it landed painfully on his foot. He let out a colorful swear.
"Thats one I've never heard before." It was one of the red-haired twins she'd followed through the barrier.
"We'll have to remember that," agreed the other one. Sirius shrugged, completely unconcerned that he was being a "horrible influence," to quote Harriet's mum. He and her father finally managed to get the trunk inside with their help.
"Thanks," said her father, turning to the twins, but they had already vanished. Harriet giggled at her father's perplexed look, but squeaked suddenly when she was pulled into a massive embrace. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her.
"Have a good time, okay?" asked her mother, holding her close. Harriet tried to nod, but found that her mother was holding her too tightly. She settled for a muffled, "I promise."
Her mother let her go, allowing Harriet to see the tears in her eyes. Harriet bit her lip, doing her best not to cry, as well, as her father, Sirius, and Remus all gave her large hugs and last-minute pieces of advice.
"Be good," muttered Remus, after her father had given her a hug. Harriet nodded.
"Don't listen to Remus," stage-whispered Sirius, as he wrapped his arms around her. "Make all the trouble you want, just don't get caught."
Harriet laughed, backing away from him, only to see that he, too, also had unshed tears in his eyes.
The train's whistle blew and Harriet's eyes widened as she realized she was almost late. She ran into the train and into the compartment where her suitcase and trunk were. Leaning out the window, she waved at her family, who smiled at her.
The train began to move and Harriet watched as they got smaller and smaller, still waving broadly. Sirius, when he was sure that nobody was looking, transformed and began chasing the dog as Padfoot, barking loudly. He was the last thing she saw until the train rounded a corner.
She sighed and sat back in her seat, the true magnitude of her situation finally dawning her. After only a few months back with her real family, she was being sent off to a boarding school in...Harriet scowled, realizing she actually had no idea where Hogwarts was.
Why arre you ssssoo sssad pequinina? hissed Isaura from Harriet's ankle. Ever since Harriet had taken to wearing her wand holster on her wrist, Isaura's new favorite perch had become her ankle, as opposed to her arm.
"I'm gonna miss them," sighed Harriet, lifting up her pant leg to get a better view of her friend.
"I thought youu wannted to go to the ssschool?"
"I do!" Harriet protested, "I just-" A tap on the door cut her off. Harriet quickly let her pant leg drop, covering Isaura, who was hissing indignantly, just before the door to the compartment slid open. The red-haired boy from the platform was grinning sheepishly at her.
"Hi," he began, seemingly unsure of himself. "Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."
"Not at all," said Harriet, motioning to the seat across from her, desperate for some sort of distraction from the aching pain in her chest.
"Thank," he sighed, relieved. He sat down and made himself comfortable. "I could sit with my brothers, but Fred and George like to play pranks- a lot of the times on me- and Percy is just," he made a face, "Percy."
Harriet laughed.
"I'm Ron, by the way," he continued, looking a bit more relaxed. "Ron Weasley."
"Nice to meet you," Harriet offered. "I'm Harriet Potter."
Ron's eyes widened. "So its true, then? I mean," he hesitated for a moment, "do you really have the-" He stopped short, trying to convey his meaning with just his eyes. Harriet, however, didn't understand.
"The what?" she asked, worried that she had forgotten something important for Hogwarts at home.
"The scar?" he whispered, saying it with a horrified look on his face, as though it were some forbidden word. Harriet, finding his reaction amusing and feeling relieved that it wasn't something more serious, laughed.
"Oh, yea," she lifted up her bangs, showing Ron the lightening shaped scar on her forehead. Instead of gazing it with reverence, Ron just smiled.
"Wicked," he breathed, as Harriet let her hair fall.
"So how do you think our parents know each other?" Harriet asked curiously, wanting to make conversation. Ron shrugged.
"Don't know," he told her. "I think they met through my uncles, Fabian and Gideon. They died in the war against You-Know-Who." He colored a bit, although Harriet wasn't sure why.
"I'm sorry," Harriet grimaced, feeling guilty for bringing it up.
"Its okay," said Ron, in a tone that showed that it wasn't completely okay. "I was really little when they died. I don't even remember them."
"So all your family are wizards, then?" Harriet prodded, eager to draw the conversation away from the current topic.
"Er, yea," nodded Ron, looking glad at the change of subject. "I think mum has a cousin who's an accountant, but we don't really talk about him much. I heard you went to live with Muggles, though, while your parents were, uh..." Ron paused, not really sure what to say, then abruptly asking, "What were they like?"
"They were awful," Harriet admitted. "Well, not all Muggles, but my aunt and uncle were."
"My dad is pretty mad about Muggles," noted Ron, making Harriet raise her eyebrows. "Its true!" he defended. "He works at the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
"What does he do there?"
"It's all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house." Ron explained to Harriet. "Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare — Dad was working overtime for weeks."
"What happened?" Harriet demanded, attempting to figure why a teapot would five somebody work for weeks.
"The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with the sugar tongs clamped to his nose. Dad was going frantic — it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins in the office — and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up —"
"My dad mentioned memory charms for some of our neighbors the day my parents came to pick me up from my aunt and uncle," Harriet said, suddenly remembering.
"Why would they need memory charms?" Ron frowned. Harriet blushed.
"My Uncle started saying some really nasty things about my family," she said slowly, turning away. "I got a bit angry and Ikindasortablewhimup." She said this last part in a rush, trying to get it out as fast as she could. Ron seemed to understand her though and laughed.
"Like "Kaboom!" blew him up?" asked Ron.
"More like a balloon," Harriet amended. "He flew out the back-door."
"And you didn't get into trouble?" Ron asked, reverence coloring his tone. Harriet shook her head.
"My dad just seemed to think it was funny," Harriet explained, "and my mom never liked my uncle much anyways."
"If that happened to me," Ron said enviously, "My mom would have grounded me for life. I can't tell you how many times she's let Fred or George have it because one of their pranks."
"You've got three older brothers, then?" Harriet wondered, trying to figure out exactly how large Ron's family was.
"Five," he corrected, looking glum. "and Ginny, whose a year younger. But I'm the sixth go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left — Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first."
Harriet shifted a bit in her seat, uncomfortable with what Ron was saying.
"You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."
Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.
"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff — I mean, I got Scabbers instead."
Ron's ears went pink. Harriet looked a bit closer at the rat.
"Is he missing a toe?" she asked incredulously, trying to remember where she had heard that before.
Ron turned Scabbers over to get a better look. "Huh," he made a thoughtful noise. "Yea. He was like that when Percy found him in the garden, I guess. He was hiding from the gnomes."
"Maybe he got into a street fight with some of them," suggested Harriet, mentally amazed at how easily Ron used the word "gnomes," as though it was completely normal. "and thats how he got all banged up."
"That would be the only useful thing he's done," grumbled Ron. Harriet was more focused on Isaura, whom she could feel uncurling from her leg.
"Lunnch," she hissed. It took Harriet a moment to realize what she meant.
"No!" She wasn't quite sure who she was yelling at, Isaura, Ron, or Scabbers, but the shout had the desired effect. Scabbers jumped, barely avoiding Isaura, who had sprung in an attempt to catch him. Ron flattened himself against his seat, watching in pure terror as Isaura, who had landed in his lap, hissed in displeasure.
"Sorry," Harriet gasped, feeling immensely guilty. She took Isaura from Ron. "She's never done anything like that before."
"Thats a snake," stated Ron, looking a bit weak.
"Yea," Harriet said, but it didn't seem like Ron heard her.
"You've got a snake with you," he muttered, "and you're bringing it to Hogwarts."
"She was my first friend," Harriet said in defence of her snake. This, it seemed, brought him out of his stupor.
"Oh," he was quiet for moment. "Well," he said firmly, "now you've got two friends. Me and her. If you want," he added unsurely, the tips of his ears turning pink. Harriet felt her cheeks heat up, too. She held Isaura out to Ron.
"Ron, this is Isaura." Ron eyed her cautiously. "Isaura, this is our new friend, Ron."
Harriet Potter, Hogwarts Express- September 1, 1991
"They aren't real frogs," Ron was explaining to Harriet, through a mouthful of licorice wand, "It's just a spell."
When they had begun talking, the train had been moving them out of London. Now, they were swiftly moving past rolling hills and open fields dotted with cows. A woman had come by with a candy cart, and Harriet had gotten a little bit of everything, eager to share with her new friend, who was currently explaining some of the more interesting candies to her.
Harriet opened the small box, revealing a tiny, chocolate frog. Harriet barely had time to get a good lock at it when it bounced onto the window. Ron looked up.
"Watch it!" he cried, but Harriet was too shocked to do anything but stare as the frog climbed to the top of the window and, with what Harriet would have sworn was a wave, jumped out. Harriet turned back to Ron, who just shrugged.
"Thats rotten luck," he informed her, "they've only got one good jump in 'em anyways. Its the cards you want, though. Each box has got a card with a famous witch or wizard and you can start collecting them. I've got about five-hundred me-self."
Harriet took the card from the carton and looked at it curiously. "I've got Dumbledore," she told Ron cheerfully, recognizing his face on the card.
"I've got about seven of him," Ron said dismissively. "Mind if I take one of these? I may get Agrippa. Thanks," he said, once Harriet assured him it was okay.
"Has anybody seen a toad?" Harriet and Ron both jumped. Neither of them had heard the door to their compartment open. A girl their age was waiting impatiently from the door. She large front teeth and the bushiest brown hair Harriet had ever seen. "A boy named Neville has lost one."
"I haven't seen it," denied Ron. Harriet shook her head, taking a bite of a peppermint patty. The girl looked at the candy and wrinkled her nose.
"Thats not very healthy is it," she said in a bossy sort of voice. "I only eat sugar-free candy, but the cart didn't have any."
"Whats the fun of sugar-free candy," scoffed Ron.
"My parents are dentists," said the girl, in a tone of voice that indicated that that should have explained everything. It didn't.
"Dintests?" scowled Ron. "What the ruddy hell is a densit?"
"Dentists," corrected the now annoyed looking girl. "How do you not know what a dentist is?"
Harriet, recognizing that Ron came from one of the older pureblooded families in Britain, explained, "Dentists are like Muggle healers for teeth."
"Muggles are weird," he said in an amazed voice. The girl, who Harriet guessed was either half-blood or Muggle-born, glared at Ron so strongly that Harriet wondered why Ron did not recoil from her gaze.
Harriet, paying no mind to the bossy girl, looked over to Isaura and offered her a squirming, chocolate frog. Isaura quickly wrapped her body around it, slowly squeezing it, getting chocolate everywhere.
"Ew," Harriet muttered, wiping her hand on her jeans, while Ron laughed. The bushy-haired girl, who still hadn't left, eyed her snake with distaste.
"Are you sure your snake didn't eat Neville's toad" Harriet shot her a sharp look and Ron looked highly offended, too.
"Isaura wouldn't do that!" Ron scowled. "Would she, Harriet?"
"No, she wouldn't," Harriet affirmed, neither of them feeling it would be prudent to bring up Isaura's earlier stint with Scabbers. The girl didn't look convinced. Instead, she flounced into the car and took a seat across from Harriet, next to Ron.
"Are snakes even allowed at Hogwarts?" she sniffed.
"Er..."
"Because in my acceptance letter, it only mentioned toads, owls, and cats. Of course, my acceptance letter was such a huge shock. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I found out, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"
She said this all so fast that Harriet couldn't help but wonder how she managed to breathe. She looked at Ron and was relieved to see from the look on his face that he hadn't learnt all his course books by heart, either.
"Ron Weasley," was Ron's response, obviously so shocked that he wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying.
"Harriet Potter," said Harriet, shooting her friend amused glances.
"Are you really?" asked the girl wide-eyed. Harriet wondered how famous she must be for even Muggle-borns to have heard of her.
"I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
"Am I?" said Harriet, feeling dazed.
"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, I'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."
She got up and was about to leave the compartment, but turned back around at the last minute, just as she was walking through the door.
"You have dirt on your nose, by the way," she said to Ron in a condescending tone. She gestured to where it was. "Right there."
Ron took his hand and began to rub his nose slowly, still very confused by Hermione. She left and Ron turned to Harriet.
"Whatever house I'm in," he said surely, "I hope she's not in it." Harriet couldn't help but agree. Ron rubbed his nose again.
"Did I get it?" Harriet shook her head and Ron scowled.
"She was a know-it-all, but she was also right," sighed Harriet, getting up from her seat and reaching for her trunk. Ron grumbled, annoyed, but did the same."We really do need to get ready."
"I'll leave while you change," offered Ron, holding his robes. Harriet shot him a thankful smile, which quickly turned into a frown. The pale boy from Borgin and Burke's had just entered the compartment. He was flanked by two other boys. Both looked large, thickset, and extremely mean. One had short, bowl-cut hair, framing his beady-eyes. The other had long arms that reminded Harriet strongly of a gorilla.
"They say Harriet Potter's come to Hogwarts," the boy announced loudly. He turned and gave Harriet a glance over. For a moment, Harriet was worried that he had recognized her from Knockturn Alley, but relaxed when it didn't seem like he had.
"Its true then," he said. It wasn't a question. Harriet watched him warily. He smirked. "Thats Crabbe," he gestured to the first boy, then to the second, "and Goyle. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."
Ron didn't even try to hide his snort. Harriet didn't blame him for laughing, but Draco did, it seemed.
"Think my name is funny, do you?" He scowled. "No need to ask who you are. Red hair and hand-me-down clothes? You must be a Weasley." Ron flushed and Harriet glared when Draco turned back to her.
"You'll soon learn, Potter, that some wizarding families are better than others. I can help you there. You don't want to be making friends with the wrong sort," He held out his hand to her, but she didn't take it, remembering him and his father in Knockturn Alley.
"I think I can figure out the wrong sort for myself thanks," she told him cooly.
"I'd watch myself if I were you, Potter," Draco said slowly, retracting his hand. "If you aren't too careful, you could go the same way as your parents. Or maybe like that blood-traitor they call a friend-"
"Take that back, Malfoy," Ron demanded, as both he and Harriet straightened. He made to grab Malfoy, but Harriet held him back, eyeing Crabbe and Goyle, who were several times larger than they were. She knew that fights with big people versus smaller people rarely ended well for the small people.
"I don't think I will," said Malfoy, looking curiously around the compartment. His eyes landed on the pile of candy on Harriet's seat. "In fact, I think I'll take some of your-AGHH!" he let out a scream because, as he had reached for his candy, Isaura, who had been hiding underneath the pile, had hissed loudly, making a fake lunge for his hands.
"You've got a snake in here?" a malicious smile overtook the glint of fear in his eyes. "Wait until I tell the professors! You'll be expelled for sure-"
"Actually," Hermione's bossy voice came from behind them, and Harriet watched amazed as the girl managed to squeeze her way into the compartment. It was getting rather crowded. "I asked the professors and they say that Harriet's snake is allowed at Hogwarts." Hermione eyed the five of them. "Fighting, however, is not permitted-"
"Fighting?" Harriet interrupted, speaking calmly. "Whose fighting? Malfoy and his friends here were just telling us that we would be arriving at Hogwarts soon, when Isaura spooked them."
Malfoy didn't say anything, just watched her curiously, trying to figure out what Harriet was up to.
"They were just leaving so Ron and I could change." Harriet raised an eyebrow in Malfoy's direction and he nodded slowly, understanding. She was giving him a way out this time, but next time (and Harriet had a feeling there would be a next time), she wouldn't be so forgiving towards him.
"C'mon, Crabbe, Goyle," he instructed. He lead them both out of the cart, leaving Harriet and Ron alone with Hermione. Judging by Ron's expression, he was having a hard time telling which was worse.
"How is it that we haven't even arrived at school and you two are already causing trouble?" Hermione demanded.
"Not that its any of your business, but they started it." Ron glared at Hermione. "What are you doing back here anyways?"
"I was just going to tell you what the professors said about your snake. You're welcome," Hermione answered, sounding as though they should be thankful for her consideration. Harriet didn't feel very grateful, though.
"Oh yea," said Ron caustically, apparently agreeing with Harriet. "You snitched on us, thats what you did! What if the professors said that Harriet couldn't keep Isaura? Then what? We wouldn't have been so thankful, then."
"You shouldn't have broken the rules in the first place," scowled Hermione, leaving in a huff. Ron and Harriet exchanged looks, then Ron followed her out, giving Harriet a few minutes to change. Harriet did the same for him, then they both made themselves comfortable once again, looking out the windows in hopes to get their first glimpse of Hogwarts.
"So," he asked Harriet while they searched, "How do you know Malfoy?"
"Well, I don't know him, per say," Harriet shrugged, before explaining what had happened to her in Borgin and Burkes. Ron, after pressing for more details about Knockturn Alley, nodded.
"Yea, that sounds about right," referring to the Malfoy's selling something. "My dad's been working overtime at the Ministry with the raids, and he reckons the Malfoys have got a lot to hide, for sure. They were real supporters of You-Know-Who back in the day."
"My dad mentioned that some people followed Voldemort because-" She was cut off by Ron's gasp. "What?"
"You said You-Know-Who's name!" His freckles were standing out against his face. "I would'a thought that you of all people-!"
"I'm not trying to be brave or anything," Harriet said quickly. "I just forgot! I bet I'm the worst in the class," she added, letting go of a fear that had been haunting her for the past few days. Ron shrugged it off.
"Lots of Muggle-borns learn quick enough," he assured her. "So what were you saying about You-Know-Who?"
"Oh," Harriet remembered, "just that a lot of people were forced to follow him, even though they didn't really want to." Ron looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Yea, thats true," he conceded, "but my dad reckons that the Malfoys didn't need to much persuading, if you catch my drift. Are you sure you didn't see what he was selling?" Harriet went to deny it, when a voice cut her off.
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Harriet blanched and snuck a look at Ron. He looked as nervous as she was. On an unspoken signal, they each began to gather up their share of the candy, before joining the crowd in the corridor.
Harriet found herself being pushed and shoved in every direction- she really was too small- and couldn't see a thing over everybody's shoulders.
Still, she felt it when the train started to slow down and let out a deep breath of relief as the crowd slowly began to move. When Harriet finally made it outside, Ron right behind her, she shivered.
Harriet heard a familiar voice call, ""Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harriet?"
Hagrid was suddenly smiling down at her and Ron. Harriet grinned and nodded. Hagrid gestured with a large hand. "Follow me, then. Any more firs' years? Mind yer step now! Firs' years, follow me!"
Harriet had a bit of trouble as she and the other students tried to follow Hagrid down a narrow path. She almost fell onto Ron a few times, and he onto her. At one point, she accidentally stepped on the toes of Neville, the boy who had lost his toad. She muttered an apology and kept walking.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
Harriet didn't think that it would have been possible to see anything in such dark light, but she was wrong.
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
Harriet nudged Ron excitedly as they headed towards the fleet of little boats that Hagrid had pointed out.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid warned, as Neville and Hermione followed Ron and Harriet. Once everybody was in, Hagrid gave the call.
"FORWARD!"
Harriet was speechless, along with most of the other students. Harriet had seen Hogwarts before, but only from the inside. Nothing compared to how it looked now. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. The lake, as smooth as glass, reflected the twinkling lights from the castle.
Harriet felt like she was surrounded by starlight.
Hagrid yelled and interrupted Harriet's reverie. "Head's down!"
The first boats had reached the cliffs; all of the students bent their heads as the boats carried them through a curtain of ivy. Harriet spit out some leaves that got in her mouth and looked up- the ivy had hid a huge opening in the cliff face and they were no in some sort of underground harbor.
The kids clambered out of the boats.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
Harriet Potter, Hogwarts-September 1, 1991
When the door opened, Harriet was faced with a tall, black-haired witch. Her stern face was offset by her emerald green robes and Harriet recognized her immediately from her father's descriptions.
Professor McGonagall.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid, confirming her suspicions. The professor nodded in acknowledgement.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She stepped back and pulled the door wide. Harriet's eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of the entrance hall. Even after everything she had heard about it, it was more amazing than she could have ever imagined. It was massive- larger than Potter Manor, by far. The stone walls were lit by flaming torches (like the rest of Hogwarts that she had seen) and the ceiling was too high to make out and there was a magnificent marble staircase facing them, presumably leading to the upper floors.
Professor Mcgonagall turned to face them, eying them sternly.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Harriet felt as though Professor McGonagall was staring right at her, and she did her best to flatten her hair. She knew it would be hopeless, though. Unlike the Dursleys, her parents had no issues with her hair. Her mother had informed her that she had had it since she was a baby, when it was just a little tuft sticking out from the top of her head.
It wouldn't stick down then, her mum had said ruefully, and it certainly won't do so now.
Professor McGonagall's expression softened and Harriet wondered whether or not she was remember her parents' first day at Hogwarts.
"I will return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." McGonagall opened the door to to the dining hall, but it closed to quickly for Harriet to make anything out, other than bright lights and loud voices.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" she asked Ron, "My parents wouldn't tell me. They kept saying something about 'tradition.'"
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
Harriet felt her heart drop to her stomach. She had only been living with her parents for a few weeks. She didn't know any magic. How was she going to pass a test? And in front of the whole school, too!
Thankfully, all the others looked just as frightened as she did. Neville looked about ready to wet his pants.
Harriet tried to tell herself that this situation wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking was when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that she'd somehow turned her teacher's wig blue, but she couldn't help but feel that, in a few minutes, when Professor McGongall returned and lead them through the doors, Harriet would be lead to her doom.
Suddenly, several students screamed, making Harriet jump. When she turned to see what the commotion was about, though, all she saw were the Hogwarts ghosts. Sirius and Remus had warned her about some of them:
"Stay away from the Bloody Baron," Sirius had said, "He'll report you if he catches you doing anything wrong."
"Don't mention Nick's head in front of him," Remus had added, "He's still touchy about it. But if he asks you about the Headless Hunt, tell him it's a shame they won't let him join."
"The Friar isn't bad," Sirius continued, "A pretty good sport, all around, although not if he catches you doing anything particularly mean spirited."
"The Grey Lady can seem a bit conceited," Remus pointed out, "But she's alright if you don't disturb her."
"Be careful of Peeves," Sirius warned, "He likes to cause trouble almost as much as he loves gettingstudents in trouble."
"Does all of your advice to her have to involve how to not get caught pranking?"
"You said to only tell her the important stuff, Moony!"
Harriet smiled remembering the resulting argument that had ensued between the two friends.
The door opened as Professor McGonagall returned. "Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin. Please form a line and follow me."
Harriet wasn't sure how she managed to get her legs moving, but she did, and when they walked through the doors, she had never been more grateful.
Harriet had gotten a few glimpses of Hogwarts, but she didn't think she ever could have imagined that the rest of it was such a strange and splendid place.
Instead of regular lamps, it was lit by thousands and thousands of candles floating in midair over four long tables, filled with students. The tables were littered with goblets and plates, all gold. At the head of the room there was another long table with the professors. Harriet recognized several of the teachers both from having have met them and her parent's descriptions: Professor Quirrell, who still looked as though he were about to faint, Professor Binns, who was the only ghost at that table, Uncle Severus, who, sure enough, was glaring sourly at everything, and Professor Flitwick, who needed a special chair to reach the table. Hagrid was also there and he gave her a thumbs up.
Harriet heard Hermione whisper to another girl, "The ceiling is bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
Mainly to see what she was talking about, Harriet looked up and was met with what looked to be the night sky: velvety black and dotted with stars. She couldn't believe that there was a ceiling at all.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward and placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. The entire hall had now gone silent. Harriet didn't understand why. The only thing on the stool was a thin, ragged, hat.
Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harriet thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing — noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, she stared at it, too.
For a minute, nothing happened.
Then, it began to sing.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song and bowed to each of the tables, but then everything grew quite again. Ron seemed relieved, but Harriet wasn't so sure.
The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harriet didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for her.
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
Harriet recognized the pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails. She looked almost as nervous as Harriet felt. She put on the hat and there was a moment's pause as she sat down. Then-
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The Hufflepuff tabled clapped loudly as the next student was called. Harriet paid little attention to the rest of the Sorting Ceremony. She was far too nervous.
She did notice, though, that Hermione Granger was sorted into Gryffindor (Ron was not happy) and that Neville was sorted into Gryffindor, too, but only after a long time. Malfoy, on the other hand, had barely placed the hat on his head when he was sorted into Slytherin.
As she waited her turn, a horrible thought struck Harriet, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if she wasn't chosen at all? What if she just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off her head and said there had obviously been a mistake and she'd better get back on the train? What would her family say?
"Potter, Harriet!" broke her out of her stupor and she stood frozen to the spot, suddenly feeling everybody's eyes on her. Ron, thankfully, gave her a light shove toward the hat, forcing her to move.
Harriet could already hear the whispers.
"Potter, Harriet!"
Harriet stood frozen to her spot for a moment, feeling all eyes turn to her. She tried her hardest to ignore the whispers that were circulating.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Harriet Potter?"
The last thing Harriet saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.
"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, my goodness, yes — and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting… So where shall I put you?"
Harriet didn't say anything, honestly not knowing what to tell it.
"Too brash for Hufflepuff," the hat muttered, "and while you have a quick mind, you are definitely not studious enough for Ravenclaw. So Gryffindor or Slytherin?"
At the word "Slytherin," Harriet had a sudden mental image: her parents and Sirius and Remus lying on the floor of a destroyed room, dead. Voldemort was standing over them, but...he wasn't Voldemort anymore. He was her.
Harriet gripped her seat tighter and focused back on the hat, who had been too busy deliberating to pay attention to what she had been thinking.
"Yes," he agreed, "it better be Slytherin. You will do very well there."
He took a breath, getting ready to announce his decision to the hall, but Harriet stopped him with a firm, clear, thought.
"No."
The hat let out a cough, choking on his breath. He regained himself quickly though and, for a moment, he didn't say anything, incredulous.
"What?"
"Not Slytherin," Harriet thought firmly. "Anywhere but Slytherin."
The hat was quiet for another minute, before saying quietly. "I see."
"Are you sure?" he asked after another second. "You could be great, you know. Its all here, in your head. Slytherin would help you on your way to greatness, there is absolutely no doubt about that. Don't you want to be great?"
"Not if it means I have to stab people in the back to do it," Harriet responded after a moment.
"Well," sighed the hat, sounding a bit disappointed, "If you are sure- it better be GRYFFINDOR!"
Harriet heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. She took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. When nobody clapped, Harriet grew worried. Then, the roar that filled the hall from the Gryffindor table was deafening.
Harriet sat down in a daze, opposite the ghost Harriet recognized earlier as Nearly-Headless-Nick. He patted her arm, giving Harriet the sudden, horrible feeling she'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.
She looked back at the High Table again. Next to Quirrell, sat Uncle Severus, watching the proceedings with mild indifference, occasionally clapping politely. A few days before she had arrived at Hogwarts, he and her mum and sat down and briefly explained that Snape's role in the previous war called that he maintain a certain facade while at Hogwarts and that he might not be able to be as open about their friendship as he was while at home. Harriet had understood...sort of. Now, she caught his eye and he gave her a subtle nod. She smiled, relieved that he didn't resent her for not being in Slytherin.
And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harriet at the Gryffindor table.
"Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now.
Harriet crossed her fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Harriet clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to her. She smiled at him and he grinned back.
Harriet payed no attention to the rest of the sorting. She couldn't stop looking at the Great Hall with its burning candles, the students dressed in their robes, or the teachers looking proudly at their children. Looking at Ron, she saw the same deep, excitement burning in his eyes, and knew that he was thinking the exact same thing she was.
It didn't matter what happened next. They were here. They had made it.
AN: Alright, first let me say that I'm sorry this update took a bit longer than usual. Its the week before spring break, so all of my teachers have decided to give tests and exams and papers and have them all due on the same day. But, on the bright side, break is almost here, so I should be able to update more frequently.
Second, I used a lot of text from the brilliant J.K Rowling for the Sorting for two reasons. The first is that I thought you might appreciate the faster update. The second being that there is not really anything I wanted to change about the Sorting itself.
That being said, several people have commented saying that Harriet is very Slytherin like and I did toy with placing her in Slytherin (I'm assuming you've read the chapter at this point, but if you haven't, SPOILER ALERT), but I decided to keep her in Gryffindor. Note, however, that unlike in the original Harry Potter, where the Hat only considered placing Harry in Slytherin, the Hat here was actually about to put her in Slytherin, when she decided against it. I want to emphasize in this story Harriet's Slytherin qualities and the fact that, although she knows would have done well in Slytherin, she didn't think it was worth accepting the risk of her turning out like Voldemort.
I hope you enjoy and please review!
tinyrose65
AN(2): I've rewritten the Sorting Ceremony in my own words. Hopefully you enjoyed it!