4. The Sorting Hat
It was a few weeks after the destruction of the camp site and seeing the Dark Mark in the sky. It had made it to the front page of The Daily Prophet. I was listening to my muggle I-pod (Kester and I love some inventions that muggles have created, especially I-pods) and was listening to it as I stared out of the window of the Hogwarts Express train.
I was in a compartment by myself as I thought of Kester as I gave him a last hug goodbye before stepping onto the train. I loved my brother dearly, we were always there for each other, yet, it was hard for us to get by as he worked with Mr. Zonko's in his joke shop. I looked at my trunk to the owl that my brother had brought me as a present as a good luck and try not to get expelled from here. It was a beautiful, brown and white feathered little Athena owl. It hooted quietly at me and I looked at it some more. I then smiled as I finally thought of a name of it after an hour and a half of thinking. "Derry." He hooted in happiness.
Suddenly the compartment door opened and I watched as the Weasley twins walked in, carrying their trunks and talking between themselves, not noticing I was in the room. "Freddie, just admit it, you have a crush on the girl." He add in a mumble, "To be honest I can see why."
Fred groaned and threw his trunk to the floor. "Georgie I don't."
"Do too."
"Do not."
"Do-" I then cut George off I unplugged my headphones from my ears and wrapped them around my I-pod as I spoke.
"Hey guys." They whipped round, wide eyes and mouths open, to see me sitting there with an innocent smile on my face. I was putting my I-pod in my trunk when I asked. "So Fred, who's this lucky girl that you have a crush on?" I looked up to see him sitting down and looking around nervously.
He then stuttered as he answered, "Err...n-no one. G-Geo-George was just annoying me as usual." I simply shrugged and closed my trunk, knowing he was lying and hiding the truth badly but I decided against pushing him against it.
After half an hour of talking and laughing with the twins, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny came in and sat with us. I dug through my pocket looking for my money as I heard a distant voice of the trolley lady. When she reached our compartment, she spoke with a kind voice, "Anything from the trolley dears?"
I stepped over cages and trunks and finally reached her. "Can I have...seven chocolate frogs, seven sugared butterfly wings and seven packets of jelly beans please?" She smiled at my request and after I handed her the money, she handed me the sweets and carried on to the next compartment. I threw one of each at everyone and sat back down it my spot. I received multiple of 'thanks' and 'cheers' as we all dug into the sweets, laughing at Ron as he tried to catch his chocolate frog, me swapping cards with everyone for my collection which I had with me, pulling a face as Ginny exclaimed, telling us she just eaten a jelly bean tasting like sick.
After half an hour I decided to draw as I had two hours to kill. However, after drawing an empty packet of jelly beans, a tree and Derry, I was stuck for what to draw next. I looked round and smiled, to then start drawing my next inspiration. I was nearly done after an hour as Ginny grew curious and looked over as she was next to me.
When she saw it she smiled, making me smile back and winked at her, motioning her to keep it a secret which she did. I looked at the drawing I did of Fred, which he never noticed me glancing at him, from his long hair to his cheeky smile. I snapped my drawing pad shut and looked at my wristwatch, seeing we only had half an hour till we arrived, so I grabbed my uniform and after telling everyone where I was going, I headed out of the compartment.
I walked down the hallway until I came across an empty lavatory and rushing in, locking the door. I changed out of my black vest top, my ripped blue jeans and black converse into a pair of black tights, a black skirt that came up my knees a bit, a pair of simple black ankle boots which I put my wand in, a white shirt, a black jumper and my new black cloak. After decided to leave my hair down to reach the middle of my back, I gathered my normal clothes and after I stepped out of the lavatory, I bumped - literally - into the boy that I made jump back at the Quidditch match. He smirked as he was blocking my way and leaned against the wall supporting himself with his hand. "We never full got to introduce ourselves. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. I'm guessing you're new around here because I would remember a pretty face like yours." He said with a smirk.
I smile sweetly back at him and replied. "I love names. Wanna know why?" He shrugged so I continued. "Because they can mean things which a person is totally opposite. For example, your name is Draco, meaning Dragon. A dragon connotes power and strength. Yet, when I made you jump back at the quidditch game, you shook like a leaf. No...A mouse. Ironic now isn't it?"
Malfoy's smirk turned slowly into an angry scowl as I spoke, then lashed out and pinned me against the wall by my throat, making me drop my things. "Listen here Avalon. Wandering why I know your name?" He leaned in close to whisper in my ear, his breath making me shiver in disgust. "Because I have ears everywhere. Listening in." Thankfully he pulled away but didn't ease on his grip. He continued on. "You do not want to get on my bad side. Because, if you do, you'll regret your actions."
As soon as Malfoy finished his lame attempt to try and scare me with his threat. A wand was being held close to his neck, making him freeze. I looked at the person who was holding the wand to see it was Fred, making me sigh in relief of being saved from this idiot. "Let her go Malfoy." Fred said in a low voice, "Otherwise I will use an unforgiveable spell and will not give a damn if I'm sent to Azkaban."
Malfoy hesitated and after a few seconds of silence, I could see the fear in his eyes, so he let go and stalked off, without saying a word. I watched Fred as he slipped his wand into his pocket and picked up my things. I took them from him and smiled, "Thank you so much." He returned the smile and just like his dad did when my brother and I first met him, he waved his hand.
"It was no problem. Anyway, who would want to be anywhere near Malfoy apart from his clingy girlfriend Pansy." I laughed at his comment and then grabbed his cloak sleeve as we made our way back to our compartment to grab our things as we had - finally - arrived at Hogwarts. The Twins, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Harry and I headed away from the train and onto carriages that were being pulled by nothing. Once we arrived at the entrance and dumped our trunks and pets at the entrance, the rest of my friends waved goodbye and left as I stayed with the first years as I still had to be sorted. After five minutes of waiting, a woman cloaked in a dark green dress wearing a black witch hat walked out of the double doors.
"Hello and welcome to Hogwarts. I'm professor McGonagall and I teach Transfiguration, I may even teach some of you. Now, follow me and you'll be sorted into a house that will benefit you." After saying her mini speech, we all followed her through a couple of corridors, until we reached a set of double doors.
She waved her wand and opened them. We then followed her down the hall and I guessed it was the Great Hall were all houses came together at start of terms and to eat meals. As the first years stared at the ceiling, which showed the starry night outside, I caught Fred's eye, who grinned and winked at me. I giggled and looked once more to see that there was a space next to him, I hoped that I would fill that space.
I stopped behind all of the first years as we reached some steps. Professor McGonagall walked up them half way until she stopped and face the entire room. Beside her was a wooden stool with a beaten up hat on top of it. "When I call out your names, you will sit on this stool where I will place this hat you, revealing what house you belong in. However we have someone here who is not a first year, therefore will be going first." She then opened her scroll, looked at briefly to then call out, "Scylla Avalon."
I gulped as the first years parted, letting me walk straight up the middle. I walked slowly up the stairs, seeing an old, wise looking man I guessed was Professor Dumbledore who sent me a letter, welcoming to the school, smile as me as I turned as sat. Professor McGonagall then placed the hat on my head, making me flinch slightly as it spoke.
"Aah," It said, as though it already began to think, "Oh how you remind me of someone back in the past. Oh how memories come back, yet, you have a split personality, so complicated. I sense great intelligence and knowledge from you, very beneficial as a Ravenclaw."
Not that house, it would not be able to benefit meI thought.
The hat 'hummed' and replied, "Won't benefit you then? Very well...I can also feel a great skill of cunning and great ambition. Maybe Slytherin?" I looked at Slytherin and saw Malfoy, smirking and looking straight at me.
No chance in this lifetimeI thought.
The hat let out a loud laugh. "Well...your certainly don't belong in Hufflepuff, not patient I see. Hmm...Then this is perfect house for you...GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted and then I released the breath that I had been holding and smiled.
I leapt off the seat and bounded down the steps to the cheering table. I hugged Ginny and Hermione, shaking hands with people who were around me and finally sat down next to Fred. I sighed deeply and looked down at my shaking hands that were on my lap. I then saw a hand clasp them, stopping them from shaking and entwining their fingers with mine. I looked up see that it was Fred, who was smiling at me but then turned his attention to the first years and the hat, I turned my attention to them as well, hands still entwined. Oh, know I felt like I was in the place that belonged.