Disclaimer: I don't own 'Harry Potter' and I'm not making any profit out of this story.
-Gravity-
Summary: When you fall you can't blame gravity. You can't fight it either. The first time we fell, we were 11 and didn't realize it. Carefree and proud. We never imagined that a catastrophe would happen in our time. But it did. In reality you can't get angry when you keep on falling, because some things are meant to be that way, you just have to do the best of the worst. Gravity don't mean too much to me, I'm who I've got to be. Follow the story of the other side of Harry Potter and Wizard War II and you'll se that we all hurt, laugh, live, died and love.
Rating: T for language, may become M for gore, use of alcohol and/or sexual content.
Gender: Drama – Romance – Hurt/Comfort – Adventure – Family – Friendship
Pairings: inclues DMHG, HPGW, RLNT and more.
Warning: OC's and non-canon, almost AU. Use of French, Spanish, English, Italian, German and Welsh. May contain homosexual couples or insinuations.
Note: I don't normally update so early, but this story has 51 views which makes me really happy... and 0 reviews. come on! I'll really like so feedback.
when I said that this story was going to defer from the originall, well... we start here.
First year: II. What the hat thinks
"In the shape of things to come.
(…)
every me and every you"
Placebo – Every You Every Me
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and the first impression was that this was not someone to cross.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the tall man.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was really magnificent. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. They could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right, the rest of the school must already be here, but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.
"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." Her eyes lingered for a moment on the toad boy cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron Weasley's smudged nose. "I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
Victoria took off the second cloak and gave it back to Blaise. He nodded. Hermione began whispering
very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Victoria blocked her voice. Theo next to her was frowning.
"What's wrong?" She asked him.
"Do you know how they sort into the houses?" Asked him in return. Blaise and Hermione looked at him. Victoria shook her head.
"My father didn't go to Hogwarts." Blaise eyed her curiously and Theo frowned deeper "Do you know?"
"No. My parents didn't tell me. They said it was a secret, and that's what worries me." Hermione went pale. Victoria gulped. Then something happened that made Theo jump about a foot in the air, Blaise swore in Italian again and Victoria went pale, several people in front them (and Hermione) screamed.
"What the hell?" Theo said. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance…"
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost… I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.
Nobody answered.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" A few people nodded mutely. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me." They form into a line, Theo then Hermione, Victoria and lastly Blaise, the four of them almost at the end of the line. They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Victoria eyes widen and in front of her Hermione gasped. 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.
Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Victoria felt a nudged next to her, Blaise pointing carefully (and almost unnoticeable) to the ceiling. She looked up. The starry night sky spread over her above the flickering of the candles. Her eyes shone and a soft smile spread on her lips.
Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in 'Hogwarts, A History'."
"You just have to go and ruin the wonder?" Victoria retorted. Hermione smile apologetic.
Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Everybody in the room was looking at it so the first years copied them. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat 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 Hufflepuffis 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 whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. Theo let out a smirk.
"We just try the hat." Hermione said, smiling brightly next to him.
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!"
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A momentary pause.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. The table on the left cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. The ghost of the Fat Friar waved merrily at her.
"Acebedo de Córdoba (1), Victoria" Whispers rose from some of the students. A Spanish surname and name? She smirked at them and walked to the stool. The hat fell over her eyes, obscuring everything.
"Spanish eh?" a small voice said in her ear. Inside the hat she raised her eyebrows. Yes, she was Spanish. "We don't get many foreign students here. Let's see… where shall I put you? A very promising mind and grate persistence. Yes, yes, indeed so clever. Oh and brave, ready to take the world. So Ravenclaw or perhaps…"
"SLYTHERINE!" The hat yelled to the hall. Victoria took off the hat. The table in the right cheered up. She walked there and sat near the end. In front of her was a ghost with silver blood in his wounds. She looked at him and bowed her head in respect (and a little of fear).
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the right clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them. "Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Victoria could see the red-head twin brothers catcalling. Hermione was looking at the hat, almost green. Theo kept his eyes on the ground and Blasie darted his eyes around the room.
"Crab, Vincent"
"SLYTHERINE"
"Davis, Tracey"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Sometimes, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," a sandy-haired boy, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.
"Granger, Hermione!" Victoria gaze became fixed on the girl, who almost run to the stool and put the hat just as quickly. Hermione locked her eyes with her before the hat cover her eyes.
"Well, well…" the hat said to Hermione. She breathed in sharply. "A bright mind, very bright one actually. There's also loyalty. Yes, yes… the need to prove yourself and no fear to do so. You want to succeed. Well then let it be something that helps you. Let you be in…" Hermione stopped breathing.
"RAVENCLAW!" She let out her breath and took the hat. The Ravenclaw table was cheering at her. She walked there, sitting almost at the end of table, right behind Victoria. When the rest of her housemates finished welcoming her to the house she turned and found Victoria facing her.
"We are one table away." The Spanish girl stated.
"Yeah." The new Ravenclaw said weary.
"Well… I guess sleepovers can't be done. Come with me on breaks?" Hermione smiled brightly and nodded. "Greengrass, Daphne" and "Goyle, Gregory" soon joined the Slytherins. When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When the hat finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag" who went to Ravenclaw.
"Malfoy, Draco." A pale boy swaggered forward when his name was called. The hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" before saying to him, "A Malfoy eh? Well boy, take care. Grate things come with grate prices." He walked to the table, sitting in front of Victoria, next to the ghost. Vincet and Gregory moved to his side and sat.
"Hi" Draco said in a bored tone of voice to Victoria. The girl looked at him and blinked.
"Hi." She said in return.
"Nott, Theodore" Victoria and Draco both looked at the sorting. Theo carefully placed the hat in his head.
"Nott is it?" Theo nodded. "Ah… interesting. What do you believe in? A very clever one here, also sharp and loyal. But I know where you belong."
"SLYTHERINE" Theo put down the hat and sat on the table, next to Draco. He looked at her and then to Draco.
"Draco, nice to see you again." Draco's face softened for a second.
"Nice to see you too Theo." Victoria watched them and then turned her attention to the ceremony. "Parkinson, Pansy" went to Slytherine then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" to Ravenclaw and "Patil" to Gryffindor then "Perks, Sally-Anne" to Hufflepuff and then, "Potter, Harry!"
As Harry Potter stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Harry Potter?"
Draco scowled. Theo glanced at him. The blond boy rolled his eyes.
"Potter is pretty lame." Theo smirked and next to him Victoria chuckle. "People are even standing to look at him." The hall fell into a silence, that was not really silence because people kept whispering, for half a minute.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled.
"Why I'm not surprise? Lame house for lame people." The blond boy said and then crossed his arms, scolding. Victoria chuckle at this. The people in the Gryffindor table were cheering really loud. They could hear even yells of "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Victoria rolled her eyes, somehow amused.
"True." Said Theo. Few people were left. "Thomas, Dean" and "Turpin, Lisa" went to Gryffindor, as well as "Weasley, Ron". Victoria sneered at this and said to Draco.
"You are right, lame house for lame people. Fool of him trying to turn a rat yellow with a fake spell." Theo, Draco, Vincent and Gregory laughed, as well as a couple of older boy near them.
"Zabini, Blaise" was of course the last student to be sorted. He made his way to the stool with clam steps. He took the hand with one hand and softly placed it in his head.
"Another foreign one. This year has been full of surprises." Said the hat to him. Blaise kept still. "Sharp-sighted and quick with the mind. Not a bad mind… Where would you succeed boy? Ah… Proud. Very proud. Let you be…"
"SLYTHERINE!" Blaise took the hat and glance at it blankly. He walked to the table and sat next to Victoria.
"Ciao, piacere di voi di unirsi a noi." (Hello, nice of you to join us.) Said Victoria to him.
"Non una scelta, ma sono contento." (Not a choice, but I'm glad.) He answered, his voice amused. Draco glanced at them.
"So cosa vuoi dire." (I know what you mean) She answered amused as well and Blaise smirked. Draco kept glancing at them with his eyebrow raised. The ghost was also looking at them, his expression black so they couldn't know what he was thinking. Theo rolled his eyes and glanced at Draco. In the front Professor McGonagall had rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.
"The two of them are like that since the train. Italian." Theo groaned to Draco. Further conversation was stopped when the headmaster stood up. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"Welcome," he said. "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!" The first years of Slytherin looked at each other wide-eyed and clearly confused. The food appeared in the golden plates. There was roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.
"Ugh. Eso fue definitivamente tonto."(Ugh. That was definitely silly). Mumbled Victoria looking at the head master with an incredulous look in her face.
"Sì, è molto." (Yes, and a lot). Answered Blaise. Theo looked at them and shook his head, distressed.
"Not again! We can't understand you, you know?" Victoria chuckled. Draco sneer at them while helping himself with roast beef.
"How many languages do you know?" asked Theo. Victoria helped herself with a glass of pumking juice, she drank a little and then crooked her head.
"Ah… Like three and a half? Four actually." She said, smiling. "Spanish, Italian, English and French" The girl looked at the food in the golden plates. Blaise also had the same face of confusion and annoyance. Theo turned to him.
"And you Blaise?" He looked up.
"Italian, English, French, Spanish, and some German." He said softly. Draco and Theo raised an eyebrow and Victoria looked at the English boys.
"You speak something aside English?" Vincent and Gregory shook their heads, more interested in the food. Draco nodded.
"French." And Theo answered.
"Yes, I speak Welsh," Theo shrugged at this "and French." The four of them smirked.
"Pratique." (Practical) Said Victoria, while poking the stakes in front of her. Draco looked at this, questioning. Theo stopped his fork in mid air and glance at them. Blaise and Victoria still had their plates empty. Victoria sighed. "The food is just…" She looked at Blaise for help.
"To English." Said Blaise annoyed. The other boys laughed, even the ghost next to Draco seemed amused, but again, his blank and haunted expression made it difficult to tell. Blaise looked at them, blankly and Victoria glared.
"It is. I'll really like a Gazpacho (2) or way better, a warm bowl of Olla de trigo (3)." She said. She poked the steak again.
"Or anything with olive oil." Said Blaise grabbing his cup, filled with plain water, and taking a sip. Draco and Theo looked at them between confusion, amusement and awkwardness.
"Yes, bread with olive oil (4). But that is breakfast, not dinner." She pointed out. Blaise chuckled. Then Draco let out a shriek, the ghost next to him had lend towards Blaise and Victoria, trespassing him on the way.
"You should eat something." He said, his voice deep and haunted. A chill went down their backs. Victoria went pale.
"Ah… Sure…" Blaise said. Victoria could only nod.
"I am the Bloody Baron, resident ghost of the Slytherin Dungeons." He said. The first years were really pale and not so happy to be near the ghost. He was unnerving.
"A pleasure… eh… sir." Theo said slowly. The ghost retreated, right through Draco again, who looked less than pleased. Blaise serve himself a bit of roasted chicken and boiled potatoes. Victoria tentatively picked some fries, carrots and steak.
"I still miss the olive oil." She stated. Blaise next to her let out a small smile. Theo chuckled. Draco was still skulking from the ghost issue. Vincent and Gregory too busy eating to take part of the conversation.
Soon, even Blaise and Victoria had left the plates empty. The deserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O and rice pudding. The eyes of the boys brightened up. Vincent and Gregory were the happiest and quickest ones to help themselves with sweets. Victoria picked a strawberry and munched it happily.
"Found something you do like?" Asked Theo smirking. She rolled her eyes.
"Of course, fruit is fruit." She said, grabbing another strawberry.
"Peccato che 'ice-cream' non è 'gelato (5).'" (A shame that 'ice-cream' is not 'italian ice-cream') Blaise said. "I'll like some gelato, not this..." added then.
"Well, it's not that bad." Said Vincent. The Italian boy glared at Vincent, making him gulped and resume eating not saying another word.
"Then don't eat the ice-cream. Ask Victoria to share the strawberries." Draco said, mocking them lightly.
"Never. Stay away from my strawberries." She said glaring at Draco, fighting the urge to stick out her tongue to him. The ghost near them almost looked amused again. Or as amused as a bloody and grim face could look. Soon they were chuckling and talking about pointless things, like the Quidditch World Cup eliminations ("I don't think England will go too far in the eliminations."), the last World Cup (Italy 330 versus Germany 80 "Vittoria per L'Italia" (Victory for Italy)), their own flying adventures ("Once I had to avoid a muggle something when I was flying.") and the local clubs ("No, I do not support the Hollyhead Harpies just because I'm a girl."). At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again.
"Les premières années, arrêtez de parler. Le directeur vais maintenant parler à vous tous." (First years, stop talking. The headmaster will now speak to you all.) The ghost interrupted their chat.
"Ahern, 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 twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Gryffindor table. "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 Slytherins looked at each other, confused. Victoria glance at the ghost and softly asked.
"Excusez-moi Baron, est-il sérieux?" (Excuse me Baron, is he serious?) The ghost looked at her and nodded. "Est-il courant dans cette école ... d'avoir ... avertissements mort?" (Is it common in this school... to have... death warnings?) She said clearly not amused.
"Oui et non." (Yes and no.) Was the only thing he answered.
"Oh! How nice." Draco said with a really sarcastic voice. Theo shook his head and Blaise stared at the ghost blankly.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. The other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed and the students of the Slytherine were scowling. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"
"I'm not singing." The four of them agreed.
And the rest of school bellowed:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the redhead twins of Gryffindor were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Victoria giggled at that. That song could be a funeral march, it was definitely… weird and awful. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here!" Draco snorted. "And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
The Slytherin first years followed a fifth year perfect. She had short black spiky hair and was Pansy's older sister, Pippa Parkinson. They exited the Great Hall and headed for the dungeons. Victoria's teeth began chattering again. Blaise took off his coat again and pass it to Theo, who being closer to the girl put the coat on her shoulders. She nodded thanking the two boys. Draco, again flanked by Vincent and Gregory, was walking in front, owning the place. After taking many turns in what seemed a labyrinth they reached a stretch of bare, damp stonewall.
"This is our common room." Pipa said, facing the first years. "You'll need a password to enter, the password changes every month. Don't forget the password or get lost in the dungeons, we perfects don't want much trouble." She faced the wall and said clearly. "Gale" the wall slide opened. They step inside carefully to the Slytherin common room. It was a long, low underground room with stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, many armchairs, sofas and pillows were scatter around the first room making it comfortable. A huge painting of a grave man was on the right wall, along with other paintings and photographs of older Slytherin students. There was a set of stair on the left that leaded to a second living room filled with desks and bookshelves. It was like a large study. Later they would find a huge window in giving a bluish kind of light and a spectacular view. There were also two doors with corridors behind. Pipa pointed to the doors. "The first door leads to the boy's dormitories and the other is for the girl's." She then disappeared to the girl's dormitories. Victoria bid the boys goodnight and went to dormitories. It was a long corridor illuminated with the same greenish laps as the common room. She looked at the doors. Silver plates indicate of whom the rooms where, third years, fifth years, perfect and finally, near the end of the hallway the room of the first years. She opened the door and step inside. The room was rectangular and long. Three four-poster beds with black curtains were placed in row, a nightstand beside each of them. Their trunks were placed in the feet of each bed and drawers were placed under the bed. Victoria made her way to her bed, the one farthest from the door. The window opened in front of her bed. It had an irregular shape following the space of the rocks. It gave a bluish almost white glow, illuminating the room softly and making the view available. The lake was enchanting. Soft seaweeds danced slowly with the current. Slowly she discarded her clothes, realizing she had the extra cloak. She fell asleep really quickly, not been able to stay awake to talk to her new roommates.
The boys had a similar room, five beds and a big underwater window. The door was in the middle of the wall, three beds on one side and two on the other. Blaise and Theo things were on the two separated bed, Vincent, Gregory and Draco in the other three. Draco was sitting in his bed, writing a letter, probably to his parents. Vincent was telling Gregory something about his summer.
"Victoria still has my cloak." Blaise said to Theo while changing.
"True. Ask for it tomorrow." The Italian boy nodded and laid in the bad, watching the curtains.
"Still to English for you?" Asked Theo who was facing him.
"Yes." He said, smirking. Theo chuckled.
"Get use to it, we'll be here for seven years." Blaise rolled his eyes.
"Of course. Goodnight Theo."
"Night."
They all fell asleep soon after that, having pleasant and comfortable dreams.
1. Acebedo de Córdoba: Acebedo is a Spanish surname mostly found in Barcelona or Galicia (north of Spain), making it uncommon in the south.
Córdoba is a city in Andalucía, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. An Iberian and Roman city in ancient times, during the postclassical period (Middle Ages), it became the capital of an Islamic caliphate, Al-Andalus.
In the VIII century the Iberian Peninsula went through a complex political and military process that derived in the formation of the al-Ándalus, an Arabic/Muslim occupation and reign of what today is Spain, Portugal and part of France. Almost immediately the catholic kingdoms of the north began the Reconquista a periodical war that lasted almost 781 years. The conquered took fifteen years, the Reconquista ended in 1492 when 'el reino nazarí de Granada' in Andalucía fell.
To the day, grate Arabic influence can still be found in Andalucía, from science, language, art, architecture and even food.
Victoria's family has deep root of Arabic descent. Their family tree said that they come from a noble wizard family from the city of Constantinople. They also find ancestress of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya and India.
2. Gazpacho: a cold soup made with olive oil, vinegar, breath and raw vegetables, commonly tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, garlic and onions. Other variations like ajoblanco includes other ingredients such as crushed almonds or lima beans flour.
It can be also serve hot, but this variation is mostly found in the colder places like Galicia.
3. Olla de trigo: a stew made from wheat, chickpeas, a variety of meats (morcilla de cebolla -sausage made from blood with onion added- and salted pork) and some vegetables (turnip, pumpkin, potatoes and fried onions). This plate is to be cook over low fire for a long time. Mostly eaten in winter. It's also called Olla de San Antonio because it is cooked on the day of the saint (January 17th).
4. Bread with olive oil: in Andalucía (and Spain) is commonly know as desayuno andaluz and it consist with a piece of bread, commonly a mollete (white bread, in a roundish shape, slightly toasted and cover on the outside with flour) with olive oil that can be smeared with garlic or cover with tomatoes or ham. There's also sweet variations using olive oil cover with sugar or orange juice
While it has it origins in the labours that had little money and used it to the fullest, it's now on days a common light breakfast in all Spain and can be ordered in cafes. In Italy, on the other way, it's still believed to be pauper type of food. Latin America, on the other side of the sea, considers bread with olive oil a delicatessen available only to the affluent class and the restaurants that serve it as an entrance are the 'decent' ones.
5. Gelato: it's the word in Italian form ice-cream. Made with milk, sugar and flavourings such as fruit or nuts purees. While this seam similar to ice-cream, gelato has specific differences. While ice cream legally has a minimum of 10 percent fat (in the USA), gelato is made with a greater proportion of whole milk to cream, so it contains more like five to seven percent fat. Gelato also is churned at a slower speed than ice cream, so it's denser because not as much air is whipped into the mixture. (Gelato contains about 25 to 30 percent air, while ice cream can contain as much as 50 percent air) Finally, while ice cream is typically served frozen, gelato is typically stored and served at a slightly warmer temperature, so it's not quite completely frozen.
so, Hermione in Ravenclaw. it's a fact that in the Rowling-verse she was almost send to Ravenclaw. so when I first began to think all the aspects of this fic, this was the starting point. What would had happen if she went to Ravenclaw instead? and it when from there, "Ravenclaw and Slytherins tolerate each other", "a mutual friend that brings them together" etc.
also, I noticed that Slytherin and Gryffindor mirror each other in the number of students. five boys (Theo, Blasie, Vincent, Goyle, Draco / Neville, Dean, Seamus, Ron, Harry) and three girls (Hermione -Lisa here-, Parvati and Lavander / Pansy, Daphne and Millicent Bulstrode -Victoria here-). the notes that Rowling showed during Harry Potter and Me show more students, two more Gryffindor girls, and Tracy Davis and another unknown girl of Slytherin. I know this is cannon, but I think that I'll stick to five males and three females.
the french. the Malfoy's are from French heritage so I found it appropriated. Victoria also knows french because if not attending Hogwarts she would have gone to Beauxbatons in France. Blaise, well he could have an French step-dad. Theo also studied French as part of etiquette and pure-blood studies, which include things as ballroom dancing and table manners. For the Bloody Baron, during X and XI century England and France had communication already, for example sending military aid to fence against Vikings (England) and Germans (France) and as far as I have investigated noble houses on England and France learned the language of the other.
that's all. hope you enjoyed.