I must admit that I picked a pretty bad time to start a story. Not so much because I don't have the time to write it but because I shouldn't. I have an Essay due in two days I haven't even started and here I am… writing this. xD I think it speaks for itself that I'm writing this for myself because only a few people bothered to go to chapter 1. For those of you who do end up giving it a try, the titles will tell you exactly what is in the chapter. Mostly my years will be about developing the friendships, or seeing tragedy, but pass quickly until Year 6. For now Vermilliah and Remus will develop each year so there will be a little bit on that each year as well! I think because I am 22 and in college now it freaks me out to write angst between young teens so it will all lead up to it. Enjoy!
WitchWolf6470
P.S.- This Chapter is longer than I had originally intended it to be. I want to get a feel for my OC though, and I want any readers to understand her as well. Mainly Chapter 3 will just be about how she copes with adjusting to all the new-ness of Hogwarts in Year 1. The pace will pick up after this.
Chapter 2 Sorting / First Day of Classes
When the train arrived I had decided I liked both Lily and Severus, and I followed them out onto the platform. A giant of a man appeared with a lantern clasped in a hand as big as a dinner plate, if not even larger. His booming voice called out for the first years to follow him, and we all crowded around and bumped against each other, craning our necks to look where we might be going, but it was too dark to see past the light of the lantern the giant man held.
As we came to a vast body of water I realized we would be going to the castle by boat. When I entered a boat with my two new companions I looked over to see James Potter again, his glasses lopsided in his fit of laughter as another boy with black hair pushed someone into the lake. The boy smirked over at James before they both reached over the boat to pull the round boy from the dark water, patting his sopping wet shoulder. He nervously watched the two culprits and stuttered out an unsure laugh. I felt bad for him. James seemed like a good person, but he also seemed kind of full of himself.
I turned away from the scene as the boats pulled forward without any help, the lanterns that hung from the front lighting the way. I noticed how the boats didn't even seem to be leaving ripples from their movement, and I reached down to touch the black water, letting my flingers glide through and create some sort of movement. This comforted me. I was busy staring at the trail my fingers left when the other students began to gasp and point across the lake, and when I looked up my mouth opened slightly in awe.
Atop a rocky home sat a castle, windows lit and the reflection sparling off the water. I understood why the first years had come this way, and I assumed that I would never see the castle from this point ever again. So I kept my eyes glued to it, trying to memorize every tower and window, and I wondered if I would be able to pin point from a window where I was at in the lake then. The boats took us into a cavern of sorts, and it led up to a dock with steps that I assumed must lead into the castle.
Lily was bursting with joy, pointing things out on our way up. The walls were stone and I could tell the castle was extremely old, but very well kept. There were scourge marks on the walls behind the torches lighting the halls, and the portraits on the walls moved. Some waved or smiled, and a few walked out of their frames and away from us, I noticed them passing through other canvases as they made their getaway. I was very amused by the art, and became so heavily lost staring at the different scenes that I ran straight into Lily.
"Sorry!" I whispered, but she was just as lost in the grandeur of this place as I was and she only giggled at me. In the forest our few building were magnificently built, but so well kept. I loved the flaws of the walls here, how every mark or missing piece had a story behind it.
An elderly witch stood in front of the group of us, her hair pulled back in a tight bun with a strict look on her face as she peered over her wired glasses and examined us. Her robes were a deep emerald green and she had a pointed hat that she was adjusting in her precise hands.
"I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, past this door lies the Entrance hall and across that the Great hall were the sorting ceremony will take place. There are four houses in which you will be individually placed and the other students in your house will be like your family. The four houses are Gryffindor-" Severus sneered and whispered something to Lily about this house, who immediately scolded him for it. "-Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Follow me."
Minerva McGonagall held her head high and her back straight as she turned, leading us out into a massive hall with ceilings so high I could barely make them out and a grand marble staircase that sat on the groups right. I eyed the towering oak doors to our left as I followed the movement of the others, and when I looked forward we were being led into a small door to the left of another, bigger set of doors, where loud commotion was coming from. This must be where the rest of the students sat, waiting our arrival.
Professor McGonagall made sure we were all stuffed into the small room before she left us for a few moments. Only then had I realized how hungry I was. My stomach growled and I rubbed it with care, hoping we would be eating after the sorting. It was impossible not to be in some contact with the other forty-plus people in the room, but it was making me anxious to be stuck in such a small place. As soon as I thought I would have to shove my way out of this crowd the witch returned to us and let us file out into 'The Great Hall'.
I sighed a breath of relief and looked skyward immediately to stare at the stars that mirrored the sky outside. What a wonderful place this was. In the room were four long tables, one for each house, with hundreds of students seated, most not paying attention at all to our presence, others staring intently at us. I smiled at a few people and looked at the back of the hall, where another table sat long ways at the end of the other four, where there were older witches and wizards seated, presumably our teachers.
"When I call our name, come forward and sit on the stool, I will place the hat on your head, and you will be sorted." Professor McGonagall unraveled a scroll and held it in one hand, a ragged hat in the other. "Abbott, Renee."
A small girl with blonde hair and big blue eyes stepped up to the stool first, I felt bad for her having to be the first one, but it didn't take too much time for her to be placed into Gryffindor, and she hopped off the stool and went quickly to the cheering table to get out of the spot light. I was distracted looking around the hall again and the next time I looked up the boy James had become friendly with was also placed into Gryffindor, and he smirked over at a different table as he strode over confidently to join Renee Abbott. I wish I hadn't missed his name.
Two more were called, one placed in Ravenclaw and one Slytherin, but when I heard my name called I froze momentarily. Lily turned to me and pushed me slightly up towards the stool before I built up the courage to walk up and sit on the stool. I caught a short glimpse of the hall watching me before the hat fell over my eyes. I cursed my ears being rounded.
'Well, well. I haven't placed an elf in Hogwarts in a century.' I hummed softly as I realized the hat was talking to me and my eyes rolled up as if I would see something inside of it. 'Always good for Ravenclaw, have all of the qualities of being a loyal Hufflepuff… why else would you be here if not out of loyalty to people you don't even know…" The hat seemed to be talking to itself, so I patiently waited.
'Gryffindor is definitely a possibility. Even Slytherin… Maybe not the best of places though… I'll have to say… GRYFFINDOR!" I let out a long sigh of relief that it was over and I waved at Lily before I slid out of the stool and followed Renee Abbott and the other boys footsteps. The boy introduced himself as Sirius Black, and he seemed very self-assured later when James joined, high-fiving him.
Lily was sorted after me, and she whispered that Severus was probably mad at her, but that she was glad she got to stay with me now. The others sorted into Gryffindor were Lupin, Remus- a rugged looking boy who looked worn out, when he approached I could sense he was two-natured, and I looked at him almost apologetically. Then McDonald, Mary -with shiny light brown hair and kind eyes- Pettigrew, Peter -who I recognized as the round boy Sirius had pushed into the lake and was still slightly damp- Pewter, Stacey -a taller girl for her age, with brunette hair cut above her shoulders- and last but definitely the most animated about his house, Potter, James. Unfortunately, Lily seemed upset when Severus was sorted into Slytherin, just like he said he would be.
I noticed how Peter seemed to have stuck with them, despite their joke on him, and they easily had accepted him. Sirius shook hands with Remus, and they all seemed to fit well together. The girls on the other hand- well we were all mostly quiet as we listened to Dumbledore explain the rules and wish us a wonderful school year. When he had finished, I turned to the table just in time to see the empty silver dishes fill with an array of different foods.
I had never tried any of it, so I put a little of everything that I could reach on my plate, and me and Lily chatted over our favorites and watched the house ghost float around greeting old students and new ones. When the dinner disappeared only to be replaced by desserts we groaned, but refused to not have a sample of everything in front of us, and when we were led from the hall and up the stairs by a 'prefect' (whatever that was) we couldn't wait to climb the stairs and crawl into our new beds. I barely had time to appreciate the maroon hangings and soft sheets before I was drifting off to sleep.
When I woke the other girls were still asleep. I slipped into the bathroom to brush my teeth and hair, and then I maneuvered quietly around the room, undressing beside my bed and pulling on my pleated skirt, pressed white button up, and knee high socks. When Lily woke I was contemplating what to do with a strip of fabric striped with red and gold left at the end of my bed atop my trunk. I held it out and raised my eyebrows at her.
"Need some help?" She smiled sleepily at me and sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Her flame red hair was wild as if she moved a lot in her sleep, and the large shirt that she had slept in turned half way around her body. I nodded, and when she stood and helped me, I repeated the motioned she showed me a few times before getting it right. Apparently this was called a tie, she said in the muggle world only men wore them, but it must be how they could tell us apart here by the house colors.
I pulled on my school robes and black shoes, but they felt uncomfortable and constricting on my toes, so I walked slowly as Lily laughed at me, promising to meet me at breakfast. I took my time in the common room while it was mostly empty, studying the portraits and shelves and decorations. I liked the large window that you could look out to see the grounds of the school, and we were so high you could see the tops of the seemingly never-ending trees in the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore had said students were not to ever enter it, hence the name, but I secretly longed to feel the forest floors under my feet and climb the highest trees.
When I found the Great Hall I was happy to have only lost my way once, and I sat down at the table alone, seeing no other first years yet. The rest of the table was scattered with groups of friends, some even from other houses. I decided Lily was crazy to think her and Severus would have trouble staying friends, it only seemed to mean that they had different living spaces.
I tried some fluffy white scrambled eggs, but decided it wasn't my favorite food that I had tried so far, and moved on to bacon- which was delicious. I only managed to eat some toasted bread and a couple of slices when Lily plopped down on the bench beside me. Her uniform mirrored mine exactly, our once plain black robes now with a red stripe down the edges and embroidered with the Gryffindor crest on the left breast, right over our hearts. I asked Lily who must have come into our rooms and done this, but she said she wasn't sure, and that she would ask Severus when she seen him.
I munched a little more on some fruit and when our schedules were handed out Lily was very pleased to have Potions with the other first year Slytherin students. James must have just overheard hear, sitting down across the table from us as he shoved a whole piece of bacon into his mouth at once, looking down at his schedule.
"Slytherin's and Gryffindor's don't get along Evans" He said this through his bacon, and Sirius was right behind him, starting a talk about how only bad people went to Slytherin.
"My whole family has been in Slytherin but me. Trust me, I know." Sirius said as he ignored his schedule and started loading eggs onto his plate. Lily was turned red in the face and I think she just managed to not blow up on them about how very wrong they were, but she spotted Severus and stalked off.
"That can't be true. Something like that can't possibly determine that you're a bad person." I tried to reason, but they were having none of it. Peter and Remus soon joined them and Remus only shrugged, and Peter nodded along. I decided not to take their word on it and left them to go see if Lily was ready for Transfiguration, our first lesson of the day. Lily went, promising Severus to see him in potions, and telling him she would hurt him if he didn't sit next to her.
"This class will be fun! We'll start out small- but eventually we'll be able to turn a table into a horse- or something like that!" Lily was bursting with excitement, and I tried to hide my own. In the wizarding world you get to try all the main branches before making your choice, in my world people usually picked only one thing to stick with throughout their lives. I was glad the pressure was off of me to do so, it seemed like an insane responsibility now. Only a few weeks ago it was just the way things were… now I felt conflict… and seen more than one path ahead of me. Not knowing what was to come was intimidating- but also thrilling.
Professor McGonagall got straight to the point when class was started, and I decided I liked her no-nonsense personality. She explained the different branches of Transfiguration, and how we would only focus on Transformation until our third year or on, when we would learn how to use Switches, then Vanishing, which was easier than conjuring, and she briefly described Human Transfiguration, showing us her own animagus form and giving the examples of werewolves and metamorphmagus. I glanced over to Remus Lupin absently.
My interest was piqued as she popped back up from her cat form, turning to the chalk board behind her and writing an equation for us to copy and learn, and stressed how important it was to use extreme caution in her class, that any foolishness would get you kicked out. She passed a box of matches around and wrote the incantation on the board so that everyone could see. I don't think she expected many of us to change our matches into needles or much of anything at all, but it was a good way to let us try it out and pass the first class smoothly.
"Brashio!" Lily whispered and flicked her wand at the match on the desk in front of here. When nothing happened she looked defeated. I turned my attention to my match, and pulled my wand from the pocket inside of my robe (I had finally found a place to keep it). I focused on the match, and thought the incantation hard, practicing the motion as I did so. I jumped when my match popped into a needle, and picked it up slowly, twirling it between my index and thumb slowly.
"Vermilliah… Did you even…?" Lily whispered, staring at the perfectly shaped needle as I sat it back down in front of me. "Did you just use a non-verbal spell?"
My eyebrows knotted together in confusion. I had no idea what that was, but I must have just done something amazing if Professor McGonagall was speechless. I swallowed hard. I didn't mean to do it. Now everyone was wondering what the big deal was as Minerva picked up my needle and examined it.
"Miss Dumbledore, see me after class." I felt my heart beating rapidly against my chest and just managed a nod as the Professor swept away and looked to see if anyone else had managed anything. Remus Lupin had managed to make his match look like a needle, but it was still wood. James Potter smirked triumphantly and showed his own needle off, and Sirius was not far behind. Lily seemed determined to not let them do better than her, and she managed a perfect needle just before the bell rang to signal the end of first period.
"I want a full foot of parchment dedicated to the aspects of the equation on the board by Monday!" Professor McGonagall stated before dismissing the class herself, and Lily promised to wait outside for me. I took my time packing my things, walking up to McGonagall's desk as I tucked my wand away in my pocket. The witch watched me for a long moment and her lips finally cracked into a smile.
"I would say I have a promising few first years this year, four of you managed to get a perfect needle the first day. This is exciting because you are all in my house of course, but never have I had a student transfigure seemingly without any effort on the first day without even moving her lips." I felt my cheeks burning and I waited for her to scold me, to tell me that I was foolish for making it so apparent that I wasn't a normal witch.
"I- I was just practicing the movement when I was thinking the incantation- I thought about how it must look when a match turns into a needle- and then…" I trailed off, and she pulled a match out, lying it on her desk between us. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow in question, and she just nodded. I pulled my wand out and licked my lips, thinking hard and staring at the needle- with a flick the match turned, and Professor McGonagall clapped for me.
"Promising, very promising." She dismissed me after this, and I was glad to be on my way with Lily, determined that in Potions I was not going to be extraordinary.
Potions was easy to be passive in. As I sat with Lily and Severus, I realized it was the only mixed table in the whole room. Everyone else paired off to their house. The entire class was just a matter of following directions, and before I knew it the entire class had passed by and the three of us had managed a simple potions to cure boils. Professor Slughorn- a very thick man with a walrus mustache- stopped and congratulated almost everyone in the class for properly making the potion, spending a moment scolding Peter Pettigrew about the severity of stirring a potion the wrong direction.
I left Lily and Severus to talk, feeling like maybe I was intruding on something as they got into a whispered argument on the way out of class, and I followed my fellow classmates to the Great Hall for lunch. I felt Albus Dumbledore's eyes follow me to the Gryffindor table, and when I looked up I could see why, as Professor McGonagall was telling him something she seemed to be happy about.
I groaned inwardly and picked at my food. The only instruction was for me to seem normal and I seemed to be failing horribly at it. When Lily joined me she seemed happier and I didn't question what had happened, I had a tendency to be far too curious and invade on peoples personal issues at home- but I was determined to not annoy the witches and wizards I had to be around for years to come. I also really liked Lily, and I wanted to be friends with her, so I respected her privacy.
After lunch we walked off to find the Charms classroom together, which our schedules said would be with the Hufflepuffs. I followed Lily down the first row out of the three, and we sat front and center. Lily seemed determined to outshine James and Sirius, but I only slightly understood why. They were definitely too proud of themselves, but I thought they were just trying to have a good time. As long as they weren't hurting anyone.
I took my time looking over the spell, practicing the motion the tiny Professor Flitwick had showed us. Her feather floated to the ceiling before mine left the desk, and I smiled at her. She seemed smug that it took James and Sirius five more minutes to figure it out. I congratulated them and asked Peter if he would like some help, his feather zooming away every time he pointed his wand at it.
This was the last class of the day, and though I wanted to go explore with Lily until dinner, Professor Flitwick told me to follow him to Dumbledore's study. I followed the Professor quietly until he stopped in front of a gargoyle statue, said 'Acid Drops!" in his squeaky little voice, and motioned for me to step onto the rising stairs.
I walked into the office, and began to look around shortly after realizing Professor Dumbledore was not there. I tried to refrain from touching anything, and I was startled by a large bird I hadn't noticed perched by his desk. I was almost nose to beak with the creature, as it watched me with equal curiosity, and I backed up a little when the door I had come through opened.
"Hello. I've heard wonderful things from your teachers." Dumbledore told me, taking a seat behind the big desk before looking at me, his blue eyes peeking over his glasses knowingly.
"I didn't mean to cast that spell- It just happened. I didn't even know you could do that!" I sat down in the chair opposite of him and placed my hands in my lap. "Professor McGonagall said she had never had a first year do that." I told him.
"It's not something we teach until fifth year or on. It's difficult for most… But you aren't a witch either. I wouldn't worry too much about it Vermilliah. I wanted to bring you here to let you know that this is exactly why it is a good thing you are my niece. I wouldn't want to sound too big headed, but extraordinary will be expected of you being related to me." As he said this I let out a sigh of relief. I wasn't crazy or weird. No one thought I was abnormal, just a good witch.
Albus then asked me about the people I had met, and was pleased about me already having Lily as a friend. He promised to see me again in a couple of weeks to make sure I was adjusting well, and I went off to try and find my way back to Gryffindor tower. As I plopped down next to Lily on a couch in the Gryffindor common room, I barely had time to tell her my 'uncle' was just checking in on me before we had to get ready for dinner.
The day wasn't over yet and I was already exhausted. Only seven more years to go.