Hermione stayed with them for most of the ride to Hogwarts, only leaving when an announcement came through the train saying there was an hour left before Hogsmeade Station and for students to get into their uniforms if they had not done so already.
Fifteen minutes before Hogsmeade Station another announcement was made instructing students to leave their belongings on the train as their luggage and pets would be brought up to Hogwarts for them.
Now in her uniform, Aria looked at her reflection in the girls' bathroom, hands shaking. This was real, she was about to see her magical school!
"Nervous?" an older student asked, coming out of one of the stalls. She had brown hair pushed back with a wide headband and her tie wasn't black bur rather blue and bronze. Another crest with an eagle on it was on her robe. A shiny Prefect badge was pinned beside the crest.
"Just a bit," Aria replied. "I . . . what if I make an idiot of myself? What if I fall behind? What if I can't keep up because I'm Muggleborn and didn't grow up around magic?"
"You're not going to fall behind," the prefect insisted. "The name's Penelope Clearwater, Ravenclaw prefect. I'm Muggleborn. I had all those worries too, but as you can see, I'm now a Prefect. You'll only fail if you don't work hard and, I will warn you, you are going to have to work harder to prove to the bigger pureblood idiots who say we don't belong in the magical world." She reached out and straightened Aria's tie. "You come get me if someone's bullying you, okay?"
"Okay," Aria murmured, smiling at the girl. Penelope walked her back to her compartment. Ron and Harry were already back.
"Are you another Weasley?" Penelope teased, making Ron blush again, before walking off.
The train pulled to a stop at a station with a sign that read HOGSMEADE. Aria, Harry, and Ron stayed close to each other as they exited the train. A booming voice carried over the heads and voices of disembarking students, calling for the first years.
"It's Hagrid!" Harry cried, hurrying towards the giant of a man.
"'iya, 'arry!" Hagrid greeted. "Ah, you've gotter friends."
"Aria Bourne and Ron Weasley," Harry introduced.
"Another Weasley, eh? Well, welcome. Welcome." Hagrid hummed as more first years joined them. "Is this everyone? Follow me." The first years followed Hagrid down a lantern lit path to a long dock.
"Four to a boat!" Hagrid ordered, motioning to the small boats, each equipped with a lantern on a pole. Aria, Harry, and Ron climbed into a boat and were quickly joined by Hermione who sat beside Aria at the front. Once all the first years were in the boats Hagrid climbed into one just for him, and Aria was certain magic was being used to keep it from sinking, before shouting "Forward!" and all the boats began gliding forward.
For several minutes the only thing Aria could see were the other boats with first years. She could see Draco Malfoy in a boat with his two larger goons and another girl. She seemed to be whispering something to him. Overhead Aria could see thousands of stars; more stars than she had ever seen in her life. Cokesworth wasn't exactly known for having clear enough skies. At one point she thought maybe she had seen a shooting star.
Suddenly the boats rounded an outcrop of rocks and hundreds of soft lights greeted the first years from a towering castle. Gasps filled the boats and the students began to whisper excitedly to each other. Aria felt a fuzzy warm feeling bubble up in her chest. There was an atmosphere of welcome and peace that the castle seemed to give, like she was always meant to be here, always meant to come.
"This is amazing!" Hermione whispered. She and Aria clutched each other's arms as they giggled, glancing back at the boys who were gazing in awe at the castle.
After another ten minutes the boats docked at a boat house and Hagrid led them up a path which led to a stone staircase which led to a small door in the side of the castle. He brought them into a room where an older woman in velvet emerald robes and a pointy hat waited for them.
"Thank you, Hagrid," the woman said, adjusting her spectacles at the man. Hagrid lumbered out.
"Welcome, First Years," the woman said, her Scottish brogue calming yet stern. "I am Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor. In just a few moments you will be led into the Great Hall where you will be Sorted into your Houses. There are four: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here at Hogwarts, your House will be like your family. I wish you well at your Sorting Ceremony." Motioning them to follow her, Professor McGonagall led them out into a brightly lit corridor.
"What do you think the Sorting is?" Hermione asked. "Hogwarts, A History didn't say."
"It's a secret," Ron said. "Apparently no one tells anyone how it works."
As they came closer to a great entry way Aria heard several kids gasp. Looking towards the noise she too gasped as four ghosts floated by.
"Ah, little first years!" one ghost, who looked like a monk, cried. "Welcome to Hogwarts." A sad looking woman ghost and a happy looking man ghost greeted the children while another ghost, this one a man, scowled at the students.
"Those are the House Ghosts," Professor McGonagall called over her shoulder. "You'll meet them in good time."
Through the entry way she led them and through large double doors into the Great Hall. All the other years sat at long tables, above which were banners with the colors and crests of each house over them. Aria gazed in wonder at the floating candles above their heads and the vision of the night sky over their heads. She had been certain she had seen a roof when they were crossing the lake!
"It's just an illusion," Hermione whispered to her. Apparently, Hermione chatted when she was nervous. "In Hogwarts, A History, Rowena Ravenclaw enchanted the ceiling to always reflect the weather outside."
The first years stopped at the foot of a raised dais where a head table was with all the faculty was set up. At the very center of the head table sat a man with a long white beard in a purple robe and wizard's hat. Behind his half-moon spectacles were twinkling blue eyes, and he was seated on a throne like chair. To the man's immediate left was another man, almost goblin sized, with slicked down dark hair and glasses. To that man's left was a plump woman with a happy face, tanned, with curly gray hair who wore a witch's hat with leaves in it instead of something more common like feathers.
On the other side of the enthroned man was an empty chair and on the other side was Professor Snape who stared at the group of first years with slightly narrow eyes. He was dressed in his customary black clothes and he did not look happy to be in such a magnificent castle.
Beside her Harry made a quiet noise of discomfort. Glancing his way, she watched as he hurried to hide a grimace, and made it look like he was just running his hand through his hair, even though he pressed down on his scar like it hurt.
"You all right?" she whispered.
"Yeah," Harry said, glancing towards the head table. "I just . . . it's nothing." Aria shrugged, turning her attention back to Professor McGonagall who now stood on the dais next to a stool. A ratty looking wizard's hat was on the stool, looking like it needed a good wash.
A hush fell over the Great Hall and then the hat opened, a rip appearing like a mouth, and it began to sing!
"You may not think me pretty,
You may not think me bright.
But put me on your head,
And I'll sort you out right quick.
You may be placed in Gryffindor
Where dwell the brave at heart;
Or Slytherin, it's counter,
Where the cunning make their friends.
Ravenclaw is where those
Daring intellects live, and as
For Hufflepuff, they kindly take
The rest. So put me on your head
Don't be shy you see, for I may
Be thousand's years old, but I'm
Still a Thinking Cap!"
Aria clapped along with the rest of the student body and teachers, all while trying not to laugh at the sure ridiculousness of a talking hat! Several first years looked relieved, and Ron was complaining to Hermione about the twins trying to convince him that the Sorting included battling a troll.
Professor McGonagall unrolled a scroll of parchment.
"Abbott, Hannah!" A small brunette pushed through the first years from the back. McGonagall picked up the hat and Hannah sat on the stool. The professor put the hat one and, for several seconds, Aria could only hear her third-grade teacher's voice yelling not to share hats because of lice.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat shouted.
The Hufflepuff table, which sat underneath the yellow and black banners, erupted into cheers as McGonagall lifted the Hat off Hannah and she hurried over to her new house.
Mandy Brocklehurst was sorted into Ravenclaw, the group underneath the blue and bronze banner.
"Bones, Susan!" An auburn hair girl went to the stool and was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff. Aria glanced to the Hufflepuff table where Hannah was excitedly cheering. Susan greeted her friend with giggles and a hug.
Terry Boot was also sorted into Ravenclaw.
McGonagall glanced at the parchment in her hand.
"Bourne, Aria!"
Taking a deep breath, and with an encouraging thumbs-up from Hermione, Aria made her way to the stool, sliding onto the chair. She got a quick look at everyone staring at her before her vision was obscured by the hat coming to rest on her head.
"I do love sorting Muggleborns," she heard inside her head. The Hat laughed at her surprise.
Why do you love it? She thought.
"People get . . . attached to their houses," the Hat explained. "Every family promotes certain ideals within their own homes and many times it is influenced by where their families have been Sorted. But Muggleborns have no such influence. You come in fresh like the first students I ever Sorted all those centuries ago."
Aria wrung her hands as the hat hemmed and hawed over where to put her.
"I see you have lots of ambition," the hat said, "you desire to prove yourself to others, to prove that you're better than where you come from, that you aren't just another Spinner's End brat destined for menial work and living."
I cannot wait for you to get out of my head, Aria thought. The hat laughed.
"You've also got a brain inside your head," the hat continued, "very clever girl you are. Very clever . . . ah yes . . . quite a bit of powerful magic within you too. I know just the place to put you then, the best place that'll guide you in what you desire."
Where's that?
"SLYTHERIN!"
As the first student to be sorted into Slytherin House, the group underneath the green and silver banners, erupted into loud cheers. Professor McGonagall lifted the hat off Aria's head, and she made her way over to the house, sitting in the first empty spot, shaking hands with a few kids while Lavender Brown was Sorted into Gryffindor.
Glancing towards the Head Table Aria caught Professor Snape's gaze. He nodded at her before going back to watch the Sorting where Millicent Bulstrode was now being Sorted into Slytherin. The very large girl came and sat across from Aria.
After that the students were Sorted steadily. Stephen Cornfoot was sorted into Hufflepuff, Michael Corner into Ravenclaw. Vincent Crabbe was Sorted int Slytherin while Fay Dunbar made Gryffindor. The next Slytherin after Vincent was Tracey Davis, a square-faced girl with mousy brown hair. She sat beside Aria and they shared a smile.
Finally, after Seamus Finnegan was Sorted into Gryffindor and Anthony Goldstein went to Ravenclaw, and Gregory Goyle to Slytherin, Hermione was called up. Aria almost laughed seeing her friend giving herself a pep-talk as she made her way to the stool.
The hat sat on Hermione's head for several minutes, much longer than anyone else's.
"Hat stall?" Aria heard someone whisper.
"What's that?" she asked.
"When the Hat takes more than five minutes to Sort you," came the answer.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindors cheered as Hermione hopped off the stool and scurried over to join her fellow first years, even as Aria felt disappointment at being separated from her friend.
The girl after Hermione, Daphne Greengrass, was sorted into Slytherin and she sat on Tracey's other side. The two grinned at each other, clearly already friends.
Soon enough the blonde brat Draco Malfoy was called up. The hat had barely touched his head before he was Sorted into Slytherin. Aria sighed, sharing a look of resigned apathy with Harry who was still waiting to be called up.
The next Slytherins were Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson. Theo sat beside Daphne while Pansy sat beside Draco before fluttering her eyelashes at him. Aria almost laughed.
"Potter, Harry!"
All noise within the Great Hall ceased. The unnerving silence was only broken by the sharp pops of the torches along the wall and Harry's steps as he made his way to the stool. He sat down and the hat was placed on his head.
"He's going to be Gryffindor," Pansy whispered. "All the Potters have been."
Aria held her breath, hoping that at least one of her friends would get Sorted into Slytherin with her. She crossed her fingers under the table.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Shocked voices drowned out Aria's excited whoop as she and other Slytherins rose to their feet to welcome Harry to the house. Aria had the first years on her bench scoot down so that Harry could sit between her and the upper year. As everyone began quieting down to allow the Sorting to continue, sharp "boos" carried across the Great Hall from the Gryffindor table. Unnerved, Aria glanced to see who was making the rude noise, seeing several students who could have been sixteen or seventeen standing up and cupping their mouths to make their noises louder.
"That is enough!" Professor McGonagall snapped. Immediately the entire hall fell silent. "Now, if houses do not wish to begin the year in the negative numbers, I expect you all to behave appropriately."
"Numbers?" Harry questioned.
"House points," a second year Slytherin explained, pointing to giant hourglasses at the back of the Great Hall. "You can earn or gain House points and at the end of the year, whoever has the most house points wins the House Cup! Slytherin's won the last seven years!"
It seemed like forever before Ron was called up. At the Gryffindor table Aria saw the twins climb on top of the benches, yanking up their other brother Percy, preparing to cheer for their brother. The Sorting Hat took two minutes before declaring, "GRYFFINDOR!" and Ron hurried over to the Gryffindor table, welcomed by the loud cheers of his brothers.
"Rotten luck," Harry muttered to Aria. "I was kind of hoping all four of us would be in the same house."
Eventually, the last student, Blaise Zabini, was sorted into Slytherin and the bearded man on the enthroned chair rose to his feet.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts," the man said, his voice kind like a grandfather's. "I am Albus Dumbledore, your Headmaster. I would like to remind you that there is a banned items list which Mr. Filch has issued, you may take a look at it outside his office at your pleasure. Please remember that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden . . . ." here he looked over his half-moon spectacles towards the Gryffindor table, "and at this moment the third floor corridor on the eastern side of the castle is off limits. Now, I believe it's time to eat. Nit! Twit! Mitt!"
A feast appeared on the table before Aria. She and Harry gasped. Never before had she seen so much food! The Great Hall filled with laughter and chatter as students helped themselves to the food before them. Aria eagerly put a little of everything on her plate, the succulent smells of seasoned meat and sautéed vegetables made her practically drool. Beside her, however, Harry appeared a bit lost. His hands, clenched tightly in his lap, were shaking. Only Aria seemed to notice.
"Try something," she whispered. Harry glanced at her, then the food platters before finally reaching out and putting some chicken, rice, and vegetables on his plate. He poured himself water. His hands didn't shake as badly.
"So, Aria," Tracey said, "where are you from?"
"Cokesworth," Aria replied. "It's in the West Riding area of Yorkshire."
"I thought I would be familiar with most of the families getting Sorted into Slytherin this year," Pansy said, "but I don't recognize your last name."
"You wouldn't," Draco stated. "She's Muggleborn. I saw her going shopping with Professor Snape this summer."
"You're Muggleborn?" Millicent cried, causing a few heads to turn from further up the Slytherin table. Aria paused, glancing around at the Slytherins who now stared at her with varying degrees of shock.
"Yes," she answered slowly. "Is that a problem?"
"No," Daphne replied.
"Yes," Pansy said. The two girls glared at each other. Up the table the older students were now whispering, glancing at her just as much as they were glancing at Harry. Aria felt her stomach painfully clench and the food lost its flavor.
Dinner popped away, replaced immediately by a large assortment of desserts. Harry served himself treacle tart and served Aria a slice as well, motioning for her to eat.
When dessert finally disappeared two older Slytherin students, a boy and a girl, came to the first years and introduced themselves as the fifth-year prefects, Marcus Flint and Tracey Paddington. They had the first years follow them out of the Great Hall and down a staircase just off the Great Hall behind the first year Hufflepuffs. The Hufflepuffs turned off down a corridor while the Slytherins descended further into what Marcus called "the dungeons."
In the dungeons they came to a life sized portrait of a man in green robes.
"Are these the new Slytherins?" the man asked Marcus and Tracey, cool eyes glancing the first years up and down. Aria's eyes widened. She and Harry shared a look of surprise. Talking and moving portraits!
"Yes, sir," Marcus replied. "First years, this is our Founder, Salazar Slytherin. He guards the entrance to our dormitories. No one from another house is allowed into our common room, just like you'd never be allowed access to another house's area. When you come, you will give Slytherin the password. The password changes once a month and is posted on the announcement board in the common room. This month's password is 'Greatness'." The portrait swung open, and the prefects ushered the first years in.
The common room spread out from the portrait hole into a single room larger than Aria's house. A humongous fireplace with a roaring fire took the chill off the room which had seeped in from the stones. Tapestries hung from the walls and a painting sat over the mantel. The rest of the room was covered with couches, chairs, and tables. One wall was covered with bookshelves and at another wall two different staircases disappeared upwards.
"Those staircases lead to the dormitories," Tracey said. "Boys on the right, girls on the left. Each level is dedicated to a year. First years are on the first level, second years the second, so on and so forth. Each level has its own shared bedroom and bath. But for those who might need a little more help, each level is labeled so you shouldn't get lost. Now, if you would all gather around the fire, we will wait for the rest of the house to come and then our Head of House will be here to greet us and go over the House Rules."
"Who's our head of House?" Aria asked.
"Professor Snape, the Potions Master," Marcus replied. "He is an alumnus of Hogwarts and a former Slytherin." Aria and Harry sat on a two-person couch while Daphne, Tracey, Blaise, and Theo squished onto the larger couch directly in front of the fireplace. Draco marched over to Aria.
"Move yourself," he ordered.
"Why?" Aria asked.
"That's where I want to sit."
"Well, I was here first, you can find somewhere else to sit." She was beginning to like Draco less and less, not that he had much to like in the first place.
"I don't have to take orders from the likes of—," Draco's voice turned into a shriek as Marcus grabbed him by the collar and pushed him to the floor next to Theo's feet.
"You can sit there," Marcus snapped. "I don't want to see you bullying your housemates. You're going to be bullied by the other three Houses for being a Slytherin. Might as well make nice with your housemates."
"But she's a Muggleborn!" Marcus glanced at Aria then back at Draco.
"But she is a Slytherin," he stated. "Professor Snape has very strict rules about how we are to treat each other, and I doubt Bourne being a Muggleborn will change that."
The portrait hole opened and the rest of Slytherin House pushed in, gathering around the rest of the common room, moving chairs and couches so that they were as gathered around the fire as possible. Several people peered over to stare at both Aria and Harry. She was ready to hide away in her bed.
Professor Snape swept into the common room; the portrait door slamming shut behind him. With his robes billowing behind him, Aria almost envisioned him as a bat, and she almost laughed.
"Welcome to Slytherin," Snape said. "You've been selected, however strange it may seem, into the most Noble of Houses. Now, it is true that our house has a dark reputation, but that should not stop any of you from doing your best to bring honor to this house. I expect all of you to practice House Unity during your time here. Whatever problems you have with your housemates stays here in the common room, out there in the halls of the school I expect you to present a unified front." He stared hard at all the students gathered. Many students nodded their heads.
"The House Rules are simple," he continued, "as they mostly correspond to school rules. I expect all of you to keep your grades up and to come to me or one of your other teachers if you are having problems with the materials. There is also a curfew here at Hogwarts. It's ten o'clock on weekdays meaning you need to be inside your common room by ten o'clock. Here in Slytherin we also have bedtime curfews. I will not have you falling asleep in class and loosing points because you don't know how to regulate your sleep schedules. First years, your bedtime is ten o'clock. Second and third years, your curfew is ten-thirty; fourth and fifth years are eleven o'clock; and NEWT student must be out of the common room, if not in bed, by quarter of midnight."
"We have a bedtime?" Draco whined.
"Indeed, Mr. Malfoy," Snape answered. "And you'd well to adhere to the rules I set before you. I rarely, if ever, take points from Slytherins in public, but rest assured I will make up for it in my office or in this common room. Additional punishments on top of any detentions you receive may also be given. Would you care to find out, Mr. Malfoy, what I am capable of?"
"No, sir," Draco replied.
"I thought not."
Aria smirked at Draco's put down. Snape turned to her and Harry, his dark eyes studying them intensely for a moment.
"I expect there will be no bullying between housemates," he finally said, glancing back over the rest of the Slytherins. "You've already got a dark enough reputation as it is. Don't add to it."
Several Slytherins glanced at each other.
"Now, you've got less than an hour before ten o'clock," Snape continued, "I should hope I don't need to come by and put people to bed. Prefects, a word." He and the three sets of prefects stepped through a doorway that was hidden by a tapestry. When Snape was gone nearly every head turned towards Aria and Harry again.
"So . . ." one girl with curly hair said. "The Boy-Who-Lived and a Muggleborn. What a pair you make."
"Leave them be, Prudence," someone else said, "you heard Professor Snape."
"I was just making an observation," Prudence replied, tossing her curls over her shoulder. "One can make an observation, can't they? Let's be honest, we're really good at that. We all expected Harry Potter to follow in his parents' footsteps and be placed in the Golden House of Gryffindor and certainly no one expected a Muggleborn to be Sorted into the House of Salazar Slytherin. Has there ever been a Muggleborn in Slytherin before?"
The students looked at each other with frowns.
"I didn't think so," Prudence continued. She rose to her feet. "I guess only time will tell if they'll be an asset or a blight upon our house." She grabbed twirled around, made her way to the stairs, followed by several other girls that Aria could only guess were her year mates.
The tapestry moved and the prefects returned.
"Best start getting ready for bed," Tracey told the first years. "You'll want to be well rested for the first day of school." Aria followed the other first year girls up to their dorm room. There were five twin beds in the room, three against one large wall and the other two split between the other two walls. On one side of each bed was a closet with three drawers, and a three shelved bookcase. On the other side of each bed was a nightstand that also had a drawer and shelves. Except for the fact that the beds had canopies and bed curtains, it was pretty much a standard dorm room, though Aria noted how the bedding were all Slytherin green.
"You can adjust the lay out of the room," Tracey said from the doorway. "This is the standard layout. If you want ideas, you can just ask the upper classmen to show you their rooms." The prefect left.
Aria went over to the bed where her trunk was stationed at the foot of the bed, her backpack on top. She put the backpack on the bed and opened her trunk, glad to see that everything had stayed in place just like Professor Snape said it would and began moving clothing items from the trunk to her closet space. The other girls began unpacking too.
"I can't believe we're going to have to share a room with you," Pansy finally sneered at Aria, breaking the awkward silence that had come over the room. She and Millicent had immediately swapped with Daphne and Tracey, taking the two beds farthest from Aria. "Look at you, secondhand clothes and a trunk that's falling apart."
"Professor Snape said it should last me until I graduate," Aria replied. "He even checks the charms on it."
"Was he the one to take you shopping?" Tracey asked.
"Yes. He also delivered my letter. I think my dad was relieved, having an explanation for all my accidental magic."
Pansy flounced out of the bedroom into the connected bathroom. Aria grabbed her toothbrush and followed Pansy. There were five sinks in the bathroom, three showers with tubs, and three toilet stalls. Aria brushed her teeth before putting her hair into a braid and changing into her pajamas. The other four girls had very pretty nightgowns. Pansy's was a pale pink while Daphne's was a navy blue. Tracey's nightgown was a standard white while Millicent's was a very nice green.
"Why are you wearing boys' pajamas?" Millicent asked. Aria looked at her blue and white matching set of pajama pants and short-sleeved button shirt. Kenneth had gifted her two brand new sets of pajamas, one for warm weather and one for cold.
"These?" she questioned. "No, these are for girls. Sometimes girls wear pants to bed instead of a nightgown."
"Muggles are a bit weird," Daphne said. "I don't know what my mother would do if she caught me in trousers."
"So . . . you never wear pants?" Aria cried.
"Girls wearing pants is more of a Muggle trend," Tracey replied. "Though it is becoming more popular."
"I think, since we have to live with you for the next seven years," Pansy said, "that we set out some ground rules."
"What sort of rules?" Aria demanded.
"Who is we?" Daphne asked.
"You cannot use the showers before any of us," Pansy told Aria, "and you can't use the same sinks as us."
"Well, there are five sinks so I think if we all staked a claim on one we should be fine," Tracey pointed out. "But why do you want to make Aria wait for us to use the showers?"
"I am not using the shower after she's used it," Pansy snapped. "Who knows what diseases she's got!"
"Being a Muggleborn isn't a disease, Pansy," Daphne argued. "You're being mean. Aria doesn't have to listen to anything you say. Don't feel like you have to listen to Pansy, Aria. She's just being mean."
"I wasn't planning on listening to her anyway," Aria said. "The person who uses the shower first uses the shower first. I think . . . Pansy, if you have a problem you can take it up with Tracey or Professor Snape." She climbed into bed, sliding the curtains closed. Immediately the noise from outside disappeared and Aria was glad. She did not want to have to listen to whatever whining Pansy was going to do.
Laying down she wondered how she would explain all this to her dad. This wasn't exactly the welcome she had expected. Should she even tell her dad? She didn't want him to worry.
She had hoped things would be different at Hogwarts, that she would not be picked out for bullying. Guess some things did not change.