Work Title: Nina's Destiny
Author: MeggieBlack
Summary: Growing up in Manhattan, Antonina Jackson was used to strange things. It hardly bothered her at all when she became friends with two, slightly odd twelve year olds. Almost nothing could catch her off guard, except maybe finding out she was a muggleborn witch, or that her dad's a Greek god. But what about when her two best friends turn out to be not so normal either? Born into three separate worlds Antonina needs to learn how to harness her magic while dealing with two different prophecies.
Main Pairing: Apollo/Antonina
Side Pairings: Lavender Brown/Perseus Jackson; Parvati Patil/Leo Valdez; Jason Grace/Piper McLean; Sirius Black/OC; Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks; Frank Zhang/Hazel Levesque; Nico di Angelo/Will Solace (As more come up, I will add them)
Chapter Word Count: 2,557
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Harry Potter. They belong to their amazing authors. I do own Nina and everything else you do NOT recognize.
Revision Date: January 14, 2015
To the guest reviewer who told me to make up my mind about naming Nina Christina or Antonina, I have. Her name is Antonina. I have not changed it to Antonina in later chapters yet because I have not yet edited them.
Chapter Seven: The Sorting Hat
Nina's POV
I followed Harry and Ron off the train to a giant of a man. He had to be at least 8' 6". I was a little surprised that Harry seemed to know this man, Harry called him Hagrid, but I figured maybe this was the person who showed Harry around Diagon Alley.
Hagrid gathered all the first years together and ushered us to a giant lake. Being a Water Mage, I loved water in general, but this lake was amazing.
"Four to a boat!" Hagrid instructed us all. I climbed in with Harry, Ron, and the boy who lost his toad. As soon as the boy, Neville, sat down, the boats began to move. It wasn't long before we could see Hogwarts. The school looked like a Medieval castle. It was breath-taking. The boats docked at the edge of the lake, and we all climbed out. Hagrid lead us inside the castle where an older, strict-looking woman was waiting for us.
"Here they are, Professor," Hagrid said proudly, clapping his hands together. The professor gave a tight-lipped smile.
"Thank you, Hagrid," she said. "That will be all." Hagrid waved to us and walked down the stone hallway. The Professor turned to us. "I am Professor McGonagall," she introduced. "I will be taking you to be sorted as soon as we are ready for you. If you will all please follow me." Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and marched down the corridor. We all followed her.
She took us to a sectioned off room where she closed us in.
"Do you know how they sort us into houses?" I asked Neville.
"Gran said something about a hat," Neville replied. His hands were shaking slightly. "I'm not really sure what we're supposed to do with it, though."
"It's some sort of test," I heard Ron say from a few feet away. "Fred says it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
"You think?" I muttered under my breath. Neville snorted. We both flipped around when we heard a loud scream. Coming out of the wall were a bunch of ― ghosts?
"The heck?" I asked. Was this normal in the wizarding world? I looked around, but all the other first years seemed just as shocked as I was. I guess this wasn't so normal.
"Forgive and forget, I say," a short, fat ghost in monks robe said. "We ought to give him a second chance."
"My dear Friar," another ghost, with a ruff and tights, said, "Haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves?" Were the ghosts arguing? "He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not even really a ghost ― I say, what are you all doing here?" The ghosts had finally noticed us. No one said a word.
"New students!" the Fat Friar laughed cheerfully. "About to be sorted I suppose?" I nodded mutely along with a few others. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old home you know."
The ghosts were interrupted by Professor McGonagall's brisk voice. "Move along now," she ordered. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start." The ghosts floated away though the opposite wall. "Now form a line and follow me." I got into line between a brunette-girl and Neville, and we all walked out of the chamber and into the Great Hall.
Professor McGonagall lead us in front of the table with all the teachers. Directly in front of the Teachers' Table was a rickety old stool with a black wizard's hat resting on it. Around us, there were sour long tables where all the other students were sitting. On the ceiling, the stars from the night sky were shining brilliantly.
"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside," I heard Hermione whisper. "I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." I nodded in agreement. I had read something similar when Mom, Diane, and I had been going through all my course books. I was beginning to wonder what we were supposed to do when the hat in the front of the room started to sing.
Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
I clapped along with the rest of the students as the hat took a bow. I heard Ron grumble about Fred lying to him about the troll. I can't believe Ron actually believed the twins about that.
"Abbott, Hannah," Professor McGonagall called. A tiny girl with blond pig-tails stumbled out of line and up to the hat, jamming it on her head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat called.
"Bones, Susan."
"HUFFLEPUFF"
"Boot, Terry."
"RAVENCLAW"
"Brocklehurst, Mandy."
"RAVENCLAW"
"Brown, Lavender"
"GRYFFINDOR"
"Bulstrode, Millicent."
"SLYTHERIN"
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin."
"HUFFLEPUFF"
"Finnigan, Seamus."
"GRYFFINDOR"
"Granger, Hermione."
"GRYFFINDOR"
"Jackson, Antonina."
I took a deep breath and walked up to the stool, carefully sitting down and allowing the hat to drop over my eyes.
A Mage? something whispered in my mind, and I jumped. A soft chuckling filled my mind. I didn't mean to startle you, my dear.
Are you the Sorting Hat? I asked. The laughter filled my mind again. I took it to mean a yes.
Now, let's see what you have in here. Ah, lots of bravery, but also very wise. A thirst for knowledge, but you'd do anything for your family. Although, I do think the bravery outweighs them. Best be...
"GRYFFINDOR"
I heard the hat shout the last part out loud and jumped up, placing it on the stool. I walked over to the table that was clapping for me. I sat down next to Fred and George. When I looked up at the staff table, I saw Professor Snape give me a slight nod, his lips curved up slightly.
"Wow Jackson," I heard Fred comment. I turned to him and he said, "You got on Snape's good side. That's impressive especially for a Gryffindor." I rolled my eyes at him.
"He can't be that bad, Fred. Professor Snape is the one who took me to Diagon Alley."
"How did you know I was Fred," asked Fred.
"You're skin is darker and George has more freckles," I replied before turning back to the sorting. I had memorized the differences between them on the train.
I smirked when I heard George say, "Our own mother lives with us and can't tell the difference and here Nina is after meeting us twice and she can tell us apart perfectly and tell us what the differences are. Just wow!"
"Longbottom, Neville."
"GRYFFINDOR"
I waved Neville over. "Hey," he breathed out. "The hat told me you were a Water Mage. I'm an Earth Mage. He said you could help me train my powers because I don't know any other Mages."
"Of course, Neville," I smiled. We both turned back to watch the sorting.
"Malfoy, Draco."
I could instantly tell I wasn't going to make friends with this kid anytime soon.
"SLYTHERIN"
"Nott, Theodore."
"SLYTHERIN"
"Patil, Padma"
"RAVENCLAW"
"Patil, Parvati"
"GRYFFINDOR"
Parvati sat across from me, looking forlornly at the Ravenclaw table.
"I wish Padma was in Gryffindor too," she sighed.
"It could be worse," I said, hoping to make her feel better. When she looked up at me, I added, "My twin brother goes to a boarding school in America."
"Really?"
"Potter, Harry." The entire hall grew silent as Harry sat on the stool and pulled the Sorting Hat over his eyes. The silence rang out for several minutes before the hat called,
"GRYFFINDOR"
The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers, and Harry scurried over to sit between Fred and me. Percy Weasley, the eldest brother in Hogwarts, reached over to shake Harry's hand.
"Thomas, Dean."
"GRYFFINDOR"
"Turpin, Lisa."
"RAVENCLAW"
"Weasley, Ron."
"GRYFFINDOR"
Ron's three brothers clapped louder than the rest of the house.
"Zabini, Blaise."
"SLYTHERIN"
The Slytherins mostly looked rather pompous, and I wondered if I was imagining it. They couldn't all be bad, right? Two of the girls who had been sorted, Tracy and Daphne I think their names were, didn't appear to be too nasty. I looked back up at the Teacher's Table as Professor Dumbledore started speaking.
"Welcome! Welcome to our new year at Hogwarts!" he said. "Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
Well, that was rather ― odd to say the least. I looked at the table, wondering where the food was, when it suddenly appeared on the tables out of thin air. I was really starting to love magic. I piled lamb chops, roast potatoes, peas, carrots, and gravy onto my plate. I hadn't had lamb in forever, and I was really looking forward to it.
"I don't think I've introduced myself?" I heard someone say to my left. I looked over to see the ghost with the ruff. "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington."
"Pleas-" I started to say before being interrupted by Ron.
"I know who you are. My brothers told me about you-you're Nearly Headless Nick!"
From the corner of my eye, I saw Fred, George, and Percy all shake their heads.
"I would prefer you call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-" Sir Nicholas began before being cut off.
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Seamus demanded.
"Like this," Sir Nicholas scoffed. He grabbed his hair and pulled his head to the side. Only a small flap of skin was left holding it on.
Later on, during desert, everyone was talking about their parentage.
"I'm half-and-half," Seamus started off the conversation. "Me dad's a muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch till after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."
Everyone laughed except me and Neville. I couldn't help but think what Gabe would do if he found out I was a witch. What he would to me.
"It's not funny." Everyone started staring at me. "Seamus' dad could have left his mom or turned abusive. You have to think of all the outcomes."
"What about you," Hermione asked me. "I'm a muggleborn."
"I don't know," I said, sadly. "My father was forced to leave before I was born and my mother never talks about him. I assume I'm muggleborn seeing as my mother is a muggle, but I honestly have no clue." Everyone gave me sympathetic looks. I scowled at them. Eleven years of getting looks like that, and I was sick of it. I sat listening to the conversation, not adding anything, until it was time to sing the school song.
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.
I stood up along with the rest of the first years after the feast, and we all followed the prefects to our dorms. I tried to pay attention to the path we were taking, but I was too tired. We stopped in front of a portrait of a plump, older woman.
"Caput Draconis," said Percy, loudly and clearly so we all could hear. The portrait swung in on itself, so I assumed 'Caput Draconis' was the password. Once inside, Percy gave a small speech and directed the girls up the left staircase and the boys up the right.
There were five beds in the first year girls' dorm; one each for Lilly Moon, Hermione, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and me. I saw my trunk at the foot of the bed by the window. Instead of my initials on the front, Sparkles was written on the lid with purple glitter.
"That is so cute, but why did you get it like that?" Lavender squealed. I laughed at her bubbly personality.
"My friend got my trunk for me," I answered, my mind straying to thoughts of my family and best friends. "I was getting the books. Sparkles is his nickname for me."
"Oooh, do you have a crush on him?" Parvati giggled. I gaped at her with my mouth open like an open fish. Even Hermione seemed slightly interested.
"No!" I protested. "First of all, we're 11. Second of all he's been my best friend since I was 8. And third, he's six years older than me."
Lavender and Parvati both pouted slightly before beginning to bounce on their beds. Hermione lost the little bit of interest she had and plopped down on her bed. Lilly was sitting on her bed, blushing heavily. i gave her a small smile and started pinning up pictures on my wall. There were some of Mom and me, Percy and me, Diane and me, Morgan and me, and Morgan, Di, and me. I grinned at my handiwork. It was the perfect collage.
A tapping at the window interrupted my thoughts. "Skittles!" I yelled, jumping up to open the window for my owl.
Hello Nina, owl replied, hopping off my arm and onto my bed.
"Why did you name her Skittles," asked Parvati curiously.
"They're my all time favorite candy, especially the blue ones." I smiled, thinking of Mom and her blue obsession.
"I've never heard of them," Hermione said. Lavender and Parvati shook their heads to say they hadn't either.
"I have," Lilly spoke up. "When I went to visit my cousins in America." I nodded and beckoned everyone over to my trunk and they all sat in a semicircle around me. I pulled a king sized bag of skittles from my trunk and poured everyone a handful. Even Skittles got a few candy pieces.
We all dug into the candy. When we were done I started thinking. Skittles, my owl was all white. Skittles the candy was rainbow. What if...
Pretty much everything is the same except some wording, and I toned down on the bashing. Or at least I hope I did. Tell me what y'all think.