They arrived at the station and departed the train, following the older students until a booming voice called out:
-FIRST YEARS THIS WAY!
Above everyone, Mr. Hagrid could be seen, looking even taller with all the children surrounding him.
-FIRST YEARS THIS WAY, DON'T GO INTO THE CARRIAGES!
Once the group got close enough, Leandra started to wave.
-You know a giant? - Goyle asked.
-Giants are way bigger than that, Goyle - Vincent corrected - They're probably a half giant.
-FIRST YEARS THIS- Oh, hi, Leandra! - Hagrid greeted, his gaze jumping between the three boys - How are you?
-I'm fine, Mr. Hagrid, thank you! Are you responsible for the first years this year?
-And every year before and after! I'm Hogwarts' Ground's Keeper, ain't I?
Leandra nodded, a smile on her face. She noticed Draco shifting his weight from one foot to the other, a strained smile on his lips. 'Well, this is going to be something hard for him to break out of', she thought.
-Do we travel by carriage too?
-Excuse me, just one second- YOU, OVER THERE! YOU'RE NEW, AREN'T YOU?- a little boy, who was going to the carriages, looked their way and nodded - FIRST YEARS THIS WAY!
The boy rushed to the growing group of first years gathering about Mr. Hagrid.
-No, you don't. First years travel through the lake.
Vincent's eyes gleamed and he muttered "I knew it!".
-We're going to ride a boat? - Goyle asked.
Mr. Hagrid froze for a second before speaking:
-I've said too much.
-What were you saying, Vince? - Draco asked.
The boy blushed.
-This road seemed to be the one leading to the lake.
-How do you know that, boy? - Mr. Hagrid kept looking at the train.
Vincent's blush reddened.
-I read "Hogwarts, a History" throughout the summer... I'm good with maps, so I ended up memorizing the grounds' drawings...
At that, Mr. Hagrid looked at the boy, eyes wide.
-That's impressive!
He quickly went back to calling first years until no more students were coming off the train.
-FIRST YEARS THIS WAY! FOLLOW ME!
Everyone obeyed, and they marched together through the grounds, making small talk as they went. Once they reached a big lake, Mr. Hagrid stopped, and pointed at the boats floating on the water.
-FOUR STUDENTS PER BOAT!
Everyone started pilling onto the boats, trying to stick with the people they had met on the train. A boy was working his way towards them, hands on his pockets and a smirk on his face. Draco noticed soon enough.
-Into a boat - he said, without moving his gaze from the boy - Now.
-Bossy much, aren't you, Draco? - Leandra followed his eyes - Scared of that boy?
-No way- his voice rose an octave - He just threw me into a lake once. Don't want to be thrown in one on my first day of school.
Leandra took a better look at the boy approaching. Dark complexion, and dark hair. Didn't look menacing, even with the smirk. The boy met her eyes and smiled.
-Goyle, Vincent, let's get in the boat.
The three boys got into the boat while Leandra stood behind, waiting for him to reach her. A few seconds of an annoyingly good smile later, he was standing right on front of her, and she could see his eyes were dark.
-Hello - the boy said, extending his hand - My name is Blaise Zabini. And you are...?
-Leandra Potter - she took his hand, gave it one firm shake and then released it - Can I help you with something?
-A Potter, you say? Pleased to meet you- Zabini smiled wider - I just wanted to say hello to my good old friend Draco over there. Maybe ride the boat with him.
-Our boat is full.
The boy shrugged, waved to Draco and then turned to walk away.
-See you on the sorting then, Leandra - he called out.
Leandra shook her head and got on the boat. Not long after, they started moving.
-There are hundreds of different creatures in this lake, did you know? - Vincent was peering at the still waters.
-Yes, father told me you can see them in the dorms - Goyle looked green-ish- He said there's a giant squid, but I don't think that's true.
-It is - Vincent confirmed - No one knows if it's a female or male - well, I suppose the Headmaster knows, but it didn't say in the book. Rumour has it it's a female.
Goyle turned even greener.
-Do you think it'll eat me if I try to go swim one day?
-I don't think it is allowed to do that... But we'll see: if the older students go swim, it's safe, if not, I wouldn't risk it.
Draco didn't seem to be paying attention, nodding along to the conversation. His eyes were fixed on the boat's floor, hands fidgeting.
Everyone was in awe by the time they reached the boat's house. From there they could see the whole castle.
-HURRY UP! - Hagrid yelled - ALL INSIDE!
The students obeyed, looking all around them in wonder. Mr. Hagrid lead them through the castle until they met with an old woman in green robes.
-They're here professor.
She nodded to Mr. Hagrid, a smile tugging at the side of her lips. He made his departure, leaving the students with the woman. She peered at them through her glasses:
-Welcome to Hogwarts! My name is Professor McGonagall. You will shortly be sorted into the houses that you will be in for the next seven years. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. These houses will be like your family. You will sleep in the same dormitories, go to the same classes and hang out in the same common room as the rest of your class. I expect you to behave.
She looked around at them, pausing with a disapproving stare at some students. Leandra noted, with some amusement, that her brother was one of them.
-I'll leave you to smarten up as best you can- she said - I'll be back to collect you in a minute.
As soon as the teacher disappeared through the door, whispers broke out. Leandra, already knowing what was going to happen, enjoyed the commotion silently.
-What do you think the sorting's like? - she heard Harry somewhere to her right.
-Fred and George spoke about fighting a troll- the Weasley's voice was shaking.
Somewhere to her left a rumour about chalices of wine had broken out, and another one about potions. At some point, ghosts appeared though the back wall, causing a chorus of startled gasps. They didn't spare as much as a glance to the first years, but they did cause a whole new rumble of theories.
By the time professor McGonagall came back, all sorts of theories had been made up, although none of the ones Leandra heard were right.
-Alright students! Follow me!
She guided them through a big set of doors and into an enormous room. From what Leandra could see, there were five tables, one of which was occupied by the professors (or so she guessed, for her godfather was seated there), and the ceiling wasn't quite there - she knew the school wouldn't leave the dining hall without a ceiling, but when she looked up she saw the night sky above their heads. There were candles floating all around, illuminating the space in a way the stars could not.
-Oh! - Vincent exclaimed - This is the Great Hall! I read about this!
-It's a spell, you know? - a bushy haired girl said beside her, pointing at the ceiling - I read about it in "Hogwarts, a History".
She turned to Leandra, smiled and extended her hand.
-I'm Hermione Granger.
Leandra heard Draco snort. 'Oh please, don't let it be like with the Weasley boy'.
-I'm Leandra Potter - she took Granger's hand.
-I read it's a tricky spell - she looked back at the ceiling - I wanna be able to do that. I know if I study hard, I will be able to. In the books it said -
And she went on about the ceiling's spell, with Leandra by her side, listening as attentively as she could, until they reached the front of the room. Professor McGonagall ascended the little step, which Leandra could now see the professors' table was on. Mr. Hagrid entered the Hall then, carrying with him an old hat and a stoll, which he set next to professor McGonagall. A moment after he left, a seam tore and the hat started to sing.
Leandra knew it was an intelligent hat who would choose which house she and her yearmates would be sorted into. She had gotten that much information out of her godfather. She did not know, though, about the hat's capability to speak, and so she gasped like everyone else, losing her composure for one moment. But one moment was enough for uncle Sev to feel smug, and when she looked at him, he had his nose turned up and a smirk in his face.
Once the hat quieted down, professor McGonagall stepped forward with a scroll and spoke:
-Once I call your name, you will step forward, sit on the stoll, and I will place the hat on your head. After you've been sorted, you shall sit with your house. Left to right from my point of view, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Abbott, Hannah!
A girl stepped forward, and not a minute later the hat called out "HUFFLEPUFF". The middle table at Leandra's right exploded into cheers, with the other houses clapping along. The next three girls went into Ravenclaw, their table cheering loudly for each one. Lavender Brown - Leandra remembered thinking of the flower - was sorted into Gryffindor.
-Bulstrode, Millicent!
The hat placed her in Slytherin, and the far left table erupted in cheers. This time, though, the other houses stayed quiet, and someone on Leandra's right even booed. The Granger girl complained under her breath about rude people.
Not long after that, Vincent was called.
He stuck his chin up, swallowed and strode as confidently as he could before sitting himself down. After a few minutes, the hat called out:
-SLYTHERIN!
The house erupted in cheers again, and Vincent strode to them, sporting a big smile, despite the booing still happening somewhere to her right. Goyle was also sorted soon after, and like Vincent before him, was sorted into Slytherin. The Granger girl, who had muttered to herself the whole time up to the stoll, was sorted into Gryffindor.
-Jackson, James!
Leandra's heart froze in her chest. No. No way this was happening. There were probably a lot of James Jackson's in Britain, this one couldn't be the same one. She would have noticed him before. Their hair was the same colour, she noted as the boy made his way up to the stoll, but their faces were probably different. As soon as he turned she would know, everything would be alright. The boy turned to sit. Leandra would have fainted if she hadn't been holding on to Draco's arm from the moment the boy was called.
-Are you alright? - she heard Draco whisper, but it sounded as if he was talking from far away.
The boy locked eyes with her ('Nonononono' she kept thinking) and his eyes rounded out and his mouth opened up before the hat sealed his fate:
-SLYTHERIN!
Leandra looked up at the night sky, took two deep breaths, and then one more for good measure before turning to Draco with the biggest smile she could muster.
-Yes, I'm fine, don't worry, just getting a bit dizzy, haven't eaten in a while.
The sorting dragged on after finding out not only her bully was at Hogwarts, he had been sorted into the same house she wished to be sorted into. A boy forgot he was still wearing the hat and had to go back to return it. Draco had been placed in Slytherin the moment the hat touched his head. Leandra had been trying to keep track of who went to Slytherin before Jackson had appeared into the scene, but now everything was a bit of a blur. She didn't even know where they were in the list until her brother's name broke her out of her shock.
Whispers broke out as Harry made his way to the stoll - painfully slowly if someone were to ask Leandra - and sat himself down. After a while, she could see him moving his lips until the hat called out:
-GRYFFINDOR!
The far right table erupted in cheers, screaming atop their lungs, while Harry made his way to sit besides Weasley.
-WE'VE GOT POTTER! WE'VE GOT POTTER!
Once the cheers had died down enough, professor McGonagall spoke above the rest of the noise:
-Potter, Leandra!
Whispers broke out all around again as she walked to the stoll, nose turned up. The hat slid past her eyes and she adjusted it on her head to be able to see the Great Hall once she had been sorted into Slytherin.
"Slytherin, uh?" a voice spoke on her head "Your brother would rather die, I think" the hat seemed to be giggling "Yes, I am giggling, young girl. You and your brother are alike and yet so different. I see that a lot in twin siblings. So you want Slytherin, Miss Potter? You've got the cunning, for sure, and the ambitiousness. And I can see loyalty as well. You've got a lot of potential, Miss Potter, you will do great in Slytherin,"
The hat waited for a bit.
"You really don't mind being sorted there, do you?" he spoke again "Interesting... Well, there's only one thing I can do then"
-SLYTHERIN!
Leandra glanced over the entirety of the Great Hall before sitting up and giving the hat back to a frozen professor McGonagall. Most of the Hall was frozen staring at her, with only Draco, Vincent and Goyle clapping in the middle of the Slytherin table by themselves. An older Slytherin stood up as she made her way to the table, a smirk on his face before he screamed:
-WE'VE GOT THE BETTER POTTER, LIONS!
Leandra had only the time to notice the startled look on her godfathers' face before all hell broke loose.