Chapter 4: Hogwarts
A few days has passed since the Quidditch World Cup. I have been doing pretty well for the most part. Today is the day I finally get to go to Hogwarts. I am so excited for today. I am currently on the Hogwarts Express, sitting with my parents, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. My family is coming with me to Hogwarts as well, to help me out in the school. I was reading the daily prophet with Hermione about what happened at the Quidditch World Cup. While we were reading, a woman came around with a cart full of snacks and treats.
"Anything from the trolley?" She called. She stopped when she came to our compartment. "Anything from the trolley dears?"
"Pack of Droobles and a... Licorice wand." Ron said.
Ron was going to pay but Harry stopped him, saying that he will cover it. "It's all right, I'll get it. Don't worry." Harry said.
"Just the Droobles. Thanks." Ron said.
"Can I get something, Dad?" I asked.
"Yeah, sure," Harry said.
I decided to get some Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, a Licorice wand, and other stuff. As we were getting our snacks, Harry and I noticed a girl who looked like she was a fourth-year at Hogwarts.
"Two Pumpkin Pasties please." She said to the vendor. The girl smiled at us while she was making her purchase. I couldn't help but blush and smile back. "Thank you."
"Anything sweet for you, dear?" The vendor asked Harry.
"Oh, no, I'm not hungry. Thank you." Harry said.
Harry and I went back to our compartment. I was busy, snacking on my snacks when Hermione spoke up. "This is horrible. How can the Ministry not know who conjured it? Wasn't there any security or-"
Hermione was cut off by Ron. "Loads, according to my dad. That's what worried them so much. Happened right under their noses."
Harry began scratching his forehead. Hermione looked at him with concern. "It's hurting again, isn't it? Your scar?" Hermione said.
"I'm fine," Harry said, trying to brush it off.
"You know Sirius will want to hear about this. What you saw at the World Cup. And the dream." Hermione said.
"Who is Sirius?" I asked.
"He's my godfather. He's your godfather too," Harry said. Harry began writing the letter. After Harry finished the letter, he handed it to Hedwig. Hedwig took the letter. "Hedwig. There we go."
Harry and I watched Hedwig take flight from the window. Snowy was pecking at me, begging for attention. I stroked her soft fur. "You wanna go with her? Go on then." I said. Snowy screeched, taking off. The train kept going and going. It was a long ride to Hogwarts but I was able to keep myself busy by watching movies and talking to my parents. After some time, we finally arrived at Hogwarts.
As we were walking through the school courtyard a coach with Pegasus pulling it emerged from the sky, grabbing everyone's attention. We watched with amazement. The coach was soaring through the sky. I pulled out my phone and took a picture. Hagrid was guiding the coach for landing.
"Clear the runway!" Hagrid called. The coach was going so fast that Hagrid had to duck to avoid getting hit.
"Cool," I said.
"Well, that's something you don't see every day." Uncle George said.
A giant boat then appeared from the water. Once the excitement from outside settled down, we went to the castle. I was instructed to go with the first years. I was nervous about the sorting while I was waiting outside with the first years. What if I got Slytherin? What would my family think of me if I did get Slytherin? I was lost in my thoughts, thinking about the worst-case scenarios when suddenly, a teacher walked out the doors, standing in front of us. She wore black robes, had brown eyes and grey hair. She had a serious look on her face.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, you'll pass through these doors and join your classmates but before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now, while you're here your houses will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule-breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is rewarded with the house cup. The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." She said. The teacher disappeared through the doors.
I waited nervously for her to return. I tried to calm down but I couldn't. My thoughts were not helping me either. After what felt like an eternity, the teacher finally returned.
"We're ready for you now." She said with a smile.
I soon learned that the teacher's name was Professor McGonagall. The gates to the Great Hall opened. I followed her and the rest of the students inside. When I walked inside, my jaw dropped. The room is massive. There are 4 long tables with 2 benches on each side of the tables. Each table was sorted by houses. I saw my family sitting down at the Gryffindor table with my parents, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I smiled and waved at them. I looked at the ceiling and saw a beautiful massive night sky with floating candles. In front of the teacher's table was a giant makeshift box with beautiful decorations. I wondered what it was for.
"Now when I call your name, you will come forth, I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be sorted into your houses." Professor McGonagall announced. Professor McGonagall started calling students up one by one. Finally, after a long time of waiting, she finally called my name.
"Lana Potter!"
As expected, people gasped and whispered to one another when my last name was mentioned. I sat down on the stool. I took a deep breath when the sorting hat was placed on my head.
"Ah, what do we have here? Another Potter huh? Let's see, what should we do with you...?" The Sorting hat questioned.
"Please, not Slytherin. Anything but Slytherin I beg you." I pleaded. I felt a tear roll down my face. I quickly wiped it away.
"Not Slytherin, eh? Your father asked me that the first time he came to Hogwarts. I bet you would do great in Slytherin." The Sorting Hat said.
"Please, no, no, don't put me there," I said.
"All right then, if you don't want Slytherin I guess it better be... GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat bellowed.
I sighed with relief. Everyone from the Gryffindor table cheered. I practically skipped to the table happily and took a seat next to Margo and Hermione.
"You did it, babe," Margo said, giving me a kiss.
"Thank God I didn't get Slytherin," I said.
"You would've been doomed if you got Slytherin," Kovu said.
"Kovu!" Kiara shouted.
"We still would have loved you, even if you did get Slytherin," Rio said.
Once the excitement of my sorting died down, and everyone else got sorted, Professor Dumbledore made some announcements.
"Well, now that we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well. You see Hogwarts has been chosen-" Professor Dumbledore was interrupted when Filch ran up to him and whispered something into his ear. After he finished, Professor Dumbledore continued his speech. "So... Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event: The Triwizard Tournament. Now, for those of you who do not know..."
"Brilliant." Uncle Fred and George whispered.
"...The Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests from each school a single student is selected to compete. Now let me be clear. If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint-hearted. But more of that later. For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of Beauxbatons Acadamy of Magic..."
The door opens. Beautiful girls dressed in blue uniforms walk in. "...And their Headmistress Madam Maxime."
The girls made their entrance. They stopped and sighed, holding out their hands. My face turned bright red when they stopped and sighed where we were sitting, holding out their hands again.
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed.
"Wow, they're gorgeous!" Pavitr said.
The girls released butterflies and blue sparkles. Then, a really tall woman walked in. I assumed this was Madam Maxine.
"Blimey. That's one big woman." Dean said.
Everyone clapped and cheered when the girls finished their entrance. The girls bowed and walked back to their places. Professor Dumbledore kissed Madam Maxine's hands, then he walked back to the stage to quiet everyone down.
"And now our friends from the north. Please great the proud sons of Drumstrang and their high master, Igor Karkaroff." Professor Dumbledore announced.
We turned around to see boys in brown uniforms walking inside. Upbeat music was playing during their entrance. They banged their staffs on the ground and twirled them around. Everyone gasped with amazement during their performance. We recognized the next boy immediately as he walked through the doors of the Great Hall.
"Oh, oh, it's Krum!" Miles said excitedly.
"Blimey it's him, Victor Krum!" Ron exclaimed.
One of the guys blew fire from his wand. It formed a dragon! A man walked up to Professor Dumbledore to greet him.
"Albus!"
"Igor." Professor Dumbledore said, hugging him back.
After we were introduced to everyone, we had the feast. The feast was amazing. There were all sorts of different foods to eat from. I had a variety of everything, not wanting to miss out on the good foods. Then there were the desserts which were the best part of the meal. After we had our feast, Professor Dumbledore made another announcement.
"Your attention, please! I'd like to say a few words. Eternal Glory. That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three... extremely dangerous tasks." Professor Dumbledore explained.
"Wicked." Both Uncle Fred, George, and Hobie said.
"I wanna compete, light me up!" I said excitedly.
"For this reason, the Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this, we have the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mr. Bartemis Crouch." Professor Dumbledore said.
Suddenly, thunder cracked. Students screamed when the rain started pouring down hard. A man cast a spell with his wand. The rain and thunder stopped after he casted the spell. The man revealed himself. He was tall and had a mechanic eye.
"Who's that?" Miles asked.
"Bloody hell, it's Mad-Eye Moody," Ron said.
"Who?" Mufasa asked.
"Alastor Moody? The Auror?" Hermione questioned.
"Auror?" Mufasa said.
"Dark-wizard catcher. Half the cells in Azkaban are filled thanks to him. He's supposed to be mad as a hatter though, these days." Ron explained.
I studied Mad-Eye Moody as he walked down the stairs. Professor Dumbledore greeted him with open arms. "Ah, my dear old friend, thanks for coming."
"Stupid ceiling," Moody said.
Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "Thank you."
Moody took out a bottle and drank from it. It looked suspicious though.
"What's that he's drinking do you suppose?" Seamus asked.
"I don't know, but I don't think it's pumpkin juice," Harry said.
"Seems dangerous," Aunt Sarafina said, eyeing him suspiciously.
Crouch walked up to the stage. "After due consideration, the Ministry has concluded that for their own safety, no student under the age of 17 shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament this decision is final." Crouch announced.
Everyone was furious after hearing that news, so was I. Everyone was screaming in rage. My uncles joined in and so did I.
"That's rubbish!" My Uncles yelled.
"Bullshit!" I yelled.
"Lana, hush!" Uru scolded.
"Even if you were 17, we still wouldn't allow you to enter in the tournament," Ahadi said.
"Why?" I whined.
"Because it's too dangerous," Nala said. "And I do not want my wife getting killed."
Everyone continued booing. Professor Dumbledore quieted them down. "Silence!" He roared.
"They're not too happy about that then," Hermione said.
"Yeah, I'll say," Hobie said.
Professor Dumbledore pulled out his wand, the giant makeshift box disappeared, and a Goblet took its place. Blue fire has appeared. "The Goblet of Fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves in the tournament, need to only write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly. If chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun."
*********Timeskip, later that night*********
After the sorting and the dinner, we were taken to our dorm rooms. Professor McGonagall escorted me to the dorm rooms because she had a special surprise for me. My eyes widened with amazement when she opened the door to my room.
"This is your room, Lana. I hope you like it." Professor McGonagall said.
I stepped inside to look around. The room was decked with Gryffindor-themed colors on the walls. There were lion stickers on the walls as well as a huge Hogwarts logo sticker on the wall next to my bed. There was a set of bunk beds against my wall, the bottom bunk was a queen size and the top bunk was a twin bed. The bed has Gryffindor-themed colors on the sheets as well as the Gryffindor lion on them.
Next to the bed, there is a wooden nightstand with a small lamp on top. The lamp has a soft, warm glow that creates a cozy and intimate ambiance. There is also a stack of books on the nightstand, including a few novels and a journal.
On the opposite wall, there is a wooden desk with a comfortable chair. The desk has a few drawers and is cluttered with papers, pens, and notebooks. There is also a lamp on the desk, which provides ample illumination for reading and writing. I also noticed my laptop sitting on the desk as well.
In one corner of the room, there is a comfortable armchair with a matching ottoman. The chair is upholstered in a soft cream-colored fabric, with a few decorative pillows for added comfort. There is a small side table next to the chair, which holds a few magazines and a cup of tea.
Against another wall, there is a bookshelf made of dark wood. The bookshelf is filled with books of various genres, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. There are also a few decorative objects on the bookshelf, such as small statues and picture frames.
In the opposite corner of the room, there is a TV mounted on the wall. The TV is a modern flat-screen model. There is a comfortable armchair in front of the TV, as well as a small table in the middle of the armchair and the TV.
On the walls, there are a few pieces of artwork that I had created myself. My room also had my husband's and wife's belongings in them. Damn it I'm gonna have to share this room with Miguel. At least he has a separate room with Miles as well so I can have some nights to spend with Margo and Nala.
"Well, what do you think?" Hermione asked.
"I like it, thanks, Mom. I'm not complaining, but wasn't I supposed to stay in the dorms?" I asked.
"Yes, but since your married it would be more appropriate for you to have your own room," Harry said.
"Oh, okay," I said.
"I need to return to Professor Dumbledore's office, I have some matters to attend to. Rest up, Ms. Potter you have a big day tomorrow." Professor McGonagall said.
"Okay, thanks Professor," I said.
With that, Professor McGonagall left. I spent the rest of the evening with my family, watching Mission Impossible: Fallout. After the movie, we decided to play an adult game called Cards Against Humanity. We were enjoying ourselves, laughing, and having a good time but the fun was ruined when Scar and Miguel walked in. I got scared and hid behind Ahadi.
"Dad, don't let them see me." I whimpered.
"It's okay sweetie, I won't let them hurt you," Ahadi said.
I tried to stay hidden but Miguel spotted me. "Lana. Miles. Come with me. I need to speak to you both." Miguel said firmly.
Miles and I exchanged nervous glances but we knew we had no choice but to comply. So reluctantly we followed Miguel and Scar to my room, with me holding onto Miles' hand tightly.
"Sit," Scar said. I obeyed and sat down on my bed but Miles hesitated. Miguel was growing impatient with him.
"You too Miles, sit down. Don't make me repeated myself." Miguel said, his voice dangerously low. Not wanting to upset him more, Miles did as he was told. My hands were shaking nervously but I gripped them tightly to stop them from shaking. Miles held onto my hand to comfort me. Between my husbands, Miguel and Scar scares me both.
Miguel gave us a glare before speaking up again. "I know we're all adjusting to the new world, but the rules remain the same. I trust we don't have to go over the rules again?"
Miles and I nodded. I know the rules by heart now because I have been married to Miguel and Scar for more than 3 years now.
Rule 1: Do as they say without question and obey them, no talking back.
Rule 2: Never leave the house without their permission.
Rule 3: Never speak to anyone about the relationship.
Rule 4: Don't lie, be honest.
Miguel and Scar are very strict, they monitored and controlled everything I did, from what we ate, where we were, and how much we slept. Sometimes I don't get sleep at all because my husbands would force me to do stuff with them. Miguel even monitors who I talk to and monitors my phone, putting restrictions on my phone. Every time Miles and I slip up, we were punished with severe consequences.
I snapped out of my thoughts when Miguel spoke up again. "Good, I'm glad we understand each other. We have rules for a reason, kids."
I know Miguel loves me and Miles but he is too harsh on me and Miles.
"And to make sure you follow our rules, I think it's time we put this back on you again." Scar said as he held an object in his paws. I gasped in horror when I realized what it was. A shock collar. I tried to protest but they force the collar on me, locking it tight. There's no way I can get the collar off now, it can only be removed by Scar or Miguel and the collar would shock me every time I would try to take it off. Miguel then forced the same shock collar on Miles. Miguel got out two sets of bracelets. I recognized them as the same ones he forced me and my father to wear while he was holding us captive. The bands were meant to control me and my father. Miguel forced the bands on my wrists, then he forced them on Miles' wrists.
"Please Miguel, don't make us wear these again." Miles pleaded. Miguel got angry. Miguel slapped Miles hard across the face. Miles winced in pain, placing his hand on his cheek where Miguel slapped him.
"No, Miles. These collars will allow me to control you and Lana. The bands will make sure you guys behave. Believe me, I will shock you guys if you disobey. It is not a pleasant feeling so I suggest you guys obey us and do as we say." Miguel said firmly.
"This is messed up and weird. I don't need you guys to lock us up." I said angrily.
"I suggest you shut up Lana before you make me do something that I'll regret." Scar growled. I felt trapped and helpless. It seemed like there was no way out of this nightmare. Every time I thought about leaving them, Miguel and Scar's threats echoed in my mind.
"The collars and the bands will help keep you guys in line. Since I know you guys can be a brat to me sometimes the collars and the bands will help you two obey me." Miguel said.
Scar got uncomfortably close to me, placing his hands under my chin, forcing me to look at him. "You are mine. I will do whatever it takes to keep you with me. If you even think about leaving, I'll make sure it's the last thing you ever do." Scar said, his voice low and dangerous.
"I will kill your entire family," Scar growled. "So any thoughts you have about leaving me, it ends now."
I gulped with fear. I knew he meant it. He has already demonstrated his willingness to hurt me and I feared what else Scar was capable of. I looked into Miles' eyes and I could tell he was scared for me. Miguel pulled me and Miles in for a kiss. Scar gave me a kiss before they left the room.
"Dad, what are we going to do? I can't keep living like this. I'm scared." I whispered.
"I-I don't know. I need to go talk to your mother." Miles said quietly. Miles left my room, closing the door behind him.
That night, I cried myself to sleep, wondering if I will ever be able to free myself and my father from our abusive husbands.