A look of child like wonder was still etched on my face as I stumbled towards the Ravenclaw table, only needing to backtrack a little to return the Sorting Hat still sat upon my head. Having a crowd laugh at my mistake wasn't anything new, but having a Hat do it was definitely a first. Even the stern faced Professor McGonagall's lips quirked in a small grin. I scooted over to the left most table beneath the banner of my new House, a sigil now mirrored on the breast of my robe complete with sapphire and bronze trim and collar. My new housemates applauded politely, but there was an obvious distinction between those who were politely curious and the few who seemed to be actively suspicious.
They shuffled without prompting and a spot opened up at the barrier between the second and third year groups and I found myself sitting between a shy second year boy with fair blonde hair and a rake thin dark haired third year boy who quickly introduced himself as Oswin. Handshakes where offered aplenty from all angles as if I had just won the world cup single handedly, but it was the girl sitting opposite who really caught my attention. And not just because she offered me pudding instead of congratulations. I knew her without ever needing to hear her name.
"Hello Michael O'Connor, I'm Luna Lovegood. I didn't expect you to be here" she introduced serenely, her long dirty blonde hair seemingly spilling in all directions and her silver eyes seemed locked in a look of permanent surprise. A length of twisted red wood was seated above her ear, and I was momentarily stumped as to how the thing stayed in place.
"That makes two of us." I admit honestly. I was quite unable to keep the almost goofy smile off of my face at talking to her, something I'd wanted to do for the longest time. Eager to make a good impression on such a pivotal character I found myself saying "Your father writes the Quibbler right? I lost my copy, but it's a great read."
"Fair warning, you'll want to keep your distance from Looney Lovegood. She's bad luck, and half mad besides. Last year she dissappeared for half a day and we found her wandering in the Forbidden Forest talking to thin air." came another voice a few paces down the table. If the words phased Luna, she made no show of it. I turned my head to the one who'd spoken. A handsome enough boy with shoulder length hair that wasn't quite a wave nor quite a curl, electric blue eyes and a face that seemed set in a knowing smirk. There was a sprinkling of facial hair starting to awkwardly grow in uneven patches on his upper lip, and that more than anything reminded me that I was surrounded by children.
It also made me realise I would once again need at least six months to grow an even beard. I wondered if there was a potion for that? A spell maybe?
He was starring at me expectantly, and I realised so where a lot of others around us and the sudden realisation that I wasn't just in a school for Magic, I was in a SCHOOL for Magic. Which meant children, which meant cliches like bullies.
I hated bullies.
There was a strange divide inside myself at that realisation. There was a very real part of me that wanted to roll my eyes and dismiss him out of hand, because I was an adult and I knew better. But there was a tensing in my arms, a curling in my fists and a very real urge to leap across the table and beat the stupid smug smile right off of his face.
Thankfully, that part of me didn't win. This time.
I turned away from him very pointedly, focusing my attention back on Luna who seemed oblivious to the entire exchange even as the other Ravenclaws around us started tittering about it. I somehow got the feeling I'd made an enemy. From the corner of my eye I saw him slump in his seat looking like he'd been denied cake at a birthday party.
"His name is Michael too, Michael Corner. I think you're much nicer though. Not nearly as many Nargles." Luna interjected with a look of utmost sincerity that was strangely endearing.
"I'm Anthony Goldstein, don't mind Michael, Michael. Welcome to Ravenclaw. We'll be sharing a dorm and probably a few classes." a boy beside Luna introduced in a warm friendly voice with a distinct Irish accent. He was a heavier boy with a round open face that seemed permanently smiling in welcome, but there was a shrewdness to his eyes that belied his gentle nature. "Where are you from? How'd you manage to miss two years? Did you owl get really, really lost?" he asked with a polite grin. He was very animated as he spoke, gesturing with his hands often in a marked contrast to Luna who sat statue still starring at me. I wasn't even sure she was blinking.
A small burst of applause as a new student was added to the House of the wise bought me a few moments to think, realising I hadn't actually given any thought to anything remotely resembling a backstory. I wondered if Dumbledore had, and then promptly decided he had left me to fend for myself for his own amusement.
Barmy old git.
When in doubt, lie. Or at least, a half truth.
"I grew up in Liverpool and my family moved to Haven in Maine – that's in America. I've been at Ilvermony for the last two years. It was great, but it's good to be back in Britian. No place like home right?" I improvised off the top of my head, the words spilling before I could really stop and consider them. I had no idea why I'd picked Maine. I decided to blame Stephen King.
Saving me from the probing questions at my paper thin story the aged Headmaster stepped up to the podium and drew all our attention.
"Now, I have a few start of term notices before we become far too befuddled by our excellent feast. Our caretaker Mr Flich would like me to remind you that there is a rather extensive list of items that are banned for using within the corridors, the full list can be viewed at his office in the dungeons. Also, a reminder that the Forbidden Forest is precisely that." Dumbledore announced jovially, before his tone seemed to darken drastically and I had a sneaking suspicion as to why "And finally, as many of you have already noticed; until further notice our school will be playing host to the Dementors of Azkaban. These creatures will be posted at every entrance to the grounds, and retain the right to search for Sirius Black however they deem fit. They are not permitted within the castle, but such creatures are not known for their restraint. Therefore I implore you all to take great care not to draw their attention to you. It is not in their nature to be forgiving, they are among the foulest of beasts to walk among us." he warned gravely, the weight of his words settling in across the Hall as the children took his words to heart and seemed to mirror his own grim visage.
"But fear not, for happiness can be found even in the darkest of times. I have found light to be most surprising, and altogether quite tenacious, when we stand with one another" he ended with a whimsical grin, as if to reassure us. A few smiles flickered around me but the mood for the most part remained grim.
"Now, let the feast begin!"
The table promptly exploded into a veritable army of deliciousness, giant helpings of all the foods I could name and a good deal more than I couldn't. The dishes seemed to blossom from some invisible spec at the heart of each silver platter, nothing one moment and food the next. As my eyes drank in the sight of a turkey three times the size of any other I'd ever seen, the sight of gleaming suits of armour around the hall that seemed to be arguing with one another, the ghosts passing through the walls high above us, the fluttering banners of Ravenclaw House high above and the thousands upon thousands of candles gently sailing above my head the realisation washes over me once again.
This was beyond anything I had ever imagined.
Nothing in games or pictures or film or my dreams did it justice.
This was Hogwarts.
I stubbornly kept my eyes shut as I woke up, cushioned in a cloud of soft blankets and pillows. I had desperately tried to keep myself awake scared I would close my eyes only to have them open on my old, ordinary life. A life I had been quite content with but now that I'd tasted flight my eyes would be forever turned skyward, and now that I'd felt the touch of magic nothing normal would ever suffice. So I cradled myself in a fortress of blankets and refused to face the reality that may or may not have been waiting for me.
A sharp jab to the forehead threw that idea out the window.
"Ouch! What the – wait, what? Agh!" I asked bewilderedly as my eyes finally opened, and there standing impatiently on my headboard was the broad feathered face of a barn owl. As someone who had never seen a bird larger than a pigeon outside of a zoo, having the cat sized owl peering down at me with it's black eyes a bare centimeter away from my own was terrifying. I panicked and threw myself out of the bed as if I were leaping away from a live grenade, smacking my head on the empty bed beside my own in the process.
The mysterious owl was laughing at me, I swear.
"Seriously? What the hell, bird?" I asked angrily from my place down on the floor. The happy little animal ruffled it's feathers in a way that I just knew was it's way of saying 'what do you expect?' before I finally took notice of the scroll attached to it's leg.
I was quite prepared to leave it there. Those talons looked dangerous.
The nameless owl didn't seem to agree with that idea and hopped onto the mattress to get closer, holding's it leg out and doing this strange hopping motion that looked utterly ridiculous. It reminded me of little kids learning a new trick and shouting 'hey ma look at me!'
So slowly snails would have mocked my pace I reached over and untied the small ribbon holding the note in place, before snatching myself backwards like a bolt of lightning.
"Okay, thanks. Now, shoo!" I said feeling utterly ridiculous. The owl blinked once as if even it couldn't believe what it was looking at before it took flight with one final amused hoot, disappearing through a window I promptly locked.
"Seriously who uses owls to send mail?" I grumbled as I unscrolled the thick parchment
Dear Mister O'Connor
I trust this letter finds you well rested and ready for your first steps into your new education. Students are given the day to reaquaint themselves with old friends and make new and learn to navigate the castle before classes commence tomorrow morning at nine o'clock.
Your schedules will be handed out when you convene for breakfast by your Head of House Professor Filius Flitwick, a man of great talent and modest stature who I've taken the liberty of informing of your rather unique circumstances and rest assured he promises to assist in any way you desire. I trust you will make great use of his generous offer.
We have a few formal trivialities to address before you can begin your adventure truly and so await your presence in my office no later than eleven o'clock.
With warm regards,
Albus Dumbledore.
P.S. I've found buttered candies to be most delicious of late.
I had expected something along those lines knowing I still had a dire need of books, supplies and most importantly a wand. I wondered if that meant Ollivander would be joining us? With Apparation the journey would only take a moment, or maybe even floo powder?
A dark leather trunk had been laid out beside my bed that almost certainly had seen multiple owners across what could have been decades with the obvious wear and tear. At the top several sets of initials had been scratched into the leather from what I assumed to be precious owners. Many meant nothing to me, but one caught my eye in the topmost corner that said T.M.R. and I felt my face fall into a frown as I wondered if that was who I thought it was.
After donning my oddly Victorian looking clothes complete with the bronze and blue trim that made me grin like a loon I made my way through the spacious and worryingly empty common room and out into the castle proper, only to promptly find myself retracking the same stretch of corridor repeatedly as I tried and failed to navigate a castle that stubbornly defied common sense. Each corridor was utterly distinct in ways that should have made it simple to remember. The one before had two suits of armour having a fist fight, this one had a moving tapestry of what looked like mermaids chasing a squid which in turn chased a loaf of bread. But despite walking in a straight line I seemed to be on a loop.
"Sorry, but are you lost?" came the voice of my own personal hero just as I was about to give up and try jumping out one of the windows. The irony of the thought hit me a moment later as it turned out to be the unmistakable form of Harry Potter. He looked much more like his book counterpart than I'd expected. A mess of dark hair that stuck out at all angles as if he'd been electrocuted topped a frame so slight he looked like a stiff breeze would bowl him over. More prominently still where those famously emerald eyes and the hint of a lightning bolt shaped scar peeking out from beneath his fringe.
"Is it that obvious?" I asked with a rueful grin "I was starting to think I'd be wandering this hallway forever. Seriously, would it kill them to give us a map? Or maybe put up signs?"
"It takes some getting used to. If you're heading for the Great Hall you're going the wrong way, this leads to the North tower. Unless you're really, really eager to get to class. Ravenclaws are like that I hear" he offered with a half grin, only somewhat teasing. He seemed more relaxed than I expected but realised he likely thought I was muggleborn and might not know the ordeal that made him so famous. I'd give him that, no sense blurting out that he was an orphan.
"Tempting, but actually I was looking for the Headmaster's office." I admit sheepishly as I ran my hand through my ashen hair. Before the thought occurred to me "What are you doing here then? Is the Gryffindor common room near here?"
I knew it wasn't, but I had to ask.
"Couldn't sleep, decided to walk about the castle. Helps settle me." he said after a noticeable pause, a haunted look flashing across his face before he schooled it and offered his hand "I'm Harry by the way, Harry Potter. I can show you to Dumbledore's office, but you'll need a password if you want to get in. They change all the time, but if you start naming sweets you might get lucky"
"Michael O'Connor, much appreciated. Been to the Headmaster's office a lot then have you? That means you're either very good or really bad, should I be worried?" I asked jokingly trying to put him at ease
"Depends on who you ask" he snorted in amusement. He guided me down a route that no sane person would ever be able to recall and I genuinely wondered if I would be able to avoid getting hopelessly lost on a daily basis at any point before I graduated. Statues and portraits aplenty lined the way that I vaguely recognised from descriptions in the books, but there were other elements that threw me for a loop. A winged key flittered around high above me at one point, zipping back and forth in a way that made me think of an over excited dog, but what really made me scratch my head was that I recalled something just like that in one of the games not the novels.
Was I in some sort of blended universe?
The journey passed mostly in silence, Harry still seeming preoccupied with his inner demons rather than playing tour guide, and I remembered canonically he'd encountered the Dementors for the first time yesterday. Honestly my eyes ping ponged back and forth so much I wasn't sure how much of what he'd said I'd have been able to take in anyways. Eventually we arrived at the bronze Gargoyle that I knew marked the entrance.
"Thanks for the help" I offered genuinely
"No problem, maybe I'll see you in class. Take care" Harry replied with an easy smile before turning on his heel and disappearing around the corner.
"Buttered Candies" I spoke loudly and clearly, and the statue spared me a curious glance before nodding stiffly before giving way to a winding staircase. So very, very many stairs. I needed to find a spell to work on my cardio. At this rate exercise was going to kill me way before Voldemort and his cronies could.
The elderly and wonderful old Headmaster was stood nearby as I opened the door to his office, his crooked fingers gently running through the plumage of the creature I knew immediately to be Fawkes. The phoenix gave a curious trill at my entrance in a note that sounded more like windchimes than it did any animal I'd ever heard, and it's beady eyes tracked me with a frightening amount of intelligence.
"Good morning Mister O'Connor, I see you know my familiar here. I've found him to be an excellent judge of character. That he hasn't taken great offence to your treatment of our school's owls speaks highly of his judgement" Dumbledore chuckled almost giddy with amusement and I felt a strange blend of embarrassment and indignation overcome me.
"You couldn't have asked a House Elf to just leave the note on my pillow?" I grumbled as I stepped deeper into the room, taking note of the pile of books that stood level with my hip placed on the ground beside a small cauldron and a dozen small chests I assumed where filled with ingredients.
"Your supplies, many I'm afraid have endured previous owners but I believe they will suffice for now. Potion ingredients, text books covering the first three years of schooling here at Hogwarts which I expect you to browse at your leisure, and advise you to do so quickly. A certain level of competence is expected by the third year, and you'll have some kinks to work out before you reach that stage." the elderly man explained lightly without the slightest trace of concern. I chose to take that to mean he had complete faith in my abilities. "Of course, there is one item not simply found laying about the castle. For which my dear friend Garrick has agreed to open his doors, we'll be travelling by Floo Powder. I trust you're familiar with the idea, if not the practise?" he asked with that knowing glint in his eyes that just reeked of barely supressed amusement. Knowing how well Harry had handled travel by fireplace, I resigned myself to getting through the most important moment of my new life with as much dignity as I could scrape together.
I just knew this wouldn't end well.
It was actually much worse than I expected.
There was a strange lack of anything at all between one fireplace and the next. Before the powder had fully hit the floor I had been engulfed in green flame, one moment standing nervously and the next being shot like a cannonball straight into a perilously tall wall of stacked wands which promptly collapsed atop me. Standing silently watching it all with wide mismatched eyes was the mad genius that was Ollivander, the man who would deliver my wand and cement me as a wizard.
And I had just damaged half his stock.
I was so learning to Apparate the first chance I got. I don't care if it was illegal.
My stomach was still doing flips as I hurriedly stood and dusted myself off while the man looked about his scattered collection with vaguely mournful eyes.
"I'd wondered when you'd finally arrive. I expected you hours ago. Suppose I should rule out the more diligent wands right away. Come along, there's much to be done." the old man commanded wistfully, staring at me with eyes that seemed too large for his own head. It was a most peculiar feeling to try to meet his gaze, his left eye was silver and roamed my face while the other was a brilliant gold and was looking another direction entirely. He reminded me of a very strange, wrinkled chameleon.
The fireplace erupted into life and Dumbledore stepped out with all the grace of a swan, wand at the ready to repair the mess I'd made. "It does take some getting used to I'm afraid. But take heart for we have arrived where we intended. Good show." he smiled down at me, before promptly sitting down beside the window and pulling a magazine out of his sleeve that seemed to be about baking apple pies.
Barmy old git.
"Shall we begin?" Ollivander asked with an almost giddy as he began to pull boxes upon boxes from the shelves seemingly at random while a measuring tape wove around me measuring parts of me I was entirely certain had no use whatsoever, if the length of my nose was relevant to my wand I'd eat my own hat.
A length of wood in a soft shade of maple was pressed into my waiting hand, and the only thing I registered was that it was slightly crooked before it was snatched away impatiently. I was pleased to see that the wands all seemed to be uniquely shaped, not just a straight length of wood. Some seemed polished, others rough. Some twisted and turned and others bent almost at an angle to make them altogether useless.
By the time the nineteenth wand had been pressed into my palm and turned away I began to worry, I knew the process required patience, but my younger heart felt the cruel sting of rejection each time like a lance.
But my persistence was rewarded at long last with the twenty third attempt. A dark length of wood with twin strands woven around one another before becoming one at the point, a sleek wooden handle ringed with gold at the neck, a weighty circle of deep red at the pommel. The moment it touched my fingers I felt my hand curl about it like a magnet, a feeling deeper and more utterly mystical awakening inside like parts of my soul I never knew existed where finally awake and roaring in triumph. A shower of silver sparks nearly took off one of Ollivander's eyebrows, but he didn't seem to mind.
"Another happy customer. I trust you as well will be satisfied? Ten inches exactly of mahogany, slightly springy with the heart string of a particularly feisty Antipodean Opaleye dragon. I believe, this will serve you well Mister O'Connor. A wand such as this has vast potential, be sure you don't squander it."
I barely heard the words, for all that they'd echo with utmost clarity in my head later, I was so busy starring at my newest ally. My partner on my new adventure.
My wand.