The Sorting
September 1st 1973
"Oi, Sirius! Over here!" Potter yelled.
Sirius joined his friends on board the train. "Miss me?" He grinned, shoving his trunk overhead.
Remus had already tucked into his novel and Peter had emptied his satchel onto the table, pouring out an assortment of sweets and chocolates to share with the boys.
A dark, greasy haired boy, with sallow skin and a hooked nose passed by the compartment, much to the distain of the boys. He stopped by the compartment next to the them, where the auburn-haired girl, Lily Evans sat with her friends, Mary, Dorcas and Marlene.
"Look who it is gents!" Sirius snickered under his breath. "Something smells! You couldn't even have a bath for your first day back at school Snivellus?" He chortled, winning the attention of the carriage. Peter had snorted with laughter at this, while Remus sunk further into his book, not wanting any trouble so early in the day.
"Perving on Evans again? Leave her alone, she's too nice, putting up with a creep like you." James Potter snarled, causing Peter to giggle uncontrollably.
"Shut your mouth Potter, or I'll make you!" Snape hissed, sending Peter only further into his uncontrollable fit of laughter.
"What are you gonna do? Leave a trail of grease that I'll slip on?" Potter snapped, looking very pleased with himself.
Peter was red faced and teary eyed at this point.
Lily had stood, an annoyed expression painted on her pretty face. "Stop fighting, we aren't even at school yet and you lot are already at each others noses!" She yelled.
"Well I'd hope not, there would be an oily stain on me from his big greasy sniffer!" Sirius and Peter erupted into more fits of hysterics. Even Remus hid a smirk behind his book.
James advanced towards Snape, both the boys had pulled their wands out.
"I mean it Potter! I'll make you regret it!" Snape spat, saliva foaming at the corners of his mouth, to which James joked it was contagious with a dramatic motion, Peter was so hysterical he had slumped down from his seat under the table.
Snape theatrically pulled his cloaked and stomped off, muttering curse words under his breath.
The Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station. Other than that little scene, the journey this year was like any other. They caught up, they laughed, slept a bit and ate trolley goods until they were stuffed. The first evening back was alike the others too, Peeves hurled abuse at them, they watched the nervous first years get sorted, stomachs growling and eagerly anticipating the feast.
It was only until the end of the sorting ceremony that things got interesting.
The banquet appeared before them, their skin was crawling for the feast after a boring hour of the ceremony, no different than any other year. They had picked up their forks, mouths watering when-
"Before you all tuck in, it seems we have two more students left to be sorted." Professor Dumbledore stood, commanding the attention of the hall.
Two girls entered the Great Hall along with Professor Sprout, the herbology teacher. They were no taller than her. Which was an easy feat, as professor Sprout was no mountain. Yet they could not have been first years, they looked too big, well, too old more like. They looked too confident, too sure of themselves to be the same age as those frightened little mice before.
Despite the seductive dinner laid out in-front of them, begging to be devoured, the late arrivals had perked the interest of all in the great hall.
"Hope we aren't too late headmaster, not an easy walk up that hill you know!" Professor Sprout winked at Dumbledore, she was still panting and rosy cheeked.
"Not at all, Professor, the ceremony concluded only moments ago, of course we have time for our new third years." He bowed and smiled.
Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress, quickly rose from her seat beside the headmaster. She promptly pulled out the old stool again, and picked up the sorting hat.
"Now which one of you came out first?"
~
The grief over their mothers death, if any at all, was short lived.
As Dumbledore said, another professor from Hogwarts met them at the old war memorial in the village.
It was late evening by this point, the summers sky had turned dark and cloudy, all of this felt somewhat illegal.
A stout but gentle faced woman stood waiting for them, at least this wasn't all a prank, the twins conveyed.
It wasn't much trouble getting to this Hogwarts. Once they had spoken with the cheery looking professor, they were asked to 'hold on tight'.
That was most of the trouble. After they had held onto to the professor, a tugging sensation pulled at them, and all they could really remember was they felt rather unwell.
The girls simply brushed this off as some form of teleportation magic they had not yet discovered.
They had made it to a nice place, with pretty landscapes, like one of those they'd seen out of a countryside film on the Sunday channel, but had never been to themselves.
That was the nicest part of the journey, they walked for a short time before reaching an imposing iron gate.
It was unlike anything they had laid their eyes on. Unlike anything from their little village, which had small houses, a small park and a small pub.
This was anything but small.
An enormous castle on the hillside. All the twins could do is gaze up in shock.
They were brought to what she called the 'Great Hall', this place was the sort of school they'd imagine Eton or Oxford to look like, but so much grander. So much more 'magical'.
The professor had stopped them before entering the hall. "Don't think I'll be letting you make fools of yourselves dressing like that." She pointed a wooden wand at the twins, which unnerved them entirely. They'd been threatened with utility knives and the sort before, but a wand particularly frightened them, it's prowess was unknown to them.
Their tatty old hand-me-downs had transformed into a preppy uniform, which the twins thought made them looked like they attended the local private school in the neighbouring town.
"There you go, now quickly, quickly, you're late for the sorting ceremony!" The professor shoved them through the large wooden doors.
The idea of a sorting ceremony, whatever that was, sounded completely posh and over the top. The type of thing they'd expect from a swotty school like this.
Their suspicions were only confirmed when they entered the grand hall or whatever they called it.
There were four long tables that stretched across the room, if you could even call it a room, it was big, bigger than a sports hall or maybe a church.
It was as if the hall had no roof. The ceiling was a body of stars and clouds. Though the girls had their doubts, after being teleported, their clothes transformed and witnessing the astronomical display above them. Perhaps, magic truly was real, they'd seen enough proof by now.
There was a small child scurrying off from the in front of the teachers table towards the long table, dressed in yellow and black banners,
The tall, stern looking, deputy headmistress, raised an eyebrow. "Well, Mikovsky, Catrina, come sit, we don't have all evening."
Catrina shuffled shyly towards the stool and adjusted her self upon it. She met the gaze of her sister, it was that, or the hundreds of eyes staring at her from the tables. She didn't want to look at anyone's face in particular, she was worried if their eyes met they would be able to read her like an open book, using some form of mind reading magic.
The stern professor placed a mangy old hat on her head, Catrina thought she'd have lice now, considering how many year sevens had just worn it. She tried to conceal her disgust as to not offend people. Was this dusty old thing sacred or something?
She must have truly lost her mind now as the bloody hat spoke. Of course it spoke. What about this was normal?
"Ahhh, interesting... a bit older than the others... there's courage in this one, yes, ambition and resourcefulness too... though her loyalty runs thin... prideful, so prideful, I know exactly where you belong....
...Slytherin!"
This did not mean much to her, she did not know what a Slither run is, but if she knew something (instantly by the crowds expression) it was which table to go to.
The one to her right, underneath a green and silver banner, emblemed with a serpent. The students at this table were cheering and applauding. Most of them anyway. She tried to dart her eyes across as many students as she could and noticed a few of them seemed pretty disinterested, she couldn't blame them, they must be hungry with all that food laid out in front of them like that. It looked like a feast for a King.
She quickly made note of the other tables reactions, some were even booing. She guessed house loyalties ran high here, a bit like her old school on sports day. That was hardly a comparison. It was more intense here, much more intense. As long as Eliana ends up in the same house.
They conveyed a look between each other.
You better be in Slytherin Elle..
I don't want to be separated...
It was Eliana's turn. She meekly stepped up, anticipating the hat and she shifted on the wooden stool.
Did it matter if she was in a different house to her sister? She didn't worry nonetheless. What was there to worry about? It was still unclear to her how they decide which house to put you in.
Eliana took in the faces of the students, her gaze focusing on the 'red' table, particularly at a group of students who looked about her age, they were smiling widely, probably famished and couldn't wait for this crap to be over so they can just tuck in to their dinner. At least that's what Eliana would be thinking if she was sat there. It didn't matter to her much what school house a stranger was going to end up in, so why would it matter to them?
The hat spoke once more, like it had done with her sister. "Two of you, yes, twins.... Though you may look the same, your minds tell a different story...
So these 'wizards' could read minds. Great. She was hoping none of them could read that she thought one of the boys at the 'red' table was really cute.
"You are alike in ways, brave, cunning, resourceful, you have a bright mind and fierce ambition.... though your loyalty is strong, very strong... and your gallantry and sense of justice outweighs that of many I've seen before... I know exactly where you belong...
....Gryffindor!"
Cheers erupted from the hall. Eliana felt guilty as she was sure they were louder than what Catrina got, the other tables except the green one were cheering too...
She also felt bad because now, they were split up.
Was this all meaningless? Was it just a ceremonial thing for dinners and sports events?
But here she was, now a 'Griffin door?' And she would be proud to be one.
She assumed the table laid out with red and gold banners was her destined, as the very same group of students she was staring at stood immediately and erupted into cheers as soon as the weird magic hat announced she would be a Griffin door.
She was glad of this. Perhaps they actually were interested, they still hadn't touched their dinner, unlike some at the Slytherin table who had begun eating immediately once her house was revealed, some even sneaking a few slices of meat before the hat began speaking.
It didn't bother her, she was hungry as well. She noticed even Catrina had also tucked in once the students around her had.
She hoped she could sit with the group of students she kept eyeing, or that kept eyeing her? She couldn't tell really, so she supposed it was mutual. It would be better than sitting at the front with the incumbent year sevens.
The thought of going up to them however and inviting herself to sit was too nerve wracking and in the end she felt too shy and pushy to ask to sit with them, it looked crowded enough over there anyway, so she sucked it up and went to sit with the tiny year sevens.
"What are you doing over there? Come and sit with us!" The same boy who applauded loudly called over to her. He had messy black hair and round silver spectacles.
Eliana practically skipped over, playing it off into a subtle jog when she realised how over excited she looked and how embarrassing it probably was.
"Here!" A girl with long ginger hair shuffled over to make room besides her. Were they just being curious and overly nice? This was probably just the sort of excitement these guys would thrive on, they looked the mischievous, popular sort, who would always be the first to claim a new student.
"I'm Lily Evans" She smiled even wider than she already was, it looked cool and causal but also as if her cheeks might split open. "This is Mary MacDonald" she waved next to her at a coarse curly haired girl, with a bronze complexion. "And this is Marlene McKinnon!" She pointed to a blonde, freckled girl on the other side of Eliana, who managed a wave and some inaudible grunt as she swallowed her dinner.
"Relax Lils, she didn't ask for our full bloody names. Are you gonna give our parents names next as well?" Mary joked. Eliana didn't mind Lily telling her their last names, she was curious what wizard surnames would sound like. Though it was mildly disappointing, their names could have just been anyone down the road.
That made her feel weirder though, could any old joe she knew could have secretly been a wizard!
"So, Eliana isn't it? I'm James! You got in the best house, well done!" The boy with glasses and black hair, reached across the table for a high-five. Eliana appreciated the welcome effort but would have just preferred them to start eating, she didn't want to keep them waiting any longer. Not for her.
"Thank Merlin we got the twin with the bigger rack. I'm Sirius, and this quiet git is Remus." A boy beside James with long, dark, curly hair smiled, he spoke with his mouth open, chewing some gammon. Rather obnoxiously. Eliana thought she had misheard the boy and gathered it would just be better to ignore what he just said.
Some of these students had normal names like James and Lily, and then there was whatever he said. But if this school really was magic then unusual names were hardly the tip of the iceberg.
"Sirius! Don't be so bloody rude!" Remus whacked him.
"I'm kidding you poof! I can't even tell the difference from this far..." He scoffed
"Nice to meet you, I'm-" a mousy haired boy, shorter than the rest spoke, she didn't quite catch his name over all the noise. That, and 'serious'(?) had spoken over him.
"So, that's your sister over there is it? Yikes!I get how you feel, my brother is in Slytherin." He made a 'yuck' expression with his tongue out.
"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Was it just friendly rivalry?
"Slytherins are all bastards! And my little brother is no exception!" He glared over at the table.
"Your poor sister!" James laughed "Slytherin has produced more dark wizards than any of the houses combined, like you-know-who, oh, and Snivellus!" He chortled, and the rest of the boys joined.
She didn't know who James was referring to nor who 'Snivellus' was.
"Don't feel bad for her, she's in Slytherin for a reason!" Sirius shouted, she couldn't tell if he was joking but he certainly sounded as if he meant it.
"Whatever. Cats not like that. I hope she's gonna be alright over there." Eliana glanced behind her, she saw the back of her sister amongst the crowd.
"She's been thrown in with the bloody wolves!" James peered over her shoulder, she noticed how Remus grimaced, at least somebody felt some sympathy towards her twin.
"Who is Snivellus?" Her curiosity, as usual, got the better of her. Her mother said it'll get her in trouble one day. As long as that day wasn't today.
The boys practically leaped at the chance to talk about this. Groaning and laughing to one another, they pointed to the Slytherin table. "Look, he's the slimy git over there picking his nose!" Sirius howled. "He's a weirdo and he definitely has a thing for Lily." Sirius whispered. "But don't tell her that, she doesn't like when we make fun of him."
"He's found a new prey now, I think he's staring at your sister Eliana!" James snickered, and the short boy had to stand up just so he could see over the students to gawk at Snivellus.
"Malfoy's already interrogating her! This is too good!" Sirius and James were practically howling.
"Oh enough from you boys!" Lily rolled her eyes. "Eliana, or wait, should I call you Ellie, Liana, Ana?"
"Elle is fine." She smiled, she wasn't bothered about nicknames, her family would call her Elle and that was it.
"Okay, Elle, how come you're joining Hogwarts so late?" Lily inched closer to her over the table, like this was some sort of taboo, secretive topic to discuss.
The truth was she didn't know. Her mother had died and a man came and told her she was a witch and she would be learning magic by wizards at a school for magic. And that her father was also magic. She didn't know why, that was all.
"Uh well"
"I know I know! She got expelled from her old school! And kind old Dumbledore has given her a second chance, a new leaf from her troubled background!" Sirius panted. The short boy laughed at this.
"Uh no I"
"No you've got it wrong! She's been sent here by the ministry to spy on Dumbledore!" Marlene heaved, to which Mary gasped approvingly.
"Uhm"
"Were you homeschooled? Or muggle-born?" Remus chipped in.
"No, I'm not sure-"
"You're all wrong. Elle's transferred here from Beaux-Baton, right?" James smiled.
"Nah mate, Beaux-Baton chicks have way more class, uh, sorry, no offence." Sirius earned a another smack on the head from Remus and James, causing him to spit out his drink.
"You guys are no better than Malfoy right now! Let Elle speak!" Lily shouted over the boys. Eliana thought Lily was acting too much like a mother, but she tried not to let it taint her impression of Lily, she seemed a nice girl.
"There's no interesting reason really. Sorry." She shrugged dismissively, hoping they'd catch her vibe and just move on from the topic. What was she supposed to say?
The rest of the feast went fine, she was getting on well with her new housemates, particularly the girls, who informed her she'd be sharing a dorm with them. She was alright with this, she was used to sharing. She shared a room with her sister in her mothers flat, and she shared a room with 8 other girls at the children's home.
The boys were alright too, but it was easier to get on with the girls, who didn't constantly make unsavoury jokes about the female professors or their friends mothers. The girls were interested in everything about her, catching her up on anything there was to know about Hogwarts. They were already asking which boys she fancied, which was better saved for the dorm room, when none of the bloody boys could hear her.
She'd finally caught the name of the short boy mid conversation, not that he was the one she fancied. Peter. It's a perfectly normal name which she was glad of, as she would easily remember it now.
She turned around again to see how her sister was getting on with the greens.
~
"Congratulations on making Slytherin, new girl." A tall pale boy, if you could even call him that, he was more a man really, a gentleman, he looked way older than her, a lot of these students did. He had white-blond hair, and addressed Catrina, in a threateningly sly upper class accent. "I'm Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, though I'm sure you already knew."
"Thanks, nice to meet-"
"Why have you joined so late." Another boy interrupted to ask, well, command. He was even taller and blonder than Malfoy
"Uh... I transferred..." she pleaded to herself they wouldn't ask from where.
"Ah, I know a Durmstrang dame when I see one, thought so." He nodded and went back to his dinner.
"Are you pure?" Another creepy looking guy leaned over the table.
"Watch it Lestrange, of course she is. My radars good." The huge blond student laughed.
She was even more creeped out than before, were they seriously discussing if she's a virgin right in front of her?
"Mikovsky, isn't it? Yeah, she's pure-blood, I'm sure I've seen that name in my fathers library somewhere." Malfoy stepped in. "Haven't you heard of Mikovsky, that medicinal herbologist or something?"
Pure-blood? At least she knew they weren't referring to her... virtue. She wasn't sure what pure blood is, and she couldn't be completely sure that being one was what these guys were looking for. Surely having un-pure blood wasn't desirable.
"Yep. That's right." She managed to squeak out.
"Hm, must be foreign then." The 'strange' boy shrugged.
That's what people usually assumed when they heard her name. She was hoping they'd stop interrogating her with personal questions. She wondered how Elle was getting on with the reds. Much better, from what she could make out, she was talking to a cheery group of girls, she hadn't spoken to even one girl yet!
"What's all the bloody fuss about. She's nothing special." Another boy spoke. This time she could say for certain he was a boy, and not a man who looked like he'd been held back about ten bloomin years. He looked a little younger than herself, but he was handsome, with dark curls, and hollow cheeks. He too spoke with the same air of elegance as Malfoy.
"Shut up Reggie, you little virgin, just wait till you get to manhood." The strange boy knocked him across the head.
"I would have to agree with my cousin, though who am I to judge before meeting our newest friend." Somebody spoke from behind her. It was finally a girl, she had a sharp voice, also upper class. She could appreciate the defence however backhanded or malicious it was. "But, if Lucius finds her so intriguing she must be the cream of the crop."
She was much older and very beautiful, with long blonde hair, a pointed face and slender figure. The posh girl slot onto the bench besides her, shoving another boy out the way.
"Is that jealously I hear?" The strange boy chuckled while Lucius shot him daggers. The taller girl merely rolled her eyes.
"Narcissa Black. A word of advice new girl... know your place." She hissed. "Oh, and, slow down with the roast potatoes, it'll go to your thighs." She added in a whisper.
She thought that was rather cryptic but concluded she was warning her to back off from the older boys, particularly Malfoy who she had claimed as her territory. This would not be a problem as she wasn't particularly fond of being around them either.
These people were weird and how could she get away with acting as a pure breed or whatever it was, if she didn't know the slightest thing about magic. Would they despise her if they knew how she was raised, because it certainly wasn't by wizards, it couldn't have been anywhere close to how these people were raised, they were all upper class and spoke about stuff she didn't even know was real until now. Wands and broomsticks and 'quid-itch'. Potions and spells. 'House-elves' and goblins and dragons. She didn't even have a wand nor did she know where to acquire one.
She didn't want to look at anyone incase the look on her face revealed she didn't have a clue about any of this stuff.
"Right...uh, thanks.." she spoke, though it was more of a whisper.
"You're welcome. Enjoy Hogwarts, oh and the country of course." She strode off. Were they really convinced she was foreign, was her accent that different to them? Perhaps it was better than them thinking she was a commoner, or somebody who had never heard of wizards until this summer.
~chapter end~