The New Girl
“You’re going to be just fine. You’re coming in later than other students, but we’ll still get you sorted out,” the old professor in front of me reassures me as we wait in front of a large set of doors. She says her name is Professor McGonagall. She definitely seems like the no-nonsense type, although I don’t entirely mind since she’s been so kind to me.
She’s right, of course. It’s odd for a student to transfer into Hogwarts at the beginning of 5th year—but it wasn’t my idea, obviously. My parents just had to move us out of France. Something about making “better connections” with the wizarding families here. Realistically, it probably means my mother had gotten into some legal issues and decided to skip town. Our family is well-known in France, to the point that most people know me before we’ve even met. “You must be the Lavigné’s daughter.” “You’re going to take over the business someday.” “Spitting image of your mother.” “Headstrong like your dad, aren’t you?” Genuinely, it’s exhausting. It feels like everyone knows my secrets even before I do.
I’m not happy to be transferring schools. I really liked Beauxbatons. I had solid friends there, I did great in my classes, and the uniforms were gorgeous. Nothing like the dreary black robes of Hogwarts. Still, though, a fresh start might not be the worst thing in the world. Maybe it’ll be nice for people to know me for me, and not my family name.
A creaking sound in front of me pulls me out of my thoughts. Professor McGonagall places her hand on my back, ushering me through the doors as they open. The Great Hall is everything it’s rumored to be—grand, with an incredible charmed ceiling, and filled with hundreds of students. And, of course, they’re all staring right at me.
I walk down the middle aisle toward the front of the room, where all the professors are seated. They, too, look up when I enter. Some smile, but most of them just take me in with neutral expressions. The headmaster, Dumbledore, waves me over to the middle of the stairs in front of him. I can hear furious whispers as I walk past all the students, but I try my best to tune it out.
I stop at the base of the stairs, then walk up a couple of steps to meet him where he is. I turn my body halfway out to the students, but I keep my focus on Dumbledore. (“Cheating out” in theater terms. An old trick I learned in etiquette classes at Beauxbatons.) I take a steadying breath as I watch the headmaster raise his arms.
“May I have your attention, please?” Dumbledore bellows to the crowd. The tables of students fall into hushed tones. “Today we are receiving a transfer student from Beauxbatons Academy in France. I trust you all will make her feel most welcome.”
He pauses, then looks at me, shooting me a wink. Lowering his voice, he gives me a reassuring look and gestures to the students ahead of me. “Go on, introduce yourself.”
I plaster on a smile and clasp my hands together, turning to truly face the crowd. It’s just like being back in my public speaking course. I dip my head in recognition before saying, “Hello, everyone. My name is Y/N Lavigné. I’m charmed.”
The furious whispers start up again, and I try my best not to seem nervous. Confidence is key.
“Wonderful, Ms. Lavigné. Now, we must get you sorted. Minerva?” Dumbledore gestures toward Professor McGonagall, who hands him an old hat. I have to stop myself from jumping out of my skin when it moves. But, all that aside, it’s placed on top of my head, and I stand as still as I can manage. After about a minute of decisive rambling, the deep voice of the hat announces, “Hufflepuff!”
A table of students in yellow ties—the Hufflepuffs, I piece together—erupts into applause. Dumbledore nods, dismissing me, and Professor McGonagall ushers me toward the table. Multiple heads turn, Hufflepuffs inviting me to sit with them and join their friend groups. I smile politely, wave at my new housemates, and sit with the first person who offers.
She’s pretty, with messy blonde hair and brown eyes. She shakes my hand furiously, teeming with excitement. “Hi! Y/N, right? It’s so cool to get a new student! My name’s Hannah. So, you’re from France? What’s it like? Did you like Beauxbatons? I’ve always wanted to visit France, and the Beauxbatons girls seemed so lovely when they came to visit last year. But then, you’d know all about that! Are those uniforms actually comfortable, or are they skintight? The fabric looked nice, but I could imagine…”
She rambles on and on, asking a million questions, and I can hardly get a word in edgewise. Honestly, though, I can’t help but smile fondly. It’s kind of nice to have someone be so interested in me without knowing anything about me. And someone so sweet, no less. Admittedly, part of me hopes we’ll become friends since she’s already so receptive.
I tune back in when she says, “So, what do you like to do for fun?” Hannah has a toothy grin plastered across her face. I hesitate for a moment, waiting to see if she’s going to keep chattering or if I can actually answer her. When she looks at me in content silence, I finally open my mouth.
“I like to paint-” I say thoughtfully, crossing my legs, “-and to dance. I’ve been in ballet training since I was four. I’m a big reader, too.”
“You’re a ballerina?” Hannah asks, wide-eyed. I chuckle softly at her, a charmed smile playing on my lips. She seems easily impressed, but it’s really quite endearing.
“I suppose you could call it that. I like to think I’m pretty decent, all things considered.”
“That’s amazing. When I was little, I used to dance around in my room to Beethoven, pretending I was up on stage.” She giggles, and I laugh right along with her at the mental image.
We make small talk for a while, getting to know each other. I learn that she’s fond of herbology and has quite the green thumb. Apparently, the Hufflepuff common room is filled to the brim with plants, and everyone helps take care of them, so she’s gotten really good with plants really quickly.
“You have to talk to them. The plants, I mean. I know there’s science behind it, but I like to think plants have feelings, too. Luna agrees with me.”
“Luna?” I ask. So many names already, and it’s only my first day—first hour, really—at Hogwarts.
“Luna Lovegood,” Hannah says with a lilt, gesturing toward a blonde girl sitting at another table. “She’s really sweet. You’ll love her.”
“You’ll have to introduce me, then,” I reply, curiosity piqued.
She opens her mouth to respond but is cut off by Professor McGonagall striding over and placing a tentative hand on my shoulder. The spindly woman clears her throat, and I meet her eyes.
“Yes, Professor?” I look up at her with a smile, though I’m slightly caught off guard.
“Ms. Lavigné, if you wouldn’t mind following me to my office, we need to get your schedule and room sorted out.” I nod, giving a quick glance at Hannah. Just before I stand up, Hannah nearly shouts, “She could room with us! One of the beds in our dorm is empty since Avery left.”
McGonagall looks at her curiously before turning her gaze to me, her eyes questioning. I give her a hopeful (albeit surprised) smile, relieved when she answers Hannah with a simple, “I don’t see why not.”
I give Hannah a quick high-five before standing and throwing my bag over my shoulder. “I’ll save your spot for when you get back!” she calls after me, waving enthusiastically. I shoot her a quick wink in return.
I follow the professor out of the Great Hall and notice (much to my dismay) that the volume in the room dips dramatically, students most definitely whispering about me. Clearly, I’ve already made an impression. Wonderful.
I follow her through the expansive corridors and the moving staircases (why on earth do they have moving staircases?) all the way to a classroom which I figure doubles as her office. “Sit,” she commands, gesturing to a chair in front of her desk. Naturally, I do what I’m told.
“Alright, all of your courses from Beauxbatons transferred over just fine. You seem to be an excellent student, Ms. Lavigné.”
“Oh, thank you! It’s just practice, really. And I enjoy learning.” I offer her a small shrug as I explain, not wanting to come off as too eager but also not wanting to seem disinterested.
She gives me an approving nod. “I’ve worked out your schedule for the year. You’ll be joining the other 5th years in Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Muggle Studies, and Divination. Does that sound alright?”
I nod enthusiastically. Lucky for me, I excel in just about every subject she listed. We didn’t have DADA at Beauxbatons, but I assume it’ll be similar to any old Defensive Magic course.
“And conveniently enough for you, your dorm is all situated with Ms. Abbott and two other young women.”
“Abbott?” I question, before quickly piecing together that she must mean Hannah. She confirms as much before continuing.
“Your things are already in your dorm. I’ve arranged for one of the Hufflepuff prefects to show you the way after dinner.”
“That’s amazing, thank you.” I nod, before suddenly asking, “Professor? What exactly is a Hufflepuff, if I may ask? I wasn’t given too much introduction to the houses before I got here. It’s all been very rushed.”
She gives a sharp, although not unkind, shake of her head. “Of course. How forgetful of me. I usually explain everything just before sorting, but you arrived a bit later.”
She pulls out her wand and conjures some colorful sparks into the air. “There are four houses at Hogwarts,” she muses, first turning the sparks yellow. They swirl in the air before turning into an image of a badger. “You’re in Hufflepuff. Your symbol is a badger. Hufflepuffs are known to be incredibly loyal, trustworthy, patient, and hardworking. They also have a strong sense of justice- wanting things to be fair, if you will.”
She changes the sparks to red, which arrange themselves into a lion. “Gryffindors are known to be brave, headstrong, and seek to help others. Their symbol is a lion.”
I nod and watch the colorful display in amusement as she turns them blue, the sparks flitting into a bird. “Ravenclaws are known to be incredibly intelligent, studious, and to always be planning ahead. Their symbol is the eagle.”
Her wand moves once more before the sparks turn green, mimicking the image of a snake. “The last are Slytherins. They’re ambitious, cunning, and resourceful. Their symbol is a snake.” With one last flick of her wrist, the sparks disappear all together.
“The students here are sorted into their houses based on the most prominent parts of their personalities. That is to say, there’s a bit of each house in every witch and wizard. We try to encourage house unity, but… you know how competitive young people are.” She laughs softly to herself before standing up.
“Did you have any questions, Ms. Lavigné?” McGonagall asks with a raise of her eyebrow.
“Just one. Who’s the head of Hufflepuff house?” I ask, standing up as well.
“Oh, yes. You’ll report to Professor Sprout. I handle Gryffindor, professor Flitwick is responsible for the Ravenclaws, and professor Snape is head of Slytherin.”
I give her a nod and a smile before she dismisses me back down to the Great Hall. I tuck my wand into my sleeve as I wind through the corridors, trying to recall all the twists and turns it took to get to her office. All I can hear is the quiet chattering of the portraits and the clacks of my shoes against the stone floors. Heels probably weren’t the best choice, but at least I came in at the end of the evening. I can take them off soon enough.
As I walked down one of the halls, I could see a few shadowy figures standing against the wall ahead of me. The closer I got, the more the figures started to turn into the shapes of some teenage boys.
“Oi, Zabini. Check it out. It’s the new girl,” a curly headed brunette says. He tilts his head as I get closer to them, studying me.
“Is that so?” one of the others- Zabini- says with a dangerous tone. He’s on the thin side, with dark skin and hair cropped close to his scalp.
I only know one path to the great hall, so I really have no choice but to walk towards them. I’m not sure whether to completely ignore them or try to make nice. I opt for the latter.
“Good evening,” I manage, keeping my voice steady and calm. No reason to expect the worst, right? Maybe they just want to introduce themselves.
“Look at you. You’re a tiny little thing, aren’t you?” The curly headed boy asks, pushing himself off the wall to walk closer to me.
“Tiny?” I muse. “I’m average height, thank you. You’re just tall.”
He looks between me and his friends with an amused look in his eye. He smoothly runs a hand through his curls, causing them to shift backwards, out of his eyes. “Feisty for a puff. Aren’t you gonna run off scared?”
“And why would I do that?” I asked incredulously. My eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the corridor and I notice they’re all in the same house. Green ties, snake emblems… Slytherins. The cunning ones, or whatever McGonagall had said.
“Come off it, Nott. We best introduce ourselves to the lady, no?” Zabini chimes in, walking towards me as well. They’re now both within an arms length of me. I could reach out and touch either one of them. A bit close for comfort, but I stand my ground, nonetheless.
“I’m Blaise Zabini. This here is Theodore Nott. And you’re… y/n, right?” The dark-skinned boy trails his eyes over me as he speaks, no doubt meaning to come off mysterious and attractive. It mostly just makes him seem cocky.
“Yeah, I am. You boys are Slytherins, I see?” I add nonchalantly, blatantly ignoring his attempt at flirting.
“Oh, we’re the Slytherins,” Nott says, clasping his hands behind his back and leaning forward to get a better look at me. “But you’ll figure that out soon enough.” He gives me a mischievous grin before a hand appears on his shoulder, moving him aside. Nott rolls his eyes, and a third boy emerges with a nasty look on his face.
He’s tall, thin, and has the most strikingly white-blonde hair I’ve ever seen. His features are sharp, his eyes a stark grey color. He scoffs, looking me up and down.
“You’re the new transfer from Beauxbatons? I thought the witches there were supposed to be more… sophisticated,” he sneers. He fixes his eyes on my hair, which was no doubt a bit frizzy from the train ride over, and I suddenly feel very self conscious.
“I am,” I reply, straightening up. “And you’re hardly one to talk about sophistication. Your friends have already introduced themselves. Care to do the same, or would you rather keep acting like you’re twelve?”
He regards me with a disgusted disbelief. I can tell he most certainly thought I’d shut up or bolt. He quickly tucks the expression away, favoring a more neutral, disinterested look. “The name’s Draco Malfoy. But that’s Malfoy to you.”
“Pleasure.” I regard him with sarcastic disdain, crinkling my nose just a bit. “Oh, my apologies. I haven’t introduced myself. I’m y/n Lavigné.” I feign nonchalance, tilting my head ever so slightly and looking him up and down, just as he’d done to me.
“Lavigné?” Malfoy asks, seemingly caught off guard. I could’ve sworn I saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes before he cleared his throat and put his very obvious mask back on. “Well, Lavigné,” he says, spitting out my last name like an insult, “you really ought to run a brush through that rats nest before you walk into our school. You’re bringing the property value down.”
His friends snicker, and Malfoy immediately plasters an arrogant smirk on his face. Merlin, I want to hex it right off him.
“At least I don’t bleach my hair. Your roots are showing, Malfoy.” He looks taken aback, then quite furious after that. Of course, I have no real way of knowing if it’s bleached or not, but he seems quite offended either way. “Don’t you have anything better to do than standing around with your mates, trying to get a rise out of people?”
He narrows his eyes, then jabs his pointer finger into my chest. “You don’t know who you’re talking to, Lavigné. Watch that pretty mouth of yours before I have my father handle it.”
“Ah, daddy issues too? Aren’t you just the complete package,” I reply, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Little badger has a temper, I see,” Nott chimes in. “How cute.”
I roll my eyes, stepping around the trio and walking past them. I don’t have to deal with them, so I most certainly am not going to.
“Yeah, scurry off Lavigné. Don’t worry, we’ll catch you around,” Malfoy shouts, obviously smiling. I keep walking forward, and without even looking back I flip them off. I can hear them scoff behind me but I just keep walking until I reach the double doors once more.