Not Your Fate

Everything felt overwhelming. 

Solene felt like she was thrown into a war with only a ribbon to defend herself. The voices around her were blending together into one disorderly orchestra; the shouting of a particularly large individual was the only thing she could make out, but even that was almost indistinct. 

She had gotten separated from Lily and the others, and it was impossible to spot them in the large mass of identical school uniforms. She didn’t know where to go, so she let herself be led by the students who obviously knew where to head to. 

Solene chanced a glance over her shoulder, hoping to spot Jem among the first years in front of the giant, but she couldn’t see their faces. 

She spotted a bit of the castle in the distance, and her heart thrummed in her ear at the massive place. Even through the translucent layer of fog, Solene knew that this was the place where Lucas grew up in, the place he always returned to in order to escape from the mess of a home that always greeted him every summer. 

And Solene understood why. 

She finally noticed where the older kids were headed; there were multiple black carriages awaiting them, pulled by bony, eerie horses. They looked like they were awoken from their eternal slumber to work as carriage horses, their wings folded on the side of their bodies as they stood almost immobile besides the occasional twitch of their heads or the swish of their small tails.

Solene suppressed the urge to shiver when she walked by them, the crowd thinning as people went into different carriages with their friends. Although the horses had no eyes, she felt like they were watching her, even as she hurried to the end of the line to climb into an empty carriage. 

How are they so unbothered by them? Solene wondered silently, observing how other students passed by the skeleton horses without another glance. 

“You see them?”

Solene jumped at the sudden voice, her head snapping to the side to see a boy standing in front of the entrance to her carriage. He seemed to be around her age, with messy blonde curls resting comfortably on his head. He was quite tall, and he had a sort of lopsided smile that hung off his lips, like they weren’t sure if they belonged there. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” the boy said, chuckling sheepishly. “Do you mind if I stay in this carriage?”

Solene shook her head. “By all means.” She gestured to the empty seat in front of her. The boy smiled gratefully, clambering into the chair. His lanky limbs looked a bit awkward in the small space, but he looked like he was used to it.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.” He observed, his brain delving into a fruitless attempt of placing her face in the list of students she wasn’t a part of in the past school years. Nonetheless, he stuck a slightly pale hand out. “The name’s Neo.”

Solene hesitated for a very brief moment before reaching over and clasping Neo’s hand in a firm shake. “I’m Solene.”

Neo grinned, letting go of her hand and tucking his back to his lap. “That’s a cool name. Where’s it from?”

Solene raised her eyebrow. No one had really taken interest in her name, and she couldn’t help but relax slightly at Neo’s question. He was the first one to not ask about her backstory, which she felt grateful for. “My mom named me. She’s from the Philippines.”

The boy nodded appreciatively, looking mildly impressed. “That’s nice. It suits you.”

Solene blinked. “Thanks.”

She suddenly remembered the boy’s first words toward her, before he entered the carriage. “What did you mean by me being able to see ‘them’? Who’s ‘them’?”

Neo opened his mouth to speak, but shouts were heard from outside, undoubtedly orders towards the horses, as the carriage lurched forward before it steadied to a slow trot. 

Neo readjusted himself in his chair, combing the hair away from his eyes before speaking again. “The thestrals. The ones pulling the carriage.”

Solene slightly cocked her head to the side, curiosity spiking at the unfamiliar term. “You can’t see them?”

He shook his head. Solene was confused when she saw pity in his eyes as he looked at her. “Only people who’ve witnessed death can see them.”

Solene paused. “Oh.” That makes sense.

Neo nodded. “I’m… sorry for your loss,” he said, his words dangling awkwardly in the suddenly tense atmosphere. 

Solene looked away, fixing her gaze on the small window to her right. “Thank you.”

Thank goodness Neo took note of her unwillingness to venture into the direction the conversation unexpectedly took, so he changed topic. “Since you’re new here, what house do you think you’re going to end up in?”

Solene gave the question a little thought before replying. “Maybe Hufflepuff or Slytherin.”

Neo smiled. “If you end up in Hufflepuff, we could be housemates.”

Solene turned to him, her lips quirking up slightly. She wasn’t ignorant to the yellow that adorned Neo’s slightly crooked tie, or the patch of a badger on his chest. “Indeed.”

They didn’t say much for the rest of the ride, letting the rumbling of the carriage fill the silence between them. Solene could tell that Neo didn’t really like the lack of conversation; his fingers fiddled with each other and his mouth was set in a firm line as he tried to think of what else to say.

Solene decided to save him from the hassle. “What’s Hogwarts like?”

Neo looked at her for a moment before looking out the window, eyes glazed over as he thought of his answer. “It’s like home to me,” he said finally. His words were slow and careful as he chose them wisely. “There are its own issues — house prejudice, blood status, occasionally boring teachers, but it’s the one place where many of us feel comfortable enough to be ourselves. For others, it can be safer than their own home sometimes.”

Solene nodded in understanding. She felt the same way back in the apartment, like no one would judge her for how she acted or spoke, like she couldn’t be hurt there. Maybe Hogwarts will become the same kind of sanctuary for her in time.

“I suppose you don’t get transfer students often?” Solene said, a hint of amusement in her voice. She felt grateful when she saw the smile on the boy’s lips grow. 

“Not exactly,” Neo chuckled. “Actually, I think this is the first time we’ve had a transfer student in a really long while.”

Solene sighed. “Amazing.”

Neo let out a laugh at her sarcastic remark, eyes crinkling at the corners. “I think you’ll get along just fine. What year are you in?”

“Five.”

Neo winced. “Yeah, maybe not that fine. It's the OWLs year.”

“OWLs?” Solene repeated. It jogged something in her memory, making her groan slightly. “The exams.”

Neo nodded. “I’m also in fifth-year, and I haven’t studied, so you’re good. We have the entire year to bribe whatever god of knowledge exists so we can get our OWLs.”

Solene let out a huff of laughter, but said nothing in reply. She didn’t want Neo to know that she hadn't studied magic at all in the previous years, and that she was definitely nowhere near his level of education. Sure, she read Lucas’s old textbooks, but it was barely enough to actually prepare her for school.

How did the headmaster allow her to go to fifth-year immediately? She felt like she was being set up for failure.

No. We have to think positively. I can do this. I can do this.

Neo perked up. “I almost forgot.” He leaned in closer, like he was going to share a secret. “A little tip to survive Hogwarts: stay away from Quidditch. It can get pretty competitive around here sometimes — like, ‘I-will-beat-you-up-if-we-lose-to-you’ type of competitiveness.”

“That doesn’t seem very school-like,” Solene said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Well, it’s been like that for as long as I can remember,” Neo shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “I guess Hogwarts students are naturally competitive, especially when it comes to Gryffindor and Slytherin.”

Solene chuckled breathily. “Interesting.”

Before either of them could say another word, the carriage screeched to a stop. Solene peeked out the small carriage window, her eyes widening when she saw that the castle she was ogling at from a distance a few minutes ago was very large and right in front of her.

“We should get down,” Neo suggested, getting out of his seat and crawling out of the carriage.

He held out a hand to help Solene, but Solene declined politely, jumping off the carriage on her own. She liked being able to do things on her own, especially small things like leaving a carriage.

Which is why she felt stupid when she tailed behind Neo as they entered the castle. It was unfamiliar territory, and she refused to get lost on her first night here. 

Neo turned to her. “I think you’re supposed to go somewhere else. New people go with Professor McGonagall, so you should look for her. She’s a tall-ish witch with a pointed hat.”

Neo offered her a reassuring smile, noticing her apprehension. “You got this. Good luck!”

He joined the other students as they walked through the large double doors into what Solene assumed was the Great Hall, the place where the students had most of their meals.

Solene’s fingertips grazed her rings once more. Every nerve in her body was alive, and she didn’t like the feeling. She wasn’t ready to do a Sorting Ceremony in front of hundreds of students — no, strangers.

Unfortunately, she was left with no choice when she heard a voice call her name from behind her. “Miss Maxwell?”

When Solene turned around, she immediately knew that this was the Professor McGonagall Neo was referring to. She had a serious face and stony eyes, her graying hair pulled into a tight bun that was hidden underneath her wide-brimmed witch’s hat. She adorned a set of emerald robes that nearly grazed the floor.

“That’s me,” Solene replied. Her lips had already twitched into a polite smile. “I suppose I'm going with you for the ceremony, Professor…?”

“McGonagall.” Professor McGonagall’s eyes studied her carefully, her emotions almost unreadable. “We normally don’t receive cases like yours, but you have to be Sorted in the Great Hall before you begin your studies in Hogwarts, just like every student.”

Solene let out a quiet sigh through her nose at the knowledge that she couldn’t avoid being sorted in public, but her smile didn’t drop. “Lead the way, Professor.”

She kept close to the professor as she avoided the students making their way into the Great Hall. Her eyes flickered to the side only once, when she saw a student’s head dip down as their leg got swallowed by… the stairs? 

She watched her step after that, only putting her foot down in places McGonagall stepped in.

By the time they reached their destination, the crowd outside the hall thinned to only a few late students who hurried by.

Solene turned to the group of first years, feeling embarrassment bloom in her stomach. She was obviously the eldest out of all of them, but she was also the tallest. That didn’t exactly help her wish to blend in when these kids only reached her ribs at most (one kid was as tall as her shoulders, though).

Solene made eye contact with her younger brother and immediately went around the group to join Jem in the back. She felt a bit less nervous with her brother beside her. He slipped his hand into hers, and Solene squeezed it. 

The girl expected McGonagall to give them some kind of lecture about the Sorting, but she said nothing, only looking forward and studying the people in the hall, as if waiting for some kind of signal.

“Are you nervous?” Solene asked her brother, looking down at him.

Jem looked back up at her, nodding. “What if I get put in Slytherin or something? The friends I made on the train said that Slytherin is full of bad people.”

Solene clicked her tongue, and Jem stiffened. All the Maxwell kids knew that the gesture meant that they had done or said something wrong.

“I want you to remember that no matter what happens in Hogwarts or who you befriend, you shouldn’t believe that house prejudice,” Solene warned. “People are bad not because of whatever house they may be in, but because they hurt other people or do bad things. Understood?”

Jem nodded, turning his head down in shame. “Yes, Sol. Sorry about that.”

Solene let out a breath, putting her free hand atop of Jem’s head and ruffling his short blonde hair lightly. “It’s okay. Just never judge people because of what others say about them, yeah? You never know, they can describe someone as a monster, but in reality they’re just misunderstood.”

Jem nodded again, but this time he held himself better. Solene could only hope that he would always remember that even as he gets exposed to all kinds of school stereotypes that Hogwarts may contain.

“First-years and others,” McGonagall’s eyes darted to Solene for a split second, “follow me.”

Solene squeezed Jem’s hand again, and he squeezed back. They walked in sync, and gasps in their group were heard as they got a proper view of the Great Hall.

Solene couldn’t suppress the smile on her face as she looked up, taking in the view. Floating candles were scattered about the air, supplying the room with light. The ceiling above was either transparent or non-existent, because she had a clear view of the night sky, almost void of any clouds which left a proper view of the stars that twinkled above.

Beautiful. If I was greeted with this sight every night, I might just never look down.

They stopped walking just in front of the three steps that led to a stage-like surface. It was empty except for the single stool in the middle with a worn-out hat on top of it. It had to be at least a century older than Solene, with the multiple stitches and patches that littered its surface. 

The professor turned to them, and with a wave of her wand, McGonagall procured a piece of parchment. She brought out her glasses and peered down at the words which were most probably a list of names.

“I will call out your names, and when you hear yours, sit on the stool and wear the Sorting Hat. Once you are put in a House, approach the House’s respective table.” She gestured to the banners hung at the back of the Great Hall, beside the doors. The four Houses had their colors and animals displayed proudly from behind their House tables.

McGonagall said nothing else, approaching the stool and picking the hat up in her hands with one hand as she turned to the list in her other hand.

“Adler, Halley!”

A meek little girl made her way forward. She was shaking terribly, tears in her eyes as she sat on the high stool the hat was put over her head, covering her eyes.

Solene thought nothing would happen until a seam in the hat opened. “GRYFFINDOR!”

The Gryffindors cheered and banged their cups as Halley joined their ranks, smiling in relief. 

Okay, it’s just a simple thing. Put on the hat, wait for it to shout a House, then go to said House’s table. Easy peasy.

The names droned on, and majority of the kids went to Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, but some ended up in Ravenclaw and occasionally Slytherin. 

Until McGonagall finally reached the middle of the list. 

“Maxwell, Jeremiah!”

Jem looked up at his sister, panic swelling in his gray eyes. “I can’t do this!” He hissed, shaking his head.

Solene bent down to his height, unaware of the curious stares her way. “Yes you can, and you will,” she said firmly, putting her hands on Jem’s shoulders to stop him from spiraling. “You got this. Now go.”

Solene gave him a little push, kickstarting his walk to the stool, perching atop of it. Solene was able to nod her head in reassurance one more time before the Sorting Hat fell over his eyes.

It took a longer while for the hat to come to a decision compared to the previous students, but eventually the hat’s brim opened once more. “RAVENCLAW!”

The hat was removed from Jem’s eyes and he went towards the clapping Ravenclaws. He threw one more glance at Solene, grinning when Solene smiled at him approvingly.

“Maxwell, Solene!”

Solene took a deep breath, her cheeks warming slightly at the whispers that followed her as she walked forward. She could feel eyes piercing her back, taking away the little confidence that she had. 

Her heartbeat soon overpowered the murmurs, thundering in her ear as her body tensed.

You got this. You got this.

Solene sat on the stool, the tips of her feet almost flat on the stone floor despite the tall chair. She closed her eyes before the Hat went down to black out her vision entirely.

Hmmm, interesting… Solene flinched slightly when she heard the voice in her head. Has quite a wonderful mind like the younger one, but also has nerves of steel… Gryffindor would be a good fit, but you have more of your father in you than your mother, so you will thrive more in… “SLYTHERIN!”

Solene took the hat off her head before McGonagall could, letting her hold it before she stood and walked towards the Slytherins. They had a different reaction than the other students that were sorted into their house. Their cheers seemed more sarcastic, sounding more like jeers than anything.

She carefully avoided their judging stares as she looked for an empty spot on the table. She finally saw one in between two similar-looking students, one boy and one girl with light blonde hair and pale skin. 

Solene made eye contact with the girl, and the girl smiled, gesturing for her to take the seat. Solene sighed gratefully, putting one foot in front of the other as she sat down on the spot in the chair.

“Welcome to Slytherin,” the girl greeted. Her voice was light and airy, gentler than Solene expected. There was a hint of an accent in her voice, and it made her seem kinder. “I’m Pandora.”

Solene smiled and nodded. “Nice to meet you, Pandora. My name’s Solene.”

Pandora’s lips curled into a soft smile. “Solene. It suits you.”

Solene felt her cheeks warm again, but this time not out of embarrassment. “Uh, thanks.”

Pandora nodded, looking at the boy on her other side. “That’s my twin brother, Evan.”

Solene turned to him and gave him a polite smile and nod, but Evan stuck out a hand for her to shake. When Solene put her hand in his, she was caught off guard by the tight grip. Solene immediately knew what he was doing; it was a challenge, a test to see if she was going to back out.

But Solene wasn’t the kind to back out.

She kept her grip just as firm as his, staring into Evan’s eyes unblinkingly. They both stayed like that for a moment, before Evan’s expression softened and he shook her hand twice before letting go. “Pleasure to meet you, Solene.”

Pandora smiled at the exchange before gesturing to the people sitting across from them. 

“I’m Barty!” The boy directly in front of her grinned. Solene could tell that he was most probably the rowdiest of the group, from how he drummed his fingers on the table and how she felt his legs bouncing below. “And this is Regulus.”

Solene gave a different smile to the familiar, long-haired boy. “Nice to finally learn your name.”

Regulus nodded in recognition. “Same to you.”

Evan looked between them, confused. “You two already met?”

“Back on the train,” Regulus explained. “We bumped into each other.”

Solene huffed good-naturedly. “More like I bumped into him. Sorry again, by the way.”

Regulus shook his head. “No need to apologize about that again. It’s fine.”

Barty’s eyes darted between the two of them, an unintelligible emotion on his face. Solene wasn’t able to make much of it before gold plates, utensils, and goblets appeared in front of every student. 

Solene looked around, frowning. There wasn’t any food in the middle, but people down the table had food already on their plates.

Pandora took notice of her confusion. She tapped Solene’s arm lightly, making her look her way. 

“You have to say what you want to the plate,” Pandora said. She turned to her plate and said, “Caesar salad!”

Sure enough, vegetables appeared on her plate. 

Solene nodded in understanding. “Thanks.”

Pandora smiled. “No problem. I saw the Wrackspurts floating around your head and decided to help.” She waved a hand near Solene’s ear. “See? All gone.”

Solene blinked, confused, but one glance from the boy on her left told her to say nothing about it, so she just nodded again.

She turned to her plate and said, “Pork chops.”

A victorious smile appeared on her face when she saw cuts of meat on her plate. She picked up her fork and dug in. 

“You’re Muggle-born, aren’t you?”

Solene turned to Barty, eyes narrowing as she immediately felt cautious. She remembered the blood status prejudice that Neo mentioned back in the carriage. “Is that relevant?”

The three others around them paused in their eating as they looked at Barty and Solene. Regulus’s gaze was scolding towards the boy, Evan’s was disbelief, and Pandora was just curious.

Barty blinked twice, frowning bewilderedly at Solene’s response. His eyes widened when he realized what his words might imply. “Oh, no no no, I didn’t mean it that way. We’re not like the other Slytherins that judge people on blood status, don’t worry. I was just wondering because you were surprised with how the meals work, that’s all.”

Solene hummed, studying Barty for a few more moments before turning back to her food and putting a small piece of meat in her mouth. She chewed a bit before swallowing. “I’m a pureblood, actually.”

Regulus’s brows creased. “I don’t recognize your last name, though.” When Solene looked at him questioningly, he explained. “Most pureblood families are familiar with each other, since there are only a few of us.”

“Ah, well, my family stayed on the Muggle side of things,” Solene shrugged. “That’s most probably why my surname isn’t known to you.”

“I suppose…” Regulus continued eating, his pace slow, but Solene could tell that he wasn’t convinced by her words.

Oh well, whether or not my words are true, I don’t know more than him about my own family, so…

“Reg, eat more!” Barty said, his voice chiding as he slid some of his own food onto Regulus’s plate. 

Regulus was about to protest until Evan spoke. “He’s right, Regulus. You didn’t eat on the train, so you have to eat now.”

Regulus sighed in defeat. Solene observed the three’s dynamic. The extra concern in their eyes, the occasional grazing of Barty’s hand on Regulus’s. They’re most probably soulmates.

The sour feeling in her gut returned, but she repressed it faster than she did when it made an appearance back in the train cabin with Lily and her friends. I’m unaffected.

“What year are you in, Solene?” Pandora asked, her large pupils staring into Solene.

“Fifth,” Solene said, bringing her goblet to her lips and whispering “water” before drinking. “I was homeschool before, but I decided to go here instead for better education and to lessen the burden on my aunt’s shoulders.”

Although she was good at lying, that didn’t mean that she liked it. She preferred to tell the truth as much as possible, but she didn’t want anyone finding out about her situation anytime soon. She had to stick to her backstory as much as possible so people can believe it more.

“Why didn’t you go here in the first place?” Regulus asked.

Solene lifted her shoulders and put them down. “I was really shy as a kid. My aunt wanted a more secluded place so I wouldn't get overwhelmed by people.”

“What happened to your parents?” Barty asked curiously, wincing when Evan jolted, like he kicked the boy from under the table. “What?!”

Evan shook his head at him. Solene took note of how the boy realized that it might be a sensitive topic for her, but she had to stay something so they wouldn’t ask anymore questions about it in the future. “They both passed away when I was younger.”

Pandora gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Solene tilted her head. “Thanks, but it’s fine. It happened a long time ago.”

After that, the conversation was carried by Bary, Evan and Regulus, Pandora occasionally piping in her own thoughts on whatever topic they were talking about.

The diverted focus from her gave her time to think about what the Sorting Hat had said when deciding what House to put her in. 

The hat said that she was “like her father”. She shivered at the possibilities, as none of them were particularly flattering.

She knew that her father was sorted into Slytherin when he was in Hogwarts, while her mother was put in Gryffindor, but her father was a good man.

Her father was a good man.

Whatever, that hat is a hat. It’s probably not thinking very well. Solene took another gulp of her water, eating the last of the food on her plate as she sighed, feeling satisfied with the meal despite the thoughts in her head.

She had a small chat with Pandora, smiling at the interesting thoughts the girl had on magical creatures, but it was cut short when an old man with long white hair and a long white beard approached the podium to speak. 

Professor Dumbledore, I assume.

“I hope everyone was satisfied with their dinner,” he said, his voice warm as he spread his arms. “Before the night ends, I have a few guidelines: please check the list of banned items put up beside Mr. Filch’s office door. Dr. Filibuster’s Fireworks is a new addition to the list, accompanying thirty-seven other items.”

A dramatic groan was heard from the Gryffindor table, making many students laugh. Solene turned to the source of the noise, only catching a messy mop of curly hair before disappearing behind the tall heads of the other students.

Dumbledore smiled at the interruption before continuing. “Once again, students are reminded that the Forbidden Forest is off-limits. If you are found there, then Hagrid will be in charge of your punishment.”

Solene had no reaction unlike the other students, as these names of places and people were still unfamiliar to her. 

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. “Now that that’s put aside, let’s all stand to sing the school hymn! Pick your tempo!”

Solene stood up with everyone else. All of them were groaning in annoyance, with Barty muttering under his breath as he stood up straight.

Dumbledore waved his wand, and words shimmered into the air a few feet in front of him.

The singing made Solene cover one ear as she stayed silent. Dumbledore wasn’t kidding when he said that the students were free to pick their desired tempo for the hymn. It was pure chaos all around, with many picking different varieties and making it sound like a cat scratching a blackboard when all put together.

I’m never singing this song, Solene swore to herself as she impatiently waited for everyone to finish singing.

Finally, when the last two people from Gryffindor — the same curly-haired boy, but this time he was accompanied by another boy with black wavy hair and a mischievous grin — finished singing in their slow funeral march, Dumbledore spoke once more. “Time for bed! Off you go to your dorms!”

Solene sighed in relief when they could finally leave. Her body was drained from meeting so many new people and learning things left and right about other students and the school. All she wanted to do was collapse in a bed and sleep without another word.

Pandora linked her arm around Solene’s and they walked with the other Slytherins towards their dorms. Solene was surprised by the girl’s move, but she didn’t comment on it. Her other female coworkers back in her old job did the same thing to her a lot, so she was used to it.

The Slytherins descended to dungeon-level, and Solene felt the chill travel up her spine. The lit torches on the walls didn’t do much with the cold.

The boy at the front turned to the large group of Slytherins behind him. “Listen up. Password for now is ‘codsworth’. Forget it, and you aren’t going inside the dorms. And don’t expect us to let you in, either.”

The students surrounding Solene chuckled sinisterly, and her eye twitched slightly but she stayed silent. 

The heavy black door behind the Slytherin in front slid open, rolling to the side like the opening of an underground chamber. 

It was dark and chilly, much like the hallway leading to it. It was lit by a flickering fire on the side, surrounded by velvet couches and chairs. On the other side were similar chairs and a few tables, a chess game on one of them.

At the other end of the room were two staircases that met in the middle then continued down together, forming a Y shape. Solene assumed that they were the different dorms for the boys and girls, and she was right when the Slytherin in lead spoke again. “Boys on the left, girls on the right. First years, you’re on the lower levels, second years on the other levels following that, and so forth. Your luggage will arrive in your room by the servants later in the night.”

Some snickered at the mention of the servants. 

There are servants here? What kind of school is this?

“Go ahead and sleep. I better not be catching any of you outside of curfew,” he warned, and everyone dispersed. Solene stuck with Pandora as they ascended the stairs, which led to a small corridor of dorms with a spiral staircase in the end.

“I hope we’re roommates,” Pandora said wistfully. “It would be nice to have a friendly face in the same room.”

“What about the other girls?” Solene asked curiously. “Are you not close with them?”

Pandora shrugged. “I was, but they don’t like my company anymore.” She turned to look at Solene. “Oh, speaking of, just tell me if I get too overwhelming for you. I can put some distance whenever you’d like.”

Solene shook her head, smiling softly. “You’re one of my only friends in this school. I think you should be the one with the option to back away.”

Pandora laughed. Solene liked the sound of her laugh. 

They clambered up the stairs, a few steps behind a few more girls. They soon entered different dorms along the way until Pandora stopped Solene in front of a door.

“This is us, I believe.” The girl opened the door and stepped into the room.

It was spacious, with four poster beds on opposite sides of each other. The room was windowless (which was to be expected, since they were underground), but it was cool. Each bed had their own nightstand and closet beside it, which were bare as of now. 

 Solene immediately went for the one near the corner of the room, and Pandora plopped down on the one beside Solene’s chosen bed, which happened to be right beside the door. 

Solene had to suppress a moan when her face hit the pillows. It felt like she was laying down on a cloud. 

“Solene, you should get changed first,” Pandora giggled, bouncing slightly on her bed.

“I can’t get changed, my clothes aren’t here yet.” Solene’s voice came out muffled through the fabric. 

Poof.

“Oh, here it is.”

Solene perked up, eyes widening when she saw her trunk at the foot of her bed along with her backpack.

“Fuck, I didn’t even realize I left my bag on the train,” Solene groaned, lightly tapping her forehead with her clenched fist. I’m really getting too comfortable in this place. I have to be more careful next time.

Pandora shrugged, standing up to go through her things. “It’s alright. Accidents happen.”

Solene exhaled, also climbing out of her bed to go through her clothes and bring out her pajamas. 

She was crouched over her trunk and pulling out her clothes when the door opened again, revealing two stern-looking girls. One had short black hair with bangs covering her forehead while the other had circular glasses and layered brown hair.

“Ugh, we’re with you again?” The girl with glasses groaned, rolling her eyes at Pandora. Solene stood slowly, eyes not leaving the newcomers.

“You can request a dorm transfer if you’d like, Ren,” Pandora replied airily, not looking up from her trunk. 

The girl scoffed, stepping forward slightly to kick Pandora’s trunk. The action didn’t do much, but it did make the trunk’s end hit Pandora’s legs and cause her to lose balance and fall backwards to the carpeted floor. “I would, but no one would willingly switch with me knowing you’re here.”

Solene stepped forward to help Pandora off the ground. The latter’s cheeks were dusted with a light pink, embarrassed.

Solene looked at the two girls. The one with the bangs hasn’t said anything, but she didn’t look any nicer than the other girl. 

“Look, if you aren’t happy with the arrangements, too bad. We’re all staying in the same dorm for the school year, so we might as well learn to ignore each other.”

Ren looked at her, her nose wrinkling in disgust. “Who are you? What are you even doing here?”

“I’m here to study,” Solene replied coldly, “and I would greatly appreciate it if you let Pandora and I do that in peace for the entire time we’re here.”

The girl with the bangs let out an ugly laugh, one that sounded like a snort and a dog choking on a chew toy mixed together. “‘ Pandora’ ? Since when did you have friends, Rosier? I bet she’s just friends with you ‘cause she’s a Mudblood and she has nowhere else to go.”

Solene took two steps forward until she was mere inches away from the girl’s face. She had no idea what she had been called, but judging from Pandora’s horrified expression, it had been an insult. A nasty one at that. 

“Insult Pandora one more time and I’ll make you regret it,” Solene threatened. If it were up to her, she would have told the girl that she was going to cut her tongue off and throw it in the lake, but it was her first day. She didn’t want to be so violent when the school year just barely started.

The girl looked like she wanted to retaliate, but Ren stopped her. “Just leave it, Sara. We have all year to do whatever we want with these two.”

Solene raised an eyebrow, silently challenging them. But nonetheless, she backed away and snatched the clothes she laid over her bed. She went inside the small bathroom they had in the dorm and double-checked the knob to make sure she locked the wooden door. She didn’t like how she had to strip down when two bullies were right outside, but she made sure to be quick about it.

Once she was in her pajama pants and another loose, long-sleeved shirt, she stepped out with her uniform folded neatly in her hand. The two beds beside the bathroom had their curtains drawn — Sara and Ren most probably went to bed already, thank goodness.

Pandora was sitting at the foot of her bed, a glazed stare fixed on a point on the floor. 

Solene approached her and patted her shoulder. “You should change,” Solene said, her voice soft so as to not catch the attention of the two other girls in the room. 

Pandora snapped out of her daze and smiled up at Solene. The girl couldn’t help but notice that the smile was emptier than the others that Solene had seen her wear that night. “Okay. Thanks. Good night, Solene.”

“Good night, Pandora.”

When the light-haired girl went inside the bathroom, Solene crawled into her bed and drew the curtains around it. She smiled at the cloth that kept her away from prying eyes. It was a big upgrade from the bed she used to sleep in at home, the one she shared with her sister and occasionally one of her younger siblings when they had a nightmare and refused to sleep away from her embrace. 

Solene sighed silently, burrowing herself into the mattress as she stared up at the stone ceiling. 

She was here. In a Slytherin dorm. In Hogwarts.

A small, unbelieving part of herself didn’t want to sleep in fear that this was all a dream, that she would wake up on her bed at the apartment to Cal screaming in her ear because she overslept and had to make breakfast.

No matter how difficult studying here as a fifth-year with barely any prior knowledge, I will get through it. No matter what it takes. I won’t disappoint my family.

That thought was the last that entered her mind before she drifted to sleep, her body molding into the bed as the world went quiet around her.