Ache of the soul

Antares glanced at the huge castle as he got closer. The water sloshed calmly next to the boat he currently sat in. His sister and the new girl were happily chatting together about Merlin knows what. His cousin, Draco Malfoy sat next to him. Draco was still blubbering at him and demanding a DNA test.

He still thought that Antares was not his cousin as his cousin has been dead for over 11 years. It must’ve been a great shock when Antares had pulled him into an empty compartment by his collar and explained that he was his dead cousin.

Antares thought he was overreacting but that might’ve just been him.

“ Heads down ev'ryone!” Yelled hagrid. Antares lowered his head down but had to pull down his idiot sister as she tried to stand up.

“ you shouldn’t do that cassy!” Yelled the new girl. her wild black hair blew in the wind.
Antares frowned as he heard his nickname for Cassiopeia.

“ don’t call her that.” Said Antares.

“ she said I could!” Replied the girl.

Antares glared venomously at the new girl and turned around as best he could In the tiny boat.

“ you’re overreacting scorpion.” Added Cassiopeia. Antares huffed as he tried to hold in his composure. It was not good pure blood behavior to yell out rashly when mad.

“ clover what are you?” Asked Draco. Confused, clover questioned him.

“ what do you mean?”

“ what are you? You know.. like pure blood, half-blood, or muggleborn?”

“ well my parents were both wizards. Although, I never have met them.” she replied.

“ magicals.” Said Antares

“ what?”

“ the term is magicals if you are talking about both female and male people. It is a gender neutral term like they or them. You could also say witch and wizard if that is easier but Magicals is the scientific term.” Answered Antares, crossing his arms.

“ quit being so smart! It’s fine if she says wizards!” Laughed Cassiopeia.

Soon they were whisked off the boat and dragged into a tiny holding room to wait. Five minutes later a tall old woman came out of two large doors. Antares knew immediately some dimwits would get her mad and immediately be in trouble. She looked stern, like someone you wouldn’t want to cross.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” said the mysterious professor, “The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.
‘The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
‘The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.’
Her eyes lingered for a moment on all of the nervous, fumbling first years. Her eyes took in the sight of Cassiopeia’s bold fashion statement of bright yellow shoes, Draco’s slicked back hair, and Antares perfectly smooth cloak.
“I shall return when we are ready for you”said the professor , “Please wait quietly.”

Once she left the room broke into excited chatter. A loud mudblood was explaining in exciting detail anything that came to mind.

“ did you know Hogwarts has moving portraits? There is even a rumor that the portraits of the Hogwarts founders can be found on grounds!” She said.

Antares rolled his eyes but he was most likely the only one doing so. The new girl seemed very interested. She had eagerly asked her for more information and listened intently as the girls eyes sparkled.

Cassiopeia grabbed the new girls arm tightly and glared at the mudblood.

“ don’t listen to this mudblood! She has no real information of the wizarding world! This is all from rumors or unreliable textbooks!”

People gasped as they heard the insulting name Cassiopeia had spewed.

“ really?” Asked the new girl, “ I’m sorry cassy! I didn’t know!” She cried. Cassiopeia just smiled and pulled her torwards Antares and Draco who had given up asking for a DNA test.

Finally, the professor had came back and lined them all up to walk out In front of the school.

“ do you know how we get sorted?” Asked the new girl. Cassiopeia nodded and explained the sorting hat.

Just as Cassiopeia was done talking the professor that had brought them in pulled out a large dirty old hat and sat it on the stool. As they waited a group of first years began to giggle before the hat twitched and they fell silent. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth- and the hat began to sing.

It was a merry tune the explained slightly about the hogwarts houses. The hats voice sent shivers down people’s backs but nonetheless it was a rather enjoyable song.

When the hat finished the professor who brought them into the great hall began to read out names. Soon, she yelled “ Antares lestrange!”

Silence fell as all eyes went to Antares. The lestrange twins were pronounced dead 11 years ago but suddenly the oldest appeared at the Hogwarts sorting. How did this make any sense?

As Antares sat on the stool and the hat fell over his eyes the whole school leaned closer. For not even a minute he sat on the stool before it yelled:

“ SLYTHERIN!”

The hall didn’t cheer but it didn’t bother Antares as he slid into the spot next to a large girl at the end of the table.

“ Cassiopeia lestrange”

Cassiopeia swaggered up to the stool in her bright yellow shoes and watched as the hat fell over her head.

For 8 minutes she sat on the stool until the hat yelled:

“ RAVENCLAW!”

The only ones who cheered were the new girl, confused muggleborns, and Antares. The hall sat in silence as they took in the new information that was thrown in their face. The new girl looked around in concern, confused on why no one clapped for the twins. She leaned forward to the person in front of her.

“ why is no one clapping?”

“ these twins have been dead for over 11 years!” Whispered the freckled kid furiously. The professor continued calling the names until she finally landed on one in particular.

“ clover potter!”

The hall yet again fell into silence as people tried to stand to see the famous girl who lived. Cassiopeia gasped loudly as she found out the girls name.

“ how did I never see the scar? ” whispered Antares to himself.

As clover made her way up the steps she suddenly felt very nervous. Everyone’s eyes were on her, watching her as if she was a zoo animal. The hat fell over her face and drowned her in the darkness. A old, ancient voice spoke in her ear.

“Hmm, Difficult. Very Difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There’s talent, oh my goodness, yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that’s interesting….So where shall I put you?”

Clover gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin. She did not want to be with Antares and his stuck up cousin.

“Not Slytherin, eh?” said the small voice. “Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that – no? Well, if you’re sure – better be GRYFFINDOR!”

She heard the voice shout to the whole hall and her face instantly broke into a large grin as she walked to the table. Two red headed twins were yelling “ we got potter! We got potter!” While dancing around another redhead.

From her seat she could see the high table and all the occupants that sat at it. She saw hagrid who gave her a large thumbs up and the great headmaster Dumbledore who she remembered from a chocolate frog card. Cassiopeia didn’t seem to like him. She briefly caught eyes with a greasy haired man and frowned. He was glaring venomously at her and stabbing his steak repeatedly.

The food was magnificent but soon clover was getting rather drowsy. As the prefects led them to the common room she barely paid attention to the speech and followed the rest of the girls to the dormitory.

Her roommates consisted of the “ mudblood” from earlier and two terrible gossips. They both became quick friends and were talking on the floor while doing puzzles. She tried to pay no attention to all three of them and fell asleep in her cozy bed.

The next day she woke up bright and early, a habit she picked up from the Dursley’s. She pulled on the Hogwarts robe and tied her hair into a ponytail before making her way down the steps.

There was only the ravenclaws and some slytherin in the hall when she went down. She put some fruit on her plate and began eating. The strict professor who she saw last night handed her the schedule. Clover took a glance at her day and saw that her first subject was potions with the slytherins.

“ so you have potions with the slimy gits huh?”

Clover jumped up violently and turned sharply. Cassiopeia was behind her, smiling largely.

“ isn’t you’re brother a slytherin?” Asked clover as she took another bite of fruit.

“ yes but he is a slimy git isn’t he?”

“ I suppose”

When she finally finished her meal Cassiopeia walked her down to the dungeons before skipping over to herbology. She waited until the professor was there. She briefly wondered who it was before she saw the other Gryffindors coming torwards her. The slytherins arrived later with the greasy haired professor. Snape opened the door and when everyone was done he shut the door with a loud slam. Clover placed her stuff on a table and scowled as Antares placed his next to hers. He flicked his wrist and the class watched as the room darkened mysteriously.

“There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few Who possess, the predisposition... I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death. Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not pay attention!”

Snape glanced at clover who was writing furiously on her paper.

“ ms. Potter! What do you think you are doing? And who gave you the idea you may write with that muggle contraption?” Yelled professor snape.

“ Mr. Snape! It’s a pen, I find it much easier to write with than those quills. As for what I’m doing, I’m taking notes for your class! I found that this is the easiest way to remember.”

Snape’s face slowly turned red as he looked ready to burst.

“ potter, this is Hogwarts! It is a magical school and you must learn the way that we do things! I had to when I was a child and so did all the muggleborns and halfbloods! When did I say you were allowed to write notes for my class? Put that silly pen away and pay attention!” Snapped Snape. Clover glared at Snape as she out the pen away and took out a quill.

“ now for today we will be brewing a simple potion that works as a cure for boils.”

Snape watched as the students stayed in their seats. “ well? Hurry up!” He barked. With a wave of his wand the instructions appeared on the board as students rushed to get a cauldron.

Clover carefully placed the cauldron down as Antares read the instructions.

“ Merlin, I wish cassy was here.” He groaned as clover switched on the fire. Antares waited until the potion turned green before slowly pouring the flobberworm mucus into the cauldron. As the potion turned orange clover sprinkled the dried nettles in and watched as it successfully turned green again. Antares switched the fire on hotter until it turned blue before pouring snake fangs making it turn pink. Antares put the porcupine quills in as clover looked at the next instructions.

“ Antares!” She screamed

“ what?”

“ turn off the fire!”

“ why?”

“ you had to turn off the fire before the porcupine quills!”

Antares eyes widened as he rushed to turn off the fire just as it started to bubble. A strong scent of something dead filled the room but Snape did not look up. Clover let out a breath as the potion turned to a light simmer.

“ you idiot!” Clover said, “ why would you not turn off the fire?”

Antares scowled at her. “ it’s your fault as much as mine! You didn’t read the instructions clearly and didn’t stop me from pouring the quills in!”

As they were fighting a loud bang interrupted them. They both turned sharply and stared as Neville longbottom was doused in potion. Angry boils began to appear on his skin quickly as Snape moved in on him like an angry bat.

“ you dimwit! Did you perhaps forget to turn off the fire before adding the porcupine quills?”

Clover looked at Antares anxiously, their eyes locking for a split second as Snape continued his speech. With a great sigh Snape ordered a gryffindor to take him to the nurse. As Snape dismissed the class clover and Antares ran out together. They ran down the hall until they reached a stone gargoyle. They both doubled over with laughter, holding on to the statue like their life depended on it.

It didn’t quite matter they were five minutes late to their next class.