chapter 1
When you went to London to buy your supplies, your father went with you. He wanted to see what it was like compared to the shops in Paris. He seemed impressed, and so were you. His favorite place was the candy store, yours was the bookstore. You got everything on your list of supplies, with some extra stuff that they didn't include.
You weren't allowed to own any animals at Beauxbatons. Your father said the school in Russia lets you have any animal, that seems crazy to you.
Beauxbatons is all about grace, refinement, and elegance. You can't focus on that if you have a pet. Especially not an owl or something. Owls would be considered dirty by the teachers and headmistress.
You've always liked owls, so that's why you chose one. A black angry-looking bird, Merlin, named after the famous legendary Slytherin. You did some research about Slytherin while you waited on the train to Hogwarts. You've always known Merlin's name, just never where he came from and how he earned his status.
Before you got onto the train, your father gave you a big hug, nearly squeezing the life out of you. Your mother just stood there with her arms crossed, nose in the air. You don't pay her any mind as he waves you off. When you get onto the train and look out the window, he's still standing there, waving. You do the same, only stopping when he disappears from your view.
At this point, you're halfway to Hogwarts and you still haven't met a single wizard or witch. But that's about to change.
The compartment door slides open and someone peeks inside, "Can I sit here?" The witch asks, glancing across from you at the empty seats. She's skinny and pale, with thick brows and a long face. She looks about your age, or maybe a little younger. You nod at her and she smiles, entering the compartment and sitting down.
She's followed by two people, a tall bony woman with a red handbag, and an angry-looking curly-haired woman. The tall one sits next to you and the angry one sits next to long face, "I'm Eileen!" The girl with the long face says, still smiling at you, "This is Augusta and Walburga." She introduces her friends to you politely. Walburga, still angry-looking, is just staring out the window with her arms crossed.
Augusta pulled a book out of her tiny purse and is reading it now, unaware of her surroundings. The bag must have a charm on it because that bag is far too small for the book. You've used a charm like that a few times before.
It's clear that Walburga is too angry to have a conversation, and Augusta is busy with her book, so you'll settle for talking to Eileen. She explains all of the different houses to you, telling you about the rivalry between them. Mostly due to Quidditch, "So Augusta’s in Gryffindor and Walburga and I are in Slytherin. But we don't care about the rivalry," Eileen says with a shrug. Augusta nods and goes back to her book "It's dumb." Eileen says simply.
"So what house do you want to be in?" Eileen asks curiously, scooting closer to you subconsciously. You hum to yourself, thinking. You're not sure. She said Gryffindor is for bravery, Slytherin is for evil people (Walburga gave her a dirty look after she said that), but she was joking about it. She wouldn't befriend someone she thought was evil. Ravenclaw is for the smartest witches and wizards, and Hufflepuff is for loyalty, a strong sense of justice, and determination. You don't know what house you'll be in, but you want to be with one of them. It would help with the integration. If you're with a familiar face, it'll be easier to settle in.
"I don't know." You answer honestly, shrugging your shoulders as you do.
Eileen looks disappointed with your answer, but the two of you don't stop talking for the rest of the ride. She only stops after she has to go ride the carriage and you have to go ride a boat. She seemed surprised when the groundskeeper came to retrieve you, but she didn't express it outwardly. You don't know why. Until you get inside one of the boats.
You're surrounded by children and they're all annoying. They're first-years, and they can't stop talking. Even for a second. Fortunately, the ride doesn't last long. Soon, you're stepping onto a dock and lining up... behind more children. Despite their annoying chatter, you find yourself excited about the sorting and your new life here.
Eventually, you're led into the school and told to wait just outside of the Great Hall's doors. They're open, and you can see inside. It's a cafeteria, only the biggest one you've ever seen. There are 4 very long tables, all lined up alongside each other. And one even longer table near the back of the room, where some older witches and wizards are sitting. They must be the teachers, or that's what you think.
You don't have to wait for long.
Suddenly, you hear your name. Your last name is spoken before your first name. As soon as the headmaster says your name, everyone in the Great Hall falls silent. Some of your peers whisper among themselves as you walk toward the shabby wooden stool holding the old hat. They're probably wondering why you're so old. You wish they did the sorting in private, this feels embarrassing. All these eyes watching you, analyzing your every move, judging you.
When you sit on the stool and finally get a look at all your new classmates, they're already staring at you. Almost all of them. It sets you on edge, makes you tense up, and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand at attention. You try not to pay attention to all the eyes on you, but it's hard. Until the hat is placed on your head. As soon as this happens, it feels like you and the hat are the only ones in the room. There are no more eyes on you, no more whispering about you and what house you'll be in.
You don't care which one you're in, as long as you're with one of the girls, "I think you'd be perfect for SLYTHERIN!" The hat bellows, making you cringe. He's way too loud. The table farthest to your right jumps up and starts cheering, clapping their hands and shouting your name. The hat is taken off your head and you stand up, feeling overwhelmed already. You feel a strange mist flow around you and you look down at your robes. Now they're just like Walburga's, with dark green accents and a snake emblem above your left breast.
With shaky legs, you walk down the steps and make your way over to the Slytherin table. As soon as you reach the crowd, someone wraps their arms around you. Shocked, you stand frozen as they tighten their grip on you. When they pull away, you realize you've never seen this person. You thought it might be Walburga, but it isn't. It's a different girl, about the same age as you, with long striking black hair and a wide smile, "Hi! I'm Lucretia! I'm so happy we got you," She says, turning to face a pale blonde boy, "You owe me 12 galleons, Abraxas." She sneers at the boy next to her. They were taking bets on you? Abraxas glares at the girl but drops a few gold coins on the table near her. She swipes them before anyone else can and sits down next to the blonde boy.
You take a seat beside her, in the only empty one you can see, "Is it too late to switch houses?" You ask sarcastically, earning a chortle from Abraxas.
"You can always go sit with the Hufflepuffs," Walburga says from across the table. She's sitting next to a dark-haired boy who seems disinterested in you and this conversation. You're glad, that means there'll be fewer eyes on you, "Or with the centaurs in the Dark Forest." She snickers, nudging the boy next to her. He sighs but doesn't respond. When he reacts this way, she seems to become deflated. Like she only said that to make him laugh. You notice that nobody else laughs either. She seems surprised by this, even a little offended.
His hair is short and black, well-groomed and neat just like his robes. His jaw is sharp and strong, and his eyes are dark, nearly black. You stare at him and suddenly he glances up at you, right into your eyes. Once they make contact, you feel this strange sort of pressure in your head. Almost like you have a headache, but not quite. You haven't felt this before, but you don't like it. A shiver runs down your spine. You're the first to break eye contact, uncomfortable after only a few seconds.
Nobody else notices this moment you share with the strange boy, and you're thankful for that. There's something... off about him. Something you can't quite put your finger on. He seems almost dangerous in a way. You just know that you need to stay away from him.
The strange pressure in your head continues. It makes you feel vulnerable. Exposed, in a way. Again, you look up at the handsome dark-haired boy. He's still staring at you, eyes narrowed and blank. His gaze sends shivers down your spine, and not the good kind.
There's no chance for anyone else to speak, "Silence!" A loud voice booms, echoing through the large room. Your head snaps to the right and you notice the Headmaster in front of a podium. As soon as he does this, everyone goes quiet, save for a few snickers here and there. And then he starts his speech. It's a long one, and you hardly listen to it. You're tired and hungry, you don't have the energy to pay attention.
Until, "And for our first years, nobody is allowed in the Dark Forest. If you enter, you will die a painful death." He says, finishing his speech and turning away to walk back to his seat. Walburga mentioned the dark forest earlier. Maybe you'll see it one day. Or maybe not if you'll "die a painful death". You can't help being curious, though. And you're a little shocked the headmaster would say that. It's crazy of him to say.
As soon as the headmaster takes his seat, food appears in front of you on the table. You can see four turkeys, 2 bowls of mashed potatoes, a bowl of regular roasted potatoes, 5 plates of roast beef, peas, carrots, and cabbage. And that's just what's in front of you. There's more food farther down the table. The feast at Beauxbatons is very different. There's less food and more evil teenage girls around you.
Lucretia watches you pile food onto your plate with an amused look on her face, "First time seeing food?" She asks sarcastically, spooning some chopped carrots into her mouth.
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After the start of the year feast, Walburga and Lucretia lead you to the Slytherin common room. You can already tell you're going to have a hard time at this school. It's bigger than Beauxbatons which means more walking, which means your legs will be sore. You wish you knew how to apparate so you could be lazy. And Walburga seems mean, so that'll be an added challenge. You hope you'll be friends by the end of the year. Unless she's an evil bitch. Then you'll hate her.
Abraxas and the creepy dark-haired boy are walking behind you, muttering to each other quietly. You don't know his name yet, but you're sure you will soon. You don't bother trying to listen in, it would be impolite.
The dungeons are cold, far colder than you realized. And with a wave of your wand, you're warm again. You learned that charm during your first year at Beauxbatons. France in December and January can be cold.
When you reach the common room entrance, "Parselmouth." Lucretia says, watching as the large statue moves aside to reveal a staircase. You have to go even further underground. You raise an eyebrow, not having any idea what that word means. But you don't have much time to think about it, you follow the two girls downstairs.