Chapter One
Iris looked around the platform filled with dread.
This was not the way she would have imagined her sixth year to be. Instead of being in the beautiful French countryside working with her mentor, she’s stuck going to Hogwarts. Lost in her thoughts, she heard an annoyingly familiar voice screech out at her.
“Iris, come on! We can’t miss the train. I’m the head girl this year, so I need to set a good example for the other students.”
She rolled her eyes. Of course, her older sister is the head girl at the school where she would rather die than attend. As she walks through the platform, she sees an ugly red train, and that is when her new reality starts to set in. This year, her older sister had finally convinced their parents to force Iris to go to school with her. With the growing tensions between the wizarding world and the muggle world, their parents thought it would be better for both of the girls to attend Hogwarts, where they’d be under the watchful eye of Dumbledore. Iris thought the reasoning was stupid, but secretly, she was excited to see if Hogwarts was like Lily had told her over the years.
They said their goodbyes to their parents and boarded the train, where Iris followed Lily like a lost dog. Lily had found an empty compartment where they could both sit, but before they could get comfortable, a deep voice interrupted their peace.
“Oi Evans, who’s this girl with you?”
Before Lily could even get a word out, a strange boy shoved his way into the compartment, followed by three other boys. Iris tried her best to ignore the disruptions that were now in their compartment, but her attempts were futile, and her curiosity got the better of her. As Iris looked up through her eyelashes, she saw a tall boy with pale skin, thick black hair, and dark gray eyes - from what Lily had said about her classmates, Iris deduced that this was Sirius Black, the best friend of “the most annoying boy to ever walk the Earth,” according to her sister. Behind him was an even taller boy with dark brown hair and bright hazel eyes covered by a thick pair of glasses - Iris could only assume that this was the infamous James Potter, the boy who had been trying to ask Lily out for years. The other two boys were less memorable, one with sandy brown hair and a friendly face, the other with a scarred face, messy hair, and glasses.
Iris felt a rush of excitement and nervousness as she realized these were the infamous Marauders, the group of boys who had a reputation for causing trouble and mischief around Hogwarts. She had heard stories about them from Lily, but now she was actually face-to-face with them.
Suddenly filled with confidence, Iris begins to talk,
“My name is Iris, I’m Lily’s little sister. I’m transferring from Beauxbatons, and I’ll be in my sixth year this year.”
Sirius smirks at her, “Ah, so you’re the little sister. You’re not as cute as Lily, but I think we can still have some fun with you.”
Iris feels her cheeks flush with anger and embarrassment. She was not used to being talked to like this. But before she could retort, James speaks up.
“Leave her alone, Padfoot. She’s just trying to introduce herself.”
Rolling his eyes dramatically, he backs off, and the group settles into a conversation about Iris’ time at Beauxbatons. Excited to talk about her former school, she excitedly talks about her experience with the Beauxbatons curriculum and the different subjects she had studied there. The Marauders listen with interest, asking questions here and there and Iris finds herself enjoying the conversation.
During the last two hours of the train ride, Lily, James and Remus leave for the Prefect’s meeting. Iris is left alone with Sirius and Peter. She can feel her nerves creeping back in, not sure what to expect from the mischievous duo. But surprisingly, they don’t seem interested in causing trouble.
“Don’t mind Sirius, he can be a bit of a git sometimes,” Peter says, breaking the silence.
“So what house do you reckon you’ll be sorted into?” Sirius says brashly.
Iris takes a deep breath, feeling a bit more relaxed now that Sirius and Peter seem to be behaving themselves. “I’m hoping for Gryffindor, like Lily,” she responds with a smile.“But Lily told me I’d be more well suited for Ravenclaw or Slytherin.”
Sirius nods, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Well we’ll just have to wait and see, won't we?”
Iris nods, feeling a bit nervous at the thought of the sorting ceremony. Beauxbatons did not have houses and she didn’t know where she could possibly belong. She looked up to her sister and hoped to follow in her footsteps, but she knew that she was different from her sister and she would thrive in whatever house the hat sorted her in. Sirius notices the nervousness on Iris’ face and tries to ease her worries.
“Don’t worry too much about it, Iris. The sorting hat takes into account more than just your traits. It also considers what house needs more members and where you would fit in best. And no matter what house you end up in, we’ll still be you friends.
Peter nods in agreement. “Yeah we’re all in this together. And who knows, you might even end up in Gryffindor with us.”
Iris smiles, feeling grateful for their reassurance. “Thanks guys. I really appreciate it.”
Just then, the compartment door opens and a tall, handsome boy with jet black hair and piercing gray eyes walks in. Iris wonders who this is, but has a feeling that this may be one of Sirius’ relatives.
“Hey Reg,” Sirius greets him, a smirk on his face. “What brings you to our neck of the woods?”
Confused, Iris asks, “Sirius, is this your brother or something? Why do you guys look so much alike?
Regulus looks at Iris with a look of disgust on his face, and looks past her while talking to Sirius, “I actually came to talk to you about something important. Can we go somewhere private?”
Sirius looks conflicted, but nods nonetheless, and leads Regulus to a different compartment.
Iris feels a bit uneasy after the encounter with Regulus, but before she can think too much about it, Remus, Lily, and James make their way back to the compartment.
“Who was that? And why did he look at me like that?” She looked towards Lily for an answer, but James replied instead.
“That was Regulus Black. He’s Sirius’ younger brother, and he’s a Slytherin. You know, the house that’s known for being cunning and ambitious.”
Remus adds, “And they don’t exactly have the best reputation. Some of them can be pretty unpleasant.”
Iris nodded, understanding a bit better now. “I see. Well, I hope Sirius is okay.”
“Why did Regulus want to talk to him?” Lily said warily, “I thought they had a bad relationship ever since Sirius left.”
James spoke up, “Yeah, but they’re still family. And who knows, maybe Regulus wants to make amends or something.”
Remus shakes his head, “I highly doubt that. Regulus has always been a follower of their family’s beliefs, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon.”
The group falls into a moment of silence, but it’s broken by Sirius’ return to the compartment. He looks troubled, but tries to put on a brave face. The rest of the train ride is uneventful, and soon they arrive at Hogwarts station. They make their way off the train, and Iris follows Lily and the Marauders as they make their way to the carriages. As they ride up to the castle, Iris can’t help but feel a sense of wonder and excitement. The Hogwarts castle is unlike anything she’s ever seen before, and she can’t wait to explore it.
They gather into a carriage and make small talk about their goals for the year, and Iris can feel herself loosening up around the Marauders. James and Lily are seated next to each other, and Iris gives them a knowing look. Lily catches her eyes and blushes, looking down while shaking her head.
The reality of being at Hogwarts for her sixth year begins to hit her, and she suddenly grows melancholic thinking back to her time at Beauxbatons. As they start to reach the castle gates, she plasters a fake smile on her face and gets out of the carriage.
As she gets out and they begin their walk to the castle, Iris can feel the stares that people are giving her. It was rare for students to transfer to Hogwarts, and nearly unheard of for an upper-level student to transfer. She knew that people probably knew who she was. She had a slightly subdued version of Lily's hair, but it was still a bright enough strawberry blonde that didn't go unnoticed by her fellow students.
The Marauders notice the stares and try to make Iris feel better by making a fool of themselves, effectively bringing the attention off of her. Sirius and James were chasing Peter and Remus in hopes of getting a kiss, and both Iris and Lily couldn't help but laugh at their antics. Iris is glad to have finally found a group of friends and braces herself for their arrival at the castle.
Once they arrive at the castle, Iris is pulled aside by Professor McGonagall.
“Come with me Ms. Evans, we’ll be doing your sorting privately in the headmaster’s office.”
Looking around on her way to the headmaster’s office, she grows nervous, she doesn’t know what to expect from the sorting hat, and she's not even sure what house she wants to be in.
As they step into a different corridor, Iris finds herself in front of the large gargoyle statue that guards Dumbledore’s office. She looks at Professor McGonagall, who nods at her encouragingly, before turning to face the gargoyle.
“Chocolate frogs,” Professor McGonagall says clearly, and the gargoyle springs to life, revealing a spiral staircase leading up to Dumbledore’s office.
Taking a deep breath, Iris follows Professor McGonagall up the stairs, feeling a sense of nervousness and excitement building within her. As they reach the top of the stairs they find themselves in an office, and they see the headmaster sitting inside his office.
As they step into the room, Iris is struck by the sheer size and grandeur of Dumbledore’s office. The room is circular and spacious, with high ceilings and walls lined with shelves upon shelves of books and magical artifacts.
In the center of the room sits a large wooden desk, behind which sits Albus Dumbledore himself. He is exactly like how she pictured him- an old man with long silver hair and a beard that reaches down to his chest.
“Good evening, Miss Evans, Professor,” he says warmly, rising from his chair to greet them. “Welcome to Hogwarts. I trust your journey was pleasant?”
“Yes, thank you, Professor,” Iris replies politely.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from your sister and your mentor, one of my dearest friends. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Iris feels a sense of warmth and comfort in Dumbledore’s presence, and she finds herself growing bashful at the mention of her mentor at Beauxbatons.
Dumbledore smiles kindly at Iris’s reaction. “Ah yes, your mentor at Beauxbatons is a remarkable wizard. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on several occasions. He speaks very highly of you and your potential as a witch.”
Iris feels her cheeks grow warmer at the compliment. “Thank you, Headmaster. I hope to live up to his expectations.”
“I have no doubt you will, Miss Evans. Now, let’s get down to business. I understand that you will be joining us in your sixth year. I see that you have qualified to take seven N.E.W.T. subjects, very impressive Miss Evans. Although I expected nothing less from you, one of the brightest witches that have ever stepped foot in Beauxbatons according to your Headmistress.”
Iris nods, and feels a bit awkward, being commended for her achievements. As if he can read her mind, Dumbledore changes the subject and leads Iris and Professor McGonagall to a smaller room off to the side of his office. Inside there is a stool and an old, tattered hat placed upon it.
“This is where we will hold your private sorting ceremony, Miss Evans,” Dumbledore explains.
Iris nods, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement as she approaches the stool. She places the hat on her head, feeling its weight as it settles on her wavy hair.
The hat begins to speak in her mind, its voice booming and echoing inside her head.
“Ah, a curious mind you have, Miss Evans. A thirst for knowledge and a love of learning. You would do well in Ravenclaw. But I also sense bravery and determination, qualities that would be valued in Gryffindor. Hmmmm.. Where to place you?”
Iris holds her breath, waiting for the hat’s decision.
After a few moments of contemplation, the hat finally speaks.
“RAVENCLAW!”
Iris feels a rush of pride and relief wash over her as she removes the hat and steps off the stool. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall both smile at her.
“Congratulations, Miss Evans,” Dumbledore says. “Welcome to Ravenclaw House”
Iris grins, feeling proud of her new house and eager to start her journey at Hogwarts.
“Follow me,” Professor McGonagall says. They make their way back to the doors of the great hall where the first years are eagerly awaiting Professor McGonagall.“Head in Miss Evans, they’re awaiting you.”
Anxiously stepping towards the door, she looks down at her uniform, surprised that her house emblem is already on her robes. Iris carefully opens the doors and is shocked to see everyone looking at her. She looks through the crowd and spots the Marauders and Lily at the Gryffindor table on the far left. They smile at her and she smiles back at them, feeling relieved that her new friends still wanted to be friends, and let out a relieved sigh.
To be honest, Iris didn’t really have friends at Beauxbatons. She much preferred to do things on her own and felt isolated from everyone her first year because her French wasn’t as good as everyone else’s. She was more of an introverted person, but she was really happy to have found a group like the Marauders, and she knew they would make her time at Hogwarts more interesting.
Finding her seat at the table, she was pleasantly surprised that people were talking to her. She was always the odd one out, and it felt nice that people wanted to get to know her instead of avoiding her. She made casual conversation with her housemates, and before she knew it, dinner was over.
She followed her prefect to the Ravenclaw common room, and when she stepped inside, she was speechless. The common room had high ceilings and there were windows that surrounded the top of the tower. The decor was primarily blue and bronze, and plush armchairs and sofas were scattered throughout the room. The main common room led to a different room where bookcases were lining the walls, and telescopes were placed near the windows for stargazing. The smaller room had a fireplace in the middle with lots of plants around the room which made it feel more cozy. The ceilings in this room were charmed to look like the night sky, with gold outlining connecting the stars to represent constellations.
She was led to her dormitory by one of her roommates, and their room looked just like their common room. High ceilings with windows that allowed them to see the grounds of Hogwarts. Their beds were covered in blue and bronze bedsheets, and there was even a little library tucked into the corner of the room.
As Iris settled into her bed, and her eyes began to flutter shut, a wave of calmness and tranquility washed over her, but little did she know that this would be one of the most eventful of her life.