The Hat
Marlene and the rest of her fellow first years crowded into the Great Hall, studying the room in awe. Alongside her, Mary, Emmeline, and all the other students who had just found out about the magic world, were staring up at the ceiling. Marlene glanced at each of the long tables nervously. Each table had a banner hanging above it; the Hogwarts houses. Marlene had remembered to explain this to Mary and Emmeline on the train, forgetting they barely know anything about Hogwarts. Marlene was glad to have had Danny, who explained everything about the school in miraculous detail, a gleeful expression plastered across his face.
There was a tall, thin woman with a severe look, who Marlene soon learned was Professor McGonagall, stood beside a wooden stool, holding an old, worn down, brown hat. Truthfully, Marlene had no worry where she would end up. She could see herself in any of the houses- well, maybe less so Ravenclaw than the others, for she was a bit short of clever- and didn’t have a care in the world if she ended up anywhere in specific. Her brother was set on Gryffindor for her, though, so perhaps she had a bit of favoritism towards that house in particular, just for his sake. While she knew he wouldn’t be angry if she was sorted into Slytherin, he’d be slightly disappointed in her. She couldn’t bear it when he got like that.
But it seemed as Marlene was lost in her thoughts, the sorting had begun. A few of her peers had already been sorted, and Marlene watched as someone by the name of Sirius Black went up to the stool.
Mary gasped from beside Marlene, and she knew it was because Sirius Black was probably the most handsome boy her age she’d ever seen. He had dark curls that reached up to his shoulders, his cheekbones high and his lips full. His skin had a slight tan to it, an olive color underlining his tone. He was tall and a bit thin, gracefully sedating himself on the stool. There were whoops and shouts from the Slytherin table, and Marlene turned to see two women with nearly the exact same features cheering him on with the loudest, malicious smirks on their faces as they clapped along with their housemates. It seemed he was already popular amongst the students.
It wasn’t too long before the hat made its decision.
“Gryffindor!” The rough voice of the hat bellowed. There was a deafening silence that ringed through the hall for a moment, before a small applause followed afterwards.
As McGonagall lifted the hat from Sirius’s head, his face resembled one that could only become apparent when someone’s greatest fear was present, or if you just witnessed your family’s murder. He slowly walked down the steps to take his seat at the Gryffindor table, and the two women who were applauding him earlier were now glaring daggers at him. Marlene wondered why Gryffindor was such a big problem.
What a great way to start off the sorting, Marlene thought to herself as the next student was called up.
After Remus Lupin was sorted into Gryffindor, Mary’s name was called up next. She sent Marlene a horrified look, before trotting up the steps and dropping herself onto the stool. There was barely a moment for Marlene to think before the hat shouted “Gryffindor!”
Marlene let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t know why she had been holding her breath anyways, perhaps just because she didn’t want Mary to end up in Slytherin, where they’d bully her relentlessly for just her status. Marlene hopes Mary didn’t know that was a risk.
“McKinnon, Marlene.”
Marlene gulped. Of course she’d be right after Mary, their surnames were practically identical. Marlene forced herself to walk up the steps, no matter how much her legs were trembling or her finger pads tapped each other to a beat. She had to force down the nerves and man up.
Once the hat was placed on her head, a loud vibration rattled her brain, the hoarse and croaky voice of the hat echoing through her ears.
“Ah, another McKinnon,” the hat greeted. “Your brother served well in Gryffindor, I believe. But you seem to contrast quite differently than him. You have strong traits of a Slytherin; ambition, determination, resourcefulness… but you wouldn’t do your best there. You’re too soft, and too quiet. Maybe…
“Gryffindor!”
The words rang through the hall, and the table immediately applauded her. Mary was the loudest of them all, standing up with a grin as she whooped and cheered. Marlene smiled shyly, now Emmeline needed to be in Gryffindor.
Marlene made her way down to the Gryffindor table, sitting down beside Mary, who was sat at the very front. There had been one other Gryffindor girl, LilyEllen, that was already sorted. If Emmeline was sorted into Gryffindor, then it would be a perfect four. If not, that would be unfortunate. Marlene turned to Mary and shared these thoughts.
“Oh, I hope so too,” Mary said, playing with one of her braids as she spoke. “She was really nice, and she’s muggle-born. I thought I would be the only one without magic parents when I found out about Hogwarts.”
Marlene and Mary turned around, locking eyes with Emmeline, who gave them a frightened look. Marlene gave her a reassuring smile, but she was sure it came out more as an uncertain glance.
The sorting proceeded, with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew being sorted into Gryffindor as well. Marlene really only cared about who was sorted into Gryffindor. The four boys and one girl that would be in her year seemed nice enough, but she was still to become acquainted with them. She at least hoped they were nice.
“Vance, Emmeline.”
Marlene and Mary simultaneously flipped their heads around to look at Emmeline, who was already staring at them. Her face was nearly a bright green color, and the two girls sent thumbs up as a sign of reassurance. It seemed to have worked, for the girl approached the steps and sat on the stool. After a few moments, the hat had made its decision.
“Ravenclaw!”
Marlene frowned, but clapped shortly anyways. Marlene locked eyes with Mary, who shot her a quick disappointed glance, before turning to Emmeline. She was sat at the Ravenclaw table and seemed to have already been chatting up some girls next to her. The brunette turned and looked at the two Gryffindor girls, giving them a short smile.
“Well, it’s not like we’ll never see her again, right?” Mary said, turning back to Marlene. “We must have classes with her, and at meals we can sit with her, too. We can always meet up after classes.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Marlene agreed, shrugging. She just hoped they would have all been together, but she supposed it was alright. Mary had a point, there would be plenty of opportunities to see Emmeline outside of the common room, or classes. “At least it wasn’t Slytherin.”
“Why not?” Mary asked, furrowing her brows. “I thought you didn’t mind what house you were sorted into?”
Marlene had forgotten that Mary, too, was a muggle-born, who was oblivious of the hatred aimed her way from those who believed muggle descent is disgraceful. It was largely Slytherins who were in the state of mind that Purebloods were superior to anyone with muggle heritage. Marlene was glad her two friends hadn’t been placed in Slytherin, and perhaps she was glad she hadn’t been, either. A muggle father wouldn’t have given her the best reputation around the Slytherin house.
But Marlene didn’t really want to burst Mary’s concept of Hogwarts being the perfect school, as the girl had shared on the train. Marlene also didn’t want Mary to feel ashamed of her muggle family or feel the need to hide who she was from others. So, Marlene scrambled for a lie.
“Well, Gryffindors and Slytherins are sworn enemies,” Marlene insisted, her words a bit too rushed. Mary raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Yeah, my brother told me. He said it was rare for a Slytherin and Gryffindor to be friends. So, we’re lucky it was Ravenclaw.”
“Does that mean the other two houses hate each other, too?” Mary asked her. “You know, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?”
“Oh, no,” Marlene shook her head. “It’s just a Slytherin and Gryffindor thing. Slytherins are just a bit mean, that’s all.”
Mary thought for a moment, pondering on Marlene’s words. Before Marlene could speak, she turned as she felt a gush of wind behind her. McGonagall was walking silently down the aisle, stopping in front of a boy Marlene knew was just sorted and resting her hand on his shoulder. She turned to Mary, whose lips were pursed.
“Seems the Lupin boy’s already in trouble,” Mary concluded, resting her head on her palm. “Wonder what he’s done?”
Marlene shrugged. “Can't be too bad, we just got here. I don’t remember him doing anything.”
“You think he fell in the lake?” Mary asked, a small smirk on her face. Marlene giggled at the thought.
“No way,” she disagreed, peering over the table at Lupin’s face. His skin was dark and his hair was black, but it was all buzzed, “his clothes are already dry.”
“Magic, obviously,” Mary said, following Marlene’s trail of sight. “There’s got to be a drying spell.”
“I’m pretty sure there is,” Marlene said, turning away from the boy and locking eyes with Mary. “I don’t know, my mum doesn’t like magic in the house.”
Mary hummed, nodding, and before either of the girls could speak, the feast appeared within thin air in front of them. Mary gasped, eyes twinkling, and Marlene found her stomach rumbling. She didn’t realize how hungry she was, and immediately engorged herself in the wonderful servings of food laid out in front of her. Mary replicated her actions, the two girls making idle chatter as they ate.
After their stomachs were stuffed to the brim, one of the Gryffindor prefects- Frank Longbottom- led the first years to the common room. Marlene looked around at her peers; there was one other girl besides Marlene and Mary, and four boys. The girl had long, silky red hair, and her skin was pale. Her face was littered with freckles and her eyes were a dazzling emerald green. She was smiling happily to herself, looking around in wonder. Her name was Lily, she remembered from the sorting, but Marlene couldn’t recall the girl’s surname.
The four boys were all clustered together, seeming they’ve already formed a pack for the rest of the year. However, one of the boys- the Lupin boy, who had already gotten in trouble- appeared disconnected from the rest of them, and a brown skinned boy with glasses continuously attempted to reel Lupin back in. It never seemed to last long.
Frank Longbottom suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning to the first year students. He was stopped in front of a large portrait. A curvaceous woman was painted on the front, pink silks draped across her body.
“Now, this is the Gryffindor common room,” Frank said, a smile dancing on his lips as he stared at the children. “To enter, repeat the password, Widdershins.”
Mary snorted from beside her, and Marlene let out a small giggle. The rest of the Gryffindors peered back at them, and Marlene felt her face go ablaze. She looked down at the ground, side eyeing Mary, who was doing the same. They let out another short, quiet giggle, as Sirius Black repeated the password and accessed the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.
The red-headed girl instantly let herself inside, following closely behind the prefect. The four boys- or three, as Marlene just noticed that the Lupin boy was missing- loitered right beside the entrance, gathered in a small huddle formation as they conversed in hushed whispers. Marlene shot Mary a look.
“Look, they’re conversing already,” Mary whispered to Marlene, a smirk amongst her lips. Marlene giggled. “Seems like they’ll be a load of trouble for the professors.”
Marlene nodded in agreement, and the two girls strode past the boys and into the common room.
The McKinnon family was not the most fortunate family, and they had their share of struggles financially. While they didn’t always have the most gifts under the tree at Christmas, Marlene had found some positives from the situation; she could ration and spend her money intelligently, at least. Since her family wasn’t as stable as they’d wished to be, their house was small and quaint, as her mother termed it. Perhaps that’s why Marlene let out a loud gasp as she entered the common room.
She’d never seen anything like it. Maroon and gold decorated every single item in the room; there were maroon and gold arm chairs and sofas, which looked as though if you sat on it you’d sink; the bright fire radiated a warmth throughout the entirety of the room, and lit up the paintings hanging from the stone walls. Marlene knew she could easily become accustomed to the atmosphere.
Frank Longbottom showed the boys where their dormitory was, and then gestured to the girls' dormitory. Marlene and Mary followed after Lily, who seemed to enjoy leading the way.
The room had three large, chestnut colored beds, thick red velvet curtains with golden lining hanging from each bed. A fire shone bright in this room, too. There were two beds on one side and a singular bed across the others.
“I’ll take this one,” Lily stated, skipping over to the isolated bed on the other side of the room. She took her large trunk and set it next to her bed, already beginning to unpack. Marlene and Mary stood there, staring. The girl turned to the two, expectantly. “Aren't you two going to unpack? I’m sure our day will be incredibly busy tomorrow, so I reckon you shouldn’t wait until the last minute. Go on, claim your beds.”
The girl returned to her task of unpacking, and Mary shot Marlene a look. Marlene knew she was thinking the same thing.
Bossy, Marlene mouthed, and Mary nodded her head in agreement.
Marlene chose the bed farthest from the door, and Mary chose the one right next to her. Marlene brought over her suitcases and placed them next to her bed. While she was reaching for the cage her cat was contained in, she realised the cage was unlocked and her cat was free.
“My cat!” Marlene exclaimed, jumping up from her spot frantically. “Where’s it gone?!”
“You have a cat?” Mary asked eagerly, dark eyes sparkling. “I’ve always wanted a cat! Mum was allergic and-“
“Well, I need to find my cat first, then you can meet it,” Marlene told her, a hysterical worry creeping over her. “I can’t have already lost my cat in one day, I-“
“Relax,” Lily interrupted with a laugh, a composed manner reflecting off of her. Her laugh echoed, and Marlene swore she saw bubbles escape Lily’s mouth. At least, that was what her laugh sounded like. It was almost enough to calm her. “It seems to be playing a game of hide and seek, because I saw it dash into the bathroom when we entered. The house elves must’ve let it out.”
Marlene let out a sigh of relief, whistling and calling for the cat. After a moment, the cat sprinted into the room and into Marlene’s arms. The blonde giggled, picking it up carefully and kissing its cheek. Mary let out a squeal.
“Please, Marlene, let me meet it!” Mary pleaded, and Marlene stood, passing Whiskey off to the girl. Mary giggled, holding the blonde cat delicately, petting its fur. Whiskey emitted a soft purr, and Mary gasped. “What’s her name?”
“Whiskey,” Marlene told her, smiling softly at the interaction. “Mum got her for me, I’ve been begging for a cat all my life.”
“Well, Whiskey is quite cute.” Lily said from her spot. Marlene looked over at her and saw she was nearly done unpacking.
“Maybe she can be our mascot?” Mary said. Whiskey licked Mary’s cheek, a sign of affection. “Just us three, you know?”
“Only if you two take care of her equally as much as I do,” Marlene said, flopping down on her bed. “My girl is a load of work.”
“Of course,” Lily agreed, standing up and approaching the cat. Begrudgingly, Mary passed it off to her. She petted the cat softly, treating the animal as though it were glass. “Oh, we forgot introductions!”
“What?” Mary asked, giving Lily an odd look. The redhead seemed unfazed, nodding with a grin.
“Yeah, we never said our names,” Lily set the cat down on the ground gently, and Whiskey darted to Marlene’s bed. “I’m Lily Evans.”
Evans, that was it. Marlene thought her name was Lily Athens. Evans was much more suited.
“I’m Mary,” the dark skinned girl said. Lily shot her another expectant look, similar to the one she gave earlier, and Mary clicked her tongue. “Mary MacDonald.”
“That’s a lovely name,” Lily admired. “I’ve always adored the name Mary.”
Mary flushed, a grin on her lips as she breathed a “thank you”. Marlene nearly scoffed.
“I’m Marlene McKinnon,” she stated, forcing her lips upwards. “You seem to know your way around, Lily.”
“Really?” Lily asked, perking up at the girl. Marlene furrowed her brows. “I haven’t got the slightest clue what I’m doing. The only reason I kind of have an idea of what’s going on is because of my friend, Severus.”
“Wasn’t he sorted in Slytherin?” Mary asked, furrowing her brows at Lily. Marlene was sure the girl was thinking of when she told her Slytherins and Gryffindors couldn’t be friends. Lily nodded sadly.
“Unfortunately, yeah,” Lily confirmed, sighing in disappointment. “I wanted to be in Slytherin, but the hat insisted I wouldn’t have done good there. I almost was, though.”
“I feel so out of the loop,” Mary admitted, laying next to Marlene on her bed. The two girls stared at the ceiling, and Marlene swallowed the lump that rose in her throat. “Everyone here grew up around wizardry and I just found out about it two months ago. Are you sure muggleborns are magic?”
“I’m muggle-born, too, Mary,” Lily said, and Marlene and Mary both sat up at this. Then how did she know about the house elves? “I swear, it’ll be fine. There are just as many people that are as confused as you. Do you know Remus?”
“The Lupin boy?” Marlene asked, cocking her head to the side. She rested her back against the pillow behind her, Mary copying her actions. “He’s muggle-born, too?”
“No, his dad’s a wizard,” Lily said, scavenging in her drawer for her pajamas and throwing them on the bed. It was a green short sleeved shirt and green and white striped shorts. “But he grew up around muggles, so he barely knows a thing. And I only know this stuff because of Severus; we grew up together, and he’s always known about magic and Hogwarts. He taught me, and told me I was magic. Marlene, are you muggleborn?”
“Nah, my dad’s a muggle, but my mum’s a witch,” Marlene told her hesitantly. She didn’t know why she didn’t trust her completely, she just… didn’t. “My stepdad is a wizard, though. My mum just doesn’t like us using magic around the house. She says it’s the ‘lazy way’. My brother, Danny, he’s already graduated from Hogwarts.”
“Danny plays professional Quidditch, too,” Mary added, sneaking a sly glance at Marlene. It was almost like Mary was bragging for her, and Marlene found herself appreciating it. “Marlene told me all about the sport on the way here.”
“Quidditch?” Lily asked, her red brows knitted together. “That’s the sport, right?”
Marlene hummed a confirmation. “Do you have any older siblings, Lily?”
“Yeah, an older sister,” Lily responded, a melancholy tone ringing through her words. Her eyes carried a sorrow, and she pushed a strand of her red hair behind her ear. “But she’s angry at me. She hates that I’m magic and she isn’t. What about you, Mary?”
Mary repeated to Lily what she had told Marlene earlier on the train. While that had been only hours ago, it felt like days. Marlene could see herself growing close to Mary. However, she wasn’t so sure about Lily. The girl seemed a bit like a pushover, but Marlene never made judgements at the first time meeting someone and always proceeded to give them a chance. Lily would be no exception, she supposed.
“Hey, Lily,” Mary grasped the girls’ attention, the redhead looking at her inquisitively, “at dinner, it looked like you knew the other boys that were sorted into Gryffindor. Are you friends with them?”
“No, I’ve never met them before,” Lily answered, playing with a silver necklace that looped around her neck and nearly blended into her pale skin. How come all the girls were prettier than Marlene? “But some of them seem nice. Black and Potter seem quite arrogant, though. They sat by us on the train and they were… Well, they were different.”
“Wait, which one’s Potter?” Marlene asked. “The shorter, pale one?”
“No, that’s Peter Pettigrew,” Mary said knowingly, toying with the end of her nightdress. Throughout the girls’ conversation, they had managed to change into their nightwear. “James Potter is the one with the glasses. He’s quite handsome, don’t you guys think?”
Marlene thought for a moment, trying to recall Potter. Oh, yeah, he was the boy she saw being kind to Lupin. She recalled his face as well as she could; his dark brown hair, nearly black, was a long, messy clump on the top of his head. His eyes were a dark brown, shielded by his round glasses that were a bit too big for him. His mouth had been perked up in a grin each time Marlene saw him, and his lips were full and wide.
“Yes, he is,” Marlene dragged out, nodding slowly. “He seems nice, too.”
“But Sirius Black is just…” Mary thought for a moment, corners of her lips facing upwards, “well, he’s gorgeous! I mean, it’s like he’d been sculpted!”
Sirius Black was the first Gryffindor to be sorted. He was gorgeous, as Mary phrased it. Marlene was sure that his jaw was so sharp it could cut through glass.
“I don’t know if I like Black, honestly,” Lily admitted, folding her legs on her bed and embracing them with her arms. Her long red hair had been pulled back into a loose bun. “There’s something about him that puts a weird feeling in my stomach. He seems rude.”
“A boy that beautiful cannot possibly be rude,” Mary insisted, gushing on about the boy, head in her hand. “I’ll find out more about him next week, I’m sure. When classes start.”
“Not like it matters, anyways,” Marlene said, shrugging carelessly. “They’re just boys.”
“Just boys?” Mary mocked incredulously, an astounded look taking over her face. Lily sighed from where she sat on her bed, Marlene and Mary still lying next to each other. “Marlene, these boys will be in nearly every class with us for the next seven years. Meals, events, classes, games, late night chats by the fire- everything! We might even fall in love with them!”
“Mary, no,” Lily declared immediately, her face scrunched up in a portrayal of disgust. “It’s way too soon to think about that, and they seem gross. I saw how they ate at dinner. I can’t imagine living with them for the rest of my life, let alone seven years!”
“You barely know them,” Mary insisted. “Let’s just learn more about them. We have all of seven years, after all.”
Marlene and Lily didn’t try to argue back, allowing Mary to have the last word. Instead, they all prepared themselves for sleep, hoping to get a good night's rest after a long day of travel.