Chapter 6
Rey and Ben were going through the manuals that Tonks and James had given them when two owls arrived. They sat on the desk and waited while they took the envelopes from their claws.
It was the letters from Hogwarts that Kingsley said would be arriving.
"I know this sounds weird" Rey began as she folded her letter and put it back in the envelope;"but I'm sort of scared about going."
"Me too" Ben said. "I'm not one that likes change and when I am faced with it, I sort of shut down."
Rey nodded as she thought about when she had left Jakku with Finn. Meeting Han and Chewie. Being captured by the first order. Watching Han die. So many changes had happened to her, the biggest one finding out who her family was and wondering if she would end up like that.
Ben must have sensed how she was feeling and he reached over and gripped her hand. "Just remember, you're not alone."
"And neither are you" she said as she squeezed his hand back.
A month later they were waiting on platform 9 3/4 with Harry and Hermione. Ron had decided not to go back but he would join them for training when it began. Hermione already had her nose in a book which didn't surprise anyone. "I wonder who our defence teacher will be?" She asked.
"Hermione, you ask that all the time" Harry said with a chuckle.
"I guess I do, but I still am curious."
"Well I do know McGonagall told Kingsley that she had found the best one by far" Ben said.
"Hopefully it's Remus again" Harry said. "We learned more that year than any year combined."
"I don't think it's him" Hermione said. "Remember. McGonagall said she found the best one by far."
"We will find out soon" Ben said. "But at least we don't have to worry about it being a death eater."
Two months after the battle of Hogwarts, all remaining death eaters had been captured and sent to Azkaban. The dementors were still guards. Kingsley was also in the process of setting up guards that would be there to protect them from being tormented in their sentence.
Once on the train, Hermione and Harry led Ben and Rey to a compartment. Neville and Luna was waiting for them as was a few others. "Ben, Rey, you have already met Neville and Luna" Hermione said. "But these other two are Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan."
"You're the ones who set the bridge to explode" Rey said.
"That would be Seamus" Dean replied. "He's always been one to make things explode."
Soon the compartment was filled with laughter as everyone told Ben and Rey some of the stories from the previous years.
McGonagall met them at the door when they arrived and she motioned for Ben and Rey to stay behind. "You will enter with the first years to be sorted, but you will go last. Then after the sorting ceremony, dinner will be served."
There was a lot of first years and Ben couldn't help but remember when he first went to Luke's academy. He was about the same age as many of these kids.
As they watched, as the names were called, the kids went forward and McGonagall would place the hat on their head. Sometimes the hat would just shout out the name of the house, but other times he would speak some things about the kid.
As the last kid went to their house, McGonagall looked at her scroll. "Rey Palpatine" she called.
Ben squeezed her hand and nodded that it would be alright. He also noticed Hermione and Harry sit up a little straighter as she took a seat on the stool.
"Afraid you are" the hat said. "But also very strong and resilient. You have faced many hard times in the past, but also some good times. You fight for what you love and fight against what you hate. Many things you will learn but the main thing you need to learn is to trust yourself. You won't do the bad deeds of those before you."
Rey's eyes went to Ben's and he smiled at her encouragingly.
"Love is what brought you this far and love will continue to save you, but you have to learn to love yourself" the hat continued.
How can I love myself knowing where I come from, Rey thought.
The hat must have sensed what she thought because it squeezed down a little bit on her head. "Your family is not your failure. Your parents loved you and died protecting you. In time you will understand. But the question remains. Where to put you? I haven't had this problem for seven years and I know I made the right choice then and I will do it again. Better be GRYFFINDOR" he shouted.
Harry and Hermione jumped up and clapped as Rey rushed to the table. Hermione hugged her before sitting down just as Ben's name was called.
The hat paused again when it was placed on his head and for the first time anyone could remember, the hat stayed silent. Rey could feel Ben's emotions through their bond and she was starting to get worried. Finally the hat spoke.
"You have come a long way, Ben Solo. You have learned from your past mistakes. It's never easy to live with what has happened, but you have changed. I see that and others have also. It's time for you to forgive yourself." Ben's eyes went to Rey's and she smiled as the hat continued to speak. Finally the room shook when the hat boomed out the house Ben would be in. "GRYFFINDOR."
Just before McGonagall took the hat off, the hat spoke. "You and Rey will continue to grow together and become stronger than ever. Lean on each other. You are each other's strength."
As Ben sat down next to Rey, she asked what the hat said. "I'll tell you later" he promised as McGonagall took her place at the podium. Snape had gracefully stepped aside as headmaster when McGonagall was appointed as headmistress.
"There is one more piece of business I need to address. Professor Snape and Professor Slughorn will continue on with potions. The defense against the arts post will be taken over by someone who has experienced facing the dark arts all his life. He was raised around it, but never embraced it like his family did. To some this will be quite a shock and I can assure everyone that he has been tested many times and he is who he says he is. I am pleased to introduce to you, your new defence professor. Sirius Black."
Harry's mouth fell open as he watched his godfather come out of the back room behind the teachers table.