Contentment

"Interesting indeed."  The hat told Madeline while she kept her eyes focused on her hands.   

"You are a daring one, aren't you?  Yes, most definitely not one to be afraid of trouble.  But there is also ambition inside your heart, I can see it clear as day, yes."  Madeline furrowed her brows at the hats words, feeling it move slightly on top her head.  

"You have a keen sense for wisdom, an ambition to learn, but to also protect.  Very interesting indeed."   

What was more interesting to Madeline was the fact that the hat was speaking inside her mind, and she was grateful for it since Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and the Heads of the four houses were all standing a respective distance away from Madeline's hospital bed, all eyes trained on her.  

It was unnerving to the girl to be watched so carefully.  Even from a slight distance.

"But, that's not all, is it?  You're loyal to a fault, aren't you?  Yes, most definitely.  I must say Miss Coleman, your mind is very interesting indeed."   

'Interesting?' Madeline questioned the hat in her own mind, feeling it move as it spoke again.  

"Oh yes." The hat told her and Madeline frowned.  She didn't want to be interesting.  She wanted to be normal, to just survive this year, somehow, in some way.  

"You share some traits from all of Hogwarts houses, Miss Coleman, and I rarely have a hard time deciding where a student belongs."   

'What's your best guess?'  She asked the hat silently, fidgeting with the fabric of her sleeves.   

"Hmm, I'd say on one hand, you would thrive in Ravenclaw with the way your mind searches for knowledge, treasures it, even, but on the other, your heart does seem to control your actions more often than your mind.  Gryffindor would suet you better for that."   

'Not Slytherin or Hufflepuff?'   

"No Miss Coleman. While Slytherin would surely let you thrive in your natural state of intellect, you are not self-preserving. You do not prefer to use darkness in your favor either." Madeline kept herself from taking in an unsteady breath. 

"As for Hufflepuff. While your heart is pure and loyal to a fault, weather you believe it right now, or not, your inability to think clearly when danger faces you, or those that you love, forces you to throw yourself fully into action and you love the way it feels to be in the middle of it all, do you not? You cling to the feeling of adrenaline that comes with the fight, do you not?"  

Her eyes went wide at that, and she knew where she belonged.   

'Gryffindor?' Madeline asked, holding her breath as the hat seemed to nod after a long moment.  

"I do believe that would suet you best."   

Madeline nodded her head, a small smile spreading across her face. She finally belonged somewhere here and she hoped that she wouldn't regret her own decisions as the Sorting Hat suddenly, very clearly pulled from her mind, yelling out Gryffindor.  

Madeline looked up at Minerva who was removing the hat from her head, smiling endearingly down at her.   

"Congratulations." Madeline turned her head to see the Headmaster smiling down at her as well, a proud look on his face that forced her to swallow hard.  Wasn't he not supposed to have favorites? She was sure that he wasn't, being the center of the school, the Head of all the houses, but the proud look on his face made it clear that he favored her new house just a tad bit more than the rest.  

She looked at the other three houses, not liking the way the tall black-haired man was looking at her with distaste.  She hasn't even done anything, but she supposed that him being head of Slytherin was the sole reason for his dislike of her.  And if she was being honest, the rumors that she'd heard back home were not doing Professor Snape any favors. 

Shaking her thoughts away, Madeline looked back at McGonagall, smiling wide at her for the first time since setting her foot on the train platform.  

"Breakfast will start in a few hours Madeline."  Minerva told her, helping her off the bed.  "Would you like me to escort you to your new dorm room?"   

"That would be lovely, thank you." She told her, sliding her feet into her slippers.   

She had managed to change out of the nightgown Madam Pomfrey had put her into, when she was unconscious, Madeline guessed, into black jeans and a wool sweater.  Whoever brought her the clothes while she was sleeping this morning though, thought that slippers went well with this.  

She said her goodbyes to the people in the hospital wing and followed her aunt through the double doors, not caring that she was gasping out loud at the sight that greeted her.  High ceilings adorned with old carvings, and large corridors that screamed beautiful and full of history for anyone who took a step inside.

Madeline had heard that Hogwarts resembled a castle, but she had been skeptical at first, having a hard time imagining how students lived in a castle.   

She remembered the blond girl on the train mentioning that it was a castle as well, and now she believed the rumors, and the blond girl.  

The place was magnificent.  

Madeline walked through the halls, asking small questions that Minerva was more than happy to answer.  The questions started when she'd seen man in uniform, Aurors, standing guard at some entrances. Turns out they were here for protection against the escaped prisoner, or so her aunt told her.

"Your things are on their way to your dorm as we speak." Minerva told her and Madeline smiled, realizing that she was yet to read the letter from her boyfriend. "There is only one other girl in your year that is in Gryffindor, but she stays in the Head Girl dorm."  

Madeline didn't question it since her own school, even if it was much smaller then Hogwarts, had all of seven girls in her year, three being in her house, her old house, she corrected herself, not ignoring the way her heart hurt at the fond memories of her sharing a room with two of her closest friends for the past six years.  

She supposed it would be nice to have her own bedroom for once while in school.  

It was on the stairs, the ones that moved, that Madeline caught sight of three boys making their way down towards Madeline and Minerva, wearing sportive wear.   

Oliver Wood was one of the three, giving her a bright smile when he saw her.   

"Professor McGonagall." Her greeted her aunt, dipping his head before he turned his smile back to Madeline. "Madeline."   

She smiled softly at him, not licking the feeling that settled in her stomach.  

She wasn't going to get caught up in this.

"Mister Wood, going to practice already?"  Minerva asked in an authoritative, but approving voice, and Madeline looked at her, brows raised. Practice for what?

"Of course Professor. Wouldn't be right to not start on it as soon as possible." 

Start on what?

"That's very responsible of you. I believe you know my niece, Madeline." Madeline looked back at Wood, watching him raise a curious brow at her as he nodded. "She's been sorted into your house." Woods smile grew twice the size at hearing that.

"That's wonderful." He told her aunt, eyes however still trained on Madeline. "A lovely addition to our house."    

Madeline swallowed thickly, raising her brows at him.  

Cocky bastard, she thought, one that she wouldn't be able to escape if he was in her house.   

Great.  

Minerva bit the boys a good day as she steered Madeline up the rest of the moving stairs, bringing her all the way to the highest tower of the castle.   

"Minerva." A fat lady greeted her aunt, smiling brightly before looking at Madeline with the same bright smile. "This must be your lovely grandniece that I've heard students talking about."   

Madeline fought the urge to grimace and was thankful when she heard her aunt give a disproving clearing of her throat, turning to face Madeline.  

"I'm afraid this is where we must part ways Madeline, as I have things to attend to, but you should find all of your belongings in your dorm. It's on the right side of the entrance into the dormitories, all the way up the stairs.  Your name should be on the door." Madeline nodded, half listening to her.   

She didn't want to be alone yet.   

Minerva cleared her throat again. "You should find your schedule for this school year with your things as well. Your robes will also already be in your new house colors."  

Madeline nodded her head again, wondering if it would be inappropriate to ask her aunt if she could visit her later, if only to get to know each other better, and decided that it would, in fact, be inappropriate.   

"Thank you." She told her, instead of voicing the intrusive question.

"You're always welcome. If you need me, you can always find me in my office, outside of the classroom. There is also a password to get into your common room. It changes every month, and this month it's Thunderbird."   

Madeline's eyes went wide at that, and she didn't know if she wanted to cry from such a small act of thoughtfulness, or from her heart feeling heavy at the memories of her years as a Thunderbird.  

Blinking away a stray tear, Madeline smiled at her aunt. "Thank you Minerva."   

Her aunt gave her a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. Eyes that were watching Madeline with a small hint of sadness. "It's nothing. I want you to know that you can come to me for anything." Minerva placed a calming hand on Madeline's shoulder. "I'm sorry we didn't get to know each other sooner, but you're family Madeline, and family is the strongest bond a person can have."   

Something akin to longlines and hurt twisted its way into Madeline's already heavy heart, but she blinked the feeling away, looking at her last living relative.

She just needed to survive this year.  

"Thank you." Madeline said, forcing a smile onto her face. "I appreciate everything that you've done for me." It was true, in one way or another. Minerva McGonagall could have declined, and Madeline would have been placed into a home where she wouldn't have known anyone.   

But she still would have been able to go back to Ilvermony.  

"Well, you better go in. I'm sure you'd like to unpack and explore your dorm and the school grounds."   

Nodding her head, Madeline turned towards the portrait, narrowing her eyes at the lady inside. She muttered the password and watched the portrait swing open, revealing a large sitting area, adorned in crimson colors and a large fire place, that was humming with a soft fire.  

She walked in and was pleased that no one was inside, supposing that students were either still asleep, or out and about like Oliver Wood and his two friends were.  

She admired the grand room, loving the way it felt warm inside as she made her way towards a set of narrow stairs.  

It wasn't hard to find her room, taking a right after a first set of stairs, Madeline walked all the way up the stairs, past a few entrances to other corridors, before coming up to a hallway lined with a few doors. Walking towards the end, she found her own dorm, and tried the doorknob.  

She wasn't sure why she thought that it might be locked, and shook her head with a chuckle when it opened, and she came in to see four, rather large, beds lining the four corners of the room.  

Like the common room downstairs, her dorm was adorned with the same colors. A furnace in the middle to keep her warn on cold nights, and small, but rather comfortable looking four desks close to each bed.   

Noticing her suitcase on the bed that was right by the window, she walked towards it, looking at the robes laid out on her bed.  

Her bed. The sight of it made her feel tired, but she knew that she'd slept for far too long during the whole summer, as well as her first two days in Hogwarts.   

There was a simple dark brown door across from her, in the middle of the two beds on the other side of hers, and she took to her suitcase, looking for more comfortable clothes to change into after her shower.   

The bathroom was simple, a bit dark for Madeline's liking, but she supposed it would do as she let the hot water run down her body.  

Magic was many wonderful things, and Madeline loved the small little mercies that came with the wonderfulness.  Like the fact that she stood under a scolding hot shower for what felt like an eternity, and the heat of the water never eased. 

Drying and dressing, she went over to her bed, eyeing the stack of books and papers on her small desk.   

Before she could take a step towards it however, a knock startled her and on reflex she drew her wand, walking towards the door.  

She didn't expect the person behind the door to be the other boy from the train, looking nervously at her before mumbling an awkward greeting.