Prologue
PROLOGUE
September 1st 1972
Hedone smiled as she stepped into King Cross' station. To say, she was excited was an understatement. She would finally get to join the school her siblings once attended. She'd finally get to study about the different fields of magic, make new friends, pull off some pranks, perhaps play Quidditch and what not.
She ran headfirst into the wall that connects Platform 9 & ¾ to the rest of the station. Lo and behold, the hustle and bustle of wizarding families as they ushered off their kids for the first day of school. She couldn't help but be curious on how many people she would know among this crowd by the end of the year. She prayed a lot.
"Psy! Over here", someone called out. Freya Burke was excitedly waving at her friend to join her.
Freya and Hedone were friends from childhood with being god siblings and all. "The both of you, be careful and don't cause too much trouble. Study well and have fun. Write to me every week, okay? I'm sure Aunt Elladora is looking forward to your letters as well. I love you both". Eden Burke was a man of few words. He rarely exposed himself and expressed his feelings, so this was a moment to rejoice.
"Freya! How are you, child? Delighted to be off to Hogwarts, I see. Do you really wanna get away from us that much?" asked Ignatius Prewett, father to Molly, Fabian, Gideon and Hedone Prewett. "Now, now, love. Let's not tease them too much" exclaimed his wife, Lucretia who was Hedone's mother and one of Freya's godmother with a slight smile. "I expected Elladora to be here too but it turns out the whole family headed off to Hogsmeade a few days ago and Lucius shall be traveling to Hogwarts from there".
Elladora Malfoy was a sweet and affectionate woman. Now, do not take her as weak for if she hears a word that displeases her ears she will not hesitate to hex you into oblivion. Lucretia, Eden and Elladora were a trio of friends that were quite inseparable. Even after all these years, they were still as thick as thieves.
"Girls, be good, kay? I don't want too many letters from your Heads of House. Do write to us after your sorting. Enjoy your first year of school. We love you both so much" Lucretia said. "We love you guys too. Don't miss us too much". After that oh-so heartwarming exchange of words and a little bit of fussing, Hedone and Freya both rolled their trunks into the train. They found an empty compartment and made themselves comfortable in there.
Even more words were exchanged and more curiosity was made as the girls conversed throughout the train ride. After around half the road was travelled, Hedone and Freya both fell asleep. At the end of this ride was a new world full of marvels and wonders waiting to be explored and used.
They woke just in time to change into their school robes and sat impatiently, waiting for the train to stop at Hogsmeade. When the highly awaited moment finally came, the ran out of the train and into the outside world. Darkness had fallen but there was a certain fragile beauty to it that couldn't be replicated in the morning light.
"First years over 'ere", shouted a giant man with the biggest and bushiest beard Hedone had ever seen, and that was saying something since she had seen all those old men at the Wizengmot. She was really curious as to how all of them managed to eat without getting a bunch of food in their beards. "All of yer, get on one of these boats. Four on each".
"Yer lot, get in with me", he said to Hedone, Freya and a seemingly quiet handsome boy with sharp cheekbones and dark hair. He had this sense of regality to him. It was quite weird seeing a boy of eleven carrying himself with such grace. They got into the boat and set off to the castle.
"Hi sir. I'm Hedone Prewett and this is Freya Burke. Who might you be?" asked Hedone with a welcoming smile on her face. "I'm Rubeus Hagrid, gamekeeper at 'Ogwarts. I've been 'ere doin' this for almost 3 years now" Hagrid wasn't a pureblood name. Freya would have a lot to say to me after this. "And you?" Hedone asked the boy who had shown no interest in this conversation and didn't really seem ready to continue this conversation.
"I'm Regulus Black"
The Blacks were one of the oldest wizarding families in England. They were even given the title of The Most Ancient And Noble House Of Black. They cared a lot about keeping magic within purebloods and perhaps the select half-bloods who are willing to purify their bloodlines. Their family motto is 'Toujours Pur' which is French for 'Always Pure'. They were quite notorious for blasting people off their family tree if they were to disobey these beliefs and interact with so- called 'blood traitors' or 'mudbloods'. It wasn't simply them who held these beliefs. Other major families like the Malfoys, Selwyns, Rosiers held them too. Lucretia's side of the family, the Lestranges held these beliefs too.
Not all pureblood families were like this though. Take the Prewetts for example. They held the belief that all can hold magic and no one is of higher or lower class. They mostly took a neutral stance and didn't bother themselves with the affairs of others. Then there are families like the Weasleys, whom Molly married into 2 years prior. They were classified as 'blood traitors' as they frequently associated themselves with whom aristocratic pureblood families deemed as 'lower in status'. Hedone didn't really get the point of it all. The same red blood runs through their veins, so why must one be called pure and the other mud?
All of sudden, her thoughts were interrupted as she took in the view of the magnificent
Scottish castle. It was a sight to see. Everything from the tall towers to the massive gates looked breathtaking. It made the rest of the world seem puny and insignificant in comparison. She hoped she would always have this feeling of wonder when she gazed up on the castle.
As the boats touched the shore, everyone made a run for the building. For even if the journey was pleasurable, it was the destination where they wanted to be. They entered the ancient castle, and set onto climbing a long set of stairs. At the end of the stairs was a stern looking witch donned in emerald robes. She wore a pair of tiny glasses and a set of such piercing eyes that looked like it could read you in one look.
"Thank you for bringing the first years, Hagrid. I am Professor McGonagall, your Transfiguration professor and head of Gryffindor house. In a few minutes, you shall enter the Great Hall and be sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses, each having its own admirable qualities. Now, after you shall be sorted you shall sit at your house table and eat dinner and your house prefects shall lead you to your common rooms and explain the other details there" announced the professor.
All of the first years followed Professor McGonagall into the Great Hall. Hedone could faintly hear some students exclaiming "Whoa, the ceiling". She turned her eyes up and the twinkling night sky was up above. The stars shined brighter now than ever. The Muggles were onto something with making songs about the stars.
From the Teacher's tables, Professor McGonagall spoke, "Everyone the Sorting shall begin now" as she took out an old, ratty hat. For all the magic in the world, they weren't even able to make the hat look good. What a pity!
The Sorting Hat suddenly burst out into a long song about not underestimating it and the 4 different houses. "This is quite boring", she thought, "but I can't even bear to think about how dreadful the life of that hat is. If the hat was even alive, of course. I mean, imagine sitting on a shelf all year long and being taken out only to sing some random old song and sit on a bunch of people's heads. I don't think all of them take hygiene very seriously. And how doesn't even sort them? The characteristics they value or the characteristics they have? They really should have thought through this better"
Her line of thoughts were interrupted quite abruptly as her name was called out.
"Prewett, Hedone"
She stepped forward and went and sat onto the stool and the Hat was placed upon her head.
"Another Prewett, let's see what we have here, shall we?"
"Do you say this to everyone with families that have previously been here?"
"Cheeky, I see. Perhaps Gryffindor? Or perhaps not? Curiosity and a huge thirst for knowledge. Oh, but what is this? Ambition, cunningness, and shrewdness.... And loyalty? A rare combination indeed"
"Just stop with the monologue already"
"Very well. And you shall go in......
SLYTHERIN"
Applause scattered throughout the Great Hall, mostly from the Slytherins. Hedone was surprised to see a few other houses hissing at her. She knew house prejudice existed but she did not realise the extent of it. She walked down to the Slytherin table and sat next to Freya and a thin, sallow boy with a hooked nose and black hair. He smiled at her and introduced himself.
"I'm Severus Snape. Welcome to Slytherin"
"I'm Hedone... I guess you already know that and I am glad to be here"
The Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, got up to say a few words that Hedone didn't really didn't pay attention to as she wanted to do was feast.
"And let the feast begin!"
Hedone dug in delighted and took a quick glance at her surroundings and decided this was gonna be one hell of a ride.