Chapter 2
Rhona had never been to Kings Cross station before. It was very loud and overwhelming for her, at least it was at first. She had been to King’s Cross station a handful of times before, but always to pick up or drop off her older siblings. It would be her first time going to the station for herself. It was going to be her first time on the glistening scarlet red engine, the Hogwarts Express.
“Okay now, right this way!” Molly’s shrill loud voice was heard, it seemed like over everyone else’s. She looked around in alarm but it seemed no one but her family noticed.
“It's the same every year, packed with muggles. Come along!” She guided her children through the large crowds. “Platform 9 3/4 is this way!”
Rhona looked around, scandalized. She couldn't be shouting about muggles so loudly, others would notice. She was so worried that she almost got lost behind. She was struggling to push her trolly full with her fully loaded trunk and cage for her new pet rat, Scabbers.
Right away she noticed another girl about her age, pushing a trolley with a similar looking heavy wooden trunk, this one with a large cage with a snowy white owl inside of it quietly hooting away. The stranger was following closely behind, as if she was looking for someone to guide her. Rhona thought to herself, she must be all alone. But Rhona didn't pay too much mind to her, she was too busy trying to keep up with her rushing family. They were approaching the muggle’s entrance to the platform quickly and Rhona did not want to be left behind on her first time though on her own. Soon enough she had caught back up, and her mother began guiding the group though.
“Okay Fred! You go first!” Molly guided her son.
“He's not Fred, I am! Honestly woman and you call yourself our mother.” One of the twins called out.
“Oh I’m sorry, George, go right ahead.” Molly said hastily.
“I’m only joking, I am Fred!” Fred said, and then rushed through the platform portal.
George quickly followed him though so it was only Percy and Rhona left.
They were then approached by the girl that Rhona noticed earlier.
“Excuse me! Could- Could you tell me..?” The girl called out.
“How to get to Platform 9 3/4?” Molly interrupted the strange girl. “Yes well it's not to worry my dear. It's Rhona’s first time crossing though to Hogwarts as well too. Now, all you’ve got to do is walk straight through the wall between platforms nine and ten. It's best to do it in a bit of a run, if you're nervous.” Molly instructed, blabbering on.
Rhona looked away, both nervous at the prospect of her first trip to Hogwarts, as well as her mother’s pointing herself out of the crowd to the stranger, even if she was just another girl her age.
“Good luck!” Ginevra chimed in in a rare moment of kindness. She was usually too self centered to notice others.
The stranger nodded, her curly black locks bouncing in time with her head, and steeled herself up. She rushed up to the wall, and ran right through it onto the awaiting platform. Soon enough it was only Percy and Rhona.
“Okay Rhona, follow along. It's just as I told the other girl. Just run right through the wall.” Molly said, paying rare attention to her oldest daughter. Rhona felt uncomfortable, it was not often that she paid the girl any mind these days.
She looked back at her older brother for comfort, and Percy nodded, as if to say, ‘I’m here’ and she let out a sigh. It was now or never, the train would be leaving soon, with or without them. Rhona gathered herself up, and got over her nerves. Head on, she started running towards the tan brick wall, and closed her eyes. Part of her was expecting to smack dead on into a wall, but it only felt like she was walking through cobwebs. She shuddered at the thought.
The sight of the train was breathtaking. It was a black and scarlet red steam engine. She was so caught up in the beautiful sight of the train that she didn't notice Percy coming through until he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Are you okay? You seem kind of pale?” Percy said concerned.
Rhona shrugged. She was nervous and scared and excited all at the same time. It was terrifying and exhilarating, the thought of being away from her mum and dad.
Rhona hurried along, and got onto the train. There was a problem. Most of the compartments already were either locked, or spoken for. She settled for finding a compartment with another first year, the same girl that had gone through the platform portal before her.
“Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?” Rhona asked politely to the girl in the otherwise empty compartment. Judging by the lack of knowledge on how to get to the magical platform, she assumed the girl must have been a muggleborn. There was nothing wrong with muggleborn, Molly and Arthur had drilled that into her at a young age and it had stuck like a permanent sticking charm.
“Sure.” She simply agreed.
“I’m Rhona by the way; Rhona Weasley.” Rhona said as she stuck her hand out to her first potential friend.
“I’m Azalea, Azalea Potter.” The girl, Azalea, identified herself at last.
Rhona was momentarily shocked. This was the girl who lived in front of her. She tried her best to contain herself. She had grown up with stories, mostly from her father and Percy and Charlie, about the mighty girl who lived slaying Lord Voldemort. It was a popular children’s bedtime story. And here she thought this girl would be a muggleborn.
“It's a pleasure to meet you.” Rhona finally said.
They were momentarily interrupted when the compartment door opened and the trolley lady came by, pushing a cart full of snacks and refreshments. It was mostly junk food and different kinds of candies, but there were also juices and water, as well as sandwiches and other light snacks. Rhona was about to turn her down, seeing as she didn't have even a single knut to her name to spend.
“No thanks, I’m all set.” And she held up the mangled corpse of a wrapped up roast beef and mustard sandwich, which was Fred’s favorite. Molly couldn't even get her children’s favorite foods right. She tried her best not to make a face, but she must have failed.
Azalea looked over at her for a good second before declaring, “We’ll take the lot.” She said, and pulled out a handful of galleons, sickles and knuts. It was more money than Rhona had ever seen in one place.
“Whoa!” She let out, she couldn't believe how much money the girl was holding, like it was nothing.
They ended up buying some of each of the different candies, as well as sandwiches and orange juice, which Azalea split evenly between them.
“Thank you for this. Mother always mixes up what we like. I'm not a big fan of roast beef and mustard on rye.
“How many of you are there?” Azalea asked curiously.
“Well there’s me, Fred and George. And then there's Bill, Charlie, Percy and Ginevra. Together that makes seven of us.” Rhona counted out on her hands.
“Whoa.” It was Azalea’s time to be amazed.
“To have that many brothers and sisters... You must not get lonely often.” Azalea said with a quiet look on her face.
“You’d think so... But no.” Rhona said before the door opened up a second time within the hour.
“Excuse me, may I sit in here with you two ladies?” A tall thin boy asked with dark chocolate brown wavy hair and striking grey eyes.
“Sure! Go right ahead.” Azalea said, before Rhona could even think about it. Two children quickly became three, and the boy soon introduced himself as Theodore Nott.
Rhona had heard that the Nott family was full of slimy Slytherin dark wizards, but Theo didn't seem awful at all. He was polite, as any pureblooded child would be, and he didn't seem bad at all. Rhona decided then and there that all of that ‘Slytherins are evil slimy snakes’ jargon was absolute rubbish. It was just another thing that Molly and Arthur had drilled into her, that was prejudice and false. Rhona wondered what else they were wrong about.
“What house do you think you two will be sorted in.”
“House? What do you mean?”
“Don't you know, Hogwarts has four houses that they sort the first year children into. You’ll be divided up for the rest of your school career there. The are the Hufflepuff's, loyal and just, and Ravenclaws, who are all a studious lot. Then there are Gryffindor's, brave as anything, and Slytherins, cunning and ambitious. I will be in Slytherin, just like my father and his father before him. The Nott’s have always been in Slytherin. What house do you think you’ll be in...”
“Rhona, Rhona Weasley. And I will most likely be in Gryffindor. I have to be in Gryffindor. Mother and Father wouldn't expect anything else. Besides, even every one of my brothers before me has been in that house. Azalea, I think you might be in ravenclaw. You said you like to read, remember?”
Theo noticed the emphasis on how she just had to be in that particular house and noted it away for later. Azalea? Could that unassuming girl with the inky black curls be Azalea Potter? She looked much too thin to be the girl he pictured in his mind. Something just wasn't matching up. He just didn't know what. Something wasn't right with either girl, and he would get to the bottom of it.
The three children continued to chat for a while, where Theo was secretly gathering more and more information. It turned out that it was indeed the girl who lived, and she had no clue about her wizarding heritage, at all. She basically had the knowledge of a muggleborn. She lived with muggles who he could tell didn't treat her very well. They locked her books up, so she had virtually no knowledge of what she would be learning or where she would be going to school. He wasn't sure what was going on but he would be writing to his father right away, as soon as he was settled into whatever house he was chosen for. This could not be good. The Nott’s were distantly related to the Potters, so that made them allied houses.
They began to eat the snacks, now divided up between the three of them, and Azalea was amazed. There was one of Rhona’s favorite candies in her hand. It was an enchanted Chocolate frog. Azalea carefully opened up the pentagon shaped blue and gold box and pulled the gilded tab. An animated chocolate candy frog jumped out of the box and onto the open train window.
“Be careful- All rats. They only have one good jump in them.” Rhona said as said frog jumped out the window to it's freedom and doom.
“Sorry about that. But it's the card inside you really are after. Here, look!” Theo said and pointed to the enchanted card inside the box. Azalea pulled it out and got a better look at it. It was an old wizard with a long white beard and white hair, in a mauve and golden pointed wizard’s hat and matching wizarding robes.
“Albus Dumbledore.. Who’s he?” Azalea read out.
“You’re kidding me. That's Albus Dumbledore. He’s our headmaster of the school. You didn't know that?” Rhona said in wonder. Azalea really wasn't kidding. She wasn't allowed to know her own heritage. That just wasn't right.
“Hey, he's gone!” Azalea said.
“Well yeah, you can't expect him to run around all day, can you? He’s got places to be.” Rhona explained.
Theo and Azalea noticed right at the same time, a short haired auburn colored rat eating out of an open container of Every Flavor Bertie Botts.
“Um Rhona? I don't want to alarm you but there seems to be a rat eating out of your box of jelly beans.” Azalea quietly pointed out as to not startle either child or the rat in question. Rhona looked down and just nodded.
“That's Scabbers. Pathetic isn't he?” Rhona said, introducing the other two to her pet rat.
“Just a little bit.” Theo agreed.
“Fred gave me a spell to turn him yellow, but I don't know if it will work. Fred likes to play pranks on me, you see. Do you want to see it?”
“Sure.” Theo and Azalea agreed with a nod.
Rhona pulled out the antique wand, her grandmother’s, and cleared her throat. She began to wave it around when they were interrupted for a third time by a frizzy haired girl with buck teeth that was rather rude. She didn't even bother to introduce herself or even knock on the door. The nerve of that girl, she just slammed it open.
“Sunshine-”
“Have any of you seen a toad? A girl named Nelda has lost hers. Oh, are you doing magic? Lets see it then?” The mystery girl said.
Rhona cleared her throat again.
“Sunshine daisies, bottom mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow.” Rhona said clear as a bell, but nothing happened. She felt defeated. She just knew this wand wouldn't work for her. She was doomed to fail from the start by her mother.
Rhona looked over to Theo and Azalea and simply shrugged. They shrugged back.
“Are you sure that’s a real spell? Well, either way it's not very good, is it?” She said rather snottily. “Of course, I've only tried a few simple ones myself, but they’ve all worked for me.” She strode in and sat herself down next to Theo, again not asking.
“For example,” And she pointed her wand directly at Azalea’s face, between her eyes. All three of them froze, it was just something you didn't do. It was an active threat, a declaration of intent to harm.
“Oculus Reparo.” And the spiderweb cracks in the lenses of Azalea’s round lensed glasses repaired themselves. Azalea blinked in temporary wonder before she got upset. Who was this girl to come in here, point her wand at someone, and try a magic spell on them when she was clearly a first year, as no one else would be so uneducated enough to do such a stunt. It was both infuriating and humiliating for Azalea. Theo glared at the girl and shook his head. Rude indeed.
“That’s better isn't it?” she continued like nothing happened.
Azalea took off her glasses to inspect them. They were perfectly intact. Not something she had ever seen before. Aunt Petunia had gotten them from a charity bin at the church she used to attend for awhile. Dudley, her cousin, had broken them by stomping on them the day she had gotten them, so she had never gotten used to them without the cracks.
“Holy cricket, you’re Azalea Potter. I’m Hermione Granger.” She turned to Rhona and Theo. “And you are?” She asked, as if they were all beneath her.
“Rhona Weasley.” “Theodore Nott.” They both said.
“Pleasure. You three better change into your robes. I expect we’ll be arriving soon.” She got up and turned to leave before backtracking and turning to Rhona. “You’ve got dirt on your nose, just there.” And she finally left, her busy hair bobbing with her.
By the time they actually arrived at Hogwarts, the sun had long ago set and it was very dark outside when they pulled into Hogsmeade station. A larger than life man approached the train as it slowed to a stop, holding a large heavy iron lantern lit by an enchanted candle.
Azalea looked out the window, face pressed against the glass in excitement.
“Right then, first years over here!” The man shouted loudly.
“Look! It's Hagrid! He’s the one who told me that I have magic.” Azalea said in excitement. Theo stored that away, it was another clue, another puzzle piece as to what was actually going on in her life.
“This way please! Come on now, first years, don't be shy!” He continued. “Come on now hurry up! Come on!” He encouraged, as the children poured off the train carriages, the older year children holding the doors open for the younger ones. Azalea, Theo and Rhona looked around in amazement and wonder.
“Hello Azalea, I see you’ve made friends. Who are they?”
“This is Rhona Weasley, and Theo Nott!” She beamed up with pride at him, completely missing the look of disgust on Hagrid’s face at Theo’s last name.
“Right then. This way! To the Boats, follow me!” Hagrid shouted, as if the interaction didn't even happen. Theo and Rhona looked at each other. They on the other hand did not miss the look he gave the boy. Hagrid seemed to be prodigious.
He led the group of children though the station and soon enough they were being loaded onto small boats, lit by lanterns and enchanted to cross the water on their own, to head across the great lake at Hogwarts. They must have been on the far side.
“Come now, four to a boat!” Hagrid shouted as the kids loaded up onto the boats.
Rhona sat with Theo and Azalea, and another girl that she did not know, at least not yet. The girl had long honey blonde hair and hazel green eyes, with her hair pulled up away from her face in braids. There wasn't much talking, the four of them were all enthralled with the way the boat rocked and the beauty of what the Hogwarts castle looked like from afar, especially at night, lit up in all of its glory. It was a slightly foggy night, with fog rolling in across the lake to give the rocky shore of the castle a mysterious eerie glow.
“Wow!” Azalea said quietly. Rhona couldn't help but agree.
“Wicked..” She said in agreement.
The boats stopped themselves at a very long dock, where another adult, most likely a teacher, as she was a rather stern looking woman in a black witch’s hat with complementing emerald green velvet robes watched over them as they one by one clamored out of the boats, making sure to watch for any student incase they fell back into the lake. Luckily that didn't happen, or at least Rhona didn't notice that happening as she got out and onto the safe dry land. She was rather glad to be off the boat. The gentle but constant rocking was starting to make her nauseous.
The stern woman led them up the long winding path of stairs that lead up and into the castle. The inside of the castle, from what she could see so far, was made of large sandstone blocks. The walls were made of large sandstone slabs, and the walls were lit by fire lit torches, that left neither soot nor heat. They filled in in large groups, up and around the stairs to where the woman stopped in front of the groups of children. .
“Welcome to Hogwarts. Now in a few minutes you will pass through these doors and join your classmates but before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your separate houses. There are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.” Rhona paled and looked over at Azalea and Theo. She just hoped she was in Gryffindor. She didn't know what she would do if she was sorted somewhere else. She didn't know what her parents would do to her if she was sorted somewhere else besides Gryffindor.
“Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup-”
“Trevor!” Was heard being shouted out, as the same girl with blonde hair from before in the boat ran up and scooped up a croaking toad that was in front of the woman talking. She looked up at the woman shyly, realizing she interpreted her, and apologized.
“Sorry..” the girl said before slowly backing herself into the crowd.
“The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily.” The woman finally said before leaving the children alone in the hallway.
“It's true then, what they’re saying on the train. Azalea Potter has come to Hogwarts.” A pompous looking platinum blonde haired boy said loudly, gazing intently at Azalea. Whispers started rippling throughout the crowd of kids. He continued, “This is Crabbe, and Goyle.. And I’m Malfoy..” He said before getting closer, almost up in her face. “Draco Malfoy.”
Rhona couldn't help but let out a snort. She had heard the name Malfoy before at the dinner table. Her father worked for the Ministry of Magic and Mr. Malfoy had given her father lots of grief over the years. Draco turned to glare at her and said,
“Think my name is funny, do you? No need to ask yours, red hair and a hand-me-down robe, you must be a Weasley.” Rhona looked down in shame at being called out for her hand-me-down robes. She couldn't afford new robes, not with Ginevra getting everything new instead. Draco turned to Theo.
“Really Theo, and I thought you knew better than to comport with these kinds of people. My father will be hearing about this.” Draco turned back to Azalea. “You’ll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.” He stuck out his hand, as if she would suddenly drop her two new friends just to be friends with him, as if his name meant something to her.
“I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks.” Azalea said coldly. Rhona was her first friend and Theo was her second. She wasn't going to drop those two for this ponce of a boy who thought himself to be above the others.
Whatever Draco was about to say was interrupted by the woman walking up and tapping a large tightly wound up roll of parchment onto his shoulder, catching all of the children's attention. The crowd had been watching the interaction between the four children very closely. No doubt by morning there would be fresh rumors in the mill about Azalea and Draco.
“We’re ready for you now, follow me.” She said, and led the gathered group into the great hall for the very first time.
Ahead of her, the doors opened and Rhona saw the rows of students for the first time. A large ball of dread formed in the pit of her stomach at the sight of the slytherin table, where she was terrified of ending up. In fact, any house other than Gryffindor was unacceptable in her parents’ eyes. She did not want to know what they would do if she was sorted elsewhere.
The woman led them up though the hall, between the center two rows of tables. At the head of the room was a long horizontal table, with all of the schools’ staff seated at it. In the very center was Albus Dumbledore himself, headmaster of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Rhona looked around in amazement. It was stunning. It looked like the sky was above them, stars and clouds and all. There were floating lit up candles throughout, lighting up the room with a pleasant ambiance.
“It's not real, the ceiling. It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.” The rude girl from before on the train but into her thoughts, appearing out of nowhere it seemed.
“Blimey! Where did she come from?” Rhona said in shock to where Azalea and Theo were standing near her. Again, the other two shrugged. It seemed that girl just kept popping up wherever she wanted.
The woman ended up leading them to the head table, where in front of it, before the steps was a ratty tattered looking brown witch’s hat sitting on a plain wooden pedestal. There was nothing special about it, it seemed at first.
“Alright. Will you wait along here please? Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words.” She instructed the children.
He stood up, and looked ever the old wizard he was.
“I have a few start-of-term notices I would like to announce. The first years, please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our care-taker, Mr. Filch,” And he gestured to a raggedy old man standing at the very back of the hall, with a cat at his feet. “Has asked me to remind you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you.” And Professor Dumbledore sat back down.
“When I call your name, you shall come forth. I shall place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted into your houses.” She said proudly, looking at the future of Hogwarts.
“Hermione Granger.” She called out, and the rude girl sighed and stepped forward. You could almost hear her mutter under her breath, ‘Oh no, okay, relax.’.
Rhona turned to Azalea and Theo. “Rude that one, I’m telling you. The nerve of her, barging in like she did earlier.” Azalea silently nodded, paying attention to the procession. “It seems like no one ever taught her manners.” Theo chimed in.
Hermione sat on the stool next to the pedestal and the hat barely touched her head before it came to life. “Ahh, right then. Hmm, right. Okay.... GRYFFINDOR!” The hat shouted out.
The. Hat. Could. Talk.
Rhona had been told this by her brothers Fred and George but she never actually believed them. It was nowhere in the Hogwarts: A History book that Percy had let her read over and over again. This just made her predicament even more precarious. She herself knew she wouldn't fit into the Gryffindor house but how was she supposed to do this without anyone else knowing. Meanwhile, the entire Gryffindor table sprang up into life with cheers and applause that the first student out of the fresh batch for that year was sorted into their house. Even Albus Dumbledore was applauding! What would she do? She watched Hermione walk up to her brother, her Percy and sit down right next to him. This brought on a new wave of dread. What if Percy suddenly forgot about her? What if he replaced her with someone else? What if she got sorted into another house besides Gryffindor and he stopped talking to her?
“Draco Malfoy!”
The hat didn't even have to touch his head.
“SLYTHERIN!” It shouted out.
There was no surprise there for anyone, that boy was the spitting image of his father, both in looks and personality, Theo thought to himself. His father had warned him to act a certain way near Draco and his cronies, that Lucius was a vicious man who had a firm hand on Draco’s mindset already. Theo already knew this. He was sitting with Draco on the train for a bit before he left and found another compartment to sit in, which turned out to be Azalea’s compartment. It was ironic really. Here Draco was going on and on about how he would befriend Azalea Potter and teach her the ‘right way’ of the wizarding world and who to, and not to talk to, and here Theo was actually doing so in his own brand of way.
Rhona’s mind was swearing. One one hand, she had her mother’s shrill voice in her head saying ‘There is no witch or wizard who wasn't bad who wasn't in Slytherin’, but on the other hand, she herself knew she probably best fit the house itself.
“Susan Bones!” And a nervous girl with long wavy ginger hair stepped up to be sorted. But that wasn't nearly as important as her new friend Azalea. Suddenly she was gasping quietly, gripping the scar on her forehead, silently reacting to a sharp stabbing pain in her head. It was as if someone was silently attacking the girl's mind. Rhona knew about occlumency, as Charlie had tried teaching her all that he himself was taught, but she was too little, and without a wand to learn it. She wondered if she should mention it to a teacher.
“Ahh!” Azalea whisper-shouted.
“Azalea, are you okay?” Rhona asked even more concerned for her friend. She would definitely be telling her new head of house about this, if and when they ended up together. Rhona was concerned, and didn't know what else to do. ‘When in doubt, find a teacher and get help’ was drilled into her by her brother Percy.
“I know... HUFFLEPUFF!” The house shouted right away. It seemed that the hat was having no trouble at all sorting through the new students.
"Nelda Longbottom!" The girl from before, the one looking for her toad Trevor, stepped up to the stool and had the hat placed upon her head.
It took a good minute before the hat shouted out "Better be... Gryffindor!"
Rhona knew she would be next and her fears were confirmed when she heard her name be called out by the now identified teacher, Minerva McGonagall. She was the transfigurations teacher, and Deputy Headmistress of the school after all.
“Rhona Weasley!” Was called out loud as a bell. She had no choice but to step up and face reality, as she didn't want to make her repeat herself. Rhona had no choice. Thankfully no one but probably Azalea and Theo knew about or could tell her internal struggle as she took the few steps up to the pedestal and sat on the stool. It was hard beneath her bottom and smooth on her hands as she gripped it tightly. As Professor McGonagall sat the hat on her head, her heart was pounding. All she could think was the look of disgust that would be on her parents’ faces when the house shouted out Hufflepuff, or even worse, if she was sorted into Slytherin.
‘Please, no. Please don't sort me into Slytherin. It has to be Gryffindor or else.’ She thought to herself over and over and over. For once, the hat seemed to be quiet. It wasn't shouting out loud, rather it was talking softly in her head.
‘Gryffindor aye? It seems you are right. You know, you are not the first of the Weasley clan to beg to be sorted there. Ahh... Okay, you would do well in Slytherin, my girl. But alas, I must choose the safest option for you. I always must take into account the wellbeing of my pupils.’
“Hah! Another Weasley... I know just what to do with you... GRYFFINDOR!” The hat shouted out loud at last. What felt like minutes to Rhona must have only been a few seconds. Her shoulders sagged with relief as the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers all over again, especially a section full of ginger-headed boys.
Rhona got up and nearly bolted for Percy at the Gryffindor table. She sat down on the left of him, and nearly had to stop herself from burrowing her face into his chest. She couldn't be seen as anything but proper in the view of the public.
“Azalea Potter!” Was called out next and the entire room fell into a hushed silence as everyone looked around trying to get a glimpse of what the Girl Who Lived looked like. Rhona watched Azalea reluctantly emerged from the huddled together crowd of pupils. She detested being in the center of attention, and this was no exception. Rhona watched as Azalea sat herself upon the stool and watched as the large floppy hat was placed on top of her head.
“Difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage I see, and not a bad mind either. There's talent- Oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself to others. But where to put you?” The hat asked out loud, sounding slightly stumped by the girl underneath it.
‘Place me wherever I would fit best. I want to do well, I want to prove that I am enough.’ Azalea simply thought.
“You're going to do great, you know, it's all here. It's all in your head. And Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness. There’s no doubt about that. Yes? Well if you're sure... SLYTHERIN!” The house shouted out at last. The great hall was so silent you could hear a pin drop from a mile away. And then chaos ensued. You could hear the indigent cries from the Gryffindor table, claiming that the hat must be wrong. There was confused but happy applause coming from both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses, as they were just happy to support another student. But the Slytherin table was completely divided. You could tell some students were uncomfortable with even the mere idea of the Girl Who Lived being sorted into such a stigmatized house. Then there were the students of that house that were roaring with pride. The Girl Who Lived! In their house? It was completely unbelievable.
Professor McGonagall held up her hand in an effort to silence the reared up crowd of students, but even some of the staff were taking the news negatively for some reason, Rhona noted. Hagrid, the man who led them from the train up to the school, looked like he had swallowed a lemon whole. His whole face was soured up. The professor in the turban looked terrified, and the professor with the greasy black hair was glaring hard at the man in the turban. It was absolute madness. Finally, Professor McGonagall was able to silence and control the gathered group. Azalea didn't know what to do but quickly and quietly found an empty seat far enough away from Draco Malfoy, towards the closer end of the table. She sat next to a girl with long blond hair and bright green eyes.
“Hello, my name is Daphne Greengrass. Welcome to Slytherin. I’m a first year student too.” She introduced herself and stuck out her hand to Azalea. Azalea hesitated for not even a second before shaking her hand firmly.
“My name is Azalea Potter, but you already knew that. It's a pleasure to meet you.” She said in reply.
“Silence! I said SILENCE!” Professor McGonagall shouted as a hush grew across the students and staff. People froze in their places, no one wanted to engage the enraged witch.
“Now, if you are done acting like a babbling bumbling band of baboons, we can continue. Theodore Nott!”
Theo sighed. He knew what he had to do. He would have preferred being a Ravenclaw, as he was very much a studious person, but he had to protect his new friend, Azalea, from the snake’s den. Theo walked up gracefully and sat upon the stool. All he could think of when the hat touched his head was ‘Slytherin please. I need to protect my newest friend from the others.’
“Hmm... Slytherin!” The hat shouted in agreement. It was a simple and painless affair.
Theo looked over to where his friend Rhona was sitting, no doubt between her brothers, well protected. He knew she wasn't in the right house but there was nothing he could do now that she was sorted. He just hoped they would have classes together. He needed to keep an eye on her as well as Azalea. Something just wasn't right.
Either way, he sat down next to Azalea and introduced himself formally to the other girl. It seems Azalea would make friends wherever she went.
Once the other students were sorted out, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and called everyone to attention.
“Your attention, please!” She called out, tapping a golden spoon on a glass goblet. She motioned to Albus Dumbledore, who stood up and said Rhona’s absolute favorite words.
“Let the feast begin!” And with a wave of his hand, all of the food appeared, and it was absolutely magical.
Rhona wanted to pile her plate high with all of the foods before her, but looking around, she waited politely until others started to serve themselves before she picked up some of the less messy foods. She never knew who was watching and she wanted to make good first impressions. Percy looked over at his little sister and smiled at her obvious attempts to act like the pureblood witch she really was. He could tell she was trying, and he had to applaud her for it. Food was Rhona’s favorite thing besides reading. Honestly, he was slightly surprised at the fact that the hat even considered putting her in Gryffindor, but he knew there had to be something more to it and he had a sinking suspicion that he knew what it was. Rhona had been fed all her life that she must be a Gryffindor, and that anything less would be unacceptable in their parents' eyes. If you were sorted into any other house, you might as well sign your own death certificate, as you would never see the light of day if and when you did go home. Thankfully neither of them had to worry about that outcome this time.
He was broken out of his musings by a gentle nudge.
“Say, Percy, who is that teacher next to Professor Quirrell?” Rhona asked quietly after she swallowed her mouthful of food.
“That would be Professor Snape. He’s the head of the Slytherin house, and the potions master of Hogwarts. Just a warning though. He does not favor anyone who is not a slytherin. Do be prepared for abnormally hard questions and snark.” Percy said cautiously.
“That is unfortunate. I was looking forward to learning how to brew potions. It seems so interesting.” Rhona said thoughtfully. She really did want to learn about potions. Hopefully he wouldn't be too hard or nasty towards her just because of who she was, or what house she was sorted into.
“Who’s our head of house?”
“That would be Professor McGonagall. She’s also the mistress deputy of Hogwarts, as well as our Transfigurations professor. It would be advised to not be late to her lessons if you can help it. I won't spoil too many surprises but she does not take pity on tardy children.”
“Thank you brother, I will heed your warnings. Is there anything else I should know about any of the professors?” Rhona asked as they were finishing up dinner. Truthfully, Rhona was a little too nervous to eat much dinner. It did not help that she ate quite a bit of the different snacks that Azalea had shared with her and Theo. Rhona paused in thought and frowned at that. What would she do about her new friends, her only friends she had made so far. They were both sorted into the least favorable outcome possible house. Both Azalea and Theo ended up sorted into Slytherin with that boy Draco Malfoy. She would have to ask Percy if there was anywhere that students of different houses could meet up and spend time together outside of classes. She really didn't want to give them up, they were rather nice people and Rhona genuinely liked the two of them. It was further proof that her mother and father were ill-mouthed liars. Not every witch or wizard sorted into Slytherin was a bad seed. Some, maybe, but not all. Otherwise they would be insinuating that Azalea Potter, the bloody Girl Who Lived, was an evil witch, and that wasn't something you could say in public let alone private without being harshly corrected and judged by fanatics. No, her parents were definitely wrong.
They were nearly done eating, and Rhona had just reached for a chocolate chip biscuit when a ghostly head poked through her hand and she pulled back in shock.
“Hi! How are you, may I welcome you to Gryffindor officially.” The ghostly apparition greeted the seated children before flying through and floating off up to the ceiling.
“Oh!” Rhona gasped in complete shock as even more ghostly figures came gliding through the walls, all coming down upon the students at once to greet the first years.
“That’s Sir Nearly Headless Nick,” Rhona heard Percy explaining to another first year, a boy with sandy brown hair.
“Nearly headless? How can someone be nearly headless?” The girl, Hermione, asked skeptically.
“Like this.” The ghost, now identified, said, as he reached up and grasped the top of his silvery grey curly hair, and lifted nearly his entire head up off of his neck, moving it like a hinge, only still partially attached on one side. Hermione paled, as did Rhona and the other boy.
“And I prefer Sir Nicholas to you, thank you very much.” Sir Nicholas grumbled as he floated on away to talk to the other students. That sealed Rhona’s fate and she quickly redacted her hand down back to her side, appetite lost.
“It won't be long now, before we’re escorted to the dormitories where you will be staying for the next seven years. Are you ready?” Percy asked his little sister.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Rhona sighed out, still feeling somewhat put out that she didn't have any of her new friends in her house. She felt all alone, even sitting next to her favorite older brother. Rhona had a feeling that this would be a long year, she just hoped that feeling was wrong. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the students at the tables beginning to stand up and gather into groups.
Percy was at the head of them all, gathering up the students into one spot.
"Gryffindor's follow me!" He called out, as he led the groups out of the great hall and up and through the hallways. They were soon upon a magnificently large moving staircase; it must have been enchanted to switch around the different levels, that was the only way she could make sense of it. "This way, keep up!" She could faintly hear Percy call out in the front of the group. She craned her neck to see over the crowd to wherever his voice was coming from but she was too short to see; she hoped that she would grow sooner rather than later.
He stopped before a fork in the flights of stairs where one led down and to the left and one went up and to the right. "This is the most direct route to the dormitories, and do keep an eye on the stairs; they like to change on new students especially. Do keep up!" And he continued on up for what felt like forever on the stairs. By the time the group stopped again, Rhona's calves were burning from the amount of climbing and walking she had done so far that day. Part of her yearned to be sitting at her family's dinner table back at home in the burrow, back with her parents where it would be just her and her mother and father and Ginevra. Even though deep down she knew nothing would ever be the same, part of her was excited for a new adventure where she could be the one in charge. It was her journey, not anyone else's and she needed to be the one to push through it. Her whole life was ahead of her, really. This was only the very beginning. As she was musing to herself, trying to push through the strain, she noted that most if not all of the vast amount of paintings were animated, as in, they were living, talking, breathing portraits of what were once real people. It was interesting to say the very least. The idea of living forever, even in painting form, made Rhona shudder with an emotion she didn't quite want to understand.
They eventually turned off the stairs and made their way down a long stone walled corridor where they stopped in front of a rather large portrait of an operatic styled woman who was mid pose, singing with vigor and passion into a glass goblet, in what looked like an attempt to shatter it. Upon gathering in front of the frozen picture frame, she sprung to life, and you could hear her loudly singing, although to Rhona it sounded more in line with Ginevra's screeching that she did in the shower rather than singing.
"Password?" The fat lady asked out loud.
"Incepta Nova." Percy called out to the woman in the portrait, expectantly. She nodded and the door swung open, granting them access to the Gryffindor common room. It was a cozy looking round shaped room, filled to the brim with overstuffed armchairs and end tables, with a roaring fireplace, which was connected to the public floo network. Over top the mantle was a rather large animated portrait of a roaring lion, reared back in all of its glory. Opposite of that, was a large bulletin board that would eventually be covered in announcements and fliers from the teachers and various other students. Rhona would have to remember to check it from time to time; maybe there would be sales on secondhand books. There were many windows that lined the circular walls, giving off a view of the school grounds, but right then and there seeing as it was night time, it was pitch black out except for the moon and stars. The entire room was decorated in various shades of red and gold, along with velvet tapestries that depicted different magical creatures and some even with different historical witches and wizards that were from Gryffindor.
"Come now, gather around now. Over here!" Percy called out, leading the group towards one section of the room where there were two doorways, with spiral stairs in view of either one of the doorways. "Boys first year dormitories are up the stairs and down the hall, first room on your left; girls, you are down the stairs and first room on your right. You'll find that your belongings are already up in your assigned rooms, ready and put away. Do not be late for your classes in the morning. Goodnight." Percy declared and moved to go to his own dorm and do what he needed to do before he went to bed for the night.
She followed the large group of girls that would be in her year to where Percy, acting as Prefect, informed them to go to. She immediately spotted where her trunk was placed at the foot of one of the seven four poster beds in the room, which was also circular in shape. Her trunk was well worn and scratched in some places where the deep maroon paint was scraped off. It was probably Charlie or Bill's from when they attended school. Rhona never had gotten anything new, and her school supplies were no exception. She just hoped the chest didn't stand out too much from the other girls' own ones. Rhona looked around to familiarize herself with her new room for the next coming school year. There were seven girls, and she recognized exactly two of them, both from earlier on in the day. One was that annoying know-it-all girl, Hermione, and the other one was the girl with the toad. Rhona was filled to the brim with mixed emotions, and she had never felt quite so alone in her lifetime. Yeah sure before this year, she would be at home alone being homeschooled by her mother along with her sister, but she still had people she knew around her.
Here... It was an entirely new experience and she was still undecided on whether she liked it or not. Rhona went over to her trunk and unlatched it. It was nothing special, there was no security on it as it was older than she was probably. She opened the trunk and pulled out her favorite set of pajamas. Rather, it was Charlie's old quidditch jumper, from when he was a seeker during his Hogwarts years. She matched it with a simple pair of red and gold striped cotton pants and laid the clothing out on her bed. She was slightly uncomfortable with the idea of changing in front of so many people but she didn't want to come off as a wimp but even back home at the Burrow, she had her own room. Ginevra didn't want to share a room and Rhona outright refused to share a room with any of her older brothers.. She loved Percy but he was just a tad bit too obsessively clean with his belongings. Every item, down to the last quill tip, had it's correct place. Rhona was just as neat as the next girl, but Percy tended to take things a bit too far. Without looking around, she quickly changed into her comfy clothing and climbed onto the double bed, and shut the curtains tight behind her so as to not let any of the light shine through. She laid under the covers for what felt like hours before she finally drifted off to sleep. She just hoped she got up on time to not miss classes, or worse, breakfast. She had a lot of changes to get used to, that was for sure.