Where Do I Belong
“The SortingHat.” Sirius read in a grand, over dramatic voice.
Snape rolled his eyes at Black’s behaviour.
Helia winced at the chapter title, this definitely wasn’t going to good. Everyone thought she was sorted into Gryffindor because that’s where she belonged. As Helia Potter was bold, brave, daring, courageous, and she didn’t take shit from anyone and stood up for what she felt was right.
However, she was very different at her core, and she didn’t know how people would take that.
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robesstood there.
“Minnie!” The Twins cheered brightly, McGonagall burned holes into Sirius’s head with her stare.
She had a very stern face and Helia's first thought was that this was notsomeone to cross.
“I still stand by that statement.” Helia said.
“Amen.” The Marauders agreed.
“That didn’t seem to ever stop any of you, though did it?” McGonagall asked, her lips twitching in amusement.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here. "
She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys'house in it.
“Oh Forge, old Chap. I feel a new prank coming on.” George hissed at his twin over the blonde-haired Slytherin girl sitting between them.
The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
Moody noticed again, Potter was very attentive to detail.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Helia could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -- the rest of the school must already be here -- but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber of the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.
Mrs. Weasley couldn’t help, but coo over the description of the first years huddled nervously.
“I don’t remember being that nervous.” Sirius said thoughtfully, thinking back on waiting for his sorting ceremony.
“Are you kidding?” Remus laughed. “Sirius you were shaking like a leaf, terrified that you were going to be sorted into Slytherin.”
“It was a legitimate concern, okay.” Sirius muttered, as he crossed his arms pouting.
They didn’t notice Helia tense at their conversation.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts.
“Damn right, they will be!” Sirius said, grinning from ear to ear.
Helia gave a grimace, because while Hogwarts it’s self was home to her, Gryffindor was never very family oriented. One minute they idolized her, the next she was the next great dark lady incarnated.
It’s why when she found friends that clicked with her, she barely sought out other companions. And they never really gave her a reason to want to hang out with anybody outside the Weasley’s. Even the Quidditch team, in her first and second year, was guilty of believing the rumours surrounding Helia at the time.
You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
“Free time is meant to be spent everywhere, not just the common room.” The Twins pointed out.
“You could roam the hallways.” George suggested with grin.
“Sneak into the kitchens.” Fred added with a smirk.
Hermione frowned at the two troublemaker twins, “Research in the library.” Much to exasperation of the Twins.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points.
The Golden Trio exchanged a relieved glance, happy that they wouldn’t be punished for the many, many, many school rules they had broken in their past four years at Hogwarts.
At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
“The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. "
“Do you say the same speech every year?” Remus mused.
“What makes you think that it’s the same speech, from your year? You were only first years once.” McGonagall said defensively.
“Remus memorized it.” James informed, simply. “And if that really is the case, then do you practice that speech every year?” James asked amused with a grin on his face.
A faint blush was high on her cheeks as she hissed sharply. “That is enough out of the both of you.”
“Yes, Professor McGonagall.” Was the coursed reply. The Trio could see the smirks on their faces though.
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear,
Neville flushed a bright red, and muttered under his breath about, “Bloody observation skills, always noticing me.”
and on Ron's smudged nose.
“Ronald, you still haven’t cleaned your nose.” Mrs. Weasley tutted at her youngest son.
“Please would you give it a rest with my nose.” Ron hissed.
Helia grinned at her best friend, with her hands up in surrender. “I think that’s the last mention of it, actually.
Helia nervously ran her fingers through her hair.
Remus and James chuckled while Sirius let loose a short bark of laughter.
“Sorry to tell you, Fawn, but that’s a hopeless case.” James told his daughter with a grin.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly. "
She left the chamber. Helia swallowed.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" she asked Ron.
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking. "
“You think?” Fred teased his younger brother, who just glared at him.
Charlie sighed as he slid his hand down his face exasperated with his younger brothers, “Ron you really shouldn’t believe everything that the twins says, you know they like pulling your leg.”
“How am I supposed to know when to believe them.” Ron complained. “Their sly enough to the tell truth half the time so I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.” From the grins on the Twins faces that was every bit of the truth.
While Helia knew that Fred was just joking to tease his younger brother, her heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? That would be rather cruel to do. Many of them didn’t know any magic yet -- what on earth would they expect them to do? She doubted that the rest of her soon to be classmates memorized the books like her — and apparently Hermione Granger.
Hermione blushed red as the book Helia singled her out.
So if the sorting was some kind of test, Helia was sure many would fail. She looked around curiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.
Bill just mouthed ‘wow’ to himself, even when she was younger, she was brilliant and bright.
Helia tuned her out as she organized her thoughts.
“Hey!” Hermione said indignantly.
“I needed to calm myself and think, which is hard to do if someone is panicking next to me.” Helia defended herself.
Helia despite being one hundred percent sure that the sorting was not some test that had to do with magical skills, had never been more nervous, never, not even when she'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that she'd somehow turned her teacher's wig blue.
“Bloody brilliant, Helia.” Fred and George cheered.
“That’s our Fawn, born prankster!” James cried to Sirius and Remus.
She kept her eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead her to her doom.
“Melodramatic, much?” Blaise mused.
“And here comes the dramatics!” The Twins said cheerfully, Helia just rolled her eyes.
Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air -- several people behind her screamed.
“Ghosts.” James guessed with a knowing grin. All the first years from that year nodded.
"What the -- ?"
She gasped. So did the people around her. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years.
“They did that even in our first year.” Lily said, sympathetically. “I think they stage the whole thing, they love startling the first years, but won’t admit it.”
They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance--"
“Oh god, are they still having this argument.” Lily groaned.
“Yes.” everyone answered.
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost -- I say, what are you all doing here?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.
“Nearly Headless Nick!” The Twins exclaimed.
“Oh how I love it when the ickle firsties ask him how he can be nearly headless.” Fred sighed fondly.
“I know Forge, the looks on their faces bring me such joy.” George also sighed fondly.
“Although I do wish they wouldn’t ask while the rest of us are trying to eat, Gred.”
“That is a good point, twin of mine, no matter how times we’ve seen it. We don’t want to see it while we are trying to eat.”
Nobody answered.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
A few people nodded mutely.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know. "
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start. "
James was bouncing in his seat, excited to sort of witness Helia’s sorting.
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me. "
Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Helia got into line behind a boy with sandy hair,
“That’s Seamus right?” Padma asked.
Helia just nodded, she wasn’t on the best of terms with her Irish housemate as of late.
with Ron behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Helia had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place.
“It still takes my breath away, how magnificently magical Hogwarts is.” Helia smiled.
It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.
Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.
The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight.
“Because that’s, not creepy at all.” Hermione said sarcastically.
Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Helia looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History. "
“You know you might the only person to ever read that book.” Ron told Hermione shaking his head at her.
Before she could say anything back, Bill cut in. “Not true I found Hogwarts, A History very fascinating when I was in school, still do in fact.” Hermione turned to look at as he stared sincerely into her eyes. “I mean the chapter alone on the runes that went into making Hogwarts is phenomenal, I mean the details and skill to individually carve and enchant each one is a masterpiece.” Bill gushed about his passion of runes and their making.
Hermione felt the breath rush out of her lungs at the glint in his blue eyes as he talked she could feel a blush rising on her cheeks as she listened.
Helia already knew this, but it was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.
“I love it best during the winter, with the enchanted snowflakes falling.” Helia said, it was nice to enjoy the snow while safe and warm in the great hall. Unlike the damp, cold winters at Private Drive when the Dursley’s made her go out and shovel the driveway or just to kick her out of the house for a couple of hours.
Helia quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.
Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Helia thought wildly,
“Why would you pull a rabbit out of a hat?” Luna asked airily why would a rabbit be in hat or was a hat on a rabbit? Maybe he wanted to be fancily dressed.
“It’s a Muggle magic trick,” Hermione said.
“Muggles have magic?” Mr. Weasley asked delighted by this fact.
“It’s more of an illusion, than actual magic.” Helia explained.
that seemed the sort of thing -- noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, she stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth -- and the hat began to sing:
“Black, I swear to The Triple Goddess, if you start singing I will—” Snape warned, but Sirius cut him off by belting out the sorting hat’s song with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"Oh,you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
“Bravo! Magnificent! Go Sirius!” James, The Twins, Helia and Tonks cheered, whistle and clapped as Sirius stood and took a bow.
“Much better than the ones we used to get.” Lily said, but then again it was a time of war.
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Helia. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll. "
Helia, Ron, and Hermione slowly turned to Fred.
“What?” Fred questioned, confused at their staring.
“I didn’t know you had seer blood in your family.” Helia whispered to Ron.
“I didn’t even know.” Ron replied.
Helia thought that was a bit farfetched, but she didn’t tell him that, so she just smiled weakly.
“Honestly Ronald, when are you going to learn not to blindly believe everything the twins tell you?” Hermione sighed at her gullible friend.
Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but she did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Helia didn't feel very cunning or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for her.
“If there was, that’s where everyone would go.” Kingsley said, as he let out a booming laugh.
James turned to his daughter with a reassuring smile. “It’s okay to be nervous sometimes Fawn, it’s perfectly normal.”
Helia smiled at her father, basking in the warm feeling of her father’s love and care.
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
Susan smiled at hearing the name of her best friend in her house, Ron had to force himself to look away before she noticed he was staring.
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause --
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
Tonks and Susan cheered for their fellow puff.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Helia saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.
"Bones, Susan!"
Susan perked up hearing her name.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again,
Susan’s Aunt and Kingsley pulled Susan into a hug, remembering when she wrote to them upset she didn’t get sorted into Ravenclaw like them.
and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender"
Both Helia and Hermione groaned and rolled their eyes at their girly, chatterbox of a roommate.
“Whose Lavender?” Lily asked curiously.
“The bane of our existence.” Helia deadpanned, only the get slap on the arm by Hermione, however Helia didn’t hear any disagreements from her.
became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Helia could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Helia's imagination, after all she'd heard about Slytherin from people, but she thought they looked like they were trying to be intimidating. In fact, to her, they didn’t look like an unpleasant lot. At least not all of them anyway.
The Slytherins in the room turned to stare at Helia.
“Like the book read, I don’t think all of you are bad people, really some of you are quite pleasant when it suits you.” Helia said with a shrug. “I keep saying there are bad eggs in all the houses, Slytherin,” The snakes rolled their eyes. “Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw,” Helia grimaced, and her friends knew she was thinking about how the other houses treated her during the Slytherin Heir incident and the Goblet of Fire. “Even Gryffindor.” She admitted, much to the surprise of the others.
She was starting to feel definitely sick now. She remembered being picked for teams during gym at her old school. She had always been last to be chosen, not because she was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked her.
Draco bared his teeth in a snarl, but he didn’t growl so not to bring too much attention too himself. He couldn’t lose his composure every time the Dursley’s hurt the emerald eyed girl — at least that’s what he told his self.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Sometimes, Helia noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Helia in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Before Hermione could move towards the stool, Helia stopped her whispering a soft “Good luck” get a smile from the buck toothed girl.
Again Mrs. Weasley cooed over Helia’s nice manners.
Turning back Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.
Hermione flushed a pretty pink, which Bill thought was adorable.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.
The Twins cheered and wolf-whistled for past Hermione, making Hermione blush.
Ron groaned.
“It was years ago!” Ron hurriedly defended himself, before either Hermione or Helia could hit him.
Helia stomped on his foot, not even looking back at him. She didn’t show any outwards reaction to Ron’s moaning or his hopping on one foot, while massaging his sore foot.
Theo snorted, remembering how Weasley almost knocked over Pansy with his hopping.
A horrible thought struck Helia, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous.
Both Hermione and Ron slapped palms to their foreheads. “Here we go.” They muttered, it was a known fact that Helia could get dramatic and paranoid, however it was always the worst paranoia that she didn’t voice.
What if she wasn't chosen at all? What if she just sat there with the hat over her eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off her head and said there had obviously been a mistake and she'd better get back on the train?
“That would never happen, Miss. Potter.” McGonagall said, amused.
“Yes Professor McGonagall is quite right.” Dumbledore agreed. “However, the mind tends to come up with its most strange thoughts when nervous, one just has to remember to courage when face with adversity.” He advised.
Helia sunk back in her seat, studying her combat boots to avoid looking at anyone.
When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool.
Neville flushed red at his inherited clumsiness.
Tonks leaned over and whispered too him “I fell over, too.”
The hat took a long time to decide with Neville.
Fred looked at Neville blankly. “Long time? Mate, you were a hat-stall.”
Neville gasped, turning red in shock. “ I-I was?!”
Lily beamed at her godson with pride. “Congratulations, Neville Darling!”
“What’s a hat-stall?” Helia asked confused at the term she never heard of.
“A hat-stall is when someone takes over five minutes to be sorted,” Remus explained. “It’s a great honour amongst pureblood families.”
When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag. "
Neville blushed as his friend’s chuckles, but he was comfortable enough to laugh with them.
Sirius clapped him on the back, “That happened to James too.” He whispered to Neville grinning, drawing a smile out of the boy.
James whipped his head to Sirius so face his glasses all most flew off his face. “Pads, you promised you wouldn’t tell people that anymore.” He whined as his tan skin blushed in mortification.
Malfoy swaggered
Draco quickly turned to Helia with indignation written all over his face. “I do not swagger.” He hissed.
Helia just stared him down, unimpressed. “I can get several written statement of people who also agree you don’t walk, you swagger Malfoy.” She raised an eyebrow when his face burst in a bright blush.
forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
Snape‘s eyes softened at his godson, remembering Draco’s relief at being in Slytherin like his parents pressured.
Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.
There weren't many people left now. "Moon". . . , "Nott". . . ,
Blaise causally leaned on Theo’s shoulder, as he traced a pattern on Theo’s palm mindlessly.
Theo’s body automatically relaxed to accommodate Blaise in his space as if it was second nature by now.
"Parkinson". . . , then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil". . . ,
“That’s you right, Padma?” Lily asked. “You have a twin? I’m surprised she’s not here.”
“Yeah the first one is me, but the second Patil is actually my twin sister Parvati.” Padma informed her friend mother. “I love Parvati, but we have different friend groups we aren’t even in the same house.”
To the surprise of the adults, it was vary rare that magical twins are so separated from each other’s.
then "Perks, Sally-Anne". . . , and then, at last –
"Potter, Heliantheae!"
Sirius shouted, excitement covering his every word. Helia could feel herself becoming more and more anxious they got to her conversation with the sorting hat. Her breath was coming short making her head swim with dizziness, she had to dig her nails into arms to focus her mind.
As Helia stepped forward wishing they hadn’t used her full name, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
Helia tensed even further before she release a nearly silent sigh. She came to be vary familiar with those hisses over the years, and it still could set her teeth on edge. Because really was a little peace and quiet so much to ask for?
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Heliantheae Potter?"
“That must be so annoying,” Luna simply said, in her whimsical voice.
Helia leaned back in her seat, her arms crossed defensively over her chest a malcontented glare on her heart shaped face as she grumbled. “You got no idea.”
The last thing Helia saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her.
“For Merlin’s sake, what’s with starring at Helia like she’s some rare animal at some zoo exhibit.” James growled, upset at the thought of people gawking at his little girl.
Helia smile a mirthless smile at her father, she couldn’t help but think back to her compression of her life to the boa constrictor back in the zoo all those years ago it just might have been a self fulfilling prophecy for her interactions with the wizarding folk.
Because while she was physically trapped at the Dursley’s, in the wizarding world she was gawked at, stared at, had other people make a profit off of her and mentally tricked into thinking she had any say in her life without realizing she was trapped in a nicely decorated glass cage.
Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.
Everybody leaned forward in interest. Those who witnessed Helia’s wanted to know what the hat said for her sorting to take so long, as it was the longest sorting recorded since Merlin himself. While her family wanted to experience her sorting because they weren’t there to see this special moment in her life.
"Hmm," said a small voice in her ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see.
“Of course she does,” James said with a grin. “That’s my Fawn, a born Gryffindor from the start.” Helia couldn’t look her father in the eyes when he bragged that.
Not a bad mind either. There's talent, Ah my goodness, yes -- and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting. . . So where shall I put you?"
Astoria looked at Helia in awe, “Why you could’ve gotten in any of the houses with those traits.”
Helia just smile at the younger girl a little awkwardly, but a smile nonetheless.
Helia gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.
“What’s wrong with Slytherin?” Daphne demanded.
“It’s best if you just listen to the conversation between the sorting hat and I, before you judge.” Helia warned her year-mate with a dark look.
Daphne blinked, not used to hearing Helia sound like that as she back down for now.
"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that.
Everybody who didn’t know —Helia herself, Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore the only ones to know— turned to stare at Helia dumbfounded and shocked.
“Helia? You were almost in Slytherin?” Sirius asked looking as if his world was shattered.
Helia really didn’t know what he wanted her to say at that moment, so she just went with the truth “Yes.”
Helia was startled from her growing anxiety, when her father placed both of hands on her shoulders. His hazel eyes framed by his glasses stared into her emerald eyes with the upmost seriousness.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with being in Slytherin.” He told her, as her breath hitched at finally hearing what she wanted to hear from her parents for the longest time. “I mean my Mum, your Grandmother was Slytherin in fact her maiden name was Carrow.” He informed her much to the shock of a lot of people who didn’t know Lady Euphemina Potter, used to be the eldest daughter of Lord and Lady Hephaestus and Aglaia Carrow.
“But if you’re mother was a Carrow, that means you’re related to renowned Death Eater’s Amyus and Alecto Carrow!” Theo exclaimed whipping around to face James face first, this was the most worked up some of them seen him.
James grinned warily at the Nott heir, shrugging his shoulders in a what-can-you-do way. “I mean yeah, the Carrow’s weren’t always dark, in fact Pappoú and Yai-Yai never really cared about the British Wizarding World War.” James said remembering, all the times they would laugh and call the blood feuds silly and foolish. “They spent most of their time in Athens, after Mum and her brother we’re all grown up.”
Helia was still reeling from the shock, she remembered two little twin girls that got sorted into Slytherin this year their last name was Carrow. She had two little cousins, that probably had no idea that they were even related to her she actually had a family that might love her.
Not Slytherin. Helia hissed inside her mind, cutting the hat off.
“Oh, and why is that?” The voice of the hat asked curiously.
Draco looked at her just as curiously as the Sorting Hat did all them years ago.
Because I’ve seen how people treat the people who are placed in Slytherin, if I’m placed there they will turn on me so quick I wouldn’t survive. —The wizarding world is a lot more judgmental and prejudice than I thought it would be.
The adults all look at Helia their mouths gaping in shock and disbelief.
“What ever do you mean by that, Miss. Potter?” Madam Bones asked.
“It means that the Wizarding World is prejudice to the simplest thing, I mean every wizard or witch are all so high and might claiming you all are at the pinnacle of your power.” Helia rebuked, with her arms crossed. “You claim to be superior to the Non-magical folks, but they have their own inventions and talents that surpasses the expectations of even magic… Bloody hell even the so called light side claims to be better and just over what they call the dark side.” She ranted, clearly she had been holding this in for a very long time. “I mean all of Slytherin is practically branded as Dark the moment that the hat sorts them there, and if they want to survive that harsh mentality they have no choice but to closed off and sly as they can.”
“But you would be brilliant in Slytherin, you have a talent for survival and Slytherin would help you hone that talent.” The voice protested.
Shape stiffened when he heard that line, because years ago when he was sorted that was the exact words said to him before he was sorted into Slytherin. Really what did it say when his archenemy’s child was more like him then her parents in the way she thought. His eyes traveled on their own accord until they locked eyes with the very child he was pondered, those emerald eyes more sharp and flinty then her mothers ever were.
That may be so, but I don’t just want survive anymore. Helia thought to the hat, I for once in my life I really truly want to live and I can’t do that watching my back constantly in the snake pit.
Everyone was looking at Helia in shock, except for Ron and Hermione. Helia confessed to them one night during one of their frequent sleepovers at how hard it was for her to trust people with how she was raised. She never went into the details of what the Dursley’s did to her, but what she did tell her friends assured her that it was normal for her not let people get to close. They cuddled, drank butterbeer that the Twins snuck in for them to enjoy, at their favourite sweets and they reassured each other no matter how insecure or mistrustful they felt they would stick together.
“So you wish to hide in the lion’s den, do you?” The voice mused.
“Okay hold up, the pup and I have to discuss something.” Sirius announced stopping his reading, before holding out his hand for a nervous Helia to take.
“Pads what are yo—” James questioned his best mate, only to stop seeing the looks in his daughter and friend’s eyes. They need this, the both of them did.
“Very well, Sirius, we shall await Miss. Potter’s and your return.” Dumbledore told him.
“Yeah, yeah, I wasn’t look for permission.” Sirius scoffed, waving off the old man leading a silent Helia to the hallway with all of the dorm rooms.
“Okay, do you want to tell me what’s running through that head of yours?” Sirius asked her causally leaning against the wall, observing his silent goddaughter who was brooding in her own thoughts. “I mean what’s all this secrecy about the old dust rag wanting to put you in Slytherin.”
Helia couldn’t look her godfather in the eyes, as her hands clenched into fists trembling at her sides. “Everyone always says how much I’m like my parents. Born Gryffindor like them, play quidditch like my dad, exceptional at charms like mum, even my looks are just like them.” She ranted at him, the words bursting off her tongue like acid hurting the both of them. “But…if they—if you knew I wasn’t like you thought I was…then you’d hate me.” She admitted quietly.
“Heliantheae, my Pup I will tell you this now, so listen to me.” Sirius told her with a stern look in his grey eyes. “There is nothing you could do to make me hate you, Bloody Hell Pup you could decide you want nothing to do with this war and I would steal you away to live in hiding for the rest of your lifetime in a heartbeat.”
Helia looked into her godfather’s eyes shocked, everyone always put the weight of the Wizarding worlds safety on her shoulders. Even so here was the man who had almost everybody he loved taken from him by the war, telling her he would abandon revenge and everything else just for her if she would ask for it.
“So no Heliantheae Potter, I could never hate you.” Sirius whispered lovingly to her, caressing her cheek before placing a kiss to her scarred forehead. “You silly little pup, I love you.”
Helia’s breath hitched in her throat, as pears of tears welded up in her emerald green eyes stared up at her godfather.
“I love you.” Sirius repeated to her steadily, pulling the shocked girl into his chest wrapping his arms around her. “I’m not the only one who does, you’re parents love you, Moony loves you, so do you’re little friends.” He told her, and without her permission a hysterical laugh bubbled up out of her.
“No ones has ever told me that.” She admitted, through her laughter breaking her godfathers heart.
“You know after everything you’ve been through, that’s not surprising.” Sirius sighed, his hold on her tightening. “However let me be the first to reassure you, the genuine love I have for you —the love of a father has for his daughter— that will never really leave you. Even when I’m long gone from this world, my love is a part of you, and that’s where you’ll always find me.” He promised her, her tears finally breached her eyes rolling down her cheeks gripping his outer robes as a lifeline as her body shakes from the near silent sobs escaping her trembling lips.
“So chin up, pup and hold your head high, because there is no one I’m more proud of then you.” Sirius gently said, as Helia roughly wiped her tears away underneath her glasses.
“Thank you, Sirius, I love you too.” Helia whispered.
Sirius grinned brightly at his goddaughter, his heart-warming at finally hearing those words escape from her mouth. “Come on, let’s head back before Snivellus throws a fit.” He said, throwing an arm around her shoulder leading her back to the sitting room. “Oh, and Helia the Sorting Hat wanted to put me into Slytherin too, you know?” He told her with a wink, the godfather and goddaughter returned to their seats a little lighter knowing that they were the same in their choices, and choices show us who we really are.
Sirius cleared his throat, throwing one more grin at Helia who return the look with a gentle smile of her own before continuing with his reading.
“If that is your final decision than it seems that you my little snake in lion’s skin -- better be in GRYFFINDOR!"
“Yes that’s my Fawn!” Helia cheered jumping up from his seat, picking up Helia by her waist drawing a cute yelp from her as he spun them around in his excitement.
“Dad I can’t breathe.” Helia whined, pushing at her dad’s chest halfheartedly.
“Nooo, I won’t let go Fawn you just made me one proud Papa.” He whined back at her, rubbing their cheeks together knocking both of their glasses a skewed.
“Sit down, James.” Lily laughingly scolded, pulling James back down in his seat.
James fell down in his seat taking Helia down with him, as they crashed down they knock heads together. The daughter and father laughed together clutching their foreheads in pain, as Lily sighed fondly at her family.
Helia heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. She took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. She was so relieved that the hat had in fact listened to her, she hardly noticed that she was getting the loudest cheer yet.
She didn’t even hear the Weasley twins wolf whistling at her.
“You boys may be pranksters after my own heart.” James told the Twins dramatically hugging Helia to his chest. “But keep your paws to yourselves.”
Percy the Prefect got up and shook her hand vigorously,
Percy threw a haughty glare at Helia, who only blinked her eyes at innocently but her lips curled into a vicious grin.
while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Helia sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff she'd seen earlier. The ghost patted her arm, giving Helia the sudden, felt a familiar feeling she'd just plunged it into a bath of ice-cold water.
“Oh, baby.” Lily sighed pulling Helia into her side, brushing her fingers through her daughters short hair. She felt haunted by Tonks past comment, “you never had a hot bath have you?”
She could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest her sat Hagrid, who caught her eye and gave her the thumbs up. Helia grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Helia recognized him at once from the card she'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Helia spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban,
Hermione sat up straight, her caramel brown eyes narrowing in on Helia. “Helia, was he wearing the turban in the Leaky Cauldron, do you remember?” Hermione furiously interrogated her best friend.
“No he wasn’t.” Helia said, as her lips curled up into a snarl at Dumbledore’s measuring glance. She didn’t appreciate being manipulated into playing his little test the hero game anymore. In the past she didn’t really care, she was desperately trying to find her footing in the Wizarding world. However, she wouldn’t allow him or anyone else pull on her strings, not when it meant watching the people she cared for die.
that he wasn’t wearing back in the Leaky Cauldron. And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Helia at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now.
Bill frowned at his youngest brother concerned. “Were you really that worried?”
Ron fidgeted as he tried to find away to say what he wanted without hurting his family. “I just didn’t want to disappoint, you guys.”
“Aw, Ron, brother of ours we wouldn’t of cared if you weren’t sorted into Gryffindor.” The Twins tried to comfort Ron.
“Ron, we would love you no matter what.” Mr. Weasley reassures his youngest son.
Helia crossed her fingers under the table
Helia and Ron shared a grin, “Thanks mate.”
“Yes, yes, your both so adorable, you make my teeth hurt.” Blaise drawled at the grinning friends.
and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Helia clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to her.
"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Helia as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin.
Theo’s eyes soften, remembering the first time he saw his exotic kærasti from the moment he saw him it was like coming home for the very first time. He pulled Blaise closer, nuzzling his face into his elskan’s neck exhaling his alluring scent. “Elskan mín.” He whispered into hi elskan’s neck.
Blaise’s hand softly caressed his Amante’s face, turning in to lay a lazy kiss to his sweet lips. “ Ti amo, il mio cuore.”
Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.
Helia looked down at her empty gold plate. She had only just realized how hungry she was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.
Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!
“Very inspiring words, Headmaster.” Luna said.
"Thank you!"
He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Helia didn't know whether to laugh or not.
“When it comes to Dumbledore, it’s best to laugh kid.” Kingsley said with a grin.
"Is he -- a bit mad?" she asked Percy uncertainly.
"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes.
Percy flushed angrily, “Opinions change.” He hissed.
“Why Mister. Weasley, I’m still am, all the best wizards are.” Dumbledore reassured Percy, as if he thought Percy changed his opinion on him was he wasn’t mad enough.
Potatoes, Heliantheae?"
Helia's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.
At the Dursley’s she'd never been allowed to eat as much as she liked, even when she was on her best behaviour Dudley had always taken anything that Helia really wanted, even if It made him sick.
“It’s just Helia,” she told Percy.
“I love my name, it’s just a mouthful for everyone to say every time.” Helia reassured her parents flailing a bit in her rush.
“It’s okay, Heli, we know.” Lily laughed sweetly.
Helia knew eating too much would make her sick, so she had to start small for her stomach to adjusting and grow to handle bigger amounts of food. So she grabbed small portions of everything not wanting to fill up on just one thing, her plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and ketchup and began to eat. It was all delicious.
"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Helia cut up her small portion of steak.
"Can't you -- ?"
“Ghost can actually taste food if it’s expired enough, that it.” Remus said.
“Yeah. We found that out the hard way.” Ron shudder remembering the Deathday party.
"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower. "
"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you -- you're Nearly Headless Nick!"
Bill sighed, slapping a palm to his. “Have some tact, Ron, really?”
Ron slouched down in his seat at his eldest brother’s exasperation.
"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -- " the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"
All the Gryffindors facepalmed, someone always asks that and it always ended the same way.
Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, however Helia could see the secretly pleased look in his ghostly eyes.
“Ghost are always like that, a lot of them really like to talk about their deaths.” Sirius commented.
“Not the Bloody Baron.” Remus reminded him, both him and James smirking when Sirius scowled at them turning away stiffly.
“Sirius had the—Ugh how should I say this the privilege of getting on the Bloody Baron’s bad side.” James whispered to Helia, grinning at his best mate.
“Look I was just trying to cheer up, the Grey Lady, alright?” Sirius huffed, “it’s to my fault he went bunkers.” He muttered to himself.
“Just get on with the reading, Black.” Snape sneered.
“Make me, Snivellus.” Sirius snarled back.
Snape’s eyes blazed with black fire at the old insulting nickname, his nostrils flaring trying to hold back the scathing remarks he wanted to say, when suddenly a unexpected voice picked up for him.
“Lay off, Sirius.” Helia scolded her godfather, who turned to her with a kicked puppy look. “Just read.” She told him sternly.
Sirius continued to pout, but did as he was told.
"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So -- new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row!
“And we would’ve won seven years in a row if it weren’t for Potter, and her bumbling Longbottom.” Draco grumbled.
“Careful Malfoy, you seem to be turning green and before you know it someone will drop a house on you.” Helia teased him.
The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable -- he's the Slytherin ghost. "
Helia looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Helia was pleased—and fairly amused— to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.
Draco narrowed his eyes at Helia, but all she did was look at him coyly from underneath her sooty eyelashes. He whipped his head back around so fast she couldn’t see the light flush on his cheeks, Blaise and Theo watched their best friends shaking their heads in exasperation.
"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.
"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding. . .
“Oh how, I love the rice pudding.” Luna sighed dreamily.
As Helia helped herself to a treacle tart and chocolate éclair nibbling on them, as the talk turned to their families.
"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him. "
Snape subtlety flinched at the line, his sallow skin paling to a sickly white as his childhood flashed before his dark eyes.
The others laughed. However, Helia couldn’t bring herself to join in with the others, that could’ve been a horrible situation if Seamus’s father had been anything like the Dursleys. There really wasn’t anything funny about it, Helia couldn’t help but picture all the horrible outcomes it could’ve gone a lot of them ending up with Seamus not sitting across from her.
“What do you mean, you’d think he would get sorted into a different house?” Astoria asked naively.
Daphne went to open her, but closed it with a sharp glance from Helia. “No, I meant he could’ve very well ended up dead.” Helia said bluntly, to the shock of the adults.
“Miss. Potter, don’t say such nonsense!” McGonagall hissed sharply at her lioness.
“It’s not nonsense, Professor, it’s how the world works.” Helia said, with her arms crossed over her chest in defiance.
"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.
"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me -- he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned
“Why were they trying to get you to do accidental magic? You were doing accidental magic before you’re first birthday! There’s no need to bloody well nearly kill you!” Lily gasped outraged at the treatment of her godson.
“I-um, well, you see.” Neville stumbled trying to explain. “Did I really..? Then why was Gran and Uncle Algie always trying to get me to magic?”
“What you went through, was a horrible event.” Remus said gently. “It was a shock to your system, and for different people it can have different effects. I mean take Helia she’s the opposite of you with uncontrollable burst of accidental magic inside of barley showing any.”
Neville’s mouth was gawping in shock, trying to process what Remus was telling him. “I didn’t known that, I always though I just wasn’t any good.” Neville said, with a small pleased smile.
-- but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles
Madam Bones golden eyes flashed dangerously, she had a lot of respect for Augusta Longbottom, but she wouldn’t excuse her behaviour towards her grandson. “This is the second case of mistreatment we’ve heard that you weren’t aware of, until four years too late, Minerva.” Madam Bones said to her friend. “It makes me wonder how many more of your lions are in situations they need help in.”
McGonagall just lowered her eyes guilty, knowing her friend was right to say so.
when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced -- all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy.
“Happy tears!” Mrs.Weasley exclaimed, shocked.
“They better been tears of joy that you were safe from harm, before she tore into Algie about child endangerment and abuse.” Lily growled.
And you should have seen their faces when I got in here -- they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad. "
On Helia's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult -- "; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing -- ").
Helia, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.
Snape wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be insulted or grateful that it was a worse description.
It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Helia's eyes -- and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Helia's forehead.
“Why would your scar be hurting, Potter?” Mad-eye interrogated Helia.
“Now, now, Alastor I’m sure the books will explain.” Dumbledore pacified his old friend, who squinted his one good eye at him suspiciously.
"Ouch!" Helia clapped a hand to her head.
"What is it?" asked Percy.
"N-nothing. "
“Honestly mate, you would say it was nothing even if you were bleeding out.” Ron scoffed.
Ginny’s shoulders stiffened remembering Helia covered in blood slowly dying in front of her, trying to reassure her even as she struggled to breathe.
The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Helia had gotten from the teacher's look -- a feeling that he didn't like Helia at all.
Snape couldn’t help but smirk a bit, while it was true that he a Potter had a hate-hate relationship going on he could find it in himself to mindlessly hate the girl anymore. Not to say he like the Potter girl, but he saw too much of himself in the girl to out right hate her.
"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" she asked Percy.
"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to -- everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape. "
“Knowing about the Dark Arts, isn’t a bad thing, Weasley.” Moody grumbled.
Kingsley nodded in agreement, “You must first know what something is, to learn to defend yourself from it.
Helia watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at her again.
James studied his old schoolmate, before a thought hit him Snape wouldn’t meet his daughter’s eyes because she had her mother’s eyes.
At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.
"Ahem -- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered.
“What are we, horses?” Ron scoffed.
I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. "
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.
“And what do you boys think you two are doing gallivanting about the Forbidden Forest!” Mrs. Weasley glared at her twin sons.
“How else are we supposed to get ingredients to experiment with.” Fred said with a carefree shrug.
“Yeah, Mum, I mean we couldn’t take them from Snape’s storage.” George said.
“And we couldn’t afford them, either.”
“So half we collect we use on our experiments, other half we sell to make a profit.”
The teachers looked at the Twins shocked, they had no idea that was the reason they kept sneaking into the forest.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.
“Or pull off a reckless stunt in front of Professor McGonagall, with no care for safety even thought it’s your first time on a broom let alone fly one.” Hermione said sarcastically, but you could hear the fondness in her voice.
A grimace pulled at Draco’s lips, he really regretted thinking he could intimidate her when he had stolen Longbottom’s remembrall only to find out she was even more deadly in the air. It didn’t help that seeing her wild hair blowing uncontrollably in the air with a grin stretched across her face was probably the moment he fell for her.
"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death. "
“And this is when I started to question if it was really such a good idea, to go run off with a stranger who claimed magic was real.” Helia deadpans, drawling surprised looks.
“Wait what in Merlin’s saggy balls, do you mean die a painful death!?” James fretted as he interrogated Dumbledore. “I mean seriously what are you thinking!?”
“You will just have to see for yourself.” Was the only response.
Helia wanted to laugh, but as she looked around she came to the realization that he wasn’t joking. What the hell is wrong with these people? She wondered to herself.
“I wondered that, so many times that it’s ungodly.” Hermione sighed to herself, nodding along with her friend’s thoughts.
"He's not serious?" she muttered to Percy.
"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere -- the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least. "
Percy turned to McGonagall with a frown on his face, “Why weren't the prefects notified?” He asked his old head of house. “The perfects could have helped with patrols and made double sure the other students weren't going where they shouldn't have been." Percy questioned.
McGonagall’s lips flattened into a thin line. “Albus believed it was safer for the least people in the know the safer it would be.”
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Helia noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.
Hermione noticed people giving Helia a weird look for describing the spell as snakelike, huffing at the surrounding stupidity.“For goodness sake, it’s not a big deal that Helia compared it to snakes!” She scolded “In fact Helia very much adores snakes and has a special affinity for them, not including parseltongue.” She finished with a huff.
"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"
And the school bellowed:
“You know what I need some volunteers for this.” Sirius announced, oblivious to the shaking heads of the adults in the room. “Who’s with me?!” He cried.
“I’m with you buddy!” James yelled, much to his wife’s embarrassment.
The Twins, too, were all for it. They all excitedly jumped up and began to sing along, knowing the lyrics by heart by now.
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot, just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot. "
Thank you, thank you, we’ll be here all week.” James laughed, as he and Sirius bowed.
“We also perform for coming of age parties.” George informed.
Along with Deathday parties.” Fred added.
“For just 10 gallons.” They said together, holding their hands out for the coins.
Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march.
Ginny snorted at her brothers they were such dorks, but they were her dorks.
Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.
Mrs.Weasley sighed to herself, wishing that people wouldn’t encourage the twins so much. She had a terrible feeling that between the Twins, Helia’s, Ron and Hermione antics they’re all going to make her age ten years, and they were just on the first book.
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
“We aren’t horses.” Ron grumbled, Dumbledore just looked serenely him as his eyes did that damn twinkling thing.
The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Helia's legs were like lead again, but only because she was so tired and full of food. She was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries.
The twins cooed at her “Aww is little Heli-flower sleepy.” As they fussed over her, much to her annoyance.
They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Helia was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.
A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.
"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist. " He raised his voice, "Peeves -- show yourself. "
Helia smiled to herself at the mention of her troublemaker friend of a poltergeists, they had a…special bond that not many understood. She could count on him to always make things interesting, that’s for sure.
A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.
"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"
Remus winced, it really didn’t help to threaten Peeves with Bloody Baron.
There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.
"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"
“He learned that from us.” Crowed the Twins.
He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.
"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.
“You have to stand up for yourself, he won’t listen to you if all you do is hide behind Bloody Baron.” Remus advised. Percy could feel his hackles raise, but wisely decided to stay quiet.
Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on what would’ve been Neville's head only for Helia to yank he out of the way. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.
“You alright, Neville?” Helia asked. Neville could only nodded shocked.
“Why were you shocked?” Daphne asked Neville, “It’s not a surprise, Potter helps anyone.”
“I was shocked that this tiny little girl who didn’t look like she would weigh 90 pounds soaking wet could pull me off my feet.” He stressed Helia’s height and mass, and now that his schoolmates thought of it that would’ve been a shock to them too.
"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are. "
Helia shook her head with a grin “Not true.” She laughed. The people who did go to school with her looked at her confused, but most of Hogwarts knew that Helia and Peeves adored each other in a weird way that only the two of them could understand.
At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.
“You know she used to be a lot nicer, now she’s really paranoid since she was attacked.” Helia said offhandedly.
“What! The fat lady was attacked?!” Lily exclaimed in worry.
Sirius couldn’t help but laugh as he slung his arm over Helia’s shoulders.
"Password?" she said.
"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it -- Neville needed a leg up –
Neville covered his face as he groaned in embarrassment, as Padma rubbed his back in sympathy.
and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.
“I always wondered what the other common rooms looked like.” Astoria sighed.
“I could show you around the Gryffindor common room if you liked.” Ginny offered her year-mate, much to her delight.
Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another.
“I’ll see you in the morning.” She whispered to Ron tiredly as they parted ways going to their own dorms.
At the top of a spiral staircase -- they were obviously in one of the towers -- they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains.
“How very Gryffindor of you.” Draco sneered jokingly, not that anybody except those closest to him would be able to tell.
“Hey, you have no room to talk.” Helia bantered. “The Slytherin common room is way more pretentious than Gryffindor’s.”
All Slytherin’s looked at her shocked, Draco sputtered “H-How do you know where our common room is located?!”
Helia just smirked at him, her fierce emerald eyes blazing with mischief that got Draco’s blood racing in excitement.
“Yes, how indeed Miss. Potter did you come across this knowledge?” Snape drawled out, his tone laced with a warning.
“You’ll see.” She hedged.
Their trunks had already been brought up. Helia quickly unpacked, so she would have everything ready for her lessons tomorrow and wouldn’t have to rush.
“You definitely didn’t get that from me.” James laughed as he ruffled his already messy hair. “I’m a mess in the mornings searching for everything in a panic.”
“He is not lying, I can’t tell how many times James displaced something or just plain couldn’t remember where he placed something.” Remus said with a fond smile.
Too tired to talk much, she pulled on her pyjamas and fell into bed.
"I can’t wait to find out what kind of lessons we have tomorrow.” Hermione whispered to Helia through the hangings.
Helia was going to ask Hermione what she wanted to learn the most, but she fell asleep almost at once.
“I wondered if you fell asleep or if you just ignored me.” Hermione said.
Helia looked to her best friend with apologizing eyes “Sorry, Mione.”
Perhaps Helia had eaten a bit too much, because she had a very strange dream. She was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to her, telling her she must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was her destiny. Helia told the turban she didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; she tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully
Ron and Hermione traded confused glances, wondering why if Helia had been suspicious of Quirrell in the beginning why didn’t she say anything to them.
-- and there was Malfoy, laughing at her as she struggled with it -- then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold
Sirius stopped read for a moment to look at Snape who met his gaze, they both knew that was not his laugh.
-- there was a burst of green light and Helia woke, sweating and shaking.
“Oh Heli, How often do you have dreams like that?” Lily asked her daughter concerned.
Helia didn’t know how to answer her mother, really because for most dreams caused her to wake in fright, shaken and scared. However, since finding her talisman she never remembered the worst ones, she didn’t know how to explain her talisman to anyone, she didn’t know if the wizarding folk would understand her ways to remain sane.
Helia shakily got out her talisman and placed it under her pillow not knowing why she didn’t think to do so before she settled in for the night.
Snape quickly turned to Helia in shock “Potter how and why did you have a talisman at eleven, when no shop in Diagon Alley would sell to an underaged witch or wizard.” He stressed, as his stare drilled in to her trying to pull the answer out her.
Helia’s arms came up to cross over her chest, as she clenched her teeth against her Professor’s stare. “I didn’t get it in Diagon Alley, I had it before I even knew about the wizarding world.”
This seemed to shock the adults in the room, finding a talisman in the non-magic world seemed unheard of.
“Helia what does this talisman do?” Dumbledore asked in a concerned tone. “It could be dangerous.” He added, much to Helia’s ire.
“It takes my nightmares away.” Helia muttered, Luna turned her luminous eyes to Helia in revelation.
“A Baku.” Luna stated.
“And just what is a Baku, Miss. Lovegood?” Snape asked even if it sounded more like a demand.
“The Baku, is dream eater spirit that is native to China and Japan it is said to devour nightmares. Mostly they eat the bad dreams of children of that call them.” Luna informed, and to Helia’s relief she didn’t add the risk of summoning a Baku but from the look in Theo’s eyes he knew that something was missing.
The explanation didn’t seem to ease the worries of the adults, but it’s not like they could do anything to sway Helia away from using the talisman but at least there wasn’t any risks of using it like they feared.
After praying to her talisman she rolled over and fell asleep again, and when she woke next day, she didn't remember the dream at all.
Sirius set the book down, “Well that’s the end of the chapter.” Sirius said. “Hey Snape, you’ll like this chapter I’m sure.” He laughed his barking laugh at his old year-mates expense.
“Before we began let us get some refreshments.” Dumbledore pronounced, before Severus could say something foul-mouthed back.
Helia stood up to get away from the questioning about her talisman, she walked over to the table that contained golden goblets lined up for use however there were no jugs of any kind of beverages only a note.
The note read.
To use the goblet one just has to think of what one desires.
Helia felt a light go off in her head as she thought of note, she picked up the golden goblet and thought of what she wanted to drink. Then suddenly the magic of the goblet filled the cup up with the beverage she wished for, Lemonade a sweet fizzy drink that she fell in love with in the non-magic world and could not find in the wizarding world.
She was enjoying the first sip of the beverage she hadn’t had in months, when Luna wandered over to her.
“A summoning of a Baku might be common in Japan and China, but it is also a known fact that it must be done sparingly. For if he remains hungry after eating one’s nightmare, he may also devour their hopes and desires as well leaving the victim to live an empty life.” Luna warned, but when Helia didn’t look at her she got concerned.
“Potter doesn’t need you to warn her,” Theo drawled as he slunk up on the two friends. “She already knows the risks, she just doesn’t care.” He informed Luna as he watched Helia’s face for any denial, but she just watched him back with a blank expression on her face.
“Is that true, Heli?” Luna asked, her frien— no — her elder sister with beseeching eyes.
“I tried once I really did, but it was slowly driving me insane.” Helia whispered as she avoided Luna’s beseeching gaze and Theo’s penetrating stare. “I figured the benefits outweigh the risks, at least to me they do.”
Helia didn’t see the hug coming as Luna buried her face into her soul sisters shoulder holding on as tightly as she could. “You know I’m always here for you right?” Luna told Helia even though it came out as a question.
Helia couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh “You never cease to amaze me, little moon.” Helia said affectionately as she brushed the pale blonde hair of the girl that stolen her heart quicker than anyone else ever did.
“Not to ruin this touching moment, but we should join the others before they come looking for us.” Theo warned the two girls, as they separated from their embrace.
“Yeah, let’s go.” Helia agreed as Luna started to walk back to the group, when Theo grabbed her wrist in a gentle grip. Turning to look at him, he didn’t say anything only looking into her eyes trying to convey his unsaid words. Helia gently removed his grip from her wrist as she softly held his hand in hers for a moment to let him know she understood and was grateful before letting go of his hand to catch up with Luna to go back to the sitting area.
“Now that we are all present and refreshed shall we continue to read the next chapter, Severus if you will.” Dumbledore asked.
With a frown Snape picked up the book reading the chapter title “The Potion Master.”