Capítulo 22: Hogwarts Cometh!
Daphne, Blaise and I worked our way through the train, passing many cabins full of older students. Whenever we came across one full of unsorted first years, we would introduce ourselves and make some small talk. We already encountered Pansy Parkinson sitting with Millicent Bulstrode earlier, and we just came out of a cabin with Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot and a girl I hadn't met before but knew from stories, Tracey Davis.
"You know Daphne, if you want to stay with them for a while, you can, no one's stopping you. I know you're friends with Susan and Hannah." I said offhandedly. She spent a good amount of time in that cabin catching up with Susan and Hannah, along with introducing herself to Tracey.
She smiled. "You sure?" She asked.
"Hahahaha." I chuckled. "Daphne, this is only the train ride. We're not going anywhere. Go catch up with your friends if you want to." I said.
Blaise nodded. "What he said. We don't need you to babysit us." He said teasingly.
She gave Blaise the sideye before ignoring him. "In that case, i'll see you back at our cabin Draco." She said, before turning and walking back to the cabin with the girls.
Blaise mocked being affronted. "Can you believe her?" He said.
I smiled in amusement and shook my head. "Stop talking shit Blaise. Let's just continue." I said.
We passed a couple more cabins with first years, introducing ourselves then moving on, before we came across a cabin I was hoping to avoid. Unfortunately for me, Blaise was with me and opened it before I could do anything.
"Nott! So good to see you again." Blaise exclaimed. Theodore Nott hadn't changed much since I last saw him. He's still wild eyed and his soul still feels twisted. I took the liberty of taking a dive into his mind a few years ago at the annual Yule Ball when I was 8 and I didn't like what I found.
His mother isn't in the picture, being a meek woman beaten down by her husband. Nott Sr. is a fanatical death eater, one of the earliest to join, and teaches him all manner of unpleasant magic. I feel a little sorry for him really. His father regularly uses the cruciatus as a corrective measure. Only a little sorry though. Whatever he could have been is long gone. He already takes after his father closely. We've never gotten along.
Nott nodded in greeting. "Blaise, Draco. A pleasure." He said plainly. I nodded back. "And you as well Nott. Crabbe, Goyle, good to see you too." I said. Crabbe and Goyle who were sitting opposite Nott nodded to us in greeting but said nothing like good lackeys.
They're both quite stupid. It's been childs play to use a few confundus charms here and there to position them as loyal to Nott instead of me. No matter if their families are beholden to the Malfoys, I don't want them around me. Their families are just muscle for Lucius, they don't have high social positions so that's not even a consideration either.
I decided quickly to duck out before I could be dragged into things by Blaise. I didn't want to stay here. "Hey Blaise, i'm going to go explore the rest of the train. You coming?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I'll stay here." He said.
I looked at him skeptically. "Suit yourself. Nott, Crabbe, Goyle." I nodded and left promptly. I knew what Blaise was doing. He's going into Slytherin and without me there, Nott will position himself as the leader of the year group. Blaise intends to position himself optimally for that eventuality. He won't be a lackey, I know that much, but nor is he suitable for leadership. He could if need be, but that's not his natural state. Advisor? Shadow ruler? Whatever, don't care.
Left on my own, I meandered along the train. Soon I had an interesting encounter.
"Well well well, look who it is Gred." Said a redheaded boy a couple years older than me.
"I see him Forge. With hair like that, you can only be a Malfoy." Said the other, standing next to the first.
I smiled, in truth a little excited to meet them properly. We've spotted eachother in Diagon Alley before, but we were all with family at that time and to say Lucius and Arthur don't get along would be an understatement.
"You two must be the infamous Weasley twins." I said.
They looked surprised. "You've heard of us?" Asked the one on the right.
"I have." I confirmed. "Don't be so surprised, your mother is a known gossip. News occasionally filters through. Rumors are that you two are major pranksters." I said.
The two smiled wickedly, nodding proudly. "I see, I see. Hear that Forge? We're famous!" Said the one on the left.
"I heard him Gred. The question is, how should we thank our little messenger?" Said the one on the right, sharing the same wicked grin.
"You could always just let me pass?..." I said leadingly.
They turned their wicked grins to me. ""How about no?"" They said in unison.
I sighed in feigned reluctance. "Well it was worth a try." I said, before bolting at a normal speed. They laughed behind me as I pretended to try to get past, playing around.
Their eyes were dancing in amusement as they pulled their wands. A few prank spells later and they left me alone, going to join their friends. I shook my head amusedly. I let their spells hit. They weren't malicious, and they're not so cruel as to do something completely terrible to a child, no matter our bad relations.
I was left in the hallway looking ridiculous. My robes were flashing through a rainbow of neon colours and my hair was an eye searing lime green, including my eyebrows. A quick flex of magic and I had undone all their spells before continuing on. That was an interesting encounter. I think i'll enjoy watching the chaos the twins unleash.
A short walk and I found a cabin occupied by two people that I recognised. One from real life and one from stories but no less renowned.
Knocking on the door got their attention before I opened it. "Neville. It's good to see you again. How are you?" I asked the slightly pudgy boy.
He smiled at me, a little shaky but genuine. "D-Draco. I'm well. A-Allow me to introduce you. This is my new friend, Hermione Granger." He stuttered a little, but finished strongly.
I smiled at Hermione as I examined her. Bushy hair, slightly oversized front teeth, a little tanned but still light skinned with rosy complexion. All in all, a cute little girl.
I gently lifted her hand and brushed my lips over her knuckles, her eyes going wide in surprise. "It's a pleasure to meet you miss Granger. Draco Malfoy." I said.
She smiled slightly. "It's my pleasure Draco. What was that you just did?" She asked, intensely curious.
My eyebrow raised. "Brushing my lips against your knuckles you mean?" I asked. She nodded. "Neville didn't greet you that way? For shame Neville. What would your grandmother say?" I teased him
Neville's expression froze, but calmed with my following words.
"I'm just teasing you Neville, calm down." I assured, momentarily forgetting how sensitive he is at this point in time.
"To answer your question miss Granger, that is the required greeting to a member of the opposite sex as dictated by noble etiquitte." I said.
"Noble etiquitte? The magical world still has nobles?" She asked with a strange look.
"Ah. You must be muggleborn then." I said, acting like I just figured it out.
She adopted a wary expression. "Yes. I am. Is that a problem?" She asked testily.
I smiled. "Not at all miss Granger. I see you have already had a run in with some unsavory elements?" I stated questioningly.
She nodded with a frown. "That horrible Nott boy came by to make fun of Neville. He was very rude." She said.
I sighed. "Not surprising. He's not the most pleasant sort. I would stay away from him if I were you miss Granger. Stick with Neville, he's good company." I recommended, Neville blushing a little at the praise.
She nodded. "Why do you keep calling me miss Granger? I have a name you know." She asked, a bit put out.
"That would be because you haven't given me leave to call you by your first name. It's another piece of etiquitte, only this one is observed throughout all the social stratums, not just by the nobles." I said.
"He's right Hermione. It's considered rude to call someone by their first name without being given permission first." Neville backed me up.
Hermione frowned. "How come I've never heard of this? It wasn't in any of the books i've read so far." She complained.
"Well miss Granger." I said.
"Hermione. You can call me Hermione." She interjected, rushing her words a little.
I nodded. "Hermione then. The reason you haven't read about it is because books about etiquitte are in short supply." I said. "They're not rare or all that valuable." I said quickly, cutting off when I saw she was about to ask another question. "The reason they're in short supply is a heavily involved topic concerning the current political climate of Magical Britain. It's complicated, but you can find out more from backlogs of the newpaper. Hogwarts' library should have a stock you can look through." I said.
She nodded slowly in thought. "Thank you, mister Malfoy. I will. " She said.
I smiled at her quick change of tune. "Call me Draco, Hermione. Also, it's not mister Malfoy, it's Heir Black." I said.
She seemed startled. "Sorry..." She said awkwardly.
I laughed at her awkward expression. "Hahahaha! It's fine Hermione, i'm not angry. The Black family takes precedence over the Malfoy family, that's all. I was just informing you. And maybe teasing you a little" I said, flashing a grin.
She huffed. "Anything else I should know about?" She asked testily, wincing a little when she realised her combative attitude.
"Hahaha." I chucked, nodding. "Many things Hermione. Many things. For example: Neville here is Heir Longbottom, heir to one of the most prostigious families in the British Isles." I said.
She seemed startled and looked at Neville in surprise.
Neville's cheeks were pink with embarrassment but he nodded all the same. "T-That's true." He stuttered. "I don't like to advertise it." He said quietly, a little downcast.
Hermione sat back in her seat, flummoxed by the revelation.
I clapped my hands to grab the attention back. "Anyway. I would recommend for you to read some books on etiquitte as soon as you can. There should be some in Hogwarts library." I said. "You don't want to accidentally offend people because of ignorance." I warned.
She seemed a little unsure, what with being out of her depth, but her expression was determined. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention Draco. Is there anything I should know about immediately?" She asked, desperate to fit in.
I smiled reassuringly and nodded. "The two most glaring ones are the name one as we just discussed and shaking hands. In the muggle world, if someone refuses to shake your hand, it can be a little insulting or humiliating at worst, but usually nothing more than that." I began.
"In the magical world however, refusing to shake someone's hand is pretty much the worst insult you could give. It's basically saying they're not worthy to be in your presence. Entire families have been wiped out in blood feuds for such an insult." I finished.
She seemed a little shaken and looked to Neville for confirmation. He nodded in agreement. "H-He's right Hermione." He confirmed. "Blood fueds have been declared and entire family lines destroyed because of a refusal to shake hands before." He said.
Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself. "Okay. Always shake someone's hand. Noted." She muttered.
"And the name thing, don't forget that. It's not quite as bad, but still very rude." I said.
She nodded. "That too." She said before sighing. "I really need to learn more." She muttered.
"Don't worry Hermione. Those are the big two you need to keep firmly in mind. There are many other little things to learn, but none that are so drastic. New muggleborns normally get a little leeway from most people anyway, so don't worry yourself over it for now. If you want to learn more, wait till we get to Hogwarts. Or you can ask Neville here. He's been drilled in etiquitte his whole life and knows everything there is to know, just like I have." I said.
Her eyes lit up and she focused on Neville like a laser. "Right! Why didn't I think of that." She exlaimed, looking like a soldier going to war with how she focused on him.
"Hahahaha! Good luck with that Neville. Goodbye Hermione, see you at school." I said, smiling to myself.
Neville gave me a pleading look, alarmed at the way Hermione was looking at him. Her obsession with knowledge coming through startlingly.
"Bye Draco, and thank you for the information." She remembered to be polite, smiling at me before focusing back on neville with a million questions on her tongue.
I grinned and waved at Neville mockingly as I left the compartment, laughing silently at the betrayed look he sent me. I could already hear the barrage being sent at Neville when I closed the door. Chuckling to myself, I continued on. Meeting Hermione Granger was an interesting experience. I expected her to be more bossy and a little arrogant. But I was pleasantly surprised.
Then again, she was off balance throughout that entire conversation. She got her bearings back at the end and the expression she gave Neville like she wanted to dig out all his secrets was her natural state. I hope the advice I gave her can help her acclimate to the magical world more quickly. Leaving Neville like that was hilarious though, I just had to do it, I grinned to myself.
I introduced myself briefly to one more compartment of first years before I found Harry Potter. He was sitting with Ron Weasley, looking bored and annoyed with Ron having an adoring expression on his face. It was easy to see that Harry wanted to be anywhere else.
I knocked, drawing their attention before opening the door. Ron already recognised me from the very few times we've seen eachother. We've never spoken before, but he already had an angry scowl on his face.
I stepped in, introducing myself. "Good day. I'm Draco Malfoy. You would be Heir Potter I presume?" I asked, holding out my hand for him to shake.
Harry was relieved at the distraction judging by how quickly he got up and reciprocated the gesture.
He nodded. "That's me. And please, call me Harry." He said, taking the lessons i've given him through the journal to heart. He wasn't wearing the ring or pendant, having long since learned enough magic to cancel a permanent sticking charm.
"Then you can call me Draco as well." I replied.
Ron just about exploded then. "What do you think you're doing?!" He shouted, angry.
I looked at him cluelessly, although I know the reason. "I'm introducing myself to Harry Potter of course." I said, Harry nodding along in agreement.
Ron looked apoplectic and moved to shove Harry's hand away from mine mid-shake, an extremely rude gesture. "Don't shake his hand Harry. His whole family are death eaters. Followers of you-kno...." He ranted before Harry cut him off.
Harry looked at Ron coldly. "I'm well aware Ronald. Do you think I wouldn't know which families to look out for?" He said, ice cold.
Ron stumbled at that. "But-But... He's a Malfoy!" He raged impotently.
I sighed. "Sorry about this. The Weasley and Malfoy families have a long running fued between us. It's well known our father's are enemies, so his behaviour isn't surprising. Rude, but not surprising." I shook my head.
Harry nodded in acknowledgement. "I've heard of this before. And Ron." He said, turning to face Ron. "I'm not about to judge Draco for who his family is." He said. "I don't much like my family either and would hate to be judged by others because of that." He finished his point strongly, resolute in his decision.
Ron sat back down, red faced. I sighed. I never liked Ron in the series, but that's not because he's a bad guy or anything like that. He's just a normal kid with normal probelms. Jealousy towards his brothers, feeling left out because Ginny came along so close to him as the only girl in a family of 6 boys, a little lazy, greedy, jealous etc. He was also intelligent when he wanted to be, brave and kind when it counted and could own up to his mistakes after he'd grown up a bit.
He was just a regular, immature boy that got swept up in Harry's adventures and couldn't see the bigger picture. None of his character faults are bad at this age, he'll grow out of them eventually. The reason I didn't like him in the series is exactly that though. Ron was too normal to be with Harry. Harry should have surrounded himself with remarkable people who were more mature and could help uplift him from his bad start.
He needed people who could guide and support him through the difficulties of his life, encourage him to be the best he could be and help him mature into the hero he was always meant to be. Not people who would abandon him when he needed it most due to jealousy like during Goblet Of Fire. Sure, Ron came around in the end and grew more mature from the experience, but Harry needed his closest male friend to believe him in a heartbeat, not what Ron did.
Sure everything worked out in the end, but Harry had to die to Voldemort to beat him, he wasn't the best student, he didn't know much magic and he only won due to Dumbledore's convoluted plan. He was the hero in the end of the story, but he could have been so much more. A leader. A paragon. Luckily, I got to Harry before anyone else and have helped him through his worst issues in this life.
I snapped out of my thought, noticing Harry looking at me. "Sorry, got lost in thought there." I said. "And thank you, that's very open minded of you." I said.
He smiled and nodded. "It's not a problem. Like I said, my family isn't the best and I'd hate to be judged for it." He said.
I nodded, before putting my plan to action. "I actually came so I could introduce you to someone. If you'd like to, of course." I prodded.
He looked intrigued. "Oh? Who?" He asked.
"Have you heard of the Longbottoms before?" I asked.
He nodded. "Of course I have." He said. "I researched my family heavily before re-entering the magical world and the Longbottoms came up quite often. The Longbottoms are longstanding allies of house Potter I believe." He said, stretching the truth a bit.
"Indeed. Well, Heir Longbottom is in our year, so I thought I'd introduce you two." I said.
He nodded in agreement, happy to have an excuse to get away from Ron. They just didn't mesh well in this life. "That would be nice, thank you." He said, grabbing his trunk from the rack. "It was nice meeting you Ronald. Learn to be a little more open minded in the future." Harry advised casually, following me out leaving and Ron stunned by the abrupt departure.
"So why did you want to introduce us? I would have met him at Hogwarts without you interfering." He asked bluntly.
I chuckled. "I'm actually doing this for Neville. See, he's painfully shy and timid, but he's kind, intelligent and has a noble heart. Every time I meet him, there will be instances here and there where he suddenly grows courageous only to shink in on himself again. I encourage him whenever I can, but our family differences don't allow us to meet more than once or twice a year. What he really needs is a close friend who believes in him." I said.
Harry nodded thoughtfully. I spoke the truth just then. Harry can make his own friends and probably would've ended up with Neville anyway. I'm pushing for it mostly for Neville's sake, with only a tangential reason being Harry's benefit. If those two could become close friends early and Harry helps Neville come into his own, they will be a force to be reckoned with. And if introducing them gives Harry a good impression of me, well that's just a nice little coincidence isn't it?
"So I thought who better than Harry Potter?" I continued. "Your families have been allied for generations, his mother is your godmother and your mother is his. You would have grown up with together if Dumbledore hadn't secreted you away, so it's perfect." I said.
Harry was startled. "We're godbrothers?!" He exclaimed.
I looked at him weirdly. "You didn't know?" I asked.
That was strange. I'm sure I had copied the publicly available family tree for the Potter family into the journal which includes close connections. His family's private one would definitely have more details and secrets, but general information of different families are a matter of public record.
He shook his head. "I knew his mum was my godmother, but I had no idea my mum was his." He said.
Ah, makes sense. That would have only come up if I sent him the same information for the Longbottoms as I did the Potters. Seems I overlooked that, my mistake. Soon enough we reached Neville's cabin where Hermione was lambasting him with questions still. Neville seems to have gotten into a rythm with her though, patiently answering her questions one by one.
I knocked before opening the door. "Hello again Neville, Hermione. I have someone to introduce you to." I said, letting myself in with Harry right behind me.
Harry smiled. He was just a tad shorter than me now, so quite tall for our age group. He projected confidence, although I could feel through soul sense that he was nervous. He wore fake glasses, having fixed his eyesight with the ritual I recommended. I sent him eyes I bought, him having decided not to hunt a bird of prey himself. Sadly they didn't fix themselves after he was healed completely. It seems it was congenital. No matter.
"Allow me." I said. "Harry, this is Hermione Granger, and this is Neville Longbottom. Hermione, Neville, this is Harry Potter." I said, keeping it short before giving him the floor.
Stepping up to the proverbial plate, Harry intoduced himself. "Heir Longbottom, miss Granger, i'm Harry potter. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said.
A stunned silence pervaded the cabin which I expected Hermione to break by barraging him with questions, but it was actually Neville who stepped up to the plate.
He got up and stepped to Harry confidently, shaking his hand. "Heir Potter, Neville Longbottom. It's good to finally meet you." He said with a warm smile.
Hermione was next. "H-Heir Potter." She stumbled over her greeting, not used to the etiquitte just yet. "Please to meet you, i'm Hermione Granger, i've read all about you!" She said excitedly.
Harry relaxed minutely and smiled. "Please, call me Harry." He said, before turning serious for a moment. "And please miss Granger, don't believe anything in those books about me. It's all fiction." He said.
She deflated slightly. "Oh, sorry." She winced. "And please, call me Hermione." She said.
"A-and me. Call me Neville if you like." Said Neville, already shrinking in on himself, his momentary bout of courage leaving him.
Harry gave me a subtle nod, acknowledging he saw that and as a small thank you for the heads up. I nodded back subtly as well, pleased. That timing couldn't have been more perfect.
"Well, that's my good deed for the day. I'll get out of your hair before you start getting chummy." I said, backing out.
I received a round of thanks and goodbyes before they launched into a conversation before Harry even got settled. The last of which was Harry telling them about his other best friend, Hedwig, who has gone on ahead and that he would introduce her to them at Hogwarts.
That made me think. I didn't get a pet this year. I went to the pet shop with mother, but nothing called to me especially strongly so I thought to leave it for another time. I can use the school and family owls in the meantime. If I get an animal companion, I want a proper familiar like a proper wizard, not just a pet. I'll go back to the petshop regularly to see if anything calls to me.
I made my way back to my cabin, finally setting in for the long trip. I relaxed, giving myself this train ride to chill out without working on something in my mind and just enjoying the experience. At some point, Blaise came back and we got to chatting to wile away the time. Daphne only showed up at the end of the trip, joining me and Blaise for the sorting after parting with Susan, Hannah and Tracey.
It was dark when the train pulled in and we all piled out into the station. The older students left us there as we younger students followed the booming giant of a man who could only be Hagrid. Reading about it simply doesn't prepare you for just how massive Hagrid is. I can see why some students were scared of him. He's literally three times my height, with arms as thick as tree trunks and hands bigger than my torso. He could crush a student to death with a single hand squeeze.
We all followed him through the dark, slippery path and filed into boats. Daphne, Blaise and I took one with an unnamed fourth student. We didn't speak. We couldn't speak. All of us were struck dumb by the sight of Hogwarts standing atop the hill, gradually becoming larger in our sights as we moved towards it.
"Wow..." Whispered Daphne in awe.
"Wow indeed." I remarked softly. Blaise and the unnamed kid nodding along, breathless, unable to form words.
Tall towers with walkways between them, turret defenses, sprawling courtyards gave the magical castle a robust feel. The windows spewed light from them, illuminating the castle and lighting out path over the lake, giving the whole castle an ethereal, magical glow. Truly, it was a sight I wouldn't ever forget.
"Heads down!" Came the booming voice of Hagrid from the front.
The boats entered the docks just below Hogwarts and we all disembarked, following Hagrid to the entrance of the castle, still entranced by it's beauty. The closed doors of the great hall were massive, 15 metres tall and 5 or 6 metres wide easily.
Hagrid rapped his giant fist heavily on the doors and waited. They soon opened, revealing a lady who could only be Professor McGonagall. She was taller than average height with a stern expression on her face. Good looking although I wouldn't describe her as beautiful, but handsome instead. She gave off a no nonsense impression with her gray hair, sharp eyes and handsome features. Sadly, she didn't look much like the beloved Maggie Smith, but she was still a good looking woman.
"Thank you Hagrid, i'll take them from here." She said with a slight Scottish accent. Hagrid went inside as McGonagall took over. "Welcome students. Soon, the sorting ceremony where you will be sorted into your houses will begin. Hogwarts has four houses. Those are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin." She started, speaking clearly, obviously used to this already.
"The house you are sorted into will be something like your family during your time here at Hogwarts. Do well in your classes and you will earn points, any rule breaking and you will lose points. The house with the most points at the end of the school year will win the house cup, so take your studies seriously during your time here. Welcome to Hogwarts. Please wait here for the sorting to begin." She said, going back inside and leaving us alone out here.
"You're sure you want Ravenclaw?" Daphne whispered to me.
I nodded. "Positive. Have you got your false mind ready?" I asked, to which she nodded. We had both prepared a false mind to overlay our own just for this occasion. I wasn't going to leave my sorting up to chance.
Thankfully, nothing happened during the wait. The ghosts came and did their bit of scaring the students, but thankfully no confontations happened to increase the already high tension among the group. Soon Professor McGonagall was back.
"We're ready for you now. Follow me." She commanded. We all followed her inside, the warmth already hitting us immediately. I marvelled at the expertise of whoever enchanted the ceiling of the great hall for a moment, probably Rowena, before focusing on the sorting. The sorting hat was brought out and placed on a stool in the centre. It was a brown hat that only looked well worn, not old. I can feel with my soul sense that it's intimately connected with the castle at a fundamental level.
I've read too many fanfictions where the MC cleans it with a spell and everyone looks at them like their merlin reborn. Stupid. Thankfully the hat was clean and looked nothing like the thousand year old hat it was, only appearing moderately worn. A seam soon appeared forming a mouth whilst folds mimicked eyes. It then cleared it's nonexistant thoat and began singing.
"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!"
(A/N: Yes I had to put it in. It's almost obligatory in a Harry Potter fanfiction. And yes, I always skip it as well.)
A round of applause resounded as the hat bowed to the audience theatrically.
"When I read your name, sit here and I will place the sorting hat on your head so you can be sorted into your houses." McGonagall said when the noise had died down.
"Hannah Abbot." She read, prompting Hannah to go forth and get sorted into Hufflepuff. The professor then called the next name and the sorting was in full swing.
"Daphne Greengrass." She called after a few names had gone by.
I gave Daphne an encouraging smile as she walked to the stool and sat down. McGonagall placed the had upon her head.
It took a moment and then... "Ravenclaw!" It called out loudly. Applause from the Ravenclaw table followed as Daphne went to sit down.
More names were called until mine came up. "Draco Malfoy." She called.
I strode to the stool calmly and sat down. The sorting hat was then placed on my head. I felt it reaching gently into my mind, it's touch gentle as a whisper, finding only the false mind overlaying my own. It projected how I show myself to my parents: Interested in magic, not politics or business.
'Interesting.' I heard in my head. 'I see, I see.' It spoke to itself. 'Well then, I can see where you belong.' It finished and pulled out.
"Ravenclaw!" It shouted.
I got some confused looks and a smattering of applause, but I wasn't bothered by all that. I felt the magical effect of the castle sorting me into Ravenclaw, changing my identity from 'guest' to 'Ravenclaw student' in it's alien consciousness as my tie changed to blue and bronze. It was an interesting experience.
The Ravenclaw crest appeared on my robe as my tie changed. Where before the crest showed the Hogwarts coat of arms, it now proudly sported a flying eagle on a silver and bronze striped background. I went and sat next to Daphne, smiling at her happily due to our success. She returned my smile before we both focused on the sorting as it continued.
More names came and went before Harry was called. The hall went silent as everyone focused on his sorting. He handled the attention well even though I could feel his discomfort. The hat sat on his head for a minute, then two. Just before the 5 minute mark, the hat finally called out.
"Gryffindor!" It shouted loudly.
Harry smiled and got up, giving the hat back to McGonagall who gave him a slight smile in return. The hall burst into an explosion of noise as most of the school cheered for his sorting, applause and cheering deafening everyone in the hall. I rolled my eyes but clapped all the same, already having expected this.
When the hall finally, FINALLY, calmed down, more names were called until the sorting was finished with a call of "Blaise Zabini."
Blaise sat on the stool and was quickly sorted into Slytherin with a proclamation from the hat. He then went and joined the Slytherin table as the last to be sorted. The whole ceremony was pretty normal. The only other difference between canon and this universe, other than myself and Daphne of course, was Tracey Davis. She went to Hufflepuff along with Susan and Hannah. Good. A half-blood wouldn't have had a nice time in slytherin.
The students were all about to start talking before the clinking of a spoon on glass interrupted. An old man who could only be dumbledore stood from his ornate golden chair. Throne. It was a throne, the pretentious bastard. He worse eye-watering robes covered in stars and moonbeams, a long white beard to go with his long white hair, malf-moon glasses and a blue wizards hat to top off the ensamble.
A once over with my soul sense almost made me scoff. His white hair and beard hid the fact that his face was still young, giving the illusion of old age. He's over 100, but for a wizard of his power, he could live to 500 easily. He was absolutely covered in protective enchantments, some of them quite ingenious that I would be stealing to update Daphne and I's own.
The fabled Elder Wand that I felt in his sleeve felt strange. Like Death. Not in a corrupted way, merely empowered by the affinity. Odd. It's unique work, to imbue an item with an affinity like that. I'll have to examine the memory later and see if I can't get any inspiration from it. Same with the Cloak and stone when I get the chance.
"May I have your attention please." He rasped, really playing up the illusion of an old man "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! Thank you!" He said, playing up his act of a crazy old man.
The only positive thing I can say about him is that he's an absolute powerhouse. His level of magic dwarfs everyone here. Even grandfather couldn't compare. His magical core was absolutely massive and it produced more magic in a minute than most of the first years had in total.
I shook my head at the absurdity of it, ignoring him for now to focus on my year mates.
I smiled friendlily at them. "Hello everyone. I'm Draco Malfoy. You can call me Draco if you like." I said.
"And i'm Daphne Greengrass. You can all call me Daphne as well." Daphne followed my lead.
A brown haired boy who seemed rather cheerful went next. "Hi everyone, nice to meet you! I'm Anthony Goldstein, call me Anthony." He said happily.
A boy with reddish hair was after him, more laid back than Anthony. "I'm Terry Boot, nice to meet you all. Call me Terry." He said.
A short, pretty asian witch with dark hair and eyes spoke up. "Sue Li. Call me Li." She said quietly, either shy or just naturally a quiet person.
Another girl took her turn, brown haired and plain looking but cheerful. "I'm Amanda Brocklehurst, hello everyone! Call me Mandy!" She happily introduced herself.
Another boy was after her, this one with dark brown hair, almost black, the same shade eyes and pale skin. "Michael Corner. Lovely to meet everyone, call me Michael." He said with a warm smile, contrasting his appearance.
A memorable girl piped in. I recognised this girl from the series, even if they didn't look exactly the same. She is a very pretty Indian girl with a twin in Gryffindor. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Padma Patil. I have a twin in Gryffindor called Parvati, please don't mix us up. Call me Padma." She explained.
The next was another girl who had dark hair and brown eyes. She had a kind smile. "Hello. I'm Lisa Turpin. Eveyone can just call me Lisa." She said softly.
Another boy followed the procession. He seemed a little hyper, kinda like Colin Creevey from the movies. "Hi everyone! I'm John Smith. I'm so very pleased to be here! Just call me John!" He exclaimed.
The final person of our year was another girl. She was tall with plain features, dark almost black hair and brown eyes. "Greetings everyone. Morag MacDougal. Call me Morag." She said stoically.
Everyone smiled and we began to chatter among ourselves as we dug into the feast. We had 11 people in our house this year, 5 boys and 6 girls. With 40 students in our year, it resulted in a relatively even spread between the houses. I smiled, answering questions and making small talk as I piled on mashed potatoes to go with the lamb chops and green beans, brocoli and carrots I picked from the wide spread of food. Pork, beef, lamb, chicken, all were here along with veggies. I've always been a bit of a glutton for meat, so my plate was almost 50-50. And it was absolutely delicious!
Everyone was a little wary of me at first due to my surname, but my relaxed demeanour seemed to calm their nerves. Michael, Anthony and Terry seemed to get along like fast friends from the get go wheras John Smith kind of frittered between the small groups already forming.
For the girls, Morag and Li seemed to already know eachother or just naturally got along as were staying close together. Neither spoke much, but it seems they understood eachother and were comfortable in eachother's company. Padma and Mandy got along well quite quickly, with Lisa joining in soon after.
Daphne and I mingled with everyone for a bit. It soon became clear that Daphne got along very well with Padma, Lisa and Mandy, becoming fast friends, whilst I fit better with the Michael, Anthony and Terry trio. In my case though, I don't think we're ever going to be close. We get along well enough, but nothing more.
After we all got reasonably aquainted with eachother, I turned to the staff table to get a good look at the teachers. The first to grab my attention was a beautiful dark skinned woman sitting at the end of the table, simply for her striking appearance. I turned to an older student nearby.
"Exuse me but, who are all the teachers? Can you introduce them for us?" I asked, gaining the attention of the older student and all my year mates.
He smiled. "Sure thing. Listen up first years, i'll only say this once so pay attention." He began. "From the left, the dark skinned lady is Professor Aurora Sinistra. She teaches Astronomy. Next is Professor Septima Vector who teaches Arithmancy." He said. The Arithmancy professor was middle aged and plain looking with average height and features to along with mousy brown hair and brown eyes.
"Next to her is Professor Charity Burbage, a new hire. She teaches muggle studies." He introducted the next teacher, a youngish woman with blonde hair. "From there, we have Professor Bathsheda Babbling who teaches ancient runes." He indicated to another rather beautiful lady with curly, almost black hair and hazel eyes. She was rather young as well, looking the be in her early 20's.
"Up next is Professor Quirinus Quirrel who is teaching defence against the dark arts. It's strange, he taught muggle studdies last year." He commented offhandedly, nodding his head to the man wearing a purple turban with heavy magic concealing properties. I could feel his body breaking down from here from the parasitic soul clinging to him. Disgusting.
"Next to him is Professor Severus Snape. He's the head of Slytherin and teaches potions. A word of warning." He said, lowering his voice. "Snape is a foul man. Don't do anything to get on his bad side. Also, he barely teaches, make sure to study potions own your own and make sure you finish your homework on time. His detentions are horrible." He said in warning, causing all the first years to nod with wide eyes.
Snape in this universe does not look like Alan Rickman which is a good thing considering what I can feel from his soul. He's a petty, vindictive, jealous and spiteful man with a core of self-loathing so strong I could almost taste it. He looked more like his book description: a long, hooked nose, greasy and stringy hair down to his shoulders, crooked and yellowed teeth along with a slight hunch. I guess he doesn't care for personal hygiene. Honestly, he's a potions master, one of the youngest in centuries. If he wanted to look good, he would look good.
I shook my head and listened to the older student as he continued. "Next to him is Professor Permona Sprout. She's the head of Hufflepuff and teaches herbology. Lovely woman, youll like her." He said. Sprout was a short, plump woman with grey hair and a kind expression.
"The short man next to her is Professor Filius Flitwick. He's the head of our house, Ravenclaw, and teaches charms." He said, before whispering. "He's half goblin, that's why he's so short, but he doesn't like to hear that spoken about openly. Keep that in mind." He brought his voice to a normal volume. "He's great though. His door is always open and he always does his best to make people laugh."
"He gives out these delicious miniature cakes to students whenever we go to him. He's also a former 7 times world duelling champion, so don't underestimate him. You can go to him about anything, from serious issues to trouble with schoolwork." He said with a smile, ranting slightly. I smiled amusedly at his enthusiasm.
With soul sense, I can tell that Flitwick is the strongest teacher on staff, besides Dumbledore. His magic usage from a quick cleaning spell I caught him performing showed his magic to be refined to a masterful level. His magic is also imbued slightly into his body, granting his body greater conductivity than normal. Probably a result of his heritage. Goblins have bodies imbued with magic and use it wandlessly. The wand ban for them didn't do anything, they never used them in the first place. Flitwick probably has some wandless capabilities, but not to the level of a full goblin.
"Following him is Professor Minerva McGonagall, who you've already met. She's the Deputy Headmistress, the head of Gryffindor house and the transfiguration teacher. She's strict but fair, although I wouldn't get on her bad side if I were you. She's known to have a slight temper." He said, introducing McGonagall.
"Then we have Healer Poppy Pomfrey. She's the castle's resident mediwitch and can be found in the hospital wing at any hour of the day. Her quarters are attached, so if you have an emergency, don't be afraid that the hospital wing will be empty. She's one of the best healers in the country as well, we're lucky to have her here." He said. Pomfrey was a middle aged witch with the begginings of gray in her otherwise short and curly blonde hair, an above average face and dressed in white healer robes.
"The big man is Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of the keys and grounds. Everyone calls him Hagrid. Don't let his size fool you, he's a big softie. He lives in a hut on the lower grounds and you can visit him if you wish. Everyone suspects he's part giant, but he's very sensitive about his heritage so don't talk about it. At all. I hear he makes a good cup of tea, just don't eat his cakes. You'll see him around performing his duties every now and then." He said, introducing Hagrid. Besides his sheer size, Hagrid has a big bushy beard hair to match with a rugged face. His flesh is also imbued with magic but differently from Flitwick. His gives him immense strength.
"The drunk lady next time him is Professor Sybill Trelawney. *Sigh* She teaches divination." He introduced her succinctly, letting us all know what he thinks of her with his short introduction. Trelawney is a witch with wild hair, bangles covering her arms with beads hanging from her neck, protruding eyes set behind thick lensed glasses. She looks insane, basically.
"You all should already know Headmaster Dumbledore already. So the final teacher is Rolanda Hooch sitting at the right end of the table. She's the flying instructor and adjudicator for the quidditch seasons. You only have flying as a class in first year by the way." He said. Rolanda was an older woman with grey hair, yellow hawk-like eyes and a sharp features, resembling a bird of prey.
"Oh and there's one more teacher. Professor Cuthbert Binns. He's a ghost and teaches history of magic." He said, before he dashed the excited expressions on the first years' faces at the thought of being taught by a ghost. "Don't get your hopes up. He's a terrible teacher. Most people use history of magic to do homework for other classes. Of course, some people treat it as nap time and sleep through it. Don't be one of those people, leave that for the Gryffindor's." He said, making all the first years deflate.
"That's it. Ask the 5th year prefect, Penelope Clearwater if you have any more questions." He finished, going back to his dinner.
"Thank you." I said, not even knowing his name. He nodded before focusing on his food and friends.
The feast continued until we were all full, and then the food disappeared only to be replaced by various desserts. I was completely stuffed even with my enhanced digestion. The other first years were looking at me like I was a monster. I didn't need to eat nearly this much. It was just too delicious! I picked some vanilla ice cream for dessert. I like the simple desserts as much as the complex ones.
Soon all food was gone and Dumbledore stood back up, getting everyone's attention with a spoon clinking against his glass again.
"Now that you're all fed and watered, I have a few start of term notices to give. Everyone...." He droned on. I listened with one ear as the others tuned him out in our blissful states. I think that was actually the point. He probably doesn't want the kids to care about the banned item list or that spells are banned in the halls.
"And finally, I must tell you that the 3rd floor corridoor on the right hand side is out of bounds to anyone that does not wish to die a very painful death." He finished ominously.
The students looked around nervously and started whispering. Daphne leaned closer to me to do the same.
"He's not serious... is he?" She asked nervously.
I smiled reassuringly. "It'll be fine Daphne. There's bound to be something there, but even Dumbledore would be in hot water if a student died under his watch. If he wanted to keep something secret or block a part of the castle, he could do so easily. No. He's up to something." I whispered back.
She relaxed at my words before becoming curious. "What do you think it is then?" She asked.
I rolled my eyes. "We can find out later if you really want to. Forget about it for now." I said.
She nodded before Dumbledore spoke for a final time. "And now, it's time for bed I should think. Off you go!" He said jovially, eyes twinkling all the while like some demented Santa Claus.
A pretty girl with honey coloured hair and blue eyes came up to us. "First years follow me. I'm Penelope Clearwater, the 5th year prefect. Call me Penelope or Prefect Clearwater." She said, leading us through the winding corridoors of the castle.
The walls of the main walkways were covered in historic or artistic tapestries, hundreds of paintings and torches of normal looking but enchanted fire to provide light and warmth to the stone castle. Soon we reached the infamous moving stairs.
"This is the main stairway of Hogwarts. There are other routes, but this is usually the most direct. Follow me and watch out for trick stairs. Some steps will disappear on you." She said, leading us up to the 7th floor via the moving stairs. It was a novel experience that I expected to get old very quickly considering there was a point in our jorney we had to wait for 5 minutes for them to move again.
Eventually, through winding walkways and twisting turns and a tight, spiral staircase upwards, we made it to the a blank stretch of wall with a bronze eagle sticking out, a knocker clasped in it's claws. Penelope used the knocker, clanging it against the wall, before the eagle opened it's beak to speak in an ethereal voice.
"Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?" It asked.
"As you can see, Ravenclaw doesn't have a password like the other houses. You need to answer a riddle to gain entrance to the common room. If you can't answer, wait for someone else to come and open the entrance. Make sure to pack everything you need for each day's classes as you might not be able to get in again during the break." She explained patiently. "Does anyone want to try?" She asked.
When no one stepped forward, I did. "Neither, it's a cyclical process with no definable beginning." I said clearly.
"Well reasoned." Came the answer from the eagle, returning to stillness.
The wall then opened up like the Diagon Alley entrance, the bricks moving aside to reveal the Ravenclaw common room. We walked inside and I immediately fell in love with the place. Blue and Bronze was the colour scheme, but it wasn't only that. There was plenty of other colours splashed about. The room was circular with bookshelves covering every available wall.
Near yet another set of stairs leadng upwards, there a statue of a beautiful woman wearing a crown. The fabled Diadem of Ravenclaw. This must be Rowena Ravenclaw, our founder. Flitwick stood in front of her statue but remained silent for now, giving us a minute to take in the common room. There were many chairs and tables around along with a roaring fireplace. The older students were already milling about, catching up with eachother.
*Ahem* Flitwick cleared his throat to get our attention. He beamed at us when we did so, spreading his arms wide in a grand gesture. "Welcome to Ravenclaw students! I am Filius Flitwick, the resident master of charms in the castle and your head of house. We in Ravenclaw pride ourselves in our intelligence and desire to gain knowledge. As such, I will be expecting you all to stay on top of any homework given and achieve the best grades you can." He stated.
"For the first week, Prefect Clearwater will be guiding you to and from the great hall. Use this time to get familiar with the castle and try not to get lost. The teachers usually give new students a little leeway for the first week, but after that we expect you to be on time for every lesson." He said.
"My door is always open to you if you need help with anything or just want to talk. I will do my best to help you." He said. "Now then!" He exlaimed. "One advantage Ravenclaw has over the other houses is that each student gets their own room with washroom facilities included. You can customise it as you wish, but anything dangerous and you will find yourself in my office. This is a privilege only Ravenclaw enjoys, so it follows that the punishments for reckless or malicious misuse of the facilities are heavy." He said sternly, before going back to cheerfulness.
"The first year rooms are on the top floor and each subsequent year is one floor below. Meaning the seventh years are on the bottom floor." He chuckled. "I suspect the older years get sick of walking up flights of stairs all the time." He winked, prompting the first years to giggle along with him.
His beaming expression was back again. "I will be handing out your schedule tomorrow morning at breakfast. There are no classes tomorrow so I suggest using your time to get more familiar with the castle. Any questions so far?" He asked.
Terry raised his hand and spoke after a nod from Flitwick. "Thank you Professor. Who do I tell about my allergies?" He asked.
Flitwick nodded in understanding. "Thank you for bringing this up. This brings me to something else as well that i'll get to in a moment. There's no need to worry about any allergies in Hogwarts. All our food is prepared by the house elves in the kitchens. They have the uncanny ability to sense the needs of who they serve. In this case, you will never find any food containing anything you're allergic to during meals." He said.
"This brings me to another important topic. If by some chance you do have an allergic reaction or if anyone has any accidents, make sure to go to the hospital wing! We're lucky enough to have one of the best healers alive stationed here in Hogwarts. There's nothing she can't fix! Prefect Clearwater will show you where that is tomorrow along with where all your classes will be right after breakfast. Anything else?" He asked.
There were no more questions so he smiled and wrapped this up. "In that case, off to bed with you. Get a good nights sleep. The first few days are always tiring. You'll find your belongings already in your rooms and each door with have a plaque with your name on it. Goodnight students, rest well." He said kindly before leaving us.
Daphne needs a lot less sleep than normal kids owing to her occlumency whilst I barely sleep once every 2-3 days at this point in time. Nevertheless, that feast had a sporific effect on everyone and today was long. The first years all walked up the stairs and we each found our rooms. They were decently sized but not massive. Perfect.
Each had a large single bed, a desk, a chair, a wardrobe and a bookshelf in each room. A bathroom with a toilet and shower through a door was also there, as promised. I smiled, happy to have a room of my own as were the other first years. They were plain with no decorations. That was fine, i'll decorate later.
I turned to Daphne who had a room across from me. "Goodnight Daphne. See you in the morning." I wished her goodnight.
She smiled. "To you as well. Sleep well." She said, closing her door behind her.
I did the same. A scan with soul sense revealed no hidden enchantments or listening devices. Not that I expected any, but you can never be too careful and I was just following grandfather's teachings. My trunk was already at the foot of my bed. I'll get to customising it once i've gotten settled into life at Hogwarts properly, probably after the first week or so.
"Mipsy." I said, the elf popping in at my command.
"Yes master?" She asked.
"Please unpack my trunk for me." I asked/ordered. I could do it myself, but I don't want Mipsy to go mad from lack of work. It's been known to happen with house elves.
I took a quick shower, happy that soap was provided. It's all I need, my magic can do the rest for my grooming. Stepping out, I looked at myself in the mirror. I was tall for my age with muscles that belong on a an anime kid, not a real life child my age. I had good musculature with the correct proportions.
My dragon shaped birthmark has been molded and tweaked by me as I grew to look like a real, majectic western dragon. The dark, almost black, colour of the birthmark artistically contrasts with my light skin to create what looks like a tattoo of a roaring dragon, both elegant and deadly. I'm quite proud of how it turned out. I've never been very artistically inclined so I put a lot of effort into this.
My blonde, almost platinum, hair and stormy grey eyes in a cute - soon to be handsome - face suited me very well. I liked how I look. A drying charm, anti-persperant charm, teeth cleaning charm and a few hair grooming charms were employed in the span of a few seconds and soon I was ready for bed.
I slipped under the covers, surprised that this bed was just as comfortable as my own back home. Quickly though, I let myself relax from a big day and drift off to sleep. I'll figure out my routine for Hogwarts when I wake up after a restful sleep... in fifteen minutes.
(A/N: Wooo! Hogwarts is here baby! Also, double length chapter! 9850 words people! I wanted to really capture the experience with this. Tell me how I did. Hope you enjoyed!)
((Btw, i'm not doing another double length chapter again. The sheer length was a bitch to wrestle with. I'll stick with 4-5 thousand words as normal. Extended length at most in the future. Be grateful to your author overlord peasants!))
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