The Keeper and Kadid

2 - First day jitters

To the left of Louise she could see a giant, long bearded man approaching the first years. To the left, she saw vast mountains and a stadium. In front of her was a large castle where hundreds of students entered the gates. Just as she was gathering everything, a mean looking man with a hunchback said, "Get your stuff and follow me, you're about to be sorted."

Before entering the office, two gargoyles were perched on either side, intimidating she thought to herself.

"Ahhh Miss Kadid how lovely it is to see you please sit." Dumbledore said calmly.

On the desk was a battered old hat that looked like it had seen better years. Then, it came alive and opened its mouth and said "Hold on, I did not get the memo i'd have to write a song for a sixth year."

"Oh it's ok I don't need a song but thank you." Louise said immediately, feeling guilty for burdening the hat.

"All right all you need to do is put it on and the hat will declare your house. I'm assuming Miss Weston clarified all that with you?"

"Yes and thank you for giving me this opportunity and introducing me to her, she's lovely."

"Sir, please refer to all teachers as either ma'am or sir. And it was no trouble whatsoever." Dumbledore said smiling.

In the back of her head, Louise wondered over what to call non-binary teachers, but on second thought it seemed as though this school hasn't had a refresher on the muggle world in a while considering how isolated it was. As she picked nervously at her nails, the hideous rat is placed on Louise's hair.

"Well before I was placed on your head, I didn't even need a minute to think. It was between ravenclaw or hufflepuff, yet I think hufflepuff would be better fit, considering your nationality and such." The hat said.

Whipping it off, Louise angrily said, "How does that have anything to do with it? To me it seems like someone's a bit prejudiced."

"I think what it meant is that the ravenclaws come off as intimidating, and you are very kind hearted, you'll fit just right in. Just make your way to the great hall and enjoy the feast!" With that, Louise made her way out of the classroom, bewildered at the rudeness of the hat and Dumbledore.

When she entered the hall, four tables of students bunched together with smells of mouth watering food combated her. Her eyes wandered to the red and yellow table, where the twins winked at her when she made eye contact. Then they found their way to the yellow and black table, nerves coursing through her veins in fear she won't be accepted. But she forced her legs to walk until a girl with long dark hair and brown skin pulled her hand.

"Hey are you new? Come sit with us." She said smiling.

"Yeah I am, thanks." Louise said, calmed slightly.

"Wait are you an American? That's so cool I've always wanted to visit the country but I'm kind of protesting them."

"Wow that's amazing what for?"

"Well I'm really an environmentalist and their policies are rubbish. To be fair, England is just as bad, but I'm stuck here. Enough about me, what's your name?" The girl questioned.

"Well my full name is a mouthful so people just call me Louise, what's yours?" She asked

"Ooooo I love that name, I'm Elena, pretty basic I know." Elena said, the smile she wore disappearing.

"What? No way it sounds like something from a princess story book if you ask me. So you say you're an environmentalist, I'm a human rights activist!" She said excitedly, happy that someone doesn't fall asleep when they hear her issues with the prime minister.

"Oh dear you've just opened a Pandora's box, get ready for a five hour discussion about how we should use magic to help muggles." A blonde haired girl cautioned.

Ignoring the absurdity of the comment, Louise turned to Elena and said, "wait you think so too? It frustrates me deeply how muggles are dealing with war after war, famine, and disease, yet we just sit fretting over how to get rid of gnomes."

All that Elena reacted to this statement was pure joy, because in that moment both girls realized that they were going to make a difference in the world.

Walking up to the dormitories, Elena said to Louise, "that girl back at dinner, don't listen to her, that's Hannah Abbot, a popular girl along with Cedric Diggory, Cathleen Gaspar, and Josh Masson." She sighed at the last name.

"British schools also have the social hierarchy here too, I'd have thought y'all would be busier learning spells than dealing with that petty drama."

"That's what high-school is sis, you'll get the full experience tomorrow for classes."

That night, Louise went to sleep, thinking about all that occurred, and of the daunting classes that lie ahead the following morning.