An Exquisite Pain

Dinner and Dippet

When Danielle next opened her eyes, she wasn't immediately sure where she was—the bright green bedspread and the low ceiling were foreign to her. Then everything came rushing back and she shot up at the memories, her heart pounding crazily. I'm stuck in the past posing as some orphaned Dutch girl and I'm in Slytherin!

It took her a few minutes to calm down again and convince herself that she would eventually get back to her own time. Only then did she notice the noise: a distant roar coming from somewhere above her. The rest of the school must have arrived.

That was probably her cue. Trembling, Danielle swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, twisting a curl around her finger. It was a nervous habit of hers, though she hadn't done it in years.

She was eternally grateful that students weren't allowed to come to their common rooms before the feast; Danielle was sure she would be bombarded with questions that she didn't even know the answer to. Perhaps Dumbledore would make some sort of speech at the feast that would elaborate on her life.

When she entered the Entrance Hall, she spotted a large group of first-years clustered together, looking terrified. Danielle slipped past them easily—well, actually, they kind of ran out of her way. At any rate, she could sympathize with them entirely. In a way, this was her very first day at Hogwarts as well.

"Miss Ashford!" an unfamiliar voice called. Remembering a second too late that it was her "new" name, Danielle turned to see an old, squat man hobbling towards her. She assumed this must be Professor Dippet, the Headmaster.

"Hello, sir," Danielle said, her face breaking into a confused expression. "How do you know my name?"

The man chuckled. "I'm Armando Dippet, Hogwarts' headmaster. Albus came to my office earlier and explained your unusual situation. I offer my condolences."

"Thank you," Danielle stuttered. "It's just…hard, you know? I hope I'll make new friends." She grimaced, hoping that she looked convincing enough for him. Then again, her stricken expression was definitely genuine.

But luck—twisted though it was—seemed to be leaning in her favor that evening, and Dippet appeared to believe her.

"Don't fret, Miss Ashford. I'm confident you'll make lots of friends. Even in Slytherin," he added. Danielle pretended not to hear his last comment.

"So where are we going?" she asked, deciding to play dumb for now.

"The Great Hall," Dippet said, pushing her towards the ornate doors. "You've already been Sorted, but I'll introduce you anyway. I think this is the first time ever Hogwarts has had a transfer student. Oh, and a Prefect to boot. You're making history, Miss Ashford!"

Danielle gulped.

Dippet didn't notice her troubled expression. He continued talking to her, but she tuned him out as he opened the doors to the Great Hall.

Before their entrance, the students had been talking excitedly amongst themselves. Now, as Dippet led Danielle inside the room, the chatter immediately quelled, and a hush fell over the room as every head in the room craned to look at Dippet and the strange new girl. Danielle felt a blush cover her cheeks and she stared at the floor, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.

With far too much cheeriness, Dippet led her up to the staff table. Danielle could feel every eye in the room trained on her.

"I am pleased to introduce Hogwarts' first ever transfer student," Dippet began, turning toward the sea of faces. Danielle followed suit, though she tried not to look at one person for too long.