Secrets She Kept » Harry Potter

Part 23

Neville noticed how nervous the girl looked like he was on his first day at Hogwarts. Neville took it upon himself to stand up and wave at the girl who held onto a metal bar to keep her from falling from the movement of the train. Her hazel eyes looked over at the tall boy with the dark hair want her to approach him and Ginny who was fed up being in the same presence as the small girl. Millie carefully made her way over to join the boy who had an empty seat next to him with a table keeping him apart from Ginny who sat on the opposite side. "Why didn't you follow your brothers?" Ginny asked bitterly.

Millie had fear in her eyes, there was no bravery in the girl. From Ginny's perspective, the girl would be housed in Hufflepuff as nothing stood out to her to prove she was smart, brave or even rude like a Slytherin. "They disappeared before I could follow," Millie mentions in a small voice. She knew she was getting on the girl's nerves.

"What's your name?" Neville asks introducing himself, ignoring Ginny. He had no information for the girl yet she remained behind in his company as many of Ginny's friends had chosen not to attend Hogwarts that year due to the danger of Voldemort.

"Millie Evans." The girl informs the older boy. "Harry Potter my cousin."

Neville gave a short laugh as Ginny rolled her eyes. The girl was clueless knowing that information shouldn't be spread so easily, she would become a target and the protections put in place for her safety would go to waste. "I know Harry well." The boy informs the girl, which brings a smile back to the girl's face.

Halfway through the trip north towards Hogwarts, there was a small group of Death Eaters who had cursed the train to come to a standstill. Millie saw the dark shadows outside the window as there were whispers throughout the compartment about what was occurring. Ginny informs the girl to remain silent as the door is thrown open to reveal two Death Eaters dressed in dark cloaks scanning the compartment for Harry. Neville wanted to laugh as they approached closer, carefully looking over each of the students seated.

Millie caught the eye of one that had long black hair, he glared at the sight of the small child. She appeared too young to be enrolled in Hogwarts. Wanting to protect the girl, Neville got to his feet. "Hey losers!" Attention was placed on the boy. "He isn't here." He informs the Death Eaters that Harry wasn't attending Hogwarts that year.

Things were different for the students when they arrived at the train station outside of Hogwarts. There were many new regulations as the students were led into the awfully quiet castle, usually, they are met with a positive atmosphere, yet it seemed the life was sucked out of the castle over the summer break.

Both Millie and Beckham were dressed in their school uniform, plain as they hadn't been assigned their respected houses. There were only a group of six first-year students who were escorted through the castle by McGonagall, she wanted to take it upon herself to welcome students instead of the fear they will feel in the Great Hall. Severus Snape was now the new Headmaster of Hogwarts and many staff had been let go, replaced by different members of the Death Eaters.

McGonagall led the six new students to her personal office, lit by candles and she had the famous hat sitting on an empty stool in front of her desk. It was her attempt at recreating the magic most new students are met with when they arrive at Hogwarts for the welcoming feast. Not a long lecture about the changes occurring in the wizarding world and how many would be threatened with punishments if they were harbouring any information about Harry Potter.

McGonagall kept her welcome speech short, informing the children of the changes occurring that year. After they would be sorted into their houses they would be directed to their correct tables for the evening meal with the rest of the student population seated in the Great Hall. "Beckham Evans." McGonagall invites one-half of the twins to have the old hat placed on his head.

Beckham brushes his light brown curls from his eyes as he approaches the hat with caution, he was the first to be called. With a final breath, he took a seat on the stool as the brown hat comes to life as it is placed on his head. "Another Evans, I see." The at whispers into the mind of the quiet boy. "There is a keen interest of determination with your liking in sport. Like your brother, you enjoy learning and I can see the pair of your share a high intelligence."

The boy was astounded that the hat could read his mind. "I sense bravery as you feel it right to protect those in your family. Yet I also sense a difference to those I have sorted in Gryffindor." That was the only house he had heard much about from the older boys in his household. Both were proud to be a part of that house and Quidditch team. "You have much to learn about yourself Beckham Evans, I feel as though you will go far with others to push you as you flourish during your time at Hogwarts. Ravenclaw!" The hat cheers. Beckham had only heard that Ravenclaw was known for those that kept their heads in books, wanting to soak up a lot of knowledge.

Next to be sorted was Millie. There is an exchange between the pair of twins as Beckham returns to the group of waiting students, the girl noticed that her brother's black tie had changed. It now featured blue and bronze tones. "Amelia Evans," McGonagall calls the girl.

With a sigh, the girl approaches the stool as the brown hat is placed upon her head. "A twin sister to the previous boy." The hat comments as Millie sits there nervously waiting for the hat to call out a house name. "Yes, I see a caring nature, a strong desire to prove yourself reliable to those around you." The hat comments on how resourceful and ambitious thoughts she had about the world around her. "You are much like your father."

That comment alerts the girl, she had never heard much about her absent father. Did the hat know who he was? "I think you will be rather successful in Slytherin!" The hat predicts.

It shocked the girl that the hat had separated the pair of twins that had been by each other's side their whole existence. Yet the hat predicted for the twins to unlock their full potential they need space to discover their skillset themselves. They had relied heavily on each other for support and now it was time for them to go out on their own, surrounded by new people who will allow them to succeed in their future.

The remainder of the group was sorted into their houses. Three students went to Gryffindor, while another boy named Sebastian was sorted in Slytherin and the other placed in Hufflepuff.

McGonagall would later make the students join the rest of the student body. From the head table, Severus Snape noted only six students were welcomed into the school with two placed in his former house. A female and male sat together in silence, along with the rest of the school. They had just been informed of the many changes they would see for the remainder of the year. The long curls on the girl that sat beside the male reminded him of Lily Evans the times he saw her sitting opposite her from the Gryffindor table with her curls loosely falling down her shoulders.