Son Of Riddle

Chapter Eleven - Hogwarts

   James stared out the window, debating on what next to do. He knew the sorting didn't actually start until late afternoon, but he might go early to ensure the students didnt pay hom too much attention.
He ultimately decided to pack his trunk and get a head start anyway. He put on his only set of robes, knowing he'll get new ones once he was sorted. He packed some other clothes he found the day before while scouring the house for things that could be useful. He packed the cell phone he found that had a map of the passageways in Hogwarts, as well as a map of the forbidden forest, knowing that would prove to be very useful. He knew not to forget his books and he brought a few of his hybrid weapons as well. Well...the ones that would fit, anyways. He also packed a few other magical artifacts such as the other ring of truth (the one that can kill you). He had a broomstick somewhere in that house, but he couldn't find it, so he decided just to go with the brooms the school had to offer.
It killed him to do so.
He put his wand in his pocket, not trusting the trunk.
    Once he was finally done packing, he took a good final look at the house, as it was the last he would see of it, for a very long time, if not forever. He set up a few loaded crossbow traps before he left, just in case.
   He walked out the door and breathed in the fresh air. It was a long walk to Hogwarts, maybe an hour or two, so he first did the spell to hide his snake eyes, then did a spell to levitate his trunk so he wouldn't have to carry it the whole way. All he had to do was flick his finger, and it would follow him. He walked down the path towards Hogwarts, occasionally stopping at forks in the road, but he remembered the trip here just fine so he didn't have too much trouble finding his way. He finally saw the tips of the towers from what looked like about two or three miles away. He started walking faster, becoming more and more anxious with every step. He finally reached the black lake where other students were waiting to be taken across. He guessed his disguise was working, as no students seemed to be shying away from him. He sat down on top of his trunk and closed his eyes, drowning out the sound of the students talking...until he felt a gentle tap at his shoulder. He turned around and saw, perhaps the most curious looking girl he had ever seen. She was rather short and the robes she was wearing seemed to be several sizes too big for her. The most curious thing about her, though, was that she decorated her robes, shoes and belt with tiny colorful puff balls. She had long, wild auburn hair and bright green eyes. Almost too bright for his liking. She had a slightly scared but hopeful expression.
   "Hi, um I noticed you were sitting all alone and most people know each other here but I don't and you don't seem to either so is it ok if I sit with you?" She spoke very fast and almost breathlessly. James blinked once with a surprised expression on his face.  
  The expression on the girl's face turned to complete panic with a hint of shame. "Oh, unless you already know someone and you're just waiting for them, then I'll leave you alone sorry for bothering you." She pulled the hood of her robes tighter around her face and turned to leave. "You idiot, of course he has someone to sit with, what would make you think he didn't?" He heard her say quietly to herself as she walked away. Clearly no one else heard it, nor were they meant to, but his hearing was better than the average human's.
   Finally, he spoke up. "It's fine, I don't have anyone to sit with." He spoke before he completely thought it out. What was he thinking?? He couldn't trust this girl, even if she did seem as harmless as a dead hamster. It was too late, however, she had heard him and turned back around, a happy and relieved smile on her face.
  She held out her hand, meaning for him to shake it. "Lucille Weasley, but everyine just calls me Lucy."
   James reluctantly shook her hand. "James." He said with a slight bow of his head.
   "Thanks for letting me sit with you. I don't know anyone really, and I'm kinda shy but you seemed to be as shy as me" She laughed nervously.
   "I don't really talk to people." James said, still not completely trusting of this girl.
   "I don't either, but it's mostly because people tend to make fun of how quiet I am, and the fact that I'm...er... that I make puff balls." She laughed nervously again.
   James could smell a liar from a mile away and this girl was not a good liar. Not a good liar at all. "...You sure that's what you meant to say?" He tested, curious as to what her reaction would be.
   Her eyes grew wide. "Uhm...how-...how did you know?" She half smiled. "That's really kinda cool!"
  How is she not at all phased by the fact I just called out her lie?
   "No, I can just tell when someone's lying." He said. "So...what were you really about to say?"
   She paled. "Oh uh..." she reluctantly pulled down her hood. She had what appeared to be two small fluffy ears that were almost invisible in her mess of wavy hair. She looked down at the ground, sheepishly. "I'm a werewolf." She said.
  Wow, this girl is way too easily trusting.
   James instinctively reached over and stroked one of her ears.
   She recoiled in shock.
He pulled back his arm, embarassed at his own instinct. "Sorry." He explained. "Sometimes, due to animal instincts, I have an uncontrollable urge to pet anything fluffy."
   Lucy was laughing. "It's ok, don't be sorry" She gasped. "I just wasn't expecting you to do that, no one's ever pet me before."
   "Ah. Do you have ears all the time?" He asked.
  "No, only when there's a full moon. Something about my...I don't know, werewolfness I guess, is...strange? I get ears and a tail a few days before I turn into a fully fledged werewolf. I'm still a kid, and a tiny one at that, so my ears are still tiny."
  "Do you have a potion to take so you can keep your mind when you change?" James asked. He knew about werewolves, so he knew there was a potion to take to prevent oneself from going full rabid.
  Lucy shook her head. "My parents never knew how to get one. Usually they locked me in the basement until morning when I would change. They said I could talk to Professor Slughorn about getting a potion to keep me human on the inside."
  "How long have you been a werewolf for?" James asked, curious as to how being locked in the basement become normal to her.
  "As far as I know, since I was born. Apparently when I was born, my parents freaked out because their baby had wolf ears. Kinda funny right?" Lucy laughed.
   James and Lucy talked about a lot of things, Lucy opening up slightly, but James still a little suspicious of her. By the time the ferrys arrived, he was convinced she was just an idiot who really hates confrontation and loves making fuzzballs. They rode on a ferry together, along with a few other people and walked inside.
   "I didn't expect it to be this beautiful." Lucy exclaimed as they walked inside.
   "I've seen better." James simply said. Lucy gave him an incredulous look. "You've seen better than this??  Who the heck are your parents, the minister of magic?"
   James hesitated. "...you'll find out." He simply said. She gave him a confused look, but brushed the comment off.
   McGonnagle gathered all the students in the great hall.
   "You will be sorted into four different houses, when I put this hat on you. There are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Your house will be like your family. Every time you do something right, or above expectations, you'll receive points to your house. If you do something wrong or stupid, you'll deduct points from it. The house with the most points at the end of the year, wins the house cup." She concluded. "When I  call your names, please come forward." She called out a bunch of names and each child got sorted into their respective houses. She called Lucy's name. It was no surprise to James she was sorted into Hufflepuff. Finally, after what seemed like hours of tedious and anxious waiting, she finally said it.
"James Riddle."