Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, free wheeling
Through an endless diamond sky
A whole new world (Don't you dare close your eyes)
A hundred thousand things to see (Hold your breath, it gets better)
I'm like a shooting star
I've come so far I
can't go back to where I used to be
~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~
"You're not riding the Hogwarts express to school?" Draco exclaims from the two-way mirror in Danneel's hand, "How are you going to get to Hogwarts then?"
"Not sure," Danneel shrugs, "But J. D is taking me, we're in Dolly right now."
"Dolly?" Draco asks.
"It's my Aunt Reagan's car, she named it Dolly."
"You're in a car! Draco sputters, "But-but that's a muggle thing. Those things are dangerous!"
"Simmer down Dragon Boy," J. D, Danneel's cousin, calls from the driver's seat, "Dani Day is perfectly safe with me."
"Listen here Avery, if anything happens to-"
"She's fine Malfoy! And what's a pipsqueak like you going to do about it.
"Draco!" Danneel hisses at the mirror before turning to her cousin, "And you behave would you," Danneel scolds hitting J.D on the back of his head, "Eyes on the road."
"I don't understand why you two can't get along?" Danneel sighs.
Draco shrugs, "Is the car really safe?"
"Yes," Danneel chuckles, "I've been in this car plenty of times, and I've always come out of it okay. Muggle things can be quite useful. I used plenty of them in America. I'll show you them sometime."
"Fat chance." Draco rolls his eyes.
"Why are you so worried about a car? You know I've been in one before?"
"I just don't understand why J. D gets to take you to Hogwarts? What makes him so special?"
"Because I'm her cousin and I've been chosen as Head Boy," J.D exclaims proudly, "So Dumbledore thought it would be best if I showed Dani Day around the castle before everyone else shows up."
"Ooo look at me I'm head boy and I'm soo special, " Draco mocks causing Danneel to shoot him a glare. "We'll as much as love talking to you, I've got a train to catch. Although if you two would have just taken the train I could keep talking to you and make fun of J. D some more." At this comment, J.D glares and makes a face at Danneel, who's trying to hold back a laugh.
"I would be too scared to ride the train, " she states, her voice growing quite.
"What's wrong?" He asks, noticing the change of tone.
"I'm nervous. I've spent a good portion of my life at Ilvermorny. I've made friends there! And now I'm leaving it all behind."
"But you'll be going to school with me, Cass, Zara, Daphne, and Blaise. Hell even J.D is here."
"I know and I'm excited about that but I'm going to miss my American friends too. Not to mention how embarrassing it is to be starting at a new wizarding school during your 4th year. I'll look like such a freak standing with all the first years."
"Dani," Draco coos, "It's alright to be nervous. I get it, I would be too. But all of your friends who have known you the longest are waiting for you and it's going to be so much fun. We'll be saving you a seat at the Slytherin table."
"Or... you know, you could always be sorted into Hufflepuff with me," J.D smiles turning to look at her.
"Please," Draco dismisses, "She'll be with me."
Danneel smiles and rolls her eyes, "You both are ridiculous."
A muffled noise causes Draco to turn away from the mirror before facing Danneel again, "Ok now I've really got to go, but as for your friends you can still write them and have them over during the summer and winter holiday.
"Okay." She smiles
"I'll see you at Hogwarts alright. I'll be the one saving you a seat." Draco winks.
"Alright, see you then," Danneel laughs and before hanging up the mirror by covering the glass with her hand.
"You guys are so sweet you're giving me diabetes." J.D smirks at his cousin.
"Shuddup," Danneel groans hitting him in the shoulder, "You and Riley are no better."
At the mention of his girlfriend, the tips of J.D's ears turn bright red, almost matching the color of his hair.
40 minutes later the pair pulls into an abandoned gas station, in the middle of nowhere. Waiting for them is a house-elf. They get out of the car and make there way over to it.
"Hello, Mr. Avery and Miss Rosier. I'm Sunny and I'll be apperating you directly to Hogwarts." The house-elf greets.
"I thought you said nobody could apparate in or out of Hogwarts?" Danneel turns to J.D.
"Wizards and witches can't, at least not without the help of a house-elf." He answers.
"What about the car?" She gestures back, "Are you just going to leave it here?"
"No, my mom is going to apparate here after work and drive it home. She'd kill me if I just left Dolly laying around."
"Are Mr and Miss ready?" Sunny squeaks.
"You ready Dani Day?" J.D asks taking his cousin's hand.
"Yes. Please take us to Hogwarts," Danneel breathes.
Sunny grabs the pairs' hands before disappearing with a crack. After what felt like being squeezed out a bottle of toothpaste Danneel's vision is replaced by green, a whole lot of green.
"Whoa," Danneel gasps trying to take it all in.
"Welcome to Hogwarts cuz, " J.D says hitting Danneel on the shoulder. Danneel, not paying attention, stumbles from the impact. "Come one I'll show you around."
Danneel makes a move to grab her luggage only to find it and Sunny was gone. J.D notices her confusion and explains, "Sunny took your luggage to school, once you're sorted it will be placed in your room."
"Oh okay."
"Come on let me show you around."
~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~
The castle was absolutely breathtaking, the architecture was old and held so much history and elegance. And the grounds. They were so gorgeous, Danneel had never seen so much green in her life. At Ivermory she was surrounded only by mountains. Of course, she had a few trees and plants but nothing compared to the view from the top of the Astronomy Tower.
The tour ended with J.D and Danneel standing in front of two large oak doors. J.D turns to his cousin and smiles, "This is where I leave you. A woman by the name of Professor McGonagall will direct you from here."
"How am I supposed to know who she is?" Danneel asks.
"You'll know when you see her," J.D says opening the door just enough for him to slip in but not enough for Danneel to see anything.
"Wait you're leaving me!" Danneel exclaims.
''Yea," J.D shrugs, "It's all part of the experience."
"But-" She protests.
"Don't sweat it!" J.D says hugging her, "I love you, and I'll see ya in there."
J.D slips through the door and casts his cousin one last smirk before letting the doors close behind him. Sighing, Danneel plays nervously with the hem of her sleeve. The young Rosier didn't have to wait long before she saw an older woman, wearing emerald robes and a group of 11 year-olds following behind her. She wore a stern expression, and her hair was pulled into a tight bun, Danneel had no doubt in her mind that this was Professor McGonagall.
"You must be Miss Rosier," the woman states, "I'm Professor McGonagall and I will be your Transfiguration teacher, and if you find yourself sorted into Gryffindor, I will be your head of house."
"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Danneel stammers.
"Now," Professor McGonagall says turning to the group, "When we walk through these doors you will be met by the faces of your fellow students and teachers. Once all of us are in the Great Hall I'll lead you toward the front. When I call your name, you will sit on the stool next to me and I will place the sorting hat on your head. The hat will then decide which house you will be placed in, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Once sorted you will sit with your designated house. Your house will become like your family for the rest of your time at Hogwarts. Do well and your house will earn points. Step out of line and you'll lose them. The house with the most points at the end of the year will win the house cup."
Once McGonagall was done explaining the sorting process the two doors opened to reveal yet another breathe taking site. The Great Hall was massive with two large and lengthy tables on each side of the walkway in the middle. The hall was lit by thousands of floating candles and the ceiling had been charmed to reveal the beautiful blue night sky. Danneel felt relieved when she looked up at the stars and she spotted Orion's belt constellation.
When she was younger, along with most children, Danneel was scared of the dark, so her father taught her about the stars. He told her anytime when he was missing Danneel and her mother because he was away on business he would look up at the night sky, and find Orion's belt. Looking at it reminded him that we could see it too, even when we were so far away, and it was one of the easier constellations to spot, just three stars perfectly in line.
Having found a sense of calm and a new boost of courage she ignored the whispers and glances from her arrival. As soon as everyone was situated, another professor placed a tattered brown hat on the stool, and in a blinking moment, the tattered old hat began to sing.
A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the ones, they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest was
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favorites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!
Once the hat was done singing, it slumped back on the stool. Professor McGonagall then picks up the hat with a long piece of parchment in the other hand says, "Jolie Abshire."
A petite girl, with tan skin and frizzy hair, walks up to the stool where the professor places, it atop her head. It only takes a few seconds before the hat shouts "Ravenclaw!"
And thus, the sorting has begun.
>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<
As expected Danneel was the last student to be sorted. However, before Professor McGonagall called her up, the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore had something to say.
"As many of you noticed one of the "first years" was a bit taller than the rest of them." He addresses, earning many laughs. "Miss Rosier is a transfer from Ilvermorny, the wizarding school in America. She will be starting her fourth year and I trust that you all will make her feel welcome. Now I think we've let this poor girl wait long enough," Dumbledore turns towards Professor McGonagall, "Minerva if you please."
Clearing her throat, she calls, "Danneel Rosier."
Taking a deep breath Danneel strides over to the professor, despite how nervous she was inside there was one thing her mother had always said, "Never let them knew what you're feeling. Keep your composure and walk with your head held high, you're an Avery girl after all."
With her chin up, she sat down on the stool and the hat was placed on her head. She shuddered at the thought of how many heads this hat had been on and simply prayed she wouldn't get lice.
"Interesting," a raspy voice states, causing her to jump.
Danneel frantically looks around the great hall, trying to identify the voice with a face. It took her only a moment for her to realize the voice was coming from the hat.
"You're quite the curious one, aren't you? You're good at making friends and have an admirable desire to work hard. Hufflepuff could be for you." The voice continues, "But, you're incredibly curious. And have a great thirst for knowledge. Maybe Ravenclaw?"
Danneel's breath hitches at the thought. There's nothing wrong with Ravenclaw. Her mother was a Ravenclaw, but she had gotten crap at her old school for being an overachiever, and she feared the same would happen here, or at least to a worse degree if she was in Ravenclaw.
"No," The hat says quickly, "Not a fan."
Danneel began to grow anxious again as she scanned the crowd. Her eyes landed on a familiar grey pair and she relaxed.
"That's it!" The hat claims, "You are all the things I said and more. You have a quick mind and a lot of wit. You're observant and think a lot. And you're heart truly lies in this house. It better be... Slytherin!"
Danneel let out a sigh, she definitely knew she was holding, as she got off the stool and made her way to the table decorated green.
"What did I tell you, Dani?" Draco exclaims, grabbing Danneel's hand and pulling her into the empty seat next to him, "I knew you would end up with us."
"Bullshit Draco," Cass Malfoy, Draco's cousin, laughs from across the table, "You were freaking out because the hat was talking so long."
"I was not!" Draco defends.
"Will you two shut up!" Zara Zabini hisses next to Cass, "Dumbledore is still talking."
"I really took that long?" Danneel whispers.
"Yea," Blaise. Zara's twin groans, "Although it wasn't as long as Potter's in our first year. His sorting took forever."
"Would you shut it!" Zara scolds, "And it hasn't even been a day back at school and you're going to get Draco all rallied up about Potter."
"No," Draco protests, "No, nothing, not even Saint Potter is going to ruin the fact that MY best friend," Draco exclaims, throwing his arm around Danneel's shoulder and pulling her close, "Is sitting next to me at Hogwarts."
"Aw," Danneel smiles leaning her head on Draco's shoulder.
"Aren't you two cute," Daphne coos, "the future of pureblood royalty."
"Sod off Greengrass," Draco groans.
"Will both of you shut it!" Zara hisses.
"Yea, they're not even a couple yet," Cass teases.
"Officially no. But we all know you've been engaged since birth," Daphne smirks, "Might as well get used to being the new power couple Malfoy.
"Well you missed all of Dumbledore's speech," Zara huffs.
"Don't be so mad Zari," Blaise smiles, "You'll fill us in. While we eat, because I am starving."
~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~
In between Blaise inhaling his food, Draco gushing about how happy he was that Danneel was here, and Cass making fun of Draco, Zara filled the group on what had Dumbledore had said during his speech.
Hogwarts was going to play host to two foreign schools, Durmstrang and Beauxbaton, in the Triwizard Tournament. It was a dangerous tournament and it had been banned previously, and this was the first year it was being brought back. Only a person of age, 17 years or older, could participate by submitting their name on a slip of parchment and place it in the Goblet of Fire. In exactly two months the cup would pick a champion from each of the three schools. The three champions will then participate in three daring, mystical, and dangerous tasks, and the winner receives 1,000 galleons and eternal glory.
Danneel was grateful for the age restriction as none of her friends were of age and J.D wouldn't turn 17 till January, so no one she cared about was putting themselves in harm's way. Zara had also mentioned that the other two schools would be arriving exactly one month from today.
Dinner dwindled down and everyone was making that way to their respected common rooms, tired and well-fed. On her way out, Danneel caught J.D's eyes as he spoke to the 6th year prefects. He nodded to her and she waved back.
Not looking where she was going she ran into a lumpy wall, dazed Danneel looked up to see two identical ginger faces.
"Well hello there," The one on the left smiles.
"Hi?" Danneel answers getting up and smoothing her robes out.
"You're the new girl!" The one on the right exclaims.
"I am Danneel Rosier." Danneel responds, "Who are you?"
"I"m Fred," The one on the left introduces.
"And I'm George." The one on the right adds.
"We're the Weasley twins," they say in unison.
Danneel had heard of them from her friends but was given the nickname the Weasley terrors, nitrous pranksters, no one was exempt from their pranks. She had a feeling she was not exempt from there wrath she decided to play dumb and just see what there were up too.
"Well, it's nice to meet you," Danneel replies, noticing the three cups on the table next to them.
"We're the unofficial welcoming committee of Hogwarts and we just wanted to greet one of our newest members to this fine establishment," Fred says.
Out of the corner of her eye, Danneel sees George slip something into the cup closest to her. Danneel plasters on a smile, "How nice of you. So you greeted all of the new first years too?"
At Ivermory they specialized in teaching wandless magic, and Danneel had excelled, so as she chatted up the twins. She thought up a spell and silently switched the cups so the one that George tampered with was the farthest away from her.
"No," George snorts, "Only the pretty transfers."
Fred then gestures to the cups on the table, "Please take a cup, and we can toast to the newest transfer of Hogwarts."
Fred then gestures to the cups on the table, "Please take a cup so we can cheer to the newest member of Hogwarts."
"Thank you," Danneel responds grabbing the closest cup to her, the boys still unaware that she had switched the cups. "Cheers." She raises her cup.
Fred and George share a smile before grabbing the other two cups and together the three of them clink them together. Danneel smirks into her cup before walking away and in a sing-song voice stating, "Thanks for the warm welcome boys. But I've got to go. Oh and nice hair Fred."
"What's she talking about?" Fred asks his brother.
George snorts, "She switched the cups. Your hair is blue!"
"No way!" Fred exclaims, his hands flying to his hair, "How in the bloody hell did she do that? We didn't see her do anything?"
"I don't know man" George laughs clapping his brother on the back, "But she's good."
~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~>﹏<~
Luckily, Danneel remembered the way to the Slytherin Common room from the tour J.D gave her. She was thankful she had heard the prefect mention the password before her run-in with the Weasley twins.
Danneel mutters "Parseltongue" and the portrait swings open.
The common room was empty, filled only by the lapping of the Black Lake against the window, and the popping, cracking of the fire. Noticing the two staircases on opposite ends of the common room, Danneel guessed that her dorm would be on the right.
Luckily, she had chosen the correct staircase and found her name on the list of room assignments. After locating her dorm, Danneel slowly pushed open the door open. Her luggage was on the empty bed, closest to the window.
Cass was sprawled out on the bed next to Danneel's, her chest rising and falling steadily. Zara was sleeping on the bed across Danneel's with Daphne softly snoring next to her. Danneel was pleased with ⅗ of her roommates. The other two were sleeping closest to the door. Pansy Parkinson was snoring, practically growling, next to Cass between Millicent Bulstrode.
Danneel had talked only briefly to both of them when she would see them at the Malfoy's numerous balls. She never really had a problem with Millicent, Danneel just felt bad for the way Pansy treated the poor girl. But Pansy was a whole other level of awful. She was whinny, spoiled, and always fawning after Draco. But Danneel could never bring herself to be nasty to the girl, no matter how much Pansy irritated or was rude to her.
Tiptoeing, Danneel made her way over to her bed. She moves her luggage to the foot of her bed and fishes out plaid pajama pants and one of her favorite hoodies. It was red and had her old Ilvermorny house, Pukwudgie, written across the front in grey.
Danneel quickly changes and grabs her one of her favorite books, The Outsiders, before making her way back down to the common room. This time when she entered the common room she wasn't alone, instead, a familiar blonde head of hair was sitting on the couch. Danneel smiles to herself and makes her way over to her best friend and sits down next to him.
"I was wondering when you'd come down," Draco whispers.
"How'd you know I'd come down?" Danneel inquiries.
"I've known you for almost a decade and a half," Draco states, "And I know how you have trouble falling asleep in new places and how every year on the first day at Iveromoy you'd sit in your common room and look at the stars from the grand window. And I know that you can't see the stars from here so you went with the second best thing, curling up by the fire with one of your favorite books."
"You're not wrong," Danneel chuckles and sits down next to him.
"I also wanted to give you this," Draco says holding out a worn sweatshirt.
It was a faded grey with the Slytherin crest in the middle. The was a hole on the backside by the bottom, which was from the summer Draco got stuck trying to climb over a fence. There was also a burn mark on the left sleeve which was from the first time Danneel experienced performing magic. Danneel smiles, "Why are you giving this to me? It's your favorite sweatshirt?"
Draco shrugs, "Figured you could use a change of colors, not that I don't like the sweatshirt you're wearing now," He explains gesturing toward her, "But I thought I would help you start your collection of Slytherin clothes.
"You're too sweet dragon, but I can't take this," She refuses, "It's your favorite."
"I can get another one," He insists, "Besides it's rather small on me anyways."
"Are you 100% positive that you're okay giving this to me?"
"110%" He lies.
"Well thank you," Danneel says and takes the sweatshirt from Draco, the smell of apples, mint, and his cologne hitting her nose.
"Well I know you're not but I'm tired," Draco declares standing up, "So goodnight and I'll see you tomorrow. Don't stay up too late." He kisses the top of her head before heading towards the boys' staircase.
"I'll try not too," Danneel calls back, "Goodnight dragon," She whispers but he's already gone.
Danneel takes the sweatshirt she has just been given and hugs it to her chest, taking in a deep breath, getting another wave of the scent that can only be described as Draco, before putting it on the space next to her. She picks up her book, and begins to read, "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home."