This story is a work of fiction. All Harry Potter and Hogwarts are copyrighted to J.K Rowling and Scholastic books. They're not getting paid, and neither am I.
I sat in my simplest black robes with the dark books in front of me. I glared at the open pages of dark ink. It seemed I could make out a word here and there, but the rest was gibberish. I sighed and closed the books. The other students would be arriving soon, and I didn't want any of them to see these books.
My cabin in the scarlet train was quite cozy, but not private. Three others could easily fit inside, possibly more. The cushioning on the seats was firm yet pliable, and I was sorely tempted to take a nap; but I decided to wait until the train was underway.
I reached into my right pocket and pulled out a bag the size of a pair of dice and focused. "Engorgio," I commanded.
The bag expanded enough to fill the compartment to nearly overflowing. I placed the two books into the bag and pulled out a simple reading book: the Arithmancy textbook. It looked interesting, so I tossed it on my lap and commanded my bag to shrink again. I put it back in my pocket and began reading.
It didn't take long before the students boarded the train in the way all students seem to do such things: noisily. I sighed and put away the book to watch out the window. Boys and girls of varying ages all wearing or changing into black robes boarded the train or wheeled baggage carts closer. All but the youngest (and myself) wore dual-colored striped ties with sweaters or shirts coinciding. The noise continued down the train as the students advanced, choosing compartments and deciding whether to sit together or which compartments would be preferred.
I soon heard a trio of voices approaching my compartment. "Honestly, Hermione, what is wrong with you? Dumbledore won't let anything happen! It's still the safest place!"
"Ron," a girl's voice argued, "you're out of your mind. You-Know-Who has gotten onto the grounds before, and you know that snake Malfoy and his chums will support anything he tries to do to Harry."
"I'll be fine," another boy's voice protested. They were getting closer. "I've already faced Voldemort and come out all right."
"But he can touch you now," the girl countered. She seems smart-I thought.
The door opened to reveal two boys and a girl all about the same age I looked-about sixteen. The girl had wild, bushy hair and a very bossy voice, though she seemed to mean well. The two boys were as different as could be. The taller one had bright red hair and was munching on some kind of candy. The shorter one had bright green eyes and messy black hair.
"Oh, sorry," the girl said as she noticed me sitting in the cabin. "Didn't mean to interrupt."
"No, please," I countered. "Would you three be willing to join me?"
They looked at each other and shrugged. "So, you're an American," the red-haired boy asked me.
"How could you tell?" I grinned. "My name is Matt. Nice to meet you," I replied, holding out my hand.
"I'm Ron Weasley," he answered, shaking my hand. "These are my friends Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."
I held out my hand to them both and they shook it. "So, what brings you to Hogwarts," Harry asked.
"Transfer," I answered. I tried to sound sullen, and guess I pulled it off, because Hermione said, "Don't look so glum. Hogwarts is the best school in Europe. You couldn't have changed to a better place."
"Really?"
"Honestly!"
We sat down and began to talk. I found Ron to be impulsive and enormously funny, especially as he always seemed to have something in his mouth. Harry was a little quieter, but full of insight, and a little mysterious. Hermione and I hit it right off. I love conversations with intelligent people, and she certainly fit that requirement. We discussed the finer points of magic between us, with interjections of quidditch games, matches, and rules thrown in.
After an hour, they began to fill me in on the gossip of the school, and I found I grew to like their company.
"So, tell me about this Triwizard Tournament thing, then," I asked. They grew very quiet. "What happened?"
Harry sighed. "You should know that Voldemort returned, and during the tournament he tried to kill me. He did manage to kill a friend of mine, though."
"I see," I said solemnly. "How did Voldemort not kill you?"
Ron and Hermione gaped at my mentioning of the so-called Dark Lord. "Our wands were brothers, and a resonance happened." He shrugged. "I can't say much else."
"So, Voldemort is loose. He didn't attack you this summer?"
"No," he responded, seeming puzzled by my questions. "Why?"
"I overheard Hermione saying she was worried or sommat. And Ron here said that Hogwarts would be the safest place." I shrugged. "I have to agree with that."
"What do you mean," Ron wondered.
"Just from what I've read about the school and Albus Dumbledore."
"Oh." He seemed mollified. Just then, the door burst open and a small Nordic-looking boy with two ogrish companions stood in the entryway.
"So Potter," he chortled, "making some new friends, eh?" He turned to me and noticed my lack of House colors. "You seem to be new, whoever you are. I recommend that you learn who not to spend time with. Like Potter there. Or Weasley. There are better people in the school than these three."
"Thanks," I responded dryly. "I'll keep that in mind."
"American," he asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Yeah."
"What have we come to now? First mudbloods, and now Americans!"
"That means a lot, coming from Euro-trash like you," I snapped. "Go away."
He blushed a bright red at my comment, but his eyes flashed. "Make me."
Harry, Ron and Hermione all pulled out their wands, but I held out my hands. "I'll handle this, thank you." I turned to the three Slytherins. "Have any of you ever heard of a spell called Repulsion?"
"Does it make me as repulsive as you," he replied. The two goons behind him laughed.
"Witty." I smiled. "No. It does this." I cupped my hand and brought it into my chest. Then I pushed out at the boys, opening my hand as I did so. A gust of some invisible force slammed into them, hurling them out the door and into the compartment across the hall. I closed my fingers together, turned my palm towards me and snapped my fingers into my palm. The gesture slammed the door shut.
I frowned and looked at my hand for a second. That was too easy. It wasn't a conjuring spell, so I'd usually had to concentrate to work repulsions. I guessed my powers had improved through all my studying and casting for getting to Avalon.
"That was wicked," Ron cried.
"Awesome," Harry agreed.
Hermione, though, frowned at me. "How did you do that?"
"Years of practice," I brushed her inquiry off. "So, who were those three?"
Harry let loose with a low growl. "Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle."
"Slytherins," added Ron.
Hermione only watched me with curious brown eyes.
"Well they're gone. So, what can I expect from your school?"
They spent the rest of the trip filling me in on the way the school system works: prefects, Houses, points. Everything the British school system does that the American does not. We snacked on some Bernie Botts' Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs and had a very enjoyable time.
The train stopped seemingly all too soon, and the students began to offload. A giant of a man stood on the platform calling out, "Firs' years! Firs' years!"
I let myself feel his potential, and though he wasn't very gifted, he had some magical ability. He also had very kind eyes behind those bushy eyebrows of his. "Matt Arico," he asked me in that thick accent of his.
"Uh-huh," I answered, looking at him nervously. Well, sort of. (Wink)
"Could you come with the firs' years, please?"
"Uh, sure...uh..."
"Hagrid," Harry whispered.
"...Hagrid. No problem at all." I turned to the other three. "See you guys at the castle."
Hagrid led the youngest children and me to a series of boats that crossed an enormous lake. Something rippled the water in front of my boat and I gaped at a giant kraken. Its huge eye looked at me, the yellow iris gleaming. Then it winked and disappeared into the depths. I sat back, stunned, and gasped as I caught my first sight of the castle.
It was evening and the lights were lit throughout the school filling the dark stone with a glowing light and creating a beautiful beacon against the backdrop of the sky. Even the crystal palace in Avalon didn't seem more beautiful.
Hagrid took us into the castle, where a tall, black-haired witch waited for us. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said perfunctorily. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes your.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
We were led into the Great Hall with thousands of floating candles and four very long tables with students sitting all along them. I looked up to see the night sky, flooded with stars mimicking the candles below. In the center of the hall, a battered old hat sat on a stool. As we approached, a seam near its base opened up and it began to sing. The tune seemed a limerick, though the words didn't repeat. It sang:
"To this place many years ago
Four great and powerful wizards came
In search of some tremendous power
That they could take and tame.
And they found here many creatures,
The kind both foul and fair
That represented power
Over land and sea and air.
For Slytherin the crafty,
The basilisk's terrible gaze.
For Gryffindor the true,
The golden phoenix plays.
Wise Ravenclaw, she found herself
Upon a unicorn,
And Hufflepuff the gentle
By the great Kraken was borne.
So a great school they founded here
The mighty wizards four,
To teach the mysteries they'd learned
To kids forever more.
But as you know, the four of them
Liked each a different trait.
So Gryffindor taught me how to find
In you what will help you be great.
And as the years have tumbled by,
I've excelled at my job.
Don't judge me by the way I look,
I swear I'm not a slob.
Now face your fears and put me on,
For you can have no doubt
No matter how unsure you are,
I'm sure to figure you out."
Everyone broke into cheers and applause as the hat finished its song and the tip of it bent down in a bow. The Deputy Headmistress, professor McGonagall, began calling out names. I stood at the back of the line, head and shoulders above the first year students, and many at the tables were craning their necks to see me. After waiting what seemed forever, the professor called my name last. "Arico, Matthew."
I stepped forward and put on the hat.
-Well,- I heard in my head, -this is something I've never seen before. I...I can't read you!-
-Sorry,- I answered the same way. -I don't really know why myself. I seem to have strange abilities, I admit.-
-Yes,- agreed the hat, -you do. But I need to know what to do with you. I can sense your power and ambition sort of, and know you are care for many people. You have faced great danger and learned from it as well. This is difficult.-
-You call that not being able to read me?-
-Not to the extent I can determine which House you should be in-the hat clarified.
-To me it makes no difference.-
-I know, and therein lies the difficulty.-
-Maybe this will make it easier,- I decided. -Can you keep a secret?-
-Of course!- The hat even managed to sound offended.
-I seek Voldemort. Put me in whichever House will help me find him.-
-You want to find the Dark Lord, eh? Well, that's none of my business, though it limits you to two. Slytherin or Gryffindor.-
-Whichever he will seek to destroy.-
-Ah. Then it must be GRYFFINDOR!-
The last word was shouted, and the table to my right burst out in applause and cheers. I sat down at a chair next to Harry. Hermione and Ron kept it open for me.
Headmaster Dumbledore rose. "Congratulations on your Sorting, students. Now I know we are all hungry, so I have only three words to say. Armar corathath dei."
He sat. The students looked confused as the food appeared on our golden plates. I held my spoon up to catch Dumbledore's eye and saluted him. I, at least, recognized the words. Touche, Old Man.
I still wasn't used to some of these English foods. Blood pudding pasties and all, but I tried pieces just about everything, and found it all cooked to perfection.
We all ate as much as possible, and for a while, conversation died down whilst everyone ate. I listened a lot, but said little. Once I was full, I sat back. I wasn't the only one, however. Several others did so and Headmaster Dumbledore stood again.
"It is quite late and I expect you all to go to sleep quickly, but first I have a few things to say. First years should note that the forest on grounds is forbidden to older pupils. Mr. Filch asks me to remind you that there no magic in the hallways and that the Fillibuster Fireworks are also on the forbidden items list. The complete, updated list, numbering some five hundred items is posted in his office. First years, gather with your prefects and they will show you the way. All the rest of you, get some sleep. Classes begin tomorrow, as you all know. Your schedules will be waiting when you wake up."
I followed Harry and Ron to the Gryffindor's Tower and there, a portly lady in a pink silk dress asked us for the password. "Hardbottom," Harry replied. The Fat Lady giggled and the painting swung open. I followed my companions to the boys' dorm and on their floor of the tower was a sixth bed.
"I guess Professor Dumbledore figured out which year I should be in," I joked. "But this wasn't necessary. A cot would've worked."
"Why would you want that," Ron asked.
"I don't sleep much any way. Lugging a whole new bed up here? Unnecessary." I shrugged. "Oh well. So, who are these guys?"
"Oh yeah. That's Neville Longbottom," he pointed towards a pudgy, pale boy who smiled nervously. "That's Seamus Finnigan." The only other blonde boy in the room shook with me. "This is Dean Thomas." We shook again. He was an attractive, tall Black kid, very athletic in build. I saw the poster on the wall. "A soccer player," I asked knowledgeably. He smiled and nodded. I sat and talked with all of them until quite late. They asked me all sorts of questions about America and what I did, stuff like that.
"So," Seamus started, "how'd you find out about your powers?"
"Uh, I was in a fight and getting beaten when some fire burst from my hands and drove him off."
They looked at me in shock. "Amazing," Dean whispered. Harry nodded. "Wicked," Ron agreed.
"So, what do we do for fun around here?" I desperately needed to change the subject.
"I dunno," Neville muttered.
"Play any Quidditch," Dean asked.
I shook my head. "Perhaps a game of chess instead," I offered.
Ron shook his head. "It's too late for a game tonight."
I shrugged. "Well, tomorrow then. I'm going for a walk." I stood to leave.
"You can't do that," Neville protested. "You'll get in trouble!"
I shrugged again. "I doubt it."
Harry and Ron smiled while Seamus and Dean just sighed. "Another one," the groaned. Then they laughed.
I checked my pocket to make sure my bag was still there and left the boys' dormitory. I waited for some of the stairways to move and quietly worked my way to the roof of the tower. It took a little while, especially as I'd never been there before and didn't want to be seen. I did work my way there and enlarged my bag. From it I drew two katana that I'd been using at home for practice. I shut my eyes and focused out the cold wind that threatened to blow me off the roof. With the twin blades in hand, I began to dance. It truly was a dance: a formal kata to loosen up my muscles and relax.
After a while, the blades began to clang together rhythmically eliciting sparks as they struck. The rhythm provided a counter to the beat of my movements, and I let myself be lost in the movements I'd never done before. I didn't remember anyone teaching it to me, nor did it feel awkward as though making it up from scratch. It seemed to have been locked in my muscular memory.
With a flash of insight, my mind opened up and it seemed familiar to me somehow. I felt my power surge, and the twin swords burst into blue-white flames ringed with purple. Almost of their own accord, the sword-tips bit into the stone, yet I didn't stop my movements. As I moved faster, I felt the power rushing out of me through my swords which occasionally cut into the dark floor like a hot knife cutting into butter.
"Mr. Arico!" The shocked exclamation drew me out of my reverie. I gently lowered the weapons as the flames died away. In the darkness, I saw Professor McGonagall staring at me with a mixture of amazement and anger. "What on earth are you doing here?!"
"Just loosening up, Professor," I said innocently. "I don't sleep well my first night in a new place. I didn't want to wake anyone."
"Be that as it may, you are not allowed to leave after your bedtime. I will have to take five points from Gryffindor for this. Now back to bed."
"But Professor," I protested, "I haven't actually left Gryffindor Tower. It's as though I'm in the common room, really. How could I have cost us points?"
She thought that over a moment. Her eyes seemed to glitter with amusement. "Very well, Mr. Arico. You have not left Gryffindor Tower, technically, so I will not take any points away from the House for this. But you must return to your dormitory. Now."
I nodded and sheathed the swords. Suddenly I was very tired. I tossed them into the bag and hauled it over my shoulder, struggling down the stairs. I couldn't let her see me shrink it, after all.
After I had left, Professor McGonagall raised her wand. "Lumos," she ordered, and a glowing light issued from its tip. She lowered it toward the floor I'd been practicing on and her eyes widened. "What is this?!" She hurried back through the tower, stopping only to make certain I was asleep in my room. Which, for a wonder, I was.
Then she all but ran to Professor Dumbledore's office.