Before the End

Beginnings of a life forgotten

Time never changes. It flows on, an endless river, unstoppable, uncontrollable. Some are granted more, some less. Most savor what they are given, but others choose not to. My glance wanders away from the Sorting as Abigail, Sarah becomes a Ravenclaw. Some things never change. My glances wanders on, the faces blur. So many here, but so many gone. I wonder sometimes whether being a little unstable is a necessity to being a good Headmaster at Hogwarts. At least that would explain quiet a bit about my predecessors and me. Or maybe it is because we have lived and seen so much. No matter now, my mind wanders. Douglas, Sally is now a Slytherin. Time moves on. I glance out at the expecting first years. It seems unbelievable, but once I had been one of them. I stood there, too proud to let my nerves show through, trying not to care, but at the same time caring all too much. I remember Professor Dippet, smiling down on us and coughing into his handkerchief. A lump rises in my throat. I am the only one here who remembers him. Someday, will a Headmaster sit here as I sit today and remember with a start the elderly Headmistress who was here but for their first year? Yes, I know it my bones, in my heart, in my mind. This is to be my last year, and before it draws to a close, this book must be complete. I am the only one left who knows. And my story shall be told. The truth that no one dared believe is still the truth, locked inside of me. I will begin at the beginning, not the true beginning, but what seemed like the beginning at the time. Anyway, Sortings are always a good place to start, especially the Sorting of 1969.

.................................................................................

She ran. It was what she did best. Whenever things got too bad, too horrible to deal with, she ran. At a measly three foot ten, she could not run fast, but she could run far. To the end of the train, even. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she stopped. Not because she was out of breath, but because there was nowhere else to go. Only one compartment remained. Praying to whom ever might be listening to a lonely eleven-year-old girl, she opened the door. Quietly, almost undetectably, she slipped in. When her eyes traveled across the empty seats of the compartment, she let out the breath she had not noticed she was holding. If anyone did decide to join her, they would be in for a nasty surprise. Just as she was about to pull a book out of her small bag, someone knocked on the compartment door.

"Go to hell!"

"Well, that's no way to greet someone!" The speaker was a medium-sized girl. Her honey brown hair fell loosely to her hips. At that moment, her hands were planted firmly there as well. When Lana ignored her and instead pulled out a small, thick book, the girl began to scowl.

"So, am I going to have to stand here all day or can I come in?"

"Isn't there somewhere else you could be?" She did not bother putting her book down. If she waited long enough the annoying girl would leave, they all did. Instead, the girl happily crossed to the seat opposite from her and sat down. She offered an outstretched hand.

"I'm Sandry Laterne, a first year, like you." she cocked her head to the side in thought. "I think."

Lana glanced down coldly at the outstretched hand. "Lana Konte." Her eyes, and attention, went back to the book on her lap. Sandry frowned at her for a few more seconds and got out a book for herself. After about half an hour, curiosity got the better of her.

"So, where are you from?"

Lana sighed and put down her book.

"Are you planning on leaving or will you continue pestering me?"

Sandry grinned.

"Wow! She lives!"

A faint smile blossomed reluctantly on Lana's lips.

"Sadly. I am forced to survive and pay attention to the riff-raff around me." Seeing the shock on Sandry's face, Lana shook her head and looked down at her book with a sly grin.

"So, where are you from?" Sandry tried again.

"London," Lana said with a slight sigh, without looking up from her book.

"And...?" She gesticulated to show that more of an answer would be appreciated.

"And what?" Lana chose to ignore her companion's prompts for an answer. Sandry let out a small sigh.

"Right. Let me try. My name is Sandriline Artemis Laterne but everyone calls me Sandry. I've lived in London my whole life. My parents are both Wizards but I have muggle-grandparents. I have no siblings, thankfully, and that's all for my boring life. What about you?"

"You're not going to give, up are you?" Lana's exasperated sigh did not come out quite as annoyed as before.

"Nope."

With a roll of her eyes, Lana carefully closed her book, put it in her bag, and repeated back Sandry's tirade.

"My name is Lana Elizabeth Konte but everyone calls me Lana. I was born in London. My parents are rich and my grandparents are dead. I have a younger brother. Anything else you would like to know? My passport number perhaps?"

Sandry snickered.

"No, it's quiet all right, I have my own. So, how do you like the Wizarding world thus far?"

"Hate it with a bloody passion."

"Well, that's nice. Any specific reason?"

"Well, so far as I can see, everyone bases everything on stereotypes. Some jerk called me a few very polite names just 'cause I am Muggle born, then you happily introduced yourself as Wizard born. I quite despise it." Sandry frowned thoughtfully at Lana's words.

"Not everyone is like that, you know. I only included my background because, well, I dunno really why. But the jerk was probably a Slytherin; they think anyone who is muggle-born is scum."

"And there you go again. Just because someone is a Slytherin doesn't mean they're all bad. Same goes for Gryffindor, but vice-versa."

"You seem to know the Hogwarts background fairly well for a muggle-born."

"I read a lot. And my Grandfather is a Wizard" Lana said with finality and got out her book. She dove back into the pages of her novel, lost to the outside world.

With a glance at her sullen companion, Sandry got out her own book.

The rest of their journey passed in silence, broken only by the arrival of the food cart. As the train neared Hogwarts, Sandry found herself getting increasingly nervous. She glanced over at Lana and was surprised to see no evident emotion on her face. Sandry loudly cleared her throat.

"Cough drop?" Lana didn't even look up from her book as she offered a small, metal tin.

"No thank you. We're just about to reach the castle, so you might want to change."

Sandry hoped that now she would get some emotional response from Lana, but the other girl merely glanced at her watch and nodded.

"Might as well."

As they dressed, Sandry couldn't help but ask one more question.

"So, you worried about the sorting ceremony?" She tried to keep the anxiety out of her voice, but it didn't quite work.

"What is there to worry about? No one's died recently. Except for Myrtle, and she died in the bathroom, not the Great Hall." Lana's voice was matter-of-fact, and if she was in any way nervous, it didn't show. Sandry shot an inquiring look at her.

"Um, someone died?"

"Yes, one person. At least on school premises, a few have died outside the school, but that's neither here nor there." Lana didn't seem to be horrified by her pronouncement. Sandry, on the other hand, was rather pale with dread.

"You wouldn't by any chance know how she died, would you?"

"Nope, only that they expelled the person who killed her. Probably still in jail somewhere. It was around thirty years ago, I believe. After the end of World War II."

"World War II?" Sandry inquired innocently. Lana rolled her eyes. Sandry was spared a tongue-lashing as the train rolled to a stop. Lana picked up her bag, and silently headed out. Sandy rushed after her, nearly tripping over her cloak.

"Firs' years this way! Firs' years follow me!" Boomed a voice belonging to a giant of a man standing on the platform. Sandry gulped when she saw him, but Lana barely bothered to give him a once-over. As the girls followed him down to the lake, Lana began to wonder about what house she might be in. Personally, she didn't care at all, but anything was better than paying attention to the fact that they were crossing a bottom-less lake in small, rickety boats. Even Sandry seemed less chirpy, but that might have been the talk about death. As the two girls sat in a tiny boat, two other girls joined them. Both were brunette as well, and of around the same height. The skinnier, gawkier-looking girl gaped open-mouthed at Lana.

"Konte? Lana? What are you doing here?"

"Drowning." The rest of the conversation was cut off as the boats turned the bend and the first years got their first glance of Hogwarts. As the majority of the first years ooh'ed and ah'ed, Lana barely noticed the change in scenery. However, she was one of the first to climb out of the boats once they had reached the castle grounds. An elderly man stood on the steps of the huge school.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! Please, follow me!"

Lana found herself being pushed ahead by the other students. Shooting a deathly glare behind her, she stepped out of the way, and walked up at her own pace. As the students finally reached a small chamber off the Great Hall, Lana turned to face an elderly gentleman, with a neutral expression that betrayed nothing of what she thought.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore," the gentleman began, "and in a few moments, you will be sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses. You will live, study, and learn with your housemates for the next seven years. In no particular order, the houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff." He cocked his head to the side, as if listening for something, and spoke again. "Come along now, it is time."

The first years nervously followed Dumbledore into the Great Hall. Many gulped and pulled at their ties. Lana cast a fleeting glance at the crowd. Her eyes did stop at the Slytherin table for a moment and what she saw there made her frown. At that moment, an old hat and tri-stool were brought out. Lana's attention was directed toward them, especially when the hat began to sing.

Seems on a stool before you

Sits an aged and useless hat,

But by the time I end this song

You'll all know better than that.

While it all seems unfamiliar

You firsties needn't fear,

I speak the truth when I declare

That I sort every year.

Be you a noble Gryffindor-

Chivalrous, truly brave?

Are you a clever Ravenclaw-

Is knowledge what you crave?

Maybe a patient Hufflepuff-

A hard-worker every day?

Perhaps a cunning Slytherin

And you must have your way?

When the founders formed this great school

A thousand years ago,

It was quite plain to all that it

Would continue to grow.

And as they couldn't live forever

They had a small problem

Hogwarts is made of houses four

And who could choose but them?

Then an idea dawned on Godric

They put some spells on me,

So to choose all I must do is

Look in your head and see.

Now pull me down over your head

I'll glance round with a grin

And use my brains to pick the house

That you will best fit in!

As the school broke out in applause, the first years sighed in relief. Sandry began muttering to herself.

"Try on a hat! I'm going to strangle him! Wrestling trolls! He'll be wrestling once I get my hands on him! That little - " At that moment Professor Dumbledore unfurled a long parchment scroll.

"When I call your name, please come forward and put on the Sorting Hat." Lana couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Abbot, Patrick."

A small, somewhat nervous boy came up. The hat seemed to ponder for a minute or two and then -

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

One of the middle tables began to clap. Lana tuned the rest of the students out, until a rather unfamiliar name was called out.

"Konte, Alanna."

Glancing around, Lana realized that Dumbledore was using a name no one ever called her. She eyed the hat warily as she made her way down to the hat. Quickly she sat down, and the hat fell, covering her eyes. She was quiet surprised by the thin voice in her ear.

"Hm, there's a new one. So young, and yet, so old."

Lana chose not to reply.

"Let's see here. Hufflepuff? No, you'd be bored out of your mind there. The same goes for Gryffindor. And you are far from being brave. But loyal, hm, that still remains to be seen. You have nothing to be loyal to, yet. A brilliant mind, but such ambition as well! Where to put you? In Ravenclaw, you would sharpen your wit, but in Slytherin you'd gain strength. You could be great in Slytherin, all the possibilities are here. And as a muggle-born you would only become more stubborn, now wouldn't you? But wait, what is this? Oh, oh my my my. That is an unusual twist.

Beware your own power child. You will be great in - "

RAVENCLAW!

The hat yelled the final word to the whole school. Lana barely noticed the applause as she went down to sit. Her power, maybe, maybe now there would be an explanation. Here, where magic was already commonplace, then maybe she would be as well. Lana was so far lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice as "Konte, Lianne" tripped over her robes on her way to the Ravenclaw table until a pretty third year addressed her.

"Are you guys sisters or something?"

"We're cousins." The girls replied in unison. Lana glared at Lianne's beaming face. At that moment though, "Laterne, Sandriline" joined them at the table with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Am I good at choosing my compartment-mates or what?"

"Or what," Lana replied with about as much emotion as she gave anything else. Abruptly, she tuned back to the Sorting. Her eyes stopped on one of the girls she had seen earlier. The one that had looked so much like the jerk on the train.

"Malfoy, Selene."

The hat barely touched her head -

SLYTHERIN!

Lana scowled. The girl after her, "Mindalen, Keladry," also joined Ravenclaw. Lana wasn't surprised when "Munin, Nari," the second girl from the train, joined Selene at the Slytherin table. "Paves, Hannah." was the fifth girl to become a Ravenclaw and the final nasty girl, "Snape, Rebecca," joined Slytherin as well. It looked like Sandry had been right about her assessment of the house. Lana actually turned around to tell the girl as much, but stopped short when she saw Sandry. The girl was deathly pale. She was starring at the Sorting in horror, as if she was seeing something the rest of them couldn't. Lana reached over to tap her on the wrist, but Sandry seemed to come out of her shock. She gave Lana a forced smile and pointedly turned back to the Sorting. By then there were few students left. Only a small boy, "Vendimagli, Tirizhian," caught her attention. It was hard not to, Professor Dumbledore spent a minute in deep silence trying to figure out the pronunciation of the boy's name. Tirizhian joined the Ravenclaw table. As he kept throwing glances behind him at the Slytherin table, his frown could have rivaled Lana's. Shaking her head free of random thoughts, Lana turned to the head table just as the small man in the center stood up. He coughed into his handkerchief and addressed the school with a beaming smile.

"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts! A huge welcome to the new first years! Also, a reminder to the students that the Forbidden Forest is still forbidden for your own safety, as are the 216 objects on Mr. Filch's list. But, enough talk from me. Let the feast begin!" As Lana looked on, the plates filled with food. Only then did she realize how hungry she was. Heaping great mounds of potatoes onto her plate, she listened silently to the conversations around her. Sandry was trying to weasel everyone's life story out of them, but only succeeding in part.

"We're going to be stuck together for seven years! At least knowing a little about each other wouldn't hurt! Someone! Talk!"

Lianne sighed dramatically. "Lianne Konte. Don't call me Li, Lie, or any variation of that." At those words, Lana smirked and Lianne glared in her general direction. "I have a younger sister and am sadly related to Lana over there." Lana smirked again and Lianne glared at her, again. "I'm half-and-half, my dad was in quite a shock when he found out about my mum. I'm from London. Someone else go." She glared pointedly at Lana.

"I already recited my biography once today, if you would like to hear it, ask Sandry; I'm not wasting my breath." Both Sandry and Lianne opened their mouths to snap something at Lana but suddenly, Zhian spoke up.

"Jeez. Do you always drill people you meet or are we just special?" Lana shot him a questioning looking but Zhian refused to meet her eyes. Instead, he engrossed himself in his potatoes. Sandry was now glaring at Zhian, who, unlike Lana, seemed uncomfortable with her eyes boring holes in his head. In the awkward silence that followed, Lana abruptly turned to the student next to her.

"I was wondering, Miss...?"

"Black. But please, Andromeda is so much better." The girl next to her replied with a quick smile. Lana resisted the urge to roll her eyes and gag.

"I was wondering if you could tell me what subjects we'd be taking this year. Sadly, all of the books I had read only had a list of all the subjects offered. They hadn't bothered to divide them up by years." Andromeda looked ready to laugh at the serious expression on Lana's face, but something in the younger girl's eyes made her stop.

"Well, you'll be taking the basics: History of Magic, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Also, you'll have flying lessons once a week."

"Flying? We have to get off the ground at unbearable heights in order to fall 50 ft to the ground? For a grade?" Lana's voice held pure contempt, masking a horror-like fright. Andromeda merely laughed causing Lana to glower.

"It's not that bad, trust me. You only go up a foot or two at first. And no one has yet to fall too badly. The worst you'll get is a sprained wrist."

"Worst? I'm in hell, aren't I?"

"No, just Hogwarts."

With a quick sneer, Lana turned back to her food. She wished that the feast was over already. She'd be able to go up to the dorms then. She could read, maybe even write. It would be quiet. If the other four girls had a problem with that plan, well they'd soon find out that it wasn't a good idea to cross her. After what seemed like an eternity, the feast finally ended. The girl she had been talking to earlier, Andromeda, stood up.

"First years come along!"

Ever obediently, the first years stood up and followed her out. As Andromeda and another tall, blond boy led them around the castle, the eleven year olds couldn't help but look around. Even for those who came from Wizarding families, the school was a marvel. Passing by the moving paintings, Lana couldn't help but wonder how they got there. It would be interesting to find out how they were made. Lana didn't even notice the wall until after she ran into it.

"Ow! Bloody wall! I swear it wasn't there a minute ago!"

Tirizhian had a hard time keeping a straight face, "Ah, yes, those pesky walls, they just pop up wherever they feel like it!"

Lana glared, hard. "I wasn't talking to you!"

Tirizhian just laughed. "To who then, the wall?"

Lana glared again and stalked off. After what seemed like an endless walk, Andromeda finally stopped at a closed window and the younger children gathered around her.

"Wow! A window! Didn't think we'd see many of those in Hogwarts!" Tirizhian was grinning wolfishly. Andromeda glared at him in a chastising manner and Lana smirked.

"Don't worry, it's a magic window! You jump out and you land straight on the ground instead of falling for three floors." Tirizhian couldn't help himself any more and he burst out laughing causing Andromeda to scowl heavily.

"That is quite enough, you two." She snapped, "The window is an entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. And if you are quiet for more than a minute, we might actually go in tonight." Turning around, she faced the window and in a clear voice proclaimed, "Etudiants Conduisent Fou!" At her words, the window sprang open. Kel looked at it apprehensively.

"Are we going to jump out the window to reach the common room?" she asked in a tiny voice, causing Zhian to snicker and Lana to smirk in an I-told-you-so way.

"Of course not!" Andromeda was beginning to sound like she was losing her patience. Without waiting for any more comments to fly her way, she gripped the window frame and stepped through. With a few fleeting glances between them, Lana, Zhian, Sandry, Lianne, and the other first years followed her. On the other side, they found a large, circular room. Comfortable looking couches were spread around low tables. What caught the eye of most of the students, though, was the library. The far side of the room was covered with books. Lana was wondering how you could even reach all of them, as some were ten feet off the ground. But she was pulled out of her thoughts as Andromeda began to talk.

"This, as some of you may have noticed, is the Ravenclaw common room. You will study and relax with your housemates here. Up to your right is the girls' dormitory, to the left, the boys'. Your classes start tomorrow, so I would recommend you go up to bed immediately." She smiled lightly.

At her words, two doors opened up revealing two sets of spiraling staircases going up. As all the first years groaned, Sandry voiced their thoughts.

"Another staircase?!"

Andromeda merely laughed. "Up you go. Long day tomorrow."

Lana cocked her head to the side. "Has anyone ever attempted to murder you?"

Andromeda looked like she was unsure of what to say and in the end just opted to laugh lightly and shoo the first years up the stairs.

Upon reaching their room, Lana was pleasantly surprised to find her trunk next to her bed. The other four girls had begun talking, but she ignored them. Instead, she looked around their new room. Like the common room, it was circular. The five four-poster beds had been placed with their headboards to the wall. A small window with a window seat was located between each of the beds. Scowling at the lock on her chest, Lana began searching her pockets for keys. It was then that she realized that someone was talking to her.

"Hm?"

"I said - oh never mind!" Lianne sounded exasperated. Lana guessed that it wasn't the first time the girl had tried to get her attention. Shrugging lightly, she opened her trunk and began to rummage around. Someone, probably one of the maids, had folded a frilly pink dress on top of her clothes. Lana looked at it with something very much akin to pure horror. Quickly, she stuffed the dress under her bed. After a bit more rummaging, she finally found what she was looking for. Grabbing her journal and a quill, she curled up on the bed.

"Lana? Lana. Lana! LANA!" Lianne was forced to scream her name out in order to get a bit of attention from her. Even then, Lana didn't bother doing anything more than glancing up for a split second. Carefully, unscrewing the top of her inkwell, she began to write. An hour later, she finally looked up, only to find all of the other girls asleep. Shrugging carelessly, she grabbed a book from her trunk and began to read. It was long past midnight when she finally went to sleep. And as she slept, she dreamed.

She was in a carriage. A girl's voice sounded next to her. "Grubbly-Plank...can't have left ..."

Lana only caught snatches of the conversation around her. It seemed like she was there but, at the same time, far away.

"...rubbish..."

She had to agree with that comment. She tried to turn her head, but it seemed to be beyond her control. Then, the carriage she was in turned and she was looking at Hogwarts. Her eyes traveled to a dark cabin. And then she was leaving, walking towards the school. She glanced back at the carriages and almost saw some ...animal thing, but the she was suddenly in the Great Hall. She tried to walk to the Ravenclaw table, but instead her legs carried her to the Gryffindors.

"...can't have left...hurt, or anything..."

She found herself talking to the people around, but she had no clue what she was saying or what they were replying.

"...Dumbledore..."

Well, that made no sense

"...Umbridge...cardigan...surely not..."

Her companions were discussing something, someone. And then she got a good look at the Head Table and would have gasped if she had any control over her body. Everything was so...odd. The first years came in then, but they were led not by Professor Dumbledore, but another Professor she had seen that night. And then the Sorting Hat began to sing. It seemed like the song had been put on full volume, and everything else turned off completely. Lana tried to listen, but the words kept getting louder and quieter.

"... new ... noble ... yearning ... best ... together ... good friends ... divided ... Ravenclaw ... wrong ... fail ... ancestry is purest ... intelligence is surest ... brave deeds ... strife ... pure-blood ... sharpest mind ... brave ... faults and fears ... divided, sought to rule ... listen closely ... condemned ... danger ... deadly ... crumble ... warned you."

She was breathing hard, something about the song, it had something important. She knew that, but then her attention was grabbed by the ghost sitting not far from her.

"...honor-bound..."

The Sorting had begun and her attention gathered there. Before she even knew it, she was eating and listening and talking. But nothing made sense. Time had stopped running normally. Red, there was so much red. Someone was arguing,

"...ought to know by now..."

She was falling asleep in the dream as well, but there was talking. More talking.

"...not permitted ... delighted to introduce ... hem, hem ... happy ... cardigan ... vital importance ... ancient skills ... without progress there will be stagnation and decay"

What? She was lost, so lost.

"better ... to come ... retained ... abandoned"

Wasn't that an oxymoron?

"new era ... Quidditch"

Walking to the Gryffindor common room. But she was a Ravenclaw. Lost, so lost.

"mimbulus mimbletonia"

Someone mumbling the password.

"holiday ... come back ... liar ... old fool ... Cedric"

Why was she in the boy's dorm?

"mother ... Daily Prophet ... madman ... rubbish ... prefect ... Muggles ... sacked ... rubbish"

Head. Splitting. Pain. Rushing. Flying. Time. Spinning. Soaring.

And with a rush she found herself awake on her bed. Quickly she glanced around. The sun had just begun to rise and all of her dorm mates were asleep. She lay back down, trying to remember why she had woken up. Walking, talking, something about a cardigan and danger. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she gave up on trying to remember anything. But just as she was walking into the small bathroom, one phrase traveled into her conscious mind.

"I have warned you."