Nobody Knew

Hogwarts Express was less crowded than the year before it seemed to Hermione, as it sprung to mind as her first thought when she begun searching for her friends. Less first-years, she noted absently. With Voldemort's return many parents were afraid of letting their children go from under their personal care - even if Hogwarts was the safest place to be. Some other students left too, particualry some Slytherins.

She found Harry and Ron in a corridor of the train, as they were looking for her too. Chatting and greeting each other happily, the three of them decided to look for an empty compartment.

Looking through the train, suddenly Harry stopped, while Hermione and Ron peered over his shoulder to see the problem. He gestured to the girl, sitting all alone. It was a new face, a first-year presumably.

"Poor kid," Harry muttered, "She's shaking."

He remembered when he was on his first trip. He admitted sheepishly that he had been a little was scared before Ron had approached him and turned his anxiety into pure excitement.

Without second thought he opened the compartment door and they all walked in. The girl almost jumped and looked at them nervously.

"Hi," Harry smiled broadly. "A first-year?"

There could be only one answer to that and the girl gave it, looking nervous and the slightest bit ill. "Yes."

"I'm Harry," Harry introduced himself politely and smiled once again.

Ron taking note of Harry's example and his mother's teachings, did the same. "I'm Ron."

The girl didn't look relieved at all. Maybe she's afraid of boys, Hermione thought. Or perhaps she's Muggle born. Or first time without parents. Or everything in between.

"I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger," she presented herself and sat down opposite the girl. Then she sent Harry and Ron a meaningful look. It was a miracle that they realized what she wanted and sat down too. Hermione didn't want to give the girl the impression that they were dominating. They were older and bigger and male. Enough to scare a timid little girl.

And she was little, Hermione noticed. Much smaller than a regular eleven-year old; she seemed to be drowning in her ill-fitted black robe. If they met elsewhere, Hermione wouldn't give her more than nine. The girl had long, black hair, clear blue eyes and pale complexion. She was cute, in a childish sort of way.

"I'm...Aurelia. Aurelia Winters," the girl choked out, wishing they would go away.

"Nice to meet you, Aurelia. You are terribly nervous, aren't you?" Hermione went for a direct approach and smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way.

Aurelia was not going to deny it. She knew she wouldn't fool anyone. She was becoming good in hiding her real feelings, but not this time. She tried to smile, but it came out in a sort of a terrible grimace.

"A little, yes." She saw she wouldn't escape the small talk. Perhaps it would be for the better. She wouldn't have to think of what happened. She wouldn't have to be careful not to close her eyes and see the terrifying pictures. Or concentrate on the sounds of the train so she wouldn't have her ears filled with screams of pain.

But she would have to work hard not to reveal that she didn't belong here.

"It's not that scary," Hermione smiled once more. "I remember I was very excited on my first trip. It turned out much better than I could have expected. Don't worry, you will make a lot of friends." She hoped her babbling would calm the frightened girl. "Some of the students, especially Slytherins, don't like Muggle-borns, but they are minority, I assure you." She didn't tell how nasty this minority could be.

Aurelia, instead of relaxing, stiffened. "I am not Muggle born. And my father was a Slytherin," she said coldly, suddenly a different person in the face of the inintended insult.

"Oh?" Hermione didn't know what to say. "I didn't mean to...well, you were so nervous that I thought the only reason would be that you don't know much about the school." She felt strange, explaining herself to somebody so much younger. Usually she didn't have to do it, she was Hermione Granger, the smartest witch at Hogwarts.

"It's all right." Aurelia replied, dismissing the issue somewhat casually as she tried to find some reason why would she be nervous. What was Caia nervous about? And Cassius?

"It's the sorting thing. What house are you in?"

"Gryffindor." Harry spoke up for the first time since introducing himself.

"Yeah, the best house at school!" Ron added with a sheepish smile at his own outburst. He was about to say something about Slytherins when Harry pinched him in the arm.

"I have an uncle who was a Gryffindor."

"What house would you like to be in?" Harry asked, curious.

"I'm not sure. Ravenclaw sounds nice. My Mum was in Ravenclaw." It wouldn't be sensible to tell a bunch of Gryffindors that, according to her father, she was a Slytherin from head to toes.

"Since your uncle was in Gryffindor, you have a wide range to choose from, judging from your family."

Aurelia had to smile at that. It didn't matter that she had never met her Gryffindor uncle. "I also had a Hufflepuff grandmother."

They all grinned at the revelation. Aurelia decided to change the subject, before they begin asking uncomfortable questions.

"So," she began, trying to say something to appease her nerves. "Can you tell me some stories...?"

Their stories about life in Hogwarts were designed to cheer her up, and she laughed indeed. Gryffindors weren't that bad, it seemed. Despite her father's words.

When the train came to a halt however, her good mood was nothing more than a pretense. Hermione, Harry and Ron left her with the other first-years.

"Hope to see you in Gryffindor!"

Not a chance, she thought at that. She wouldn't be in any House.

She begun trembling again.

So close, she thought, so close, I can't blow it away now! I can make it! Mum, and Cassius and Caia... I had no other choice! Even if everybody is going to be furious with me.

She followed the crowd, not noticing the gasps of other students, not seeing the wonders of Hogwarts. She focused on staying away from Hagrid's sight. Nothing probably would happen if he noticed her; he didn't know her, didn't know of her -- but better safe than sorry, she reasoned in her mind.

Professor McGonagall was much more terrifying than she had imagined, so she hid behind another student's back. She just had to get inside, find him and tell him everything that happened. And he would make everything all right.

Finally the door to the Great Hall were opened and all new students begun talking, amazed, entranced, surprised at the sights.

Aurelia looked around, at the four long tables with an incredible amount of people at them, eyes slowly meandring to the teacher's table in the head of the hall. She had never seen so many people in one place. She was scared out of her wits. Why, oh why, did Mum and Dad so rarely let her leave their house grounds?

McGonagall begun to explain the Sorting Ceremony. Aurelia was looking around panicked. Where was he? He was supposed to be there!

Her gaze drifted over Hermione, Harry and Ron, who were smiling with as much assurance as they could muster, but it did little good.

Where was he? She was scanning the surroundings frantically.

There! The relief made her burst with tears. She found the rest of her energy and flew to the familiar, black-clad figure, choking with uncontrolled sobs.

The attention of entire hall was turned form the first person walking up to the Sorting Hat to a little girl running towards Professor Snape. The students had never seen him quite so shocked.

"Aurelia, what is this supposed to mean?" The underlying fury in Snape's voice made Aurelia stop in fear.

"I'm sorry, Dad, don't be mad at me..." she sobbed as her emotions let loose, "I... had to... you said not tell anyone... they had masks... Cassius was screaming, and Mum, and Caia, and I was so scared, and I took Caia's robe..." The words were flowing chaotically, she just couldn't control herself anymore and try to make sense.

Shock and fury on Snape's face changed into horror. He picked up Aurelia in his arms and she locked her hands behind his neck, finally feeling safe.

"...and, Daddy... bring them back!..."

Snape held her tightly when he looked up at Dumbledore, ignoring astonished looks from entire staff. He hoped the students were too far away to hear her call him 'Daddy'.

"Albus, will you allow me?..." He whispered hoarsely and looked to the face of his sobbing daughter.

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Of course, I will be with you right after I'm finished here."

At that, Snape rushed out of the Great Hall, with his little daughter crying in his arms.