Lydia's Story

The platform was now filled with students hurrying towards the carriages. Looking around her, Lydia saw Ron and the others hurrying towards Hagrid. Behind them was a long line of first-years, all looking up at Hagrid apprehensively.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione!" Hagrid boomed happily, his voice carrying clearly to Lydia's ears. "How are yeh? How was yer summer?"

Lydia saw Hermione smile and answer, but her voice didn't carry like Hagrid's. Lydia made her way to the cluster of first-years, her ears picking up more of the conversation.

"Where're all the other Prefects?" the giant continued, glancing at the students around him.

"The Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs helped us round up the midgets on the train," Ron answered this time, earning a dirty look from Hermione. "But Malfoy, of course, took off. Useless git!" He added in an undertone.

Lydia glared at them furiously as they said their good-byes and made their way to the carriages. She couldn't believe that they could say such rude things about a guy like Draco, after all he had done for her!

You had your doubts, too, her mind reminded her. He didn't seem so nice at first.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Hagrid's booming voice. "Firs' years! Is that all the firs' years? Oh, is - er," he looked down at a scrap of parchment in his had, holding it closer to the lamp, "is there a Miss Meliflua 'ere?" He looked around at the crowd, his eyes finally resting on Lydia's timidly raised hand. The crowd had suddenly fallen silent, as every head turned to look at her. Hagrid continued without notice, "Professor Dumbledore tol' me yeh'll be comin' with us. Now all o' yeh, follow me!"

Lydia followed the other first-years as they made their way along a narrow path, many of them still casting her nervous glances. No one walked near her, as if they were afraid of contamination. The path continued through darkness, finally opening on the edge of an inky lake. They could see a vast castle on the other side, sitting on top of a high mountain. It's many windows shone warmly in the darkness and reflected off the water, turning the lakes surface into a sheet of dancing lights.

"Tha's Hogwarts fer yeh!" Hagrid said proudly, amid scattered sounds of admiration from the first-years. He then gestured to a fleet of boats waiting down at the waters edge. "Everyone to a boat. No more'n four for each, mind yeh!"

First-years began scrambling into the tiny boats, many of them seeming desperate not to be last. Lydia wondered what they were worrying about, until she saw some of them casting her fearful glances. They didn't want to sit with her.

Coincidently, the first-years filled the boats perfectly, leaving Lydia to squeeze into a boat with Hagrid. He took up much of the boat himself, not leaving a lot of room for Lydia to sit, let alone be comfortable.

"Is everyone ready?" Hagrid called to the surrounding boats. "Well then, FORWARD!"

The fleet of boats moved at his command, gliding in unison across the sparkling surface of the lake. Lydia could hear indistinct chatter coming from the other boats as they made their way towards the high cliff.

"Yeh excited abou' comin' ter Hogwarts?" Hagrid asked, looking down where Lydia sat. She was surprised to see his eyes smiling down at her. She had expected icy silence, and was caught off-guard by his friendliness.

"Uh, yeah," she stammered, not sure what to say. "Yeah, I guess I'm excited."

Hagrid gave an understanding smile. "Rough trip?" he asked knowingly.

Before Lydia could respond, she saw that the first boats had already reached the cliff. "Heads down!" Hagrid yelled to the students ahead. They all bent their heads, and were carried through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening. They continued to drift through a long tunnel, their surroundings lit only by the light of Hagrid's lantern. At last they reached an underground harbour, and climbed out onto the rocky ground.

"Everyone here?" Hagrid asked after he checked the empty boats. "Well'n, follow me!"

He led them through another passageway, coming out onto the grass right outside the towering castle. Up close, Lydia saw that it was much larger than Durmstrang. Climbing a flight of stone steps, they reached the large oak front door. Raising an enormous hand Hagrid knocked on the door, and everyone fell silent.

The door was opened immediately by a tall, black-haired witch. She stood before them in emerald robes, fixing each of them in turn with her stern gaze.

" 'ere yeh are, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. "The firs'-years - and Miss Meliflua, 'o course!"

"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall replied, her gaze falling on Lydia. "I'll be taking them from here."

She opened the door wide, and led them across the gigantic Entrance Hall. They were brought into a small room with one lone occupant. The stranger, with greasy black hair and a long hooked nose, stood watching at the side of the room as they entered. His cold eyes scanned the filling room, finally resting on Lydia. He regarded her with barely concealed distrust, his gaze unblinking. Looking at him, Lydia felt a chill run through her spine. Lydia's attention was interrupted, however, by Professor McGonagall stepping to the front of the room.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, her eyes upon the students as silence fell throughout the room. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, following the Sorting Ceremony. Once you are sorted, you will take your place at your house table, where you will remain seated with the members of your house. While you are at Hogwarts, your house is like your family. Each house, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, has it's own proud history, and has held many great witches and wizards. Your successes will earn points for your house, while any disregard for rules will cost you house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the House Cup. The Sorting Ceremony will be taking place in a few minutes, so I ask you all to be ready."

Professor McGonagall finished speaking. Fixing Lydia with her gaze once again, she made her way over to where she stood. When she spoke, her voice was very quiet. "Miss Meliflua, I would like you to follow Professor Snape, who will give you further instructions as to your Sorting." She pointed Lydia towards the black-haired figure at the edge of the room. Lydia, feeling her stomach clench, nodded before making her way towards him.

*~*~*~*~*

As Lydia approached him, he once again fixed her with his unblinking stare. Lydia felt like a code waiting to be deciphered, and it didn't help to ease her anxieties. Her mind flashed back to what she had learned about Legilimency in her old Dark Arts classes, and her unease doubled.

"Come with me," he said at last, leading her out of the room. They made their way through the Entrance Hall in silence, opening a door across from them. The room they were in was tiny, only about twice the size of a broom closet. It's only furnishings were a couple of plain wooden chairs pushed against opposite walls.

"Take a seat," Snape said brusquely, and Lydia knew it was a command, not an offer. She sat in the closest chair and waited attentively for what he had to say.

"You will soon be attending the Sorting Ceremony," Snape said slowly, almost as though he was talking to a five-year-old. "You will be sorted after the first-years have all had their turn, and the ceremony will be the same for you. I will lead you into the Great Hall with the first-years, but you will sit at the High Table until your turn is announced. After you are sorted, you must sit with your house table. Do you understand?"

Lydia nodded. Her stomach was a knot of nerves, but it sounded simple enough.

Follow him, get sorted, sit down. Follow him, get sorted, sit down... she repeated to herself.

"Good," Snape said in the same patronizing tone. Moving towards the door, he led her back to the room where the first-years were waiting.

Many of the girls were fixing each others hair, while many of the guys stood talking nervously about what to expect.

"I heard it's a really big written test," one boy was saying. "The parts you get the highest marks in help them decide where to put you!"

"That's not what I heard!" said his friend. "My cousin said it was a duel."

Lydia's mind faded out of their conversation, thinking instead of the Sorting at Durmstrang. Only pure-blooded students attended Durmstrang, and a lot of the schools emphasis was on the purity of blood and legacy. As a result, the three houses represented your family's legacy. Families that were known to be great thinkers or helpers were sorted into the house of Benevol (by far the smallest house), founded by Belphegor Benevol. Families that traditionally took on roles of authority were sorted into the house of Dolohov, founded long ago by Iniaes Dolohov, the Bulgarian Minister for Magic in his time. Families traditionally 'dedicated to a cause' (in other words, Dark Arts) were sorted into the house of Meliflua, founded by her great, great, great, great grandfather Armaros.

She had, naturally, been in the house of Meliflua while at Durmstrang. She knew nothing about the houses at Hogwarts, and so had no way of guessing which one she may end up in. Draco had seemed certain that she would be in Slytherin with him, and Lydia found the idea very appealing.

"The Sorting Ceremony's about to start," came Professor McGonagall's sharp voice. "Everyone form a line, and follow me."