Eve

            "Do you have everything you need, honey? We've got to get going, the train leaves soon—"

            "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," I huffed, stumbling down the stairs and dragging my trunk behind me. My aunt was waiting at the bottom, holding onto her Muggle car keys and looking up at me anxiously.

            When I finally reached the bottom, my aunt grabbed the trunk from me and started to drag it towards the door, saying frantically over her shoulder, "Hurry, we can't be late. It's your first day and everything—oh God, what if we miss the train—"

            "Relax," I interrupted calmly, rolling my eyes and trying not to let my frustration show. My aunt was like this every year, but she was extra nervous because of the new school and everything. Honestly, if anyone should be freaking out, it was me.

            We made it to the car, and it took the both of us to shove my trunk into the back. I climbed into the passenger seat, and my aunt pulled out of the driveway, rambling the whole time about things I would need to know about Hogwarts. I sighed quietly as she went off on a rant about the classes I would be taking as a fifth year. I knew this already; she'd explained it to me multiple times over the summer, unfortunately.

            "—and remember, Evelyn, you'll have to be sorted into a House because it's your first year at Hogwarts," my aunt told me, repeating the same words she'd said last week. "You'll probably be the only one to get Sorted that isn't a first year, just so you know. You'll be in Gryffindor, of course, so—"

            "You don't know that," I said quietly, and this finally made my aunt break off and glance over at me.

            I kept my gaze focused out the window, so I couldn't see her expression as she said slowly, "Honey, I know you're worried about being put into Slytherin. But it isn't going to happen; your uncle and I were both in Gryffindor, and you're parents didn't even go to Hogwarts when they were younger. There's no way you're going to get placed in Slytherin."

            What I wanted to say was, 'But how can you be so sure? Both of my parents were Death Eaters...of course I'll be in Slytherin. I've got bad blood.' Instead, all I said was, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

            The rest of the car ride to King's Cross was spent in silence. I was grateful, really—my aunt could be overwhelming at times. She was great and everything, and we got along really well in our tiny flat in London...but she could definitely be a bit much sometimes.

            When we finally made our way to the space between Platforms 9 and 10, I was starting to get seriously nervous. Who was I going to sit with on the train? I didn't know anyone here, and I'd left all my friends back at Beaubaxtons. What if everyone hated me?

            As we lugged my trunk to the brick wall that led to Platform 9 ¾, I told myself to stop being so paranoid. I'd made friends at Beaubaxtons when I first started there, hadn't I? And besides, no one knew who I really was. No one knew that my parents were Death Eaters when they were alive, so I was completely normal to them.

            I repeated that to myself as my aunt and I rushed through the brick wall and onto the Platform, telling myself over and over that I was normal. You're normal, Eve. You are.

            "Alright, I think we're supposed to load your trunk over there." My aunt pointed, and the two of us carefully pushed our way through the crowds of parents and students to get to it.

            We loaded my trunk onto the train pretty easily, and when we were finished my aunt glanced at her watch. "It leaves in ten minutes," she said with a small smile, obviously feeling guilty for rushing out of the house when we really had extra time. "I'd love to see you off, but I've got to get to work..."

            "Don't worry about it," I smiled warmly, knowing my aunt's work was important to her. "I'll just go find a seat."

           My aunt pulled me into a bone-crushing hug then, holding onto me tightly. I knew she was getting emotional, but I was just hoping she wouldn't cause a scene and embarrass me in front of all these people I didn't know.

            "Bye, Eve," she whispered in my ear. She kept her voice down as she added, "Stay safe, honey. Keep out of trouble, don't draw too much attention to yourself, okay?"

            "Okay," I said, knowing exactly what she meant. Keep my head down, don't get noticed by You-Know-Who. Easy.

            As she pulled away, wiping discreetly under her eyes, my aunt smiled down at me with both hands on my shoulders. "Have a good year, Evelyn. Everything's going to be okay, you'll see. I love you."

            "Love you too," I said, and accepted one last hug from her before she had to turn away. As she disappeared into the crowd, I hoped she wouldn't be too lonely while I was gone. My uncle had walked out on us at the end of my fourth year, so this would be the first year she would be alone at the flat while I was at school. I shook my head and tried not to think about it—I had other things to worry about right now, like finding a seat on the train.

            Feeling the nerves return to my stomach, I turned towards the Hogwarts Express and took a deep breath. I could do this.

            I was just about to board the train when out of the corner of my eye I saw someone struggling to load their trunk. Automatically starting towards them, I asked uncertainly, "Hey, do you want some help?"

            The girl had long, fiery red hair that almost hurt my eyes to look at. She glanced up at the sound of my voice, and grinned over at me as she replied, "That'd be great, thanks."

            The two of us shoved her trunk onto the train, and when we were finished the girl turned to me with a grateful smile. "Thanks for that, my brothers totally abandoned me."

            "Don't worry about it," I laughed, tucking a blonde strand of hair behind one ear.

            "Hey, I don't think I've seen you before," the girl said, looking at me curiously. "What's your name?"

            "Eve Hawkings," I told her.

            "I'm Ginny Weasley," she grinned, and stuck out her hand with a small laugh. "How come I've never seen you around?"

            I shyly shook her hand, and said with a smile, "This is my first year at Hogwarts, I've been to Beaubaxtons all my life."

            "Oh cool," Ginny said, but was interrupted by the train whistling. We looked up at the clock to see that it left in five minutes, so Ginny smiled broadly at me and said, "Come on, let's go find a seat."

            The relief nearly turned my knees to water. As I followed her onto the train, I almost couldn't believe my luck. I had been expecting to spend the trip to Hogwarts in a compartment by myself, but here I was, following a girl named Ginny Weasley onto the train.

            "I think my friends are already in a compartment," Ginny said over her shoulder, pushing her way past a group of second years milling around in the passageway. "Is that alright with you?"

            "Yeah, of course," I told her quickly. "I'm just glad to have people to sit with."

            "Don't worry, we're nice enough to be around," Ginny laughed, and I couldn't help but join her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

            Ginny stopped at a compartment and slid open the door to reveal two others seated inside, a boy with dark brown hair and a blonde girl with clear blue eyes. I followed Ginny inside a bit nervously, hoping the other two wouldn't be annoyed with an extra person in their compartment.

            "This is Eve Hawkings," Ginny announced, shutting the door behind us and sitting across from the boy and girl. She patted the seat beside her and I sat down gratefully. "That's Neville, and over there's Luna."

            Luna smiled at me over a copy of The Quibbler, which I noticed was upside down. I returned her smile a bit shyly, and turned my head to Neville when he said kindly, "Nice to meet you. Is this your first year at Hogwarts?"

            "Yeah," I replied, "I transferred here from Beaubaxtons." The train gave a loud whistle from outside the compartment window, and it slowly lurched into motion, pulling out of Platform 9 ¾.

            "Please tell me you're a fourth year," Ginny said, putting her heels on the edge of our seat and slouching a bit as we took off for Hogwarts. "Maybe we'll be in the same dorm together."

            "Sorry, I'm a fifth year," I smiled.

            "Ooh, that means you'll have to be Sorted tonight, right?" Luna spoke up for the first time, blinking over at me. "What House do you think you'll be put in?"

            "I'm hoping for Gryffindor, but I dunno..."

            Ginny grinned over at me and said excitedly, "Yeah, I hope so too! Neville and I are in Gryffindor as well. Or maybe you'll be a Ravenclaw, that's Luna's House."

            "Or you could be in Hufflepuff," Neville smiled with a raised eyebrow.

            "Shut up, Neville," Ginny snorted. "She's too cool to be a Hufflepuff."

            "Hey, you never know. Some really cool people are in Hufflepuff."

            "Let's be realistic here, Neville," Ginny retorted, and launched into a massive debate over the different types of people in each House.

            I couldn't stop smiling as I listened to the two of them bicker back and forth, joining in with them whenever there was laughter. For the first time all day I was able to relax, because I finally felt safe. I wasn't spending the trip to Hogwarts being alone and nervous; I was talking and laughing with a group of people around the same age as me.

            As the train continued its way to Hogwarts, I found myself forgetting all about the upcoming Sorting. Because in that tiny compartment, I realized I finally felt happy again.

~*~

            The nerves returned when we arrived at Hogwarts and I had to part with Ginny, Neville, and Luna.

            Now standing in a group full of nervous first years, I found myself feeling extremely anxious. We were waiting in front of the huge doors that led into what I assumed was the Great Hall, and a professor with graying hair had just told me I would be the first one to be Sorted because I was the oldest. I picked at my nails and prayed I wouldn't be placed into Slytherin. Please, please put me in Gryffindor. It's where I belong, I swear.

            The professor, who I now remembered as Professor McGonagall, was back all too soon. As she opened the Great Hall doors and led the way inside, I tried not to pass out.

            I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I followed the professor down the lengthy row in between all the giant tables, the first years trailing behind me. The size of the hall was making my head spin—just how many people went to this school? I tried to keep my gaze focused ahead, looking at the stool with what I figured was the Sorting hat. As we came to a stop at the front of the Great Hall, I clenched my hands together and tried to get them to stop shaking.

            The headmaster stood from his place at the professor's table, but I was barely listening as he introduced himself to us. I picked up on my name as he explained why I was being Sorted when I was a fifth year, but I couldn't be sure what he said about me. When Professor McGonagall beckoned me over to the stool, I forced my legs into motion and stiffly walked over to sit down in front of the entire school.  

            I looked down at all the students, feeling my stomach lurk a bit as I saw they were all staring at me. As McGonagall slowly placed the Sorting hat on my head, I found myself searching the crowd desperately for Ginny Weasley, needing to see a familiar face.

            But my gaze focused in on someone all too familiar, someone I'd told myself I would never see again.

            Oh shit...is that...Draco Malfoy?

            "Slytherin!"

            It took a moment for the Sorting hat's words to register. I tore my gaze away from the cruel boy with bleach blonde hair to see McGonagall's face as she gently removed the hat from my head. Her right eyebrow was raised slightly, but I barely heard her as she told me to go sit down at my House's table. I slid off the stool in a daze, hearing the roars and claps from one table only—the Slytherin table.

            No...this can't be happening...I can't be in Slytherin—

            It took all my concentration not to slip down the steps on my way down, my head spinning as I slowly made my way to the Slytherin table. I shakily sat down next to a girl my age with deep brown hair, and she grinned over at me with a raised eyebrow.

            As the Sorting resumed behind me, I glanced up to see Draco Malfoy smirking over at me, his cold eyes glinting from across the table. The pit in my stomach grew as it hit me, hard—I was placed in Slytherin...the bad House, the House where everyone ended up following You-Know-Who one way or the other.

            I felt sick as I looked down the length of the table, seeing all the cold expressions and sick grins. I didn't belong here, I didn't.

              But then again...maybe I did.