𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘦?


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"𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐈 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 make any friends, James?" the small girl said, taking her twin brother's hand as he stepped off of the train and onto the platform.

James helped his sister down before giving her hand a tight squeeze. "You will, Val. It's easy."

"For you," Valerie muttered, glancing back at the Hogwarts Express and watching dozens of other new students file out of its gleaming red carriages.

"You didn't let me finish. It's easy for people to like you. You just need to meet them."

His sister stuck out her bottom lip. "I don't like meeting people."

"Too bad," James replied. "That's an unavoidable part of life."

A great, looming shadow passed over their heads and the twins looked up to see a giant of a man standing before them. He had wild brown hair and a beard to match, and was dressed in dark woollen coat that somehow still managed to almost meet the ground, even at his enormous height. A beaming smile broadened underneath his moustache. "Is 'at li'l James and Valerie Potter?"

"Yes sir," James nodded while Valerie stayed silent.

"'Bout time the Potter's came to Hogwarts."

"Do you know us, sir?"

"Course I do," the man gave a laugh. "Yeh won' remember me though. You was both quite small." He extended his very large hand. "Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts."

James eagerly shook Hagrid's hand, but Val remained steadfast, her heart pounding in her chest. "Do you know our parents?" her brother continued.

"How do yeh think I got this great bushy beard?" He gave his beard a good tug. "All thanks to yer dad an' his tonics." He noticed Valerie's apprehension and knelt down, lowering his voice. "Nervous, 'ey Valerie?"

She nodded, timidly.

"Yer'll be right," he smiled kindly. "Nothing a brigh' li'l witch like you can't 'andle, 'ey?"

Valerie squeezed James's hand once again as Hagrid stood and called over them. "Firs'-years! C'mon, this way!"

The crowd of first years followed Hagrid along the Hogsmeade platform before piling into oar-less boats and making the somewhat smooth journey across the lake towards the great castle upon the hill. Its stone walls and grounds were lit by what must have been thousands of lanterns, Valerie thought, maybe hundreds of thousands. Quietly and without a hitch, the children disembarked and made their way into the castle, guided by Hagrid.

A woman was standing at the top of the stairs. Her glistening green eyes looked up as the students entered. "'Ere you are, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid addressed the witch, "our new firs'-years."

"Thank you, Hagrid."

The half-giant nodded before making his way through the doors behind McGonagall.

James leaned towards his twin sister. "That's Professor McGonagall," he whispered into her ear, "she knows mum and dad too."

Valerie stared up at the tall witch, with her black hair tied up into a voluminous bun that was tucked beneath her sleek hat, a long pheasant feather sticking out of its band. Even though the deputy headmistress had a stern look upon her thin brows, Val felt a slight sense of ease as she listened to McGonagall list the night's procedure.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "Before our start-of-term banquet begins and you take your seats, you will each be sorted into your houses. While you're at Hogwarts, your house will be like your family. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend your free time within your house's common room." She surveyed over the youthful faces, all looking up to her with hopeful, wide eyes. "The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Any triumphs you may have will earn your house points, while rule-breaking will lose points. The house with the most points at the end of the year will be awarded the House Cup."

She glanced again over the silent first-years as she continued. "The Sorting Ceremony will begin in a few moments. You may wait here quietly until I return for you." She turned and exited through the same doors that Hagrid had left through a few moments ago.

Valerie turned to her brother, her nervousness already apparent on her freckled face.

James rested his hands reassuringly on her shoulders. "Relax," he whispered. "Dad said it's easy. You have nothing to worry about."

But Valerie thought she had everything to worry about. Four houses? What if she didn't belong in any of them? What if she was kicked out? What if she would never learn to do magic?

The doors swung open again but this time, remained open, revealing the long Great Hall, it's towering walls golden in the light of the thousands of floating candles, glittering the ceiling that seemed to mirror the night sky that was outside of it. Valerie wondered if she'd ever manage to create such a bewitchment in her lifetime.

⊹

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐀𝐓 spent a few seconds atop James's head before loudly proclaiming "Gryffindor!" and a beaming smile spread across the child's face. He excitedly hurried to his seat and began shaking the hands of those around him.

"Valerie Potter," McGonagall finally called, lifting her eyes from the parchment held in her hands. She spotted the young girl as she took cautious steps up to the platform. On display, for everyone to see, she wiped her sweating hands on the sides of her dark grey robes, and searched for her brother in the crowd of already sorted first-years.

From the Gryffindor table, he smiled, giving her a thumbs up. It did little to ease her anxiety. She slowly lowered herself onto the rickety stool, her bottom lip still tucked firmly between her teeth. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat onto the girl's head, its fabric drooping slightly, and took a step back.

"Well," a voice rung through her crowded mind, "Valerie Potter. Aren't you something? Let's see here." The Sorting Hat began to peruse through the girl's thoughts. "Scared, are we?"

"A little," Val whispered.

"Why? Afraid you won't make any friends? There's plenty of friends in Hufflepuff." Valerie's head turned towards the table on her far left. "They're outsiders, just like you. You'll fit right in."

Val bit her lip hard.

"You don't want to fit in, do you?" The Sorting Hat seemed to give her a chuckle. "You've never really fit in. Nose always in a book, not like your adventurous brother, hm?"

Val found her twin again, who was already making conversation with the boy next to him, his attention now seemingly ripped away from her. She bit her lip harder still, to the point she had almost broken the skin.

"Oh no, it's not Gryffindor for you," the hat continued. "You're not quite fearless enough," it mused, "not a daredevil like James, you like to play by the rules." It paused. "No. No, you like to bend them, don't you?"

Valerie swallowed, her eyes darting over the Slytherin table.

"Shall I put you there?"

"No," she murmured.

"No," it mimicked. "Well, let's see. A knowledgeable little witch, not in Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, or Slytherin? There's only one place for you then... Ravenclaw!" it finally shouted aloud, and Valerie slipped from the chair as the cohort cheered. She was beckoned towards the navy adorned table and slid across the long pew, quietly finding her place among the other triumphant Ravenclaws.

She stretched her neck, peeking through the crowd. Her shoulders dropped at the sight of her brother, and her only friend, not looking for her. As usual, he had made friends with everyone around him. Valerie took in a deep breath, and willed herself to not cry.

"I'm Tulliah," she heard next to her, and looked to see a dark-haired first year beaming at her. "Tulles," she extended her hand.

Valerie shook it. "Val."

"Stick with me, Val," Tulliah lifted her chin proudly. "I know everything about Hogwarts, and with my help, Ravenclaw will win the house cup every year that we're here."

Val smiled politely, but her thoughts were back on her brother. Maybe she should have asked the Hat to put her in Gryffindor. Perhaps the Hat was right; she'd never fit in.