I shrugged carelessly. "What? He's a pile of ash-he won't magically appear if I say his stupid name."
I got a couple comments about how brave I was-or as expected of the Boy-Who-Lived! Not everyone was happy to have me in their house though.
Ron Weasley was glaring daggers at me, his freckled face twisted into a scowl. On his shoulder perched the disgusting, fat rat. Ron was actually feeding the nasty creature, letting it nibble crumbs from his fingers.
"Eww," Hermione whispered quietly, having followed my gaze. "I still can't believe he's keeping that thing as a pet. He's had it with him since first year and all the girls hate it!"
I grimaced, eyes locked onto Ron's angry expression. What the hell was his problem anyway? He hated me the first day he met me when I visited the Weasley home. His brother's and his sister were way cooler!
Before I could dwell on it further, McGonagall cleared her throat loudly at the front of the room, and I turned my attention back toward the sorting ceremony. The noise level dropped significantly as she called the next name.
"Sitri... Sona?"
My eyebrows shot upward, my mouth parting slightly in shock. No way.
I immediately focused on the two cloaked figures standing with the other new students, heart hammering with anticipation. One of the girls stepped forward, her cloak falling away from her head and to reveal my beautiful Aunt Sona. The other girl dropped her cloak and I saw it was her Queen Tsubaki!
"Did she say Sitri?"
"Isn't that Potter's last name?"
"Are they secretly related?"
There were a bunch more whispers starting up of course.
"Damn, Hermione, you were right. She absolutely is gorgeous," Ginny muttered, maybe sounding a bit jealous.
I could still hear the loud whispers and gossiping around me, but my eyes were fixed firmly on Sona. She approached the stool. As she sat down, her cloak slid slightly off her shoulders, revealing the elegant curve of her neck and highlighting her flawless porcelain skin. The entire hall seemed to collectively hold its breath as she carefully picked up the Sorting Hat and placed it lightly upon her silky hair.
Sona closed her pink eyes, her soft lips pressing into a thin line of concentration as she presumably spoke with the hat. I watched her intently, studying every subtle shift of her expression. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly after a moment, clearly irritated with whatever the old hat was saying inside her mind.
Maybe she wanted to go into a certain house but it wasn't letting her?
After another moment, she let out a faint sigh.
"Better be-RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat finally shouted, startling many students who had been staring transfixed at her beauty.
Sona opened her eyes slowly, an unreadable expression on her perfect face as she stood up gracefully and removed the hat, placing it back down gently. Her gaze flicked briefly toward me, a small but affectionate smirk tugging at the corner of her lips before she confidently strode over toward the Ravenclaw table. I caught the subtle sway of her hips, immediately feeling disappointed that she wouldn't be sharing the Gryffindor common room with me.
But it made sense. Ravenclaw described Sona almost perfectly.
"Tsubaki Shinra," Professor McGonagall called next.
She barely had a chance to sit down before the hat called out firmly, "RAVENCLAW!"
Tsubaki smiled gently, nodding politely toward Professor McGonagall before quickly joining Sona at the Ravenclaw table. The two sat close together, immediately drawing curious, admiring stares from their new housemates. It made sense. Tsubaki was Sona's Queen, she wouldn't be sorted anywhere else.
I was still just shocked that they were here in the first place.
So... Sona and Tsubaki were the transfer students Jasmine had hinted about earlier?
I spotted Jasmine sitting farther down the Gryffindor table. She was squeezed between Lavender and Parvati, listening to something Lavender was saying. As if sensing my gaze, Jasmine turned her head, looking directly at me.
I smiled mischievously and gave her a playful wink. "Told you I would end up in Gryffindor," I mouthed to her.
With the Sorting finally complete, Dumbledore rose from his seat at the staff table, instantly silencing the lingering chatter around the Great Hall.
"Welcome, students, both new and returning," he announced warmly, his voice echoing clearly through the massive room. "I believe enough excitement has occurred already this evening, so I shall not keep you from your feast. Enjoy!"
Dumbledore clapped his hands together sharply once, the sound reverberating through the hall. Instantly, the trays of appetizer biscuits and crackers vanished from the table before us, replaced by an extravagant feast of steaming dishes.
Roast turkey with crispy golden-brown skin. Platters of succulent roast duck and tender rib roast sent savory aromas wafting through the air, making my stomach growl impatiently. Bowls filled with buttery mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables glazed with honey, and fresh, crusty loaves of bread completed the feast.
Hermione's eyes lit up beside me, and she reached eagerly for the serving spoon, piling a generous helping of vegetables onto her plate. She smiled happily at me, clearly pleased by the delicious options laid out before us.
"This is one of the best parts about Hogwarts," she said cheerfully, her voice filled with genuine delight. "The food here is always amazing!"
...I had to admit, Hermione was absolutely right. Even though this was just my first meal at Hogwarts, the food was incredible. I piled my plate high with slices of roast turkey, thick slabs of tender duck, mashed potatoes dripping with gravy, and buttered bread rolls that practically melted in my mouth.
As I ate, the cheerful noise of my new friends talking around me filled the air. Fred and George told me more about their pranks as they leaned in close, their voices dipping low whenever Professor McGonagall glanced suspiciously in their direction. Ginny sat next to Hermione, quietly laughing at the twins' antics and giving me playful and flirtatious glances, her cheeks still faintly pink from earlier.
Hermione's shoulder brushed comfortably against mine as she listened to Fred and George, her face lighting up when something particularly funny was said. Occasionally, she turned to look at me, our eyes meeting briefly, a warm smile passing between us before she returned to the conversation.
Everything felt perfect-until I glanced further down the table and saw Ron Weasley again. My appetite took an immediate nosedive.
He was actually letting that disgusting, bloated rat of his sit directly on his dinner plate, casually feeding it bits of roast beef right from his own hand. Its tail was slathered in mashed potatoes. I watched with barely contained disgust as the fat, ugly creature greedily nibbled at the meat, crumbs scattering everywhere, its beady eyes staring around as though daring anyone to complain to Ron.
Next to me, Hermione followed my gaze and let out a gagging noise, quickly placing a hand over her mouth. Ginny mirrored her, groaning quietly in disgust.
Fred grimaced, shaking his head in embarrassment at his younger brother's antics. "Honestly," he muttered, "Ron has the most unhealthy relationship with that blasted rat."
George snorted in agreement, glaring down the table. "You don't know the half of it, Harry. Fred and I tried getting rid of that furry menace at least twice. Set it loose in the woods, miles away from the house! We weren't trying to kill it or anything, just setting it free!"
Fred nodded grimly. "Thought we'd finally be free of the little blighter, but somehow it always finds its way back to Ron."
"That's because he won't stop overfeeding it," Ginny chimed in, sighing heavily. "If he didn't keep giving it treats all the time, it probably would have wandered off years ago."
I snorted and looked away from Ron and his pet. I really hoped I wouldn't end up sharing a dormitory with him...
Instead, I started scanning the Gryffindor table, looking around to see if there were other potential friends I could make-particularly among the guys. Fred and George were cool, but they had each other already as best bros.
Unfortunately, every other guy I noticed seemed already locked into their tight-knit friend groups. Sure, they'd smile politely when I looked their way and clearly enjoyed chatting briefly with the famous Boy-Who-Lived, but none made any moves to invite me further into their conversations.
Not that I minded too much-I was more than happy sitting next to a beautiful girl like Hermione. And then there was Ginny shooting me looks. Further down the table I noticed that whatever Jasmine, Lavender and Parvarti's conversation had been-it had now shifted and the three of them were shooting me glances and giggling to each other. Well, most of the giggling was Lavender and Parvart, while Jasmine just looked mortified.
Maybe she told them about her confessing to me about being my sister?
...The feast went on for a full half-hour, but it felt like it stretched for ages, the tables overflowing with delicious food. And just when I thought we were finished, dessert magically appeared. Mountains of creamy chocolate mousse, thick slices of rich pumpkin pie, towers of sticky treacle tarts, and ice cream in every flavor imaginable. Beside me, Hermione eagerly served herself a large scoop of strawberry ice cream topped with chocolate syrup, humming happily as she licked a small drip from her spoon. Her soft tongue traced the edge, and for a moment, my attention lingered on her lips.
I quickly shook off the distraction and grabbed a bowl of ice cream myself.
Just as everyone was finishing dessert and chatting happily, Dumbledore stood again. His smile didn't fully reach his eyes this time. As his gaze moved across the hall, silence gradually fell. "It is wonderful to see so many new faces here at Hogwarts this year," Dumbledore began gently. "And equally delightful to welcome back all our returning students." Then his expression became serious, voice lowering slightly. "However, I must warn you-this year, Hogwarts faces certain challenges."
Whispers broke out around us, worried murmurs rippling through the crowd.
"First, as many of you are aware, Sirius Black remains at large, having evaded capture for quite some time now," Dumbledore explained gravely. "The Minister of Magic has therefore deemed it necessary to place a contingent of Dementors around Hogwarts grounds, for the protection of certain students." His eyes drifted toward me briefly, holding my gaze meaningfully.
I clenched my jaw in disbelief. The fuck!? Dementors? Dementors were literal fucking demons!. Did these humans honestly have no idea what they were dealing with? And why the hell would Sirius Black, a wizard imprisoned for eighteen years, come looking for me? I mean yeah-he supposedly worked for the Dark Wanker and all that, maybe?-but you'd think Sirius Black would be on an island filled with topless women in Fiji by now after escaping a prison run by demons. I sure as fuck would have!
Muttering broke out again, unease flickering across many students' faces, and Dumbledore raised a hand for silence.
"Secondly," he continued solemnly, "I'm afraid we must announce that Quidditch will be canceled for this entire academic year."
Instantly, chaos erupted. Cries of disbelief and outrage filled the hall, students moaning and loudly protesting. Fred and George beside me both jumped to their feet, dramatically clutching their hearts.
"No! Anything but Quidditch!" Fred cried out dramatically.
"Headmaster, how could you?" George shouted, grabbing his brother's shoulder for support.
Ginny leaned in closer to whisper in my ear. "They're both beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team," she explained softly. "It's pretty much their whole personality outside of pulling pranks."
I gave the devastated twins a sympathetic nod after she explained that. Honestly, though, Quidditch wasn't exactly my thing. Gabrielle gushed about the sport, but I sided more with Fleur, we both preferred football.
Dumbledore held up both hands this time, his deep voice booming over the protests. "Please, everyone, settle down! There is a very good reason for the Quidditch cancellation this year." Eventually, the hall quieted again, though several disgruntled faces remained. Dumbledore then smiled, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "I am delighted to announce that this year, Hogwarts will proudly host-the Triwizard Tournament!" The entire hall erupted again, this time in cheers and excited chatter. The earlier disappointment forgotten, students eagerly leaned forward, hanging on his every word. Even Fred and George looked intrigued now. "The Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "is a prestigious and historically significant event held periodically between the magical schools. It will allow our bravest and brightest students to compete in extraordinary magical trials, each more challenging and dangerous than the last." He paused dramatically as students murmured eagerly amongst themselves. "However, I must stress this is not something to enter lightly," he warned sternly. "Many champions have died competing throughout history. Should you participate, you will face your challenges alone. No teacher or friend may assist you."
I wondered if Dumbledore realized how incredibly hyped his warnings were making everyone. Students were already whispering excitedly, expressions filled with determination and thrill at the thought of competing.
My own pulse quickened as I considered it. An intense tournament full of magical dangers sounded pretty fun and a great way to test myself. Of course, I wanted in.
I glanced across the Great Hall toward the Ravenclaw table, and my eyes locked instantly with Sona's pretty pink gaze behind her glasses. She gave me a small, confident smirk, clearly knowing exactly what I was thinking. I knew one thing about my beautiful aunt. Sona was fiercely competitive, there was no doubt she'd be entering as well.
I returned her smirk with a playful grin, silently letting her know I wouldn't go easy on her. She raised a delicate eyebrow challengingly.
Hermione leaned closer, her soft shoulder pressing warmly against mine. "You're going to enter, aren't you?" she whispered softly.
"Of course," I answered confidently, smiling down at her. "It sounds like exactly my kind of fun."
"I suppose we shouldn't be surprised," Ginny teased gently. "You're clearly the type who likes trouble."
Fred and George leaned in. "Ha! Sorry, Mr Sitri, but if there's two open spots for our school, then I'm afraid those just got filled by my brother and I! Better luck next time," one of them told me playfully.
