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ardent-musings · 4 years ago

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The Girl Who Vanished (Part 1)

Chapter 2: Ms. Malfoy

If Ana thought the castle was beautiful while she was on the train, seeing it up close was a whole new feeling of amazement. Never before had she experienced such a stunning sight and her face glowed. Hagrid accompanied the first years as they were situated into small boats, her path diverging from the Gryffindor quad. Of course, she was upset that she couldn't be sharing this moment with them, but she had yet to be sorted. Before her conversation on the train, she never once questioned whether or not she wanted to be in Slytherin. Her father always made it clear that Slytherin was the only acceptable house for a wizard, at least a wizard that respected themselves. But now, her impression of Gryffindor was not all that bad; at least not as bad as her father made it seem.

Despite being tired, not only from getting no sleep, but also from rowing across a giant lake, Ana couldn't help but buzz with energy. And the closer the boat got to the school grounds, the more intense it got. She could hear Hagrid shouting from a few boats behind, but her brain could not even begin to process what he had said.

It only took a few more rows until her little boat met the dock at the edge of the school. She and the two quiet boys that were rowing with her stumbled out of the rocky boat, not waiting for her to catch up with them. Once again, she was aware of how alone she was; the laughter she had grown to enjoy was gone as night had fallen over the castle. The cool air began to pierce her skin, making her wrap her arms around herself, hoping to get inside soon. She kept her head down, focusing on her footing, and followed the direction of her fellow first years.

Once they entered the school, she was met with a grand staircase which seemed to never end. She stomped up the stone steps and was halted in front of a large door; behind it was filled with loud chatter and yells of excitement. At the top of the stairs was a witch, her slender frame covered in ornate emerald robes and a giant hat was perched on her head.

"Greetings, first years," the witch greeted, her Scottish accent strong. "I am Professor McGonagall, your new Transfiguration teacher and the Head of Gryffindor House. Beyond these doors is where your time at Hogwarts begins. But before that happens you will be placed into your house."

Not a peep could be heard from the first years, everyone hanging on to whatever the witch said. "Your house will be like your family; do well in your work and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and it will cost your house dearly. Now I want everyone to follow me," she said, turning quick on her heel. She stopped at the giant doors until they swung open before her, revealing the rest of the students and the professors. Ana looked around her, trying to find the only other faces she was familiar with, finding them to the right. She smiled at the group, all of them grinning up at her with hopeful eyes. Angelina made it a point to smack the space next to her on the wooden bench, them anticipating a spot for her.

Professor McGonagall began, "Bell, Katie!"

A girl came out of the crowd of students, her brown hair pulled high into a ponytail that seemed to be tugging at her forehead. She wobbled up the steps with shaky knees as she sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall than placed a dingy hat on top of her head. A voice blaring from the wrinkles of fabric.

"Ah ha! I see a lot of goodness in you, quite a lot of spunk!" the hat bellowed, everyone in the hall now silent. "I have a pretty good idea where you belong. GRYFFINDOR!"

The long table beside her cheered, the spot that was once available for Ana, now replaced with another student. One by one, each student would sit and get placed. And every time the alphabet got closer to her name, Ana's heart fluttered in her chest. She could hardly pay attention, but she caught a few sortings.

"Bole, Alexandra!" Slytherin gained its first student and the list continued.

"Carmichael, Eddie!" Was sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Chang, Cho!" Ravenclaw, too. A few more students passed.

"Kane, Calista!" Slytherin again.

The anticipation was enough to make any person faint. The unknown wasn't something Ana enjoyed. She forced herself to take deep breaths, focusing not on what was in front of her, but only the rise and fall of her lungs.

"Malfoy, Bibiana!" Professor McGonagall called. Hushed whispers began to fill the room, many students sitting up higher to take a look at the girl, who wanted nothing more than to be swallowed into the floor beneath her. Slowly, her feet moved on their own accord, knowing that standing there motionlessly would only make her look even stranger. Staring at her with shocked expressions were the twins, Lee, and Angelina. But they weren't the only ones staring in anticipation; the rest of the student body were equally as invested. Bibiana closed her eyes, waiting for the moment to end.

"A Malfoy, eh?" the hat commented. "This is an interesting case, you see. Every Malfoy before you all went to the same house. You've got wit and you've got charm, but that all depends on what you use it for." The longer the hat deliberated the harder it was for her to breath. "Nonetheless, it seems quite clear where you will succeed."

"SLYTHERIN!"

Ana opened her eyes once the decision was made. Slytherin always seemed like a good fit for her, and from hearing what the house valued, she felt comfortable with it. The uneasy feeling in her stomach must be from not having eaten enough that day.

The hat was removed from her head, and Ana was unable to stop herself from looking at the Gryffindor table. As expected the expressions on the twins', Lee's and Angelina's faces were what she was afraid they'd be. They all glared at her with strained brows and tight lips as she made her way to the Slytherin table. There she was greeted with cheers, the older Slytherins watching her and clapping until she sat down at the opposite end of the long table. Although a smaller reaction would have been better for her nerves, seeing a few smiles at her expense was nice to see. Soon, all the first years were sorted into their houses and a wizard in deep plum robes approached the lectern at the head of the hall.

"Wonderful, everyone! Quite wonderful," the man mused. "It seems that everything is in order! And while we are here, it is my duty to remind all students of the school's restrictions. No one is allowed into the third floor corridor or the Dark Forest, unless an early death is what you wish."

Ana found that to be a bit dramatic, but it did get the point across. The man quickly wrapped up his speech and with a clap of his hands mounds of food appeared in front of them. Every inch of the table was filled with fruits and breads and meats, whatever a person could want. Ana found herself gravitating towards the fruits, strawberries being her absolute favorite. She also helped herself to a serving of potatoes that would be even too much for that tall man, Hagrid, to handle. Yet she felt up to the challenge after rowing across a whole lake.

"You gonna share the potatoes there, Malfoy?" the boy next to her asked with a smirk. She handed him the bowl and he took them quickly. "I'm Aeron Wright by the way," he proudly announced.

The boy scooped spoonful after spoonful of the potatoes, clearly not caring that he was emptying the bowl. Although you would never tell he could eat so much, his thin frame huddled over the plate which he kept piling high with food.

"Save the table some food will you?"

"What? Alexandra was it?" He snapped back, "I'm hungry so I'm going to take what I need."

"Yeah, because you definitely look like you need to eat as much as a mountain troll," mocked the girl. She played with the spaghetti and meatballs on her plate, trying desperately to get it to stay on her fork. "Don't worry about him," she assured, "he's just very passionate about his food, it seems."

The boy feigned hurt as he dug into his food, picking up a dinner roll and chucking it at Alexandra's head. She swatted the food away, it landing a few feet down in front of the more stern looking Slytherins, all of them staring back at Ana. That surely did not help the pit in her stomach at all.

"This is my brother by the way," the girl said, a smile gracing her olive toned skin. She pulled on the sleeve of the boy next to her, nearly knocking him over with her strength. He grabbed at his collar, trying to release himself from her grip as he turned towards them.

"Loosen up, Alex," he chuckled at his sister.

His eyes were such a light blue that they almost looked clear if you weren't looking hard enough. The contrast was stark between them and his skin. He was, in no other way of stating it, wonderful to look at. "Hey! I'm Lucian," he offered a gentle smile, nibbling on a piece of broccoli.

"I'm Bibiana Malfoy, but I prefer Ana," she replied. "That's what everyone calls me anyways."

"You have a good time on the train then, Ana?"

She smiled at his interest, picking up more strawberries. "I did. I was seated with a few second year Gryffindors, the red headed twins."

Lucian's expression immediately shifted from curious to irked, "You mean those two gits who are staring at you?" He motioned to the Gryffindor table with his fork. Ana turned around to see the two of them dart their heads down, nudging each other's arms and whispering. Ana would be lying if she pretended like their reactions didn't hurt, but the nagging feeling in her chest told her that whatever they had on the train was over.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be seeking them out anytime soon," the older boy continued, noticing her sudden somber look. "Last year they let off multiple dungbombs into the Slytherin Quidditch dressing rooms. They even convinced Peeves, the poltergeist, to terrorize Professor Snape any chance he could get. The two really have it out for the Slytherins."

Ana had a feeling that the Gryffindors didn't take kindly to Slytherins when they were on the train, but she never figured that the people who were so nice to her could also be so mean. Sure they were young boys and they had some energy, but hearing them acting out against Slytherins was new information to her. Still, she hoped for different.

"But, they were nice to me on the train. You think they would just turn like that?"

"I hope for your sake they don't," he sighed, giving her a half smile.

Ana once again peered over at the Gryffindor table, meeting the eyes of no one.

"Well, who needs the stinky twins?" Alex stabbed her meatball. "Who cares if they don't like you anymore? You don't need them anyways."

"Or, you could try talking to them like nothing bad happened. Just because you're in another house that doesn't mean they're necessarily going to ignore you," a voice chimed in. The airy sound came from a girl whose hip-length black hair hung from the sides of her head in two long braids. "Sure, they may be a bit confused right now, but who's to say they're going to treat you any different?"

"Oh first year, there is a lot for you to learn," Lucian leaned in closely. "For starters, Slytherins and Gryffindors have a sort of rivalry. It's been going on for years. It'd just be smart to move on." He directed the end of his statement back at Ana, giving her a pointed look.

"Especially with you being a Malfoy and all," Alex added on, her brother enthusiastically waving his fork in agreement.

"Oh fantastic," Ana snickered, "my very first friends are now my enemies."

"Well maybe not," squeaked the dark haired girl again.

"Who are you again?" Aeron took a moment to tear away from his food to ask.

"Calista Kane."

Aeron took a deep swallow, pushing down whatever he had stuffed in his cheeks, taking a few deep breaths. "Look, Calista. That's just how things work. My uncle even had issues with Gryffindors when he went to school here and that was years ago. I wouldn't expect this feud to end simply because little Miss Malfoy over here," he gestured to Ana, "is upset she got ditched by some dumb twins."

"Well aren't you a joy," Calista laughed, returning her attention back to Ana, who seemed to lose interest in her dinner. "Everything will be fine. Whether you talk to them again or not. So what's the worst that could happen? You just don't talk to them. That's not such a loss."

Ana found herself comforted by Calista's words. The girl's hair might be halfway in her bowl of soup, but that didn't stop her from focusing on helping Ana feel better. Calista looked at her with warm eyes and a soft smile. Somehow, Ana felt like she had to agree with her.

"No, I guess you're right," Ana reasoned. "Besides I wanted to be in Slytherin anyways. I can't imagine what my father would say had I been sorted into another house."

Alex nodded, plopping a meatball into her mouth, "That's the kind of attitude you need. Forget them. You've got us now."

Ana smiled at the girl, swallowing her hurt and finding comfort in the people surrounding her now. She once again started eating her food, finding no point in pouting over the loss of people she only knew for a few hours. The Slytherins would be with her for the next seven years, it made sense to start caring about them instead of worrying over the Gryffindors.

Finding herself feeling better, Ana and Lucian began talking about the ins and outs of Hogwarts, learning about the various professors and the squib, Filch, who had a seemingly very unusual relationship with his cat. She made a note to try and interact with him as little as possible. She found Alex to be the louder Bole sibling, bouncing in her seat and blurting out whenever something excited her or if she felt like poking fun at someone. Her energy was definitely needed given how exhausted Ana started to feel. Calista was quieter, providing very animated faces to what was going on, but not speaking for the most part. Once again, Aeron was lost in his food but would sometimes talk to Elliot Wolter and Malachy Allard, two other boys who were sorted into Slytherin.

As dinner rolled on, Ana's smile returned, finding her House to offer her the same feelings the Gryffindors stirred within her. She felt airy and full of warmth, especially now that she was having her fill of pumpkin pasties and apple cider. All the nervousness and judgement that coursed through her brain earlier were gone.

Slowly students began to leave the hall and a Slytherin a few years older than them directed the first years to the grand staircase. After taking a turn to the right and leading them down a flight of stairs into the dungeons, she came to a barren wall that stretched for a good twenty feet. The older girl whispered, "Wolfsbane" and a large iron door revealed itself to the students.

When they passed through, they descended into a dark room that was sunken into the floor. The walls weren't exactly walls, but glass that looked out into what Ana assumed was the lake they had just been over a few hours ago. If she looked close enough she could see various creatures swimming from window to window. The whole area was tinted green from the murky lake. The room was huge and had silver and green accents everywhere, whether it was the leather sofas or the curtains that hung to the ground. A blazing fire roared in the large stone fireplace that was situated at the center of the space in front of loveseats and armchairs and throw pillows, making the area surprisingly cozy considering they were literally underwater.

"This is the- " the poor student couldn't even finish her tour as Alex ran past her and threw her body at one of the sofas, "This is the common room."

The rest of the first years paid attention to the girl who explained that this was where they were going to live for the next seven years. Passwords would alternate so that it was better protected but the updated password would be posted by Merlin. And by a portrait of Merlin was a board of announcements that they would have to keep up with. The girl showed Ana and Calista to their dormitory, while Alex decided to stay behind to talk to her brother in the common room.

The dorms were simple; all the furniture lined up along a wall with storage and a chest at the foot of each four poster bed. The green canopies matched the glow of green that emanated from the two giant panes of glass that looked out to the black lake. Between the panes was a stone insert where a fireplace was already warming up the room. A gorgeous mantel piece, a two foot long serpent with red eyes, was perched on top of the stone ledge.

After telling the girls about how their following day would play out, the older girl left her and Calista to get some sleep. The two scrambled to their beds, Ana's items were placed at the bed furthest from the door, so she slumped down on the mattress, relieved at how it seemed to ease her tired body. Calista's bed was next to hers, leaving Alex's bed the one closest to the door.

Ana stayed staring at the ceiling, reliving the events of the day. King's Cross seemed like forever ago and she could only imagine how much Draco missed her. She couldn't help but think about him roaming through the manor all alone. Maybe he would get desperate and hang around Dobby, their house elf. Ana quite liked the little guy. Of course he was always nervous around Lucius, but even she was nervous around her own father. Still, the elf was great company for her when Draco wasn't around.

"Do you think we should find Alex?" Calista asked quietly, pulling out a few items from her trunk and placing them on her nightstand.

Ana took a moment to answer. "No," she said, "I have a feeling Lucian will tell her where her dorm is."

"It must be nice having a sibling already at Hogwarts. It'd make the transition easier, I think," she pulled out a rabbit plushie from her bag, making Ana smile as she grabbed for it. She played with the flopping ears, bouncing the animal on her lap. "I had a rabbit when I was five. Her name was Minnie."

"What happened to Minnie?"

Calista continued to pull little trinkets out of her bag, unravelling a large shiny sheet of parchment. The girl was having trouble holding the parchment up against the wall, so Ana jumped up to hold the sides up for her. "Thanks," Calista smiled, "and uh, Minnie was attacked by a wolf and didn't make it past the night. I was devastated. But in the morning, I woke up to that plushie on my bed."

"I'm sorry about your rabbit," Ana sighed as the girl pulled out her wand. She pointed it to the parchment and chanted. "Viscosi!" The parchment stayed up on the wall needing no one to hold it up any longer. Ana took a step away from the parchment to see that it was a picture of five people, and in small text read "The Breakfast Club".

"It's a movie!" Calista's eyes twinkled with excitement. The girl was far more talkative than when she was at dinner, and Ana was in no state to kill the mood. Humoring the girl, Ana asked her to tell her all about what a movie was, and then what happened in it.

Any plans they had to go to bed early were squashed once Calista started talking about the ins and outs of the movie. The characters all seemed very different from each other and Ana couldn't help but wonder which of the group she would be: the jock, the princess, the nerd, the criminal, or the outcast. None of them sounded like her and yet she figured she could become any of them at the end of the day.

"I also just think that Molly Ringwald is really pretty," Calista pointed at the red headed girl in all pink, a red blush settled on her golden brown cheeks.

"Molly is pretty but have you see Bender and Allison? Now, they're pretty."

Alex had finally joined the girls after returning from the common room. She jumped on Calista's bed, sitting beside the girl who had just been gushing over her favorite movie star.

"I mean, maybe in a dark, sinister way, sure," Calista replied crossing her arms over her chest. Alex made a face at the Calista, giggling at how serious she had just become.

"I'm only joking, Kane. Molly is super cute."

The three of them settled into an easy conversation; Ana and Alex talked about the Weird Sisters which was both their favorite band while Calista talked about her favorite films, most of which the other two hadn't seen. They talked so long, that the room that was once a dark forest green was turning brighter by the second. Once they realized how long they stayed up, the three forced themselves to bed, hoping to get enough sleep to get them through the next day.

But before Ana fell asleep, she couldn't help but find the warm glow of the fireplace bittersweet. The fiery red of it pricked her skin and made her warm, but red wasn't turning out to be a welcoming color anymore.

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