Thick Smoke - Sorting

“What happened? Was it my imagination or did she just fall?”789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1vydned0R
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Eliza groaned and moved a bit. She could hear the boys whisper in the back but she couldn’t make out who was who.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJDKgx5D2O
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“What happened?” She finally asked feeling like her head got split in two.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnOOQXMjfA
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“You fell out of nowhere! Merlin’s beard, you scared us!”789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYrfWmPPQv
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She nodded and rubbed her head feeling sorry for making such an impression.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53mJSFkiW4
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“Dementors were searching for Sirius Black.” Dean told her as he helped her stand. “They’re gone now. We’ll get to Hogwarts real soon.” He continued softly.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFn4wQl5vTc
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Eliza nodded and glanced around her, seeing only Seamus standing across her with wide eyes while Dean was awkwardly standing next to her.

“So, where do you come from?” He asked, trying to loosen up the atmosphere.

The ride went awfully silent after the incident - well except the questions they had and the usual talk about Hogwarts and Quidditch.

When they arrived at the station she felt like she couldn’t move her feet. She changed in the bathroom into her plain robes and returned to the cabin in record time.

“Are you scared?” Dean asked her as they were making their way down.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknEhgel81y
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“Not exactly scared but I’ve never been around so many people before. It’s a bit overwhelming.” She admitted, getting a pat on the back from the boy.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtY5ZaVUROc
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“If you need anything just come looking for me, Seamus or Neville. It doesn’t matter what house you get placed into, really.” He smiled kindly and waved before running to some other friends of his.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpmjIbH5aC
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“Right,” She mumbled, standing there without a clue.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMsPRhe03x
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“Hey! Are ya lost?”789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MZhUqyCxx
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Eliza turned around and glanced up at a giant man who had a worried expression planted on his face. When he saw her eyes, his face brightened.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavIC94Ak8q
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“Ya’re Eliza right? It’s nice to meet ya. I’ve been dyin' to see ya eve' since Dumbledore let everyone know ya’re comin’.” He seemed very excited for some reason.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFTj9yMtJi
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“Is that good?” She questioned, making the giant laugh.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ahCyzK07E
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“Of course! I’m Hagrid.” He leaned in and continued. “How’s been Willy doin’? A bit cranky, ay?”

Her eyes widened and finally recognized the name. Hagrid was the one who took care of Willy because the old owl hated everyone.

“Oh, just a moment,” The giant man whispered before he straightened and started to announce that every first year should follow him and keep close.

The transfer students had to do the same since she was a newcomer and had to be sorted.

“So, did he bite ya already?” Hagrid started bemusedly.

Eliza ended up in the same boat with him and two first years who looked somewhere between very excited and very scared.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh85rEvdO07
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“No but he tried.” She responded softly making Hagrid laugh. “Has he always been so violent?”789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSD2SaMC1I
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“No. There was one person he liked 'xcept yar mother,” That definitely piqued her interest.

That seemed to be the end of the discussion as they were getting closer to the castle. The sight was marvelous, like nothing Eliza had ever seen in her life and most of the first years were having the same amazed reaction.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzg665XATi
Eliza was one of the few transferred students –there were two more from Durmstrang and one from some Italian Academy in the Alps- and while the boys were talking to each other in Bulgarian, she could only walk with the Italian girl in silence. They followed the first years silently and decided to stick together since they were far taller than the first years.

The woman who was waiting for them inside the castle was a woman that looked very strict with her hair tucked in a tight bun. The Bulgarian gals found it funny to comment and scare the kids near them but the Italian girl shrugged them off. Eliza sighed and smiled encouragingly at a girl in front of her.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmfqzGqIj2
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As they were following the firm teacher around, the Italian girl moved closer to Eliza and attempted a conversation.

"What's going to happen now?" Her thick Italian accent was giving her a certain flair while speaking.

"I guess we will be sorted. Wasn't there a sorting process in your former school?" Eliza asked slowly so the girl could understand every word.

The Italian shrugged, "There weren't enough students for that. What about you?"

"Homeschooled." Eliza answered curtly.

They were already in front of the doors when the professor glanced at them one final time before pushing them open.

Saying that Eliza was freaked out was an underestimation; she was horrified for some reason. She glanced at the other transfer students and noticed the pride in the Bulgarians while the Italian girl was blushing terribly.

Once they got in front of the hall, the teacher grabbed an old hat and urged them to come closer.

“We will begin with the transfer students!”789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbosMjgoFlb
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Oh no.

Eliza’s eyes widened and she swallowed, scared that her name may trigger some nasty comments and looks from the first night.

"Dimitrov, Ivan," The professor begun.

Eliza's eyes wandered over the professor's table and noticed Dumbledore looking straight at her with what she hoped was reassurance. Her head moved down the table and saw Remus smiling confidently at her. Well, she hoped he had a reason for that.

She could barely hear where the others have been sorted: Dimitrov Ivan got in Ravenclaw (surprising even himself), Georgiev Peter got in Slytherin (to his joy) and Lazzara Lucia got in Ravenclaw as well. That only left...

“Molley, Eliza!”

Her head snapped to the professor with a frown. At first she thought there was another person with that name that she didn’t see but there wasn’t; she was Molley Eliza. She glanced at Remus from the corner of her eye before she walked forward.

Once the Sorting Hat touched her head, it started to hum.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXDMEXIbAd
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“Oh my, oh my,” He said out loud. “A Black,” The hat whispered, sensing the tension coming from her. “Witty and sarcastic yet smart and loyal. You’d be good in Slytherin, your blood is calling for it. But would that help you much?” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, scared that if she would breathe out, she’d be placed in Slytherin. “GRYFFINDOR!” The Sorting Hat screamed.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWIja3FS1G
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The Gryffindor table cheered loudly and welcomed her with smiles and encouragements.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYWlfGrwRf
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“You’re a lucky girl, aren’t you?” Dean exclaimed enthusiastically.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhWhdJmGRI
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Eliza chuckled and welcomed the warmth of her house. Neville moved a bit to the side and made room for the new third year while Seamus winked at her. There were other people who congratulated her but she decided to stick close to the people she knew already.

As the night progressed and the first years got sorted, Eliza couldn’t help but smile and laugh at either the guys she already met or the new people. She met the Head boy already only because there was a pair of twins that were making fun of him quite loudly.

“The Weasley twins. They are a funny pair, those two,” Seamus explained, “The victim is Percy, their older brother.”

“How many are they?” Eliza asked while her eyes were following the red heads.

Dean chuckled, “Many,”

There was a girl who suddenly plopped on Neville’s other side- Hermione Granger from what Eliza picked up. It seemed her best friends were two boys: a ginger who was stuffing his face and a boy with glasses.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UWBhftsTl
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The ginger plopped next to Seamus, his appearance reminding Eliza of the twins. Dean chuckled.

“Ron Weasley and next to him is Harry Potter.” He explained.

As the ginger was glancing from time to time over towards the table behind, he caught sight of the new face standing between Dean and Neville. Before Ron could get any funny ideas (especially because Eliza was always cowering to Dean’s side when a new Gryffindor would introduce himself) he decided to introduce her before anything else.

“This is Eliza. She’s a transfer student,”

That piqued Harry’s interest as well and he turned to look at her.

They finally met. The black and the Potter. Voldemort was not even important as Eliza remembered the photograph hanging on the wall back home.

The boy who lived looked pretty normal except the faint sight of his lightning bolt scar covered by his messy hair.

Harry smiled awkwardly and nodded at her but Eliza only blinked twice in return. It was getting even more awkward with the brunette staring at Harry with so much intensity. Luckily, Neville leaned back a bit for the girl to introduce herself as well.

“I’m Hermione Granger. You’re lucky you got into Gryffindor though the others are not that bad either, except Slytherin of course.” The bushy haired girl had the same voice that a former professor had in Eliza’s Muggle school.

“Where did you transfer from?” Ron asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

That caught Eliza off guard. Everyone was looking at her and from the expression on their faces, she was sure everyone had one or two questions prepared to ask.

“H-Home. I learned on my own,” The brunette responded shyly.

Hermione’s eyes widened and she changed seats with Neville –not that he was willing but he had no choice.

“How far have you got on your own? This year we had to sign for a few more classes and you may need to revise everything you have learned until now.” Hermione begun with a glint of excitement, “I can help you, if you want.”

Eliza’s eyes widened and just like before, she moved closer to Dean. Hermione seemed more than willing to show off her amazing teaching abilities and share all the information she accumulated in the last two years of school.

‘Say no.’ she saw Ron mouthing but Hermione’s gaze was heavy.

Thankfully, Dumbledore rose and began his speech, saving Eliza from responding.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDOq5y4oG9
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“Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I’d like to say a few words before you all become too befuddled by our excellent feast. First I’m pleased to welcome Professor R.J Lupin who was kindly consented to fill the post of Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Good luck professor!”

Eliza smiled and clapped, seeing how content Remus actually looked.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlXXuaMecq
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“Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid.”789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fwsvrNWDG
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Everyone from the Gryffindor table started clapping excitedly. Eliza laughed seeing her new acquaintances being delighted with this new decision.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9ab4oBQpo
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“Finally, on a more disquieting note at the request of the Ministry of Magic Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban until such a time as Sirius Black is captured. The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now whilst I've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities a word of caution. Dementors are vicious creatures. They'll not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way. Therefore, l must warn each and every one of you,” At that point, his eyes landed on the three people next to Eliza. “-to give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving. But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

And that’s how the speech ended.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kSnWxy6QL
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“That was a little creepy.” Eliza heard Dean mumbled next to her. She couldn’t agree more.

After the big welcoming feast, Percy was sweet enough to show Eliza to the Gryffindor tower. Most of the people she met were in the same house anyway so she just let herself be taken by the crowd.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEp32aEQg3
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“How were classes in your old school?” Lavender Brown asked out of nowhere while they were walking up the marble stairs.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqIdqcQHau
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“I have been home schooled by my godfather. I’ve been living with him after my mother died.” The green eyed girl responded, surprising the whole gang surrounding her.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZ7OSjwwPW
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“I’m so sorry. How did she die?” Parvati Patil asked sorrowfully.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQWLCmEsGS
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“Murdered.” Eliza responded coldly and Neville changed the subject quickly to his grandmother.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbxEa6EPrx
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To get into the Common Room, one had to give the password to a painting containing a fat lady. Percy said the password clearly for everyone to hear and the painting opened before their eyes.

“You’re lucky we’re just three girls in the dormitory. It will be far nicer now with another one.” Parvati whispered on the way to the girls’ dormitory.

Finally in the room, Eliza let herself fall on her bed and yawned.789Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfRIfQePUb
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“Already sleepy?” Lavender asked jokingly.

Eliza nodded before yawning again. “You have no idea.”

She’s had a hard day and she couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow had prepared for her.

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