But Why Slytherin?

Chapter One: The Arrival

Chapter One: The Arrival~

As the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, Bela Pate's grip tighten in her mother's hand. "Here it comes, Sweetheart." Mrs. Pate whispered in her daughter's ear. Bela slowly nodded and inhaled a long breath. This was her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the first time she would be away from home for more then two days.

The train came to a stop and let out a burst of steam. Bela stared in awe. She didn't even notice when her mother's hand slipped away from her own.

"Alright then, I'll load your trunk on the train. You take Avalon and climb aboard." Bela allowed her mom to pull her into one last hug and kiss the top of her head one last time. "Have a wonderful time, love. I'll see you at Christmas."

"Bye Mum, I love you." Bela choked out from behind tears.

"I love you too, darling. Now, on your way." Bela's mother encouraged.

After another deep breath, Bela Roxanne Pate picked up her gray kitten in her arms and walked on to the Hogwarts Express. Avalon squirmed in her arms, desprate to get out of her owner's arms to explore the train endlessly. Serveral students had already taken seats; in fact, the only empty spot was across from a boy with chesnut brown hair and summer green eyes.

"Um, do you mind if I sit?" Asked Bela in a small voice.

"Go right ahead!" He replied, gesturing to the empty spot with his hands. "I'm Jack Flynn."

"Bela Pate."

The two children sat quietly, staring out the train's window at their own families. For Bela, that was only her mother- a divorced woman who constantly reminded herself that she didn't need a man to live a complete life. For Jack, that was his mother, father and three of his four older sisters. Soon, the Hogwarts Express chugged forward, and both children lost sight off their loved ones.

"That's a beautiful cat you've got." Jack smiled, attempting to spark a converstation. Avalon purred at his comments, as if she could understand his english.

"Thank you. I just got her yesterday- as a farwell gift from my Mum."

"I brought my owl as a companion. His name is Zeus." Jack pulled out a photograph from a small book among the serveral he had with him. In the picture, was him with a Great-Horned owl- with piercing yellow eyes. "That's me and him at the start of the summer."

"You already bought your owl before you knew you got accepted into the school?" Asked Bela, who seemed to like Jack.

"Well, not one person in the Flynn family has ever not gotten into Hogwarts, so I figured the probability was high enough."

"I had to wait to buy Avalon. I was more then positive I was not getting in. My dad's a muggle. I'm nothing but a Mud-Blood." Bela cast her gaze upon the train's floor.

"I don't like that term- never did. It's a stupid word. You're blood is as good as anyone else's I promise." Bela could tell by how Jack said his words that he was being extremely sincere.

"Thanks." Bela cracked a tiny smile and flipped the straight, black, hair from her blue eyes. It had a terrible habit of affecting her vision.

The rest of the train ride was mostly just annecdotes and small talk. Bela liked Jack. He was was one of those rare people that was rather easy to open up to. She would talk and he would just sit, listen and ocasionally nod his head. It seemed as if he understood her struggles.

After they had changed into their black robes and sat back down for the remainder of the train-ride, Bela asked: "Do you have any guess on what house you'll be sorted into?"

"Griffyndor, all my sisters and both of my parents were in it." Jack looked over the top of his book to look his newly made friend in the eyes while he spoke. "What about you, Bela?"

"Well, my mother was a Hufflepuff." She laughed. "But I don't really think I belong in that house, nothing against Hufflepuffs, it's just my Mum and I are very different. I've always tended to follow in my father's footsteps, that's why I thought I was a muggle." My, it sure would be nice to be a Griffindor. They have so much status around the school, and they win the House Cup almost every year. Well, that's what mum says atleast.

"I think you'd be a superb Griffyndor. I hope we get put in the same house, you're the only friend I've got."

"I'm sure you'll make plenty more. You're a really nice person." Just as Bela finished her statement, the Hogwarts Express came to a sudden stop. Jack's head lurched forward as Bela's was pressed on to the back of her seat.

"We're here," Beamed Jack, standing up and gathering his textbooks and walking into the aisle of the train, Bela on his heels. Together, they exited the train, promising it that they'd return at the end of the school year.

"Over here, children! Come this way! First years over here! Follow me please!" Hollered a gray haired woman with a plump torso and glasses that seemed to be a little bit to small. She lead the herd of eleven-year olds to a long que of boats, each with it's own lantern mounted on top of it.

Bela followed Jack swiftly, not wanting to lose him among the oceans of fellow students. "Keep up, Bells." He laughed, grabbing her wirst lightly to pull her through the masses.

They shared a boat just before, with the help of the gray-haired woman's spell, it pushed itself off shore. Bela looked up at the purply-black night sky, speckled with shining stars. It was so different for her, being the London city-girl she was. Bela Pate had never really had the time to just stop and look at the sky.

Soon, the boats hit the shore and Jack helped Bela step out of it.

"Thank you," She whispered, releasing his arm.

Avalon, who had been quietly napping in Bela's arms, snapped awake at the sound of seventh-years screaming: "IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME." As they entired the immense castle and took off for the Great Hall.

"You can leave Avalon here, with your trunk. You did bring a carrier for her, right?" Asked Jack, pointing to the stack of trunks placed at the enterance.

"Ofcourse," Bela replied, placing her kitten in a creamy brown Pet-Cage and closing the metal door. "Be good, Av. I mean it." She warned.

"Come along, first years! This way please!" Shouted the woman who had lead them to the boats. Jack and Bela followed the sound of her voice, unable to see her in the crowd of anxious pupils. Eventually, they found their way to the giant double-doors that she stood before.

"Now then. My name is Professer Fikiss, head of Hufflepu-" She was cut off by the unmistakable sound of a snicker. "-think my house is weak, do you? You think that Hufflepuffs do not compare to Gryffindor or Ravenclaw or Slytherin, hmm? Well, Ms. Potts, I am happy to imform you that we Hufflepuffs are indeed capable of doing rather spectacular things."

Potts rolled her hazel eyes, then proceeded to glare at Professer Fikiss. Bela caught a trace of the I'm-Way-Better-Then-All-Of-You vibe from her.

"We are about to walk through these doors to get you young folk sorted. Sounds good, yeah?" Her voice was cheerful, despite the attitude from Potts. The students all nodded, some letting out a: "Sounds great!" or a "Fine by me!"

"This way!" Proffeser Fikiss pushed open the big doors and Bela did a double-take. The room was huge. Four long tables (each with a different house flag above them) stretched out on the floor. The ceiling seemed to be... painted with a starry night sky; but after a closer examination, Bela realized it was charmed to look like the sky outside. Second through Seventh years cheered at the arrival of the new students. And then it was time to be sorted.