In His Shadow (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 13- A Surprise

A/N-

Just a quick reminder that everything apart from Ava is owned by J.K. Rowling.

Enjoy! :)

Chapter 13

My mood was all over the place. I was no longer excited, but scared. What if I was put in Ravenclaw? Then I wouldn’t be with my friends. I wouldn’t be with my brother. Or Fred.

I followed the first years off the boats and into the Great Hall. It was just how the twins had described it, maybe even better.

It was full with students. Running down the room were four long tables. I guessed these were the house tables.

The first years around me started to talk to eachother nervously. I noticed a Professor whom Fred had described to me. She was Professor McGonagall. She saw me and waved me over.

She smiled,

“I believe you’re Ava Potter. Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, all the students are very excited about your arrival. Therefore, I’m just going to put you into alphabetical order with the rest of the first years so you’re blended in.”

I nodded,

“Thank you!”

She led me to the queue and I found my place behind a girl called Hannah Parker. She smiled shyly at me. I returned her smile before looking through the Gryffindor table for Fred.

I finally saw him. He grinned at me and gave me a thumbs up. He believed in me. He seemed positive I was going to be in Gryffindor.

The Sorting Hat was placed on a chair, and it broke into song. I watched in awe with the first years. It was a song about the different houses, but it seemed to include something about Hogwarts being in danger. A shiver ran down my spine, but I tried not to let that ruin my good mood.

The song finally finished, and Professor McGonagall started to read out names. The sorting seemed to be happening quite quickly.

“Parker, Hannah.”

Hannah nervously walked up to the chair and sat down. The hat was placed on her head,

“Hufflepuff!”

She smiled and hopped down to the Hufflepuff table.

“Potter, Ava!”

Suddenly, everyone was staring at me excitedly. I tried not to trip over as I walked up to the chair. My heart pounded as Professor McGonagall put the hat on my head. I saw Harry looking at me with a pleading expression. I shut my eyes and hoped desperately I would be placed in Gryffindor.

“Slytherin!”

All the students gasped in surprise. My heart stopped.

This had to be some sort of joke. I wasn’t in Slytherin. I couldn’t be. The hat muttered to me,

“You may be a Potter, but you’re definitely a Slytherin. You’ll see. You have all the traits of a Slytherin. You’re not a Gryffindor.”

I stood up slowly. My cheeks were burning, and my eyes felt like they were filling up with tears.

I didn’t make eye contact with anyone as I made my way towards the Slytherin table. I found an empty seat at the end of the table and sat down in it.

Professor Dumbledore broke the awkward silence by telling everyone to eat.

I gulped. I didn’t really feel hungry anymore. I was terrified instead.

A blonde girl sitting opposite me sneered,

“Draco told me you’re friends with the Weasleys. I’m not sure if I want you in this house.”

I just looked at her before nibbling at a bit of food. The boy next to me grinned,

“We can make our dislike for the Weasley family known.”

I wanted to punch his face, but my whole body felt locked into place. The girl rolled her eyes,

“Zach! Don’t state the obvious. Anyway, we shouldn’t be talking to this girl. She’s not a real Slytherin.”

I looked up,

“You’re right. I’m not a real Slytherin. I never will be. Over the summer, my friends told me I was bound to be in Gryffindor. I have no clue why I’m in this house, and I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me. So I’m not going to talk to you either.”

Her eyes widened a little before she turned back to her food. No one said anything else to me.

Dumbledore began to talk about the new year and the new teachers, Professor Grubbly-Plank and Professor Umbridge.  

I noticed Professor Umbridge rudely clearing her throat until Dumbledore finally let her speak.

“Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!”

I clasped my hands together under the table, no longer bothering to listen. I hadn’t known this woman for very long, and I already hated her. She was rude for interrupting Dumbledore. She seemed like she was sucking up to all of us too.

This day was getting worse and worse.

Finally, Professor Dumbledore dismissed everyone.

I stood up and frantically looked for Fred. I needed to talk to him, right now.

It was hard to see him among so many students. When I finally caught sight of him, I felt firm hand on my arm.

Zach glared at me,

“You’re not going anywhere, Potter. Don’t think about talking to your Weasel friends.”

I tried to wriggle free from his grip,

“Can I at least see my brother?”

“Not for now. Just follow me.”

He pulled me along behind Draco, who was calling out,

“First years over here. Follow me.”

I glared at Zach,

“Just because I’m in Slytherin doesn’t mean you own me.”

He just laughed.

I carried on following him until we got to the dungeons. Draco muttered the password,

“Pure-blood.”

Zach shook his head,

“That’s the password again?”

We walked into the common room, and he let go of my arm. I shook my head,

“Don’t ever touch me again.”

The common room was bathed in an eerie pale green light. Students started to sit on the chairs, but I walked straight towards the girl’s dormitory. There were several beds in the room, but I noticed my one by the window. My trunk and Snowstorm were just next to it.

I quickly got changed into my pyjamas and crawled into bed. I pushed my head into the soft pillow, and tried not to cry as I drifted off to sleep.