Cast yourself (you are the spell)

Chapter 1

The great hall is restless with activity. It's the middle of October, and there are floating candles and pumpkins scattered throughout the air. Students are laughing and talking loudly, and Hope Mikaelson can't hear herself think. She sighs, knitting her eyebrows in irritation and drumming her fingers against the hard wood of the table. When her family ring catches in a dent, she automatically clenches her fist.

She understands her father's pride over the family name, but having to constantly wear the Mikealson ring annoys her. Sometimes it felt suffocating, and right now, squeezed between countless bodies, it's enough for her irritation to spike once again. She raises her hand to her collar and loosens her Slytherin tie, confused as to why food hadn't magically appeared in front of them yet.

It's about thirty minutes past dinner time, and the students still have no idea why they're waiting. They had been told to come to the great hall early for dinner because there was an important announcement, but nothing had yet been announced.

Hope's eyes wander to the front, where the headmaster and professors are sitting regally, and Hope notices some of them look quite anxious.

She wonders why, but ultimately decides that she doesn't care.

Before long, the students fall into a rush of silence as Headmaster Dumbledore stands up.

"Quiet, quiet," Dumbledore says benevolently, and Hope almost rolls her eyes. She glances away for a second and accidentally meets the stare of the Landon boy from Hufflepuff shooting her heart eyes.

He should really stop doing that, she thinks absentmindedly before turning back to Dumbledore.

"Good evening, everyone," Dumbledore greets, pausing dramatically. "Tonight, we welcome two students from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic that wish to finish out their studies here at Hogwarts."

A murmur spreads across the dining hall, and Hope's shoulders sag in disappointment.

"We never get transfers!" a fifth year whispers excitedly across from her, and Hope grumbles under her breath. She's starving, and done with waiting to eat.

"Please embrace them pleasantly as you did your fellow classmates," Dumbledore finishes, and Hope hadn't realized he'd still been talking.

He moves to the side and gestures to his right, and Hope sees two girls she hadn't noticed before. One is slightly taller than the other and clearly blonde, with an upturned nose and small features. Her robes are plain but immaculate. When Hope glimpses at the other one she does a double-take.

She's beautiful, that's obvious. Her hair is slightly wavy, a gorgeous brown color that Hope can't tear her eyes from. Her eyes have a fire in them that directly contrast Hope's own blue orbs, and something just underneath Hope's skin sparks.

Hope looks fastly away, her heart beating with a quickness she doesn't yet realize. She stares down at the table, but all she can see is pouty lips and innocent eyes. She risks a glance back and the other girl's eyes catches her for barely a split second, but it's enough to scare Hope to never look again.

Minutes pass before Hope regains herself, the magic in her veins thrumming with attention.

"Elizabeth Saltzman!" Professor McGonagall calls, and then Hope realizes they're actually being sorted by that stupid fucking hat. Her eyebrows furrow with another discovery.

Saltzman...as in the famous vampire hunter Alaric Saltzman? Hope thinks. As in one of the greatest enemies of her father? As in...

"Saltzman. Great. Another fucking muggleborn," Penelope Park curses next to her, a snobby frown down-turning her lips as the blonde walks up to the hat. "Her friend's hot, though. Here's to hoping she's at least a half-blood."