Death Eater Empress

3

Once we arrived, I lugged my suitcases off of the train. I started to follow where the majority of the students were going, but was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. 

"Persephone Riddle?" a raspy voice asked. I turned around to an elderly lady with a welcoming smile, dressed all in black and wearing a large witches hat. I nodded warily. "I'm Professor McGonagall, I'll be your transfiguration professor. It's a pleasure to welcome you to Hogwarts!" She smiled, but a slight twitch of her lips gave away that she didn't entirely mean what she said. "I hope you can make yourself at home here. Please follow me up to the castle."

We took a tunnel under the castle grounds that led to a thick, barred door. Professor McGonagall had no trouble opening it, and did so with a flick of her wand. The door had a painting on the other side, which called out, "Well aren't you a pretty face! Have I seen you around here before?". I let out a little giggle. The hallways of Hogwarts were magnificent. The stairs moved by themselves and the students moved so effortlessly on them. Hogwarts looked to be much bigger than Beauxbatons at first glance. McGonagall turned to me and flicked her wand in the direction of my suitcases. "Those will be ready for you in your room after the sorting ceremony. Please follow me to the Great Hall."

I followed the professor through the maze of stairs and corridors until we reached the mass of students gathered before two looming, metallic doors. I joined onto the end of the group, where I found three other new students that looked my age. There was a girl, slightly taller than me, with waist-length, auburn hair, and the greenest eyes I've ever seen. 

The girl grinned from cheek to cheek, and chimed, "I'm Hazel! You must also be new?" She looked me up and down, waiting for me to reply. "Yeah, I'm starting the seventh year here, I used to go to Beauxbatons." Her eyes lit up, "I have a cousin who goes there! I went there once and it was beautiful!! Why would you ever want to transfer?" She enquired, but seeing the uneasy look on my face, she quickly changed the subject. Hazel gestured to the two boys next to her. "This is Michaelangelo," she chirped, as the black, curly-haired boy smirked at me. 

"And this is Lucian." The gold-haired boy put two fingers to his head and saluted me as a way of saying hello. 

I smiled back. "I'm Persephone." Hazel grinned and was about to say something else, but the opening of the doors of the Great Hall interrupted her. Cheering and applause rang through the room, while we all gathered at the front. The new first years were sorted first, before the four of us got the chance. I felt Hazel dancing from leg to leg next to me out of excitement. The two boys remained calm, but both sported smiles on their faces. The deep voice of the headmaster rang loudly through the hall.

"Now I would like you all to give a very warm welcome to our new seventh years, who have flown over here from schools all across the globe! When I call your name, please step forward."

I felt like Hazel was about to burst from excitement, the way she was moving around, half giggling. 

"Hazel Weasley!" Hazel skipped forward onto the chair, and the sorting hat had barely even touched her head when it exclaimed, "Gryffindor!". The cheers coming from the Gryffindor table were almost deafening, and Hazel ran to her seat at her new house, being greeted by auburn haired look-alikes, who I assumed were her siblings. 

"Michaelangelo Bane!" The tall, curly-haired boy strided up to the chair, and the sorting hat was placed on his head. It took a second before exclaiming, "Slytherin!" and cheers erupted by the students in emerald robes. 

Next was: "Lucian Blossom!" who took his time walking up to the sorting hat, almost as if he was frightened of it. It cheerily shouted, "Hufflepuff!" and Lucian walked to the table dressed in yellow ochre, with a wide grin. 

That left just me. "Persephone Riddle!". I heard a few student muttering my surname, but I didn't make eye contact with anyone as I walked up to the sorting hat. I sat down carefully, making sure not to snag my hair on anything, and the hat was placed on my head. There was silence for a couple of seconds, as I stared at the looming door on the other side of the hall, not knowing where to look. At last the hat whispered in my ear, "Hmm, now where to put you? You're so much like your father, yet not at the same time. You possess qualities of a Gryffindor and of a Ravenclaw, but I can sense your heart and soul truly belongs to...Slytherin!" The emerald table started cheering and whistling, some even shouting my name from happiness as I took my seat next to Michaelangelo after exchanging grins. 

Dumbledore gestured for the feast to start, and cheerful music started playing through the hall, while ravished students started eating whatever they could grab. 

I took a single piece of chicken from one of the silver platters, and a few sweets from one of the golden bowls. I chewed each bite of chicken over and over until I couldn't chew it anymore before swallowing. I made my way through the rest of the chicken and candy, leaving two pieces of colorful candy on my plate when I became full. I took a sip from my goblet, tasting a rich infusion of plums and cinnamon, before setting aside my plate and cutlery. 

"You're finished already? Try the candied apples!" chided Michaelangelo. "Oh, no I'm not hungry, I ate on the way here." I laughed, while lying through my teeth. "Alright then. Where did you transfer from?" I took a sip of the warm plum juice before replying. "Beauxbatons. I went to Koldovstoretz in Russia before I studied in France, but it wasn't up to my father's standards. What about you?" "Mahoutokoro in Japan. My parents thought my magical talents would be better honed at Hogwarts," he took a bite of his candied appled, "I guess we'll see." Some students started getting up to go to their respected common rooms, and I followed suit. Among the crowd, I thought I saw a familiar wisp of platinum hair, but it disappeared quicker than it appeared. It looked so much like Draco Malfoy's hair, my childhood friends. I hadn't seen him in so many years, and I heard he studied at Hogwarts from his father, Lucius, my father's favorite Death Eater. I moved quicker through the crowd, excusing myself each time I accidentally bumped into someone. I couldn't find who the platinum wisp of hair belong to though, and ended up getting lost following students from the wrong house.