Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ werewolf chronicles: Chamber of Secrets ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 4 )

I suppose I should say something more than the usual. Hope you're all enjoying this - it's my first Harry Potter fanfiction I've written, but not my first idea. Anyways - this will go on for quite a while, as these follow closely to the book, but told from a different point of view.

 

These are probably pointless as no one sure as hell reads these things *sighs* But I'm going to do it anyways.

 

NOTES: First off, I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I making any sort of profit off this work - the world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling!

 

Second, this will follow closely to the original plot J.K. has laid down in her books but the whole story is told from the view point of my own original character! So events and occasions will be slightly altered to fit my character into the picture! Thus the `alternate universe' genre.

 

Now then, boring stuff:

 

Rating: Appropriate for all ages

Spoilers: The Chamber of Secrets (duh)

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Three: The Sorting

 

The door swung open instantly; Renee saw a tall, dark-haired witch dressed in deep green emerald robes standing in the opening. Renee gulped - she seemed like a very strict woman, and one Renee hoped to stay on the good side of, should she have classes with her.

`Firs'-years, Professor McGonagall.'

`Thank you, Hagrid. I can take them from here.' Professor McGonagall pulled the door open wider, signaling for the first year students to follow after her. Renee stared up in awe at the size of the entrance hall - it could have easily fitted half of the underground in it. The stone walls were lined with flaming torches, the ceiling for a normal human would be too high to see, but Renee could easily see the top.

She followed with the rest of the students behind Professor McGonagall across a flagged stone floor; she couldn't be sure if the others were paying attention, but she could hear them. Renee could hear the chatter of the older students coming from a doorway to the right - but Professor McGonagall lead them to a small chamber on the side of the hall. They all crowded in, standing a little closer than they normally would, peering about nervously.

`Welcome to Hogwarts,' Professor McGonagall began, `The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly - but before you can take your seat in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while here, your house will be something like family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.' Renee blinked; this was already beginning to sound complicated.

`Now - the four houses are called Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding wizards and witches. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points - while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.' Renee felt a sinking feeling in her gut; she hoped she would fit well into whichever house she was sorted into.

`Now, the Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes up front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while waiting.' She watched Professor McGonagall's eyes linger over a few of the messier students, some trying desperately to make themselves presentable. Renee reached for the tie in her hair, yanking it out and let her long, straight brown hair flow before combing her fingers through it to pull it back in a hopefully much neater tail.

`I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly.' And with that, she left the chamber. Renee stood nervously with the other first years around her. She heard all sorts of whispers and talks about how the Sorting was done; she swore she heard someone whispering something about fighting a monster. Renee sighed to herself, trying to calm down - at least she knew how the Sorting would be done, but it didn't make her feel much better.

The wait was almost unbearable, and seemed like forever before Professor McGonagall reappeared moments later, requesting the students to form a line. Renee tugged on her sleeves as she got behind the mousey-hair boy she had shared the boat with earlier, the redhead girl standing behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, across the hall and through the double doors into the Great Hall.

If Renee had thought the magic in Diagon Alley was spectacular, it was nothing compared to how the Great Hall looked. Thousands and thousands of candles lit the entire Hall, all floating in mid-air above four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The table tops were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. Another long table sat at the top of the Hall, where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the line of first years up there, stopping them so they were now facing the students, their backs to the teachers behind them. Renee found herself glancing up towards the ceiling and saw it was painted velvety black with - blinking stars?

Renee blinked up in amazement - Delaney, she thought to herself, would have flipped at the bewitched ceiling above her.

Delaney was in charge of the artificial sky in the underground - and without magic, he had created it to mirror the sky of the surface world almost perfectly. Renee wondered if he would allow bewitching their own sky, just as the Great Hall's ceiling was.

Renee turned her gaze down as Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. She blinked at the wizard's cap resting on it. It was extremely old - very old; Renee scrunched her nose - aside from being frayed, patched and extremely dirty, the smell was overbearing. Renee wanted to put a hand over her nose to block the smell, but she knew it would look strange seeing as no one else had a strong sense of smell like she did.

The whole of the Hall seemed to be watching the hat, so Renee watched with them, wondering just what everyone was expecting it to do. The hat twitched - Renee blinked. A rip near the brim opened like a mouth, and it began to sing.

Renee's ears twitched - a problem with having extra sharp senses, everything also seemed to have double the affect. She cringed at the extra loud voice of the hat, only just barely managing to pay attention as it began to describe the different houses. Finally, when the hat ended it song, the whole Hall burst into applause, and it gave a bow to each table before going perfectly still.

`I hope I'm in Gryffindor! I hear he's in that house!' The mousey-hair boy next to her squeaked; Renee only glanced at him, but she was too nervous to really understand what he meant. Her brain was whirling - from the sounds of it, she definitely did not want to be in Slytherin; she glanced over at their table - they looked bad and smelled bad (figuratively speaking, of course), and definitely not a crowd she planned on befriending. Hufflepuff wouldn't be too bad - but even her werewolf pride (of what little she had) would not condemn her to a house that sounded (with no offense to them) a little weak. Which left only two choices - Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.

As Professor McGonagall called up the names of the students in alphabetical order by last names, Renee turned her last two house options in her head. Gryffindor was for the brave and courageous - both of which she felt she didn't have; Ravenclaw it was all about wit, cunning, and wisdom - Renee whimpered. She was none of those either.

`Lockwood, Renee!' Renee scrambled to the stool, hyperventilating slightly as she sat down shakily. She saw the eager eyes of the older students before everything went dark as the hat was put on her head and covered her eyes.

It was far too quiet, and Renee wondered if it would even make a decision or speak to her. Finally - after what seemed like hours to her, it seemed to be speaking.

`Hmm… now this is a peculiar choice… you have a rather dark secret to hide now, don't you?' Renee didn't answer - could the hat tell what she really was?

`Hmm… they could use someone of your talents, oh yes - you could be an excellent leader. Wolves can be great leaders, you know.' Renee shook her head - that would mean being in Gryffindor, the house of the brave, the house she believed would lead. It seemed her thoughts were right.

`No? Not Gryffindor? You sure? They could always use someone of your skills - no? Well then, in that case… RAVENCLAW!' The table of Ravenclaw burst into applause; Renee couldn't move, she didn't move until she felt Professor McGonagall remove the hat for her and she finally managed to push herself off the stool and over to the Ravenclaw table. Many of the older students patted her on the back, some reaching for her own trembling hands to shake them. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she spotted Padma near the middle of the table, waving to her. Renee half-walked and half stumbled to Padma, plopping herself down next to the girl. It was over - the most difficult thing she would ever have to do for the year was over. Padma patted her on the shoulder, hoping they would have a fun time this year; Renee smiled weakly, trying to settle the hysteria jostling her stomach.

Renee only half-watched the rest of the students to be sorted into their houses. The blond hair girl she had shared a boat earlier she learned was Luna Lovegood, and sorted into Ravenclaw like her. She hadn't noticed before, but she suddenly remembered the mousey-hair boy standing next to her - his name was Colin Creevey, and he had gotten his wish; he was put into Gryffindor. Renee's mind briefly wondered who he had been so eager to meet in Gryffindor. The last student she bothered to pay attention to was the strangely familiar redhead girl Renee was sure she had seen somewhere besides the boat trip - Ginny Weasley, and she was sorted into Gryffindor.

Finally - with the last of the students sorted and seated, Renee watched a tall, old wizard sitting the middle of the teachers table rose to his feet. Renee stared with slight awe - so this was Albus Dumbledore, she thought to herself. Her mother had talked about Dumbledore quite often, and he has apparently been to the underground on several occasions - none of which, Renee remembered. She was fairly certain she would have remembered a man as strange as him in the underground.

Dumbledore stood and opened his arms, as if welcoming each and every student personally; his bright blue eyes twinkled, peering warmly over half-moon spectacles.

`Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet-' Renee drowned him out almost automatically - she wasn't sure why, but something in his voice was making her sleepy. She snapped her head up at the sounds of the students cheering and clapping, looking up to see Dumbledore sitting himself back down in his seat. Whatever she missed apparently was amusing.

`What - what did he say?' Renee asked Padma, but soon became too distracted as the plates suddenly filled themselves with foods of all sorts. Renee's jaw dropped; she had never seen such splendor before her as this. She didn't eat much though - she wasn't sure how much her still churning stomach could handle.

She took to glancing up at the teachers up at the table; Padma pointed out Professor Flitwick, who was the head of Ravenclaw house. He was extremely short for a wizard, and Renee wondered if he was sitting on a few books (or if he had a special chair for him) in order to see above the table top. She found him a bit odd looking, but she liked him nonetheless. Her eyes wondered to Professor McGonagall who was deep in conversation with Dumbledore; Renee reaffirmed in her head - definitely not a teacher she should try to cross. She continued down the table, spying a wizard wearing forget-me-not blue robes, flashing a perfect and dazzling smile every second he got, and chatting boldly with the professor next to him.

Renee growled a little - she had no doubt that he was Gilderoy Lockhart, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and the one who probably issued all his books into the class list. She didn't like him - there was something about him that just smelled… fake. She growled again at the thought, not looking forward to sitting through classes with him.

Finally, she glanced at the professor Lockhart was talking to and shuddered. He dressed in dark robes, which seemed to fit his rather shady appearance; black greasy hair fell to about chin length, small, sharp black eyes glaring and seeming bored at the same time as he bared with Lockhart's ramblings about some great task he had performed.

`Who is that? The one - Lockhart is talking to?' Renee tapped Padma on the shoulder, pointing a finger to the table up front. Padma shuddered as well, leaning in to whisper.

`That's Professor Snape - he's the potions master, and Head of Slytherin house. It's best to just stay out of his way - he's pretty nasty to students who aren't in his house!' Renee gulped - potions master, which means she'll be seeing him soon for classes. Soon, the plates cleared away and Dumbledore stood to his feet once again. The whole Hall fell into silence. Renee only half listened, trying her best to not let his voice put her to sleep.

`- first years should know that the forest grounds is forbidden. As should the older students should do well to remember that as well.' She was certain he was gazing to a few students as he said that. `I have also been asked, to remind you that magic is not permitted use between classes in the corridors.

`Quidditch trials will be held the second week of the term. Anyone interested in trying out should contact Madam Hooch.' Renee blinked - what was Quidditch? But her mind was too tired to really care, so she decided to file it away for later questioning.

`And now - before we head to bed, let us sing the school song. Everyone pick their favorite tune, and - here we go!' Renee groaned, covering her ears as some of the students bellowed as loud as they could. Why couldn't they just sing in a regular volume? Her ears were too sensitive for this kind of thing.

 

`Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot.'

 

Everyone finished at different times with different tunes; Renee only uncovered her ears when only a few slow singing students were still singing the tune. The first year Ravenclaws followed the Prefect, Penelope Clearwater, out past the chattering students and towards the marble staircase. Renee followed sleepily; having gone to hysteria and back tends to take a lot out of one. She was too tired to really pay much attention to her surroundings, only occasionally catching a portrait or two moving about or watching the first years go to their respective dorms. All too soon, they were climbing a tightly, winded staircase that lead to the Ravenclaw tower.

Renee only paid half attention to the eagle shaped, bronze knocker - she would figure out how to enter the dorm in the morning - and clambered through the entrance. Penelope directed the boys to one set of stairs, before pointing the girls to the other, which they climbed grateful up to the rooms and found five four-poster beds, their trunks waiting for them at the end of each bed.

Too tired and too full from dinner for chatter, they shifted through the trunks for their night gowns, pulled them on and fell into bed. Renee buried her face into her pillow with a sigh, as sleep began to drift over her easily. She had the strangest dream, yet - it felt so liberating at the same time. She was flying - flying higher than she ever thought possible in her life. She had her arms spread out wide, relieving the warmth of the sun against her face; a gold glint caught her eye. She turned her head in the direction of the glint, and all too quickly, something small, gold and round zoomed by her. Renee turned her head in a split second, but she had already lost sight of it. How was it possible, she thought to herself; nothing has ever been able to out-match her speed, let alone her sight. She heard something flying up behind her; Renee spun herself around with lightening fast speed, coming face to face with a boy coming straight at her on - a broom?

He looked just as surprised as she was and - he was going to crash into her. Renee panicked, trying to move herself out of his way, but she couldn't budge. A panicked look came to his face as well, his black, messy hair fluttering his face; he couldn't change his direction either. The last thing Renee saw as the boy drew closer and closer to crashing into her was his brilliant green eyes, staring wide in panic at her through small, round-shaped glasses.

 

 

Chapter Three End