Dark

Chapter 2

Eleanor
The silence was almost frightening. The stares, the disbelief on each and every face within the hall. I was glad that I was already familiar with the placement of the tables because no one clapped and no one stood up to indicate where I should go. I silently got up from the stool and made my way toward the Slytherin table, sparing an anxious glance to the other end of the Hall where the Gryffindors were sat.
A small part of me was surprised that hat had called out Slytherin, and I felt a wave of guilt wash over me as I noticed the expressions around me change from surprise to fear. I could see it in their eyes, the question that everyone wanted answered: How could a Potter belong in Slytherin?
I took a seat at the end of the table. The first years must have filled in gaps along the table as they were sorted. As I sat down I noticed the other Slytherins inch away from me as though I were diseased. That was when I realized how difficult this was all going to be. To the Slytherins I wouldn’t belong because I was a Potter, and to everyone else I wouldn’t belong because I was a Slytherin.
Seemingly oblivious to the continued tense silence of the Hall, Dumbledore stood up from his seat, “I have only two words to say to you, tuck in.”
In seconds the entire table was filled with platters of food. I didn’t feel hungry though. A sense of shame was overtaking the guilt and I hung my head, confused as to what had happened.
“So much like your brother, and yet so different. Are you brave? Yes. I can see that. But you’re also more determined to get what you want. Some may say recklessly so. I know where to place you now.”
Those had been the words the sorting hat spoke before calling out that final fateful word. Slytherin.

Harry
The talk in the Hall slowly built up again but I could still hear people talking about her. Talking about me. Talking about how it couldn’t be true, it didn’t make sense. And I agreed with them.
“Harry?” Ron asked, looking at me with an unsure expression.
“What?” I snapped.
“Er –“
“Are you all right?” Hermione asked.
“All right?” I asked, noticing that my tone was harsh but I couldn’t help it at the moment. “Am I all right?” I asked again. “My supposed sister was just sorted into Slytherin! Why would I be all right?”
“It’s not –“ Hermione began.
“It’s not what? A big deal?” I stabbed at the food I had moved to my plate. “Well, Hermione, it is a big deal. Maybe it’s just a sign. A sign that Dumbledore was wrong. I mean…he can’t be right. There’s no way I have a sister.”
We fell into a tense silence as we and everyone else around us ate. I tried to force myself to not turn around, to not look for her among the Slytherins, but eventually my resolve died away. I looked back, my eyes traveling down the Slytherin table looking for that wave of jet black hair again. It wasn’t until I reached the end near the front of the Hall that I found her. She was sitting alone, as far away from everyone as possible.
I wanted to feel sorry for her, I wanted to. But I just couldn’t. Seeing her there, I just felt more upset. How could she have existed all this time, yet no one knew? It still didn’t make sense.
Eventually the plates cleared and Dumbledore stood at the head of the Hall again.
“So!” he said, smiling around at us all. “Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch’s office, if anybody would like to check it.
“As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.”
My stomach dropped at this.
“What?!” I gasped, looking around to Fred and George who seemed equally outraged.
“This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers’ time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts –“
A roll of thunder interrupted Dumbledore’s speech while at the same moment the doors of the Great Hall were flung open. I whipped my head toward the doors just as the rest of the students did. Standing there was a man, lowering his hood and shaking out a mane of dark gray hair. He walked down the Hall toward the staff table, a loud clunking sound occurring with every other step. When he reached Dumbledore he whispered something into his ear before taking the empty seat at the head of the Hall.
“May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?” Dumbledore said brightly into the silence. “Professor Moody. Now, as I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.”
“You’re JOKING!” Fred shouted.
The tension that had built in the hall from Eleanor’s sorting, the announcement of Quidditch being cancelled, and the arrival of Professor Moody evaporated immediately.
“I am not joking, Mr. Weasley,” Dumbledore said, “the Triwizard Tournament…well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.
“The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities – until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.”
I could hear Hermione whisper something about death tolls but couldn’t draw my attention away from Dumbledore.
“There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament, none of which has been very successful. However, our own Departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.
“The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their shortlisted contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.
“Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts,” Dumbledore continued on, “the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion.”
I caught Dumbledore’s eyes quickly flickering over to Fred and George’s mutinous faces and chuckled, knowing full well they would still try to find a way to enter.
“The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!”
With that, I stood with Ron and Hermione as we shuffled away from the Gryffindor table. Fred and George hurried up to us as we made our way toward the Entrance Hall.
“They’re not stopping me entering,” Fred said stubbornly, “The champions’ll get to do all sorts of stuff you’d never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!”
“Yeah,” said Ron with a faraway look, “Yeah, a thousand Galleons…”

Eleanor
I caught a glimpse of Harry as he stood up from the Gryffindor table. This was my chance, seeing as I wasn’t sorted into Gryffindor I would need to go see him now or wait until tomorrow. I quickly got up from the table and maneuvered my way through the throng of students as I saw Harry duck out into the Entrance Hall with a small group of people.
I pushed my way through and had just caught up to them as they were about to ascend the marble staircase.
“Harry!” I said loudly, trying to get his attention over the loud din of the students still filing out of the Great Hall. “Harry, wait!”
Harry turned and looked around for a moment before noticing my approach. As his eyes met mine his smile faltered and he looked upset. I was thrown off by this because I had been excited for the past two months to finally meet the only family member I had left. I had spent my whole life thinking there was no one out there that I could call family, and now here he was looking down at me as though I were simply an annoyance.
“Er…” I lost the words I had planned to say, “hi…I guess I don’t really know what to say…”
“Yeah, hi.” Harry said simply, looking away from me.
My heart dropping every moment I took in a deep breath and held out my hand.
“I’m Eleanor, you’re sister.” I said, trying to sound confident before I added an unnecessary, “apparently.” Damn my nerves. I had hoped this would go well, I didn’t expect tears of joy and big embraces, but I had hoped for at least a smile. Instead I received nothing.
“Yeah, I know.” Harry looked back up finally but his gazed quickly flitted from my face to something off to my right.
“How sweet, a family reunion.” Someone chuckled, and I turned to see what Harry’s eyes had already found. Standing off to my right side was a pale boy, likely the same age as Harry. His white-blonde hair stood out strikingly against his black robes. As I turned back toward Harry I caught the glimpse of the green Slytherin patch on his robes.
Great.
“Shove off, Malfoy.” Harry said, irritated.
“There’s no way this can be true.” The boy, Malfoy, said.
“What?” I asked simply.
“Another Potter? It’s bad enough having one of you around here.” Malfoy gave Harry a sneer before turning to me, his expression turning deathly cold. “And now we have to deal with one of you in our own House. It’s disgusting.”
“I don’t know what Dumbledore’s thinking, but she’s not a Potter.” Harry said.
I immediately turned back to Harry and opened my mouth to say something but nothing seemed to come out. The girl standing behind him stared at Harry with a horrified expression on her face while the boy next to her shuffled his feet nervously while staring down toward the ground.
I had been put down by a member of my House before I even had the chance to see our common room, and immediately after this Harry denounces me as his sister. What did I do to deserve this?
“Excuse me?” was all I managed to say.
“Look, Dumbledore may think you’re my sister, but it doesn’t make any sense. So I’m sorry and all, but you’re not my family.”
Harry turned and stalked off up the marble staircase. After a moment of hesitation the boy and girl who had been standing behind him left as well.
“What wonderful sibling bonding.” Malfoy said in a sarcastic drawl.
“Do you have a problem with me?” I turned and looked Malfoy in the eye, my expression surely furious. I was mad at him, but I was mostly mad at Harry. I had waited for this moment and dreamed of it being something good, but it turned out to be an awful mess. Malfoy certainly hadn’t helped matters.
“I have a problem with anyone named Potter.” He shot back.
I turned on my heel and stalked off in the opposite direction, not bothering to respond.