The Goldstein Girl

1: Ilvermorny

An eleven-year-old girl with fiery orange hair and wide green eyes walked down the street behind her mother, holding her little brother's hand tightly.

"Mama? Do you want to walk with Liam for a while?" she asked.

Her mother turned around and simply stated, "Not right now, Quinn. Go play with him in the park. I'll come get you after work."

Quinn nodded and beckoned Liam to start moving. She let go of his hand at the playground. Looking at him, she ruffled his hair.

"Alright, Liam. You know the rules. Don't leave the playground, and if you do stay where you can see me."

"Quinn! Play with me!" Liam said.

Quinn shook her head, "I don't feel like it today. I'll play tomorrow."

Liam ran off to play. Quinn sat back and looked around herself. Her eyes lingered on someone she'd never seen before. A young girl who looked around her age. She had dark hair and eyes to match. She had thin, nimbly arms, long, lanky legs, and her face structure was bony and round at the same time.

Quinn found herself watching this girl's every action. Every once in a while, a small blonde girl would run up to the other and hand her something. Quinn smiled. What made her so fascinated by this girl? Why was she attached to her so?

-----

It'd been a few months since Quinn saw the girl on the playground and she stood in a large hall, waiting for the sorting ceremony, as others were calling it. She'd standing there, fiddling with her thumbs anxiously, until she saw that the dark-haired girl was at the front of the line.

The adult that was calling students in one by one came back out, "Goldstein?" he looked at the dark-haired girl, "Are you Porpentina Goldstein?"

The girl nodded. Porpentina Goldstein. What a cool name. Quinn watched as Tina followed the adult through the doors. She smiled as she started to think Porpentina needed watching over. She was going to take over that job.

The line had finally gone down enough for Quinn to be at the front of the line. The adult, who Quinn learned is a teacher, came out and asked Quinn to follow her into the room.

"Now. Do you know how it works?"

Quinn shook her head slowly. The adult sighed, almost annoyed. She pointed at the four statues that surrounded them, "When one the statues want you, that one-" she pointed at the bird, "-will flap its wings. That one-" she pointed to the elvish looking one, "-will raise its arrow. That one-" she pointed to the serpentine creature, "-has a gem in its forehead that'll glow. And that one-" the last one was a panther-like creature with six legs, "-will roar. Any more questions?"

Quinn shook her head and the teacher led her to the center of the room. That's when Quinn saw the people watching from above and she felt her legs plant her to the floor. Her heart was beating faster and faster as she stared, her mouth ajar, at the circular balconies above. She heard her heart beating in her ears and felt the vibrations in her feet. That's when she was brought back to earth and realized the vibrations went with a roar and the beating went with the sound of thunder.

She'd been chosen by two houses. Assuming that this was common, she looked between the great cat statue and the great bird one. The bird seemed a little too extraordinary for her and right now Quinn wanted something normal. She shifted her feet and walked to the cat. There was another adult standing next to it. He seemed a lot more cheerful than the person in charge of leading the children through the room.

"Welcome to Ilvermorny! Come along! Let's get you a wand!" he said to her.

Quinn smiled and followed him. This was going to be a good year.