Pureblood

Sorted

I made my way through the train car scanning for an open seat. I noticed that everyone else was already in their robes. Red, yellow, green, and blue neckties on all of them. I assumed it was their house color, from what mum has told me. it was a bit embarrassing having to be sorted along with the first years, but I couldn't wait to find out what house I'll be. I finally found a car that wasn't completely full. inside it were two boys on one side, both a bit larger but one taller than the other, who seemed to be arguing about something. across from them was a boy with platinum blonde hair who couldn't seem to care less about what the two were yammering on about. though I was nervous I slid open the car door. "may I sit here?" I asked, hoping to sound friendly instead of timid. the two boys stopped their bickering and glared at me for a moment before looking to the blonde boy for approval. "I suppose." he said, barely looking at at me before shifting his attention back to the window. I took my seat as the taller of the boys spoke up. "I'm goyle. that's Crabbe." Crabbe gave me a nod, staring at me intently. "I'm Zara" I thought for a moment. I wasn't sure which last name I should use. Gaunt or Turner, would the name gain me anything? Mum seemed to think so, but I wasn't sure I would want the attention that came. But I suppose anything is better than who I was known as before. "Zara Gaunt." the platinum boy whipped his head the second the words came out. "Gaunt?" he said inquisitively. "yes?" so it is a well known name. "My family has known the gaunt family for years and I've never heard of a Zara before." A sense of dread rushed over me, I wasn't sure what to say. Ive barely met these boys, I wasn't prepared to share all my mothers secrets, I had only just learned of them myself. "I'm not close with my aunts and uncles, neither is my mum." I had hoped the would believe me. it was the truth but just not the entirety of it. "funny.. I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

he held out his hand for me to shake. I reached my hand to his, it was cold and soft, he didn't seem the type to have to do much with his hands. Crabbe chipped up "Are you new? you don't have house colors on." "of course she's new, you twit." spat Draco "She'll be a Slytherin no doubt, all the Gaunts are." Mum didn't tell ell me much about the houses, only that she hoped I wouldn't be placed in Slytherin, but from what I could tell they weren't all bad. They all aside from Draco seemed nice enough. "I'll be happy wherever I'm placed, I'm just excited to see the castle and meet the professors." I said in an attempt to keep the peace. "Anyone with your last name would be appalled to be in anything other than Slytherin." Draco said with distain in his voice. "It's the only house for pureblood like us." pureblood? is that what I am? It seems to be a status thing for him. "Well I suppose we'll just have to see what happens." I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment. I should've known all of this beforehand. Why didn't mum tell me anything before now, why would she need to hide all of this from me? I spent the rest of our ride reading the book mum had sent with me, 'The history of Wizardkind' maybe this could answer more of my questions. I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep until I felt two hands shaking me vigorously by the shoulders. "Wake up Gaunt, bloody hell." It was Goyle standing above me with a look of disdain. The others seemed to have left already, a quickly gathered my things and ran down the car of the train, and stepped off only to be met with the view of a magnificent castle, orange lights glowing from the windows, and towers taller than any of the ones I've seen. I followed the trail of students towards a path with horse drawn carriages. These were no ordinary horses though, they had wings and their body was almost skeletal. I stepped into a group with three other students. "what are they?" I couldn't help but ask, I was too curious not too "Enchanted??" said the boy to my left, nudging to his friend for approval of his insult. could they not see them too? maybe I'll learn more from my professors. 

I kept quiet the rest of the ride while the two boys bantered with each other, throwing insults and bragging about the girls they had yet to ask out. finally we reached the castle. the inside was just as elaborate and impressive as the outside, we made our way into the great hall and I stood at the back of a long line of first years, all of them small and chipper. "Welcome to Hogwarts." the voice of the female professor, her accent sounded like she was from Edinburgh. "I am your transfiguration professor, professor Mcgonagall." She had a kind face, but seemed like she was not one to play favorites. she explained the sorting process and began calling out names of students to be sorted. I watched in awe as I saw each young students face light up as they ran to greet their new house. Suddenly it seemed, I heard mine. "Zara Gaunt" she chirped, I suppose mum had told them to use gaunt for my time here. I made my way up the platform and onto the chair, Professor Mcgonagall placed the sorting hat on my head and my body had tingles all over it. "Hmmmm" the hat hummed in confusion. "Brave, smart, loyal... but I sense cleverness and ambition in you as well...." the hat groaned on. I held my breath in anticipation, I knew what my mother had hoped for but I just wanted to be in the house that's best fit for me. "Slytherin!" the hat called loudly, echoing off the walls of the great hall. The Slytherin table erupted in a cheer, gaining a new member to their house. I made my way to the table and took my seat near the end. "Oi best house to be in! Im Terrance, Terrance Higgs, I play quidditch." the boy next to me shouted as he threw his arm out to me. He was handsome, tall with blonde curls, but seemed arrogant.  "Don't startle her Higgs, she's only just arrived." The boy across from me said, before I had a chance to respond. he had a kind smile spread across his face and his arms crossed. "Im Blaise Zabini." I reached my hand out to shake his. He looked at me with his striking brown eyes, his head looked as if it had been freshly shaved. "Im Zara, pleasure to meet you both."

"Gaunt eh? you must be pretty famous then?" Higgs muttered with food in his mouth. "not really, Im not very close with my family." I tried to explain in a way that wouldnt prompt them to ask any more questions. "Well you'll definitely be getting lots of attention now." said Blaise. I was nervous what kind of attention it would be. the boys reignited their conversation with each other and didn't seem to pay me any mind. I enjoyed my dinner, laughing at the little jokes they said. At least everyone seems friendly enough so far. I noticed that the Malfoy boy and his two goons kept cracking up every now and then, his piercing blue eyes meeting mine for a moment, before both of us looked back to our plates. I finished my food and followed the rest of my house to a large portrait that seemed to be alive. "password." boomed the man in the painting. "pureblood." muttered the student at the front. there's that word again. no wonder Malfoy knew I'd be placed in Slytherin. I followed the group as we made our way inside. The room was tall, the walls were a deep green, that glowed from the light of the fireplace, which crackled and filled the room with a warm welcoming presence. "Girls dormitories are up the stairs to your left, boys to the right. You'll find that your belongings have already been brought up. Nobody is allowed out of their common room after curfew." The prefect told us before turning to leave. I made my way up the stairs and to the 4th year dormitory. I found my trunk beside a bed in a circular room, 4 beds surrounding a large snake on the tiles of the floor. as I sat on my bed I saw a package set on top of my uniform. The note attached read 'it was mine when I was younger and I wonder if it will be the right fit for you. Love mum', I opened it up to find a long rectangular box, inside it a skinny almost white wand, with a snake carved into the handle. As I picked it up it seemed as though the room and the world itself had vanished for a moment. I felt power rushing through every vein.

Just then the door opened, in it stood two girls giggling, one blonde one brunette. They stopped in their tracks as they saw me. "Blimey, you're the Gaunt girl aren't you?" the blonde exclaimed. "Im Daphne Greengrass, pleased to meet you!" she shook my hand excitedly. "That's Pansy Parkinson, it's so exciting to get another 6th year so suddenly!" Pansy gave me a little nod before sitting on her own bed "Daphne I've got potions first thing I can't be late, stop bothering Gaunt over there. We should all be heading to bed. " "Ive got potions too, maybe you could show me where the classroom is?" I asked toward Pansy. "Sure. just don't be late." she said seriously, I could tell she wasn't going to open up easily. the other girls got in their pajamas and gossiped about boys and the classes they were taking. I spent my evening in my bed staring at the wand mum had sent for me, tracing my thumb along the engraved snake and wondering why mum would send it if she didn't want me to be in Slytherin. Soon I drifted off with anticipation of my days to come, unsure of what they would hold, but excited to learn more about magic, and myself. For that was the mystery I was most keen to solve.