beautiful dreamer

III. a friend

Dear Pearl, she wrote hastily, how is it so far? I was sorted into Slytherin and I'm sharing a dormitory with five other girls. I miss you, hope you're liking Erehnoll so far. Love, Lottie.

She slipped the note into her bag to mail later.

...—.—...

It was the first day of classes—Lottie's first real day at Hogwarts—and she honestly wasn't sure what to expect. She felt a bit self-conscious in her robes; she was much more used to Muggle clothing. Oliver had told her a bit about the classes and professors (apparently Professor Snape was a horror to Gryffindors and favored Slytherins) but she wasn't sure where anything was or what it would be like. There should be maps or something.

On the bright side, the other girls in her dorm didn't seem too bad. It could've been worse. She missed Pearl though.

"I'm just saying," Melanie Kinnan was arguing across from her, "if we're going to be in a giant fuck-all castle, we might as well have something we can use to bloody navigate!"

Twisting roads sheer cliffs angry sea lighthouse in the dark bright beacon shimmering waves glint of metal moon in the sky rain lashing leaves on the ground trees swaying scent of pine—

"Yes, you're right and the headmaster is an idiot," Georgie Belle said, rolling her eyes.

"He's barmy enough."

"He's Dumbledore. What did you expect? He's still powerful anyway."

Beating hearts twisting chains cold marble smooth stone tears on cheeks knife in the back cry of pain windswept moor relentless hands pulling reaching tugging—

"We should have a way to get places on time, I don't care if he's all-smart or whatever the hell." Melanie frowned. "Right, Lottie?"

Lottie jolted slightly, surprised to be included in the conversation. "Yeah. It's a massive castle, the least they can do is signs or something."

Georgie sighed. "I digress."

"Come on, Georgie, you know we're right!" Melanie grinned. Georgie flicked a spoonful of milk at her. Lottie missed Pearl. Friendship laughter shining hearts bright grins playful laughter closer than siblings—

"We should probably go, unless you know where Potions is," Georgie said.

"Isn't it in the dungeons?" Lottie asked, not really paying attention.

"Oh great, wandering around the creepy as hell dungeons until you find the classroom, that can't go wrong," Melanie muttered.

"Always an adventure," Lottie said. Melanie tried to steal Georgie's juice.

They found the Potions classroom eventually, a large room scattered with wooden tables that seated two, lit faintly with drifting balls of light. Along one wall was a massive closet of Potions ingredients. At the very back of the room was a chalkboard on the wall. The professor was nowhere to be seen, but a few students were already sitting at the tables. She sat, trying to ignore floury hands blue flowers dagger thrown overwhelming grief love anger hurt surprise shock fear pain false friendships betrayal gone gone gone gone gone—

"Are you saving this seat?" someone asked. She looked up to see one of her dormmates, a girl with messy blond hair and a backwards hat.

"No, you can sit."

"Thanks," she said, dropping into it. "I'm Ava. You're Lottie, right?"

"Yeah."

The door slammed shut, cutting off their brief conversation and the murmurings around them. Professor Snape swept into the room, cloak flapping behind him (which was just a bit of an overkill, in Lottie's opinion) and began to call roll.