Dried Leather and Withered Flowers

Chapter 13

The gates of Hogwarts spin into view and then go sideways as Lea loses her balance and hits the ground. She breathes heavily as she gets to her hands and knees, trying not to let her lunch make a reappearance.

"That was worse than a portkey." She hears her brother groan not far from her. A glance to the side shows him bent over in a similar position.

"We must hurry if we are to make it in time for the feast. I fear that we have already missed most of the sorting." Dumbledore gives the twins a look that makes it clear whose fault that is. Lea scowls at the man as she gets to her feet. A snap of the old man's fingers and their trunks disappear. Lea grips her wand tighter, feeling the handle of Dean's gun digging into her lower back. Her older brother had passed it to her as they were saying goodbye, giving her strict instructions to shoot first and ask questions later if she felt her or Harry were in danger. She had tucked it into her waistband before exiting the house. "Professor Snape will escort you both to the Great Hall."

Before either of the Potter-Winchesters can protest, the headmaster disappears with a crack. Snape sneers at them as he places a hand on the tall iron gates that lead to the grounds. They open without a creak. His black robes billow behind him as he sweeps past, heading toward where the castle looms ahead.

"It is unfortunate that Mr. Diggory will not be here for his final year." Snape drawls in his snide voice. She can see the hint of a smirk on his face even as he doesn't look at them.

"Fuck off." Lea snarls, not having a single ounce of patience left for the dungeon bat. How dare he mention Cedric in front of Harry? How dare he mention any reference to what her brother endured at all? Not when she knows that he's not without blood on his own hands.

Snape glowers down his hooked nose at her. "Detention, Potter. You can spend your first Friday evening of the year scrubbing the first years' cauldrons."

Harry nudges her as she opens her mouth to retort. She glances at him in time to see him give a sharp shake of his head. She huffs but ignores the professor in favor of glaring at the ground. She follows her twin brother, stomping up on the castle steps and into the Entrance Hall. Snape walks swiftly to the large double doors that muffle the hundreds of students murmuring within. He doesn't bother to wait for either of them as he enters, robes flapping like a cape behind him. Her thoughts drift to the Batman movies she watched with her brothers earlier in the summer.

Lea and Harry slip through the doors, beelining for the table full of students accented in red and gold. The sight makes her realize that she and Harry are the only students in the hall to not be wearing their robes. This only causes them to stand out even more in their muggle jeans and tee shirts. Harry even has a flannel over his shirt that she's fairly sure he stole from Sam's laundry if the sizing is anything to go back. Lea adjusts the light jacket she wears, making sure the outline of the pistol on her person isn't visible.

It's easy to spot their friends at the table, Ron having stood up upon their entrance. Whispers follow them as they hurry to the tall ginger, students completely ignoring the end of the Sorting Ceremony. Lea gives her favorite Weasley a quick hug before sliding onto the bench beside Hermione, who squeezes her tightly.

"What are you two doing here?" Hermione whispers to her as Ron and Harry take their seats, the four of them huddling together.

"Dumbledore." Lea grumbles, offering no further information.

"The headmaster practically blackmailed us." Harry rolls his eyes. Hermione's eyes widen at the news, Ron's jaw dropping.

"What?" Her friend sputters, outraged. Lea shrugs, fiddling with a fork that lays upon the table and resolutely ignoring the headmaster's speech. That is, until the wizard is interrupted by a woman she has never seen before.