Tiny Tourmaline Stars

maybe the children of a lesser god- part one

There was an old, stately castle hiding in the rolling green Scottish highlands. It sat on a bluff overlooking a glassy lake. The castle had expansive, lush grounds filled with criss-crossing paths and calm trees and stone benches. The ground were surrounded by a green, dark forest- in the daytime filled with the chatter of creatures within it, while in the night it seemed too silent to be real.

A road led away from the castle, across a bridge, to a village filled with warm light. Witches and wizards walked around the village, laughing and smiling and having a worry-free time. No Dark Lords would plague them that night.

On the edge of the village, a train pulled by a steam engine stopped at the station. The yellow glare of lanterns reflected off bright red paint, and the last vestiges of its steam vanished into the night air. A large man with a yellow lantern stood waiting for students to disembark the train, and disembark they did. A couple moments of quiet, with just the train and the man, and then a crush of students pressed off the train. The large man shouted, and the smallest students made their way towards them while older students headed towards the carriages, chattering with each other and occasionally tripping over each other, maybe stepping on the underfoot first-year. The carriages waited for them, pulled only by creatures than very few of the students could see.

The carriages trundled up towards the castle as they filled, while the large man waited for all the older students to leave. Once only the twenty-nine first-year students were left- quite a small group, but then again, classes had been small the last few years- the large man led them along a path to the edge of the lake where a fleet of small boats waited.

He got them into the boats- no more than four in one boat- he waved a hand and the fleet started gliding across the lake, the boats propelling themselves.

The denizens of the lake watched the yearly progression of first-years the way they always did- mers and the squid waiting to help any unfortunate soul who fell overboard, and other things lurking, hoping for a tender morsel.

No child fell overboard, and the mers retreated to their village.

The first-year students were led into the castle, where they waited in the entrance hall. The stern-looking Professor McGonagall, with her dark hair pulled back into a bun and her square glasses pushed up to her nose, bade the students to wait.

They waited, and screamed at the ghosts, and there was a small confrontation between a surprisingly small black-haired boy and a boy with slicked-back blond hair.

Professor McGonagall returned, and retrieved the students. She led them into the Great Hall, where they all oohed over the ceiling.

The Hat was brought out, and it sang. Children were called up to be sorted.

Towards the back of the clump of first years stood a small black-haired boy and a tall ginger boy with a long nose.

"I'll kill Fred and George, I really will," he said. "Fight a troll! The fat liars."

Harry nodded, and waited for his turn, and finally Professor McGonagall called his name.

"Potter, Harry!"

Whispers filled the hall.

Is that really him?

He looks so small!

I hope he's in our House!

What are you thinking, he'll be a Gryffindor, of course he'll be...

Harry didn't think he was brave enough to be a Gryffindor. He snarked and ran, that wasn't brave, snarking and staying would be brave. He sat on the stool and let the professor set the hat on his head.