Sirius

1.2

Early September

Eleanor sat at the blue table once more, and though she wished not to eat here, her stomach was protesting. She looked at the food that had once again magically appeared before her and made to grab some toast.

She ate lightly, positive that by lunch time she would be back at home with her mother's cooking before her. Eleanor ignored the girl from last night, nibbling at her toast.

It was minutes later when she heard a screech. Eleanor looked up, along with the entirety of the student population. Owls, much like the one that had delivered the awful letter, came flying overhead, dropping letters and packages onto plates.

Eleanor glared upwards, a frown finding its way into her lips. She had lost her appetite. Her eyes, downcast, flew up at the sound of a horrible screeching, one that rivaled the owls.

They narrowed on a boy, looking to be her age, sitting at the table decorated in red. In his hands, a terribly bright red letter, one that was magically talking. Well, more like screaming. The entire hall went silent, the only thing heard was the letter screaming profanities and talk of shame, going on and on about the treacherous act committed and the dishonor experienced on the screaming woman's behalf.

Eleanor did not understand what was happening, nor did she really care, though she did feel a little bad for the boy. Whoever had sent him the letter was obviously not happy. The boy looked a little embarrassed and Eleanor turned away from him, looking back at her fingers twisting in her lap.

Talk soon filled the hall again as the letter finished yelling. Eleanor waited impatiently for breakfast to be over.

-

Face set with determination, Eleanor stomped down the corridor, making her way towards where she was informed the headmaster's office was. At the sight of the gargoyle, a proud smirk slid onto her lips. She was close, soon she'd be back at home.

She stood to the left of the gargoyle. She did not know how to enter, but assumed someone would be headed over soon. Whether it be the headmaster himself or another staff member. She was leaning against the wall, picking at the dirt under her nails when someone spoke up.

"What are you doing? Don't you have a class to be in?"

When Eleanor looked up, it was the boy from the red table. The one with the screaming letter. She narrowed her eyes at him and spoke hesitantly, "I'm here to talk to the headmaster. What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in class?" She almost scoffed aloud just thinking of the classes held in this school and how they were not even worth being attended.

He held up a little note, "well I've been summoned by him," he smirked down at her, "you don't know the password, do you?"

"Password?"

His smirk widened impossibly and his eyes sparked with amusement, "sugar quill." At his words the gargoyle came to life and jumped away from her, making way for a staircase to appear behind the bricks.

Eleanor looked at the boy, "I still get to go first because I've been waiting so long."

"I'm the one that had the password, I should go first." He argued back, his smirk still sat proudly on his lips.

"No."

The boy laughed and let her go first. At the top of the staircase was a pair of double doors, the boy said he would wait as she went in. With a light tap on the doors and a soft "enter" as the response Eleanor was inside of the office.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd come to visit me," spoke up the headmaster at the sight of her. "I had a feeling we'd be talking soon."

Eleanor looked at the headmaster with his greying beard and twinkling eyes. "Yes, well I would have come sooner, but I figured I should wait until after breakfast at least, it's only polite."

The man nodded. "Please sit," he gestured to the seats in front of his desk. "I am Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of this school. How may I be of assistance, Miss," he paused, waiting for her to fill in.

"Reynolds." Eleanor sat down.

"Miss. Reynolds, yes, how may I help you?"

"I wish to be expelled."

His blue eyes twinkled and his smile was hidden behind the beard. "Expelled?"

"Yes, though I do wish there would be no record of the expulsion. Almost as if I was never given the letter of acceptance." Eleanor carried on, peering at the man before her.

He hummed, staying silent as his eyes took her in curiously. Finally he opened his mouth, "may I ask why you request expulsion?"

"I didn't ask for this. I don't want it, my parents want this, not me. Expulsion would be the only way they would allow me back home with no arguments."

"And what is it you want, Miss. Reynolds?"

"Cambridge." The word brought a smile on her face, "I want Cambridge."

"A muggle university?"

Her eyes hardened at Dumbledore, "it's more than that."

"And your parents?"

Her eyes narrowed into slits. "They think this is a new opportunity. They're proud that I'm a-" she cut herself off, frowning impossibly, "they're proud I'm a witch. Happy that I'm not normal, ordinary even; that I'm extraordinary."

"Well I'm afraid you can not be expelled simply because you wish to attend a muggle university. You're magical, you need to be trained, and you will be, at Hogwarts."

Eleanor stood in outrage, the chair scooting back a little because of the force, the noise echoing around the office. "Is this school even accredited? Do we learn mathematics and english and science? Will I get a transcript and diploma that will allow me to attend a normal university?" And with such anger in her voice and tears threatening to spill, she spit out the last bit, "do I even get a choice? I didn't ask to be magical. I've wanted Cambridge my entire life and you're just going to take it away from me without even asking if I wanted to be here. I'm meant to learn about magic and pick a magical career based on that? I'm meant to stay in this magic world for the rest of my life? Everything I've wanted before is now irrelevant because you've deemed me a witch?"

Eleanor didn't wait for his reply, instead she marched to the door, glancing back once to shoot him another glare, "thanks for ruining my life." And then she had yanked the door open and was bounding down the stairs, angry tears streaming down her face without consent.

She was halfway down the hall when someone grabbed onto her arm, twisting her around. The boy from before stood there, his fingers around her wrist, watching her with wide eyes.

"You heard all that, did you?" Eleanor choked out between sobs, using her free hand to quickly wipe away the tears, adverting her eyes in embarrassment.

"Hard not to." He released her wrist only to place his hand on her shoulder, looking down at her sympathetically, "let's go somewhere a little more private, shall we? We don't need people coming out of class and seeing you like this."

Eleanor allowed herself to be lead away, the boy taking her off to an abandoned corridor and down to an empty classroom. She huffed out a shaky sigh and plopped down in one of the chairs, ignoring the dust everywhere.

The boy sat down beside her, "want to talk about it?"

"I don't even know you," Eleanor choked between shaky breaths, "why would I pour my soul out to you?"

"You look like you could use a friend. I'm Sirius."