Dark Dynasty || Tom Riddle

iv. Hogwarts

The castle was even more impressive up close. Crossing the great stone bridge that connected Hogwarts to the foot of the mountain it was build upon and that spanned over a deep chasm, Victoria felt something she hadn't encountered in a long time: Happiness. It was a strange bubbly sensation in her stomach that fought its way through her body. The feeling urged her to be let out and a laugh threatened to escape her mouth, but she quickly silenced it. She couldn't suppress a gentle smile, though.

Her fingertips lightly grazed the railing as she walked towards the school and felt the warmth the stone had absorbed during the day. ­Students gathered in front of enormous double doors made from dark oak. They were nudging and shoving each other, some jokingly and some genuinely down to fight, while excited chatter and laughter filled the evening air. They look like one big family, Victoria realized. Familiar, content with each other and even if some already appeared to be fed up with their loudly screaming friends, they all were happy. Happy to be home. Victoria desperately hoped she could call Hogwarts her home one day. Every place she was spared from her father's presence was a good place.

All of her fellow students grew suddenly quiet when the doors slowly opened with an audible groan. They revealed a tall woman clad in usual wizarding attire; dark robes with a floor-length dress underneath. Victoria was confused by her face; it was strangely ageless, she could've been a young woman or a hundred years old. But she looked kind, had friendly sparkling eyes behind her glasses despite her stiff posture.

"That's Diana Prewett. She teaches Astronomy and is the Deputy Headmistress as well," Anthony, who had somehow managed to sneak up on her again, voiced behind Victoria.

"I know," she whispered. "She has once taught my father, too." Anthony wanted to respond, but was cut off by the teacher's voice.

"Hush, what are you waiting for," she scolded. "You must all be hungry, get inside!" Victoria, who had expected a speech, stared at Professor Prewett dumbfoundedly.

"That's it?" she asked as the people around her started moving.

"Trust me. By the end of the day you're going to have heard so many boring speeches, that you'll be glad she didn't give you one too."

They entered the Entrance Hall and Victoria admired the stone knights on the walls while the other students walked through another set of huge doors on her right that led into the Great Hall. Through the masses she could glimpse four long tables, each one decorated in a different house's colors, and hundreds, maybe thousand of candles dangling from the enchanted ceiling.

Just as she went to follow them a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her. When Victoria turned around she came face to face with her new teacher. Professor Prewett smiled at her and said, "I thought you might want to be sorted in private. I, for one, would feel uncomfortable if I had to do it with the first graders, so I had it arranged for you to be sorted in the headmaster's office."

"Thank you, Professor," Victoria said politely even though she didn't really mean it. She would've also been fine with doing it just like everyone else had to.

"Come on, I'll show you the way. Professor Dippet awaits you."

The teacher led her through the school talking about the castle and explaining its history. Victoria didn't particularly care about Kunibert the Jolly, who constructed the owlery or about Corvinus Gaunt, who built an elaborate sink in the girl's bathroom, but she did prefer the talking over awkward silence.

Professor Prewett stopped when they reached a massive structure of ever-moving staircases. They went all the way up to the top of the hall in pieces that seemed to connect with each other at random. Some of the staircases did not make sense at all ending in solid walls. One was even turned upside down. All four walls were filled with portraits, big and small, and they all were screaming, chattering, laughing.