When All Else Fails, Follow Your Heart... (Book 2)

Platform 9 3/4

"Thinking"

September 1st, 1988. Kings Cross Station. 10:10 AM.

Andromeda and Ted Tonks walked their five kids onto the platform, five shrunken trunks in their pockets. They smiled at their children and watched as Nymphadora and Neville went over to Mike and Darcy. Andromeda and Ted walked the three other children over to the train. They smiled and unshrunk the trunks.

"Go pick a compartment. The Puffs will be with you as soon as they separate from Connor and Mr. Driscoll." Andromeda smiled and hugged each of the children.

"Write to us when you can, and don't forget to write to Madame Bones and Agate and Blordak." Ted hugged the kids and smiled at them before the two stood up and wrapped their arms around each other.

Hermione smiled at her surrogate parents and wrapped her arms around the boys. "I promise to write to you all at least once a week for all of us."

Draco smiled at his Aunt Andromeda and Uncle Ted. He had felt so much more love from them than he had ever felt from his parents. Harry was feeling so happy, he hadn't realized that what he needed in life was to feel parents' love. The boys nodded in agreement, knowing she would be on top of it as the only Ravenclaw in the family.

Andromeda and Ted watched their children climb aboard the Hogwarts Express, feeling scared for their children because they had no clue what was going to happen at Hogwarts this year.

September 1at, 1988. Hogwarts Express, Kings Cross Station. 10:24 AM.

The five siblings sat in a compartment, Mike and Darcy had just finished putting their trunks upon the storage shelf when a hesitant knock came on the compartment door. Draco got up and opened the door, since it could only be opened from the inside, and paused when eyes that were glamoured to look liquid mercury met poisonous green for a second time.

Nymphadora got up to see who was at the door and smiled at the young boy, obviously a first year if his blank robes were anything to go by. She pulled her cousin-turned-brother back into the compartment and motioned for the boy to join them before taking his trunk and adding it to the seven others already on the storage shelf.

"Hi. How are you?" Nymphadora asked, a smile on her face. "I'm Tonks."

The boy looked around the compartment, his eyes lingering on the boy who opened the door. He nodded, before thoroughly thinking through what he was about to say. "Hi, I'm fine. The name's Orpheus, Orpheus no last name."

September 1st, 1988. Great Hall, Hogwarts. 7:15 PM.

The members of the four houses were talking to their housemates waiting for Deputy Headmistress McGonagall to arrive with the newest first years. The teachers sat at the head table, talking quietly amongst themselves, when Rubeus Hagrid came bumbling in through the main doors.

"Professor McGonagall'll be in soon." He walked to the very end of the right side of the head table and sat down next to Professor Silvanus Kettleburn.

It wasn't more than five minutes later that Professor McGonagall led the first years into the Great Hall and up through the centre aisle.

September 1st, 1988. Slytherin Table, Great Hall, Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy. 7:20 PM.

Harry and I sat at the end of our house table, only talking to each other and making faces at our friends at the other tables as slyly as we could. I saw our head of house, my godfather, glance at us out of the corner of his eye and shoot us a glare. I slid my hand under the table and grasped Harry's, something we'd started early last school year.

Professor McGonagall walked in at that moment, forty odd first years behind her as they walked up the centre aisle of the hall. I smiled at the lost yet enchanted expressions that adorned the first years' faces, all but one looked like that. The boy from the alley was looking around the hall apprehensively, as though he was expecting something horrid to happen. I remembered he had said his name was Orpheus and I couldn't seem to keep my eyes off of him.

I frowned and forced my eyes away from the first year when Harry began squeezing my hand. I looked at him and it was as though I could read his thoughts. I knew Harry was concerned because I never stared at people, it was beneath a Malfoy.

I squeezed his hand back and looked up to the head table just as the sorting hat was finishing his song for the year. We focused on the first years, going up and being sorted. We politely clapped for all of the first years.

When Deputy Headmistress McGonagall called out "Noname, Orpheus!" I sat forward in my seat and watched the boy beneath the hat intensively.

He sat on the stool stoically, not seeming to trust anyone or anything. The hat, it had seemed, through him for a loop and I found it endearing. 

September 1st, 1988. Great Hall, Hogwarts. Orpheus. 7:23 PM.

I sat on the stool, my fear held securely behind fierce mental walls. I felt a sharp pain prodding at my walls and gave just a little.

"So much ambition in one so young. What caused so much ambition to be born? There is only one place for you, only one place where your talents will be appreciated,"  I instinctively covered my ears in preparation of what he said next, "better be SLYTHERIN!"

I pulled the hat off of my head, stood up, placed the hat on the stool, and frowned.

Professor McGonagall leaned down before whispering "the table with the green robes."

I nodded and went to the table she directed me to. I sat at the end of the table, near the boy I ran into the alley. I tried my best to ignore him and the weird wizard sitting next to him.

September 1st, 1988. Ravenclaw Table, Great Hall, Hogwarts. Hermione Granger. 7:34 PM.

I sat at the table, across from Cho and clapped as the first years were sorted. I looked at Cho, a smile on my face. I made sure to hide my smile though, Cho had been upset last year when her father had been here for Father's Day.

I frowned down at the table, and didn't pay attention to Dumbledore's speech but started filling my plate when the food appeared.

This was going to, hopefully, be a good year and I wouldn't have to do anything life-threatening.