Out of The Shadows (Golden Trio Era) {1}

The Sorting

The train to a stop, Harry, Ron and Mikayla all walked out together and heard a welcoming voice call, "Firs' years! over here." There was a hairy man who was the biggest person Mikayla has ever seen. "That's Hagrid." Harry whispered to Mikayla who followed the man in awe. "Is he nice?" she spoke before she could stop herself making Harry laugh slightly, "He is the nicest." with some comfort from Harry's answer Mikayla relaxed a lot. They reached the lake dock which was lined with boats. "Four to a boat." Hagrid shouts. "Mikayla, I'm going with Pansy, Draco and Vincent." Avery calls over to her sister. Mikayla nods, communicating to her sister that she heard what she said. "Don't mind if I join you three?" Neville asks, clasping onto the toad. "Not at all, found him, eh?" Harry responds pointing at the toad. "Yeah, I found Trevor on the platform." Neville responds getting in the boat. The four of them weren't really listening to Hagrid until they heard a shout "FORWARD." and all the boats jilted away from the dock.

They climbed out of the boats as they reached the other dock, Hagrid spots Trevor left in the boat. They walked a flight of stone steps, crowding around a huge Oak door. Hagrid knocked three times and soon a tall, black-haired witch in emerald robes stood in the open doors. She thanks Hagrid and leads the first years into the spacious Entrance Hall and shows them into a small chamber. "Welcome to Hogwarts, the start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses..." Professor McGonagall droned on about the house being family and the rules and the point system. She leaves the first years to smarten up before they have to go in. Whispers of what the sorting ceremony entails circulates the small room, ghost filled the room, talking amongst themselves scaring some of the Muggle-borns. "Form a line and follow me." McGonagall tells the first years once she returned. They entered the silent Great Hall filled with older students and teachers. Five long tables filled the room, one for each house and the teacher table. Mikayla saw a patched up hat sitting on a four-legged stool. The hat began to sing;

Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, But don't judge on what you see, I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black, Your top hats sleek and tall, For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat and I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head The Sorting Hat can't see, So try me on and I will tell you where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart, their daring nerve and chivalry set Gryffindor's apart,

You might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal, those patient Hufflepuff are true and unafraid of toil,

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, where those of wit and learning, will always find their kind,

Or perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your real friends, those cunning folks use any means to achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid! And don't get in a flap! You're in safe hands (though I have none) For I'm a Thinking Cap!

The Great Hall roared in applause. Professor McGonagall stepped forwards and the hall fell silent again, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." Mikayla wasn't listening to anything other than where the people she knew was going, Harry was put in Gryffindor before "Avery O'Brien" McGonagall shouts, Mikayla was watching her sister sorting, her lungs failed her once she heard "SLYTHERIN." Slytherin's cheered loudly for Avery before, "Mikayla O'Brien." Mikayla walked up, feeling her heart in her throat as she sat down with the hat her head. 'Interesting, a pair that could be no more different. A rivalry between siblings. One is full of predaciousness the other pure of heart. There's no doubt the brains are here but your bravery and loyalty makes it very clear. This is where friends becomes family and family becomes old friends. You'll be adored in' "GRYFFINDOR!" Mikayla heard the cheers of her fellow Gryffindor's. She took off the hat, took her seat beside Harry. Mikayla looked across the hall at her sister, who was looking back, they shared a smile before Pansy pulls Avery into the Slytherin tables discussion. Three red heads greet Ron to the Gryffindor table, Mikayla makes eye contact with one of the twins, a smile is exchanged before Dumbledore stands to speak. Saying something very bizarre, everyone cheered and suddenly food appeared all along the tables.

Mikayla's eyes light up, she filled her plate with mash potatoes, roast beef, peas, carrots, stuffing and gravy. "That does look good." said a ghost in ruff sadly watching Harry cut his steak. "Can you eat solid food, Sir?" Mikayla asks in wonderment yet politeness. "I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years. I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it" The ghost goes on introducing himself as Sir Nicolas de Mimsy-Porpington when Ron refers to him as Nearly Headless Nick, he doesn't like it at all, a sandy haired boy asked him how he could be nearly headless and Sir Nicolas reluctantly pull his head off his neck where a tiny piece of flesh was still holding on. When he put his head back on, Sir Nicolas mentions that the Bloody Baron is unbearable since Slytherin haven't lost the House Cup in six years. The Bloody Baron doesn't carry Sir Nicolas friendly demeaner, his robes stained in silver blood, and had a rather gaunt face. He sat in-between Draco and Avery, Draco wasn't too happy but by the looks of it Avery was having a nice chat with him. Once dessert began, Mikayla felt like she couldn't eat another bite but soon was eating a slice of warm chocolate fudge cake and a treacle tart. Everyone was talking about their families, Neville's also a pure-blood but his family were worried he'd be a squib because he showed his magical side rather late for a pure-blood child. "What about you O'Brien?" Seamus asked, "My parents were an arranged marriage, Fergal O'Brien and Enya Carra, both pure-blood families. My sister and I were really young when our parents found out we carried magic. We had a fight over a toy and almost burned the house down in temper." Mikayla tells those who are listening, some laughed at the idea of two little kids almost burning down the house because of a toy. Everyone was getting sleepy after all the food and storytelling. Dumbledore stood again and gave notices that the forest is forbidden and no one is allowed in the level three right-hand side corridor. Everyone sang the Hogwarts song before being dismissed for bed. Percy Weasley began screaming for people to let him and the first years through. Mikayla took in every ounce of information on how to get to the Gryffindor House Tower. The portrait of the fat lady asked for the password, "Caput Draconis." after Percy spoke the portrait swung open.

Percy showed the girls their dormitories, Mikayla shared a room with Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil and Fay Dunbar. The Five Four-poster beds had red curtains with gold detailing on them, and each girl's trunk was left at nightstand of their bed. Mikayla was between Hermione and Fay. "Selene!" Mikayla chimed seeing her owl in it's cage. "She's beautiful." Hermione says looking at Mikayla's owl, "How'd you pick the name?" Hermione continues, "Selene is the Greek goddess of the Moon. Since she's nocturnal, I saw it fitting." Mikayla explains, Hermione showed great satisfaction in the origin of Selene's name. "Do you want to pet her?" Mikayla asks Hermione who is still staring at the owl, she nods in response. Mikayla opens the cage, "Καθίσει" (Sit) the bird sits on Mikayla's shoulder. Hermione looks stunned. "She's trained in Greek so, she won't get confused by everyone talking." Hermione nods, before slowly creeping towards the owl, Selene begins to move nervously, "Μείνετε ήρεμοι" (Calm Down) The owl obeys calming down. Hermione pets the owls head and rubs her beak. "If you ever want her to deliver your post she will. But you'll have to learn Greek to give her commands." Mikayla takes a piece of her personalised stationary, writing a note for her parents.

'Mammy and Father, so Avery got into Slytherin and I got into Gryffindor. Don't worry, I've already made some friends. I'll write again next week. Love Mikayla x'

Mikayla turns to the owl as Hermione opens the window, she ties the note on Selene's ankle "Παράδοση στο σπίτι" (Deliver to Home) The owl flies out the window into the night sky. As tired as she was Mikayla didn't fall asleep as quickly as the other girls. This is the first night she's been out on her own, her sister is in the rival house, her parents are back home in Ireland, at least she's made a few friends.