Blind Game Again

II - Anthea

The sun just set behind the hills of Scotland when Hogwarts Express stopped on its tracks. Thea was one of the first to jump off the train as she was in one of the compartments next to the exit. Taking a deep breath after being cooped up in the train for hours at end, she looked around herself with a happy smile on her face. The countryside here was just plain gorgeous and Anthea always liked to roam around it, finding secret places. She was an explorer and an adventurer after all. Although that seemed like more of a Gryffindor trait, she was sorted into Slytherin because she possessed a really witty and sneaky streak – along with being ambitious. It was no wonder she was sorted into Slytherin if you looked at it that way.

As she sat in the carriage that drove them to the castle she contemplated on what would happen this year. Not that the other years were boring, because something always happened – like prank wars between her and the marauders or last year there were OWLs, and just the magic she was learning was enough to keep her on her toes – apart from the Herbology, Transfiguration and History of Magic classes that is, because Thea detested those classes from the bottom of her soul – even though she wasn’t a hateful person. Looking out the window of the carriage, Anthea delightfully watched as the castle grew closer and closer until the carriage stopped and the doors opened. And so, Anthea Irisa Holmes entered the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry castle for the sixth time.

With a small smile on her face she entered the castle and walked though the entrance hall into the great hall where the students were already gathering, chattering about their holidays, snogging after a long time (careful so that the professors didn’t see them), talking about latest news from the Wizarding world (the uprising of a new dark lord was one of the most often discussed) and just plain sighing in pleasure of being back at the castle. Leaning back on the seat where she sat down at her table, she looked up to the magical ceiling. She always liked watching it – it normally told her what weather was that day so that she could go hiking around (when she had time anyway).

She smirked as she analysed the behaviours of the four houses. Slytherins were the quietest of the lot, then Ravenclaws who were talking about new books they read during the summers, the Hufflepuffs were chattering about how their holidays were and Gryffindors were laughing about something. That was the way it was at Hogwarts. As she lowered her head to look at the head table the doors to the great hall opened and professor McGonagall herded the new first years inside. It took about a minute for the Sorting hat to sing the sorting song and the Sorting Ceremony could begin. There were fewer first years than last year so the sorting didn’t last that long, although Thea could still hear some loud grumblings of stomachs from the Gryffindor table. Mostly from the centre of the table where the marauders sat.

Her eyes stopped at their Headmaster when he stood up after clinking his goblet with his fork. What he had to say was the usual so Thea just tuned him out and stared at her plate willing it to magic some food on it. When Dumbledore finished his speech with a hearty ‘tuck in’, the plates filled up with various vegetables, meat and other things. Thea quickly piled up some potatoes and cabbage on her plate and tucked in – just as their Headmaster said to do.

Just as she reached for some salad she felt someone’s eyes on her. Putting the bowl of salad in front of her she looked up and met the gaze of her classmate – Remus Lupin. He was looking paler than usual, she noticed, and sat far away from Sirius Black. She knew that they had a fight at the end of last year, but she had no idea what it was about – only that Remus was apparently really angry at him. Taking a quick look around her, she flashed a small smile in his direction.