metanoia

Chapter Three

The Hogwarts Express came into it's station just after nightfall. The groundskeeper, Hagrid's booming voice, called for all the First Years to follow him to the boats while the rest of the students climbed into the Thestral drawn carriages to trek up to the Castle in which they call home. 

Upon discovering they pulled the carriages in their Second Year, Alex and Letti made it their tradition to reach up and pet the Thestrals that pulled their carriage before climbing into it, as a sign of respect and acknowledgment of their presence. They didn't want to ignore the winged creature like so many others did.

"What are you two doing?" James laughed, coming up behind the two girls seeing them stroke the air.

Letti kindly smiled at the bespectacled boy as she turned around to answer, "Saying hello to the Thestrals."

"What do you mean, the carriages pull themselves?" He asks as his three best friends join them.

"No, they don't. You can't see them?" Sirius asked, walking toward the Thestral Alex was stroking.

The three boys shook their heads no, not recalling why they couldn't see them despite having learned about the creature the previous year in their Care For Magical Creatures class. Alex and Letti, however, knew why they could see them but now their curiosity was piqued upon discovering that Sirius Black could see them as well. "They can only be seen by someone who's witnessed death," Alex simply explains, sending Sirius the smallest remnants of a smile before getting into the carriage with Fabian, Gideon and Charlie, leaving the Marauders standing there.

After reaching their beloved Hogwarts, the students swarmed into the Great Hall for the Welcome Back Feast and the Sorting of the First Years. Like so many times before, Alex entered the Great Hall and immediately began to fixate her eyes above her at the enchanted ceiling being led through to the Gryffindor Table by Gideon, directing her by the crook of her arm, as she admired the stars that littered the bewitched sky as the door swung open and Professor McGonagall led in the parade of Unsorted Firsties.

"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 Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs 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 folk 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 Sorting Hat sang in his as Professor McGonagall brought the First Years to the stool where he was seated.

"Gretchen Abbott!" McGonagall called, summoning a chubby faced little girl to the stool.

As their Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor House set the leather hat on the eleven year old girl's mousy brown hair, Alex nudged her friends sitting across from her with the back of her hand, chuckling, "One Sickle, she's a Hufflepuff."

"You're on," the boys chorus, refocusing their attention onto the girl.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The Hat bellowed less than thirty seconds later, cueing the Hufflepuff table to cheer animatedly for the new First Year that had been sorted to them.