𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐒 | R. LUPIN ✓

𝐙𝐄𝐑𝐎, elora snape and the sorting

ANTHEM OF THE ANGELS
pre act one, chapter zero
❛we're not who we used to be❜
•°•☽•☾•°•

✦ 𝙋ENELOPE ✦
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"𝘽e good," Ada Carrow hissed at her eleven year old daughter as she fixed her hair. "I don't want a letter saying that you're acting unlady like. Remember what I told you." She hissed yet again, yanking her forward and Penelope Carrow caught herself in time, just before she collided with a boy her age. The boy had soft brown hair falling over his brown eyes, covering the scars he had scattered across his face. Before her mother could scold her again, Penelope quickly bid her goodbye and set her foot on the Hogwarts Express, looking for an empty train compartment.

She passed many compartments, all filled with laughing older children and she felt like an outsider. Growing up, Penelope wasn't allowed any friends as her mother told her that friends are a waste of time and they only leave you in the end. It was clear that her mother spoke from experience but Penelope didn't ask any further, fearful her mother would yell at her. Finally, she reached a compartment with three people inside. Two girls and a boy. The redhead was in a conversation with the boy whereas the other girl just looked out the window. Penelope politely knocked.

"Excuse me? Do you mind if I sit here? All the other compartments are filled with older children and I don't know anyone." Penelope said, watching the boy and girls. The redhead immediately nodded, a broad smile across her face. The boy however, had a scowl etched upon his face and Penelope immediately knew that he didn't want her any near them.

"Of course not! I'm Lily Evans!" The redhead—now called Lily—beamed again at Penelope, extending her hand so Penelope could shake it. Feeling awkward and really clammy, Penelope thrusted her hand forward, shaking Lily's warm hand. "This is my best friend, Severus Snape but call him Sev for short. And that's his twin sister, Elora."

Penelope turned to look at Elora. She was a tiny girl, too tiny for the age of eleven. Her greasy, messy hair stopped right above her shoulders, cut rather jaggedly and she had an awfully crooked nose. Penelope could immediately sense that Elora was only tagging along because of her twin brother, that she herself didn't have any friends and her heart broke for Elora Snape.

"I'm Penelope Carrow." She said, smiling a little at Elora, who returned the small yet kind gesture. Penelope sat down next to Elora after she had hoisted her trunk, with the help of Severus, up next to Elora's. It was quiet as they rode off to Hogwarts, except for the hushed talking of Lily and Severus. At some point, a witch came pushing a trolley of goods and Penelope's mouth watered at the sight of sugar quills. Her mother never allowed her or her sister to eat sweets or anything sweet, saying that it will ruin their teeth and their skin. For an eleven year old, Penelope thought she was lying and of course she had a few sweets here and there from her uncle.

Penelope bought cauldron cakes, pumpkin pasties, licorice wands, sugar quills, three boxes of Every Flavored Beans, a dozen chocolate frogs and lastly, a chocolate bar. The rest had looked at her weird, seeing as that they didn't buy anything, save for Lily, who bought herself a chocolate frog. Feeling flustered, Penelope immediately thrusted a box of Every Flavored Beans in Elora's hands, and Severus', along with chocolate frogs and licorice wands. The Snape twins were about to argue with the Carrow girl but they never had the chance, for a boy suddenly appeared, chocolate smeared all over his face and stubby fingers.

"Can I sit here?" He asked, licking his fingers. "I was kicked out of the compartment by James, said I ate too much."

Once again, Severus' face distorted and even Lily looked like she wasn't about to say yes. To Penelope's surprise, Elora Snape finally said something. "You're more than welcome to sit with us." She said, voice barely above a whisper. But it was somehow loud, it wanted attention and Elora had Penelope's entire attention at hand.

"Thanks! I'm Peter by the way, Peter Pettigrew!" He plunged himself next to Elora and Penelope, who shifted a little when he accidentally sat on her thigh.

"Elora Snape, and he's my twin brother Severus. That's his best friend, Lily Evans and this is my new friend, Penelope Carrow." Elora concluded, looking at Penelope, who stared at Elora in shock. She has a friend? Maybe her mother was wrong about friends. Just because her friends abandoned her when she needed them most, doesn't mean Elora or Severus or Lily or even Peter were going to throw Penelope to the side lines like that. They were friends now.

•°•☽•☾•°•

𝙃ogwarts was amazing to look at and Penelope had a sore neck when they finally entered the Great Hall. She had heard many stories about Hogwarts and the Sorting from her parents, but to see it in person was something else. It was magical and just spectacular. Penelope was in line behind Elora, as the witch—Professor McGonagall, she said she was—had told them to form a line. Peter was behind her, and behind Peter was the boy she nearly collided with. His eyes were gleaming, despite the many scars on his face and Penelope ached to know why he has that many scars upon his face. She shook her head, her mother would have her head if she ever found out that Penelope wanted to know about something personal.

Penelope focused her gaze on the Sorting Hat and as it began singing, she heard gasps fly around her. She herself was excited but she couldn't show it, her mother had told her daughters showing emotions was for weak and a Carrow is anything but weak. Her parents had told her all about the Hat, about how it can see your greatest accomplishments, your potential, your strengths and weaknesses. That part scared her. What if she isn't grand enough to land in any house? But as she thought these thoughts, her mother's voice rung in her mind, telling her that she needs to be a Slytherin or she shouldn't come home again. It was harsh saying that to an eleven year old, but Penelope was a Carrow, and a Carrow should be able to take such talk without breaking the porcelain mask she covered her face with or the walls she built to keep her heart safe.

"Black, Sirius!" A boy, with a wild look, sauntered forward and sat on the chair, hat swooping over his eyes. Penelope held her breath. She knew the Blacks, all of them had been Slytherins, at least that's what she had been told. They also didn't have any squibs, while the Carrows had two squibs, Patrick, who was killed last year, and Estelle, who was shunned out of the family.

"Gryffindor!" The Hat declared and Penelope's hand flew to her mouth. Somewhere she heard someone yell out in confusion. The Blacks will never let Sirius live this down, Penelope was only eleven but she knew this.

"Carrow, Penelope!" Her heart jumped into her throat as whispers suddenly broke out. And she knew why. Her sister, Maisie, was a Slytherin and her cousins, Amycus and Alecto, Slytherins as well. She can't be the odd one out, her own family won't let her live it down. Penelope sat down on the chair with shaky legs and let the Hat swoop over her eyes and all she saw was black until she heard a voice.

Mmh, the voice hummed, another Carrow? Yes, yes, I sorted your mother, barely lasted a second, your sister too, I barely touched her head. But you're different.

Penelope gulped. Good different? Or bad different?

No, no, good different. Your mind is extraordinary. In Slytherin, you'll be able to create great accomplishments but in Ravenclaw, you'll make history.

Isn't that the same thing?

No, of course not. Well, where do you want to go?

Slytherin! Penelope immediately thought. She wanted to go home. She needed to show her parents that she was like the rest. Penelope held her breath. She was going to Slytherin, she knew it, she could feel it in her bones, she was going to make her parents proud.

"Ravenclaw!" And that's when Penelope Della Carrow slipped off the wooden chair, into a dead faint.

•°•☽•☾•°•
❛friends stick together, no matter what❜
•°•☽•☾•°•