The Shadows of the Past

I Want Refund On My Roommate

When I awoke the next morning, my mind did multiple somersaults, trying to process where I was. I was half caught between shifting dreams where I had been back home in California, then in Diagon Alley, and then back on those stone castle steps staring into a cloudy void. My eyes snapped open and I took stock of my reality. No beaches, no forest painted bedrooms, no cloudy seas, but something far more magical: my dorm room at Hogwarts.

Because yesterday, though fantastical, had been anything but a dream.

In that knowledge, my heart set off racing with excitement again, and I threw myself from my bed, and tore open my trunk. Blair, my roommate, was still sleeping.

Immediately, I went for my usual school attire, which consisted of jeans and t-shirts, before remembering that magical boarding schools had uniforms. Grimacing, I reached for the new clothes Aunt Mandi had gotten with me in Diagon Alley and noticed one item that hadn't been there before. Laid neatly on top of my black school robes was a green tie with silver pinstripes. Upon further inspection, I found a new insignia on the left front of my robes; a green and silver coat of arms featuring a serpent.

Seriously, magic was cool.

With a fond farewell, I pushed my 'muggle clothes' aside, and pulled out the knee length grey skirt and white button down top. As I dressed, I surveyed my clothes and took note of places where certain improvements might be made. With so much surface area, there was lots of room for patches, like the ones I used to stitch onto my jackets back home. Surely, I thought, the school didn't mind a little personalization of the uniform. An MCR insignia on the inner robe sleeve wouldn't hurt.

Thinking of My Chemical Romance brought my thoughts to Altair and I remembered the look of shock on her face yesterday when I had been called up during the sorting. Altair had, so far, been the only person I'd met who didn't seem to recognize me on sight. I grimaced at my reflection in the bathroom mirror; my left eye was unsettlingly bright in the dim light of the dorm bathroom. Even though the girl hadn't known me by my heterochromia, she had certainly known my surname. I just wondered why it had made her look so borderline fearful.

Shaking my head, I pushed the thought aside and went on with my morning. I ran a brush through my tangled blond locks and nearly collided with a very grumpy Blair as I exited the bathroom. Not wanting to have any further interaction with her for the morning, I tugged my favorite Vans on and stuffed my black canvas bag with all of my textbooks before setting off down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

***

"G'morning, Laelin." I glanced up and found none other than Altair standing before me at the Slytherin table. Albus and I were already filling our plates with sausages and eggs while Scorpius was still practically half asleep over his tea.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked. I nodded and smiled at her as she plopped down next to Scorpius.

"Um, this might be dumb, but are you allowed to sit here Altair?" The girl chuckled.

"Please, just call me Al-"

"That won't get confusing at all," Albus complained.

"-and yes, we're allowed to mingle. The staff decided that the separation of houses was stupid years ago, and have been really encouraging of 'intermingling'. So, here I am," she said making an awkward 'ta-da' gesture. "Unless you'd rather I left," she tacked on, a hint of nervousness coloring her face.

"No, no! I like you. Here. I like having you here. You're cool." I mentally applauded myself for being so spectacularly articulate. She only chuckled before glancing over at my schedule laid in front of my plate.

"So, we have classes together," Al continued, "potions and history of magic. I hear that one is taught by a ghost... should be interesting yeah?"

"A ghost teaching classes?" The Gryffindor nodded.