Beauxbatons [Charlie Weasley]

Hogwarts

Isabelle Leblanc follows the sharp sound of the woman's footfalls on the stone floor in front of her, allowing her eyes to wander, looking up at the moving staircases, avoiding the eyes that follow her every movement from the hanging portraits on the stone walls.

It's so different from Beauxbatons.

That's the first thought that enters her mind. The palace where she used to go to school is made entirely of marble floors and pillars, the majority of the walls being crystallised glass, giving the perfect view of the surrounding landscape.

There was none of this stone wall business back in France. Hardly any portraits hanging up, either, whereas here, they seem to line every spare inch of the castle. She feels the hundreds of pairs of eyes following her, and her gut twists, slightly uncomfortable.

The woman ahead of her comes to a stop, opening a fairly small wooden door, gesturing for Isabelle to head into the room. The young girl does as she's told, looking around at the rather simple office.

There's a fireplace, with small, moving photographs of students placed on the mantlepiece above it. Her favourite students, no doubt. She seems to be a woman who has favourites. She also seems rather strict, her black hair pulled back into a tight bun at the base of her head, her face taut and serious. It doesn't look as though she's smiled in years.

The only other main piece of furniture in the room is a simple wooden table, with large piles of books covering the entirety of it, papers strewn everywhere.

"Please take a seat."

Isabelle does as she's told, sitting down in the wooden chair opposite the table. The green-clad woman closes the door behind her with a click, seating herself behind her desk, clasping her hands together. She tilts her head forward, peering down at the young girl through her spectacles.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," the woman says, her voice crisp and curt, straight to the point. Definitely not someone to mess with.

"My name is Professor McGonagall, and I am the deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The start-of-term banquet is already underway, as I'm sure you are aware. Professor Dumbledore, your new Headmaster, will introduce you to the rest of the students at the end of the feast."

Professor McGonagall's eyes flicker over to an unnoticed tray table in the corner of the room, a singular platter of food stationed on top of it. With a wave of the woman's wand, the contents of the platter float through the air, coming to rest on the wooden table in front of Isabelle.

The young girl looks down at the unfamiliar food with her brilliant blue eyes, taking in the unusual cooking style, the different cuisine.

It's so different from Beauxbatons.

"You will be missing the feast tonight, so I suggest you eat up, even if it is not what you are used to. I am afraid there will not be many French food options for you to choose from while you are here."

"Eet eez ok. Zank you, professor."

The girl's voice is soft, quiet, barely more than a whisper, her accent thick. She raises her dainty hands to pick up the knife and fork, beginning to eat her meal, slowly at first, tentatively, testing to see whether her tastebuds like it or not.

"Normally," Professor McGonagall continues briskly, "each and every new student is sorted into one of the four houses we have here at Hogwarts. Students will tend to have classes with the rest of their house, sleep in their house dormitory and spend their free time in their house common room."

Isabelle looks up, listening intently. Before coming here, she didn't have much of a chance to learn about the way in which the school's run, making sure to pay careful attention to the professor in front of her.