By the time the first rays of sunlight crept into her room, Amersa was out of her bed and into her robes. Blasting music from her iPhone, she danced around the kitchen as she grabbed an assortment of items from the cabinets. Since she was still underage and could not use magic, her parents had indulged her in the typical kitchen appliances found in Muggle homes. She hated the idea of house elves so she compromised with her parents on having just one. The girl grew frantic as the toaster oven beeped, her eggs began smoking in an unusual way, and the bacon on the stove began to sizzle and pop. Choosing the toast, she yanked them out and tossed them on a plate. At the same time, her foot tugged at the refrigerator handle and she dropped the toast just in time to whip out the butter and jam. She rushed to her eggs and bacon, letting out a sigh of relief as she flipped them just in time.

Amersa balanced the two trays on either hand and gently nudged bedroom door open to reveal her two sleeping parents. She smiled to herself as she shouted, “Rise and shine sleepyheads!” and pulled back the curtains. Her parents groaned and simultaneously flopped their pillows over their heads. Amersa picked up a piece of bacon and jumped on the bed waving it in front of their noses. Half an hour later and they were standing in the midst of Diagon Alley and Amersa was inhaling Florean’s java chip ice cream. Today was the day her parents had promised her they could shop for what she needed to start school at Hogwarts.

“Dad, can we get my wand first?” Amersa turned to her mom, “I want a pretty one like yours!” Mr. and Mrs. Sewlyn smiled at each other and shook their heads - their daughter had not stopped talking about the wand she would get since she had gotten her letter.

“Okay darling but remember—”

“The wand chooses the wizard, I know,” Amersa sighed impatiently, still secretly hoping she would get a say in it anyways.

She was starry-eyed as she wandered the shelves of Ollivander’s, oblivious to the racket on the other side of the shop. Her hands drifted over the rectangle shaped boxes, landing on an unambiguous one which she proceeded to open. The crackling sound that emitted from the ebony wand caused her to hastily put it back in its place. A few aisles down, her eyes settled on another box, but before she could open it, her she heard a yelp. She turned towards the sound to see a boy her age sitting on the floor.

“What’cha doing there?” she tilted her head questioningly.

He gestured his splayed body with his free hand. “I fell, genius.”

Her mouth formed a small o but as she stepped forward to help him up, she heard her mother’s voice calling her name.

“It’s my turn!” she whisper-yelled at him and ran off, leaving him staring in disbelief at her back.

---

@dusksong

Delmare Montague

---

^{Mid-August | Diagon Alley}

Floo powder made Delmare’s nose itchy — it always had — but she held back the sneeze as she stepped into the fireplace with a fistful of the gray-green dust. "Diagon Alley!" she shouted, casting the powder towards the floor of the chimney. In a flash, she landed in the main Floo entrances at the most famous wizarding hubbub in Britain.

“‘Scuze me,” a man said, rushing past Delmare and pushing her out of the way in order to get at the Floo exit, grabbing a handful of said powder from his pocket and throwing it down before disappearing in a flash.

“Delmare!” Lorraine Montague’s voice called, breaking Delmare out of her daze. Sure she’d used Floo before, as had she explored the bustling sidewalks of Diagon Alley, but this time it was slightly different. This time, she was here to buy supplies for herself — for her first year at Hogwarts.

---

^{Six days ago, Early August | The Montague Mansion}

Breakfast was going as usual, and the owls were arriving promptly as the family house elves poured tea. “Thank you, Lenny,” Delmare told the elf who was filling her teacup. Lenitas nodded respectfully, a smile flashing across her features before she retreated into the kitchen with the other house elves. Another round of wingbeats called Delmare’s attention to the space above the large dining table where the owls made their rounds, depositing their charges in semi-tidy piles around the seated trio.

No way, a new Bertie Bott’s flavor? Delmare thought, eyes wide as she skimmed through one of the articles in the Daily Prophet. The new flavor was nicknamed “electric lemon” and was “sure give you a sour shock.” Flipping through the other pages of the paper, Delmare almost didn’t notice the tawny owl depositing a red-stamped envelope in front of her.

“Delmare, honey,” her mother called from her left, “you’ve received a letter.”

Delmare’s head snapped to her measly letter pile in surprise. As Delmare didn’t have much contact with kids her age, she had never really received letters other than the odd “will you be my friend” or “come celebrate my birthday”, so she was definitely surprised to receive any letter. Especially one with such an official-looking seal, Delmare thought, picking it out of her pile and feeling its weight in her hands. Rather light, she thought, frowning. Her parents set down their papers, recognizing the emblem as their daughter lifted the seal. It came off with a ‘pop’ that was followed by a very uncharacteristic squeal from the eleven-year-old.

---

^{Present day, Mid-August | The Montague Mansion}

The list had been laid out on the letter, and the list they would follow — with the exception of the last item on the list, the wand. Easily the most important item on the list, the wand was more of a necessity than a mere piece of “equipment,” as it had been labelled, and so Delmare soon found herself walking the narrow aisles to the back of Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 328 BC. Boxes upon boxes were stacked on the shelves, some sleek and others large and bulky in size despite what they contained inside. In front of Delmare the white-haired man known as Garrick Ollivander was muttering to himself, picking seemingly random boxes from the shelves and carrying them with him.

“Ash with Unicorn hair,” the man said, unboxing a wand and offering it out to Delmare. Taking the thin wooden piece into her hands, Delmare gave the wand an experimental flick and promptly sent out a burst of magic that bounced off the wall and fizzled out on the floor. “Alright,” Ollivander said, snatching the wand in Delmare’s hand and replacing it with another. “Cypress with Dragon Heartstring.”

Sparks flew out and clattered against shelves, shaking them into a clatter as the wandmaker against replaced the wand in Delmare’s hand.

“Elm with Phoenix Feather.”

A brief red fizzle.

“Pine with Dragon Heartstring.”

A stream of delicate yellow bubbles flew out, popping simultaneously as the wand was again replaced.

“Walnut with Dragon Heartstring,” Ollivander said, a tinge of finality in his voice this time. Delmare took the wand uncertainly, afraid of what might come out of it this time, but a calm silence followed. Sitting calmly in her hands, the wand was content to brood in the dim lamplight as the girl holding it stared at the slim wood in amazement. “Well,” Ollivander said, dusting off his hands and closing the box from which he retrieved the wand, “I do believe we’ve found a match. How funny — I just received that wand yesterday. Shipped over from a famous wandmaker in Asia.”

“Seven galleons it is then,” Delmare’s mother said, handing the golden coins to Ollivander. “Wonderful work as always, Garrick. Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” the wandmaker said just as another mother-daughter pair emerged from the rows of boxes. “Madam Sewlyn,” Ollivander said, recognizing the woman.

“Natalia?” Lorraine asked, recognizing the woman as well.

At the front of the store, she saw her mother talking to Ollivander and another woman.with her daughter. As she got closer, she noticed the girl was holding a wand.

“Amersa, this is Lorraine Montague. We went to Hogwarts together, way back when,” Amersa’s mom smiled. “And this is my daughter.”

“Hi Mrs. Montague,” she chirped and waved at her and Delmare.

“Stunning hair color,” Delmare’s mother said, admiring the girl’s lavender dye. “This is my daughter, Delmare. Delmare, say hello to the Selwyns.”

“Hello Mrs. Selwyn,,” Delmare said with a polite smile. ”Nice to meet you, Amersa.”

“So, what brings you to Diagon alley on this dreary Thursday, Natalia?” Lorraine asked, as Ollivander busied himself with collecting a few scattered boxes behind them. “Delmare and I are here buying supplies for her first year at Hogwarts — is Amersa perhaps?”

“Yes, we’ve just gotten started in fact. Amersa wanted to get her wand first.”

“Same here. Well then, We were planning to go to Flourish and Bott’s? To get her books. Would you like to go together after Amersa gets her wand?”

“Of course — if you don’t mind waiting. It’ll be nice to catch up with you again,” Amersa’s mom replied.

“Not at all,” Lorraine said, following the wandmaker to the back of the shop again.

“Alright, let’s get started, shall we?” Ollivander rubbed his hands together and began pulling out boxes left and right. The first box he opened for her held a frosted white wand and she was enthralled by the way the wood’s matte finish seemed to pulse with energy. Before she even picked it up, she knew it was hers. Ollivander seemed to notice as well and nodded thoughtfully.

“Aspen with phoenix feather.”

Picking it up, she beamed and gave it a swish, purple sparks flying out from the tip. Amersa gave a small gasp as she watched the sparks fade out.

“Looks like this is the one,” her mom said and handed Ollivander some Galleons. “Thank you Ollivander. Your work never fails to impress.”

”Thank you Mr. Ollivander!” Amersa grinned at him, swishing her wand yet again.

“You’re very welcome,” Ollivander said with a small smile. “It’s always a pleasure when I can so accurately pair wand to its witch. I wish you both the best of luck at Hogwarts.”

---

@dusksong

---

August | Diagon Alley

The quartet exited the shop with a few more words of thanks before heading to Flourish and Bott’s. The bookstore was as fully-stocked as it was ever, books overflowing from the shelves to nearby tables and sometimes even the floor. Although the room itself was quaint, the hustle and bustle of text and perusers made it seem more on the busy side.

“Delmare, you’ll be fine on your own, right?” Delmare’s mother asked, handing her daughter the list of supplies. Seeing Delmare’s nod, Lorraine smiled and patted her daughter’s shoulder before turning to Natalia. “Why don’t we head over to Rosa Lee Teabag for the moment? I believe our daughters are old and responsible enough to handle shopping for themselves,” Delmare’s mother continued, retrieving her coin and handing it to Delmare as well, “and smart enough not to purchase the next item that catches their fancy,” she continued with a pointed look at her daughter. Delmare nodded meekly, mind skipping back to the time she spent her lunch money on a something from Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop: a self-correcting quill.

“Have a good time and watch your purse! Oh and Amersa, if you see your dad — heavens knows where he is now — let him know where I am okay?” Amersa’s mother told her before exiting the store with Delmare’s mother.

Glancing at her list, Amersa began pulling books off the shelves, grabbing two of each as she went. Delmare followed behind her and reached out to grab a copy when she realized that Amersa had her back covered.

“Oh, here,” she said, offering a hand to the other young witch. “I can carry my own load. It’s not fair to have you do all the work”

“Oops,” Amersa said sheepishly. “I’m way too excited for this.”

“No kidding,” Delmare said, laughing and taking the books into her arm. The girls spent the next few minutes stacking books into each other’s arms until each of them had eight volumes in their arms, some thick, some thin. The thickest one by far, however, was A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot that impressed Delmare with its sheer volume. Was there really still that much history she had to learn?

After purchasing their books and quills, the pair headed straight to Madame Malkin’s, since both of them already owned owls.

The bell jingled as they entered the shop and Madam Malkin’s head popped out from behind a folding screen. “I'll be right with you!”

They nodded and decided to look around.

“I would love a robe in this color,” Amersa sighed, feeling the thick material of the dark purple. “It's really too bad all our clothes have to be in black.”

“It’s a practical color,” Delmare replied, pulling a robe out from a rack beside her. “Just two more then. Maybe in different styles?”

The girls made quick work of picking out the rest of their robes, and soon enough they were on their way again. A little over half an hour had been spent in Madame Malkin's, most of it delegated to the shop owner's quick retailoring of robes too big or long.

“What do you suppose these gloves are for anyway?” Delmare asked, frowning as she examined her pair of dragon hide gloves. “Surely there’s no reason we’d actually be expected to use them? Although herbology...”

“Can we not talk about herbology?” Amersa groaned. “I pretty much kill every plant I come into contact with. It's not my thing. But maybe we’ll use the gloves for quidditch - I hear the school’s brooms are...temperamental.”

“Let’s steer clear of Quidditch too then,” Delmare said with a shudder. “And flying. Can’t stand heights.”

Amersa let out a little gasp, “Oh! I love flying...I just wouldn’t trust the school brooms. How can you not love the feeling of freedom?”

Before Delmare could answer they entered the quaint teashop and the aroma of chai and lemon washed over them. Lorraine and Natalia were sitting together at one of the tables, polite smiles on both of their faces.

“Can I get you girls something?” the shopkeeper, Rosa Lee, asked. Her long black hair was braided back, giving her exotic features a graceful air.

“Oh, Rosa,” Delmare’s mother called, rising from her seat, “they’re with us. My daughter, Delmare.”

“Hello Miss Lee,” Delmare said with a smile, “I love your tea — especially the Oolong. Very distinctive taste.”

“Are you girls all done?” Amersa’s mom asked, eyeing their bags.

“Yup, I think we’re set. I already have my cauldron and vials at home that I can use for school right?”

“We’re just about done as well,” her mom replied. “It was lovely catching up with you Lorraine, I’ll see you next week at the station.”

Delmare Montague

---

^{Nighttime, Late August | The Montague Mansion}
The rest of the week flew by for Delmare. The house elves busied themselves with preparations for the girl’s departure, hurriedly cleaning and packing her things into the enchanted suitcase she was given. “Bring everything you think you’ll need,” her mother had said. “Just be reasonable.”

So, Delmare set about packing the entirety of her closet away as well as many of her books and belongings. Half of her bookshelf went in — the half she thought she’d need — as well as many trinkets related to potion-brewing she figured she might need. When all the packing was done, she looked around her room and — for the first time — realized how barren it was.

“Miss Delmare, Miss Delmare!” Lenitas called, running over to the girl and waving her hands in the air. “Come, you must come with Lenny!” the house elf said, pulling at the hem of girl’s cloak.

“What’s wrong, Lenny?” Delmare asked, slightly alarmed as she allowed herself to be led down the stairwell and into the kitchen. There, she found a magnificent cake awaiting her. Decorated in rainbow streamers of frosting and sparklers that blew bubbles of cotton candy, the cake was inscribed with the words: “Miss Delmare’s First Year at Hogwarts!” “Oh,” Delmare said, eyes wide as she took in the magnificent display, “wow.”

“You didn’t really think Mum and Dad would let you run off without a little something special, did you?” Kenton asked, rounding the corner with Delmare’s parents behind him. Delmare stuck her tongue out at her brother, instead running over and embracing her parents.

“Thank you so much!” Delmare said, a big grin on her face. “I love it!”

“We love you too, dear,” her mother said, hugging her. Delmare’s father joined in as well, and soon enough her brother too. “Alright. Let’s get this cake sliced and served,” Lorraine said, straightening up. The house elves dashed to it as the family chatted about everything Hogwarts.

---

^{10:24 AM, September 1st | King's Cross Station}

As Delmare had seen her brother off year the last five years, she wasn’t afraid to go charging into a brick beam at the station. She was, however, nervous — nervous about leaving her parents, nervous about meeting new people, nervous about starting her year at Hogwarts in general. “Calm down, Delmare,” Kenton said, wrapping a comforting arm around his sister as their parents headed off to the ministry.

When they’d apparated off, Delmare directed her attention toward the train itself. Polished raven set on bright, vivid red, the steam engine was a sight to behold. “4-6-0” was emblazoned across the side of the head of the train, and the second cart beheld the words “Hogwarts Express.”

“C’mon, Delmare!” Kenton shouted, jolting his sister out of her stupor. “Don’t just stand there!”

“Coming!” Delmare shouted, breaking into a run with a grin on her face.

---

^{10:33 AM, September 1st | King's Cross Station}

A frown sat on Delmare’s face as she moved further into the train, looking into windows to see whether there was an available compartment. Of course he’d want to sit with his friends. What were you thinking? she asked herself, sighing as she moved past the snoring boy in compartment H. Are there no open carts? she thought in frustration, eyes only skimming into the windows of the next few. Finally, her eyes found — rather than a snogging couple or a rather annoying-looking boy with a whoopie cushion — an empty cart.

Sliding her suitcase under the chestnut table, Delmare opened the curtains wide and peered out the glass at the students lining up to board the express. Wow, I guess I really was early.

---

^{10:37 AM, September 1st | King's Cross Station}

“May I join you?” A light-haired girl asked, opening the compartment door. Delmare shrugged, indicating the empty compartment in front of her.

“Sure,” Delmare said, moving her book more towards her side of the desk. “Feel free.”

Looking slightly relieved, the blonde walked in and plopped down on the seat across from Delmare, setting her small backpack on the seat beside her. “Thanks,” the girl said, sighing before smiling. “I’m Alleyne Meagher, but you can call me Ally. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Ally,” Delmare said, closing her book and returning the smile. “My name is Delmare Montague.”

---

^{10:42 AM, September 1st | King's Cross Station}

Alleyne and Delmare looked up in alarm when a loud smack sounded on the compartment L door. ‘Oops, sorry!’ a frizzy-haired girl mouthed, opening the door. “Hey! Mind if I crash here?”

The two girls — who had been politely chatting before being impolitely interrupted — shared a look of mutual agreement to boot the crazy-haired ginger, but the new girl plopped herself and her suitcase down beside Alleyne before either of them could speak.

“Ah, a seat!” the girl exclaimed, half-melting into the cushiony red booth. An amused smile on her face, Alleyne rolled her eyes to Delmare, who responded with a shrug. “Oh! By the way,” the wild-haired girl said, sitting up with bright eyes, “My name’s Lyndsey. Lyndsey Hart.”

“Alleyne,” Alleyne said, looking over at Delmare. “And this is—”

“Delmare” Delmare supplied, amused now as well. “Nice to meet you, Lyndsey.”

A burp-like sound emanated from Lyndsey, who immediately started shuffling through her cloak. “Where are you Melly… C’mon, where are you?”

“Um, who?” Alleyne asked, brows creasing before letting out a shriek as Lyndsey produced a hideous, spiny green-and-brown blob from her left breast pocket. “Wh—what is that!”

“My Dragon toad, Maleficent,” Lyndsey declared proudly. “Raised from a ‘pole myself.”

Alleyne cringed and darted to the seat beside Delmare and safety. “K—keep that thing away from me!” she said, pointing a shaky finger at the toad. Lyndsey grinned, pocketing the creature.

“Works every time.”

Amersa Selwyn

---

^{Late August | Selwyn House}

“Mer! Hurry up, how long does it take for you to get your phone? Did you fall asleep?” Alec called from the bottom of the stairs. Since her parents had said they had to run a few errands so they would meet them at the train station, Alec and Amersa were going to Floo to the station.

Today was the day, Amersa thought to herself, taking a deep breath and looking around her room again. The lavender walls were adorned with floating lights, photos, and posters and as eager as she was to start at Hogwarts, she was loath to leave her home behind. As a person who was often slapped with the label “hoarder” it was hard for her to decide what to bring and what to leave behind. Even though her suitcase was enchanted, she had promised herself she would only bring 100 items, aside from the items on her required list. When she was counting, she was mortified to find that her phone and all its accessories, toiletries, ‘lazy clothes’ as she liked to call them, and jewelry already brought her number over 50.

“Mer!” her brother yelled again, shaking her out of her reverie.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” she screamed back. She had been pestering her older brother all week for advice. He was starting his fifth year at Hogwarts and even though he was starting to get annoyed with her, he had answered each question.

Taking one last look at her room, Amersa ran out and clattered down the stairs, nearly tripping on the last step. Without a glance at her brother she beelined it to the kitchen to grab a slice of toast.

“Seriously? I swear, your mind is always on food,” her brother huffed as he followed her. Before he could open his mouth to say anything else, she shoved a second piece of bread into his mouth.

“I’m ready!” she smiled and skipped her way out of the house.

---

^{10:50 AM, September 1st | King's Cross Station}

As she emerged, coughing, from the cloud of green dust, she blinked rapidly to see her parents waving at her several feet away. Amersa pushed her cart over to them, smiling nervously.

“You ready?” her dad asked with a smile. Her parents had both gone to Hogwarts and while her mom was Slytherin, her dad was a Ravenclaw, and it was no wonder. Her father was extremely smart while her mother had found her niche as a lawyer.

“Don’t forget to owl us at least once a week alright?” her mom smoothed Amersa’s hair back and straightened Alec’s shirt.

“And watch over your sister Alec. She better come back in one piece,” he threatened with a twinkle in his eye.

“Yeah, okay Dad. Love you, gotta go, bye,” he shot out in one breath and pecked his mom on the cheek. “See ya on the train sis!”

Amersa hugged her parents goodbye and after taking in a deep breath, made her way onto the train.

---

^{11:00 AM, September 1st | Hogwarts Express, Compartment L}

As Lyndsey was sitting down to join Delmare and Alleyne, two other girls were racing down the aisle, trying to find a seat before the train began moving. The compartment door once again slammed open, revealing two masses struggling against each other.

“Excuse you what do you think you're doing?” an indignant voice asked from one of the masses.

“Trying to get inside so I can sit down, thank you very much,” the other replied, sounding just as irritable as she tried to worm her way through the other girl’s arm and into the compartment.

Delmare, Alleyne, and Lyndsey looked up in surprise at the two figures stuck together at the door. On the right was a brunette with heavy makeup — lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and all the works — assembled onto her pale face. On the left was a girl with shocking purple hair. Both, however, looked furious that the other was blocking their way into Compartment L.

“Well. This sure trumps my toad,” Lyndsey said, eyes wide as she looked at the pair struggling for dominance in the doorway.

With a final huff, the brunette suddenly let go and stepped out of the doorway, causing the other to topple in face first. The fallen girl scrambled to her feet and quickly sat down on the empty seat, sticking her tongue out at the other.

The other girl scoffed, “Mature much?”

“This is the last seat! I would like to be able to sit for the ride instead of stand the whole time.”

“I wasn’t trying to sit down, I happen to have friends who want to sit with me. I just thought I would introduce myself,” she rolled her eyes. “My name is Victoria Taylor and you better remember it.”

As the brunette who’d declared herself as a “Victoria Taylor” stomped off, the Hogwarts express slid smoothly into life, beginning its journey towards the highlands of Scotland at exactly eleven o’clock in the morning and not a second later.

---

^{11:15 AM, September 1st | Hogwarts Express, Compartment L}

“So, Amersa, late to the train, was looking for a seat,” Delmare said listing the details off on her fingers. “Does that about cover it?”

“Does that really matter Delmare?” Amersa waved her hand flippantly. “What matters is that we’re going to Hogwarts! It’s finally happening.”

Lyndsey sighed dreamily and looked out the window at the rolling hills. “My mum has always told me stories of the castle, and the food!”

The four of them laughed and settled into their seats for the ride.

---

^{1:20 PM, September 1st | Hogwarts Express, Compartment L}

“Anything from the trolley dearies?” the lady asked with a warm smile.

Lyndsey immediately jumped up and Amersa quickly followed her, “Yes, yes, yes please!”

Five minutes later and it seemed as if Amersa and Lyndsey had bought everything on the cart.

“Mmphmmm, this is so good,” Amersa said as she popped another of Bertie Botts every flavor bean into her mouth.

“Why are you always so lucky!” Lyndsey said, having picked boogers on her first try and smelly socks on her second. Amersa had gotten blueberry, cherry, and cotton candy all in a row while Delmare had stopped after two mouthwash beans, not wanting to test her luck again. Alleyne, on the other hand, had opted out for the sake of her taste buds.

“At least your mouth’s clean now,” she joked to Delmare. The brunette grimaced.

“The aftertaste though,” she said, breathing out a minty-fresh breath as she attempted to get rid of the taste.

Trading chocolate frog cards took a good three-fourths of an hour, mainly because Alleyne was a collector. “Ravena Ravenclaw?” she’d said with an awed expression when Amersa pulled the card out from the packet. The black-haired witch gave her wand a flick before seemingly apparating away. “Please, I’ll trade anything for her!”

“Not so fond of her luck now, are you?” Lyndsey joked, two and a half chocolate frogs in mouth as she attempted to smother the stench of week-old socks.

“Neither lucky nor unlucky here,” Delmare said, sighing as she set aside her second Newt Scamander — uncommon, but by no means rare.

Amersa stuck her tongue out at Delmare, “Hah! I got Cornelius Agrippa!” She waved the card excitedly. “Not that I collect anyways...does anyone want it?”

Eyes wide and hopeful, Alleyne stared at Amersa like she’d just offered her a million galleons. “I do, if no one else wants it,” she said, attempting some last-minute modesty.

Amersa quickly handed it over so she could unwrap another. “Ugh, I feel like I just drank from Willy Wonka’s chocolate-fall, and turned into a blueberry like Violet,” she groaned as she looked over all the empty wrappers littering the seats.

Alleyne looked at her and Lyndsey unsympathetically, “You two consumed nearly the whole cart. You should feel terrible.”

“Willy Wonka? Violet? Who’s that?” Lyndsey questioned.

Delmare perked up at the name, frowning when she realized that it didn’t ring any bells. Such an odd name would definitely have stuck in one way or another, and Delmare hated feeling like she was forgetting things. “Is he some famous wizard from America?” Delmare asked, hazarding a guess.

“You don’t know who Willy Wonka is? He’s only the best candy maker in the world!”

“Uh,” Delmare said, eyes widening. Candy maker? Sure confectionaries and bakers existed in the magical world, but she’d seldom heard of a famous one. “No, I don’t. Does he have some kind of secret spell or recipe?”

“Oh! Of course you wouldn’t know, how silly of us,” Alleyne exclaimed.

“Willy Wonka is a character from a Muggle children’s novel who created a chocolate and candy factory,” Amersa explained.

“A muggle novel?” Delmare echoed, eyes wide. She’d never thought to read a Muggle book. Having been raised in a pureblood family, her parents had seldom mentioned Muggles. Although prejudice was little these days, there was still an age-old pureblood wariness attached all things Muggle, and Delmare had never really questioned it. “Huh. Is it any good?”

“It’s certainly,” she paused, “different, but it’s an interesting read regardless”

Delmare frowned but didn’t say anything. Were muggle books really worth reading?

“Why do you two know so much about this Muggle story?” Lyndsey cocked her head questioningly.

“I’m half, my dad is a wizard but my mom is a Muggle so I’ve picked up on some stuff. Plus, who wouldn’t want to learn more about them?” Alleyne seemed to get quite excited when talking about all things Muggle. “What about you?” she looked at Amersa, hoping to find someone else who she could share her excitement with.

“I love reading,” Amersa began sheepishly, “And Muggles have some seriously amazing novels.”

“To be honest, I’m not one for reading but their technology is absolutely mindblowing. In the past few decades they’ve progressed so much. I think it’s madness that we haven’t tried tapping into that,” Alleyne began to ramble. “If I’m going to be honest, it’s so advanced it has the potential to supercede magical power.” Blushing, she stopped talking as she looked at the gaping faces around her. “Not that I know a whole ton about it. It’s just the opinion that I’ve formed after checking out some things…” she drifted off nervously.

“That’s wicked, Ally,” the purple haired girl grinned at her.

---

^{4:35 PM, September 1st | Hogwarts Express, Compartment L}

A clamor from the front of the train could be heard as they rounded a steep bend. Within a few seconds the occupants of Compartment L aboard the Hogwarts Express could make out the weathered stone castle that blinked to life with the warmly glowing lights of Hogwarts castle in the distance. Seated atop a cliff that lacked no lushness nor scenic beauty, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry looked to be all the memories, knowledge, and adventure it promised and more.

“Whoa,” Lyndsey breathed, breaking the silence.

Amersa nodded her head in agreement, “It’s more beautiful than I imagined it would be. The photos in Hogwarts: A History certainly do not do it justice.”

“Time to disembark the train, children!” a greying warlock said, walking down the main corridor of the train while using magic to send his voice over the train intercom. “My name is Christopher Walterson, and I’ll be escorting you all down to the docks where we’ll boat out to the main castle with the groundskeeper. Now, up and at it you all! Bring your luggage to the front of the train — our house elves will move them to the castle while we head into the dining hall for the first feast of the year!”

“This is so exciting!” Lyndsey said, a big grin spread across her face as she hugged her trunk and jumped up and down in excitement. Maleficent the toad popped out its head from her hiding spot in the girl’s cloak, bewildered.

“Lyndsey, your toad,” Delmare said, picking up her trunk and owl before following the grinning girl into the corridor.

As the other girls filed out, Lyndsey taking a moment to tuck Melly back into her hiding space, Delmare took a moment to look back into the red-and-oak sequence that was Compartment L. Her first day at Hogwarts had began here, in this quaint compartment that she’d be seeing again in exactly a year, then again the next and so forth.

“Delmare, you coming?” Alleyne asked, interrupting Delmare’s train of thought.

“Yeah,” Delmare said, smiling and following the girls down the corridor and out of the train.

Amersa Selwyn

---

^{6:50 PM, September 1st | Hogwarts, Great Hall}
The large wooden doors began to creak open, straining under the weight of its iron bolts, to reveal a wide hallway. Torches were lined up on each side of the hall, throwing shadows on the floor and reflecting off the armor hanging on the walls.

“Come along now,” Professor Walterson clapped his hands as he urged the first years down the hall. “There’ll be plenty of time to explore the castle later.”

With a last glance behind her, Amersa followed her classmates out of the hall into a type of antechamber that would open to another room. She could hear Alleyne and Delmare whispering to each other nervously while Lyndsey glanced around the room warily. The redhead leaned towards Amersa, “Hey, do you think—”

The door they had just walked through slammed shut just as the one in front of them began to open. The professor smiled at the first-years’ faces as their jaws dropped. Amersa had heard stories and seen pictures of Hogwart’s famed Great Hall, but didn’t realize how little justice they had done it. The smog from Muggle London had made it nearly impossible for her to see the stars at night but the stars dancing in the Great Hall were exactly how she had envisioned them. While the night sky seemed to burn with light, she couldn’t tell whether the candles reflected off the stars or the stars off the candles. Tearing her eyes away from the open ceiling, her eyes rested on the long table at the end of the hall. At the High Table sat the professors, with the four heads of houses flanking the headmaster. Amersa’s eyes widened a little before she remembered what she had read about him in Hogwarts: A History.

Current headmaster of Hogwarts, Barnaby Eldridge had been an advocate for the preservation of Mandrakes. During one of his travels he was struck by a wayward spell at the same time he cast a bubble spell on himself. This combination led to an unforeseen consequence - half of his face was permanently frozen into a frown, not much unlike that of a gargoyle. Rather than attempt to find a cure, Eldridge embraced his new features, deeming it one of his “unique qualities.”

Amersa did not have much time to study the rest of the professors before she was ushered down the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables towards a lone chair. Placed upon the wooden stool was the Sorting Hat, ready to burst into song.

I might be old, I might be gray, but I’m smart enough you see
Everybody eyes on me, I’m wiser than you’ll ever be…

Professor Walterson nodded to the Sorting Hat in deference and unrolled his scroll to call out, “Jenna Allsop.”

“Lyndsey Hart.”

Squaring her shoulders, the red-headed green-eyed girl walked up to the hat and placed it on her head without pause. The Sorting Hat had scarcely grazed her head before it yelled out “Gryffindor!” Lyndsey smiled confidently as she took her place at the cheering table.

As Amersa looked at Lyndsey and then at the shaking Alleyne, she knew she wasn’t nervous, yet there was still something bothering her. If she was going to be honest, she hadn’t even given thought as to where she would be sorted. She supposed she would be sorted into Slytherin, like her mother and brother, or Ravenclaw like her father. Amersa knew she tended to have a quick temper and she was by no means dense. Growing up with an older brother had taught her that the small things in life don’t always come easy. Her fingers unconsciously grazed the small diamond shaped scar directly below her left elbow as she stared at the hat, lost in thought.

---

“That’s mine!” a voice cried out from behind the closed door. The seven year old hit her small fists on the door in frustration. “Give it back Alec!”

On the other side of the door her brother smirked, holding his wand in one hand while his other was tightly fisted around a smooth stone. His grin widened as he heard her begin to slam her slim frame against the door. Before she could hit it again, he whipped the door open expecting to see her crash to the floor. Instead, forty-five pounds of dead weight toppled onto him. Amersa quickly recovered, and tried to wriggle his hand open. Unfortunately for her, Alec was four years older and that also meant four years stronger.

---

“Amersa Sewlyn,” Professor Walterson’s voice held a hint of amusement.

“Amersa,” Delmare nudged her nervously. “They called your name twice!”

The purple haired girl started with a gasp and her cheeks turned a faint pink. Half jogging to the stool, she shoved the hat onto her head.

Ah, a pureblood. The corners of the girl’s mouth turned down slightly. Oh no, don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly not going to negatively impact me ruling. Or positively! the voice in her head chuckled.

That wasn’t very funny, Amersa thought dryly.

A girl without a sense of humor - Ravenclaw then? No, that’s not it. The voice went silent for several long moments.

Did the hat fall asleep?

I did not! the Sorting hat replied indignantly. If it’s going to be this way then,“Hufflepuff!”

Amersa’s mouth dropped into a small ‘o’ as the hat was whisked off her head to reveal the table draped in black and yellow cheering loudly.

Delmare Montague

---

^{7:22 PM, September 1st | Hogwarts, Great Hall}
“McFinley, Frederick,” the Sorting Hat called from where the previous student — a droopy-looking boy with a flop of unkempt brown curls who’d been crowned a Ravenclaw — had placed it on the chair in the middle of the platform at the head of the Great Hall. A freckled boy with a broad grin and ginger curls walked up and was promptly announced as a Gryffindor, prompting him to head over to the tables dressed in deep reds and golds where the rest of the house cheered loudly.

“Eep it’s going to be my turn soon,” Alleyne said, looking at Delmare and Amersa in distress. The blonde girl had expressed interest in joining Ravenclaw but was worried she wouldn’t make the cut.

“You’ll be fine,” Delmare reassured her, “You’ll be sorted into the house you’re best fit for — the hat will take care of everything. I heard it takes your thoughts into account too. Besides, Lyndsey did fine, right?” she asked, nodding at the girl in question who was now seated with the cheering Gryffindors. Alleyne began to protest, but she was already being summoned by the Sorting Hat.

Watching as her friend walked up and picked up the hat with hesitation, Delmare became a little nervous as well. While she’d had a mind to join Ravenclaw, she wouldn’t mind being sorted into Slytherin either — her brother had been, so it wasn’t unforeseeable. Gryffindor, as Delmare saw it, didn’t fit her much, and Hufflepuff didn’t fit her at all.

“Ravenclaw!” the Sorting Hat pronounced, jolting Delmare out of her thoughts. Cheering erupted from the tables draped in blue and bronze as they welcomed their latest member. Delmare clapped along with their cheers, glad that Alleyne had gotten into the house she’d wanted — and would fit well in.

All right, Delmare. You’re going to walk up there, put the hat on, and get sorted into Ravenclaw, she told herself, taking a breath to calm her nerves as her name was called. Walking up, she reached out for the hat and placed it on her head carefully, not knowing what to think.

So you want to be a Ravenclaw, do you? a voice asked, echoing inside the chamber that was Delmare’s head. Delmare tensed up reflexively, alarmed at the sudden booming, but the voice went on. No need to be alarmed, I don’t bite. No teeth. Now, let’s see… Lots of Ravenclaw in here, yep… Some Gryffindor too, although not much… Slytherin for sure. Say, why limit yourself to Ravenclaw? You’d have so much more potential as a”Slytherin!”

Whooping erupted from the tables decorated in the Slytherin colors of green and silver as Delmare stood up shakily and took of the hat. Placing it on the chair where it was before she arrived, she walked over to the Slytherin table shakily, a big grin on her face. “Glad to see you’ve joined the best house, first year!” someone shouted. Delmare nodded, the grin still on her face as she sat down next to one of the previously announced first years. Making eye contact with Amersa, then Alleyne and Lyndsey, Delmare beamed.

---

^{7:47 PM, September 1st | Hogwarts, Great Hall}
“Alright children!” Headmaster Eldridge said, rising from his seat with a half-smile. “The school year has begun, and I wish you all the best of times at Hogwarts. But first, let us enjoy the bountiful feast that’s been set before us — I myself am looking forward to the Hodgewinkle pie.”

As soon as the man sat down, the Great Hall was abound with the clamorous shuffling of plates against utensils. Students fought over who got the most of this and who avoided any of that, stuffing their mouths with either words or food.

Amersa Selwyn

---

^{7:30 PM, September 1st | Hogwarts, Great Hall}
Faster than the headmaster could say ‘hodgewinkle pie” Amersa began dumping food onto her plate and shoving it into her mouth.

“Wow, you must be hungry,” the boy sitting across from her blurted out.

“Hmumgloopglugblah,” she looked up in surprise as she tried to swallow down her food. “Hey! I know you, we met at Ollivander’s right?”

“I don’t think I could forget that hair of yours,” he eyed her dryly. “Or your lack of help.”

Amersa smiled sheepishly, “Right. Sorry about that. I’m Amersa by the way, Amersa Sewlyn”

“Calum Hart.”

Amersa’s fork paused two inches in front of her mouth and the piece of chicken fell back down onto the plate. She looked back up at the boy. Blonde hair and brown eyes. He looks nothing like Lyndsey, aside from the fact that they both look like they could be models she mused. Plus, what are the chances that they’re twins? Hart is a common surname, right?

“I don’t know if you’ve met my twin, Lyndsey,” Calum continued. “Redhead, loud, obnoxious, likes to burp in public --”

Nope, it’s not common. Amersa let out a laugh, “Yup, that sounds like her. We sat together on the train.”

“In that case, I apologize on her behalf,” he grinned in response as she picked up her chicken again.

The piece of chicken dropped again as she shook her head, “No need to apologize! Lyndsey is sweet! But isn’t it odd that you two are in different houses?”

“If you spend some more time with us, you’ll find that we’re quite different.”

”Is that an invitation? she raised an eyebrow at him. Before he could respond a shriek from the next table made them both turn their heads to see a gaggle of girls all staring at the end of the Slytherin table. ”What even?”

"Just some girls freaking out over nothing I guess," he shrugged and turned back to his food. Amersa nodded her head in agreement but her eyes followed the girls’ line of sight until her eyes fell on the the object of [those thirsty hoe] gazes. A dark haired boy had his head thrown back in laughter as he spoke words she could not hear.

“Hey,” Calum waved his fork in her direction. “Eat.”

“Right, right,” she said and turned her attention back to the dropped piece of chicken. The dark-haired boy quickly disappeared from her mind as she consumed mouthful after mouthful of steak and kidney pie, roast beef, and Yorkshire pudding. As the plates cleared and refilled to make room for the dessert her eyes widened and became bigger than her stomach. Each type of dessert was piled onto her plate but before she could begin, she heard Calum scoff at her.

“That’s a ridiculous amount of dessert. I regret telling you to eat earlier.”

“Only because you can’t handle it doesn’t mean I can’t,” she retorted. “Just watch me.” Less than five minutes later, only a few crumbs were left.

“Bloody hell, the amount of sugar you stuffed into your mouth was disgusting.”

“Eating sweets is my specialty!”

Dumbledore’s voice rang out across the hall, “First years, report to your house head. All other years are to report to their rooms before curfew. Dismissed.”

Calum looked at her with amusement, “Are you sure you can make it up the stairs after all you ate? I’ve heard it’s a long walk.”

“I’ll be just fine, thank you,” she tossed her hair over her shoulder in response and walked off without him.

Delmare Montague

---

^{7:22 PM, September 1st | Hogwarts, Great Hall}
Delmare looked over the plentiful plates with a peculiar blankness of someone used to pampered dinner settings. Sure the lamb chops and pot pies looked nice, but they were certainly a step down from the cured Eastern Norwegian hams and enchanted mushrooms she often had at home.

“You not eating or something?” the girl next to her asked, a noodle dangling from her mouth as she spoke, wiggling with every movement. Delmare suppressed a shudder, fixing a smile on her face.

“No, just in the middle of deciding what to try first,” she said, demonstrating a cursory glance of all the plates in her immediate vicinity. “There’s just… So many choices.”

The noodle-dangler didn’t seem convinced, but she continued stuffing her face nonetheless, the very special noodle going up and vanishing into her mouth at last. Silently sighing in relief, Delmare figured that she might as well eat something and not starve. I’m sure it can't be that bad, she thought, frowning as she spooned a slab of shepard’s pie into her plate. I mean they aren’t allowed to poison students right?

After poking around the gravy soup of carrots, shredded pork, and peas for a moment, Delmare finally brought a hesitant spoonful to her mouth, finding that it tasted… Not bad, she realized with some surprise. Not bad at all.

“You act like you’ve never eaten outside of home before,” the girl from before commented, hitting a little too close to home for Delmare’s liking. She covered this up by pasting on the same polite smile from earlier, to which the girl snorted lightly and continued eating, apparently finding the sheltered brunette a little too so for her liking.

Well, good riddance too, Delmare thought with a restrained huff, spooning more gravy goodness into her mouth. She was ruining the mood.

Looking around, Delmare found that everyone in the hall was busy eating now, so she reached over and scooped some more food into her plate. As she ate, she looked over at her new housemates again, this time paying more attention to the individuals. The first years around her were quickly breaking up into what looked like pre-formed cliques, either fringe-based or blood-based. Since different years sat at different tables, contact between the tables was few and far between, although some second years did call a few praises and tips in the first years’ direction.

“Aiken Yamada is the cute one over there,” one of Delmare female housemates was saying, a few other young witches — assumably purebloods, based off the snobbish finery of their robes and adornments — listening intently to the speaker. “Quidditch-wise, he’s our house’s best bet.”

Delmare followed the girls’ line of sight to a black-haired boy who was laughing with his friends, hands waving animatedly as he told his story. His audience listened, rapt, as the boy finished what seemed like a tale involving a broomstick and a fall.

The girls beside Delmare shrieked excitedly, barely muting themselves enough to avoid drawing too much attention. They failed partially, though — Aiken’s group looked over curiously, and Delmare made eye contact with the boy in question. He flashed Delmare a smile — small and sweet, tinged with amusement — and Delmare felt her heart flutter.

Quickly looking down at her plate, Delmare waited, absorbing the feeling of — what was it? It was inexplicable, light but a bit heavy as well. Was this what they were so excited about? Delmare wondered, looking over at the girls beside her again and finding that they had dissolved into giggles.

“Don’t tell me you’re joining that group,” the snide girl from before said, interrupting Delmare’s thoughts. “Or… is it that you like ‘Aiken’ too?”

Delmare looked over, eyes wide in alarm. The girl beside her grinned, brown eyes flashing.

“You do, don’t you?” she asked, her grin growing wider. Delmare quickly waved her hands in front of the other girl’s face, trying to silence her.

“Shh!” Delmare said imploringly. Her tablemate merely grinned victoriously.

“But you do, don’t you?”

“No I don’t,” Delmare denied, shaking her head vigorously. “I don’t even know him.”

“But you want to,” her table mate said, wiggling her eyebrows, and Delmare tried to hush her again. “Okay, okay, fine. Don’t admit it.”

“I don’t like him, okay?” Delmare said again, almost believing that saying it again would make a difference. The grinning girl shrugged, and Delmare exhaled a sigh before fixing her gaze on the girl again. “I’m Delmare — Delmare Montague. What’s your name?”

“Calista Fontanne,” the girl supplied, grin dimming down to an amused smile. “I’ll keep you in mind if I ever get to talk to ‘Aiken.’”

“No,” Delmare said, shaking her head vigorously. Seeing Calista grin through her further denial, Delmare figured that she’d give up for now — with some last words. “I don’t like him, so please don’t tell anyone.”

“Denial is the only enemy of love,” Calista said. “But fine. You owe me a favor then.”

Delmare nodded grudgingly, hating that she had to “owe” the girl for something so trivial. Still, Calista had promised her cooperation — albeit conditionally — so Delmare relented and cleaned off her plate quickly. Just as she was spooning the last of her pot pie into her mouth, the headmaster’s voice rang out, adjourning dinner.

“First years, report to your house head. All other years are to report to their rooms before curfew. Dismissed.”

“Bye-bye, Delmare,” Calista said, sweeping her robes off her seat and skipping ahead. “It was nice meeting you.”

What a nice person, Delmare thought sarcastically, rising to join the stream of first years as well. Can’t she just accept that I’m telling the truth?

---