FicWad

Agena




JErosion




Chapter 03 – It's all in your head – Year 1 (revise)







Agena swore she felt a few of her bones crack.




“Mum you might want to let her go. She is turning blue,” came the saving voice of her cousin.




She staggered slightly as her Aunt released her. Her eye's were teary. Normally the woman didn't make such displays of emotions in public. But today she was seeing her youngest leave for school.




“Now, you'll be good, and stay out of trouble.” she said with aslight waver in her voice.




“Yes, ma'am.”




Her Aunt smiled at her. Her face was filled with a little bit of sadness, and a little bit of pride.




“Well come on girl,” Nymphadora said as she rubbed her hand on Agena's head. “You better get on board before everything gets too full and you get stuck having to sharing a compartment with some smelly kid.”




Agena ran her hand through her hair to straighten what her cousin knocked out of place. And with a slight grunt Nymphadora helped her carry her trunk up the stairs.




“Now that mum is out of sight,” she started, “You might want to go ahead and get your wand out of your trunk. I know mum locked it up, after we got back from Diagon Alley. But you know how she gets sometimes. Just don't forget that the moment you get sorted into ahouse at Hogwarts, you will fall under those Underage Sorcery laws. After that you won't be able to use magic outside of school. But....”




“I know! I know” Agena said exasperatedly. “How many times do I have to hear this lecture?!”




Nymphadora just smiled and then leaned in a little closer, as a few students slipped by them. “Since this train is school property, you are free to do magic as you please.”




Nymphadora let out a hearty laugh, as Agena dropped to her knees to unlock her trunk. She just opened the lid a crack and slipped her hand in. There was the brief rattle of cardboard scraping the inside of her luggage, before Agena pulled out her wand. The gray stick quickly disappeared into her robes.




“What ever you do, don't just start blasting away. I know how capable you are without a wand. And yes, I have seen what you've doing to some of those old toys of yours. I don't even think Mum really knows how much you've been playing around.




“I know your not one to bring attention to yourself . But don't start showing off. Wait until you start classes. And... don't.... you know what. I'm gonna shut up now.” She reached over to Agena and pulled her into a firm hug.




“Take care little sister.” She whispered. “ And make sure to write to us.”




“I'll do my best an'.... I write... an.... ,” she started to trip over the right words. She wasn't sure what to say.




Nymphadora just shook her head.




“Don't worry, I know you'll do good.”




With one last wave she began to pull her trunk down the aisle of the train car she entered. She passed up the first two compartments that she came across. The first had a group of older boys in it. It sounded like they were talking about some Quidditch match. The second compartment was full several loud and giggly girls. Even if there still had been room left she would have passed it up. Most of her friends and acquaintances tended to be much older that she was. So she tended to prefer the company of quieter people.




When she opened the door to the third compartment she found that there was only three girls inside.




“Oh, hey there!” said the girl that was closest to the window. She was a small asian girl, with long black hair. She noticed that she was already wearing her uniform. The necktie she wore was blue with thin strips of a dark brown.




“Are you a first year?” asked the other. She had curly strawberry-blond hair. And like her friend also boasted a similar tie.




“um, Yes,” Agena confirmed, a little more nervously than she would have liked.




“It's alright you can sit in here.” the asian girl said.




“um, Thanks.” she replied as she pulled her trunk in behind her.




As Agena pushed her trunk into the corner, the asian girl stood up to introduce herself.




“I'm Cho Chang,” she stated. Agena noticed that the girl was shorter than she was. Cho then motioned towards her companion. “And that's Marietta Edgecombe, were both second year Ravenclaws.”




The third girl lean forward in her seat. Agena noticed that she wore anecktie as well, but her was a dark red with stripes of a golden yellow.




“I'm Katherine Bell, but most people call me Katie.” She tugged at her tie. “I'm a second year too, but I'm in Gryffindor.




“um, it's... um, it's nice to meet you. I'm Agena Culverin” she stammered. She shook Cho's hand and then Katie's. Her friend just nodded to her. She was getting a little more nervous than she would like.




Agena never had a problem talking to adults. But when it came to kids her age, she was a little unsure on how to act. The only time she got exposed to other children was when her Aunt took her along with her when she went to pay certain friends a visit.




There was the writer and publisher of that funny magazine. He had adaughter, who was a nice girl and all, but she was a little off. Then there was lady that was was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, she had a niece that was about her age. And of coarse there was that one woman who worked in the Floo office, but she didn't think Aunt Andromeda would be visiting her again any time soon. Which was ok with her since her friendship with that woman's daughter had gone sour.




“Are your parents still waiting out there?” She pointed to the open window in their compartment.




Agena frowned. That was something else, her status in relation to her Aunt. tended to change depended on who her Aunt was talking to. I some instances she was her daughter, in others she was her niece, or even'the daughter of an old friend.' Sometimes it was hard to remember who she was suppose to be.




“oh, um... I didn't come with my parents–Hey, Nymphadora!” she called out, as she spotted the young woman with the wavy pink hair.




“Hey Brat.” the cousin said as she strode up to the side of the train car. Nymphadora didn't like it when people other than she and her mother called her by her first name. Most people called her by her surname. So she was always a little testy, when her given name was yelled out in public either. “I see you found acompartment.”




“uh-huh. Umm, where's Aunt Andromeda?”




“Oh, mum? She saw someone she knew.”




Agena looked out in the direction in which Nymphdora nodded her head. It took her a while, but she eventually spotted her. She seemed to be talking with a short, plump redheaded woman. Actually she seemed to be in the middle of a bunch of redheads.




“Do you know who are they?”




Nymphadora scratched her chin thoughtfully.




“Judging from the hair, I'd say they are the Weasleys.”




From across the crowd they saw the plump woman and her Aunt, turn their way. Agena waved at them, both of the women returned the gesture.




“Oh, by the way. I saw our illustrious Uncle. I think his son is in one of the cars near the front of the train. You haven't met him, but you'll know him by sight. And he is just like his father, only shorter. So watch yourself.”




Nymphadora gave her a nod and walked off towards her mother.




“Was that your sister?”




Agena looked to Cho Chang, who had stepped up to the window beside her. The girl was probably an inch shorter than her.




“Sort of, shes really my cousin. But she is more like a sister.”




“She has funny hair.”




“Yeah, she sure does.”




“So, your parents didn't come to see you off?” The Ravenclaw girl asked. Agena's mouth twitched.




“Well I really... I really don't have any. I lost them in that... business that went on, ten years ago. So my Aunt took me in.”




“Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry.”




Agena shook her head.




“It doesn't really bother me.” She lied.




After that the four girls sat in a bit of an awkward silence for a while. But Agena notcied that both Cho and Katie had brooms with them.




“Oh, this?” Katie said, tipping her broom. “It's a Comet Two-Eighty, I was going to tryout for The Gryffindor Quidditch team. I know it's not the best broom, but it's a sight better than the school brooms. Although I wish I had good Cleansweep or a Nimbus like Cho's.“




Agena looked over the sleek looking broom that Cho was holding. She tuned it slightly so she could read the gold lettering that was stamped into the wood. Nimbus 1700.




“When I told my parents that I was going to try for the team, they said that they would buy me a good broom, I didn't think my parents would get me one as nice as this. It's not the 2000 model, but it's still a really nice one.” Cho beamed. “Do you fly?”




“um, Not really. My sister let me try out her old Comet. But I think prefer to keep my feet on the ground.”




It wasn't long before they where joined by another girl, who was also starting her first year. However she was a familiar face to Agena.




Every now and then, Aunt Andromeda would take her along with her when she went to have lunch with a rather formidable witch, named Amelia Bones. Agena really liked the woman, she had a been an Auror in her younger days, but now she served the Department Magical Law Enforcement as a judge. Now on a few of those visits, Madame Bones had her young niece with her.




Susan Bones was a driven young girl, who aspired to be just like her Aunt. She also had a streak of vanity in her as well. Her hair, which was a ash-blond, was very long. Even braided it reached all the way to the small of her back. She also had long and well manicured fingernails.



With a lurch the train began to move forward in a sluggish pace. Everyone went to the window, hoping they catch one last look at a relative. Agena looked carefully, but she failed to spot either her Aunt or Nymphadora. However she did see something of interest to her. Just like Nymphadora had warned, she saw the tall and imposing figure of Lucius Malfoy. He had his arm around the waist of tall and slim woman who was standing next to him. She was looking towards the front of the train, waving to some compartment that was far ahead of them. Even teary eyed, she looked very beautiful. But that was to be expected from the House of Black.




Lucius said something to her. She turn his way to respond to or perhaps answer whatever it was that he had said. But she didn't make it. For a brief moment Agena found herself looking straight into the eyes of her other Aunt.




She had never met her Aunt Narcissa. Her and Aunt Andromeda didn't have much contact anymore. Every now and then they would write each other a letter, and on a rare occurrences they meet in person. Agena always got the impression that the reason why they didn't meet or talk more often, was because of Narcissa's husband. But despite her Aunt being a blood-traitor, they were still sisters. And no matter what there was nothing that could completely sever that bond.




But in that tiny moment, that they shared. She could see a peculiar look take over her features. It was a little bit of recognition, mixed in with a bit disbelief and confusion. And then it was over. Their/moment/ was ruined by an intervention by Lucius Malfoy, who placed a hand on her shoulder to regain her attention. Agena immediately removed herself from the window, allowing Susan Bones achance to wave at her mother.




She was sure that Aunt Andromeda told her sister that she was taking care of her. But knowing her Aunt, she probably would keep things as ambiguous as possible. By omitting little facts, like the identity of her mother.




“Was it just your mom who brought you?” Agena asked Susan.




“Yeah, it was just her. My Auntie could get off of work today.”




“So which house do you think you'll get sorted into?”




“I'm not sure. My mama and my Aunt were both in Hufflepuff, but my dad was in Gryffindor. So I guess I'll be going into either of those houses.”




“Well what about the you?” Marietta asked her, having overheard what they were talking about.




“Well, um... my Aunt and most of her family were in Slytherin, but their have been a few that were sorted into Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.” Agena noticed that the mention of Slytherin, seemed to get a reaction from Katie. Though Agena didn't have much time to think about it, since there was a knock on the compartment door. It slid open, revealing a kindly look witch with deep dimples.




“Anything off of the cart?” She asked.




After perusing though her selections, Agena opted for a Cinnamon Cauldron Cake, and a bottle of Fizzy MacKee's Soda.




As they ate, Agena noticed that they had left London behind. Outside was become a passing mural of open pastures and the occasional herd of sheep.




After a while it was Cho's friend that restarted the conversation. Agena smiled slightly as the Edgecombe girl kept trying to steer the conversation away from Quidditch, and onto subject she was more familiar with.




There was a sudden knock at door. It opened to reveal a girl with a great abundance of bushy brown hair. From the looks of things she was afirst year as well.




“Can we help you?” Marietta asked.




“I'm sorry, but have any of you seen a toad?” She asked in a serious and a bossy sort of tone.




“A toad?” Agena asked, wondering for a moment if she had misheard her.




“Yes. There is a boy named, Neville, and he seems to have misplaced his.”




Agena sort of blinked at her question. The supply list said that they could bring either a owl, a cat or a toad. Agena couldn't imagine why anyone would actually want to bring a toad. However they could only answer with a collective /no/.




“Well that's alright I'll just check with the next compartment...Oh!” She said suddenly, “ Your in Gryffindor.”




Katie nodded uncertainly.




“Tell me, what's it like in their?”




“um,.. It's... alright I guess.”




“I really do hope I get sorted into Gryffindor, after all that's the same house that the Headmaster was in, and they say he is one of the greatest wizards in the world... Although I don't think Ravenclaw would be so bad either. I hear they take in the smartest and the most eager to learn. And I can't wait to start classes. I've already read though all of my coarse books. I've tried out a couple of the simpler spells, and they all seem to work fine. I really wish I could have done more, but I guess at a certain point you need a teacher's instruction. Not to mention that my parents are still trying to adjust to the whole thing. Nobody in my family, before me, has had any magical powers... But I guess I've always know I was different, than other children. But I had no idea of how different I was.... Oh, My name is Hermione Granger.”




She had said everything in a single breath.




A quick glance around the room revealed that the other girls seemed to be wearing some forced smiles. Agena smiled as well, but not just from being polite or anything. She had taken an immediate liking to the girl. She could understand her desire to want to learn. And why she wouldn't stop talking either. Hermione was just nervous. Probably just as nervous as she was about coming here. Although Agena was far more content to stay quite, and not talk about herself.




She wasn't about to tell anyone that she had read though a good portion of cousin's old books as well as her new ones. After all, why should she hint that she may have an advantage over her classmates.




“I'm Agena Culverin,” she extended her hand as she introduced herself. Hermione's face lit up considerably. Agena wondered if anyone in any of the other compartments had offered her such greeting. Cho stood up from her seat and offered her a like greeting. The others introduced themselves in turn. Hanna and Katie, while Marietta only gave her a nod.




“Well, I best get back to helping Neville. It was nice meeting you all.” She said brightly as she exited the compartment.




“Well she was energetic.” Cho commented with a wry smile. Her friend shook her head in an almost disgusted manner.




“Muggleborns,” Marietta muttered in an annoyed manner. Cho elbowed her.




“Be nice.” Cho hissed.




After that the conversation returned back to a mindless banter of which lead singer of which band was the cutest.







-







It was a longer ride that Agena expected it to be. By her watch it had taken over eight hours for the steam engine to them from King's Cross to the Hogsmeade Station. As the train began to slow down a loud voice echoed throughout the train.




“Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.”.




After a quick check of the lock on her trunk. Agena left the compartment and joined the other students as they began to file out of the train.




Agean noticed that beyond the station she could make out the lights of avillage, but she could see no sign of the school. Nymphadora had always told her that Hogwarts was a huge castle. But then again the countryside was very hilly and well forested. She saw that the students were all walking towards a long row of black horseless carriages




“Hey,” said Cho Chang, tapping her shoulder. “You first years need to go down to the end of the station. You'll go to the school in adifferent way.”




Her eye's followed to were her finger pointed. Down at the far end of the train, towering over the heads of the children was the large and bear-like figure of the Hogwarts Gamekeeper.




“All right! Firs' years! Firs' years over here! “ the giant man called out.




She ran down the platform to join the gathering crowd. Once he seemed satisfied that he had everyone. Hagrid led them down a narrow and rocky path. At the bottom of the trail they came to a pebble strewn shore, that was lined with a good number of little boats. But Agena hardly paid any attention to them. Before all of them was a wide lake that was more like a giant black mirror, reflecting only the darkened sky and the shimmer of lights of the distant castle. Nymphadora never told her that it would be like this, She had begged to tell her what she should expect. But she kept refusing, saying that it would ruining the surprise. And she could see why.




It looked as though every window of the school was lit a blaze. And the surface of the black lake reflected those lights into a glittering pathway.




“No more'n four to a boat!” Hagrid called out.




Cautiously they all filed into the boats. She took a seat next to Susan, the two remaining spots were taken in by a pair of twin girls. Under normal circumstances she would felt the need to offer them a nod, or some other form of acknowledgment. But at that moment she felt as though an entire nest of fairies had taken up residence in her stomach. She didn't think would have been able to bring herself to speak, even if she wanted to.




“Everyone in?” Asked Hagrid, not hearing any voices to the contrary, he then shouted “FORWARD!”




At his command, all of the little boats seem jump in the water. And almost immediately they all began to drift forward, following the boat that Hagrid was in.




It was some time before the reached the castle and even then they didn't land on the opposite shore, instead they drifted into a cave, that sheltered a sort of hidden harbor. Their boats settled alongside the piers that jutted the water.




Following Hagrid's actions. They crawled out of their boats and followed the gamekeeper, as he walked up a stone staircase. There at the top was an heavy oaken door, that so large that it must had been at least twice Hagrid's height. Hagrid turned and looked out to at all of them.




“All right. Everyone here?” He called out. He then brought up his enormous first and knocked three times on the door.




The doors swung open to reveal a tall witch, in vibrant green robes. She had a very strict air about her. Like she wouldn't tolerate any form of misbehavior. Or maybe her hair was pulled back too tightly.




“The firs' years, Professor McGonagall.” Hagrid told her.




With the title of professor that meant she was a teacher here. And if Agena remembered correctly, she was the Deputy Headmistress. The second in command right after Dumbledore.




“Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.” She replied. The then disappeared though the door, the nearest students began to follow. Agena noticed that many of them tried to walk as far away as they could, when they passed Hagrid. Not that she could entirely blame them. How often do you come across somebody of his stature. But as Nymphadora told her. Hagrid was a good guy, and was someone you could depend on if you in a bit of a pinch.




So when she passed the towering man, she offered him a wave. At once he bent down closer to her level.




“Ah, Agena wasn't it?” He asked in a low voice.




“y-Yes Sir.”




He chuckled slightly.




“No need to be callin' me sir. Jus' stick with Hagrid. You have a good trip here?”




“um, Yes si-Hagrid.”




“Good, good. Well you run along now, it won't be long before the sortin'ceremony.” he said with a wink of his shinny black eyes.




She scrambled to catch up with the others as the all stood together in alarge chamber.




“Welcome to Hogwarts... ,” Professor McGonagall started. She began to explain how Hogwarts worked there would he a sorting ceremony. She had to admit that she was very curious about how it was done, every one she had every asked about it would only smile, as if they were in on some big secret.




The teacher explained, in the great detail, the four houses of Hogwarts. And about a point system, that would determine the recipient of ahouse cup. She drew her speech to an end by saying.




“The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.” And she then disappeared behind another door.




Agena looked down upon herself, she felt that she was in good order. But looking at some of the other students around her, she could see that some of them really needed some sprucing up. Particularly this one redheaded boy, who despite his efforts to straighten out his shabby robes, seemed to be completely oblivious to the smudge of dirt on his nose. Next to him was another boy, who was a little shorter than her and very skinny. He was seemed to be trying to flatten his hair, bring some order to his messy black hair. But then something happened that caused Agena's breath to hitch.




He turned his head towards her. Behind his round rim glasses, were apair of the most incredibly green eyes that she had ever seen. She found it quite difficult to look anywhere but there. But before he turned away from her she got a glimpse of a thin zigzagging scar that sat on the middle of his forehead. He went back to trying to rearranging his hair in such a way that it would cover up the mark.




It was him! The Boy-Who-Lived. Who else could it be? Everyone in their world knew about him. He was in all of the history books. At the age of one he survived the killing curse and defeated the most feared wizard of this century. And the only mark he had to show for it was alightening bolt shaped scar on his forehead. It had to be him. No wizard would have the gall assume that boy's identity. Professor Dumbledore would never allow it. So it just had to be him. It had to be Harry Potter. Agena sudden felt the urge to apologize to him, for staring. But even more so because it would allow her to actually speak to him. To actually talk with Harry Potter.




But before she could say anything the back of the hall was filled with screams. She gasped at the sight. There were ghosts and lots of them. And despite fear that their sudden appearance. Yet few of those specters even seemed to even notice that the children that were gathered below them. But as they passed over head Agena could hear them having a debate amongst themselves.




It wasn't until the ghosts began to slip though the opposite wall. That Professor McGonagall returned.




“Now, form a line.” She addressed them, “And follow me.”




Agena cast an eye over to Harry Potter. A thought crawled into her head. That if she got in line next to him, she might be able to talk to him. But she stopped. But what could she say to him? How are you? Defeat any dark lords lately? But she was saved the trouble when that one redheaded boy slipped in between them. And maybe it was for the best. She didn't need any distractions at the moment, as the all filed into the Great Hall. She looked around in amazement.




Professor McGonagall had led down right down the middle of the hall. The were two tables on either side of them. All four of them were lined with students, all of which seemed to be staring at them. Up ahead she could see a table that ran along the front of the chamber. Seated at that table were what she assumed was the school staff. And in the tallest chair at the middle of the table sat Professor Dumbledore.




She had never seen anything so spectacular in all her life. Above their head floated thousands of candles. The walls and pillars of the hall disappeared into a darkness that sparked with twinkle of starlight. She stared at the ceiling a little bit, before she came to the conclusion that it was just a glamour, a surface illusion. Nearby she heard that Hermione girl confirm her suspicion when she whispered,“It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in /Hogwarts, A History/.”




As she brought her view back down she saw that Professor McGonagall was currently placing a very old and grubby looking wizard's hat on astool. Agena noticed that all of the students at the tables had shifted their focus to the front of the hall, and to were the old cap sat.




Agena looked to it as well. But it really didn't look all that special. But Agena had learned a long time ago that somethings in this world were not always as they seemed. And in this case she wasn't going to be disappointed. The as unspectacular as it looked began, to move. And almost like someone waking from a nap, it stretched and wiggled, before the front of the old thing scrunched up into something that resembled a face. And as if it was the most natural thing in the world a tear near it's brim opened up like a mouth. And it that wasn't enough it began to sing.

“Oh, you might 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......



...So put me on! Don't be Afraid!

And don't get in a Flap!

You're in safe hands

For I'm a Thinking Cap!”




It was a rather lengthy poem. But very self exploratory as to the hat's purpose.




“So we've got to try on a hat,” she overheard that redhead say to Harry. “I'll kill Fred, he kept going on and on about having to wrestle a troll.”




Professor McGonagall stepped over to the side of the cap, with a long roll of parchment in her hands.




“When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted.” she instructed, then after a brief glance at the scroll she held she called out the first name. “Abbott, Hanna!”




A blond girl ran up to the stool and placed the cap on her head. Amoment after she had sat down on the stool the hat's mouth opened and it shouted “HUFFLEPUFF!”




The students at the table to the right of them broke into applause. The girl scurried over and the empty end of that table.




“Bones, Susan!” McGonagall then called.




Agena gave her a small nod as Susan passed her.




“HUFFLEPUFF!” The hat responded after a few seconds.




Yet again the table to the right of them began to clap and cheer as Susan went to going them.




Agena took a deep breath, the list the were going by was alphabetical. Her name would be coming up soon.




Boot. Brocklehurst. Brown. Bulstrode. Calvin. Cook. Crabbe. By then she was starting to shake. She was just a few seconds away from becoming afull fledge Hogwarts student.




“Culverin, Agena” Professor McGonagall called. She walked forward, although with every step she took her feet felt heavier and heavier. Those fairies in her stomach were buzzing as hard as ever. But when she placed the hat on her head and sat upon the stool. The hat didn't call out a house, right away. Instead, in her back of her mind, she could hear a little voice speak.




“Well. Well. Well, “ it was the evaluating voice of the hat. “I didn't think I would ever sit on the head of another. There is only one place I can send you, only one place you truly belong. Although the other houses would have been lucky to have you. You have a sharp mind there, and a very deep thirst for knowledge. And you have agreat deal of courage as well.”




It's voice dropped off. And it grew silent again.



“As Sorting Hat, I must decide where all students must go. However there is one rule to which I must always abide. All heirs must return to their house.”



“SLYTHERIN!”




Author's Note: Another chapter revised. Hooray. Not too much was changed either, just a bit on the train and the words of the sorting hat. Next chapter will have a bit more tinkering done to it.