Author: Gemma
Category: General, Supernatural
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling. Characters and situations are used without permission,
no infringement is intended.
Summary: An 11-year-old girl by the name of Jaime Traspe accidentally discovers the old mirror of Rowena Ravenclaw, and brings her back in the form of a spirit. There's something fishy going on, and it's up to Jaime and her crew, Atalanta Mahalia and Jaques Flumogel to figure it out.
Author's Notes: Ta-da! Chapter 5. PG-13, as usual, for swearing, innuendo, and anything else that my odd mind my come up with.
- Atalanta was a Greek goddess, called the huntress, and Mahalia means smart or intelligent, just in case anyone was curious.
- A new name game? Yes indeed! Who knows what Professor Necia Raghnall's name means? And again, it does have a meaning. And yet another one, if you can figure it out-Übeleins. What does it mean? Hint: It is two words combined.
- Heh heh heh... you'll never guess.
Additional Disclaimer: Do I have to write this again? :: shouts come from behind the scenes and it's a unanimous verdict- yep, I sure do:: Okay, here goes: JK Rowling is the goddess who created everything Harry Potter. Warner Bros. is the company that owns everything Harry Potter. I am the nothing that created the Traspes (Jaime, Zanir, Jacklyn, and Mark), Bonnie, Hinky, Atalanta Mahalia, Professor Necia Raghnall, Professor Thomas Harrison, and Jaques Flumogel. Kat wrote the Sorting Hat song because I'm hopeless at writing poetry. Any quotes are noted with the title of the film, TV show, or song and the year. Don't sue me now. Credit has been given where credit is due.
Dedicated to: My wonderful beta readers: Kat and Hazel.
* * *
The trip across the lake was uneventful, unless you could the giant squid almost tipping over a boat. Jaime and Atalanta sat together, and both were unusually quiet. Rowena sat with her feet dangling in the lake, and Jaime heard her thinking.
Dear old Hogwarts... it's been so long... I don't even remember the last time I here... Has it changed any?... I wonder who is headmaster now...
Jaime shook off Rowena's thoughts, and stared thoughtfully at the incredible sight of Hogwarts Castle. She had seen a picture of it in Hogwarts, A History, even if she hadn't read the text of the book. The picture had not done the building justice, if you could even call it a building.
It's a masterpiece, that's what it is. A masterpiece.
Hagrid led them up to the door, and left them in the presence of Jaime's Aunt Minerva McGonagall. McGonagall was her mother's sister, but Jaime had only seen her twice before. Her duties at Hogwarts kept her from spending time with the family. The last time she had seen Aunt Minerva was when she was 7 years old. In those 4 years, her aunt had become somewhat gray, and wrinkles creased her cheeks, forehead, and around her eyes and lips. She flashed Jaime a quick smile, but returned to scowling when some of the first years looked at her curiously.
That's my Aunt Minerva! Jaime said proudly.
Not much to brag about, Rowena yawned.
She chuckled, and followed the group of first years into a large hallway with arches that was glinting with something that looked like gold.
"I'll be back for you in a minute. I need to retrieve the Sorting hat, and prepare the Great Hall. Please don't make any loud noises or cause any trouble. STAY HERE," Minerva said sternly.
Jaime twitched her nose, and raised her eyebrows. Atalanta smacked her upper arm, "No! We'll get in trouble, and we've only been here..." she looked at her pocket watch, "12 minutes and 39 seconds."
The two girls smiled at each other, and Minerva re-entered the room, "All right. We are ready for you. Single file now, that's it. Thank you."
The group of first years walked silently and slowly into the room. There were four long tables along the hall, and a raised podium-like place with several tables stretched out horizontally for the professors. The ceiling was obviously bewitched to look like the sky outside, and Jaime admired it. The sun was just starting to set, and there were grandiose pink and purple clouds spotting the medium purple-blue sky. Her attention was brought back to earth as her aunt set the Sorting Hat on the stage. Everyone seemed to be anticipating something when the hat burst out in song:
I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
I'm here to sort you all
I will tell you which table that
You should sit at in this Hall
I've been here since the beginning
when this school was still quite young
and every year they've made me sing
Even though I've got no tongue
The purpose I am here for
Is to show the leading way
I've done this many times before:
I know exactly what to say!
I will introduce the Founders Four:
They accomplished more than enough!
Slytherin and Ravenclaw
Gryffindor and Hufflepuff
Now, Slytherin's are a cunning lot
Who always have a plan
They rarely ever lose the plot
I'm not even sure they can!
Ravenclaw students tend to be wise
But there's mystery in store
They usually have some sort of surprise
That they've thought out well before
Helga Hufflepuff chose the ones
That have a heart of gold
They are always loyal and true
And never ever cold
Brave and daring are Gryffindor's traits
With nerve and chivalry
Maybe there you'll find your mates
(But I treat each house equally)
So step up now, place me on your head
I will fall down over your eyes
I'll shout out exactly what I read
Just remember that the Hat never lies…
(Song by Kat! Thank you!)
The entire school began applauding noisily, and many of the first years turned from odd shades of green and white back to their normal skin colors. McGonagall cleared her throat and unrolled a scroll.
"APPLEBY, MARYANNE!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat yelled. The second table started cheering, and the girl ran to join them.
"ARMANSKI, JOSEPHINE!"
"SLYTHERIN!" the first table began hooting and hollering, and looked like a bunch of overgrown gorillas.
"AWAMLY, KATIE!"
"GRYFFINDOR!" a huge cheer rose from the fourth table.
"BISTRA, LINDSEY!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"BOBSTIEN, RICHARD!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The list seemed to go on forever, and Jaime surveyed the hall to see if she could find Jaques. He was seated by himself, and was staring at his plate ravenously. Their eyes met, and he waved. She smiled back. Then,
"MAHALIA, ATALANTA!"
Atalanta sat beneath the hat for about 3 minutes, until the hat screamed "RAVENCLAW!"
The third table started clapping, and Jaime couldn't help but join in. Atalanta sat down on Jaques's right side, and flashed her a giant smile. She felt some of the nerves in her stomach dissipate. Finally, her aunt yelled:
"TRASPE, JAIME!"
She took a deep breath, and willed her legs to stop shaking. As she was climbing up the stairs, she tripped on her pant-leg and landed flat on her face. The hall erupted in laughter. Jaime felt like she was about to burst into tears, until the absurdity of it all sunk in and she started laughing herself. She picked herself off the ground, shoulders shaking with mirth. She took the hat off the stool, set it gently on her head, and plopped down on the stool.
The little Traspe, are you? Yes, I remember your mother and father. Both Gryffindors to the bone. But you, you're a different type, aren't you? a small voice said amusedly in her ear, I even sense her... where is she? My dear Rowena.
She's a spirit now, Jaime answered nervously, but I can talk with her.
Yes, I see that. But you... you are a special one. Brave, intelligent... you could easily fit into any of the houses. But you are Rowena's. Your Ravenclaw traits overpower everything else. I believe you will go quite nicely in RAVENCLAW!!!!
Thank you, Rowena thought to the hat, and Jaime removed it. There were cheers roaring from the third table, and Atalanta and Jaques were on their feet. She wobbled over there, and sat down on his left side.
"Félicitations, Jaime!" Jaques patted her on the back and smiled a toothy grin.
Atalanta grinned, but said nothing. The Sorting was almost over now, and there were 4 people left.
"ÜBELEIN, SANDRO!"
Rowena gasped silently, ÜBELEIN?!! That... that... oh God. She sank into a chair at the end of the table.
Jaime stared at her and thought furiously to herself... Übelein? Where have I heard that name before...
Rowena said nothing.
Of course, Jaime pulled the Choco-card out of her book bag by her feet. ... She was killed during a battle between the ancient Dark wizard Übeleins when he tried to attack Hogwarts... Sandro Übelein... oh my God.
All that thinking went on in moments, and the Hat screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
No surprise there, Rowena and Jaime thought at the same time. The older woman didn't say another word after that... she just stared up at the enchanted ceiling. There were 3 more students left.
"WYSEN, JAMES!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"YOUNG, BRENDA"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"ZARA, MATT!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
And with that, the Sorting was over. Professor Dumbledore stood, and cleared his throat. The mindless chatter ceased, and every student looked at him with attention. Only a few of the Slytherins kept talking, which thoroughly annoyed many of the others.
"Yes, I know you are all hungry," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "so I have 2 words for you. Plooi binnen." With that, heaps of food piled on the plates.
Jaime stared at the food in amazement, then turned to Jaques and asked, "What on earth does 'Plooi binnen' mean?"
He was piling food on his plate, and had shoved a miniature sandwich in his mouth, "I dunno."
"Oh, that's attractive," she laughed. She was overwhelmed by the selection, so she just took some chicken and mashed potatoes. Atalanta took some fish and chips, and watched in horror as Jaques piled his plate with steak, coleslaw, and various other items, and even poured 2 bowls of different soups. Jaime picked at her chicken, and ate all her mashed potatoes... she was still feeling a bit green after all those nerves. She could tell that Atalanta was feeling the same way... she hadn't touched her fish, and had eaten a few chips.
"So, Jaques, how are the classes here? What are we taking?"
Jaques finished chewing his mouthful of rice, "Well, the first years take Transfiguration, Potions, um... Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms... oi, Herman, what am I missing? What other classes do the first years take?" he appealed to a boy who had been intently listening to the conversation.
"Flying! And uhm... History of Magic. That is the most boring class of all!" he was staring right at Atalanta who started giggling at him. He realized what he was doing, blushed, and looked away.
He smacked Herman, "That's a first year, dunderhead!" Then he grinned at the two girls, and sat back down in his seat.
Atalanta and Jaime threw back their heads and laughed loudly, while people from the Gryffindor turned to look.
"Nothing to see here!" Jaime snapped at them. The Gryffindors looked away quickly, and she took the opportunity to scan their table. There was Harry, Hermione, and Ron, and another girl that looked like Ginny from the train. There were also the twins she had seen, and the boy who Ginny was snogging, Lee. They seemed like cheerful people, and were laughing at one of the twin's jokes. Then she looked at the Ravenclaws. Several of them had books on the table, and one girl looked absolutely distraught, and there were tears streaming down her cheeks. The girls sitting next to her were patting her on the back, and she seemed to be getting a grip.
"Jaques, who's that?" she pointed at the girl.
He frowned, "Didn't you hear about the Tri-Wizard Tournament?"
"Of course I did, the entire world heard about it."
"Well, you know Cedric Diggory, the boy that was killed?" she nodded, "She was his girlfriend, Cho Chang. She's also the Seeker for our Quidditch team."
Jaime frowned also, "That's horrible. Obviously she's not recovering too well."
"You know what really happened, don't you? I know they fed some stupid story to the press but..."
She cut him off, "Yes. With my mother as a school governor and my father at the Ministry of Magic I heard all about it. Fudge is a stupid, ignorant bastard. I can't believe the stand he's taking against all this. Just refusing to believe it's happening," she fumed for a while, staring at Cho in silence. After a while, deserts filled the plates on the table, but Jaime's appetite was gone. Jaques started flirting with the girl sitting across from him, and Atalanta was staring at the ceiling, which was currently dark blue, and glittering with stars.
Rowena, are you all right?
Yes.
No you're not. Don't lie.
Okay, I'm not all right. Übeleins triggered events. His presence caused horrible things to happen. That's why he was so feared. He was basically walking evil.
Why is a boy with the last name Übelein here?
I believe that he is a descendant, possibly sent here by...
Yes?
Nothing.
Don't 'nothing' me. Tell me.
I can't. You have to figure it out yourself.
I'm not that smart.
You're in my house. You are very smart. Think about it, and remember that you can trust your friends here. They will be of great help to you.
Does that mean I can tell them about you?
Rowena didn't answer.
Rowena?
Do not tell Jaques. Watch him carefully. You can tell Atalanta. She... she is a warrior. Now bugger off.
Fine.
Jaime was very pleased with herself for finally getting an answer or two out of Rowena, and took a large brownie off a plate in front of her. Jaques turned to her; his flirtations brushed off by the pretty girl, and started talking with her.
"Hungry, are you?"
"No, not really. These brownies just seemed to scream 'Eat me! Eat me!' So, I listened to them. Very tasty. What year are you in again?"
"Fourth."
"Are you a good student?"
"Not really. I don't know why I was put in Ravenclaw, but I suppose I am rather witty."
"You're much too full of yourself."
"Why, thank you."
"Any day, any day."
Professor Dumbledore, who stood up again and waved his wand, interrupted their conversation. The food disappeared from the plates, and he smiled.
"I will make this short, as I know most of you are probably suffering from post-prandeal narcolepsy (A/N: Just in case you didn't know, post-prandeal narcolepsy is the scientific name of getting sleepy after eating). Now, I'd like to reiterate what I've been saying for many, many years. Students are not allowed in the Forbidden Forest, no magic is to be used in the hallways in between classes, and Hogsmeade is only for those 3rd year and above. Also, I'd like to introduce the new additions to our staff. This is Professor Thomas Harrison, History of Magic professor." A murmur swept through the hall, "Professor Binns has retired to enjoy the rest of his afterlife in peace." Professor Harrison was a short, stocky man with light brown skin, greyish-green eyes, and a shock of very light blonde hair. He smiled at the hall, and then settled back into his chair.
"And this is Professor Necia Raghnall, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts master." A tall slender woman slid out of her chair gracefully, and surveyed the hall. She had long black hair and dark blue eyes, a long, thin nose, and plump lips. The professor was in her mid 20s, and just about every male student was gawking at her. She grinned, and sat down again.
"And last, but not least, Mr. Filch would like to add that Canary Creams, Ton-Tongue Toffees, and Hexed Horse Manure have been added to the list of objects forbidden inside the castle," Dumbledore smiled, "And now, I'm sure, you are officially bored, so I will release you to your house prefects. They will lead you to your dormitories and give you the new password."
Everyone in the hall stood up, and some stretched. Slowly, starting with the Slytherin table, the students filed out of the hall. It took about fifteen minutes, or as Jaime put it 'a bloody eternity', for the Ravenclaw table to be dismissed. The prefect was very knowledgeable about Hogwarts, and treated them to many little tidbits of information. Jaime tried to remember their path, but kept forgetting which way the turns were, as she wasn't very good with right and left. It had driven her tutors insane when she got them mixed up all the time. Finally, the prefects came to a halt in front of a long, rather wide mirror.
"Cerritulus," the boy said. The glass of the mirror disappeared.
Never seen that one before, Jaime thought.
Rowena sounded somewhat smug, I created that mirror. Took about 2 months to place the right spells on it.
Wow. And it's still here. Imagine that.
The common room was very pleasing to the eye. It had plush deep blue carpet, stone walls, 2 large fireplaces, purple chairs surrounding the fires, tables and chairs to do homework at, a large Ravenclaw banner that hung over each fireplace, and a portrait of Rowena. There were two doors on each side of the room, one on the right that said 'Boys' and the other one on the left that said 'Girls'. The prefect took the girls through the left door, and up a short flight of steps. They could have gone up another flight, but the prefect pointed out the door.
'First Year Girls'.
"This is your dormitory," the prefect said, "you are not allowed to have any boys in here, or any people from other houses. If you need help, go to Professor Flitwick if he is available, or go up 4 more flights of steps, and I will help you the best I can. The bathroom for this floor is right over there," she pointed down a dark hallway, "You are expected to keep both the bathroom and your dorm reasonably neat. Any questions?"
No one said a word.
"All right then. Good night."
The prefect started walking up the steps, and Jaime opened the door to the dorm. Some of the girls started mumbling when they saw it. The room was very luxurious, with 7 large, 4-poster beds, the same plush blue carpet from the common room, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Forbidden Forest. Their trunks were already there, and near the door. Jaime and Atalanta grabbed their trunks, and dragged them over to 2 beds near the windows. They changed into their nightgowns, brushed their teeth, and flounced on Jaime's bed.
"So, what do you think of Hogwarts?" Atalanta asked.
Jaime grinned, "It's wonderful!" she yawned, "But I'm tired. See you in the morning?"
Atalanta jumped over to her bed in 2 bounces, "Bright and early."