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a/n: making an Andromeda x Ted edit inspired me to write again
the time between visiting diagon alley with professor kettleburn and y/n's first day at hogwarts was spent reading about the Wizarding world as much as she could.
y/n was fascinated with the thought of a whole other world than the one she was used to. they have MAGIC for goodness' sake! what can beat that?
she must've read a standard book of spells and fantastic beasts and where to find them throughout the whole summer.
cerus would never admit it out loud but he was slightly against the idea of sending y/n to hogwarts.
he knows she really needs to go to this school to teach her how to properly control her ability and do more with it. be herself and express her magical talent but... he was going to miss her.
sure he had sent her to school before but she would always be home at the end of the day. cerus would be sending her to an unknown location in Scotland and would only see her during Christmas weekend or summer.
he was hurt but he knew she wouldn't be his little girl forever.
the two walked along king cross station. cerus was rolling y/n's many pieces of luggage with a trolly while she walked beside him, holding onto limpo.
professor kettleburn gave them a detailed explanation of how to get through platform 9¾ before departing during their diagon ally adventures because he sadly couldn't be there himself since he needed to be at hogwarts.
"this should be it..." cerus said as he stared at the wall between platforms 9 and 10.
"are you scared?" y/n looked up at her father.
"certainly," he huffed. "are you?"
even though they didn't need proof that magic was real, having it been seen in front of their eyes countless times, they were still both terrified of running through a solid brick wall and hurting and embarrassing themselves.
"now or never," the man said and looked at his daughter. she looked back at him and nodded her head as she placed her cat back in his cage.
she stood next to him again and held the handle.
"ready?" her father asked as they were both holding onto the handles together.
they both ran towards the wall and closed their eyes for impact but it never came. y/n's heart was pumping a million times a second before opening her eyes.
there she saw the hogwarts express standing big and proud.
"WE DID IT!" the girl shouted in excitement.
"we did it," cerus said not as enthusiastically. he was still recovering from the shock and panic he endured just seconds before.
the two walked further along the platform and stopped at a somewhat spacious spot.
cerus crouched down to his daughter's height and held her shoulders.
"I know I say this a lot but please, PLEASE, be careful during your time at hogwarts. this isn't like the other schools you went to in London. these children know magic too. don't make any enemies and please don't try and be the hero. you have teachers there. go to them for help," cerus lectured as he shook his daughter a couple of times to emphasize his points.
"yes, yes, I know father," y/n rolled her eyes playfully.
"I know. you don't have to worry about me, promise. I'll write to you every week," she smiled.
cerus nodded his head and kissed her forehead.
"good luck, be safe," the man said as he stood up.
in all honesty, he didn't know what to say, unable to comprehend everything still.
"goodbye, I'll miss you," y/n said and wrapped her hands around her father's torso.
y/n wandered through the hallway of the express as she tried to look into the windows of the compartment to find an empty one.
she felt a little out of place. she saw many kids and teenagers talking to their friends in the compartments. playing and laughing with each other.
she felt like the new kid. she wondered if everyone in the Wizarding world knew each other.
she was stuck being a muggleborn who didn't know anybody.
she trudged along the carriages until she was roughly shoved to the ground by 3 boys who looked older than her.
"c'mon lads! we can't keep james waiting in our compartment, he's going to be livid if we take any longer," the boy y/n saw at the pet store said as he was sprinting through the hallway.
"it's not my fault! I got hungry and wanted some chocolate frogs!"
"um... it quite literally is, wormtail. you couldn't wait until the trolly lady came by?" the familiar boy sassed.
"sorry about that!" a teen with pale skin and light brown hair had the decency to apologize to the girl they knocked over but quickly followed his friends, not helping the girl at all.
"HEY, YOU LOT! watch where you're going, you nearly knocked this poor girl all the way to hogwarts," another male reprimanded them but they were already too far to acknowledge him. "I'm sorry about them, they're always up to no good. are you alright?"
the male was tall and brunette. he seemed to already be wearing the school robes with yellow accents and a "head boy" badge pinned to it.
"I'm alright," y/n said as the boy helped her up the ground and gathered her things.
"you must be a first-year," he stated. "do you need help finding a compartment?"
"yes please," the girl slightly blushed, a little embarrassed by the whole situation. "you really don't have to though. I bet you have more important duties as head boy."
"nonsense! there's plenty of us to go around the train," he dismissed. "c'mon, let's go! I'll help you find a spot. the names ted tonks by the way!"
"y/n hightower," she smiled as ted led her deeper along the train, even carrying some of her stuff. she felt a friendly vibe from him.
"nice to meet you, y/n," he stopped and told another group of friends in a compartment to knock it off. "I'm the head boy from the hufflepuff house. if you need any help with anything don't be afraid to come look for me."
"hufflepuff? like the one professor kettleborn was in?"
"you've already met professor kettleborn? yeah, the one he was in. he must've been your hogwarts representative, he was mine too. thank God for him, didn't know what I would've done if we didn't have him help me with school supplies when I first got my hogwarts letter."
"i want to be in hufflepuff too!"
ted smiled, "well it looks like we'll be seeing each other more than."
"he was telling me all about the houses and hufflepuff is the one I most wanted to be with."
"is that what they call us? I suppose so..."
"don't worry about it, I'm one too," ted said as he stopped in front of an empty compartment. "this should do!"
ted then started to store y/n's belongings in the overhead storage as she stood there.
"I would love to stay and chat some more but duty calls," he said when a small explosion from one of the compartments rang through the air.
y/n sat alone and looked around, comprehending everything. she was going to hogwarts. she was going to an actual magic school. MAGIC EXISTS.
she looked out the window and watched all the parents saying goodbye to their children, some were even crying. she was only looking for one person, however. he had to be there somewhere amidst the other parents.
she suddenly jumped up, startled, when her compartment door opened.
"oh! I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you," a girl stood at the door frame, timidly. "it's just... the other compartments are full. is it okay if I can sit with you?"
"of course, of course!" y/n ushered. "have a seat, you're more than welcome to."
the other girl smiled, "thank you so much!"
the two girls struggled to get her stuff in the overhead storage but with many trials and errors, they succeeded.
"that was exhausting!" the girl huffed. "thanks!"
"no problem," y/n thought this girl was really nice, might as well start making friends now. "I'm y/n hightower, by the way."
"Emmeline Vance!" Emmeline smiled. "are you excited to go to hogwarts? I sure am!"
"yeah me too! I'm quite nervous though, I admit."
"don't be nervous! we'll get through it together alright?"
as the train departed, y/n got to wave goodbye to her father one last time before her long journey to an undisclosed location in Scotland.
Emmeline and y/n talked the whole way there. being more and more acquainted with each other.
y/n learned that Emmeline is a fellow first-year who came from a pureblood family. Emmeline told her all about the Wizarding world and it didn't seem like Emmeline was bothered that y/n was a muggleborn, she was actually fascinated by how someone could function without magic.
They started to become good new friends as Emmeline paid for hers and y/n's treats from the trolly lady. y/n didn't seem to mind since she still couldn't comprehend wizard money.
when they arrived at hogwarts it was already dark and the gamekeeper, Ogg, and his assistant, Hagrid, led the first years to boats with lanterns. it was tradition for first-year students at hogwarts to enter school this way and y/n was starstruck with the sight of the magnificent castle.
as the little first years made their way up the stairs they were met with a tall woman with her hair up in a bun.
"welcome to hogwarts," she smiled and all the little first years looked at each other in excitement. "now in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats you will be sorted into your hogwarts houses."
as professor mcgonagall talked, y/n saw a familiar young boy that she met in the magical menagerie. she smiled at him, seeing a recognizable face as he smiled back at her in return.
"the sorting ceremony will begin," mcgonagall announced.
as the Deputy Headmistress guided the first years to the front of the great hall where the professor's table sat. y/n along with many other first-year students awed at the sight of the bewitched ceiling and floating candles.
"now when I call your name, you will come forth, and I will place the sorting hat atop your head and you will be sorted into your hogwarts house," mcgonagall instructed.
many names went by as they were sorted into their houses but one boy in particular caught her attention.
"regulus black," mcgonagall announced and the familiar boy walked up and sat on the stool. now she can put a name to his face.
before the hat even fully sat on his head, it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"
the slytherin table cheered, having another black in their house while a certain 3rd-year boy in the gryffindor table frowned and looked away.
as more names went by it was finally y/n's time to be sorted.
she went and sat on the stool while a sorting hat was placed on her head.
"interesting... very interesting. you come in here with certain expectations..." the sorting hat said.
"I can't wait to explore hogwarts! learn more about it and its history."
"indeed. much can be gleaned by an adventurous spirit. but your professor has a great deal to teach you as well."
after a certain time, the hat spoke again.
"hmmm. I wonder. hmm. I detect something from you. a certain sense of - hmmm- what is it... you do not give up easily, do you? you are undaunted by the challenges that lay ahead. I can sense you have a big heart and a strong head. wanting to make things right with the right people with you. it better be... HUFFLEPUFF!"
the hufflepuff table erupted in cheers and applause, y/n could see that ted was cheering the loudest of them all. mcgonagall took the hat off her head as the little girl skipped down to the hufflepuff table. many people congratulate her along the way.
she didn't notice but a certain boy in the slytherin table subtly clapped for her as well.
finally, it was Emmeline's turn to be sorted as y/n looked on in anticipation.
after some moments the sorting hat finally screamed, "HUFFLEPUFF!" as people from that house stood up and clapped for their new member.
Emmeline ran over and hugged y/n as she sat down beside her.
"bloody hell! we're both in the same house y/n! can you believe that?" Emmeline beamed.
as all the first years finished getting sorted, mcgonagall spoke once again.
at that, the Headmaster, Dumbledore, raised his glass in the air and declared, "let the feast begin!"
