> Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry > by Mathew_The_Raridash_Fan > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Eleven > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a Monday morning in April. Dark clouds hung in the sky, and rain poured down hard onto the earth. Despite the dreary weather, Twilight Sparkle was excited for today. It was her birthday, so that meant that she would be getting a new book and her Hogwarts letter. As a pure-blood witch, she knew all about Hogwarts. Her family for many generations went there. Her brother, Shining Armor, lived up to the family tradition and got sorted into Gryffindor. Twilight wasn’t sure what house she wanted. She wasn’t patient, so there was no way she was going to get into Hufflepuff. She knew that Slytherin wasn’t for her either, despite the fact that Star Swirl the Bearded, a wizard who she looked up to since she was a little kid, was one. That left Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. She wasn’t sure which house she was going to be sort into. She was just going to have to wait until September 1. She used magic before, so she knew that she wasn’t a Squib. She “borrowed” Shining Armor’s wand and almost demolished the house. Luckily, their parents were able to fix the problem quickly with their magic. They had to lecture Twilight on how she wasn’t allowed to use a wand until she got her own wand when she turned eleven. She went downstairs to the kitchen and joined her family for breakfast. Owlowiscious was perched on the stick inside his cage eating a dead mouse. Twilight ate her plate of scrambled eggs and waited eagerly for her presents. Her mother used her wand to levitate the presents, all which were wrapped up in a cloth, in front of her. She usually got 3 books, but this time, it looked like she got 11. There were also presents that weren't books. In total, she got 19 presents. It was a lot more than she usually got. She had a feeling that she knew what most of the presents were. She opened her presents and got the following items: The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1), A History of Magic, Magic Theory, A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, Magical Drafts and Potions, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection, a pewter cauldron, a set of crystal phials, a telescope, brass scales, a set of three black robes, a black, pointed hat, a pair of dragon hide gloves, a winter cloak, Hogwarts History, Advanced Organization, and The Broom Sticks. The last three items were book presents. Her parents finally gave her an envelope, which she tore open and read. Dear Ms Sparkle, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July. Yours sincerely, Princess Luna Deputy Headmistress Twilight looked over the list of books and knew she had all of them. The only thing she needed to get was a wand, which her parents couldn’t buy for her. The wand chose the witch, not the other way around. Her parents promised her that they would go to Diagon Alley to get her wand when she turned eleven. Now that she was eleven, she begged her parents to take her there. Her parents took her to the fireplace and got the floo powder. Her father stood in the fireplace, which was big enough to hold a grown man, and grabbed some of the floo powder. He didn’t use the floo network yet. First, he explained, “Twilight, it is very important that you pronounce your destination correct. Watch what I do.” He threw the floo powder down and stated, “Diagon Alley!” A green flame engulfed him, and he was gone. Twilight’s mother told her to try it, and she did. She got into the fireplace, grabbed the floo powder, threw it down, then said, “Diagon Alley!” As soon as she said her destination, she felt herself being pulled through something. She felt like she was about to puke, but it was over just as soon as it started. She saw light again, and her father stood there waiting for her. She followed him as he led her to the Wand Shop where Davenport had her try out new wands. Twilight tried out several wands, most of which didn’t work for her. She went through wand after wand. Davenport explained how it was common for that to happen. Twilight felt bad for damaging the shop. After trying out twenty wands, she finally found the wand for her. It was a chestnut wand, dragon core, 10 ¼ inches, and rigid. Her father gave Davenport seven galleons, and Twilight got her wand. > The Sorting Ceremony > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight Sparkle stood inside the Commons of Hogwarts. She spent the entire train ride reading and didn’t talk to anyone. It was a nice day, so the boats weren’t a problem. The ceiling displayed a clear, blue sky. Four tables were lined up parallel to each other, and a fifth table was in the front of the Commons. Twilight, along with other first year witches and wizards, stood in line, waiting to get sorted. Headmistress Celestia gave her usual speech. “Welcome, new students, and welcome back, returning students, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Like every year on the first day, the first year students will be sorted into one of four houses. Gryffindor, for the brave and bold, Hufflepuff, for the patient and loyal, Ravenclaw, for the intelligent and witty, and Slytherin, for the ambitious and cunning! When you are sorted into your house, please go to your table and take a seat. Let the sorting ceremony commence!” One by one, the first year students wore the hat. They were sorted into different houses. Twilight was still uncertain of which house she would get sorted into. Out of nowhere, someone told her, “These sorting things aren’t always easy to figure out. I’m bold, but I’m also very loyal and ambitious.” She turned around and found a girl with an athletic build and hair with all the colors of the rainbow. The girl introduced herself, “I’m Rainbow Dash.” “Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight stated. She didn’t seem to show any interest in her. She observed that Rainbow never said anything about Ravenclaw. “So you’re not a Ravenclaw?” Rainbow shook her head, “No! Ravenclaw is full of eggheads!” Luna called Rainbow’s name, and Rainbow said, “See you around!” Before sitting on the stool. Twilight watched as Rainbow Dash was sorted into Gryffindor. Rainbow ran to the table and sat down. Twilight was amazed at her speed. Later, Applejack sat on the stool. She didn’t seem to have any magic, but she got her letter, so it was clear that she was a witch. “I wonder if she’s muggle born,” Twilight wondered aloud. “She is actually a pureblood witch, dear,” an elegant girl beside her said. She had slightly curled purple hair, light skin, and blue eyeshadow. She extended her hand to Twilight and said, “My name is Rarity. I am pleased to meet you.” Twilight took it and slightly shook it and said her own name like she did with Rainbow Dash. Rarity explained, “The Apple Family has been Hufflepuff for many generations, and knowing Applejack, she would be a Hufflepuff. She is loyal, patient, hard working, and she loves to cook. She is brave, but she is not foolish, so Gryffindor would work for her.” “I’m going to guess you’re a Slytherin,” Twilight commented. Rarity answered, “I honestly don’t know what house I will be in. Slytherin fits me nicely, but I shall wait. If your assumption is based on the comment I made about Gryffindor, I do not hate that house. Every house has its flaws.” Applejack, as Rarity predicted, was sorted into Hufflepuff. A girl with curly pink hair jumped in between Rarity and Twilight. “Hey, Rarity! Hey, someone I don’t know!” She greeted. “Pinkie, this is Twilight Sparkle. I just met her. Twilight, this is Pinkie Pie. We have been friends for many years. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and I are best friends,” Rarity explained. “How could you be great friends when you’re all in different houses?” Twilight asked. Pinkie giggled and replied, “We don’t spend the entire day in our common rooms!” Pinkie looked up and saw a shy girl with straight, light pink hair, sit nervously on the stool. “Fluttershy’s being sorted!” They waited, and the hat shouted, “Gryffindor!” Which surprised everyone, even Twilight. I don’t know her, but she doesn’t seem the brave and bold type,” Twilight commented. “She could be rather bold, but she is usually not like that,” Rarity told Twilight. “Tell me about it!” Pinkie exclaimed. “One time, Fluttershy became a bully, and Rarity and I tried to stop her! We made her into a bully in the first place.” Rarity added, “We did not intend for that to happen. We wanted her to stand up for herself, not become cruel.” Pinkie’s name was called, and she skipped up to the stool. She had a wide grin on her face as she put the hat on. The hat, without any hesitation, shouted, “Hufflepuff!” and Pinkie skipped to the Hufflepuff table. “That didn’t take long,” Twilight commented. “Pinkie is definitely a Hufflepuff,” Rarity responded. “Sure, she laughs at the face of danger, but she is by far more Hufflepuff.” “My family has been Gryffindor for many years. I came from a long line of Gryffindor,” Twilight stated. “I just don’t know if Gryffindor is for me. Maybe I would be better in Ravenclaw since I very intelligent and love reading.” Rarity told her, “I don’t really think the hat sorts you into the house your family was sorted into unless none of the houses work.” Twilight slightly smiled. “You’re right, Rarity. If I’m in Ravenclaw, my family will just have to understand.” My mother came from a long line of Hufflepuffs, and my father came from a long line of Gryffindors. One, or perhaps both of them, will have to risk breaking tradition. When I turned eleven, my parents argued about whether I was going to be a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor. In the end, they figured that I would either be a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin.” Twilight giggled, “So chances are that you’re going to break family tradition?” Rarity nodded. “There is a high chance that I will be sorted into Slytherin, and a good chance that the hat will sort me into Ravenclaw instead.” Luna called Rarity up there, and Rarity sat on the stool. She had a straight posture, and she looked as if she thought of the stool as her throne. The hat sorted her into Slytherin, and she walked over to the Slytherin table. Finally, Twilight was called up, and she sat and waited for the hat to sort her. “I see that you came from a long line of Gryffindor,” The hat started. “But I don’t know if you would be a good Gryffindor. With the intelligence, wit, and love of books, I think you would do better in Ravenclaw. I see courage in you, but you belong in RAVENCLAW!” Twilight walked over to the Ravenclaw table. She noticed that none of the girls she talked to were sorted into Ravenclaw. She looked over at Rarity, who was separated from her friends. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were both Gryffindor, and Pinkie Pie and Applejack were both Hufflepuff. Twilight wasn’t the social type, but Rarity seemed to enjoy the company of her friends. She felt bad for her. Rarity didn’t seem to be lonely. She talked to fellow Slytherins. Twilight wanted to talk to her and the other girls more. > Heads of the Houses > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, Twilight sat in the Great Hall eating breakfast. the ceiling displayed the scene of a sunrise. The air was slightly cool, but it left no discomfort. The pancakes had an assortment of flavors, but Twilight found herself favoring the banana. “These are good!” Pinkie exclaimed, from beside her. Twilight almost fell out of her seat. “Pinkie, you’re at the wrong table!” Twilight told her. Pinkie giggled, “Of course I’m at the wrong table, but you were lonely, and I wanted to keep you company!” Twilight rolled her eyes, “I’m fine, Pinkie. I wasn’t lonely.” Pinkie Pie said, “Oki Doki Loki!” and went back to the Hufflepuff table. Twilight sighed and started thinking about the sorting yesterday. Those girls were being friendly. She didn’t want anyone to talk to her, but she didn’t want to tell them to go away, either. She never talked to Fluttershy, but she knew that she was going to have to. “Professor Discord, I do not believe that you can change a student’s house,” Twilight overheard Rarity say. It seemed like the middle of a conversation, but Twilight listened in, anyways.” Professor Discord sighed, “It’s a shame. Fluttershy would have made a great Slytherin.” Rarity chuckled and replied, “I disagree with you on that. The only Slytherin quality she has is manipulation, and she never intends on manipulating. She lacks ambition, she’s not resourceful, and she’s not cunning.” “I just wanted to spend some time with her,” Professor Discord admitted. “She seems like a great witch. I have one of her best friends in my house, so that’s something!” He piped. “Fluttershy does have Transfiguration,” Rarity explained. Professor Discord responded, “True. Very true.” He left, and Twilight returned to eating. Twilight didn’t trust Professor Discord. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was a Slytherin or if it was because of his name. Slytherins still had a bad reputation. Twilight had no problem with the Slytherin house, but part of her didn’t trust them. She looked over at Applejack and saw her talking to Professor Smith, the head of the Hufflepuff house. It was no surprise that they got along well. Applejack was Professor Smith’s granddaughter. It wasn’t too hard to figure out their relation, especially for a Ravenclaw. “How was your first day!” Professor Smith asked her. “It was great. I followed the family tradition and got sorted into Hufflepuff!” Applejack replied. Professor Smith chuckled, “That ain’t nothing I can’t see with my own eyes.” “Oh, yeah,” Applejack responded. She looked down at her yellow tie and Hufflepuff robes. “You’ll enjoy Hogwarts,” Professor Smith promised before leaving. Finally, Twilight looked over at the Gryffindor table and saw Professor Will talking to Fluttershy. Fluttershy seemed to be nervous, but it seemed like Professor Will was trying to give her a confidence boost. Twilight couldn’t tell what was being said because it was on the other side of the hall. “It is unwise to eavesdrop on conversations,” Professor Luna commented. Twilight was taken by surprise. “Professor Luna! How did you…” “As a fellow Ravenclaw, I, too, am curious,” Professor Luna interrupted. “If you wish to see how your friends are, my suggestion is to ask them.” “They’re not my friends. They’re just people I talked to yesterday,” Twilight admitted. Professor Luna gave Twilight a look of disbelief. “Are you admitting that you are eavesdropping on people you do not care about?” Twilight’s color faded from her face. “No! I was… uh…” She tried to come up with an excuse. “I was just wanting to know how different houses were. I could study Ravenclaw easily. That doesn’t mean that I should be ignorant of the other houses.” “Spoken like a true Ravenclaw,” Professor Luna responded, walking away. Twilight knew that Professor luna knew she was lying. Ravenclaws were known for their ability to make stories. Ravenclaws weren’t exactly dishonest people, but they were great at lying. Twilight was no exception to that rule. > Ravenclaw > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight sat on her bed with her eyes glued to a book. Her roommate, Moondancer, was doing the same thing, so the room was quiet. The only sounds were that of pages turning and occasional footsteps as other students walked to their room. The candles which provided the light for both of them to read were charmed to burn brighter and longer. There weren't any classes today, so Twilight had as much time as she wanted to read. The common room had a library full of books, so she had plenty of things to read. She wanted to read every book in the Ravenclaw library and perhaps every book she could get in the Hogwarts library. The books were generally big, but that made Twilight love them more. The more she read a book, the less she wanted to put them down. Unfortunately, books have to end. Twilight sighed as she closed her book. She read every book she got for her birthday, so she had to go to the common room to get another book. She quietly her room so she wouldn't disturb Moondancer and walked to the common room. Her thoughts were to get a book and leave, but all that changed when she saw someone who shouldn't have been in there. "Pinkie! What are you... how did you get in here?" Twilight asked, confused. Pinkie commented, "You really should have better riddles! That was easy! You heard me before, Yet you hear me again, Then I die, 'Till you call me again. What am I? It's an echo, of course!" Twilight's jaw dropped in amazement. "How did you know that? I thought only Ravenclaws new how to solve riddles!" "I am really good at riddles, but I fit more into Hufflepuff because I'm hard working, dedicated, fair, loyal, tolerant, and other Hufflepuffy things'" Pinkie explained. "Yeah, I'm smart enough to solve these riddles, but I'm not a Ravenclaw. Rainbow isn't a Hufflepuff despite her being loyal, and Fluttershy isn't one despite her being kind. Rarity is also smart, but she's not a Ravenclaw. Applejack is brave, but she's not a Gryffindor." "Rarity being smart makes sense, though," Twilight responded. "Slytherins are intelligent. But she never went into the Ravenclaw common room." "Are you sure?" Pinkie asked. "Slytherins are very sneaky." Twilight look around the common room. It appeared to be empty except for her and Pinkie Pie, but she couldn't be certain. If Slytherins were as sneaky as Pinkie said they were, Rarity could have been hiding there the entire time. "She's not in here right now! I saw her walking towards the Slytherin dungeon when I came here," Pinkie said, making Twilight sigh in relief. Then she added, "Or maybe that wasn't Rarity. Maybe that was someone else pretending to be her with Polyjuice potion!" Twilight's nerves acted up again. "Note to self, never think you're alone," Twilight said, quietly to herself. Pinkie giggled and rolled her eyes, "Why would any Slytherin want to go to the Ravenclaw common room? Did you or any Ravenclaw hurt a Slytherin?" Twilight shook her head, "No. Not that I know of. Ravenclaws and Slytherins get along. I definitely never harmed anyone." "Then there's nothing to worry about," Pinkie assured her. "Slytherins wouldn't do terrible things, especially to a Ravenclaw, without a reason. You two are like best friends of houses. I think only the Gryffindors have to worry, and Rarity wouldn't do something against Gryffindor! Two of her best friends are in there. I'm pretty sure the Rarity I saw going to the Slytherin common room was the real Rarity. No one messes with a Slytherin, especially one who has friends in every house. Every house would be against that person. Rarity could get the entire school to hate you and make your years at Hogwarts terrible if you mess with a fellow Slytherin or one of her friends." "I would never mess with anyone!" Twilight said, defensively. "True," Pinkie commented, "But I'm saying that Slytherins are not likely to spy on you. They have better things to do." "I'm guessing the Hufflepuffs don't," Twilight said, eyeing Pinkie. Pinkie giggled and explained, "I just wanted to see how my best friends are doing. Luckily, you were the only one who wasn't out and about, so I didn't have to guess the passwords for the Gryffindor tower or Slytherin dungeon or anything." "So you just sat here waiting for me?" Twilight asked, finally letting h down." Pinkie grinned and nodded, "Yes indeedy! There's going to be a party in the Great Hall, planned by yours truly, on Saturday at 07:00." "I don't know," Twilight said, rubbing her arm. "There will be food, drinks, dances, and fun!" Pinkie explained. She danced slightly when she said "dances". "I'll think about it," Twilight told her. She figured that a party was fun, and she had plenty of time for reading. Pinkie jumped up in excitement and exclaimed, "Thank you!" Twilight put up a sound barrier quickly so no one else heard it. Pinkie left the common room, and Twilight whispered, "Wingardium Leviosa" to get a book from the bookshelf. She decided to stay in the common room instead of going back to her dorm. No one else was there, so she had plenty of peace and quiet. She sat down and began reading.