Limestone winced as she massaged her right wrist whilst getting ready for the traditional Start-of-Term feast. Thankfully, she had passed everything Professor McGonagall had thrown at her and even surprised the deputy headmistress with her maths knowledge. It wasn’t like she wasn’t any good at maths, she just found it difficult was all due to the levels of concentration it required. Her reading ability meanwhile had been described as “adequate and satisfactory for now” but overall, it was her writing that had been the sticking point. She had thus spent much of the past two days making her handwriting legible, finding the task extremely difficult with her newly acquired appendages. To be brutally honest, even when using her mouth back in Equestria her writing had been abysmal, why in the few cases she had been required to write a letter she had always persuaded one of her sisters to do it for her. As such, by lunchtime today when old Mrs Miser had finally declared her writing was “just about legible” her wrist was cramping so bad that Madam Pomfrey had had to apply some ointment to it to ease the pain and for several hours it seemed to work until she had gone for a shower and now it was full on aching again.
“Wrist still giving you problems? Would you like me to go find Madam Pomfrey in the hall?” Professor McGonagall said with just a hint of sympathy Limestone thought.
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine,” Limestone responded testily.
“Suit yourself. Are you ready then? Trunk packed and ready for the elves to transport it?”
“Yes, Professor McGonagall. Even brushed Teeth’s fur and teeth,” Limestone stated with just a hint of pride etched in her voice at her accomplishment.
Sat a little way away looking somewhat bored Teeth chose that moment to show off his perfectly glistening white teeth as Professor McGonagall glanced his way. He had now learnt that the cat lady was a worthy opponent that required stealth, cunning and skill to conquer, not just brute strength.
“Yes, they look wonderful. I guess he will be coming with you?” Professor McGonagall said looking less than pleased with the idea.
“Well, unless you would prefer him apparating into the middle of the ceremony and causing a huge scene,” Limestone responded.
Professor McGonagall looked somehow even less happy with that possibility. “Fine, just keep the brute under control. One hair out of line and I will have him banished from the castle and the sooner the better I say, especially as I swear I found my own personal chambers smelling of dog urine last night.”
“His name is Teeth, not brute nor mutt nor thing or anything else, it is Teeth,” Limestone growled. “And he was with me all evening, so stop imagining things. Now, are we ready to go?”
“Follow me,” and without another word Professor McGonagall turned and headed for the exit.
Limestone whistled and Teeth immediately came trotting to her side as they followed Professor McGonagall in silence for nearly ten minutes as they crossed the castle until she was pushed into a small, dimly lit, empty chamber.
“I shall be back shortly,” Professor McGonagall said sharply before slamming the door behind her and departing.
Limestone looked around her surroundings, there was nothing of note aside the torches lighting the room, so she decided her only real option was to find a quiet corner to sit down in and wait whilst giving Teeth’s head a good scratch.
“My, my, what do we have here, isn’t she a peculiar one,” a hollow sounding voice suddenly echoed throughout the chamber.
Limestone looked up from staring at the floor to see a gaggle of ghosts staring back at her.
“Sorry, I’m not that bored,” she said flatly looking up to the ceiling.
“Rude to, probably destined for Slytherin,” the initial ghost responded.
“I should certainly think not!” one of the other ghosts objected.
“The feelings mutual. Professor Snape has already threatened to expel me if I end up in his house,” Limestone countered, grudgingly ending up involved in the discussion.
“I should think so to,” the second ghost exclaimed.
Limestone ignored him. “Whilst Professor McGonagall has threatened to banish my puppy from the castle if I end up in her house.”
“Oh, you poor thing!” A female ghost this time. “He seems like an extremely well-behaved Hellhound for such a young age.”
Limestone turned her attention onto the female ghost. “I know right! Just because she’s an old cranky, crazy cat lady and he might have peed on her a touch when they first met, it’s just not fair. And I know I won’t get into Ravenclaw either, I’m not that level of smart. Heck, my writing is barely legible, emphasis on the barely.”
“A true shame,” the female ghost said sympathetically. “But there is still Hufflepuff, the house of patience, loyalty and dedication.”
“Humph, don’t think you can dump the rude little street urchin into my house,” the first ghost interjected.
“I wasn’t trying to; I was just saying…” the female ghost countered.
“Well don’t and what’s so funny?” the first ghost exclaimed, scowling at Limestone.
It was only now that Limestone acknowledged the four ghosts in front of her. The nearest to her was a squat chubby fellow, then there were two more males, one with his head practically hanging of and another wrapped in chains and covered in something Limestone hoped was not blood. The final ghost, the sole female one, resembled a beautiful young lady who sported a single dark patch on her chest that Limestone was certain was not just blood but the lady’s own blood. Limestone felt it best not to ask about it.
“It’s just that I’m sure if you looked up patience in the Equestrian dictionary back home you would find the definition dealing with Pinkie Pie on a daily basis. Ah fuck it, now you stupid ghosts have brought a tear to my eye. Why do I miss that energetic furball so much? She was the most annoying, reckless, foolhardy, crazy sister anypony could ever have asked for and I wished almost every day she would just disappear and now that I will probably never see her again, I bucking miss her loads,” Limestone ranted, not really directing the last of her words at any of the ghosts in particular.
The scowl on the chubby fellow’s face softened. “Because she’s family and no matter how much they drive us mad, family stick together. Just look at us four, a monk, a nearly headless nobleman and a lady and her murderer. Even Peeves, who drives us all mad from time to time we still all love and respect him dearly. Would you mind telling me though why you won’t be seeing your sister again? Did something happen to her?”
“It’s a long story that I’d rather not get into but she didn’t listen to our parents and I then had to save her from a landslide and ended up in an entirely different world because of it,” Limestone griped. “Heck, that’s why I’m probably so freaking nervous right now, because if I don’t get into Hufflepuff I’ve frankly nowhere else to go! Even if Teeth is great company. Erm, why are you two staring at me like that, it’s kind of unnerving.”
The chubby ghost shook his head and managed to regain his composure. “That is because my dear, the most loyal and dedicated thing one can do is to sacrifice oneself for one they hold dearly to thy heart. The hat will have no problem in sorting you into Hufflepuff.”
“You really mean that?” Limestone replied, wiping away the tears from her eyes.
The chubby ghost never got the opportunity to reply as just then the sound of footsteps and voices could be heard in several directions and a moment later the door to the small chamber opened, with Professor McGonagall stepping in with the rest of the first years.
“Here, what are you ghosts doing here?” Professor McGonagall said disapprovingly. “Causing havoc, no doubt. Well, off with you now. I need to prepare our new students for the upcoming ceremony without you distracting them,” she finished, shooing the ghosts away.
Limestone took the opportunity to shuffle away into a dark corner with Teeth so as not to draw attention to herself, for now at least. As they floated away through the wall, the chubby and female ghosts waved goodbye to her and she did likewise to be polite just as Professor McGonagall began to address the crowd of nervous newbies.
“Welcome to Hogwarts. Before you may take your seats in the Great Hall and enjoy the start-of-term-banquet you will need to be sorted into one of four prestigious houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. These have produced some of the finest witches and wizards in the world although it is not just because off this that this ceremony is of such importance. Whilst you are here your house will be like your family. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. Each house is attempting to win the House Cup by collecting the most points from their triumphs throughout the year, a truly great honour. Beware though that rule-breaking will not be tolerated and will lose your house points. Due to this being an exceptional year I will reiterate that once more, rule-breaking will not be tolerated and will lose your house points. Furthermore, despite this being one of the lowest intakes of students in the history of Hogwarts, due to these exceptional circumstances we will be taking a strict zero-tolerance policy on any bullying and anyone found guilty of such an act could very well face immediate expulsion. This is your sole warning. Finally, to add to the peculiarities of this year, we have also been blessed with an anthropomorphic pony girl from another dimension. I would strongly advise not angering her as a rogue Irish Hellhound puppy has taken a liking to her and I would hate for one you to end up as his chew toy as it would involve an extremely large amount of paperwork for me.”
The few murmurs that had started to circulate abruptly ceased.
Shit, Limestone thought. So much for keeping a low profile.
“Ya what. Have you bashed yer head mam,” a boy with a thick accent eventually asked what was on the minds of the entire crowd.
Limestone sighed and stepped out of the shadows with Teeth at her side. “No, she hasn’t.”
The response was mixed.
Half the girls squealed at how cute she was, the other half screamed in terror upon seeing Teeth.
Most the boys just stared wide eyed in disbelief at what they were seeing but a few were intrigued and thought the giant puppy was “awesome,” “cool,” and “wicked”.
Oh, and there was one tanned girl with a cerise mohawk, her face covered in scars and one eye unfocused and clouded, that weirdly did not say a single word and instead just gave Limestone a look that sent shivers down her spine.
“Order, order. As long as you don’t provoke the puppy directly or by harming its mistress, you will be absolutely fine,” Professor McGonagall reassured the crowd.
“That’s a puppy!” one boy with ginger hair exclaimed.
“Yeah, my family keeps an eye on one of the Hellhound colonies back in Ireland. Some of the adults are nearly ten feet tall and they went freaking crazy recently when one of their pups disappeared or more accurately was dognapped. Fecking animal traffickers. Well, at least we know where it ended up,” the first boy with the strong accent explained to one side of him.
The ginger haired boy’s eyes widened. “Did you say ten feet?” he replied, the fear in his voice clear for everyone to hear.
“Yeah, although that’s rare, more like eight feet maybe nine at a push.”
The ginger haired boy simply stared at him looking like he was about to pass out in fright as two other girls on the edge of the throng of students entered the conversation. Both had their hair cut short, one brown, one black, and both looked unkempt and scraggly looking, especially for such a special, once in a lifetime occasion.
“Cool, can we fight him?”
Most the room, including Limestone, stared at the two girls as if they were mad.
Professor McGonagall closed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh. Twenty-eight students that would feel like dealing with fifty-six. This was going to be a long seven years. “No, you two may certainly not fight with the puppy. I do not need the three of you crashing through the wall into the Great Hall and scaring the rest of the student population half to death before you have even started your schooling here. Do I make myself clear?”
The two girls sulked and grumbled in unison, “Yes Professor McGonagall.”
“Excellent. Now, if there are no further interruptions or questions, good luck to every one of you in whichever house you are sorted into. You have a few minutes, so I suggest you tidy yourselves up before the ceremony begins, you two especially.” Professor McGonagall pointed at the two girls who had just spoken before finishing of her speech. I will be back shortly to bring you in,” Professor McGonagall finished, departing the chamber.
Limestone retreated to her dark corner with Teeth, thankful that most her peers had opted to wisely avoid her for now. It had also helped that someone else had almost immediately taken the spotlight away from her once Professor McGonagall had left. Some boy called Harry Potter. Unfortunately, the two scruffy girls were not to be disheartened or put off by Professor McGonagall’s words.
“I’m Susan,” the brown-haired one said.
“And I’m Leanne,” the black-haired one said.
Teeth growled in response.
“You are agitating my puppy and you heard what old Mrs Miser said. She has already threatened to banish Teeth to the stables if I end up in Gryffindor, so scram,” Limestone said harshly through gritted teeth.
The two girls snickered.
“That’s a great nickname for her and yeah, she threatened to do the same to us if we chased any of the cats in the castle when she visited our families during the summer,” Leanne informed Limestone.
“Yeah, don’t pay attention to her. She is tremendously discriminatory towards canines,” Susan added.
“What?” Limestone replied lifting her right eyebrow in curiosity only for the door to reopen and Professor McGonagall to return.
“We are ready for you now, come along please.”
And with that they were all shepherded into a sort of line and then ushered from the waiting chamber back into the hallway and from there into a cavernous hall. Limestone barely even took in her surroundings due to the odd looks and murmurings she was getting from the seated students of the older years on the four tables that were laid out, one for each house.
“My word, would you look at her, what a freak.”
“What is that? We definitely haven’t covered that in Care of Magical Creatures.”
“I know they were a little short on numbers this year due to the incident but this is ridiculous.”
“Are they really just letting anything into Hogwarts now?”
“Is that a horse?”
“I wonder if that girl’s a little horse?”
And so on and so forth.
Limestone opted to just zone out and ignore them all until she reached the front of the hall with the rest of her year mates. It was here that a fifth table had been set up on a stage parallel to the others where all the staff now sat awaiting the ceremony. Limestone and her peers found themselves waiting just in front of this stage, where a moth ridden hat sat on a pedestal was the focus of everyone’s attention.
And then to all the first years aside Limestone’s surprise, the hat began to sing. The fact the hat didn’t make her even flinch told her instantly that she had spent way too long in the company of her sister and her peculiarities. It actually had a pretty decent voice, for a hat, she thought and she listened intently to its informative and quirky little tune until it finally came to its inevitable conclusion and a huge round of applause reverberated around the hall. Once that finally subsided, Professor McGonagall stepped forward and unfurled a scroll in her right hand before addressing the first years once more.
“We shall be going in surname alphabetical order starting with Bones, Susan. Don’t feel shy, just go up, take a seat on the stool and put on the hat. It will determine which house you belong in after a short period.”
Susan wasn’t fazed in the slightest and bounded up to the stool without any inkling of fear. What amazed Limestone was that every student on three out of four of the tables had stood up and given the strange girl a standing ovation. There was obviously something she was missing.
“Hufflepuff!” the hat cried to huge cheers from one of the tables as the other two continued to politely clap as Susan made her way to the table of her new house.
As the silence once more overcame the hall, Professor McGonagall said the second name on her list, “Boot, Terrance” another standing ovation erupted around the hall.
This was all very strange Limestone thought. Were they going to do this for every new student? And why wasn’t one of the houses participating?
“Ravenclaw!” the hat cried this time to huge cheers from the Ravenclaw table as the other two politely clapped Terrance of stage.
As the hall fell silent once again, Professor McGonagall read of the third name from her list. “Brown, Lavender,” and this time the biggest standing ovation of the lot broke out as a rather nervous looking girl made her way onto the stage and put the sorting hat on. Still the fourth table refused to participate.
“Quiet please,” Professor McGonagall had to insist as the din went on. “Let the hat think please.”
Slowly and reluctantly the hall quietened to the level of whispers and murmurs between individual groups of friends until the hat bellowed, “Gryffindor!” and a cacophony of noise exploded from the Gryffindor table even if Professor McGonagall looked less than pleased. Limestone was also pretty sure she saw the girl apologise to the professor as she went past her. This was getting stranger by the minute.
It took several minutes for the hall to finally settle after this latest placement and allow Professor McGonagall to ask for the next name to come up to the stage.
“Bulstrode, Millicent.”
Utter silence gripped the hall. This really freaked Limestone out and Millicent did not seem at all happy with her reception but ignored it and continued up to the stage.
A minute later the hat roared “Slytherin!”
The one table that had so far remained silent roared with delight as they welcomed their first new housemate. The level of tension in the air was growing by the minute.
Michel Corner was up next and the applause returned once more before he was sorted into Ravenclaw. It disappeared in an instant when Vincent Crabbe’s name was read out and Limestone was not in the slightest bit surprised when the squat boy was sorted into Slytherin. And then came Tracey Davies. Limestone honestly thought a brawl might break out as boos reverberated around the hall alongside calls of “Judas,” “Traitor,” “Snake,” and many more unsavoury terms.
“Order, order. If you do not stop this harassment, I shall be forced to…” McGonagall tried only for an older Ravenclaw to interrupt her from the back of the hall.
“What? Punish us for making a stand. This should be one of the proudest days of my life seeing my younger brother sorted into his Hogwarts House and instead I’m forced to watch the sons and daughters of the ones who murdered innocent children like him. I can just about ignore them,” he pointed a finger initially towards the Slytherin table and then slowly manoeuvred it in Tracey’s direction, “But her, her I cannot forgive for what her family has done.” The boy proceeded to spit on the floor before turning and heading for the exit. “I’d rather go hungry than eat in her presence.”
And with that concluding statement the doors to the hall slammed shut behind him. And then one by one others stood up and followed the boy’s lead. Limestone looked up to the stage at the elderly headmaster who looked concerned but did nothing to stop them until eventually the door slammed behind the final one and that all to uneasy silence once more fell upon the hall.
“Would anyone else prefer to eat in their dormitory?” Headmaster Dumbledore eventually asked rising from his seat. “We legally cannot allow you, our students, to go hungry, so food will be sent to the dorms for those that have sadly decided to leave us. Might I just remind any others who do opt to leave us that here at Hogwarts we are all about unity and inclusivity, attempting to mend the broken bridges of the past to unify Britain’s broken magical community for a brighter future. As, if we do not attempt to learn from the mistakes of our past and reunite our wizarding community, these same mistakes will only happen again in the future and I think we all know what that will lead to.”
A few others who had begun to shuffle in their seats remained seated. After several minutes without anyone else moving, Headmaster Dumbledore signalled to Professor McGonagall to continue and sat back down.
It was to no surprise when a shellshocked Tracey was placed in Slytherin to a muted celebration and, with Dumbledore having quelled the unrest for now, the next ten students were all sorted without any further interruptions. Three each went to the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables while two boys went to Hufflepuff and a girl and a boy to Slytherin, the latter two unsurprisingly to a few whispers from amongst the other tables.
That left just eleven more students left to sort and Limestone started to feel just a little twitch of nervousness as the Ms began, knowing it would not be long now until she was called forth to take her turn with the hat.
“Malfoy, Draco,” Professor McGonagall instructed to a round of grumbling and discontent from the Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables.
Thankfully, with the staunchest rebels back in their common rooms, and Headmaster Dumbledore’s words still fresh in the remaining students’ minds, no one opted to disrupt the ceremony further with a proper objection, much to Limestone’s relief. The tension in the air was still incredibly thick and, looking over, she felt the Slytherin house especially were just waiting for one of the other tables to say something so they could start an argument.
Once the boy was, to no real surprise, deposited into Slytherin practically before the hat had even touched his head, it was that other weird girl Leanne’s turn. Limestone was less than pleased when she was placed alongside her friend in Hufflepuff. Now she was facing the prospect of expulsion, sleeping in a stable, being totally out of her depth, or having to make peace and get along with a couple of weirdos.
“Please, just let there be another girl I can spend all my time with,” Limestone muttered under her breath as Theodore Nott was called to the stage.
Again, another quick decision from the hat as Theodore was despatched into Slytherin. And then McGonagall was into the Ps. Now Limestone found her heart was racing and her hands were clammy. Thankfully, she was at least not up first, that honour fell to Pansy Parkinson. When she rapidly joined Theodore in Slytherin though, Limestone knew, with only a further six other children around her, her time was almost certainly up.
“Pie, Limestone,”
And there it was. Taking a deep breath, she edged her way onto the stage, blocking out the whispering and murmuring that, to no great surprise, was going on behind her. The glowers from both Professors McGonagall and Snape were harder to ignore and put her even further on edge as she reached out and picked up the…”
“HUFFLEPUFF,” the hat bellowed.
Wait, what? She had barely even touched it, let alone got it anywhere near her head and already it had told her where to go.
“YES, WE GOT THE HELLHOUND! SWEET!” Susan roared from the Hufflepuff table receiving Professor McGonagall’s stern glower in return along with a punch to the arm from Leanne as well. “Ow, that hurt. Okay, okay no need to give me that look. Woo, we got the pony girl, yay,” she cried a lot less enthusiastically.
“Well, that was unusual, but nothing more so than the past couple of days. Move along now my dear,” McGonagall instructed flatly.
Limestone, still in a sort of daze, headed off to the Hufflepuff table with a whistle to Teeth to join her. Grudgingly, Limestone forced herself into the gap Susan had made for her on the long bench she was sat on, with Leanne on her other side.
It was as she sat down that she heard a voice from the Slytherin table behind her.
“About right, another freak for the zoo.”
Limestone ignored them, although Susan turned and looked like she was about to strike a retort back only to be silenced as the next name was called.
“Potter, Harry,”
The round of applause was back and this time somehow even louder even with less people as cheers and table drumming accompanied the clapping before the three tables began chanting “The boy who lived,” over and over in unison. Limestone really needed some context.
“Quiet please,” McGonagall requested as Harry took his seat and placed the hat upon his head. The biggest cheer of the night erupted when the hat exclaimed “GRYFFINDOR!”
It took a while for the commotion to die down but just when Limestone thought things could not get any more bizarre, the next name was called out.
“Prewett, Scoti.”
Limestone found herself dragged to her feet as the clapping began once again but this time much more reserved and civil. She even noticed a few of the teachers standing up and applauding the girl, who was the same one with cerise hair she had seen earlier. The girl seemed totally unfazed by all the attention and simply repeated what all those before her had done by picking up the hat and placing it upon her head.
The clapping immediately ceased.
“The girl who survived the Cruciatus Curse thirty-six times. I have waited a long time to meet you. Now, where to place you? Hmm, yes, I know the house of Snakes is a no but of the other three, what would best suit thee? Your courage and bravery know no bounds, that I can be sure of. And your promise as a seer would make you an idol fit in the house of the eagle. Even so, I feel that for you, the silent recluse, what you need most is a new family to call your own and what better place to find it than in the house of the badger with pony and wolf, where new friends and fun times await. Yes, HUFFLEPUFF!” the hat eventually concluded to a massive round of applause.
The girl meanwhile just shrugged her shoulders and headed to the Hufflepuff table.
Limestone closed her eyes and slumped back onto the bench. She really should have specified what type of girl she wanted to spend her time with. Now she was stuck with two weirdos and likely a mentally unstable recluse for the next seven years of her life. If she ever, somehow, got back home, she would pulverise her sister for the chaos she was putting her through. And then that snarky snake just had to go and open his fat mouth again behind her.
“Wow, now the collection is truly complete. Hufflepuff truly is the retards house,” he chorused to a round of laughter from his peers
Limestone opted to ignore the jibe, the two girls either side of her on the other hoof, did not.
“Oh, so you think we’re a joke, do you?” Leanne replied coldly.
Limestone looked to her left and had to blink twice. The girl was suddenly covered in fur and her now bulging muscles were attempting to burst through her clothes.
“Erm, Susan, what’s…” Limestone stopped in her tracks upon seeing the girl on her other side going through a similar transformation except rather than black fur, hers was a creamy brown.
Teeth let out a low growl from the floor but the two girls ignored him as they walked past and instead approached the boy Draco on Slytherin’s table who suddenly looked like he was about to piss himself in fear.
“Let us give you a little tip snake face,” Leanne said ominously appearing on one side of the boy.
“Never,” Susan began from the other side.
“Ever,” Leanne added the next word.
“Fuck,”
“With,”
“LYCANS,” both girls finished simultaneously slamming their hairy fists down upon the hefty wooden table and turning it into a pile of firewood.
Limestone stared in amazement as the girls came back, Susan giving Scoti a high five as she sat down.
“What, no high five for me?” Leanne quipped, looking a little saddened.
“What the buck are lycans?” Limestone blurted in response.
Leanne didn’t have the opportunity to reply as a mighty cheer erupted around the room for the two girl’s actions.
“Order, order,” Dumbledore commanded once more trying to regain control. Eventually the cheering ceased. “Thank you, girls, for a demonstration of your strength, although next time please try not to take it out on the furnishings or other students. Now, I do believe we have four more students who have been waiting patiently to be sorted.”