Bloodline chapter 6

Chapter 6 -

"Alright," Harry said as the train slowly grounded to a halt. "You guys go out first, then the rest of the train will start going off," He told Daniel and Iris. "Go and follow everyone to the boats, we'll meet you at the castle."

"They'll be fine, Harry," Tonks told him before turning to the two siblings. "Just follow the giant man," She told them as if that explained everything.

"Alright," Daniel nodded before looking at their trunks that were still placed in the overhead.

"Your stuff will be brought to your dorms," Daphne said patiently.

"See you soon, Harry," Iris said, giving Harry a quick hug before she and her brother stood up and headed out of the compartment. "This is it," She said to Dan as the two hopped off the train and found themselves surrounded by a swarm of black robes. Standing all around them were other kids about their age, also dressed in their Hogwarts uniform.

"First years, over here," A voice boomed.

"Huh," A surprised look appeared on Daniel's face. "I guess I found the giant," He said, looking ahead and seeing an absolutely enormous man with bushy hair and an equally bushy beard waiting for them. He wore an equally large brown coat and was holding up a lantern the size of his head. The man was towering over everyone else and looked as if he'd be able to juggle a few of the kids here with ease.

"First years, over here," The man called once more. It didn't take long before he was surrounded by all of the first-year students. "Alright everyone, name's Hagrid. Here to take the lot of you to Hogwarts. Come on then," He waved them to follow before he turned and started walking off. The first years - some with extreme hesitance - followed after him.

After a few minutes, they found themselves stopping at a dock where a series of small boats were waiting for them. The giant man, Hagrid, slowly climbed into one boat that quickly floated forward and ahead of the other boats.

"Four to a boat," Hagrid grunted. The first years followed orders and began climbing into the boats, nobody was willing to comment on the fact that Hagrid had filled up his whole boat by himself. Dan and Iris sat together naturally, they were quickly joined by a girl with brown bushy hair and a freckled boy with red hair. Once Hagrid was sure that everyone was on the boats, he nodded and looked forward. "Onwards," He said loudly, the boats obeyed.

"I love magic," Daniel whispered to himself quietly as he watched the boats move by themselves.

"It's ever so fascinating, isn't it?" The bushy-haired girl said to Dan. "I mean...boats...moving by themselves."

"Must be charmed," Daniel said thoughtfully. "Charms imbue an object or person with a certain property according to the 'Standard Book of Spells'."

"Have you read it?" The girl said in a delighted voice.

"On the way here," Dan nodded. "You?"

"Yes, it was incredibly interesting to read, I-"

"Does anyone here like Quidditch?" The red-headed boy asked hopefully.

"My big brother plays quidditch," Iris told him.

"Really? I..." The boy trailed off as he noticed the scar on Iris's head. "Bloody hell! You're Iris Potter!" He blurted out. A silence followed, as everyone who had previously been talking with each other, now looked at their boat.

"What?" Iris asked in an irritated voice. "You never seen a living girl before?" She asked loudly.

"Here we are!" Hagrid called, thankfully pulling the attention off of Iris. Everyone looked forward and suddenly forgot about the young celebrity that was riding with them, and was now focused on the otherworldly view in front of them. A short distance away, shining in the moonlight was the most beautiful castle that any of them had ever seen. Sitting majestically atop a large cliff, orange lights shining from its windows. The lake they were in was suddenly much calmer, and the moon felt unnaturally bright. They were here, they were at Hogwarts.

(.)

Iris was admittedly quite amazed by the castle, every inch of it felt ancient and old but somehow welcoming as well. Every part of it was interesting, the portraits were moving, like actually moving. They smiled and waved at the passing students, most of them did at least. One portrait yelled at them to walk quieter before she went back to sleep. There were armours of knights all around the castle as well, though they didn't move, at least she didn't think they did, though she wasn't quite sure since she thought she saw one of them nod their head at her. However, her fascination paled in comparison to Daniel who was looking all around, seemingly trying to memorise every detail of the place. Occasionally she'd hear him mutter words like 'incantation', 'spell' and the odd 'cluster-fuck'.

"The first years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said as he brought them all to a stop, outside of a pair of very large doors. Standing in front of the doors, holding a scroll in her hand, was a very severe-looking witch. She was dressed in green robes and a black witch's hat along with a pair of squared glasses.

"Thank you, Hagrid," She said appreciatively to the taller man who bowed his head and took his leave. She turned to the first years. "Welcome, welcome all of you to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, I will be bringing you through these doors to the great hall for you to be sorted into your house. You will all be sorted into either Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Your house will be like your family over the coming years. Behave well and you will win points, behave badly and you will lose points. The house with the most points will win the house cup. Now, I will be back in a moment, make yourselves presentable." She told them before turning and walking off.

"So...Iris Potter?" A voice drawled, Iris turned her head in time to see a grey-eyed boy with slicked-back blonde hair step in front of her, followed by two brutish-looking boys that stood behind him. "The girl-who-lived comes to Hogwarts. This is Crabbe and Goyle," He said, gesturing behind him to the other two boys. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." He announced proudly, only to falter when he heard a snigger. Immediately he followed the sound to its maker, the red-headed boy who had shared the boat with Iris and Dan. "Think my name's funny, do you? Don't suppose I need to ask yours," Draco stared at him with disgust. "Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley," He concluded. The boy's face went nearly as red as his hair, Draco shot him a superior smirk before turning to Iris. "You'll soon find out that some families are far better than others, you don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort," He said, reaching forward and taking Iris's hand before planting a kiss on her knuckles. "I can help you there,"

"You don't want to check to see if she washed her hands before you do that?" Daniel spoke up, sounding more curious than anything. "I mean, for all you know, she doesn't wash when she finishes using the bathroom."

"I wasn't talking to you, was I?" Draco glared at him. "Bugger off,"

"Hey!" Iris pulled her hand away from him. "Talk to my brother like that again and I'll set fire to all the gel in your hair," Iris warned him.

"What did you say to me?! I am -"

"Is there a problem here?" A voice interrupted, Draco turned back and saw Professor McGonagall staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course not, Professor," Draco said innocently before stepping to the side, his two friends quickly joined him.

"Then we'd better get a move on," Professor McGonagall said before the doors to the great hall opened. "Follow me," She turned and walked into the hall, the other first-years quickly following after her.

"Do you think we'll get sorted in the same house?" Iris whispered to Dan.

"Would make things easier, wouldn't it?" He replied, not sounding sure himself. Iris frowned before looking around, there were four tables going vertically up the hall, each had a banner over it with a different symbol and each was filled with students of various ages. At the end of the hall was a raised dais where a stool was placed, on top of it was a ratty-looking, brown wizard's hat. Behind the stool was a large table that was placed horizontally so that it faced the other tables. Given the amount of adults sitting at the table, she could safely conclude that that was the teacher's table.

Sitting in the middle, atop a gold and red chair, was a man dressed in bright purple, starry robes along with a matching hat. He had long white hair and a beard that appeared to descend down into his lap, along with a pair of half-moon spectacles that hung over his nose. The man was old, yet smiled widely and happily, as if there was nowhere he would rather be than here. She wasn't entirely sure if it was just her imagination but she could have sworn that he looked almost excited. Shaking her head, she looked around the hall, spotting that Tonks girl sitting at the Hufflepuff table. Tonks gave her a cheery wave and Iris's lips curled up slightly before she returned the wave. She continued looking around until she spotted Harry, sitting at the Slytherin table with that Daphne girl.

"Good luck," He mouthed to her.

"Thanks!" She mouthed back, giving him a thumbs up. The first years stopped when Professor McGonagall did, she ascended up the dias and walked over to the stool. Lifting up the hat, she turned around and with her free hand opened the scroll she held.

"Now, when I call your name, come forth and be sorted into your Hogwarts houses," Professor McGonagall said. "First up Hannah Abbot," A shy-looking blonde girl with pig-tail styled hair walked up nervously and sat on the stool, facing the rest of the hall. Professor McGonagall gently placed the hat on her head, the first years gasped when suddenly the creases of the hat shifted so that it now appeared to have eyes and a mouth.

"Ah," The hat spoke, shocking the girl whose head it occupied. "Let's see what I am working with," He said slowly, looking as thoughtful as a hat could. "Better be, Hufflepuff!" The hat announced loudly. The Hufflepuff table burst into cheers and applause as the hat was removed, the girl stepped off the stool and her uniform changed to match the rest of the Hufflepuffs. She walked off with a smile and then the sorting continued.

The hat seemed to take different amounts of time sorting everyone, some people were sorted quite quickly, and the hat had barely touched Draco's head before sending him to Slytherin. Others, like that bushy-haired girl - called 'Hermione Granger' apparently - took a few minutes. The hat had ended up sending her to Gryffindor. Eventually after sorting a pair of Indian twin girls, one into Ravenclaw and the other into Gryffindor, it came time for the Potters to be sorted.

"Daniel Potter," Professor McGonagall called.

"Well, see you soon, I guess," Dan told her before walking up to the stool, all the while whispering followed him.

"He's the brother of the girl who lived,"

"That's Harry Potter's brother!"

"Do you think he could get me a date with Harry?"

"Maybe he could get us Iris's autograph,"

"Ma'am," Daniel said respectfully as he stopped in front of the stool. "Must I?" He asked awkwardly.

"Must you what?" Professor McGonagall blinked.

"Sit on a fairly old-looking stool while you place a fairly old-looking hat on me," Daniel answered. "It's just...neither seems really... hygienic."

"Mr Potter," Professor McGonagall sighed as a few people laughed. "I assure you, you'll be fine."

"If you say so," Daniel said doubtfully before reluctantly sitting on the stool. "Though I wish to make it clear that I will burn that hat if I end up with nits." He couldn't help but add.

"Consider me warned," Professor McGonagall said dryly before placing the hat on his head. Iris watched with anticipation, waiting for the hat's decision. A glance at the Slytherin table showed that Harry was also watching with great interest. A few seconds later, the hat spoke once again.

"Better be Ravenclaw!" The hat yelled. Professor McGonagall lifted the hat from Daniel's head and he all but jumped off of the stool, he shook his head and walked to the Ravenclaw table where he was welcomed with high applause.

"Iris Potter," Professor McGonagall called. The hall went quiet once more and Iris walked up to the stool, ignoring the whispers that followed. Unlike her brother, she sat on the stool without complaint, much to the relief of Professor McGonagall. The hat was placed on Iris's head and the hall went silent.

Everyone from every table watched with anticipation, everyone wondered where the girl-who-lived would be sorted. Would she join her parents in Gryffindor? Her brother in Ravenclaw or Merlin forbid, her big brother in Slytherin? Perhaps she'd surprise everyone and go to Hufflepuff. Many of the teachers, Dumbledore included, leaned forward in anticipation. At the Slytherin table, Harry watched like a hawk.

"Your sister is taking a while," Daphne noted. "I don't recall the last time I saw a hat stall." Harry opened his mouth to respond but was promptly cut off.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat roared.

Professor McGonagall smiled as she pulled off the hat, Iris stood up with a smile of her own and walked over to the Gryffindor table. Most of the hall clapped for her, though none as enthusiastically as the Gryffindor table.

"We got Potter! We got Potter!" Several Gryffindors chanted as she sat down. Iris couldn't help but smile, she saw Dan at the Ravenclaw table give her a thumbs up before she looked towards the Slytherin table and was pleased to see Harry nod at her with a smile of his own. The sorting quickly continued and Ron Weasley - the redheaded boy from earlier - was sorted into the house. Once everyone was sorted, the headmaster stood up and the hall went silent.

"I trust that by now you are all well and truly looking forward to sampling the admittedly rather delicious food that Hogwarts has to offer, so I won't keep you from doing so for long." He said, staring at each table, eyes lingering a second or two longer on the Gryffindor table. "I merely wish to say a few words before we start eating. "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! That is all."

"Is he mad?" Iris whispered to one of the older students nearby, a boy with curly red hair and gold-trimmed glasses. He was obviously a prefect judging by the badge pinned to his robes.

"Dumbledore? Oh, he's one of the greatest wizards of all time." The boy stated matter-of-factly. "Quite eccentric, but one of the best." At that point, the tables were suddenly no longer empty as thousands of pounds worth of food appeared. Everything from ice cream to cakes to chicken legs appeared on the table and Iris promptly forgot all about Dumbledore.

After about ten minutes or so of eating, a few Gryffindors started making conversations with each other. Some discussed what they had done over the holidays, some discussed school work and so on. Iris was quickly brought into the conversations as well.

So," A pair of older twin boys said at the same time, judging by the red hair they were likely brothers of Ron Weasley. "Nice to meet the lass who had the audacity to live," The two said with bright smiles.

"Um...thanks," She said awkwardly, not really sure what to say.

"I'm Fred," One of them said. "Fred Weasley,"

"And I'm George," The other added. "Weasley George,"

"Sometimes I'm George,"

"And sometimes I'm Fred,"

"One time we were both Fred,"

"Yeah, it was horrible," The twin who said that shivered dramatically.

"Want a sweet?" One of them offered, holding out a red-wrapped candy.

"Oh, I..." She paused when she saw the twins stiffen just before she felt a familiar pair of hands place themselves on her shoulder.

"If I find out that she eats even one of your little prank sweets then I'm going to start having words with the pair of you," A low voice threatened. She couldn't help but smile as she looked back and saw her big brother standing behind her, staring down the twin boys. The twin that had offered the candy had quickly pulled it back before tossing it far away.

"Don't know what you're on about," They said innocently.

"Hmm," Harry huffed disbelievingly. "I'm sure,"

"What's a Slytherin doing here?!" Ron blurted out.

"Visiting my sister, you got a problem with that, half-pint?" Harry asked challengingly.

"It's good to see you," Iris smiled up at him.

"You too, little lion," Harry smiled at her. "Enjoying yourself so far?"

"Yep," She chirped. "The school looks really nice,"

"Mr Potter, as a prefect, I feel I should remind you that the students are supposed to be sitting at their house tables for the sorting feast," The prefect that she had been talking to earlier said in a disapproving voice.

"Well, Mr Percival Weasley," Harry began, Iris blinked, how many Weasley's were there? "As an older and more experienced prefect, I feel I should remind you that I know full well what I am and am not allowed to do. There are no rules stopping me from talking to my sister for a minute, got it?" Percy didn't say anything, though he did turn an alarming shade of red before huffing and turning away.

"I remember you," Hermione spoke up with a smile. "You're the prefect from the train,"

"Guilty as charged," Harry smiled at her.

"So...shame we're not in the same house, eh?" Iris asked lightly.

"Nah, I feel like Gryffindor would suit you better," Harry said with a small smile. "Ah, I got you a sorting present." He pulled out a small golden ball and placed it in front of his sister. "Tap it with your wand," He told her. She blinked before doing as she was told, the ball suddenly transformed into a moving metal lion the size of her pinky finger. The lion let out a roar and stood proudly before walking towards her and rubbing itself against her hand.

"That's incredible!" She gasped, picking it up. "Did...did you get something for Danny as well?"

"Of course," Harry seemed almost offended that she thought it was possible for him not to have gotten him something. Pulling out another ball, a blue one this time, he tapped it with his wand and it transformed into a blue-coloured bird. Harry gently blew on it and it took flight, flying all the way over to the Ravenclaw table and landing in Daniel's hand. "I got to go before Weasley over there bursts a blood vessel, I'll come and see you tommorow" He said, kissing her head before walking off.

"That's amazing!" Hermione gasped as she stared at the miniature lion in Iris's hand.

"Wicked," A black boy named 'Dean Thomas' agreed. "Where do I get one of those?"

"My Ma' just gave me books for my Hogwarts presents," An Irish-sounding boy grumped, he was 'Seamus Finnigan' if she remembered right.

"I don't know, maybe my brother made it," Iris guessed. "He's really smart," She added, trying not to sound like she was bragging.

"He must be if he's a prefect," Hermione said, sounding perfectly logical. "He helped poor Neville here when he lost his toad," She said, pointing to the boy who suddenly gulped as he found himself the subject of many stares.

"Uh...yeah," The boy stuttered. "He caught him for me...and made me a cage to keep him in,"

"He's a Slytherin," Ron frowned distastefully. "There's not a witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin,"

"Are you calling my brother bad?!" Iris demanded hotly, glaring daggers at the redheaded boy who gulped and realised that he probably shouldn't have said that.

"No, I just..."

"Sorry about our little brother," The twins cut in quickly. "We fear he was dropped on the head one time too many,"

"Say one more word about my brother and I'll hex you into next Wednesday," Iris warned Ron, her miniature lion growling at him. "And then when I catch up to you, I'll hex you back into last Friday."

"There will be no hexing here!" Percy cut in quite firmly.

"There will be if anyone insults my brother," Iris said bluntly before turning back to Ron. "My brother is the best person in the world and don't you dare say otherwise, got it?"

"I'm sorry!" Ron said quickly, looking quite surprised by how offended the girl was.

"You'd better be careful," One of the older Gryffindors warned Ron. "A lot of Slytherin's are bad news, but Potter's alright, so long as you stay out of his way, and I do advise staying out of his way."

"Yeah," Another Gryffindor snorted. "Even the other Slytherin's don't mess with him anymore."

"What's so scary about him?" A girl in their year asked. Her name was Lavender if Iris remembered right.

"Well," The Weasley twins spoke at the same time. "Look at the teacher's table, you see the ugly one?" The Gryffindors all looked to the teacher's table, it didn't take them long to work out who the twins met. Each and every teacher looked different, but the ugly one was clearly the man dressed in full black with no colour beyond a few white trims. He had a long hooked nose, yellow teeth, and greasy black hair. The sour and pale-looking man was currently glaring hatefully in Harry's direction. "That's Professor Snape, he teaches potions. He used to be the head of Slytherin house."

"Used to be?" Iris asked in a confused voice.

"Your brother got him into a lot of trouble apparently," The twins grinned together. "Old Dumbledore was barely able to keep him as a teacher," They revealed to Iris. She was about to reply when all of a sudden all of the remaining food was suddenly no longer there.

"Excuse me, everyone," They all looked at the teacher's table and saw that Dumbledore had once more stood up. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I would like to begin the year with a few start-of-term announcements. Firstly, the forbidden forest is as the name suggests, forbidden. Secondly, our caretaker, Mr Filch," Dumbledore gestured to the back of the hall where an angry-looking old man holding a mangy cat was stood, both looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. "Would like me to tell you that the list of banned items has now reached a total of seventy-five, and magic is forbidden in the hallways. Along with that, I want to remind you all that the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death." He stated, sounding quite serious. Looking around, Iris saw various states of confusion amongst the Gryffindors, looking towards the Slytherin table she saw her brother staring at the headmaster with narrowed eyes.