In Perpetuum

Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Ad Initium

Just as the sky was turning a watery, mixture of blue and black, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogwarts Station.

The familiar cry of “Firs’ years! Mind your step, now!” from Hagrid had sent tears to her eyes. All she wanted to do was to run up and give him the biggest hug of her life, but she pulled herself back. This new, young Hermione was yet to meet this Hagrid. She made a mental note to remedy that as soon as possible.

The first years walked along the narrow, steep path that led them towards the Black Lake. Despite their tiff earlier, James and Sirius flanked themselves on either side of Hermione as protection. Remus was not too far behind, talking with a puerile looking boy with sandy coloured hair.

Onwards they trudged up the path, panting slightly until they heard Hagrid’s voice from up ahead.

“Yeh’ll get yer firs’ sight o’ Hogwarts in a sec”

They rounded the corner of heavily clustered trees and there it was. Turrets and towers as far as the eye could see. Flickering lights dotted the walls and cast their reflection into the glittering Black Lake below.

Even Hermione had to stifle a gasp.

“No more’n four to a boat!”

James, Sirius, Hermione and Remus clambered into the nearest vessel. Hermione wondered what happened to the sandy-haired boy Remus had been speaking to, but his sudden disappearance was not felt too keenly. There was something that Hermione did not quite trust about the boy.

The boats began to move at a steady pace in the water as they glided unaided. Hermione was much more relaxed this time than she had been the first time and she was able to appreciate the beauty of their natural surroundings. It seemed so surreal to see everything so intact after all she had witnessed before arriving in this time period.

James and Sirius, sitting opposite her, both looked calm and relaxed as if this were no more than a boat ride in the Park on a Sunday afternoon. Remus had assumed a look of nonchalance, but his hands gripping at his knees were a silent giveaway that all was not as it seemed.

The boats came to a standstill at a sort of underground harbour and the passengers disembarked into rough pebbles and stones. Silently the group followed Hagrid up the hill and to the heavy oak doors of Hogwarts castle. Three knocks and the eternally stern face of Minerva McGonagall appeared as the door opened.

“Thank you Hagrid. I will take them from here,” spoke Professor McGonagall in her usual clipped tone.

She led them into a chamber just off from the Great Hall where she proceeded to give a speech about the sorting. Hermione recognising it as being identical to that from her own 1st day at Hogwarts, tuned out and instead focused on the people with whom she would spend her time at Hogwarts with.

It was the first time she had been able to look at her peers properly and she was slightly reassured by the fact that some faces appeared familiar, even if only by sight.

During Hermione’s musings, Professor McGonagall had finished her speech and was now leading them into the Great Hall.

The enormous oak doors were opened and Hermione was greeted by a sea of faces that were lit up under the warm glow cast by the hundreds of candles floating above them.

Any nervous chattering amongst the rest of the first years immediately stopped at the sight of Albus Dumbledore seated at the centre of the staff table. His iridescent blue eyes cast a friendly cheer upon all those under his gaze, nonetheless his presence gave off an aura of exquisite power.

Mc Gonagall had moved to stand on the platform beside the stool with the sorting hat. She unfurled her parchment and began to read the names. Hermione watched Sirius enter Gryffindor house amid several gasps from the watching students. He was shortly followed by “Evans, Lily”. There were several Hufflepuffs and a Slytherin before “Granger, Hermione”.

Hermione calmly walked across to the platform and sat herself on the stool. Mc Gonagall placed the hat onto Hermione’s head.

“Oooo...a sharp mind, I see. Definitely. You would do well in Ravenclaw. But plenty of courage, oh yes, plenty of courage.”

Hermione bit her lip in anticipation. The hat had made the same debate last itme. There was no room for error here. If she was put in Ravenclaw if would be exceedingly difficult to be able to get close to those important in determining the future.

Hermione flooded her mind with images of the Battle. She pulled forward pictures of the Forest of Dean, Malfoy Manor and the like.

“Oh ho ho,” spoke the hat in a mysteriously soft voice, “what is this?” The hat watched in her mind as Hermione replayed the images over and over.

“Then it had better be...GRYFFINDOR!”

Hermione let out a lungful of air in relief.

“Thank you,” she whispered to the hat as she took it from her head and handed it back to the awaiting Professor McGonagall. She went and sat next to Sirius amid the cheering Gryffindor, waiting patiently for Remus and James to be sorting.

Remus seemed heartened by the fact that he would be joining Sirius and Hermione in Gryffindor.

A few more names were called until “Pettigrew, Peter”. Hermione turned her head just in time to see the sandy-haired boy Remus had been talking to get up onto the platform. Hermione watched with bated breath as the hat took several minutes to decide that Wormtail was to be in Gryffindor. Beside her, Remus let out a small groan. Apparently he had not enjoyed Wormtail’s company on the walk from the train to the boats.

Peter went over to Gryffindor’s table and sat beside Remus, who was too polite and too shy to say anything. Hermione inwardly flinched at his close proximity. She had known that he would join the Marauders and that they would become the best of friends before he did the unspeakable, however, she calmed herself at the thought that he had not done anything yet. He was still malleable.

Hermione was so deep in thought, she almost missed James’ sorting. As she already knew, he was placed in Gryffindor and he made his way over to join the others.

Not a moment too soon McGonagall was rolling up the parchment and the sorting was over. Dumbledore took this as his cue to stand.

“To all our new students, welcome. To all our returning students, welcome back. A few quick words before we all get befuddled by our magnificent feast. Mr Filch has requested that I, once again, remind you that the Forbidden Forest is just that, forbidden, and that any student found trespassing will be punished with more than just detention. As for my contribution, I simply have two words: ‘Tuck in’ ”

Food and drink of all kinds appeared before them: leg of lamb, rump roast, golden trays of roast vegetables were dotted along each of the house tables.

Even Hermione, who had obviously attended many feasts during her time at Hogwarts, could not help but pile a little of all the delicious foods on offer. Not much was said in the intervening minutes as students and teachers alike ate their fill.

It was some time later when the students, fully sated, filed out of the Great Hall and into their dormitories.

James and Sirius lounged at the back of the pack of first years, waiting for the prefects to direct them. Hermione, being slightly more eager to slip under the warm sheets of her four-poster bed, took a more abrupt stance and walked towards the front of the group, chatting Remus about what they expected from lessons.

In what seemed like no time at all, they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and Hermione stepped over the threshold and into the red and gold warmth that was the Gryffindor Common Room.