Invictus

Firs' years!

Lily, Sirius and Remus waved from platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross at exactly 11:00AM on the 1st of September with all the other parents. When the train parted, the three of them stood quietly together, consumed by the moment and observing the surroundings. It had been decades, but sadness still washed over Lily when she thought about her classmates, especially now, when she could recognize only some faces as a result of the tragic death of majority. Death eaters were there, alive, chatting about their children and Sunday roast as if a genocide never happened because of them over a decade ago. Lily hoped, prayed that Harry and Olivia went to Gryffindor, as far away from the children of Death Eaters as possible. She knew prejudice had killed all of her friends and husband, but the possibility of the benefit of the doubt was long gone.

Augusta Longbottom sat alone at a bench, tired from crossing to the platform, but still excited that Neville was off to Hogwarts and was childhood friends with the Potters, so he could become everything his parents never could, Frank and Alice, whilst having loyal, important friends. Mary MacDonald Dawlish sat next to Augusta and waited until her husband, John, went to pick her up. 

- Mary? Mrs. Longbottom? - Lily asked excitedly to see two of her really good friends.

Lily sat on the bench with Augusta and Mary, reminiscing their high school years when Frank used to throw parties to impress Alice and Mary and Lily used to share a room, meals and secrets. They talked about their personal lives, about their children and grandchildren and Mary's pregnancy. She was married to an Auror and had two other kids, one was with his father and the other was on his way to Hogwarts as a First-Year. The jokes about their time at Hogwarts flooded in when they realized their children and grandchild would all be studying together, but was abruptly at a halt when the gloom realization that most, if not, all the people they were sharing memories about were dead or missing or severely injured.

- Shall we grab lunch? My treat. - August offered since she feared Mary would start crying any second.

- That would be quite lovely, Mrs. Longbottom. Thank you. - Lily said. She had never been good at comforting people.

-x-

Harry sat with his brand-new owl in a booth with a ginger boy named Ron, Ron Weasley. They kept playing Chocolate Frog Cards and formed a friendship over it. Boys appeared to be simple creatures. Olivia sat alone with her grumpy ginger cat to match her appearance and wondered about Hogwarts, observing kids laughing and talking. She wondered how long it would take for her to make friends or if she would make any at all. Pondering about her personality, Olivia decided she would try to be nicer, lovelier. However, the chocolate cart came around empty, because some idiot had bought all the candies and it was enough to tick her off. Olivia stormed off to her brother's booth to complain but just found the idiot that had ruined her first day.

-      What is your problem, Harry? Can you never share? – Olivia screamed, not caring about the horrified looks from the ginger boy.

-      You can have some if you want.

- Oh, thanks. - Olivia muttered, a bit ashamed for screaming. - How did you even get money for that?

- Birthday money.

Olivia went back to her booth with a handful of chocolate to change her vest into robes and she made sure Ginger, the cat, was hydrated and fed. The train appeared to slow down and everyone was quickly leaving. There were so many students that Olivia felt small and insignificant as she looked around for a direction.

- Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! - A giant man with a giant beard and Scottish accent called the first-years to the front.

Olivia followed, seeing Harry in the crowd, because of his new friend that stood out with his scarlet red hair. They walked through a shady path that led to a fleet of small boats and Olivia was honestly so tired that she sat on the boat without any complaints, she waited in the small room and walked into the hall without any complaints. Everything about Hogwarts seemed eerie and gloomy, but Harry and Olivia just waved at their mum that was sitting with the other Professors and waited, once again, patiently for the names being called.

- Potter, Harry. - The hall was suddenly quiet and Harry felt nervous as if there was a right answer or a test to pass.

- GRYFFINDOR!

- Hopefully we got the sibling that defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. - A fellow Gryffindor whispered to the other as Harry sat at his chair among the cheers. He did not know if it was him.

- Potter, Olivia.

- SLYTHERIN!

Eerie quietness filled the halls for over a second as confusion spread. An appropriate reaction seemed difficult as no one knew what meant for a Potter, possibly the one that destroyed Voldemort to be placed in the same house as Voldemort himself. In a few seconds, Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin, stood up to applaud, an incentive for the rest of Slytherin to follow. As the cheers intensified and Olivia walked over to the table, embarrassed and a bit reluctant, Slytherin students felt as if they had won something. However, they did not know what, yet.

Olivia recognized the blonde boy from the uniform shop and decided to sit next to him, a familiar face. He seemed to have many friends already, so she just listened to announcements and played with her hair until dinner was announced. Food suddenly appeared in abundance and Olivia was unsure if she was suppose to just grab it or if it was safe. She stared at it for several seconds and observed how other kids did it.

- Just put food on your plate, Weasley. It's not that hard to understand, even for you. - The blonde boy had spoken, seemingly irritated.

- What is a 'Weasley'? Some sort of British slang? - Olivia answered, smiling, deciding to ignore his rude comments in the light that she was finally eating food and it smelled good.

- You, a Weasley is you. 

- Draco, are you DUMB? Why would a Weasley go to Slytherin? - A boy with brown eyes that sat next to Draco whispered to him.

- I thought everyone could sit at whatever table. Right?

- No! At least not on the first day! - Olivia watched the two boy squirrel  between each other while she ate jack-potato. - Didn't you realize how the hall went quiet? And when they called her name?

- Why would I? It's not like she is important, Zabini.

- Draco, go ask what her name actually is.

Draco dismissed Zabini and continued to eat his food. The girl next to him was very quiet and kept looking around with a curious expression, sometimes even frightened. He realized he might be wrong about her identity and she might just be a muggle, which is even worse.

- What is your name and where are you from? - He asked in a demanding tone.

- My name is Olivia, but my friends and family call me Liv and I was born here in England, but I was raised in New York.

- So, Olivia or Liv, when people ask your name in the Wizarding World, you need to also say your last name. Just common courtesy for next time. - Draco focused his attention back to his plate.

- Potter, uh, I'm Olivia Potter.

- Potter? As in Lily Evans Potter's daughter? The professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts and former Auror that helped destroyed You-Know-Who, Lily Potter?

- Yeah, she is my mom!

Their conversation was interrupted when Dumbledore announced that dinner was over and first-year students must follow the Head Boy and Head Girl to find their accommodations. Severus Snape dismissed both Head Boy and Girl to go directly to their dormitories after dinner as he would be the one conducting the first-years. He couldn't believe that after many years, Lily Evans was back and her child, even with his worst enemy, was under his care and house. The girl was an exact replica of her mother and had nothing of James.

- Welcome, first-years! I am the Head of Slytherin and I will be conducting you to your dorms, because the Head Boy and Girl are, unfortunately, unavailable. 

As Snape walked to Slytherin common rooms, he realized Olivia was just behind him. He had noticed that the girl was not used to magic and had an almost permanent expression of fear encrusted in her face, so before she walked to her dorm, Snape asked her to stay behind. He did not know what to say, but he wanted to say something meaningful, nice to help her adaption to the Wizard world. Except, Severus Snape froze when the girl was standing in his front, staring at him.

- You have your mother's eyes.

- And my dad's discernment! That's what my mom tells me.