Liza

Living at Hogwarts is relatively easy. Until it comes for school time. Then, all of the usually nice teachers are busy, my parents are occupied, and I can never leave my room as a precaution. At least I have a loo near my room and my food is delivered to me. I still have company, but they're not human. Oh what am I saying! No one here is muggle. My companions are still not witches, and they're not male. The closest I have to friends are my snowy owl Magic, my black cat Jinx, and my Phoenix Astra. Magic has a light blue eye and a light green eye. Jinx has violet eyes and a white chest. Astra has glowing amber eyes with golden flecks. However, at the end of the day, I get to visit Hagrid, the groundskeeper. I also get to visit him twice when I change. Well, it is when this particular day takes place, and it's no ordinary day.

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I was just doing my ordinary routine, and I was reading a novel, when a figure burst through my door. Instinctively, I snatched my wand from the side table and did the first charm that popped into my head. "Expelliarmus!" I cried, but my voice died when I realized that it was no intruder. It was my foster father, Albus Dumbledore himself. He was slightly knocked back, partly from surprise and partly from the spell. He chuckled as I blushed slightly. "Father! I'm so sorry! I-," I started, but he cut me off with a hand motion. "My child!" He beamed. Then his intelligent, wise, cunning blue eyes assessed me, filling with tears. "My darling child. You have grown so much. If only they could see you now." His voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "Do you think they would be proud of me?" Matching my tone unconsciously with his, I felt my own eyes welling. Caught in the moment, he nodded slowly, his eyes glazing over as he stared off. I snapped myself back to the situation at hand. "Father?" My voice was a quiet disruption. "What did you want to talk with me about?" Physically, the headmaster shook himself back to reality. "You are absolutely ready." He chortled. "For?" "A change." "In?" I felt myself get more and more curious and more and more frustrated. Why wouldn't he tell me? "Oh goodness me! What are we doing? I'm giving you tidbits of information and you have to chase me down to get it. You've been hiding for much too long." "What do you mean?" "You need to get out with others your age. You're a teenager and you barely know anybody within a ten year age range." "What are you saying?" "You need to enroll as a student into Hogwarts." I raised my eyebrows. "You'll need to get books from the library. So go ahead." "But what about houses?" "Liza, let's be rational. You were born into a long line of Gryffindor, you were raised by Gryffindor. What else could you be in but Gryffindor?" "But what if I'm something else? What if I'm like Harry Potter?" By my the face of my "father", I could tell that I proved my point. Harry Potter came from a long line of Gryffindor, such as I have, but he was Parseltongue, and the Sorting Hat had said that he would also thrive in Slytherin. Sighing, defeated, he led me to his office. "Alright then." I was set on a stool in the elaborate office. The room was so dazzling with interesting trinkets, I had never noticed a rumpled, worn wizard hat perched on a shelf. Once the hat was on, I could hear, or more so feel, the raspy voice echoing through my head. "Ahhh. Just like your- er- foster father, I see. A little bit of everything: the intelligence, wit, and wisdom of Ravenclaw, the kind, loyal, hardworking spirit of Hufflepuff, the cunning ambition of Slytherin, and, last but not least, the chivalrous and brave manner of Gryffindor. Very tricky. Now, where do I put you..." The best, the best, the best, I chanted mentally. "The best, eh? Don't worry, I'm not known to make mistakes. I'll put you in..." I was so nervous my palms were sweating. "Gryffindor!" It announced, and I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Just then, a door announced the coming of shuffling slippers. "What's with all the commotion?" My foster mother, Professor Mc Gonagall, had taken her free time reading in bed. "Liza insisted that she be properly sorted, Minerva." "And?" By her face, I could tell that she was attempting to mask her curiosity, but she failed miserably. "I'm in Gryffindor." I replied. "Indeed." Apparently, my father felt the need to confirm it. My mother took that moment to beam. Which, by the way, is extremely rare and unusual. "Of course she's in Gryffindor. What do you expect? I mean, she's raised by them AND she comes from a long line." She announced haughtily, almost bragging on me. "Oh! That reminds me." My head snapped to my father. What now? "You'll have to get your books from the library stock. Why don't you go ahead and get them?" He suggested. "Ok." And with that I made my way to prepare for a new life, well away from the solitude of the shadows.