(02 : I'D LIKE TO BE MY OLD SELF AGAIN,
BUT I'M STILL TRYING TO FIND IT)

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     BLACK INK BLED THROUGH THE pages of her borrowed notebook and the carefully written words became more careless with time. All the trinkets on the desk seemed to shake due to her frantic scribbling — a fact she paid little mind to as she absentmindedly reached for another lemon drop. Her disregard was almost ironic because she used to pride herself on facts and knowledge, pride herself on paying attention to the seemingly most inane details, but everything she once knew was now gone and she was left floundering as she figured out who she was meant to be.

After two weeks of medical tests and potions under the care of the school nurse, Persephone — or Seph as the boy with the pretty eyes called her — had been released from the Hospital Wing and was permitted to enrol into Hogwarts. Apparently for a second time. Sometimes wisps of memories would come back to her and then they would disappear like clouds of smoke when she tried to hold onto them. Madam Pomfrey said this was a sign she might one day remember everything, but Seph wasn't optimistic after she overheard a hushed exchange about her body being tainted by 'some of the darkest magic to penetrate the castle walls in decades.'

It was far more sinister than an oblivate and that was all she knew. There was no cure for the missing years of her life — not even an official diagnosis — only pitying glances and a small pouch of galleons to purchase a new wand. All of which circled back to the question that she had spent many nights tossing and turning over . . . who the hell was Persephone Buchanan?

According to Headmaster Dumbledore, her full name was Persephone Rose Buchanan and she was born a half-blood witch on the 13th of June 1927 to Iris and Atticus Buchanan in some obscure coastal town. When she was eleven, she was sorted into Ravenclaw for her curiosity and wit, often excelling in her classes and keeping her head down until her boyfriend informed the school of her unexpected departure late into the Summer Term of 1943. Although unusual, her disappearance wasn't deemed suspicious and that was the life story of Persephone Buchanan in a neat little box.

"You have to understand," Dumbledore was saying as he steepled his fingers, "Tom had a silver tongue and he could be very persuasive when needed. Whilst your sudden leave was . . . alarming, it wasn't unprecedented. Many parents had pulled their children from the school that year. It was a dark time at Hogwarts back then, dark enough that we almost had to permanently close our doors."

     Reluctant to tear her eyes away from her notebook for even a moment, Seph briefly looked up. "I won't hold the past against you, sir," she assured him, her tone polite and respectful. "You have done more than enough for me since my arrival in this, um, time. I'm extremely grateful for your hospitality and your help with acclimating to everything."

     Perhaps the hardest part of Seph's amnesia was the few things she did remember no longer applied in 1975. Like how to dress and what was in the news. It was as if someone had scooped out all the important parts of her and left behind only the mundane things. Sure, she remembered how to read and write and that the muggles were meant to be at war, but none of that really mattered.

"I appreciate that, Miss Buchanan. I can only imagine how hard it is for you, a new time and new people will not be an easy adjustment," his eyes twinkled in amusement as they flickered to the notebook that detailed everything from her time of birth to her mother's maiden name, "but I assure you nobody will quiz you on your history. To make this transition as smooth as possible for you, I intend to introduce and sort you at the feast tonight."

"I need to be sorted again? I thought I'm already in Ravenclaw?" Seph blanched at the suggestion.

"And the Sorting Hat will likely remember as much, but it is important that we don't draw any unnecessary attention to your arrival," he calmly explained, which contrasted the immense fear she felt in the deepest corners of her mind. "It is rare for a student to transfer in the middle of the term, so it is prudent that any suspicions thrown your way are deflected by your public induction as a Hogwarts student. No student should recognise you, but their parents and some professors might. It is for that reason we must ensure any concerns are immediately eased."

In spite of her terror at the thought of all those eyes on her, she nodded. "I suppose that makes sense. Do I have a cover story if anyone notices the resemblance?"

"We'll keep it simple. Persephone — the version of you that existed in 1943 — is your mother and you were named after her as she died during childbirth. Nobody would dare pry further into a dead woman's business." A small smile danced across the elderly wizard's lips. "If I am not mistaken, your mother had French roots, thus I will say you came to us from Beauxbatons in France as part of a pilot exchange programme. As Beauxbatons don't have their students sit exams until their sixth year, it'll also explain why you're older than your Fifth Year peers. Since you never completed your O.W.L.s, I have a few concerns over any N.E.W.T content being too challenging and regretfully must ask you to repeat a year."

"Not like an extra year of my life matters when I've already spent thirty two trapped behind a mirror," she muttered dryly before straightening in her chair as she remembered who had freed her. "What of the boys who found me? They'll know I'm not a transfer."

"Mr Potter and Mr Black have already been sworn to secrecy about what they witnessed. Even if I suspect they have already informed a certain Mr Lupin and Mr Pettigew about what occurred on Halloween night, I do believe you can trust them and would advise you to turn to them if the weight of your secrets ever becomes too much of a burden. The full truth of your past is to be revealed at your discretion, but I would always err on the side of caution." With each thinly-veiled warning, the atmosphere grew more tense. "Tom Riddle has made quite the name for himself since you last spoke, I'm afraid."

Her mouth parted in shock. "He's alive? Can I speak to him? I — I need to know what happened, why he did this, if he can fix me!"

"I do not think it would be wise for you to attempt to contact Tom, Miss Buchanan," said Dumbledore in a slow, sympathetic voice as he shook his head. "It is unlikely that what happened to you was the result of a misfired spell or an awry incantation."

The brunette faltered. "But I thought he was my boyfriend? It must've been an accident."

"If I may be so bold, Miss Buchanan," Dumbledore began lightly, "I would advise making a better choice in a partner this time around because your teenage sweetheart is about to bring forth a level of destruction that the Wizarding World hasn't known since Grindelwald."

"Noted." Swallowing the rising bile in her throat, Seph loudly snapped her notebook shut. "Is it time for the feast yet?"

Looking rather impish for a man who had recently informed someone they used to be in love with a megalomaniac, Headmaster Dumbledore rose from behind his desk. "I did not tell you that to intimidate you, I told you that because I often find that we must live in spite of our bad decisions," he confessed with such earnestness that she actually exhaled in relief. "You have a fresh start, but Tom Riddle is a part of your past you must remember for the sake of your future. And when you do remember, you cannot dwell on who you once were. Each day we must strive to be better than who we were yesterday. Never forget that, Persephone."

At the older wizard's wise words, her mouth ran dry before she regained her composure and rushed after the retreating figure in sweeping magenta robes. For the first time since she woke up from the eternal darkness that existed behind the mirror, she doubted whether or not she wanted to know the hell Persephone Buchanan was because it sounded like that girl had more than a few skeletons in her closet.

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The Great Hall was illuminated by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating over four long tables, laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. A velvety black ceiling dotted with stars that appeared to stretch beyond the heavens rested above her head. Not that Persephone noticed any of this as she kept her head down as she trailed behind Dumbledore. No barrage of memories came because the only thing she could think about was putting one foot in front of another and not tripping whilst hundreds of beady eyes followed her walk to the dais at the front of the room.

With a thunderous clap of his hands, Dumbledore silenced the muffled chatter of his overexcited students. "Good evening all! Now, I am sure all of you are hungry after a hard day's work, but I have an important announcement to make." Whilst Seph's face turned as red as the Gryffindor hangings above one of the far tables, Dumbledore relished in the attention and paused to build suspense. "A new student is joining us. Perse —"

Before he could introduce her, Persephone pushed up on her tiptoes and whispered something in Dumbledore's ear.

"— Seph Buchanan," he promptly corrected, "is the first student to be part of an exchange programme we are testing with Beauxbatons. If all goes well, we will soon be able to send a Hogwarts student over to France. Due to some delays with the authorisation of the international portkey, she is only now able to join us, but I hope you will welcome her as warmly as you would should she have arrived in September." The lies fell from his lips so effortlessly that she almost believed them too. "Without further ado, we will proceed with Seph's Sorting and then I shall allow you all to enjoy yet another wonderfully prepared feast without an old man's ramblings."

A gentle nudge coerced Seph to sit on a rickety stool that she hadn't even noticed was there. A tattered and too big hat was promptly dropped on her head, falling over her eyes and causing her heart to palpitate due to the brief moments of darkness she experienced.

     "Oh! How strange. I've already sorted you," the hat muttered. Despite being warned ahead of time about the hat's sentience, she still stiffened at the voice in her ear. "You were easier to sort back then. Curious and eager to learn, a Ravenclaw through and through."

     Just please sort me already. Persephone thought, time moving achingly slow as she waited for the hat to declare what she already knew. We both know where I belong. I'm a Ravenclaw. Nothing's changed.

     "Ravenclaw, eh? I think you're wrong there. Everything's changed. You've changed," it hummed in response. "You're still curious and have a penchant for knowledge. You would do well in Ravenclaw, but it isn't where you would do best. There's more to you than there was before. There always is with the older kids."

     That doesn't make sense, protested Seph. The brunette shifted uncomfortably and stared at the clock, counting the ticks. She had to be a Ravenclaw — people didn't change houses. Ever. If not Ravenclaw, where? I'm too scared for Gryffindor, too weak for Slytherin and too impatient for Hufflepuff.

     The Sorting Hat was quiet for so long that she almost thought she had broken it. "You
can't be brave without fear. And I think you'll need a whole lot of bravery in the years ahead, but I think you had it all along too. Stubborn, prideful and prone to not backing down even when they probably should, better be — GRYFFINDOR!"

     Roaring applause erupted from the table adorned in crimson and gold, celebrating one of the longest hatstalls since Minerva McGonagall. However, Persephone was numb to the cacophony of noise and the high fives from her new housemates. Only when she found a space on the bench between two younger students did she allow her trembling legs to buckle under the pressure.

     Once she was sure nobody was watching, Seph pulled out her notebook and drew a violent line through one of her earliest notes. P̶e̶r̶s̶e̶p̶h̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶B̶u̶c̶h̶a̶n̶a̶n̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶o̶r̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶R̶a̶v̶e̶n̶c̶l̶a̶w̶.

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A.N: I hated this chapter, wow. But we move and it's necessary for the plot. Seph, my baby, is now a Gryffindor, which I debated for the longest time, but I think the whole 'they sort too early' mindset is really applicable with her. You see a lot of her Gryffindor traits in the prologue when she confronts Tom. And yes, poor her is also being held back a year because Tom didn't time trapping her in the mirror with finishing those all important O.W.L.s.

Question, do you think you would have been sorted differently at 11 vs 16? I really do. I'm a Slytherin through and through, but I think I would've been in Ravenclaw at 11, if I'm honest.