Most people don’t know our name. They’ve probably never heard of it. They may know the names of where we come from, and definitely know the names of who we come from… But, the real names, the ones that matter to them, aren’t the names we were ready for. They were the names just handed to us. Given to us on a platter as if they were our final meal. Names are very powerful things. They can build a person, or destroy a person. Our names… The names you know, the names you don’t, the names you gave and the names you carved into your memory did a little of both.
We are Yong. And we are now your problem.
….
I felt a tiny hand squeeze my own. It was much colder than mine, and I already ran cold. It was a marvel when the entire room was lit with torches all meant to warm a person’s soul. I couldn’t help but look down at my brother. He had a resting face of stone, but if you knew him…knew him like I knew him, you would know that he was anything, but stone.
My brother was an ocean of feelings that could not be kept calm in the tiny body of his. He was often restless. The sort of still that would make one wonder if the person was trapped inside of themselves. For my brother perhaps that was exactly what he was, trapped. I was the exact opposite of my brother. The sort of person who made people wonder if they just didn’t see anything worth moving for. As If the world was too slow for them to bother with it all. In some ways, I think it was that very impression of me that was my trap.
“Now, Miss Yong if you would please step forward.”
I looked back up at the Headmistress. The pair of us had zoned out during her introduction speech of us. The problem was when starting a new school, at a random day, in a random school year was that you suddenly became a fad. The pair of us have not been very good at that… being in the spotlight that is. It was uncomfortable.
What else could I do, but nod my head and trudge forward. Quietly, I resigned myself to sitting on a stool with a grumpy hat placed on my head.
“Ah, so young. So faint of heart. I’ll dig around deep in your heart. Where else will I find the answer that is on your mind?”
I ignored the sarcastic hat. It was playing with me. Instead, I turned to look at my brother. He looked ghastly standing there by himself.
“You might belong in Ravenclaw were those of wit and learning will always find their kind…there you could be who you were meant to be, a calm and gentle soul. Not a single lie that needs to be.”
I could only sigh. Perhaps, if fate was different and I was given different chances that would be the very perfect spot for me. I could spend my nights tucked in library corners, or playing games like a child…But that was not the life I was given, or the chances I was told to take.
“ Or perhaps you should go were you say you must go. To the folks that are cunning, that use any means to achieve their ends. To the greats you already know. The answer is here in your head.”
This freaking hat needed to get on with it already. Give me the house I want already.
“Are you sure? You will be great you know, but best suited you are not.”
“Just say the name already, you stupid hat.”
I found myself mumbling under my breath.
“Slytherin.”
There was awkward silence for a moment before the Slytherin table stood up and clapped. I ignored the roaring sound of the other houses joining and walked swiftly towards my table. My feet trudging quickly past the stares and whispers. I just needed to make it to my home. Although, even then I could not sit. I had to turn and watch my brother.
“Mr. Yong. Now, you.”
My smooth blue haired brother making his way seamlessly to the hat. Something about him was always so graceful. It was like every step knew exactly where it needed to go. My seemless little brother. He caused the hat to make quite a fuss. The grump didn’t even make it to his head.
“Slytherin!”
The headmistress raised the hat and looked at it sternly.
“No need to make a fuss! That boy is Slytherin without a doubt. Send him to his sister, so that power of his will sprout.”
Perhaps at the time, I should have paid more attention to the words the sorting hat said, but I hadn’t. All I did was wait for my brother to reach me. His hair now a startling green as he entered my tight hug. I was just thankful the schools idiotic separation policy had not removed him from my side. My darling little brother and I were able to sit next to each other at the table we were expected to be at. His hand tucked in mine just below the table.
“Say you two, that was quite a show.”
I looked up from the plate of non-recognizable breakfast foods and found myself staring at quite an interesting red headed girl. I can’t she was unattractive, but I couldn’t say she was attractive either. It was as if her completely delicate and feminine features were unbalanced by her long face and wide mouth. It was a sight. A sight I could say I was not at all used to.
“And you are…”
The girl smiled widely. She was quite proud, but that smile… I had to admit it was not a pleasant smile.
“Cyst Selwyn. I’m a true pure blood you know. One of the best kinds.”
Cyst Selwyn… That name was a bit…
“I see. I wasn’t aware that Hogwarts cared still about such things.”
“We don’t. Don’t let her get to you.”
My attention turned to a pretty blonde looking boy. He seemed completely quiet. Not the type to speak up at all.
“It doesn’t.”
He chuckled nervously. Ah. I’ve done it again. The brown haired boy besides him elbowed him in the ribs.
“Why are you being so awkward, Scorpius.”
Scorpius… Seriously?
“Wait… You’re the Malfoy bra-…er. Son.”
I felt my brother pull on my sleeve as a warning. Ah, who cares. I heard he was soft like rice cakes. The brown-haired boy covered his mouth.
“Did you hear that Scorpius. You’re known even outside of this place as a brat.”
Scorpius pushed his friend slightly.
“Shut it, Albus.”
Albus… I see. I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes. I wasn’t trying to associate with a Potter. They came with too much drama.
“A Malfoy and a Potter. What a sight.”
The two of them stopped joking and looked somber. The surroundings had gotten a bit quiet. My brother really pulling on my sleeve now.
“Hyo-Eun…”
Albus looked me straight in the eyes. He seemed to have the stronger spine of the two.
“You shouldn’t assume people to be like their parents when you first meet them.”
“Did I? I just found myself assuming you both would be just as annoying as them? I never assumed you would be the same type?”
Cyst burst out laughing. She was even hitting the arm of the boy next to her.
“Rob, Rob. You see this right? The new girl is messing with ALBUS POTTER AND SCORPIUS MALFOY.”
Of course he did… He was sitting right next to you. The shaggy haired boy leaned across the table.
“Maybe it’s best if we end this here. It’s too early in the year for us to be bickering with each other.”
My bad habit reared its ugly head. I couldn’t help it. I was bad with first days. They made me nervous.
“What the boys can’t handle being compared to their parents? That’s a tragedy.”
Albus leaned forward annoyed.
“Shut your bloody mouth. You don’t know anything.”
Scorpius pulling his friend back by his arm.
“Albus, just leave it alone.”
My brother pulling my arm as well.
“Hyo-Eun…”
I rolled my eyes at Albus.
“Poor little Potter. Can’t handle someone not liking you from the start.”
“The name is Albus.”
I shrugged.
“Albus…..what was it? Oh, right. Albus Potter.”
Poor Scorpius trying to diffuse the situation butted in.
“Actually, it’s Albus Severus-”
“Scorpius.”
“Nevermind.”
He leaned forward past Scorpius, so he was almost to my face.
“Don’t go assuming things, just because you feel like it.”
“Or what? You’ll tell on me?”
I leaned closer towards him and bopped him on the nose.
“You have the same house as me remember.”
I saw Scorpius quickly pull Albus back. His face was bright red and you could almost see steam coming out of his head. Cyst was cracking up laughing. She was so loud the Ravenclaw table was looking our way. As well as a few of the Professors.
“Hey. What’s happening to your brother’s hair?”
I turned away from the boiling pot to look at a beautiful blonde girl a bit ways down. She was exactly the stereotype I assumed to be in green. I looked back towards my brother. His hair was becoming a swirl of blues and green and his head was completely down. Ah, he was uncomfortable.
“Nothing. It just does that.”
“Jeez, Sulli, you think you would recognize a Metamorphmagus when you see one. They are so rare after all.”
I don’t like the way her eyes were sparkling at my brother. It was like he was a rare lab subject. The blonde girl however, Sulli, eyes sparkled like she completely saw something amazing.
“You’re a Metamorphmagus! No way! I’ve never seen one.”
“That’s because I just told you they were rare.”
The boy besides her pat her arm to calm her down.
“Just leave it be Cyst.”
“How can I? Sulli is a Fawley. A Fawley who finally rejoined her people. She can’t act is such a sill way. She isn’t some twat.”
Poor, Rob. I could see how tired he was in his sigh. The girl stood up from her seat and pushed herself inbetween me and Scorpius, who seemed to be trying to calm down Albus.
“I heard it’s an inherited thing. Who else has it? Do you have it? Do your parents?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“We wouldn’t know…”
Sulli grabbed my hands.
“Please. Please tell me. I just love interesting things.”
I take it back. She was much worse than Cyst. Sulli was a closet freak. I pulled my hands back from her.
“I am telling you we wouldn’t know.”
Albus irritating voice cutting in.
“Now, who can’t take being compared to their parents.”
“We don’t have parents.”
The table got silent and I turned to my brother. He was looking up at Albus. I wonder how that stone face looked to other people. Did it really seem that expressionless? Sulli leaned back for a moment.
“I see. I didn’t mean too…”
“It’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”
Sulli nodded her head eager for the save.
“Right, of course. You must have had Grandparents, Aunts or Uncles, someone.”
“No.”
I turned to look at my brother. He was being unusually talkative. He must have been more annoyed than I assumed. His hair had turned an ugly mix of oranges and lime greens. He was annoyed…
“You shouldn’t be such a busy body. Asking so many questions. We don’t have parents. We don’t have grandparents and we most certainly don’t have aunts and uncles.”
I could only sigh.
“Ailean… That’s enough.”
His hair turned to a dark blue. Now, he was feeling somber. This was such a pain.
“My apologies, Sulli. We do not know where it comes from. I suppose just knowing my brother is one must be enough.”
The girl got up slowly and nodded her head before returning to her seat.
“Right…”
This day needed to end before the two of us had our nervous habits get even worse. Cyst chuckled.
“Who would of thought. The two mysterious transfers were nothing, but a couple of orphans.”
Ailean’s hair turned bright red. Ah, man. I pulled my brother close into to me and locked his hands down below the table. At least it only looked like I was giving him an awkward hug.
“Yes, well. At the very least we look better than a certain pure blood I know.”
Cyst looked at us quite shocked. It seemed to take her a few minutes to figure out I was talking about her. The snickers helped.
“Why you little-”
Rob clapped his hands in front of her, effectively silencing her.
“That’s it. I already told you all there will be none of us. It is too early in the year.”
He turned to us.
“Don’t take what Cyst says to heart. She is a little awkward is all. Think of it as poor phrasing. She doesn’t actually mean any harm.”
All I could do was silently point at my brother’s hair. It was a mix of orange, red and black… Rob got the point.
And this… This is how we started our time at Hogwarts.
Slytherin House [ Me & The Devil ]