❝ Wonder ❞

            Aquila woke at seven in the morning. On the first day of September, she was too excited and nervous. She got up and pulled on her jeans and a purple top. Aquila had to go muggle shopping to buy suitable and comfortable clothes. Though the Scott manor boasted a huge closet, it only consisted of gowns, skirts, and fancy dresses. She didn't want to walk into the station in a corset-clad medieval gown.

She checked her Hogwarts list yet again to make sure she had everything she needed and saw that Aldar, her pet eagle, was shut safely in his cage, and Jasmine was cuddled up on top of her trunk.

Nasir offered to help Aquila in apparating to King Cross Station. He took the trunk and they apparated to the station, it was filled with muggles, who knows, maybe some wizards, here to say goodbye to their children.

She pushed her trolley around and stared at the barrier. The barrier that connects the wizarding world and the muggle world reminded her of the Empire State Building which connected Olympus and the mortal world. It looked very solid. She started to walk toward it.

People jostled her on their way to platforms nine and ten. She walked more quickly. I was going to smash into that wall and get my head open in two. She knew that she could not be injured yet thanks to the Stoll twins for giving her trust issues by pranking her endlessly. And she'd fallen for it every time. Still, the idea of walking into the Barrier didn't sound good to her what if a muggle saw me walking into the Barrier?

Her overthinker mind made her lose a solid fifteen minutes and there was only about five minutes until the train leaves I gotta go now leaning forward on the cart, she broke into a heavy run the barrier was coming nearer and nearer. She wouldn't be able to stop it, the cart was out of control.

Aquila closed her eyes, bracing for impact in case something went wrong, but it never came.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. She looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, While cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted at one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Aquila pushed her cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. She found one and sat down wandering about all the magic she would learn. Her daydreaming didn't last long.

A boy knocked on the compartment she was in. He had messy brown hair, honey-brown eyes, and a smile plastered to his face

"Hi, can I sit in here? If you don't mind," he asked his voice was packed with enthusiasm and energy he reminded her of Eric. This is how Eric must've looked now. Now back to the question, she didn't want any company but she cannot have a whole compartment for herself.

"Sure,"

He came in and sat across her, he seemed to be very excited about going to Hogwarts which means he must have been a Muggle-born or half-blood. Purebloods definitely don't have so much love for a school that treats everyone equally.

She started to read her favorite novel for the millionth time, no matter what it never fails to surprise Aquila. She could read it forever. That boy was looking out of the window and humming.

"Alan Blackwood." he introduced finally and held out his hand smiling widely.

"Aquila Scott" she shook his hand.

"So, tell me about yourself," Blant as an unsharpened pencil, fantastic.

"I'm a girl, I have two eyes, I have one nose, I'm a witch, I'm alive, I breathe—"

Kinda rude but I won't regret it. He looked dumbstruck and speechless. Aquila hoped he wouldn't talk the rest of the ride, but man, she was wrong. He laughed it off.

"Wow, I really like your attitude. sarcastic huh? I'm gonna have so much fun with you" Now I really regret allowing him to sit in this compartment.

"Pardon," she said mockingly and continued reading her book.

Turns out, some people cannot bring themselves to shut their mouths even when around strangers.

The whole train ride was a headache for this boy. Alan was asking silly questions and bothering her. Aquila didn't ask for it, but he started explaining his whole life story. A half-blood, his mother was a witch and his father was a muggle, unfortunately, his mother died in childbirth so they both never met each other and he did not know magic existed until he received his Hogwarts letter.

In between this stupidity, A girl and boy came in search of his toad, and the trolly lady

"Anything from the cart, dears," she asked smiling kindly. Aquila loved chocolate more the anything, muggle chocolate. But what she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and other candies she'd eaten in her early childhood.

"I'll take caramelized cherries and pumpkin pasties,  Ma'am,"

Alan however brought so many candies including Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans the best part of the whole train ride was seeing Alan get a vomit-flavored bean, all she knew was that he would never dare eat Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans again in his life.

The purple evening sky caught her attention it looked like lit up Astrelaia she wondered what Vega and Deimos would be doing probably fighting with each other or chasing around the night palace like Tom and Jerry.

They both were literal gods and yet she never saw them behave like one. They were as normal as they can get.

Though she'd stayed at camp for the past two years, Aquila frequently visited Astrelaia to catch up with her family. She'd never lost touch. But Hogwarts, it's the safest place in the wizarding world, there might be restrictions but who can stop a demititan? And soon they'll reach Hogwarts. So she decided to change into her Robes. She left Alan to change in the compartment and headed to the girls' bathroom at the end of the train someone bumped into her.

"Watch where you're going girl" a boy's voice drawled he had a pale pointed face and blonde hair that was almost white There were two other gorilla-type boys behind him one of them was clutching his left hand knuckle.

"Excuse me? It's you who needs better eyesight," she expressed annoyed.

"Who are you?" he asked clearly pissed.

"Move."

"Are you a mud blood as well?" he asked.

"I'm not," she snapped. From this question, it's obvious he was a pure-blood.

"Hmm... I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy" he introduced and held out his hand. A Malfoy...not someone I want to be friends with. Aquila ignored his hand.

"Aquila Scott," she said plainly, clearly not wanting to talk with this pure-blood manic anymore, her time was wasted.

"You're a Scott," he pondered. It was amazing how in the wizarding world, she could get so many benefits with her surname. Thanks to her maternal ancestors.

"Yes, now move out of my way." His eyes narrowed but he did as told.

Aquila changed and went back to the cabin. Alan had also changed into his robes. A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and she heard a loud voice.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, "C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they all followed the giant man down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that she thought there must be thick trees there.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here." There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Aquila and Alan and climbed one of the boats, followed by two other girls.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then —FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried the boy who came in search of his toad blissfully, holding out his hands.

Then we clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. We walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there still got yer toad"

The giant man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Aquila's first thought was that she was not someone to mess with.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was big The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor.

Aquila could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right —the rest of the school must already be here — but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses.

"The sorting ceremony is very important, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."

The Scotts and Johnsons were traditionally Slytherins, along with some exceptions of Ravenclaw outcasts. Aquila could only hope to land in something that suits her, rather than her family whom she had no love for.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours"

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall.

"Please wait quietly." She left the chamber.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Someone asked. I turned to see a black-haired and green-eyed boy.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." a red-haired boy next to him replied.

The green-eyed boy looked terrified. These people don't know any about sorting? She looked around everyone anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except the bushy-haired girl who came in search of the toad with the boy, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she would use for the test. Aquila couldn't resist the rumor.

"You don't get any test, it's the sorting hat which will sort you into your house," she stated, the green-eyed boy turned to her.

"A hat?" he asked. She nodded he looked somewhat relieved. Then something happened Several people behind her screamed.

"What the —?"

Everyone gasped. Alan nearly fell down. These people are Ugh! About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying:

"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely. But Aquila on the other hand replied.

"Yes, sir Fat Friar" Alan made a face.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Fat Frier to her." "My old house, you know."

Me? In Hufflepuff? Aquila mentally laughed at the thought, Hufflepuff was the house of patience and hard work. But something about the house told her she wouldn't fit in.

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Feeling odd as though her legs had turned to lead, she got into line behind a girl with red hair, with Alan behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.

The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, she looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. Aquila heard that bushy-haired girl whisper,

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open onto the heavens.

She quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool, she put a pointed hat the sorting hat to be exact.

People probably think they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, it would be funny to think things from a Muggle-born's point of view. Aquila tried her best not to laugh but it came out like a snort Alan looked at her and asked,

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing." she quickly said. There was complete Silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth —and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment pause —

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. She saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Blackwood, Alan" McGonagall called. Alan walked to the stool and exactly after nine seconds the hat yelled

"RAVENCLAW"

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Aquila could see a pair of Red-headed twin brothers catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" they become a Slytherin

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, she noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others, it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to the green-eyed boy in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her