Chapter Text
Chapter one
Wednesday, 1st September, 1971..
A huge group of children in red-and-gold ties clustered together in front of a rather grand-looking portrait: a fat lady in a delicate, lacy pink dress, with roses in her hair and an expression that said she wasn’t above being flattered.
I furrowed my brows. Why on earth were we standing in front of a painting? Hadn’t the prefect just said we were heading to Gryffindor Tower?
Frank Longbottom, the prefect in question, stepped forward with a kind of quiet authority and addressed the portrait directly.
“Loyalty is might,” he said.
The Fat Lady gave a little nod, and the portrait swung open like a door. I gasped, turning to Lily and Marlene beside me.
“Er—did you see that too?”
They both nodded, just as wide-eyed as I was.
We stepped through the portrait hole into the common room, and I swear—for a moment—I forgot how to speak. It was the warmest, cosiest place I’d ever seen. The kind of room you'd dreamt about as a child, but never believed was real.
Golden firelight danced across the walls, casting long shadows over velvet maroon armchairs that looked soft enough to drown in. The faint scent of vanilla and caramel hung in the air, sweet and nostalgic. Tapestries hung proudly above the hearths, and Gryffindor banners fluttered gently as if stirred by invisible winds. Someone had pinned up old Daily Prophet clippings and Quidditch posters, already claiming the space as home.
Marlene, grinning ear to ear, bolted for the nearest couch, and Lily and I trailed after her, still drinking in every detail.
A soft cough behind us made us turn.
“Er—first-year girls’ dormitory’s just up that staircase.”
An older girl smiled kindly at us. She had warm hazel eyes, long brown waves, and a fluffy green jumper peeking out from beneath her robes. There was something effortlessly friendly about her.
“Hi, I’m Alice. One of the Gryffindor prefects.”
I smiled back. “I’m Mary. This is Lily, and that’s Marlene. Lovely to meet you.”
She gave us a cheerful nod. “Fancy a quick tour up to your dorm? You can unpack now if you like—or leave it for tomorrow. You’ve got four whole days before lessons start, so no rush.”
“I want to explore the grounds,” I said at once, remembering the glimpse of the lake I’d caught from the boats.
“I want to see the library,” Lily chimed in brightly, eyes shining already at the thought.
Marlene snorted. “Quidditch pitch for me. My brother says it’s massive. Like, flying-is-basically-mandatory massive.”
Alice laughed. “You’ll love it all. Just try not to get lost—though you probably will. It’s sort of a rite of passage.” She winked. “I’m usually near the greenhouses if you ever need help, or someone to talk to.”
It’s strange, looking back now—how loudly life seemed to hum in that room. How everything felt gilded with possibility, like the world had just cracked open and poured all its magic into our palms. You don’t realise in the moment that you’re standing in a memory. You think you’ve got all the time in the world.
Alice showed us the staircase—narrow, winding, and clearly ancient, the sort of steps that creaked on purpose, as if they liked gossip. The bannister was warm beneath my hand, smoothed by generations of first years clambering up, probably dragging their trunks and dreams behind them.
Our dormitory was circular, tucked high in one of the towers, and when Alice opened the door. Three four-poster beds circled the room like a flower crown, each one dressed in rich crimson duvets with golden trim.