Chapter Text
Wednesday, September 1st, 1886
Poppy had never seen so many people in one place. She wasn’t used to crowds, and preferred to be surrounded by the trees and quiet with her creature friends. Maybe going to Hogwarts wasn’t such a great idea after all.
“Poppet, you’ll love it,” her grandmother soothed, straightening the girl’s braid. “And this is a chance to make some new friends, maybe find something you love almost as much as your hippogriffs and puffskeins.”
Poppy bit her lip, clutching a tin of biscuits tighter to her chest. “But what if I don’t? What if the other students don’t like me?”
Elaine Sweeting knelt down, cupping her granddaughter’s cheek. “Sweetheart, give them a chance. You’re sweet and kindhearted and loyal to a fault. Anyone would be lucky to be friends with you. Besides,” she smirked, “shortbread is a great conversation starter.” Gran tapped the tin and smiled. Then the train whistled–just a few minutes until the Hogwarts Express would pull out of the station.
Elaine kissed Poppy’s head. “Have a good term, Poppet! Make some friends and write to me once you’re settled!”
Poppy swallowed and boarded the train, trying very hard to be brave as she waved farewell to the only person that had ever truly loved her.
~~~~~
“I trust you’ll not be an embarrassment?”
Ominis Gaunt nodded at his mother’s voice, spine straight and chin held high.
“Do you not have a voice, son,” Aonghas Gaunt asked coldly.
“I will not be an embarrassment,” the boy said quietly. He gripped his wand a little tighter than necessary, trying to get his bearings without appearing weak. The platform was crowded, young people hustling and bustling everywhere.
“You’d do well to follow Lassarina’s example,” his father said stiffly. “Your sister has done well at this pitiful excuse of a school over the years. Knows the right kind of society to associate with.”
“Yes, Father,” Ominis said, not intending to follow that particular thread of advice.
“Behave yourself,” commanded his mother, Deirdre. “I do not wish to hear from Phineas any more than strictly necessary.”
“I will.”
“Off with you, then. We will expect you on the train home for the holidays.”
“Yes, Mother.” Ominis nodded farewell to his parents as he gathered his trunk and maneuvered through the crush. The amount of people was overwhelming, especially as he had to rely on his hearing and his wand to get through, but he was determined not to let anyone think him weak or incapable.
~~~~~
“Anne, if we don’t hurry, the good cabins will be taken, and I am NOT sitting next to anyone weird.”
Sebastian Sallow was excited. He and his sister hadn’t been to the school in nearly five years–not since their parents died. When they were younger, he and Anne would run amok, hiding under desks and exploring the towers while their parents taught their classes. They had practically grown up there–and then it became nothing more than a fond memory.
“Sebastian,” cried Anne, exasperated. “Dragging me by the arm won't make me move any faster. Besides, we still need to say goodbye.”
Sebastian groaned, but he knew she was right. Truth be told, he was looking forward to spending some time away from his uncle. He and Solomon got along like oil and water–everything the boy did seemed to grate his uncle's nerves. Solomon wasn’t horrible, but Seb knew he would prefer his previous child-free life to raising him and Anne. He tried to understand, but it also wasn’t his choice to grow up without his parents. Anne was more gracious about the circumstances than he was, although they weren't ideal for anyone.
The twins turned around to bid farewell to their guardian. Solomon looked at them sternly. “You two behave yourselves, alright? I expect good marks and clean records.”
“Come, Uncle, don’t you trust us,” Sebastian asked, trying for levity.
Solomon eyed them with a look disapproving of the impertinence. Sebastian could feel it–he trusted Anne. Not him.
“We’ll do our best,” Anne said sweetly, earning their uncle’s approval.
“Be safe,” he said gruffly. “Let me know if I should expect you at Christmas.” He clapped their shoulders as he dismissed them to the train. Sebastian broke out in a run, glad to be going somewhere–anywhere that wasn’t the Feldcroft cottage.
~~~~~
The train corridor was full of bodies, pushing and shoving, looking for friendly faces. A few of the first years were confident enough to sit anywhere, as was the case for Garreth. He dropped his things unceremoniously in front of a few other boys his age and sprawled out on one of the seats. “Garreth Weasley,” he introduced, shaking the other boys’ hands. “Glad to meet you! Alright if I sit?”
One of the boys barely looked up from his book as he smirked. “Amit Thakkar, and I suppose it’s alright, considering you just flopped down like you own the compartment.”
Garreth grinned–full of confidence and cheek. “And what about you,” he asked the other boy.
“Leander Prewitt,” the redhead said with smug self-assuredness. “The seat’s yours, by all means.”
It didn’t take long for Garreth to get conversation rolling in the compartment. “What are you looking forward to the most? Personally, I’m excited for potions. I mean, I can already brew a few of the standard ones, but I’m hoping we learn about how the ingredients work so I can start creating my own brews.”
Leander scoffed. “Why would you want to do that? Seems like everything useful’s already been made.”
“Come on, you can’t tell me you don’t want to see what happens when you put two new ingredients together? I want to understand the reactions…”
Amit looked scandalized. “Isn’t that dangerous though? What if it explodes?”
Garreth just shrugged, the grin spreading across his face. “Explosions can be fun…”
~~~~~
As luck would have it, there was still an empty compartment when the Sallow twins boarded the train. Anne sat down on one side, Sebastian flopped on the other, staring out the window. They watched the last few students scramble on, people waving at their families before they left. Anne raised her hand to wave at Solomon, who stood stiffly with his arms crossed, waiting for the train to depart before he left. Sebastian looked down at his lap, avoiding eye contact.
There was a commotion in the corridor, whispered voices and sniggering laughs. “We’re full,” called one boy’s voice and “saving for a friend,” added a girl. Seb and Anne peered out the compartment to see a young boy their age. Spine straight and chin lifted, wand pulsing gently.
The twins looked at each other and silently made a decision. “There’s room here, mate,” Sebastian called out, waving the boy in. He turned, and that’s when the twins noticed his eyes–a pale glassy blue that observed nothing. That must’ve been what the whispers were about.
“You can sit with us,” Anne said, making sure the boy knew they were serious. He nodded and stepped into the compartment. The twins observed the rest of him. Dark blonde hair elegantly swept back, rigid posture, pale aristocratic features. The Sallows looked at each other–this boy was more well-brought up than either of them–and although he had been rejected elsewhere, they both felt inadequate in the same compartment.
“Thank you,” he said politely. “I’m Ominis Gaunt.” Ominis stiffened, waiting for whoever his companions were to change their minds. Surely they would–not many people would want to sit next to a Gaunt. And if he was honest, he typically didn’t care for the people who did want to.
But they didn’t. The boy put his hand out. “Sebastian Sallow,” he introduced, “and my twin sister, Anne.” Ominis shook Sebastian’s hand and smiled, taking the empty spot next to him.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Anne said politely. She and Sebastian both knew the Gaunt name, having grown up in pureblood circles–though they weren’t really well-regarded. They had neither name nor wealth to recommend them. But everyone in that circle knew the Gaunts were a fearsome bunch. And yet, this boy didn’t seem like the rumors they’d heard. Cold, cruel, only associating with their own… They knew he had an older sister–and he was choosing not to sit with her. And he seemed polite and kind enough, albeit a little stiff. If he wasn't sitting with her, maybe he wasn't close to the rest of his family.
“I’m pleased to meet you, too,” Ominis said, angling his ear towards her. It was a little unnerving, not to make eye-contact as they spoke, but Anne supposed that it made more sense this way.
Sebastian had less tact. “So, your wand? It’s glowing–does that help you see? Or not see, I guess… How does it work?”
“Sebastian,” Anne hissed. “That’s impolite!”
But Ominis smiled–this was easier than the polite, tripping over words, being careful not to say the wrong thing. It was refreshing. “I’m not really sure–it’s as though it does it on its own. It’s a charm that gives me almost an outline of shapes. I can’t see color–or at least, I don’t think I can. I’m not sure exactly what color is. But I can get a general sense of what’s around–for example, I can tell there’s a seat in front of me and Anne is the only one on the bench. There’s a shadow that looks like a person, that’s her. And then I can make out the door to our left. But that’s about it. It helps me navigate without walking into a wall.”
Sebastian grinned. “That’s got to be an advanced charm to do that on its own. I’d love to look into it.”
Anne rolled her eyes and smiled. “I swear, you won’t be satisfied until you’ve learned every spell and charm ever invented.”
Sebastian scoffed. “Knowledge is power, Anne. The more you know, the more prepared you are for anything. The last thing anyone wants is to be in a situation that’s solvable, but you’re stuck because you didn’t bother to learn something. I want to know everything I can.”
Ominis bit the inside of his cheek. He wanted to say that not every spell was worth knowing–but he didn’t know the Sallows well enough, and he didn’t want to offend the only people who had bothered to be friendly to him. So instead, they steered the conversation, made small talk over silly things like Honeydukes treats and where they thought they’d be sorted.
It was the start of one of the dearest friendships any of them would ever have.
~~~~~
In the compartment across the way, three girls were gossiping and a fourth was desperately trying to fit in.
“Have any of you seen an Augery,” Poppy asked, trying to make conversation. “Lots of people think they’re unlucky, but my gran and I have one that likes to visit the hedgerow and she sings right before the rain. It’s lovely, even if it’s a bit eerie at first–”
“Merlin, are you going to talk about birds the whole ride to the Highlands,” Callista Carrow groaned. “You know, you could try normal conversation.”
Poppy snapped her mouth closed. She fumbled with the biscuit tin in her lap while Callista began talking to Saccharissa Tugwood and Amelia Selwyn, complaining that the school uniforms were so unflattering. Poppy didn’t really have much to say on the subject–she didn’t really grow up with much choice for clothes. Anything that would blend in with the trees was sufficient for her parents.
Sacharissa looked over at Poppy. “What about you, Poppy? Any thoughts on how to make the most out of those dreadful school robes?”
Poppy shook her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t do a lot of shopping growing up. And honestly, all my clothes get tracked through the creature pens,” she tried laughing.
But no one laughed with her. “That’s… peculiar,” Amelia smirked. “It’s not normal to not care about your clothes.”
“That’s it,” Callista cried out. “Peculiar Poppy! It has a nice ring to it,” she laughed, the other girls joining her.
Poppy’s insides twisted as they teased her. She knew she hadn’t spent much time with other people and had grown up isolated–but she wasn’t that strange… was she?
Instead of folding in on herself, Poppy tried once more to be kind. “Would you like a biscuit,” she asked them, opening the tin.
“Oooh, are they the butterbeer ones from Honeydukes,” asked Amelia.
“No, my gran made these. They’re shortbre–”
“Oh,” said Calista. “Homemade. How quaint.” She leaned back in her seat. “No thank you, Peculiar Poppy,” she chirped as the other girls giggled with her. Poppy closed the tin and looked out the window. It was going to be a long train ride indeed.
~~~~~
The hours rolled through, and soon enough, Hogsmeade station was in sight. The older students were pulling on their robes and the first years followed suit.
“First years? First years this way!” A voice called from the doors and dozens of students made their way into the corridor. Garreth Weasley was among the first, hopping from the train as though he’d done this dozens of times before, smiling at the other first years climbing down.
Poppy squeezed her biscuit tin to her, trying to appear as small as possible as she and the other girls stood to exit the compartment. Callista and Amelia exchanged a malicious smirk as Poppy rose.
“You first, Peculiar Poppy,” said Amelia. Poppy didn’t meet her gaze as she headed to the door, when Callista stuck out her foot causing Poppy to trip.
Poppy braced, arms pinwheeling and biscuit tin flying. She expected to crash into the floor, anticipating the laughter and teasing–but the floor never came. Instead, she slammed into something solid that held her arms–another person? Poppy turned pink, this was worse than hitting the floor–she’d humiliated herself and fell on someone and they probably hated her too.”
“Hey, I’ve got you,” came a warm voice. Poppy looked up to see a freckled boy with chocolate brown eyes–surprise clearly written on his face, but he was smiling at her. “You alright?”
Poppy nodded, mortified but relieved that this boy didn’t seem upset. “Yeah…” she managed to squeak out. “I didn’t mean to hit you, I’m so sor–”
“Don’t apologize,” he said sternly, but not unkindly. He glanced up to see the flock of giggling girls and glared. “I saw them trip you. Don’t apologize for someone else’s meanness.”
Poppy blinked, surprised. She was used to apologizing for existing, for being in the way–and in two short sentences, this boy was undoing years of training. She smiled shyly as she righted herself. “Thank you for catching me,” she managed.
“Is this yours,” a girl’s voice asked, handing Poppy the biscuit tin. She looked like a softer version of the boy who caught her. Another boy stood beside them, wand pulsing faintly, quietly listening. The first boy, still holding her arms, pulled her gently back to their compartment while the other students passed them.
Poppy took the tin from them. “It is, thank you.” She smiled at the three of them, hoping that maybe Gran was right and that she could make friends here. “I’m Poppy. Poppy Sweeting.” She looked down at the tin in front of her, opening the lid. Sugar makes the best friends. “Would… would you like a biscuit? Nothing fancy, it’s just homemade–”
“Absolutely,” the brunette boy said excitedly, grabbing one and immediately breaking it in half to share with the other boy. “I’m Sebastian, by the way,” he introduced, mouth full of shortbread.
The blonde grinned as he accepted his half of the biscuit. However, he had more manners than to cram the entire thing in his mouth while speaking. “Thank you, Poppy. I’m Ominis.”
“And my name’s Anne, and unfortunately, I’m his sister,” Anne teased, pointing her thumb at Sebastian before selecting a biscuit for herself. “Would you like to walk with us,” she asked as the crowd thinned out.
Poppy nodded eagerly. “If you’re sure,” she said, still surprised they seemed to want her company.
“Of course,” said Ominis politely.
“Especially if there’s more biscuits,” Sebastian teased. “Besides, I’m pretty strong in case you need a body guard from those girls.”
Poppy turned pink but laughed anyway. “Ignore him,” Anne said. “Any more praise and his head won’t fit through the train door and he’ll have to go back home.”
“How you wound me, little sister,” Sebastian whined, winking at Poppy.
Anne rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I’m only younger by three minutes, and I’m twice as mature.”
They reached the door, and for all his teasing and bravado, Sebastian climbed down and politely held his hand out so the girls could get down easily. Poppy took it, smiling shyly and thanking him. “Of course,” he said cheekily. “What are friends for?”
He looked at Ominis and held his hand out for him too. Ominis moved his wand and laughed. “I’m fine, Sallow. No skirts to trip over,” he laughed as he exited gracefully.
‘Friends,’ Poppy thought, a grin plastering on her face. This is what it was like to make friends.