[i]Unicorns.[/i] They had captured her imagination as a little girl, curled up on the sofa with her mum watching [i]The Last Unicorn[/i]. She’d spent months wishing she could actually [i]be[/i] a unicorn, much to her mum’s amusement (and Brennan’s chagrin). She’d been heartbroken when none of the unicorn hair wands Ollivander had her try seemed to fit. In the end, she’d bonded with a dogwood and phoenix feather wand. She’d gotten over her upset quickly enough—her wand was so [i]happy[/i]! It always seemed to warm when she touched it, as if it were pleased to see her.

But—unicorns. For real unicorns, in the forrest! Sadie looked longingly at the trees, which looked far more inviting than they had five minutes ago. 

“Wow,” she murmured, lost in her wonderings for a moment. Seine elbowed her in the ribs. Sadie jumped and laughed bashfully, forcing herself to look away. She wasn’t sure if she could wait until third year to see a living unicorn. For now, there was a ruckus erupting on the grounds. 
They seated themselves near a group of fellow first years. The redhead—Ellis, she thought—was chattering enthusiastically to a black haired girl (Kelly? No, the bird, Kestrel!) and a bunch of boys whose names Sadie couldn’t remember. The dark haired Ravenclaw had the same look of skepticism that Sadie had seen in Freyja, and she made careful note. Sadie got the feeling that banding together with her fellow muggleborns would make this whole experience much better.

Seine asked when it would be their turn. Sadie went a little pale, but grinned weakly. She wasn’t exactly…keen on heights, but she knew she at least had to try. They were [i]flying[/i]! Maybe she could just push her way through it and everything would be fine.

“Second year,” an older boy informed them, having evidently heard Seine’s comment. Sadie looked over and tried not to swoon. The Hufflepuff leaned back on his elbows, with the sort of face that looked more like it belonged on a magazine than in a school. “It’s been nearly twenty years since a first year played.”

“Oh, that was Harry Potter, right?” Seine asked, with all the ease of someone who was not stunned by chiseled jawlines. The older student offered a lopsided grin.

“Yeah. You lot are Gryffindors, yeah? My little brother, Graham, just got sorted into your house. Try not to let him cause you too much trouble, he’s kind of a little shit.”

“Language, Adam,” A leggy Ravenclaw girl chided, punching his leg. “And look, it’s Pepper’s turn. Pay attention.”

A tall blonde with messy hair had perched on a sleek broom, crimson robes stark against the grey morning. She was laughing about something, leaning sharply into the starting line before she was off with the whistle. Someone had hung something like a screen from a window, and it wasn’t unlike a movie being played, following the girl as she sprinted through the sky, the school more blur than building on the rather strange monitor. It couldn’t be electronic—the picture wasn’t quite right, and she’d discovered that electronics simply didn’t work in the castle—but it was essentially the same thing. Someone was chattering a blow by blow, and the crowd—namely the Gryffindors—were cheering enthusiastically. 

The race didn’t last long. Soon, the blonde had crossed the finished line, her hair tousled and face flush. She laughed sheepishly as the dark haired girl shook her head, and several of the Gryffindors let out a groan.

“[i]Better luck next time, Spicy![/i]” The amplified voice of the announcer echoed. “[i]Next up![/i]”