Sunset Shimmer - A Pony in Hogwartsby ratedoniChaptersA Pony in Hogwarts 01A Pony in Hogwarts 02A Pony in Hogwarts 03A Pony in Hogwarts 04A Pony in Hogwarts 05The Most Important Tool to a WizardA Pony in Hogwarts 01A Pony in Hogwarts 01 Sunset Shimmer was sure that her teacher and mother figure had way too much fun when it came to her situation, the way she perused the stores among the bizarrely adorned stores said it all in her opinion. Everything seemed so… old fashioned in this world, or at least the parts of the world that were supposed to be magical, the rest showed a level of technology that surpassed everything back home, so why the magical users lived like they were still in the middle ages? Thank Celestia that these magical monkeys had bathrooms. Sunset left behind those thoughts or she would begin foaming at her mouth and turned to a window to check her appearance once again; the flat face had taken her back the first time she noticed it but then it became a normal thing, probably a filter spell mixed with a species changing spell brought by the mirror to make the transition between universes smoother, she couldn't put it pass Starswirl to put something like that on a portal that opened a door to other universes. Sighing once again Sunset watched Princess Celestia talking with the store owner about the properties of cauldrons, she had to admit, it was an interesting topic but Sunset was ready to throw the towel after the time spend on other stores; she enjoyed the first few, especially because of their contents, and Sunset already promised herself she would visit once again that bookstore, but this was maddening, was there some way she could have fun? Well, maybe she could, she thought to herself after catching with her eye a most interesting pair, one a young boy that seemed even younger than her with clothes that seemed too big for him and a mountain of a stallion... wait, no, it was man on this side. – If Sunset ever met Harry's so-called family she was going to make them her experiment subjects in pain threshold, who in the name of her teacher put a kid under the stairs and make them live there? And she thought the nobles back home were stupid! Family issues aside she had to admit she had fun talking with Harry which was by itself a surprise, the boy was likable if a little over-whelmed by the place, it seems it was his first time visiting Diagon Alley... and Sunset used to make fun of Pony's proclivity of horse puns, after all, diagonally? Really? She hoped there were no more puns in the future. “Yes, yer parents went to Gryffindor, I believe ya will do a great Gryffindor too” “What’s the point about houses?” Sunset still haven’t understood that point about Hogwarts, why they were separated in different dorms like that? What was the point? “Is the house that represent you, the talking hat always finds out the best house for you depending on your personality” “Wait, you mean people can judge you depending on what house you get put on by a damn talking hat?” She asked making the giant, whose name was Hagrid, a little uneasy about the question; thankfully he was saved by the arrival of Celestia. “Sorry that I took so long, it was really interesting how much a potion can change by the material of the cauldron” the tall and elegantly woman said standing at one side of Sunset while Harry stood watching the alicorn princess turned human as if it was a goddess, although taking in consideration her duties back home it wasn't that far from the truth “did I miss anything?” “Nothing much ‘mom’” Sunset used the word knowing that Celestia still felt a little out of place every time she said it “I was just talking with Hagrid about Hogwart’s houses” “Yes, I have heard about it, it is a tradition that has been inplace since the creation of the school, basically you are grouped alongside other students with similar personalities or goals as you, it may seem a little antiquated by now, but I suppose they show results” “Which was your house Miss?” both Celestia and Sunset turned their head to the bespectacled boy with a porcupine for hair and he slightly blushed at being the focus of attention. “Oh no, I didn’t go to Hogwarts, mister…” “I’m Harry Potter, so if you didn’t go to Hogwarts how do you know so much about it?” “Everyone that has magic on this world knows about Hogwarts, but if I ever went to Hogwarts I believe I would have enjoyed going to Slytherin” Celestia said with a playful smile on her face and Sunset had to give it to her, she would have been in paradise with so many people trying to manipulate each other, it would have been child’s play to Celestia and she would have let her inner troublemaker free. It seemed that Hagrid didn’t take that information well but Harry on the other hand just watched Celestia attentively as if she had given him important information. – And here she was, waiting at a station for Harry to get everything in order and Sunset stood watching him get a little worried and fidgety while looking for the secret entrance only for wizards, it was strangely funny even though Celestia kept looking at her as if she had done something wrong for enjoying the spectacle; it wasn't her fault nobody was capable of seeing the obvious signs of a charming spell put on the wall, it was frustrating how blind these humans were when it came to magic. Sunset didn't know why she accepted Celestia's idea of staying on this world and study among their magic users; she was sure she had accepted just so they could both get some time away from each other, she loved Celestia but lately they have been getting into dumb arguments, maybe with this tempers will be able to cool down by the end of the school year, not that Sunset thought it possible, they had sun cutie marks for a reason so fiery tempers were a given. While Sunset waited for the right time to get to platform 9¾ Sunset stood in the open watching Harry look around completely lost and with no direction, probably wondering himself how to get to the so called magic platform, and Sunset was having fun watching. But what happened next took the cake of the idiosyncrasies that these stupid monkeys did all the time. “So tell me, your kids go to Hogwarts too right?” she said to the redheaded woman accompanied by more redheaded morons, Sunset hoped she wasn't compared to them in school. “Of course, all of my children have gone there” Molly Weasley said with a hint of pride while Celestia simply put a hand over her face knowing exactly where this was going. “So why are you asking people, people without magic by the way, where a magic platform is located? Is like you were trying to call for attention or something like that, I don’t get it!” Leave it to Sunset to say something like that, and if that was just before Sunset got into school Celestia was happy she will not be here to see the repercussions of a pony in Hogwarts. Author's Note You know the drill, this has become its separate dimension by now. A Pony in Hogwarts 02A Pony in Hogwarts 02 “So why was she practically shouting where the platform was? I mean, it was obvious it was between 9 and 10, it was a huge door connecting both non-magical side and the wizard one, I just don’t get it, why are people strange?” Sunset said after placing all the objects in place on the train cabin that Harry, Sunset and the other redheaded kid that had followed them choose. Sunset had to be sincere on one thing, this train was as luxurious as the one Celestia used whenever she had to travel with entourage, not like that classless Friendship Express, she was sure it was designed by a color blind pony, it looked more like a toy than a real train. “Maybe mom was confused” “If your mom was confused because of this oh boy do I worry about your family” Sunset said getting on a roll and Harry had to contain a laughter at seeing the way she was going at it, it was like his aunt Petunia’s tirades but these ones were funny and basically asking why something happened instead of just complaining. “Well, we are seven kids plus mom and dad, she has a lot to do, by the way, I’m Ron Weasley” “Sunset Miroiter” why oh why did she not put attention to Celestia when she was filling the papers? Really, she didn’t know why the princess used the french version of her name; It was or extremely tacky or ingenious in its own way. “I’m Harry Potter” “Wow, you are Harry Potter? And you have the… you know… the scar?” “Oh, yeah” the dark haired boy said before moving his hair to let the other two occupants see the infamous scar on his forehead making Ron be in awe and Sunset to simply stare not knowing what was all about. “So, is there a reason why you have a rune on your head?” she asked noticing the flabbergasted look on Ron “what did I said?” “You really don’t know?” “Well, considering that I’m not from around here I suppose that would be a no” Sunset said knowing that just by saying she was from Equestria would cause so many problems even though these people were used to the bizarre, but a pony dimensional traveler would probably be a little too much for them. “I defeated a dark wizard when I was a baby and I was left with this scar, my parents died that night to that same dark wizard” Harry said repeating the words Hagrid had told him still feeling as if it had come from a fairy tale, really, he defeated a bad wizard when he was just a baby? And Sunset must have been thinking the same thing because she had a confused look on her face. “So how exactly did you defeat a dark wizard that was apparently powerful enough to kill your parents? I’m sorry by the way; I know how it feels to not have parents” Sunset said raised her hands to show she wasn’t trying to be hurtful “and I say it again, people are strange” Sunset finished knowing that sooner or later she will be using so much that it would become her signature phrase. Harry and Ron had to nod their heads at the words of the female redhead, her opinion of people being strange; they knew it very well with the people they lived with, so with no more talk about scars and family they all settled down until there was someone on the door and it ended up being a lady with a snack cart and after seeing the kind of lunch Ron had (Sunset would swear the bag contained primordial soup) Harry took out enough golden coins to buy the entire stock of candies and snacks, cart not included which was a shame on Sunset’s mind. The variety was outstanding, every flavor beans, which according to Ron it meant EVERY imaginable flavor, including healthy things and gross stuff, if there was a hay flavor Sunset was all for it; there were also sponge cakes that tasted divine, small chocolate cauldrons with a nice filling but Sunset knew it could be better; and there were the guys favorites apparently, frog chocolates that had wizard cards inside, it seemed like a nice idea, Sunset was a sucker for everything that was collectable so this was right up her alley. “So what did you get?” Ron asked munching on what seemed a hand sized apple jelly… in the form of an apple, how quaint. “I got Dumbledore” Harry said obviously impressed about the old wizard, although in the opinion of Sunset he seemed like if he hit the floor he was going to break like glass. “Well, I have several of him, and you Sunset?” She quickly torn open the box and quickly caught the frog in mid-air, like tartarus she was going to let it escape. “I got… you can’t be serious” she said looking at the woman with long light pink flowing hair and white dress smiling at her that was printed on the card. “Doesn’t she look like your mom?” Harry said also looking at the card in her hands, and it was impossible not to see the resemblance, it WAS Celestia, there was no other way, even the name! Celeste Eclat, how much more did you need? She quickly turned the card looking at the information and bio of the witch. “Age of birth and death unknown, Celeste is one of the founders of Beauxbatons academy in France, she was a powerful witch that is said knew the four founders of Hogwarts Academy, some researchers even claim that she was directly related to the great wizard Merlin” Sunset could only stay looking at the card for almost a full minute without knowing what exactly was happening and why didn’t Celestia told her about something like that. “So I guess your mom is important” Ron said impressed about the information of Celeste and finally Sunset understood why her papers said that Celestia was from France, the cheeky alicorn! “Yeah, well, she works on the government, but I wouldn’t mess with her, I have never seen her use her full power” and Sunset was curious about what were Celestia’s limitations in this world, although considering how easy it was for Sunset to find the mana lanes on this world she had an hypothesis about both Celestia and her having an advantage over humans in magic power. Any talk about her family simply stopped when the door of their cabin was opened once more by a girl wearing the most impressive hairdo in Sunset’s mind, and she had seen noble’s hairstyles. “Have any of you seen a toad? One of the boys lost his pet and we are looking for it” the girl said but Sunset simply stood watching at her in amazement. “One question; is it natural or do you do something with your hair? I mean, don’t take me wrong, I like it, I just think by its mere existence there are several laws of physics being destroyed… what? Was it something I said?” A Pony in Hogwarts 03A Pony in Hogwarts 03: The first ride is pretty bumpy “You… you like my hair?” years later Hermione Granger would facepalm anytime Sunset reminded her of their first interaction, but right now one could be forgiven considering that the mousy haired girl had not yet defeated her longtime nemesis known as her hair, so hearing a girl that by all accounts had gorgeous wavy red hair with golden highlights say something non-sarcastic or even insulting about her hair was certainly mind blowing. “Yeah, I mean, look at it, I’m sure no one in Hogwarts will have hair like that” “Fortunately, AUGH!” The jibe was soon punished by Sunset’s quick hand making contact with Ron’s head “what was that for?” “Ron, quick advice, never insult a girl’s look or the next seven years will be very painful and not by my hand” she said looking directly at Ron but while those two continued arguing Harry tuned them out and put his attention on the girl still standing. “Don’t pay them attention, I think they are always like this” Harry said enjoying the day, so far he had made a couple of friends who didn’t care who he was, well, mostly, Ron treated him like a friend but Sunset wasn’t even amazed by his story, it was great, she just treated him as Harry Potter and not The Boy Who Lived like the rest of the wizards he met back at Diagon Alley. “Is alright, are you excited about going to Hogwarts? I read the latest edition of Hogwarts: The History” that called Sunset’s attention from her entertaining argument with the other redhead. “Wait… you already read it?” she asked to the girl who was about to get into a rant about the foundation unknowingly saving Harry and Ron. “Yes, once Professor McGonagall arrived at my house and gave us all the information about me studying in Hogwarts I got the book and read it so I would know everything important” the brunette seemed so proud of what she had done that Sunset had half a mind of screaming ‘nerd’ at the top of her lungs but Ron’s comment saved her from committing that faux-pas. “The professor went to your house? You’re a muggle-born?” “A what now? What’s muggle-born?” Sunset’s confusion was obvious to Ron but thankfully instead of receiving a tactless answer that would have ended in him having a black eye Hermione was the one who answered. “It means that while I am a witch my parents are muggles, what about you all?” “I’m a Weasley, basically everyone in the family is a wizard” Ron said remembering the long list of family members that were written in his parent’s books, he didn’t know much about his mom’s side of the family and whenever he asked his mom went all quiet, it made him sad so he stopped asking. “My parents were wizards too” “I have no idea whatsoever and I don’t care” Sunset said with so much aplomb that they were all in awe at that declaration “so, anyone knows a game or we are just going to be talking about nothing until we reach Hogwarts?” and with that Ron searched through his bag and pulled a deck of cards teaching about a game called Exploding Snap, they quickly found out that Sunset’s agility and eye to hand coordination left them on the dust. Finally after several rounds of the game, more debauchery involving huge amounts of candy that no sane parent will let their kids be involved into (much to the horror of Hermione remembering all the lessons she received from her parents about dental care), talks about their own lives and before all that one last round of introductions (Hermione was really amazed of meeting Harry after she had read about him in a book that talked about important wizards and witches of the last century) the train finally stopped and they got their things in order after they split the candy left over among them. Once they were down Hermione found the boy that had lost his toad who was now clutching said toad on his hands. “So this is it? They’re making us walk to the castle?” thankfully, before Sunset could get starting a voice powerful enough to be heard by everyone started. “All first years over here!” both Harry and Sunset smiled at each other when they recognized the voice and quickly found Hagrid standing among the other first years; it was almost comical to see such a guy towering over so many children and at the same time be so careful around them, it was obvious why first year students were left on his care. So after a little greeting by the half-giant they all got into boats that had no one rowing but they still moved; it was interesting for about five seconds before Sunset put her attention on a long squid tentacle rising from the waters to the amazement of all the other kids. “Just to warn you, I’m starting to like sushi” Sunset said noticing how quickly the tentacle returned under the water. So without anything else happening everyone was left on the entrance of the huge medieval castle watching the amount of statues, armors and paintings that moved in complete astonishment, even Sunset had to be sincere, she was amazed about the place, but for different reasons. “Wow, if this is only the entrance then the rest of the castle is a gigantic kid trap, I mean, sets of armors everywhere? Is like they said, well, we have a bunch of eleven years old in the castle, what will be the safest thing that kids will never play with and will never hurt themselves when playing with them? I know, sets of armor made of metal with dangerous and pointy weapons with them” she said sending Harry on a fit of giggles that lasted until a stern woman with her dark hair on a bun received them and herded them to the mess hall where the rest of the students were reunited, or better said, separated by houses and quickly explained them how they were going to be sorted into the four houses of Hogwarts. “I knew my brothers were lying when they said I had to fight a troll” Sunset refrained from saying something about Ron, being gullible and the absence of a brain. “What if the hat sorts us on the wrong house or says we don’t belong in Hogwarts?” she barely heard Hermione mumbling about that and Sunset finally had enough. “Okay, look, if they had used that dumb hat for who knows how long I’m pretty sure they have a lot of trust on it, and besides, who cares what house you get send to? I mean, if any of us is send to a different house than the others, will you stop talking to him or her?” “Yes if they are sent to Slytherin” Ron said showing his distaste for those of green and silver making Sunset groan at those words. “See? That’s what I was talking about!” “Sunset is right, what if I get sent to Slytherin? Will you stop talking to me Ron?” “But Harry, your parents were in Gryffindor” “So what? That was them, this is our life, we can choose what we want and what we like” Sunset said huffing once more before getting ready to the spectacle that will be the house sorting. A Pony in Hogwarts 04And a spectacle it was since watching every single kid look completely terrified was in a way very entertaining. Sunset knew there was something wrong in her for find enjoyment in those kinds of things but it was definitely a sight to behold. For a moment she wondered if that was how Celestia felt every time she was at the head of court. That was also another thing that was bizarre on the Princess, how much she enjoyed running circles around everypony, so it was clear she had something else planned for Sunset besides offering another look at magical education. With no clear clue of what could happen Sunset took a look around the other kids and she had to wonder how the next seven years would go for them. She had no idea of how good they were in terms of magic considering the rules she read while preparing herself for life among these monkeys. To be denied access to magic because they were all supposed to use a wand was truly barbaric, it would be as if unicorn fillies and colts were denied their horns until they got their cutie marks or something similar. Besides, the way they manipulated the magical ley lines -and boy was Sunset surprised they existed in this world too- was bizarre to the extreme. A rather nice looking girl wearing her hair in a plait style was directed to the Hupplepuff table much to their delight looking at their cheering. The way the hat moved around and used its wrinkles as a way to get itself a face made her shiver. It looked too close to the stories she had read about magical artifact that had been brought to life and in the end killed its original owners that it made her feel uncomfortable. “Well, would you look at that? A useless half-blood in a useless house.” Sunset heard something like a whisper which was quite surprising for two things. One, that she was capable of hearing the whisper clearly; at least better than her friends, because they seemed to be looking around for the source just like her. The second thing that was surprising was what Sunset did after those words. “Why? Did it remind you of your father?” She knew she had done something she shouldn’t have, and by the look of every single new student she had said it loud enough that they all had three different reactions. One was a clear shock just like the one in Hermione’s face. The second one was laughter like Ron and Harry. The third one was outrage and fury so hard that it made the blonde boy’s face turn so red it looked like Ron’s hair. “What did you just said?” The blonde kid said while the two boys who were clearly his bodyguards -they had the same ‘stupid face, big body’ look that was almost cliché- simply blinked not knowing how to react, be offended like the blonde or also laugh like Harry and Ron. “Wow, I knew blondes were dumb but now they are deaf, great combo kiddo.” She said slowly clapping enjoying the way he was so close to lose control and start screaming like a brat. Sunset was no stranger to kids like him, thinking that their money and their daddies were enough for him to start mocking others. Bad luck for him because there was a bigger bitch in the castle now. Before either of them could continue the show the blonde was called by a dark haired witch wearing the cliché pointed hat, which Sunset had to be honest, it fit her in a strange way and made her look very regal in some way. The blonde kid -whose name was Draco Malfoy by the way- threw her one last look before taking his place, and lo and behold, not even one second and he was proclaimed as a new Slytherin much to the distaste of one table and the cheering of another. Harry and Sunset turned to look at each other and they didn’t have to be mind-readers to know what the other was thinking. Right now, being in Slytherin was kind of dangerous, all thanks to Sunset and her big mouth, but damn if it wasn’t worthy. Soon it came Ron’s turn and then Hermione and both times Sunset cheered at seeing first her fellow redhead and then the mousy brunette be proudly declared members of the House of Lions, Gryffindor. It was bizarre -at least in Sunset’s mind- the way in which she had grown closer to those two kids. If she had been back on Equestria she would have stomped out and come back to the tower to continue her studies in complete isolation. And here she was, cheering alongside others about her friends luck. Even more amazing, she had friends! How did that happen? Maybe because she found them hilarious or as a source to be acid; very few times she could let her humor and jokes be free since Equestria was always a land full of pink flowers and rainbows. She found Ron a little annoying in his coltish ways, no wait, wouldn’t that be boyish? Anyway, he was a little kid but he was a nice target for her incisive barbs and he not only took it but returned it -or tried to anyway-. Harry was a nice boy and she felt a bizarre connection with him, maybe because of the way he had lived or the way every single adult wanted him to measure him to an almost impossible mentor or parent or crazy destiny. It was exhausting and completely stupid. And then there was Hermione; the brunette was a bizarre mirror of her life and attitude, and in fact, it was terrifying. No wonder Princess Celestia all but pushed her into another dimension, because if she turned like the bookworm she would prefer to be skewered by a lance before turning into someone with clear mental traumas like Hermione. Besides that, she was nice, brainy and Sunset could see herself enjoying long talks about different topics. Sadly, all those thoughts about friendship were put aside once she heard her name being called by the teacher. So with no idea about what the future will bring she took a seat upon the rather normal chair in the middle of the elevated floor. Once she was on the chair she felt the big hat on her and she couldn’t see any more due to its size in comparison with her. “Uhm, I see that you are not a normal student, not even from this world, interesting indeed.” she heard the voice of the magical hat and had to refrain from rolling her eyes at the way it talked “but don’t be like that, after all, that’s the way I was made so there is not much I could do. So let’s start, I see a great deal of potential in you, just like a desire to better yourself, I see Slytherin in you.” “Right, because no one in the world likes to better themselves, how weird and bizarre.” Sunset couldn’t refrain herself from talking back. Like hell she would let a talking hat decide something like just because of one single thing. “And you have a fiery temper, just like that hair of yours.” “As if I haven’t heard that one before.” For Celestia’s sake, she even had a sun shaped cutie mark; her temper was not into question. “Definitely not Slytherin but still someone that could shape the future of the world, well, both worlds in your case." “Maybe I could give a little suggestion?” Sunset said quickly giving her idea to the hat and every professor was left in awe at watching the hat grin due to what the redhead had whispered to him. “My dear, that is wicked, GRYFFINDOR!” The hat proudly said and Sunset also had to grin at what had just happened, because it was one thing to be a snake in the open or walk in false pride as a lion. But it was another to be a hidden snake, one not only protected by the lion cubs, but one that could grow to become the power behind the power in the school. Right now, Sunset was the Cobra in Red and Gold, let Hogwarts tremble at her presence. Author's Note And ther eyou got it boys and girls! She is a lioness? Nope, she is something more dangerous, a snake dressed as a lion, a good one but still dangerous as hell. A Pony in Hogwarts 05Idly, Sunset wondered if this was how Princess Celestia felt like whenever she held court, well, not really since both circumstances were completely different, but in a way there were some minor similarities, although you had to squint a little. First of all, while the whole place was as raucous as one of the parties that the guards made every month in the castle, there was a sense of control. Maybe it was the way the school had been divided in five different sections; four for the houses and one for the teachers. Second, just by the looks that every table sends to members of the other one, you could see the interactions between them. Slytherin and Gryffindor kept sending murderous looks filled with all the venom that a teenager or child could muster, but most times it only ended up looking quite adorable in some. Ravenclaw members looked at the other table members with looks of scrutiny, to see if there was anything interesting to see so they could analyze it, although maybe she was giving them too much credit. Meanwhile, Hupplepuff kept themselves out of the horrible dominance battle and simply waved or smiled at other tables. It was clear that Hupplepuff were the neutral party, something to remember for later, maybe to be exploited or to use at a later date. Who knows? They could prove useful; after all, she will be in the school for the next seven years, minus some time back in Equestria. Now that she thought about it, how would that mirror thing work? After all there was supposed to be some kind of time limiter in that thing, maybe Celestia wanted her to work on that as a side project. Any ideas she might have had were dashed away after her first sip of the concoction in front of her. She had to gag and every ounce of self-control she had to avoid having to vomit right in front of everyone. This was supposed to be pumpkin juice? The thing tasted horrible! Where was the juice? This was only pulp and a liquefied corpse for all she knew; these humans were insane to drink something as nasty as this. She had to find a way to get her hands on some nice apple juice or she will find a way to murder for it. After she cleaned her tongue with a napkin Sunset went back to her own thoughts about how the place reminded her of home and court. It was true that the only thing that was similar at first sight was the magic permeating the whole place, but it went beyond that. Even now, this being her first day, she could see groups of power already starting. On Slytherin’s side, Draco Malfoy already gathered his own side, not that the older boys will let him have the power he thought was his own by birth. He will, without a doubt, have to knock some heads to climb that power totem. That is if he was smart, because Sunset was sure daddy dearest won’t move a finger to put him in the throne. If he failed or had success, it didn’t matter, because either way Sunset will make his life miserable, maybe enough to see him fall from grace. There was a story she had read about human history that she would gladly reenact, she just had to find who would be the perfect Brutus. Beyond her nice little thoughts about the demise of a future rival, Sunset did notice how the Gryffindor table was arranged. It was not as obvious as the green ones, but the way in which Harry had been shuffled into the center was sickening, as if he was some kind of trophy they had just won. Well, he would have been put in the center if it weren’t for Sunset sitting down at that place. The face of the older students was enough for Sunset to feel as if she had won the first round of many against them. So here she was, basically holding the Gryffindor Court with a thankful Harry at her right side and a wide eyed Hermione on her left. They were also surrounded by what seemed to be the whole Wesley clan. Good, they could work as guards or human shields, whatever came first. “You so have to teach us how you did it this morning,” one of the twins said to Sunset. “Yeah, we’ve never seen someone make Mom stay quiet like that.” “It was as if she had seen a ghost.” “Well, more like great grandma’s ghost.” “She never liked to hear her complains.” “Not really,” the way the two played on each other sentences must be an acquired skill because it was hilarious, if a little annoying. “Common sense, it seems you wizards are really weak against it. Anyway, what’s with the blondie in Slytherin? “Malfoy? Not sure, but his dad is a nasty git.” “Fred, please, abstain yourself from using those words.” “Come on Percy, you know he is one.” “I’m not saying he is not, which he is by the way, both mom and dad complain enough times about them, just don’t use those words around kids,” the grave looking teenager said, the one that was obviously Percy and the oldest Weasley still in school. He had the looks of a bureaucrat although there might be some salvation for him. In the end it had been fun, with interesting people to meet and some interesting food, but all fun most end at some point and they were all herded away like baby ducklings into their new dorms. Just watching who would be her new roommate; to see Hermione’s smile made Sunset return it and it was weird. Here she was, with what could be her first female friend and it wasn’t even a pony. She was sure this world was changing her beyond the physical. Sadly, all her good humor evaporated after seeing inside their dorm and the brunette girl that was already putting posters and pictures up in the wall. By the way they all smiled and winked at the unseen camera she was sure they were actors and pop artists. “Hermione, I’m going to kill her and you will be my alibi.” “Sunset, wait! You cannot kill someone in the school; it says so in the rulebook!” The Most Important Tool to a WizardIt wasn’t that weird of a thing in the opinion of Sunset Shimmer. Sure, the usage of magical artifacts wasn’t exactly banned back in Equestria, but things like wands and staffs were a thing of the past. Now, with the development of new teaching methods to make little foals understand their particular brand of magic and hone them for the future; it was a very profitable and also challenging profession, not that Sunset could complain since she had the best in terms of education, just look who was her teacher. Still, the idea of using a wand to make a spell was utterly medieval at this point, which confounded Sunset once she saw what she had to get for her first day at Hogwarts. As the rest of her school companions continued to talk animatedly about how excited they were about the classes and new things they will be able to do, Sunset looked at the piece of wood on her hands still wondering how humans started to use this variation of the wand. It would truly be an interesting research for her and she already was dying to see the school library for more information. Still, the little piece of wood that worked as her direct connection with the magical leylines present in the planet was bizarre, but at the same time a piece of art on itself; it was clear that wands were very important and for what she understood, they were almost a reflection of the owner, thanks to the magical properties of the materials that were used to make the wand. The man that owned the place where they got the wand seemed very surprised about Harry’s wand, especially the part when he explained the core of the wand. Apparently phoenixes were rarer in this side of the mirror and that they still were the skittish sort of bird. Sunset wondered if that other wand was used by the dark wizard that gave Harry his scar. That was also another thing to research soon. Olivander had taken a long look at both kids and paraded them with an almost infinite amount of wands, so many in fact, that Sunset was ready to throw the towel and take the first she could reach. Apparently, one didn’t choose a wand; it was the other way around apparently. Thankfully, Olivander had taken a long look at Sunset and finally went to the back of his store, coming back with a strange box that had been engraved all around. Once he arrived, he took off the lid; he then took a deep red wand from the inside and presented it to Sunset. The magic wand looked as if it had been twisted from one point to the other, while the handle curved like a rapier around Sunset’s hand. It was comfortable and in a sense warm. Moving the wand around, the tip of it began to shine and let out small sparks; it felt like the first time she had been able to send magic through her horn. Sure, it was a very foolish display of power, but after exploding windows and sending cabinets flying, this was a good sign. Apparently Olivander also thought so because he was suddenly very interested in what Sunset was doing. “Perplexing I must say; I’ve had this wand for many years and never before someone seemed to be compatible with this particular wand,” he said, obviously being a fan of theatricals by the way he moved and talked. Behind Sunset, Celestia seemed to be really interested on what was going on, since she put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, signaling that it would be good to pay attention to his explanation “you see Miss Miroiter, that particular type of wood is not native to the islands, it was brought from America. Yes, Red Oak with a core made of a Chinese Fireball heartstring; it was made specifically for dueling. It is adaptable, fast, and powerful and a clear sign of the personality of the wizard. Miss Miroiter, this wand chose you specifically so now, we will see where this wand will take you,” to say that Sunset was dumfounded was not an exaggeration. All her life she knew about her terrible temper; it had brought her many problems, among them the way her relationship with Princess Celestia had deteriorated. She was stubborn, quick to anger and never one to back down, which apparently also was shown by the power of her wand. It was a piece of art as a sculpture or a painting and way more useful, so unlike the one that Harry had, this one was not tied to a quest against the darkness according to adults in general, but it was more like a physical representation of what she was and what she could be. She still didn’t understand the real reason why she was send to Hogwarts, but maybe her wand and the way Olivander was so interested in her was a clue. Of course, she knew that Celestia probably had layers upon layers of plans and that she had barely scratched the surface; still, it was a good idea to start somewhere. Taking her eyes away from the wand, Sunset turned to look at the other students, seeing how they behaved. Sure, she was more interested in her own development as a witch and wanted to gain power, not because she wanted to become an alicorn -at least not for the moment-, but because there was a veritable fountain of new knowledge waiting for her and she could only imagine what she will find. That she could stomp on several toes and create Trollestia levels of chaos and manipulation, well, that was basically a bonus for her. “So, what do we have this day?” “Basically, every class, including transfiguration, charms, potions and also broom flying,” of course, Sunset asked the only student that would have an idea of what they will see and was also prepared beforehand. Hermione was quite the piece of work; at first sight she looked arrogant and ready to demonstrate how smart she was, but after years of dealing with petty nobles and rude upstarts, Sunset could read behind the lines and what she saw made the redhead feel something weird; empathy. Hermione was not arrogant; sure, she was proud of her intellect, but what Sunset could read behind her mask, was that Hermione was scared and nervous. Here she was, a girl that didn’t belong in the magical world, with her only weapons her desire of knowledge, a passion for study and more stubbornness that should be allowed. It was like looking at a carnival mirror. It was similar and yet so bizarre that made Sunset laugh once she understood the bushy haired girl. Hermione was as alien in Hogwarts as Sunset herself was, which in a way created a bond between both girls and for once in her life, Sunset wasn’t so adamant against it. Sure, she will enjoy having her own private time, just so she could plan and strategize her next movements against the clear royalty of Hogwarts, but for now, she could help a young little lost witch find her place in the enormity of the castle. “Not keen to the idea of flying?” “I haven’t even been on a plane, much less a flimsy piece of wood that could make me fall to my doom.” “Come on, where’s your sense of adventure? Besides, there’s going to be a teacher, what’s the worst that could happen?” that was also one big problem for Sunset, she always loved to tempt fate. Author's Note Is fascinating the amount of different materials available for a wand; it was as fun to read about the topic as it was to write it.
A Pony in Hogwarts 01A Pony in Hogwarts 01 Sunset Shimmer was sure that her teacher and mother figure had way too much fun when it came to her situation, the way she perused the stores among the bizarrely adorned stores said it all in her opinion. Everything seemed so… old fashioned in this world, or at least the parts of the world that were supposed to be magical, the rest showed a level of technology that surpassed everything back home, so why the magical users lived like they were still in the middle ages? Thank Celestia that these magical monkeys had bathrooms. Sunset left behind those thoughts or she would begin foaming at her mouth and turned to a window to check her appearance once again; the flat face had taken her back the first time she noticed it but then it became a normal thing, probably a filter spell mixed with a species changing spell brought by the mirror to make the transition between universes smoother, she couldn't put it pass Starswirl to put something like that on a portal that opened a door to other universes. Sighing once again Sunset watched Princess Celestia talking with the store owner about the properties of cauldrons, she had to admit, it was an interesting topic but Sunset was ready to throw the towel after the time spend on other stores; she enjoyed the first few, especially because of their contents, and Sunset already promised herself she would visit once again that bookstore, but this was maddening, was there some way she could have fun? Well, maybe she could, she thought to herself after catching with her eye a most interesting pair, one a young boy that seemed even younger than her with clothes that seemed too big for him and a mountain of a stallion... wait, no, it was man on this side. – If Sunset ever met Harry's so-called family she was going to make them her experiment subjects in pain threshold, who in the name of her teacher put a kid under the stairs and make them live there? And she thought the nobles back home were stupid! Family issues aside she had to admit she had fun talking with Harry which was by itself a surprise, the boy was likable if a little over-whelmed by the place, it seems it was his first time visiting Diagon Alley... and Sunset used to make fun of Pony's proclivity of horse puns, after all, diagonally? Really? She hoped there were no more puns in the future. “Yes, yer parents went to Gryffindor, I believe ya will do a great Gryffindor too” “What’s the point about houses?” Sunset still haven’t understood that point about Hogwarts, why they were separated in different dorms like that? What was the point? “Is the house that represent you, the talking hat always finds out the best house for you depending on your personality” “Wait, you mean people can judge you depending on what house you get put on by a damn talking hat?” She asked making the giant, whose name was Hagrid, a little uneasy about the question; thankfully he was saved by the arrival of Celestia. “Sorry that I took so long, it was really interesting how much a potion can change by the material of the cauldron” the tall and elegantly woman said standing at one side of Sunset while Harry stood watching the alicorn princess turned human as if it was a goddess, although taking in consideration her duties back home it wasn't that far from the truth “did I miss anything?” “Nothing much ‘mom’” Sunset used the word knowing that Celestia still felt a little out of place every time she said it “I was just talking with Hagrid about Hogwart’s houses” “Yes, I have heard about it, it is a tradition that has been inplace since the creation of the school, basically you are grouped alongside other students with similar personalities or goals as you, it may seem a little antiquated by now, but I suppose they show results” “Which was your house Miss?” both Celestia and Sunset turned their head to the bespectacled boy with a porcupine for hair and he slightly blushed at being the focus of attention. “Oh no, I didn’t go to Hogwarts, mister…” “I’m Harry Potter, so if you didn’t go to Hogwarts how do you know so much about it?” “Everyone that has magic on this world knows about Hogwarts, but if I ever went to Hogwarts I believe I would have enjoyed going to Slytherin” Celestia said with a playful smile on her face and Sunset had to give it to her, she would have been in paradise with so many people trying to manipulate each other, it would have been child’s play to Celestia and she would have let her inner troublemaker free. It seemed that Hagrid didn’t take that information well but Harry on the other hand just watched Celestia attentively as if she had given him important information. – And here she was, waiting at a station for Harry to get everything in order and Sunset stood watching him get a little worried and fidgety while looking for the secret entrance only for wizards, it was strangely funny even though Celestia kept looking at her as if she had done something wrong for enjoying the spectacle; it wasn't her fault nobody was capable of seeing the obvious signs of a charming spell put on the wall, it was frustrating how blind these humans were when it came to magic. Sunset didn't know why she accepted Celestia's idea of staying on this world and study among their magic users; she was sure she had accepted just so they could both get some time away from each other, she loved Celestia but lately they have been getting into dumb arguments, maybe with this tempers will be able to cool down by the end of the school year, not that Sunset thought it possible, they had sun cutie marks for a reason so fiery tempers were a given. While Sunset waited for the right time to get to platform 9¾ Sunset stood in the open watching Harry look around completely lost and with no direction, probably wondering himself how to get to the so called magic platform, and Sunset was having fun watching. But what happened next took the cake of the idiosyncrasies that these stupid monkeys did all the time. “So tell me, your kids go to Hogwarts too right?” she said to the redheaded woman accompanied by more redheaded morons, Sunset hoped she wasn't compared to them in school. “Of course, all of my children have gone there” Molly Weasley said with a hint of pride while Celestia simply put a hand over her face knowing exactly where this was going. “So why are you asking people, people without magic by the way, where a magic platform is located? Is like you were trying to call for attention or something like that, I don’t get it!” Leave it to Sunset to say something like that, and if that was just before Sunset got into school Celestia was happy she will not be here to see the repercussions of a pony in Hogwarts. Author's Note You know the drill, this has become its separate dimension by now.
A Pony in Hogwarts 02A Pony in Hogwarts 02 “So why was she practically shouting where the platform was? I mean, it was obvious it was between 9 and 10, it was a huge door connecting both non-magical side and the wizard one, I just don’t get it, why are people strange?” Sunset said after placing all the objects in place on the train cabin that Harry, Sunset and the other redheaded kid that had followed them choose. Sunset had to be sincere on one thing, this train was as luxurious as the one Celestia used whenever she had to travel with entourage, not like that classless Friendship Express, she was sure it was designed by a color blind pony, it looked more like a toy than a real train. “Maybe mom was confused” “If your mom was confused because of this oh boy do I worry about your family” Sunset said getting on a roll and Harry had to contain a laughter at seeing the way she was going at it, it was like his aunt Petunia’s tirades but these ones were funny and basically asking why something happened instead of just complaining. “Well, we are seven kids plus mom and dad, she has a lot to do, by the way, I’m Ron Weasley” “Sunset Miroiter” why oh why did she not put attention to Celestia when she was filling the papers? Really, she didn’t know why the princess used the french version of her name; It was or extremely tacky or ingenious in its own way. “I’m Harry Potter” “Wow, you are Harry Potter? And you have the… you know… the scar?” “Oh, yeah” the dark haired boy said before moving his hair to let the other two occupants see the infamous scar on his forehead making Ron be in awe and Sunset to simply stare not knowing what was all about. “So, is there a reason why you have a rune on your head?” she asked noticing the flabbergasted look on Ron “what did I said?” “You really don’t know?” “Well, considering that I’m not from around here I suppose that would be a no” Sunset said knowing that just by saying she was from Equestria would cause so many problems even though these people were used to the bizarre, but a pony dimensional traveler would probably be a little too much for them. “I defeated a dark wizard when I was a baby and I was left with this scar, my parents died that night to that same dark wizard” Harry said repeating the words Hagrid had told him still feeling as if it had come from a fairy tale, really, he defeated a bad wizard when he was just a baby? And Sunset must have been thinking the same thing because she had a confused look on her face. “So how exactly did you defeat a dark wizard that was apparently powerful enough to kill your parents? I’m sorry by the way; I know how it feels to not have parents” Sunset said raised her hands to show she wasn’t trying to be hurtful “and I say it again, people are strange” Sunset finished knowing that sooner or later she will be using so much that it would become her signature phrase. Harry and Ron had to nod their heads at the words of the female redhead, her opinion of people being strange; they knew it very well with the people they lived with, so with no more talk about scars and family they all settled down until there was someone on the door and it ended up being a lady with a snack cart and after seeing the kind of lunch Ron had (Sunset would swear the bag contained primordial soup) Harry took out enough golden coins to buy the entire stock of candies and snacks, cart not included which was a shame on Sunset’s mind. The variety was outstanding, every flavor beans, which according to Ron it meant EVERY imaginable flavor, including healthy things and gross stuff, if there was a hay flavor Sunset was all for it; there were also sponge cakes that tasted divine, small chocolate cauldrons with a nice filling but Sunset knew it could be better; and there were the guys favorites apparently, frog chocolates that had wizard cards inside, it seemed like a nice idea, Sunset was a sucker for everything that was collectable so this was right up her alley. “So what did you get?” Ron asked munching on what seemed a hand sized apple jelly… in the form of an apple, how quaint. “I got Dumbledore” Harry said obviously impressed about the old wizard, although in the opinion of Sunset he seemed like if he hit the floor he was going to break like glass. “Well, I have several of him, and you Sunset?” She quickly torn open the box and quickly caught the frog in mid-air, like tartarus she was going to let it escape. “I got… you can’t be serious” she said looking at the woman with long light pink flowing hair and white dress smiling at her that was printed on the card. “Doesn’t she look like your mom?” Harry said also looking at the card in her hands, and it was impossible not to see the resemblance, it WAS Celestia, there was no other way, even the name! Celeste Eclat, how much more did you need? She quickly turned the card looking at the information and bio of the witch. “Age of birth and death unknown, Celeste is one of the founders of Beauxbatons academy in France, she was a powerful witch that is said knew the four founders of Hogwarts Academy, some researchers even claim that she was directly related to the great wizard Merlin” Sunset could only stay looking at the card for almost a full minute without knowing what exactly was happening and why didn’t Celestia told her about something like that. “So I guess your mom is important” Ron said impressed about the information of Celeste and finally Sunset understood why her papers said that Celestia was from France, the cheeky alicorn! “Yeah, well, she works on the government, but I wouldn’t mess with her, I have never seen her use her full power” and Sunset was curious about what were Celestia’s limitations in this world, although considering how easy it was for Sunset to find the mana lanes on this world she had an hypothesis about both Celestia and her having an advantage over humans in magic power. Any talk about her family simply stopped when the door of their cabin was opened once more by a girl wearing the most impressive hairdo in Sunset’s mind, and she had seen noble’s hairstyles. “Have any of you seen a toad? One of the boys lost his pet and we are looking for it” the girl said but Sunset simply stood watching at her in amazement. “One question; is it natural or do you do something with your hair? I mean, don’t take me wrong, I like it, I just think by its mere existence there are several laws of physics being destroyed… what? Was it something I said?”
A Pony in Hogwarts 03A Pony in Hogwarts 03: The first ride is pretty bumpy “You… you like my hair?” years later Hermione Granger would facepalm anytime Sunset reminded her of their first interaction, but right now one could be forgiven considering that the mousy haired girl had not yet defeated her longtime nemesis known as her hair, so hearing a girl that by all accounts had gorgeous wavy red hair with golden highlights say something non-sarcastic or even insulting about her hair was certainly mind blowing. “Yeah, I mean, look at it, I’m sure no one in Hogwarts will have hair like that” “Fortunately, AUGH!” The jibe was soon punished by Sunset’s quick hand making contact with Ron’s head “what was that for?” “Ron, quick advice, never insult a girl’s look or the next seven years will be very painful and not by my hand” she said looking directly at Ron but while those two continued arguing Harry tuned them out and put his attention on the girl still standing. “Don’t pay them attention, I think they are always like this” Harry said enjoying the day, so far he had made a couple of friends who didn’t care who he was, well, mostly, Ron treated him like a friend but Sunset wasn’t even amazed by his story, it was great, she just treated him as Harry Potter and not The Boy Who Lived like the rest of the wizards he met back at Diagon Alley. “Is alright, are you excited about going to Hogwarts? I read the latest edition of Hogwarts: The History” that called Sunset’s attention from her entertaining argument with the other redhead. “Wait… you already read it?” she asked to the girl who was about to get into a rant about the foundation unknowingly saving Harry and Ron. “Yes, once Professor McGonagall arrived at my house and gave us all the information about me studying in Hogwarts I got the book and read it so I would know everything important” the brunette seemed so proud of what she had done that Sunset had half a mind of screaming ‘nerd’ at the top of her lungs but Ron’s comment saved her from committing that faux-pas. “The professor went to your house? You’re a muggle-born?” “A what now? What’s muggle-born?” Sunset’s confusion was obvious to Ron but thankfully instead of receiving a tactless answer that would have ended in him having a black eye Hermione was the one who answered. “It means that while I am a witch my parents are muggles, what about you all?” “I’m a Weasley, basically everyone in the family is a wizard” Ron said remembering the long list of family members that were written in his parent’s books, he didn’t know much about his mom’s side of the family and whenever he asked his mom went all quiet, it made him sad so he stopped asking. “My parents were wizards too” “I have no idea whatsoever and I don’t care” Sunset said with so much aplomb that they were all in awe at that declaration “so, anyone knows a game or we are just going to be talking about nothing until we reach Hogwarts?” and with that Ron searched through his bag and pulled a deck of cards teaching about a game called Exploding Snap, they quickly found out that Sunset’s agility and eye to hand coordination left them on the dust. Finally after several rounds of the game, more debauchery involving huge amounts of candy that no sane parent will let their kids be involved into (much to the horror of Hermione remembering all the lessons she received from her parents about dental care), talks about their own lives and before all that one last round of introductions (Hermione was really amazed of meeting Harry after she had read about him in a book that talked about important wizards and witches of the last century) the train finally stopped and they got their things in order after they split the candy left over among them. Once they were down Hermione found the boy that had lost his toad who was now clutching said toad on his hands. “So this is it? They’re making us walk to the castle?” thankfully, before Sunset could get starting a voice powerful enough to be heard by everyone started. “All first years over here!” both Harry and Sunset smiled at each other when they recognized the voice and quickly found Hagrid standing among the other first years; it was almost comical to see such a guy towering over so many children and at the same time be so careful around them, it was obvious why first year students were left on his care. So after a little greeting by the half-giant they all got into boats that had no one rowing but they still moved; it was interesting for about five seconds before Sunset put her attention on a long squid tentacle rising from the waters to the amazement of all the other kids. “Just to warn you, I’m starting to like sushi” Sunset said noticing how quickly the tentacle returned under the water. So without anything else happening everyone was left on the entrance of the huge medieval castle watching the amount of statues, armors and paintings that moved in complete astonishment, even Sunset had to be sincere, she was amazed about the place, but for different reasons. “Wow, if this is only the entrance then the rest of the castle is a gigantic kid trap, I mean, sets of armors everywhere? Is like they said, well, we have a bunch of eleven years old in the castle, what will be the safest thing that kids will never play with and will never hurt themselves when playing with them? I know, sets of armor made of metal with dangerous and pointy weapons with them” she said sending Harry on a fit of giggles that lasted until a stern woman with her dark hair on a bun received them and herded them to the mess hall where the rest of the students were reunited, or better said, separated by houses and quickly explained them how they were going to be sorted into the four houses of Hogwarts. “I knew my brothers were lying when they said I had to fight a troll” Sunset refrained from saying something about Ron, being gullible and the absence of a brain. “What if the hat sorts us on the wrong house or says we don’t belong in Hogwarts?” she barely heard Hermione mumbling about that and Sunset finally had enough. “Okay, look, if they had used that dumb hat for who knows how long I’m pretty sure they have a lot of trust on it, and besides, who cares what house you get send to? I mean, if any of us is send to a different house than the others, will you stop talking to him or her?” “Yes if they are sent to Slytherin” Ron said showing his distaste for those of green and silver making Sunset groan at those words. “See? That’s what I was talking about!” “Sunset is right, what if I get sent to Slytherin? Will you stop talking to me Ron?” “But Harry, your parents were in Gryffindor” “So what? That was them, this is our life, we can choose what we want and what we like” Sunset said huffing once more before getting ready to the spectacle that will be the house sorting.
A Pony in Hogwarts 04And a spectacle it was since watching every single kid look completely terrified was in a way very entertaining. Sunset knew there was something wrong in her for find enjoyment in those kinds of things but it was definitely a sight to behold. For a moment she wondered if that was how Celestia felt every time she was at the head of court. That was also another thing that was bizarre on the Princess, how much she enjoyed running circles around everypony, so it was clear she had something else planned for Sunset besides offering another look at magical education. With no clear clue of what could happen Sunset took a look around the other kids and she had to wonder how the next seven years would go for them. She had no idea of how good they were in terms of magic considering the rules she read while preparing herself for life among these monkeys. To be denied access to magic because they were all supposed to use a wand was truly barbaric, it would be as if unicorn fillies and colts were denied their horns until they got their cutie marks or something similar. Besides, the way they manipulated the magical ley lines -and boy was Sunset surprised they existed in this world too- was bizarre to the extreme. A rather nice looking girl wearing her hair in a plait style was directed to the Hupplepuff table much to their delight looking at their cheering. The way the hat moved around and used its wrinkles as a way to get itself a face made her shiver. It looked too close to the stories she had read about magical artifact that had been brought to life and in the end killed its original owners that it made her feel uncomfortable. “Well, would you look at that? A useless half-blood in a useless house.” Sunset heard something like a whisper which was quite surprising for two things. One, that she was capable of hearing the whisper clearly; at least better than her friends, because they seemed to be looking around for the source just like her. The second thing that was surprising was what Sunset did after those words. “Why? Did it remind you of your father?” She knew she had done something she shouldn’t have, and by the look of every single new student she had said it loud enough that they all had three different reactions. One was a clear shock just like the one in Hermione’s face. The second one was laughter like Ron and Harry. The third one was outrage and fury so hard that it made the blonde boy’s face turn so red it looked like Ron’s hair. “What did you just said?” The blonde kid said while the two boys who were clearly his bodyguards -they had the same ‘stupid face, big body’ look that was almost cliché- simply blinked not knowing how to react, be offended like the blonde or also laugh like Harry and Ron. “Wow, I knew blondes were dumb but now they are deaf, great combo kiddo.” She said slowly clapping enjoying the way he was so close to lose control and start screaming like a brat. Sunset was no stranger to kids like him, thinking that their money and their daddies were enough for him to start mocking others. Bad luck for him because there was a bigger bitch in the castle now. Before either of them could continue the show the blonde was called by a dark haired witch wearing the cliché pointed hat, which Sunset had to be honest, it fit her in a strange way and made her look very regal in some way. The blonde kid -whose name was Draco Malfoy by the way- threw her one last look before taking his place, and lo and behold, not even one second and he was proclaimed as a new Slytherin much to the distaste of one table and the cheering of another. Harry and Sunset turned to look at each other and they didn’t have to be mind-readers to know what the other was thinking. Right now, being in Slytherin was kind of dangerous, all thanks to Sunset and her big mouth, but damn if it wasn’t worthy. Soon it came Ron’s turn and then Hermione and both times Sunset cheered at seeing first her fellow redhead and then the mousy brunette be proudly declared members of the House of Lions, Gryffindor. It was bizarre -at least in Sunset’s mind- the way in which she had grown closer to those two kids. If she had been back on Equestria she would have stomped out and come back to the tower to continue her studies in complete isolation. And here she was, cheering alongside others about her friends luck. Even more amazing, she had friends! How did that happen? Maybe because she found them hilarious or as a source to be acid; very few times she could let her humor and jokes be free since Equestria was always a land full of pink flowers and rainbows. She found Ron a little annoying in his coltish ways, no wait, wouldn’t that be boyish? Anyway, he was a little kid but he was a nice target for her incisive barbs and he not only took it but returned it -or tried to anyway-. Harry was a nice boy and she felt a bizarre connection with him, maybe because of the way he had lived or the way every single adult wanted him to measure him to an almost impossible mentor or parent or crazy destiny. It was exhausting and completely stupid. And then there was Hermione; the brunette was a bizarre mirror of her life and attitude, and in fact, it was terrifying. No wonder Princess Celestia all but pushed her into another dimension, because if she turned like the bookworm she would prefer to be skewered by a lance before turning into someone with clear mental traumas like Hermione. Besides that, she was nice, brainy and Sunset could see herself enjoying long talks about different topics. Sadly, all those thoughts about friendship were put aside once she heard her name being called by the teacher. So with no idea about what the future will bring she took a seat upon the rather normal chair in the middle of the elevated floor. Once she was on the chair she felt the big hat on her and she couldn’t see any more due to its size in comparison with her. “Uhm, I see that you are not a normal student, not even from this world, interesting indeed.” she heard the voice of the magical hat and had to refrain from rolling her eyes at the way it talked “but don’t be like that, after all, that’s the way I was made so there is not much I could do. So let’s start, I see a great deal of potential in you, just like a desire to better yourself, I see Slytherin in you.” “Right, because no one in the world likes to better themselves, how weird and bizarre.” Sunset couldn’t refrain herself from talking back. Like hell she would let a talking hat decide something like just because of one single thing. “And you have a fiery temper, just like that hair of yours.” “As if I haven’t heard that one before.” For Celestia’s sake, she even had a sun shaped cutie mark; her temper was not into question. “Definitely not Slytherin but still someone that could shape the future of the world, well, both worlds in your case." “Maybe I could give a little suggestion?” Sunset said quickly giving her idea to the hat and every professor was left in awe at watching the hat grin due to what the redhead had whispered to him. “My dear, that is wicked, GRYFFINDOR!” The hat proudly said and Sunset also had to grin at what had just happened, because it was one thing to be a snake in the open or walk in false pride as a lion. But it was another to be a hidden snake, one not only protected by the lion cubs, but one that could grow to become the power behind the power in the school. Right now, Sunset was the Cobra in Red and Gold, let Hogwarts tremble at her presence. Author's Note And ther eyou got it boys and girls! She is a lioness? Nope, she is something more dangerous, a snake dressed as a lion, a good one but still dangerous as hell.
A Pony in Hogwarts 05Idly, Sunset wondered if this was how Princess Celestia felt like whenever she held court, well, not really since both circumstances were completely different, but in a way there were some minor similarities, although you had to squint a little. First of all, while the whole place was as raucous as one of the parties that the guards made every month in the castle, there was a sense of control. Maybe it was the way the school had been divided in five different sections; four for the houses and one for the teachers. Second, just by the looks that every table sends to members of the other one, you could see the interactions between them. Slytherin and Gryffindor kept sending murderous looks filled with all the venom that a teenager or child could muster, but most times it only ended up looking quite adorable in some. Ravenclaw members looked at the other table members with looks of scrutiny, to see if there was anything interesting to see so they could analyze it, although maybe she was giving them too much credit. Meanwhile, Hupplepuff kept themselves out of the horrible dominance battle and simply waved or smiled at other tables. It was clear that Hupplepuff were the neutral party, something to remember for later, maybe to be exploited or to use at a later date. Who knows? They could prove useful; after all, she will be in the school for the next seven years, minus some time back in Equestria. Now that she thought about it, how would that mirror thing work? After all there was supposed to be some kind of time limiter in that thing, maybe Celestia wanted her to work on that as a side project. Any ideas she might have had were dashed away after her first sip of the concoction in front of her. She had to gag and every ounce of self-control she had to avoid having to vomit right in front of everyone. This was supposed to be pumpkin juice? The thing tasted horrible! Where was the juice? This was only pulp and a liquefied corpse for all she knew; these humans were insane to drink something as nasty as this. She had to find a way to get her hands on some nice apple juice or she will find a way to murder for it. After she cleaned her tongue with a napkin Sunset went back to her own thoughts about how the place reminded her of home and court. It was true that the only thing that was similar at first sight was the magic permeating the whole place, but it went beyond that. Even now, this being her first day, she could see groups of power already starting. On Slytherin’s side, Draco Malfoy already gathered his own side, not that the older boys will let him have the power he thought was his own by birth. He will, without a doubt, have to knock some heads to climb that power totem. That is if he was smart, because Sunset was sure daddy dearest won’t move a finger to put him in the throne. If he failed or had success, it didn’t matter, because either way Sunset will make his life miserable, maybe enough to see him fall from grace. There was a story she had read about human history that she would gladly reenact, she just had to find who would be the perfect Brutus. Beyond her nice little thoughts about the demise of a future rival, Sunset did notice how the Gryffindor table was arranged. It was not as obvious as the green ones, but the way in which Harry had been shuffled into the center was sickening, as if he was some kind of trophy they had just won. Well, he would have been put in the center if it weren’t for Sunset sitting down at that place. The face of the older students was enough for Sunset to feel as if she had won the first round of many against them. So here she was, basically holding the Gryffindor Court with a thankful Harry at her right side and a wide eyed Hermione on her left. They were also surrounded by what seemed to be the whole Wesley clan. Good, they could work as guards or human shields, whatever came first. “You so have to teach us how you did it this morning,” one of the twins said to Sunset. “Yeah, we’ve never seen someone make Mom stay quiet like that.” “It was as if she had seen a ghost.” “Well, more like great grandma’s ghost.” “She never liked to hear her complains.” “Not really,” the way the two played on each other sentences must be an acquired skill because it was hilarious, if a little annoying. “Common sense, it seems you wizards are really weak against it. Anyway, what’s with the blondie in Slytherin? “Malfoy? Not sure, but his dad is a nasty git.” “Fred, please, abstain yourself from using those words.” “Come on Percy, you know he is one.” “I’m not saying he is not, which he is by the way, both mom and dad complain enough times about them, just don’t use those words around kids,” the grave looking teenager said, the one that was obviously Percy and the oldest Weasley still in school. He had the looks of a bureaucrat although there might be some salvation for him. In the end it had been fun, with interesting people to meet and some interesting food, but all fun most end at some point and they were all herded away like baby ducklings into their new dorms. Just watching who would be her new roommate; to see Hermione’s smile made Sunset return it and it was weird. Here she was, with what could be her first female friend and it wasn’t even a pony. She was sure this world was changing her beyond the physical. Sadly, all her good humor evaporated after seeing inside their dorm and the brunette girl that was already putting posters and pictures up in the wall. By the way they all smiled and winked at the unseen camera she was sure they were actors and pop artists. “Hermione, I’m going to kill her and you will be my alibi.” “Sunset, wait! You cannot kill someone in the school; it says so in the rulebook!”
The Most Important Tool to a WizardIt wasn’t that weird of a thing in the opinion of Sunset Shimmer. Sure, the usage of magical artifacts wasn’t exactly banned back in Equestria, but things like wands and staffs were a thing of the past. Now, with the development of new teaching methods to make little foals understand their particular brand of magic and hone them for the future; it was a very profitable and also challenging profession, not that Sunset could complain since she had the best in terms of education, just look who was her teacher. Still, the idea of using a wand to make a spell was utterly medieval at this point, which confounded Sunset once she saw what she had to get for her first day at Hogwarts. As the rest of her school companions continued to talk animatedly about how excited they were about the classes and new things they will be able to do, Sunset looked at the piece of wood on her hands still wondering how humans started to use this variation of the wand. It would truly be an interesting research for her and she already was dying to see the school library for more information. Still, the little piece of wood that worked as her direct connection with the magical leylines present in the planet was bizarre, but at the same time a piece of art on itself; it was clear that wands were very important and for what she understood, they were almost a reflection of the owner, thanks to the magical properties of the materials that were used to make the wand. The man that owned the place where they got the wand seemed very surprised about Harry’s wand, especially the part when he explained the core of the wand. Apparently phoenixes were rarer in this side of the mirror and that they still were the skittish sort of bird. Sunset wondered if that other wand was used by the dark wizard that gave Harry his scar. That was also another thing to research soon. Olivander had taken a long look at both kids and paraded them with an almost infinite amount of wands, so many in fact, that Sunset was ready to throw the towel and take the first she could reach. Apparently, one didn’t choose a wand; it was the other way around apparently. Thankfully, Olivander had taken a long look at Sunset and finally went to the back of his store, coming back with a strange box that had been engraved all around. Once he arrived, he took off the lid; he then took a deep red wand from the inside and presented it to Sunset. The magic wand looked as if it had been twisted from one point to the other, while the handle curved like a rapier around Sunset’s hand. It was comfortable and in a sense warm. Moving the wand around, the tip of it began to shine and let out small sparks; it felt like the first time she had been able to send magic through her horn. Sure, it was a very foolish display of power, but after exploding windows and sending cabinets flying, this was a good sign. Apparently Olivander also thought so because he was suddenly very interested in what Sunset was doing. “Perplexing I must say; I’ve had this wand for many years and never before someone seemed to be compatible with this particular wand,” he said, obviously being a fan of theatricals by the way he moved and talked. Behind Sunset, Celestia seemed to be really interested on what was going on, since she put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, signaling that it would be good to pay attention to his explanation “you see Miss Miroiter, that particular type of wood is not native to the islands, it was brought from America. Yes, Red Oak with a core made of a Chinese Fireball heartstring; it was made specifically for dueling. It is adaptable, fast, and powerful and a clear sign of the personality of the wizard. Miss Miroiter, this wand chose you specifically so now, we will see where this wand will take you,” to say that Sunset was dumfounded was not an exaggeration. All her life she knew about her terrible temper; it had brought her many problems, among them the way her relationship with Princess Celestia had deteriorated. She was stubborn, quick to anger and never one to back down, which apparently also was shown by the power of her wand. It was a piece of art as a sculpture or a painting and way more useful, so unlike the one that Harry had, this one was not tied to a quest against the darkness according to adults in general, but it was more like a physical representation of what she was and what she could be. She still didn’t understand the real reason why she was send to Hogwarts, but maybe her wand and the way Olivander was so interested in her was a clue. Of course, she knew that Celestia probably had layers upon layers of plans and that she had barely scratched the surface; still, it was a good idea to start somewhere. Taking her eyes away from the wand, Sunset turned to look at the other students, seeing how they behaved. Sure, she was more interested in her own development as a witch and wanted to gain power, not because she wanted to become an alicorn -at least not for the moment-, but because there was a veritable fountain of new knowledge waiting for her and she could only imagine what she will find. That she could stomp on several toes and create Trollestia levels of chaos and manipulation, well, that was basically a bonus for her. “So, what do we have this day?” “Basically, every class, including transfiguration, charms, potions and also broom flying,” of course, Sunset asked the only student that would have an idea of what they will see and was also prepared beforehand. Hermione was quite the piece of work; at first sight she looked arrogant and ready to demonstrate how smart she was, but after years of dealing with petty nobles and rude upstarts, Sunset could read behind the lines and what she saw made the redhead feel something weird; empathy. Hermione was not arrogant; sure, she was proud of her intellect, but what Sunset could read behind her mask, was that Hermione was scared and nervous. Here she was, a girl that didn’t belong in the magical world, with her only weapons her desire of knowledge, a passion for study and more stubbornness that should be allowed. It was like looking at a carnival mirror. It was similar and yet so bizarre that made Sunset laugh once she understood the bushy haired girl. Hermione was as alien in Hogwarts as Sunset herself was, which in a way created a bond between both girls and for once in her life, Sunset wasn’t so adamant against it. Sure, she will enjoy having her own private time, just so she could plan and strategize her next movements against the clear royalty of Hogwarts, but for now, she could help a young little lost witch find her place in the enormity of the castle. “Not keen to the idea of flying?” “I haven’t even been on a plane, much less a flimsy piece of wood that could make me fall to my doom.” “Come on, where’s your sense of adventure? Besides, there’s going to be a teacher, what’s the worst that could happen?” that was also one big problem for Sunset, she always loved to tempt fate. Author's Note Is fascinating the amount of different materials available for a wand; it was as fun to read about the topic as it was to write it.
