Part One
"Hey, Harry!" Kathryn Langdon called over the noisy chattering that filled the Great Hall. "Save me a seat, 'k?" The lanky fifth year looked up, a shock of his unruly black hair falling in front of his sparkling green eyes. "No problem, Kat!" he called cheerfully, pushing his hair back and waving at her. The Hogwarts students began taking their seats and the chattering died down as a group of nervous first years was ushered to the front of the hall by the Transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall.
The group stopped in front of a wooden stool on which rested a shabby hat. Kat frowned as a scuffle broke out near the front of the group. A small blond haired boy with ice blue eyes had pushed his way up to the front, knocking several children over. Her eyes narrowed, and she shot a quick glance at the Slytherin table, where her arch-enemy Draco Malfoy sat. Draco was looking back, but he turned away quickly when he noticed Kathryn staring at him. Curious, she thought, Strange, I wonder what that was all about?! Then she turned her attention back to the sorting, and smiled fondly as she remembered the day she was placed in Griffyndor…
Kathryn looked around in awe at the grandeur of the Great Hall. The tables were set for the evening meal, candlelight glimmered throughout the room, and the domed ceiling, which rose high above her, was speckled with stars.
She walked nervously towards the front of the room, consciously aware of the many pairs of curious eyes trained on her. Legs trembling, she walked up to the stairs leading to the Sorting Hat, and stopped. Suddenly she felt someone push her roughly aside, as a voice snarled, "Out of my way, bitch!" Kathryn spun around and glared daggers at the blond haired boy who had shoved her.
He had piercing ice blue eyes and his face was twisted into an unpleasant smirk. Kat looked him squarely in the face, hazel eyes flashing as she hissed, "Look you bloody git, touch me one more time and I swear to God, I will give you such a crack over your skull that you'll have to drop your pants to say hello!" He looked at her in shock, clearly not expecting so much aggression. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but then the sorting began.
After Stacey Harris was sorted into Ravenclaw, it was Kat's turn. "Langdon, Kathryn." Professor McGonagall called, and Kathryn walked up to the stool, sat down, and with trembling hands, placed the Sorting Hat on her head. She jumped slightly, then inwardly gave a relieved sigh as the Hat shouted, "Griffyndor!"
A smile of relief crossed her face, and the Gryffindor table applauded loudly as she sat down. Next, Draco Malfoy, the blond haired boy who had pushed her, sat down. Before the hat had even touched his head, however, it shouted "Slytherin!" He gave Kathryn a strange look as he sat down at his table, but she was too busy applauding her new friend Harry Potter (who had also been sorted into Gryffindor) to notice.
Kathryn jerked back to reality as Professor McGonagall called, "Malfoy, Felix." She watched silently as the young Draco look-alike placed the hat on his head. The hat was silent for a long time, and the entire hall waited, breaths held anxiously to hear the outcome. Then, suddenly, loudly, and to the complete and utter surprise of every person in the room, the hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"
A dead silence filled the hall. Then Neville Longbottom (as oblivious as ever) began to applaud. However, the less than warm welcome at the Gryffindor table caused the hopeful smile to melt off Felix's face. Kathryn looked over at Draco to see his reaction, and was surprised to find that he was looking at her again.
****************
After dinner, the Gryffindors filed up the stairs, stopping at the portrait of the Fat Lady. A shock of bright red hair bobbed through the crowd as Kat's good friend Ron Weasely made his way to the front of the group. He puffed out his chest, proudly displaying his prefect's badge. "Let me through," he announced importantly. "I'm a prefect! Hippogriff!" The Fat Lady giggled. "Sorry," she said. "That's not the password." Ron sputtered incoherently. "Bu-but-I-he- wha—?" "Oh, Ronald! You're hopeless!" Hermione Granger sighed. "Quidditch!" She gave Ron a look as the portrait swung forward to reveal a doorway. "Honestly, Ron, pay more attention!" Ron was too busy sulking to answer, so he just threw her a dirty look. Kat swallowed a grin, then she and Harry followed the rest of the Gryffindors into the Common Room.
Felix Malfoy was tagging along behind Kat and Harry, and as they stopped in the Common Room to chat, he spoke up shyly. "E-excuse me…" Kat spoke over him in a loud voice. "How could a Malfoy get into Gryffindor?! They're all the same; mean gits with big heads!" Felix looked startled.
"Kat, really, that's not necessary…" Harry hissed under his breath. Felix spoke up then. "Excuse me, but Draco and I don't mean to be that way. It's our da's fault." Kat looked skeptically at the small first year. "I'll believe that when I see it!" she laughed.
*****************
The next day on her way to Potions (which was her least favorite class), Kathryn's book bag split, sending papers, books and quills scattering through the hallway. "Oh no," she groaned; she'd probably be late now. Hermione and Harry stopped to help her pick up her things, and then to Kat's utter surprise, Draco Malfoy knelt down beside her as well, and began scooping up papers. "You look nice today," he said quietly. Harry and Hermione gaped at him in shock, then Hermione hissed, "Don't trust him Kat, it's probably a trick!" Malfoy shot her a glare, then snapped, "Look you Mud—. Look. It's not a trick! I promise." Hermione glared at him suspiciously. "You almost called me a Mudblood again, didn't you?" Draco looked embarrassed. "I know," he said sheepishly. "And I—I'm sorry." Hermione had always had a witty reply to Draco Malformed comments before, but not this time. "Come on," Draco said, handing Kathryn her things. "I'll walk you to class." What the hell, she decided. I'll give him a chance. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, then shrugged and followed them to Potions.
****************
"Potter, Granger and Langdon! You're late!" Professor Snape said with a malevolent smirk. "Let's see," he continued, the enjoyment all too plain in his voice. "That's fifteen points from Gryffindor. Each!"
"That's not fair!" Kat cried. "Well, Miss Langdon," said Snape silkily. "Let's take another twenty points for disrespect. Now sit down!" Fuming, she did as she was told, as a voice called out from the back of the classroom, "She's right Professor, it's not fair! I was late too. If they lose points so do I!"
Kat turned around in surprise to see Draco standing at his seat. He smiled and winked at her as Snape said reluctantly, "Very well, fifteen points from Slytherin." He stalked to the front of the room and said, "I want a roll of parchment explaining the properties of a bezoar. Start writing!" Kat smiled. Maybe Draco wasn't so bad after all.