Disclaimer ~ I do not own any of the characters including Catrin who owns herself.
A/N Hi this is my first real attempt at writing fanfiction. I hope you like it!
(*)
Chapter One
The New Student
Ginny stared out of the train's window, watching the rain trickle down the glass outside. Aelgifu, Alexis, Marigold and Grace were chatting loudly about their summers and gossiping idly about classmates. Ginny wanted to join in the conversation, she really did, but she couldn't. She hadn't anything to say on their topics. Ginny sighed inaudibly. The rain began to pour down harder, hitting the sides of the train and the roof like a thousand hammers. Rain always depressed Ginny. A loud knock was heard at the compartment door, barely distinguishable from the pounding rain outside. Grace opened the door to reveal the lady with the food cart, and four eager girls began to search hastily for money. Ginny remain motionless, staring out of the window as if oblivious to everything else going on in her compartment.
"Ginny, would you like something from the cart?" Alexis was always being nice to Ginny, always trying to include her. And Ginny wanted for them to be friends. But she knew deep down even Alexis thought she was a freak. They all did. And even if they didn't, she'd never be able to pour her soul out to another person. Never, ever again.
She had had a best friend once, but her had betrayed her, used her, possessed her, fed on her emotions until her was strong enough to control her. He had made her do terrible things; things that she didn't want to remember. Harry, her beloved Harry had defeated him in the end but the scars he left were irreparable. Ginny knew that she would never be able to trust anyone again. And to all the other girls, she would always be the possessed freak, no matter how much she changed.
"No, I'm fine."
"Are you sure? If you don't have any money with you, I'll lend you some,"
"Positive. I had a big breakfast. I'm not hungry, really."
"Well, okay." Alexis turned back to the other girls and restarted their conversation, and soon the girls were giggling like mad over some story that Aelgifu had told. Ginny turned to watch the rain yet again.
(*)
The Great Hall was loud and filled with the sound of people talking. Ginny strummed her fingers on the table, waiting for the Sorting to begin. She was so hungry she felt like she might throw up. Suddenly the Hall became silent as Professor McGonagal led the new first years up in front of the head table. They all looked so scared. Ginny thought back to her first year. She remembered how excited she was to finally get to go to Hogwarts. She had wanted to go ever since Bill had left 13 years ago. She had only been one at the time, but she felt like she could remember him picking her up and saying, "don't worry, baby sister, I'll be back soon," but maybe it was just her imagination. But thinking about her first year brought back painful memories, So Ginny focused her attention on the Sorting that was now taking place. The hat was now sorting Ellington, Autumn.
The length of the Sorting was multiplied by about a thousand as Ginny's stomach began to grumble about once every twenty seconds. Finally, after Young, Tiffany was declared a Ravenclaw, Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster, got up to say a few words.
"A few start of term notices. First years would be wise the stay out of the Forbidden forest, as would some of the older students as well. Second, I am pleased to announce that we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Reahnon Dupont." There was a light applause as the students studied the staff table to see what the new teacher looked like. Ginny's eyes surveyed the staff table to find a young woman, maybe in her mid thirties with medium brown hair and hazel eyes. Professor Dupont was smiling out at the crowd of students with a mixture of excitement and anxiety in her eyes. Ginny could see why she might be afraid. The Defense Against the Dark Arts positions was supposedly cursed; no teacher had lasted more than a year the entire time Ginny had been coming to Hogwarts.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and the hall was silent again. "Thirdly, I am thrilled to inform you all that we have had a student transfer to our school."
A confused buzzing filled the Hall. A transfer student? Nobody had ever transferred to Hogwarts before, or at least to Ginny's knowledge no one had.
"This amazing student just moved to England from America and because she was such a prestigious scholar, we have allowed her to attend out school, and I'm sure that we wont regret our decision. On a previous date, she was sorted into Griffindor and will be starting her fourth year with us. Catrin Thompson, if you wouldn't mind standing up." Everyone turned to face the Griffindor table, craning their necks to see this new student over the sea of black, pointed hats. A small, slender girl stood up. She had short, dirty blonde hair, brown eyes and a huge mouth that was currently curved into the biggest smile Hogwarts had ever seen.
Ginny was especially exited by the arrival of this new student. She found it extremely hard to believe that she just happened to be Ginny's age, and in Ginny's house. Maybe, she mused, maybe we might become friends. She doesn't know anything about me and wont think I'm crazy...
But her wonderings were cut short at the arrival of the feast. The plates were suddenly overflowing with delicious food of all kinds. Ginny filled her plate and began to eat.
Once her stomach was full enough for it to stop rumbling, she began to look up and down the table. She saw Ron, Harry and Hermione sitting over at one end of the table, and the other fourth years in her dorm were sitting at the other end. Ginny then saw Catrin sitting with Parvati and Lavender, and the three of them were talking as if they had already known each other for a long time. As they were only sitting a few places away from Ginny, she could hear their conversation.
"Oh the ceiling is amazing," Catrin breathed. "I wonder how they enchanted it to do that."
"I don't know, but it sure is lovely," Parvati agreed.
Lavender let out a giggle. "Perhaps we should ask Hermione." Parvati joined in her giggling.
"Who's Hermione?" Questioned Catrin.
"Ugh," said Lavender with this horrid look on her face. "She's this boring girl in our year." Ginny felt her face go red. How could they call Hermione boring? She was the best friend that she'd ever had. They just didn't know her.
"Which one is she?" Catrin asked eagerly.
"That one down there," Parvati pointed to where the trio was sitting. "See that one with the bushy brown hair? She used to have buckteeth too, but she had them shrunk by the nurse last year."
"She must have been a fright." The three girls laughed.
"That's for sure," Lavender agreed.
"Who's that good-looking guy she's sitting with?" Catrin inquired. Lavender and Parvati both began to giggle again. Ginny was really beginning to hate that giggling.
"That's Ron Weasley," Lavender finally said.
Parvati grinned. "Lavender used to have a crush on him, didn't you, Lavender?"
Lavender's face turned red. "Only for a little bit. But he's still so immature," she said with disgust, cleverly changing the subject.
"Yes," Parvati agreed. "Him and Harry."
"Do you mean Harry Potter? I heard he goes to this school."
"The one and the same," said Lavender.
"I'll bet he's really conceited," said Catrin. Ginny scowled. How could anyone think that? Just because he's famous doesn't mean he struts around like he owns the school. Her wonderful, brave, selfless, kind, amazing Harry? Never.
"Sort of," said Lavender, shrugging. "Ooooh Parvati tell her about the time you went to the Yule Ball with him! He could hardly dance!" Ginny could hear the trio giggling as Parvati told her story.
Ginny couldn't stand to listen to them anymore. Them making fun of Ron and Hermione had been bad, but saying talking about Harry like that was just cruel. He had been through enough, and he hardly needed a group of silly girls talking about him behind his back. Ginny had suddenly lost her appetite, so she pushed her plate away and left the Great Hall, wanting nothing more than the comfort of her bed.
(*)
Later that evening, Ginny sat on her bed, hunched over the book she was reading. It was a muggle book called Alice and Wonderland that Hermione had given her to read. Actually, she had given her a whole box of book, but this one was, by far, her favorite. She was just at the part when Alice was and the Mad Hatter and March Hare's unbirthday party. It made her laugh to try and picture the scene. She imagined that the Mad Hatter and the March Hare looked rather like Fred and George and that the mouse in the teapot looked something like Neville Longbottom. Ginny wished that she could visit Wonderland. She was sure she'd be much happier there than at Hogwarts. Suddenly the door flew open as all five of her roommates entered the room. They were all laughing and Ginny felt a pang of jealousy. It just wasn't fair that Catrin should be able to join their group when Ginny had lived with them for three years. "Of course, you could go join them if you wanted to," the little voice in the back of her head rezoned. But Ginny knew that they all thought she was a freak, no matter how kind they might treat her. They had all seen her go for days without sleep, fall asleep in class, sleepwalk whenever she did fall asleep, and blanch every time the mudblood attack were made. Of course they knew why she had acted that way now but they thought she was crazy. She knew it.
"This is the most complicated place I've ever been in," Catrin exclaimed. "I'll never learn my way around."
"That what I thought when I first got here, but now I know Hogwarts like the back of my hand," said Aelgifu encouragingly. The other girls nodded in agreement.
Catrin smiled. "That makes me feel better but I'll bet I still get lost at the end of the year."
"No you wont," Grace said in a no-nonsense voice. "You're smart, and I bet by Friday you'll be able to get to the Great Hall by yourself."
Catrin smiled broadly in response to this compliment. The five girls continued to chat about nothing in particular for another 15-20 minutes and, even thought she didn't want to, Ginny couldn't help but listen to their conversation. After all, they probably didn't even know she was in the room as she was hidden by her four-poster's curtains.
A little while later, Catrin yawned and said "I think I'd better turn in, guys. Would you mind continuing you conversation down stairs in the..."
"Common Room?" Marigold suggested.
"Yeah that's it."
"No not at all," said Aelgifu and they immediately left the room, their voices carrying through the door that they'd forgot to close. Catrin closed it, then went to sit on her bed that was located on the very left, next to Ginny's. She began to sing a song that Ginny wasn't familiar with in an off-tune sort of way.
After about 15 more minutes of reading Ginny, having finished the chapter, set down her book and glanced at the clock through an opening between the bed hangings and the wall. Almost 11:30. I'd better get ready for bed she thought. Groaning almost inaudibly, she grabbed the side of the curtains and yanked them open. She was greeted with a loud shriek and jumped about a foot in the air. Catrin was lying on the next bed, clutching at her heart and breathing very loudly.
"Don't do that!!!" she gasped, staring at Ginny. "I had no idea there was anyone else in here!"
"Sorry," said Ginny shortly, not sounding the least bit sorry, and promptly marched off to the bathroom to clean up. Serves her right she thought bitterly, taking part in that mean conversation.
Ginny brushed her teeth for as long as possible and washed her face twice. When she was finished she estimated that shed been in the bathroom for a little over 20 minute. She proceeded into the dormitory as silently as she could, hoping that Catrin was asleep.
She wasn't. She was lying on her bed reading Teen Witch Weekly and folding up clothes simultaneously. When Ginny was about half way to her bed the American looked up and smiled sheepishly.
"Hey, sorry I snapped at you before. You really scared me, that's all. Are we cool?"
"uhhh, sure."
"Good. So what's your name?"
"Ginny. Ginny Weasley." An interesting look passed over Catrin's face. She obviously remembered her last name from the conversation with Parvati and Lavender.
"Is that good-looking guy your brother?"
"I have six brothers," said Ginny icily.
"Oh ok. I'm talking about Ron, I guess."
"Yeah, but I wouldn't necessarily describe him as good looking." Catrin laughed. Ginny smiled politely.
"So, uh, what's Hogwarts like?" Catrin asked.
"It's wonderful, " Ginny replied. "I love it here. It's so big and mysterious."
"And what about the professors? Are they nice or mean?"
"Some of them are nice, like professor Flitwick the charms teacher and Hagrid, who teaches Care of Magical Creatures. But Snape, the Potions master is really evil. McGonagal, who teachers transfig, is really, really strict but not mean. And History of Magic is the most boring class ever. Professor Binns teaches it. He's a ghost, and everyone says that he died while sitting in an armchair in the teachers's room and he got up to teach and left his body behind."
"Wierd," said Catrin. "Tell me more stuff about your school. I have so much to learn."
Strangely enough, they talked until it was almost 2 in the morning. Well, Ginny did most of the talking Catrin listened, but the time still flew by really fast. Ginny forgot to be mad at Catrin because she was so much fun to talk with.
"Oh my gosh its 1:49. We need to sleep. I don't wanna fall asleep in my first class at Hogwarts."
Ginny giggled. "That'd be so embarrassing!"
"Wouldn't it?" she gave a huge yawn. "I really need to sleep. Good night."
"Good night," said Ginny softly. She lay down on her bed with a smile on her face, and fell asleep almost instantly.
(*)
Sorry this is moving kind of slow. I just need to set up the story a little bit. Its pretty boring for me to right actually, but the next chapter will be up soon and it will be better!