Awero was standing outside the entrance to the Great Hall, just like Professor McGonagal had told her to. She was nervous. She was told she was to be 'sorted' into one of the four houses. How did they sort? She paced, until she heard her cue. She pushed open the doors, and smiled brightly, quickly making her way to the center of the room. She could her the students chattering quietly, and she knew what, or rather who, they were talking about. The headmaster, Dumbledore was his name if she remembered right, was standing at a podium. He smiled back at her, with old but somehow youthful eyes "Students! We have a exchange student here, from the United States! I expect you to treat her like any other Hogwarts student. Remember, she is here to learn, not just about magic, but about England as well. We want to set a excellent example. Now, Ms. Venus, would you please step forward and have a seat so you can be sorted?" She obeyed and sat on the chair, when motioned. She was supprised to have a very old, very dusty hat put upon her head. However, she was much more shocked when she heard it speak inside her mind. "Hmm... America? Oh but you're clearly not here to just learn, no. You are here on duty. Well heed this, Hogwarts is a place of magic, but also of danger. Be weary of who you trust. Even Griffendors can be deceving. Now, since you are here but for a short time, I will let you decide what house you will be in." Aweo thought for a moment. She briefly flashed back to the history lessons her father had taught her. "Slytherin." "SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted out, and the green and black table erupted with applease. Awero shook Dumbledore's hand before selecting a seat next to a blond boy with blue-silver eyes.
"And let the feast begin!" Dumbledore says with a wide smile, waving his wand so food apeared on every table "My name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Draco extended his hand, and Awero shook it without hesitation. He pointed to to boys sitting across from them. "They're Crabbe and Goyle. Listen, if anyone ever decides to give you a rough time, come see us. We'll take care of it for you." She smiled a bit at him, before helping herself to a salad. "Thats very kind of you, but no need to worry. My father taught me how to hold my ground. However, if I ever need help, you'll the first person I go to."
He smiled. "The hat was right to sort you into Slytherin, then. We can always use people who aren't afraid of trouble."
She took a small bite of food. She decided she rather liked this boy.
"So where did you go before you were sent here?" My father homeschooled me for a bit, before I convinced him to let me go to the Salem Insitute. Its America's equivalent to Hogwarts." Draco nodded his approval. "Father once mentioned homeschooling me, and I put up such a fit that he never spoke of it again." Her eyes widened. "My dad never tolerated fits. He said that they were unnessasary. He used to make me do pushups, if he thought I got too rowdy." Draco was about to say something, but the headmaster interupted him by anouncing it was time for bed. The students got up from the tables, and Awero followed suit. She heard a perfect giving directions to the Slytherin common rooms, and she memorized them before she went down to the headmaster's office.
"Proffesor?" She called out, looking around the room. She heard something simular to a bird, and walked into what seemed like a study. She smiled widely when she saw a great Phionix.
"Ah, isn't he beautiful?" She heard a voice say. She turned around and nodded, seeing it was Dumbledore.
The old man walked up to her. "I assume you know the importance of you're quest, correct?"
Awero nodded. "Of course."
"Good, very good. You're father told you of the dangers, I'm sure. What we are asking is unbelievable, especially from one of your age, but I have no other to turn to."
The old man's eyes were filled with self-loathing, and pain.
She smiled reasuringly. "Professor, you are asking what is nessasary. However impossible it may seem to you, I'm perfectly able to do it. You also forget, as a Dragonfire it is my job to protect all mankind."
He smiled and nodded, spirtits clearly lifted. "You're right. I more than often underestimate young people such as yourself."
"And you know that my...pet, will be arriving soon?"
Dumbledore laughed. "Oh, yes that. I know. Though it might shock some of the students, I'm sure. And I'll have a note from the minister, of course. He won't be too happy about him."
Awero shrugged. "Professor, all I can say is he's under my control, and I'm under his protection."
"Why, I never said it was a problem. Only he won't be to happy."
She nodded. "I should be getting to sleep. Good night."
"Good night, Awero."
She then walked out of the office, and down to the dungons. She stoped in front of a painting. "Password?" It asked expectingly. She sighed, and was about to go back to the headmaster when a very terrifing ghost passed by her. His robes were stained with blood and his eyes had the look as if he was in a distant world."The password is...Pure-blood." He said in a deep husky voice. She hurried to enter. Awero sat down in one of the chairs and sighed. She began to think about her first day. It was quite hurried. She didn't think very long before she fell asleep. She awoke to a gentle brushing against her leg. She smiled when a old female tom cat jumped upon her lap, demanding attention. She gently scratched her ear. "Why, hello there! Whats your name?"
"Her name is Mrs. Norris, and you are?"Awero jumped when she heard the voice. She stood, and turned, seeing it belonged to a old man, but he didn't seem to have the bright youthfulness Dumbledore had. This man gave you more of a sense you were only a burden to him. "My-my name is Awero Venus, I'm the exchange student from America." "I'm Filch. I'm her owner. Never saw her take a liking to a student before, must mean your a exception." He bent beside the couch across from her, and got the trash from the waste basket. Awero shook her head. "All animals love me, I don't know why. I guess it's because they can sense I'm not going to hurt them."
Mrs. Noris jumped into her harms, and began purring loudly, as if conforming her statement. Filch stood upright, and looked her up and down. "You remind me of someone..." He said softly, clearly reminising about something. Without saying another word, he walked out with the trash. jumpped from her arms, and ran after him. She stood there for a few moments, looking at where they had left before she walked up to the girl's dormatory. The other girls were still awake, chattering about their summers. She was asked a few questions, but was mostly ignored. She saw one black haired girl glaring at her, so much so you could almost hear the insults she was clearing thinking. Awero looked the other way and quickly found her bed. She was up for a long time before she fell asleep once again. She awoke earlier than the others, got dressed, and walked down to the common room. "Ah! Awero, good morning." Draco said, motioning for Goyle to get up so she could sit down. "Now, how about you show us some of what your father taught you?" Awero smirked a bit, and pulled out her wand. It was dragonheart string, cherry, thirteen inches and unyeiliding. Perfect for combat. She looked at the green fire in the fireplace, pointed her wand at it and whispered. "Domare." Instantly, the flames bended to her will, and came out as a snake, slithering its way into the air above their heads. It's eyes turned red, and it gave a hissing noise. Draco smiled widely, and looked at her. "You're good, very good." She laughed, and extinguished the snake. "Thank you, but thats only a party trick." His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open a little. "P-party trick?! You just did advanced magic while you're still in school!" She shrugged. "Dad taught me alot. He always wanted me to be a solider, so he worked me harder than any trainee he had." Draco nodded, and looked away after a second, but not before she caught a understanding, almost sad look in his eyes. Awero sighed. She knew that look better than anyone.
"Why don't we go down to breakfast" She suggested, trying to cheer him up.
He waved her off saying," I have things to do. You should go, though. I'm sure you're hungery."
She nodded, and began to walk down to the great hall. Draco had more angles than she first thought. Well, her father once told her, never judge a book by its cover, and never trust a person by their first impression. She was about to turn a courner when she bumped into a dark haired boy.
"Watch it wi- Oh, your the new student from America." He said, looking at her like she had a hidden blade. Little did he know... "Nice to meet you."
Awero laughed. "You didn't even tell me your name."
The boy blinked. "You don't know who I am?'
She shook her head. "Other than a boy with very messy black hair, no."
"I'm Harry Potter."
She smiled. "Nice to meet your accouantace. Now, I must be going."
Awero could feel his green eyes on her as she rushed off. She looked around, before she began running. There was a crowd, but that was no problem. She smiled as she bolted down the halls,easily gliding past the students. It wasn't nessary to run, but she wanted to. She finally made it to the great hall. She opened the door and looked up at the beautiful ceiling.
"Never going to get used to that." She said to herself. She sat down at a empty seat, and began to fill her plate with pancakes. The girl with the black hair came and sat next to her.
"Well, look who it is! The new girl. You sure are getting enough attention from Dray, aren't you?" She sneered, a sarcastic look in her eye.
Awero snorted, and began to laugh.
The girl stop smiling. "Whats so funny?" She demanded.
She took a deep breath and tried to stop her giggles. "It's just that Draco and I are friends. I could never date him."
Her eyes flared up. "Not good enough for ya? Little miss perfect wants a pathetic griffindor?" Her voice had a edge to it.
"No, little miss perfect wants no one. I'm here to learn, not to play the dating game. Now, kindly, leave me the bloody hell alone." Awero's own eyes held the anger she felt, but she was smiling brightly as she spoke.
The girl's eyes widened, and she left to go sit with her group of friends.
She took a deep breath, and calmed herself right as Draco sat down next to her.
"Oh, so you met Pansy." He says, looking at her as she walked off. His voice held no excitement.
"Yes, I did. She really is protective of you, you know that?"
He sighed, and nodded. "She wants to date me. Father wants me to, also. I don't like her that way, though."
She nodded. "I understand. One thing I like about my Dad, he never pushed me to date anyone. My mother, however... She wanted me to date every guy at Salum."
Draco smiled a bit. "Parents...What can I say?"
Awero reached over to get the pumkin juice, and accidently allowed her sleave to come up a little, revealing the tip of the Dragon mark she had.
Only Draco noticed, and his eyes widened as she hurried to pull it back up. He leaned over and whispered. "I saw that. Care to explain what it is?"
She swallowed, and she shook her head. "Later." She whispered back. She took a bite, filling her mouth so she didn't have to speak.
He nodded, and looked at Goyle. "Want to mess with Potter, later? Maybe hex him? Our classes don't start until tomarrow, and I beleive we can get in some damange." He did a horrible sneer. One that reminded her of Pansy.
"You mean Harry Potter? Why would you want to hex him?"
Draco looked back at her. "Because he's a git who loves mudbloods and wallows in his fame." He scoffed.
She rolled her eyes. "Boys."
Oh if he only knew her mother... She was a muggle. And the most muggle of them all, to add. Her mother hated fantasy, and magic. It was why her parents divorced. Her father loved everything strange, and unknown. Her mom begged him to give it up but he couldn't. It was like asking him to stop breathing. She inwardly sighed, and looked down at her plate. She really wasn't hungery anymore. She got up and walked out, ingoring Draco's questions on where she was going. As she left the castle, she began making her way down to the lake she had heard of. She kicked off her shoes, and put her coat on a tree branch. She focused for a moment, and then transformed into her animagus, a Chinese fireball. She knew it was risky. Someone could see her, but she had to get in the air. She had to escape those thoughts.
She stretched her wings, and took flight, soaring on her scarlet wings. She looked around the forest nearby. Her mouth slightly curved as she felt the weightlessness of flying. She looked for a landing spot, and soon dipped down into a clearing in the forest, landing on her feet. It was sad she never could spend too much time in the air. She changed back and took a deep breath, smiling.
She walked a bit, marveling at how old the trees were. She suddenly heard a russling behind her. She nervously turned to see a little creature made up of bark, twigs, and two big brown eyes. It looked shy but also full of courage.
"Hello, little bowtruckle." She smiled widely. She bent down, and waved. "I'm not going to hurt your tree, I'm just admiring how pretty it is."
The bowtruckle's eyes glittered with pride, and it bowed.
She laughed, and sat down. "My, are you polite! May I ask your name?"
The tiny creature nodded, and bent down and began to write in the dirt.
"Foris." Awero read aloud. "Nice to meet you, I'm Awero."
Foris nodded, and pointed at her arm. She looked down and saw her sleave had rolled up.
"Oh, this? It just means that I'm sort of a guardian of my people." She explained.
He nodded, and pointed at himself.
"Yes, just like your a guardian of your tree."
She again heard a russling in the bushes. However, it sounded much bigger than just a little bowtruckel...