Chapter 1
"Platform 9 and 3 quarters? Hmph." Karina had no clue what to do at King's Cross station, she kept reading her letter that said "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" to see if she was in the right place. But Nobody there seemed to be going to a school for witches and wizards, nobody there had a cage with an owl, or even a big trunk. "This is just a joke isn't it?" she muttered to herself. She started laughing hysterically to herself in between platforms 9 and 10, and oh did she receive a few odd looks by passersby. "Are you alright?" A blonde boy had come up to Karina, with a 'you're an idiot' look on his face. "Um, yes. Yes I'm fine thank you."
"No you're not. You have an owl and looking aimlessly at your Hogwarts letter. You can't find the platform, right?" He said. Karina sighed in relief that she wasn't a victim of a practical joke, "No I can't. Are you going there too? Or is it somewhere imaginary?" The boy's face almost grew mad and she swore she heard him mutter something that sounded like 'mudblood' under his breath. "Look, just run through that wall. Then you're at platform 9 and 3 quarters." He started to walk off, then he turned around and quickly said "You'd better hope you're not put in Slytherin." Karina had no time to question him, since he just told her to run through a brick wall. Slytherin? What was that?
Karina suddenly saw a family all with flaming red hair, including a boy with black hair, take turns in running to the wall. 'IT'S REAL!' She thought. Though every time she would flinch, thinking each boy would crumble onto the ground with their pet and trunk on top of them. One boy remained, and Karina swore she just saw him go through, but then she realised they must've been twins. She was so amazed at what she had seen. Then the tall, red-head boy came up to speak to Karina. "New to Hogwarts?" He asked. "Um, yes. How do-" "I'm George by the way. George Weasley. And all you do is take a good run up and sprint straight towards the wall, you won't feel a thing. Next thing you know you're at the right platform." This George was extremely kind and helpful, far nicer than the blonde boy before. "You go first, and I'll be right behind." He said. Karina put her trust in him and ran for it with her eyes closed. And there she was and right behind her was George, who seemed like a person who never stopped smiling. He explained everything to Karina, about the train and how long the trip was, he also explained the houses. "Ooohhhh. No wonder." She said, right after hearing about Slytherin. "You've got nothing to worry about Slytherin; no way would you be put in there. Especially since you have no witches or wizards in your family." Karina did mention to him before about her 'muggle' family, and she knew she still had a lot of learning to do. After all the talking, George went his own way to find his twin, who was called Fred. He told me which carriage his younger brother was in, who was starting at Hogwarts for the first time too. So off Karina went, thinking, He was very nice. I wonder what it would be like to have a family like that.
Karina found the train ride super fun, she met such nice people, and became friends with Harry Potter, who she learnt was very famous in the wizarding world and everyone was telling her his life story, which Karina found very interesting, and Ron Weasley, Jaimee Tiernan, a girl with flaming red hair who was not related to the Weasleys, Neville Longbottom, who was a very shy boy indeed and Luna Lovegood, a very nice, but mellow girl. A girl named Hermione Granger visited their carriage every so often, making comments and correcting their sentences as if she was queen of them all. But Karina didn't mind, she was meeting all different sorts of people.
After the long train ride, Karina and the rest of the first years were about to be welcomed into the Great Hall and sorted into each of their houses, which Karina was feeling most worried about. They all lined up and each name was called to sit under a floating hat that talked and screamed out the house you would be in. Ron Weasley was put in Gryffindor, like the rest of his brothers, and so were Harry, Hermione and Neville. Karina wished she could be put in Gryffindor, but she didn't want to wish too hard in case she got disappointed. Jaimee Tiernan and Luna Lovegood were both put in Ravenclaw. That blonde boy Karina saw at the station was called Draco Malfoy, and he was put in Slytherin, along with his best friend, Blaise. "KARINA LOPEZ." 'Oh Sugar.' She thought. So she walked over slowly, legs shaking and wondering what house she would be put in. She hoped not Hufflepuff, Ron told her that wasn't usually a good sign. She sat down on the stool and the sorting hat was placed on her head. "Hmmm. Your mind is everywhere. Gryffindor please, or Ravenclaw" He said with a girly tone. Karina was tense, not wanting to move. Then the hat said one more word, "SLYTHERIN!" She gasped. What? No!' She yelled in her mind. Karina looked over to the Gryffindor table and saw Neville, Ron, Hermione and even Harry and George with dumb stricken and hurt faces. How could this be? Everything Karina has ever heard in her hours on the train about Slytherin house was all bad. Just plain evil.
She walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down as far away from the rest of them as she could. She wanted to cry out that this wasn't right. But she didn't, because she knew somehow the sorting hat was never wrong.
After Dinner, Karina saw Professor Dumbledore walk out of the great hall first. Before any of the houses stood up together, Karina jumped up from her seat and sprinted after him. "PROFESSOR! PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE!" She yelled. Finally, he turned around, "Ah, Miss Lopez, welcome to Hogwarts" He smiled. "Yes, thank you. But I think there has been a mistake. I was put in Slytherin. And from what I've heard, only children and wizards with families of witches and wizards are in Slytherin. I have nobody magical in my family. And also, I don't have a bad history with wizards? I've only met them today for god's sakes!" She went on and on until Dumbledore cut her off, "The sorting hat is never wrong, and I am sure you have heard that before, Miss Lopez. So I am afraid Slytherin is your house, but not to worry, the houses are like your second families!" "NO!" was all she could manage at this point. "Karina, you were put there for a reason. Especially as a mudblood. You will prove something extraordinary, and achieve great things. Now off to bed, you have a big day tomorrow." And then he turned around and walked away.