"Bye mom!" I yelled boarding the Hogwarts Express for the first time. I was so excited. For the first time EVER I'd be with kids my own age.

"Rachel!" mom yelled, "Be careful! Make new friends! Write me everyday!"

"Yeah yeah!" I yelled back, "Bye mom!"

My name is Rachel Andrea Black. No relation to Sirius Black, I promise. Well, as a first year, I am obviously 11 years old. And terribly excited. My mom thought I was going to explode when I got my Hogwarts letter.

So, while I was boarding, I remembered that I'd have to sit SOMEWHERE, so I ran into the first available compartment.

Inside were 3 redheaded boys and one with black hair and glasses. I found out from talking with them that the two older boys, twins actually, were Fred and George, the other redhead is their little brother, Ron, and the boy with glasses is the "boy who lived" Harry Potter.

So, I also found out that Harry and Ron are in my year. YAY! New friends!

The sorting went well, up until I got up there. I expected that I'd be in Hufflepuff, like my mom, or Gryffindor, like my dad. I wasn't even in Ravenclaw like Gramma. I'm the only Slytherin in the entire Black family. I feel like such a disgrace. I think I'll tell my mom that I'm a Gryffindor... to make daddy happy.

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Well, the writing to mom and telling her that I'm a Gryffindor went well. Apparently, mom wanted to be sent an owl by Professor Dumbledore himself about which house I will be in.

"I really hate that sometimes." I said, a bit miffed that mom wouldn't believe everything I said in my letter. She totally didn't believe that I met Harry Potter.

"Well, you know how people are." a blonde boy said. His hair was slicked back on his head, and ended just above his shoulders. He had grey eyes, like the sky at the beach during a storm, even kinda smoky looking. "I'm Draco Malfoy."

"I'm Rachel Black." I said, shaking his hand, "It's nice to meet you."

"Black?" he asked, "Like, Sirius Black?"

"No." I said, "Why would I want to be related to him?"

"He was my uncle, until Grandma disowned him, that is." he said.

"Wow." I said, "So, you're a Slytherin too?"

"Of course." he said, proudly, "Everyone in my family has been."

I looked at him. He was a bit taller than me, maybe just because he was taught to walk tall. I had heard of the Malfoys. They've got one of the purest bloodlines in the wizarding world.

"I'm the only one in my family." I said, "But we're not prejudiced against the other houses. Mum was a Hufflepuff, dad was a Gryffindor, and my gramma was a Ravenclaw."

"Well, a bit of everything, huh?" he asked, "Brains, kindness, AND bravery."

"I guess." I said.

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During my first class, potions, Ron tossed a note at me while Professor Snape was turned around.

You been approached by the Malfoy yet?

I didn't want to get in trouble on the first day, so I didn't reply. Though I did wait for him outside the classroom.

"Yes, I have." I said, "And he's very nice."

"Nice?" Ron asked, "He told Harry that I was the kind of people he SHOULDN'T hang around with."

"And, of course, I stood up to him." Harry said, "What kind of person insults people like that?"

"A Slytherin." Ron said, "No offense, Rachel."