Disclaimer: I own nothing but anything you see that wasn't in J.K.'s worthy works of fiction. Of course, maybe they aren't fiction. We'll never know! XD
AN: As I'm writing this, I have no internet. Therefore, I can't post anything. However, my intentions are to have a handful of chapters done so I can update things for you guys as soon as I get internet again. Maybe that will earn your forgiveness.
Summer Alexandria Potter was never one to mince words—her childhood had made her realize that when words were minced, people had an excuse to cross wires and say you said something you hadn't. She also acknowledged that, sometimes, it really was better to just not speak.
Summer was very well-practiced in the art of listening and learning before striking like a viper after it waits in the grass.
With dark red wine colored hair and piercing emerald green eyes, Summer was a young beauty that would very clearly bloom into a beautiful young adult as she aged.
Summer was special; she was a witch and she could do magic. That was why she was currently standing in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Around a month ago, she had gotten a letter from this very school. Her "family," however, would not allow her to read it and it had taken a dark haired man visiting for her to just be allowed to read a simple letter. Come to find out, that simple letter had, and would continue, to change her life.
The man had later introduced himself as Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts. He had seemed flabbergasted when he had first laid eyes on Summer and she'd not known why at the time. Now she knew it was because she was a carbon copy of her mother at her age. He had handed her a key and dropped her off outside the wizarding bank, Gringotts.
He had directed her how to get to the platform directly from The Leaky Cauldron, which he had recommended her to get a room at; he also told her how to get on the platform the muggle-born way.
She'd thought he was fairly nice and had proceeded into the bank where she found out that her proper title was Heiress Potter and she was pretty much filthy stinking rich.
That revelation had caused her to withdraw a large amount of money and shop for many things: her original Hogwarts list, wizarding clothes, extra potions things because that class seemed very interesting, many more books than she was required on much broader subjects, and even muggle clothing from a side trip into muggle London.
She'd gotten a room at the Cauldron as suggested and had spent the last month studying many different subjects as well as attempting and doing well with them: Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Occlumency, Legilimency, Dark Arts, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures. She had convinced the owner of the Magical Menagerie give her some assistance with the practical side of COMC. The Dark Arts and Legilimency were added after a side trip to Knockturn Alley.
She'd had to go back into the Alley half a dozen times and the second trunk size update had resulted in her purchasing an apartment trunk so she had plenty of space to work with. It had a library, five bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, another bathroom, a kitchen, a dining area, a sitting area, a pool, and a study attached to the library. She really liked it.
Aside from those subjects, she also studied and memorized: pureblood etiquette, muggle studies, law, foreign languages, politics, and various books about different things such as vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, and Veela. She also studied books about goblins that she'd gotten from them because she was a "Friend of the Goblin Nation".
All in all, she felt her last month of summer was spent very well. Now, however, she had to deal with her so-called peers blathering away around her. The stern-looking woman had disappeared back through the large doors after telling them to smarten themselves up. Summer would have liked to have been insulted by the remark…but for many around her it was very clearly needed.
To her left and slightly away from her, a girl with bushy brown hair and a heart-shaped face who was mumbling to herself. Twelve uses of Dragon's Blood. Well, technically there are thirteen. It's good for a cleaning agent, but no one reports that one because no one really wants to stick their hands in the blood just to clean something. Wimps. That girl was totally destined for Ravenclaw. Not that there was anything wrong with that at all; on the contrary, Summer valued intelligence immensely, but didn't agree with quoting textbooks verbatim, which was what that girl was doing. It was from Basic Potions, chapter three.
Just in front of that girl was a slightly pudgy boy whom she'd heard the red-head near him call Neville. He seemed nervous, but she felt he was destined for Gryffindor. Something about him screamed bravery and, like the bushy-haired girl, she made a note to find him later and get to know him better. Besides, according to her parents will, a boy named Neville Longbottom was her god-brother. Really, what were the chances that there were two Neville's?
Off to her right, there was an intriguing duo. One was a boy with white-blonde hair and bluish gray eyes. He held himself high and hadn't started to fidget after the woman's comments. That alone would have intrigued her. More intriguing, though, was that he, like her, was scanning their peers with an air of indifference.
Beside him, there was a girl with strawberry blonde hair and the same indifference painting her pretty face. She was quite pretty.
Before she could introduce herself to the pair, she was grabbed by her arm and twisted painfully to come face to face with the same obnoxious redhead.
"I'm Ronald Weasley. You're hot. Likely a mudblood. You'll need someone to ride the coattails of here. You're lucky. You can ride mine and really make it somewhere."
Summer went to open her mouth, but another voice cut in before she could say a word. The voice was cool and controlled and clearly male. A hand was rested on her right shoulder.
"Weasley, she wouldn't want to ride your coattails even if she was as poor as a pauper like you are. Not only would no one get anywhere on yours, but, as you can clearly see, she has more money than you do and, if anything, you're just looking to force her into some kind of understanding with you so you can use her for her money." That voice belonged to the boy she'd wanted to meet. His eyes glanced at her and then he smirked. "And you just ruined a possibly powerful friendship."
Now Summer finally managed to speak something to that thing that had had the nerve to touch her. "Weasley, is it? I've heard of your family." She paused long enough for the boy to puff up and the one who'd spoken up for her to look at her in shock before she allowed a smirk to grace her face. "Your family is poor. But even most of them have redeeming qualities. All except you and your mother. Your mother used love potions on pureblood Arthur Weasley and by the time she stopped, she'd already had all seven of his children and, like any gentleman, he stayed with her simply for the children. And you…you are little more than a beggar who clings to anyone with money which is everyone compared to you. You're prone to jealous rages and fits and can't stand for someone to be better than you at something. You think you deserve everything in life without ever having to work for her." She smirked even more fully. "Did I call your number, Weasel? Next time, keep your damn hands off me or you will be the first person in this school to lose your hands permanently to a fellow first year."
Summer spun around and walked away, taking up residence in the place by the girl that was with the boy. The boy followed her back over with a grin firmly planted on his face.
Before any words could be exchanged, though, the witch returned and they were following her inside the hall.
Like a witch down Knockturn Alley had told her, they were being sorted by a hat. Easy enough.
Some names stood out to her as they were called—for various reasons. Susan Bones stood our because from a self-updating Ministry Employee book, Summer knew Susan's aunt was head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Powerful connection to have; she went to Hufflepuff.
Hermione Granger stood out to her. It was the bushy-haired girl with the Dragon Blood mumbling. She still looked nervous. Summer thought she was likely muggle-born to be so nervous to mumble about blood of all things. To Summer's surprise, she went to Slytherin.
Daphne Greengrass was next. It was the girl she'd moved to stand with. It wasn't any surprise to Summer that was also sorted into Slytherin. She took the seat next to Hermione.
Neville Longbottom, she was right about his last name, was no surprise. He was sorted into Gryffindor. Summer smiled at that. She'd make allies in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Now she just needed to make nice with some unsuspecting Ravenclaw.
She was determined to be a Slytherin. The girl-who-lived thing didn't amuse her and she was determined to be anything but a Gryffindor for no other reason than it was expected of her. She liked to go against expectations.
Draco Malfoy was her blond hero's name. He went up to the hat with the expected grace and was immediately sorted into Slytherin. He met her eyes just before he sat down, leaving a space between him and an upper year boy. It was clear he intended for her to take that place.
"Summer Potter." Summer tossed her long hair from her face and headed up to the hat. She wasn't snobby—but she could act it with the best of them. She allowed the hat to be placed upon her head.
"Summer Alexandria Potter. Daughter of Lily and James Potter, hmmm? And she doesn't even want to be in Gryffindor like her parents."
"I want to be in Slytherin, hat."
"If you must call me something, call me Sal."
"Sal?"
"Godric named me after Salazar."
"They were supposed to have hated each other, Sal."
"They were lovers, Summer. Salazar didn't want muggle-borns out of his school. He just wanted them taken from their families at the first sign of magic. Back then, students were sometimes killed when they went home to their families. It really didn't help matters that his apprentice was killed by her own family when she was fifteen years old. He was furious and murdered her family without remorse."
"She was a muggle-born?"
"He thought muggle-born students were at the advantage to be able to blend into either world. He cherished them and loved having them placed in his house."
"But my mother was a Gryffindor."
"Technically, she was a Snake in Lion's clothing. A boy named James Potter intrigued little Lily Evans when she met him on the train at eleven years old and she became determined to truly get to know him. She knew he'd become a Gryffindor and so demanded I place her there as well."
"Well, I'm demanding you place me in Slytherin. I belong there. Just like my mother did."
"Very well then Summer. I'd like to talk to you again, you know."
"Of course, Sal."
"Good girl. Have fun in Slytherin." With that, Sal finally spoke aloud, calling out Slytherin for all to hear.
There was dead silence for a moment as Summer got up and calmly handed the hat to the stern woman again. As she turned towards the house of green and silver, the entire table burst into applause and cheers.
She smirked and headed to the table, taking the seat beside Draco with an air of grace.
"Hi, I'm Marcus Flint. Welcome to Slytherin. I'm a fifth year and prefect, so if you need anything you can come to me."
Summer gave him a saccharine smile, "Hi, I'm Summer! And if you call me the Girl Who Lived even one time, I will cast a blood boiling curse at you."
To her shock, and his credit, Marcus grinned at her for the comment. "I like you. You're gonna fit right in. Much like Miss Granger there. Pucey tried to make a smart comment about her being a muggle-born and she cast a hex at him that even I didn't recognize. Still don't know what she did—she won't tell me. But I do know he won't talk about it and is in immense pain." Summer glanced at the guy sitting next to Hermione Granger and smirked at him.
"You deserved it."
He gave her a half-hearted glare and Summer laughed, turning to Draco and offering her hand. "Summer Potter. Pleasure to meet you."
He brushed her knuckles with his lips in a gentlemanly manner. "Draco Malfoy. The pleasure is all mine."
Summer rolled her eyes and looked over at Daphne and Hermione. "Summer Potter. You, Miss Greengrass, are a very interesting person. And you, Miss Granger, intrigue me even more. And there are thirteen uses of Dragon's blood. Not twelve."
"The book said…"
"No one wants to stick their hands in it to use it as a cleaner."
"Oh."
Summer smirked and turned back to the sorting as Blaise Zabini was called up. Sal took only a minute to announce Slytherin and Summer waited until he was sitting next to Draco, "Hi, I'm Summer. Nice to meet you!"
"You're perky."
"And you're easy to trick." Summer aimed a fake pout at Marcus. "Marcyyyy (AN: Read Markyyyy), the Slytherins in my year are simple to bamboozle."
Marcus stared at her. He may have been trying to decide if he should be irritated about the name. Apparently he decided not to be, "I'm sorry, Summer. I can't control the intelligence of the incoming Slytherins. I'm sure they're trainable though."
Summer looked mildly appeased by that statement and turned to Draco. "You'll be useful in the future. We're going to be friends. Understood?"
Draco looked like he may have been thinking of refusing. However, he simply nodded his agreement and bowed his head slightly.
A glance around table had similar nods from Blaise, Daphne, and Hermione as well as Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott. Even Marcus and Pucey nodded along with the boy sitting beside Pucey who she later learned was Miles Bletchley.
It was going to be a very fun seven years as far as Summer was concerned. Now if she could just figure out why she felt a pull to Draco.
"So…how does everyone feel about the Dark Arts?"
Well that garnered her a few Looks.
"Why do you ask, Summer?" Flint opened his mouth first.
"I want to know if I'm to spend time with bigots or people with a brain."
There was generalized mumbling of approval over Dark Arts magicks, but Draco was the only one to give a real comment.
"Magic isn't dark or light. It's intent."
Summer grinned. Draco was definitely someone she wanted to spend time around. Definitely.
AN: Needed to include the sorting for some ground work on this story. Next chapter starts out with our lovely characters older.