Chapter 1:
"Now you must obey. Don't you dare think that we will let any small slip ups slide. Is that understood?" He says through clenched teeth as he keeps my arm in a grip so tight that there is no doubt in my mind that I will have bruises tomorrow. Then again that's expected, he doesn't like me. How could I know that my father doesn't love me, well he's told me countless times. Worthless, useless, not an evil bone in my body, just some of the ways he's described me. I'm a complete failure in his eyes, compared to my lovely brother. He is the perfect one, the one who gets to saunter his way to the train station under the adoring eyes of my mother. Ugh, his sickly sweet smile just nauseates me. I just can't understand why some girls fall head over heels for him. Then again, I'm his sister, so not a single aspect of him is appealing to me.
My father continues to talk, but I just tune him out. I can't help but wonder how grand it's going to be. From all the books I've read I can only imagine how amazing the towers must look, or the classrooms. What house will I be put into? Gryffindor? No, I'm much too cowardly to ever be put into the house of the brave and courageous. I mean, I can't even stand up to my parents. Hufflepuff? Maybe, I mean I am very caring, but I don't know if I'm kind enough to be there. Slytheran? God, I hope not. I don't want to be in the same house that the rest of my family. I just don't think it would work. Ravenclaw? Well, there's an interesting idea. I mean I'm smartish. That might work, but then again I doubt I'm smart enough.
I'm suddenly yanked into a corner as my father yells into my, "Miranda, you listen and you listen good. I don't want you messing this year up for your brother. You will do whatever he asks of you and do it whenever he asks. I can only hope that you don't disappoint us too much. Am I understood?"
I bow my head and say, "Yes father."
He nods once looks over at a wall and says, "Good. Now go. I don't want to see or hear about you again until summer break." He then pushes my through a wall and I appear on a train station platform, Platform 9 ¾. It's so bright. Magical creatures are flying everywhere. All of the parents are hugging their children good bye. The trunks that seem to litter the train station are magically shrinking and being levitated onto the station platform. My eyes begin to twitch as I sense all the magic around me. I start to see the multicolored trails, but rub my eyes to snap them out of it.
Hurrying, I walk up to the train conductor who seems to be collecting names, so I can get on the train and get away before anyone notices anything wrong. I look up when he asks, "Hello, and who might you be?"
I look up and make eye contact with this nice man. He's a little on the plump side with a growing beard. His hair is a dark black and he's wearing these small circular eye glasses that seem to cause his eyes to shrink in size. I try my best to match the cheerful smile he's giving me, but I think it comes across as a grimace. I finally say, "Miranda Malfoy, reporting for the Hogwarts express."
His smile becomes forced as he ushers me onboard. I walk down the velvet hallways that are lined with compartments. I see my brother Draco sitting with some of his friends, but I dare not enter. I quickly move down the train until I find a compartment with no one in it. I slowly curl up into a small ball on the soft cushions and fall asleep.