The second hand continued to tick as bright blue eyes followed its circular movement around the clock. A sigh left the lips of the girl. Astoria Greengrass was eleven and she could not wait till the train reached Hogsmeade.

"Astoria, are you okay?" Daphne, her elder sister asked.

"Of course she isn't Daphne. She is terrified to fight the troll." Pansy said and Astoria tried not to whimper.

"Pansy." Daphne tried to reprimand her friend.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Astoria said getting up.

"Okay, just remember-"

"I'm forbidden to go into the compartment which is three down from ours." Astoria said, interrupting her sister.

"Of course not."

"Don't be stupid Daphne, Astoria's right. For an ickle first year, she has a lot of sense." And then the entire compartment burst into laughter, led by Pansy. They were all very intelligent, Astoria thought bitterly.

She left the compartment and, seeing that no one was around, promptly burst into tears. She didn't want to go to Hogwarts, she didn't want to leave her parents and she definitely did not want to spend the year with her sisters friend.

She heard footsteps and wiped the tears.

"Potter and Weasley were too scared to come." A blonde boy with two large boys came into view, saying this. "They were scared of my father." Astoria knew immediately that this was Draco Malfoy.

Daphne had warned her about him and she was shaking like a leaf.

"And who are you?" He asked, standing a few feet from her.

"A-Astoria Greengrass."

"You're Daphne's sister, aren't you?" She nodded. "Why aren't you with her?"

"I came to go to the bathroom."

"Then go."

"I was just going there." She turned around.

"Wait."

Her fingers wouldn't stop fiddling as she turned around. "Yes?"

"What house do you think you'll be sorted in?"

"I don't know. The troll-"

"Troll?" One of the boys behind Malfoy said.

"What troll?" Malfoy asked.

"The one I'll have to fight with." There was silence for a moment before all three of them started laughing and Astoria, being unable to help it, burst into tears.

"What -" Malfoy looked uncomfortable as the other boys continued laughing. "Look - Goyle, Crabbe, shut up." The laughter subsided and Malfoy spoke again. "You don't have to fight a troll."

Astoria looked up in confusion, her eyes still shining with tears.

"You have to put a hat on that sorts you into a house. Don't tell anyone I told you. Let's go." They turned around and walked away, but Malfoy stopped mid-step and spoke to her without turning around.

"Better be Slytherin." He almost whispered and she nodded to him, forgetting that he couldn't see her.

"Yes."

Astoria was now standing in the Great Hall with the other students, and true to Malfoy's word, she didn't have to fight a troll but put on a hat. Somehow, she didn't think there was any difference between the two.

Professor McGonagall was reading the names of students who then had to put on the hat and were sorted.

"Greengrass, Astoria." She moved up to sit on the stool and soon the hat was covering her eyes, blocking the view of the room.

"Hmmm...interesting." The hat spoke and Astoria jumped. "Well, there's a thirst for knowledge here, Ravenclaw should be fine."

"No. I want to be in Slytherin."

"Slytherin...not many people request that."

"I want to stay with my sister." She whispered.

"Very well. SLYTHERIN." The next seven years were going to be interesting.