Hannah Charming was not the typical princess. She didn't have daily tea with the other princesses of Auradon Prep, she didn't wear pastel blue like her mother's famous ball gown, she dyed her hair red as blood. But she was still a princess. She still was watched by her classmates, an idol of fashion that no one wanted to admit they wanted to follow – ripped jeans, leather jackets, fingerless gloves and spiky boots, while at the same time acting the perfect daughter, the perfect foil to her brother Chad's pig-headed nature and by-the-book prejudice.

Then the Villain Kids arrived. Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos shook up the stage at Auradon. They were the new kids, who wore the same fashions Hannah had always worn, but they had the bad attitude to back it up. At least initially.

Eight months had passed. The Royal Cotillion had been a royal mess, one Hannah was glad to have missed, especially after she heard that Ursula's daughter made an appearance. She didn't want to tangle with a sea witch, no matter what sort of masquerade she played. Still, the announcement of more Isle kids coming to Auradon pleased her, even after she heard the roster. A Tremaine would be making her first physical appearance in Auradon, as would a number of Hooks, a few Hunters, a Frollo, and even a couple kids of Hades.

Hannah had grown close to Evie in recent weeks, ever since Royal Cotillion. Hannah's favorite holiday, All Hallow's Eve, approached fast, and Hannah wanted to collaborate with the newest fashion queen on a gown to die for.

"Now," Evie said, seated at Hannah's bedroom desk while Hannah sat upon her bed, "are you absolutely sure you don't want to change things up? Go blue?"

"I haven't worn blue since I was four years old, Evie," Hannah replied. "You know that, and you know I'm not about to start just for All Hallow's Eve. At best, you'll get me into purple."

"All right, fair enough," Evie commented, pencil still poised over her sketch pad. "Have you got anything in mind for a concept?"

"Well, last year, I did something that just will not work this year – I went as a zombified Queen of Hearts." Hannah and Evie both laughed a moment, before the former continued. "Alice helped me replicate her dress, and I talked Theresa into helping me with my makeup."

Evie was still laughing, though half-heartedly, when she finally spoke up again. "You don't have to worry at all," she said, "the Queen of Hearts hasn't had any kids whatsoever. I don't think any of the male villains would consider her even if she was the last woman on the island. But, it's probably best if we leave zombifications alone, at least for now."

"I did love the design," Hannah said, flopping back onto her bed. "The big skirt, the high collar. I actually felt like a queen, you know?"

"Maybe a vampire?" Evie suggested. "It's a relatively simple concept, and you can literally wear anything you want for it."

"Maybe."

"Knock, knock?"

Hannah sat up as Evie's gaze turned to the dorm room door, where Mal stood hesitantly in her plum tee and ragged black jeans, accessorized with a studded belt, studded slouch boots, and a spiked bracelet half-hidden by the leather jacket she wasn't wearing currently.

"You two having fun?" Mal asked, stepping into the room and leaning back against the wall.

"Oh, the most," Hannah replied, lurching to her feet and grabbing her own leather jacket from the headboard of her bed. "Are they here?"

"I said I'd come get you when they got here, so here I am." Mal moved to shrug into her jacket, leaving it unzipped, while Hannah also put hers on. Blood red leather over black leggings and a red top imprinted with a black rose, Hannah did not look like her mother's daughter. Her hair was too bright red, her style too wicked. Evie left her sketch pad on the desk, a clear sign of We'll come back to this later, and followed Mal and Hannah out of the dorms and across campus to the central square.

It looked like some sort of festival – pop-up tents, popcorn, an ice cream cart, music, dancing, and even a fencing demonstration by the statue of King Beast by Lonnie and Jay. The trio of girls made their way to a black-and-blue-striped tent, where none other than Cinderella herself sat with a computer and a pair of reading glasses. "Hannah!" she chirped, standing up to grab her daughter a chair. "I was wondering where you are – are you going to help me?"

"The three of us are," Hannah replied, taking the seat and pulling out her own reading glasses, sliding them into place as she picked up the clipboard. This was going to be the most interesting day. She read over the first page.

Room 501 ~~~~~~~~~~ Harry Hook, Hektor

Room 502 ~~~~ Juliette Hook, Dizzy Tremaine

Room 503 ~~~~~~ Jacques Frollo, Jean Frollo

Room 504 ~~~~~~~~~~~ Emily Hook, Alena

Room 505 ~~~~ Gil LeGume, Adrian Villalobos

Room 506 ~~~~~ Laura Hook, Katherine Hook

"Looks like Captain Hook got around," Hannah commented. "I'm just giving room assignments, right?"

"And keys," Cinderella replied. "This is just the first wave, after all. Evie, darling, would you help with toiletries? And Mal, would you mind handing these gift cards out? I figured some of these kids might need some new clothes. Especially Dizzy, if my stepmother is anything like she was when I was a girl."

"She said she's gone from evil stepmother to wicked grandmother," Mal replied, taking the box of gift cards and setting it next to Hannah, while she grabbed a chair, and Evie went about organizing the toiletries into name-labeled boxes.

"I hope she's not bitter," Cinderella added, before the speaker system cut to a small fanfare before returning to the music.

"I tried to tell Ben to tone it down, this is probably going to scare them," Evie said, as she rolled a towel and added it to Juliette Hook's box.

"That's why Jay's doing the fencing – show them we're not all about this. And our booth is just to help them get settled in," Mal said. She sat with the back of the chair to her front, keeping an eye on the driveway as two limousines pulled up to the curb, and the drivers exited and circled to the back door. When those doors opened, everyone paused what they were doing, and stood unless they were already standing. The sound of fencing blades ceased as Jay and Lonnie lowered their weapons, turning towards the now emptying limos. Hannah, still holding onto the clipboard of room assignments, nudged her mother with her elbow – Cinderella was still fiddling with her computer.

"Mom!" she hissed. "They're here!"

"Oh!" Cinderella exclaimed, shoving herself to her feet and straightening the simple blue dress she was wearing, a nod to her ballgown. "I hope they believe you're my daughter."

"They should, I mean, I have your eyes."

Mal laughed, as the groups began filing out, and Fairy Godmother herself hustled over to meet them with a microphone in hand.

"Welcome, new students," the headmistress began, "to your first term at Auradon Prep. I hope you're all ready to learn. There are no lessons today, but tomorrow your lessons begin in earnest. I look forward to seeing all of you in class. Now, if you'd all please head over to the blue and black striped canopy, you'll be given your schedules, room assignments, and a few gifts."

None of the new kids moved, staring at the headmistress like she had two heads, which wasn't entirely the worst outcome. At least none of them had made moves to do anything weird. A few awkward moments passed, before one of the boys separated from the group, making his way over to the booth with a confident swagger. Long red sleeveless coat, hook in hand, tight black pants, and way too much eyeliner – Mal and Evie both groaned.

"Of course Harry takes the initiative," Mal said, taking her seat once again. "Watch your pockets with him around."

Cinderella and Hannah both watched the confident son of a pirate make his way towards them, leaning forward to land his empty hand on the table. "Well, hello," he said, his accent not unfamiliar to the pair. Cinderella had weekly lunches with Wendy, after all. "I heard there were some gifts."

"Well, first things first – your name is Harry Hook?" Cinderella asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" he replied, lifting his hook to inspect it.

"We'll need to confiscate your hook and sword – security reasons. Can't have students walking around with actually sharp weapons." Cinderella lowered her glasses to give Harry that stern over-the-glasses glare. "Hand them over."

Harry held the hook closer, flat to his chest. "Why should I let you have it?"

"Because if you don't, I'll call Hercules over," Cinderella replied. "He's my husband's personal trainer, you know. Helps him keep in shape."

The mere threat of bringing Hercules into the matter was enough for Harry to lay his hook down on the table, draw his sword, and place it there as well. "I'll expect these back when I've finished school," he said, watching as Cinderella lifted the weapons off the table and set them very gently into a box beneath the table, which she had her foot hooked into.

"That depends upon your behavior," Cinderella said. She then typed his name into the computer, and printed off his schedule on card stock. "Here's your class schedule. Hannah, give him his key."

"You'll be rooming with Hektor in five-oh-one," Hannah said, retrieving one of the two keys from the drawer slot labeled 501. "If you behave, you might be able to move to a single room later on." Mal held out a silver envelope as Hannah extended the key. Harry took them both, giving Mal a look that was either disdain or disgust – Hannah didn't care which. "The envelope contains a gift card that will allow you to purchase new clothes as necessary. A total of two thousand dollars is available through this card, exclusively for clothes, and you have a maximum daily purchase limit of five hundred dollars. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly," Harry replied, pocketing the key and envelope, before he stepped over to Evie, just as she put a rolled red towel into the box with his name on it.

"Towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner, razor, shaving cream, loofah, and a single bottle of Prince Florian's specially designed aftershave," Evie said, as she handed him the box. "If you wait over at the tables for everyone else to get their things, you'll be shown to your room."

"Hurry up and wait," Mal laughed quietly.

"Fairy Godmother likes organizing things that way," Hannah replied with a smile, as a blonde, relatively burly male figure approached the table.

"Hi, Mal!" he chirped. Hannah looked at him with eyes like dinner plates, as Cinderella began to speak.

"Please place your weapons on the table. May I have your name?"

"Gil, son of Gaston," he said, as he drew the sword from his belt and laid it upon the table. He gave Hannah a hard look. "Do I know you?"

"No, you do not, Gil," she managed to reply. "You are very cheerful."

Gil looked flabbergasted for a moment, before Cinderella handed him a piece of thick paper. "Hannah, give him his room key." Hannah shook herself, and retrieved one of two keys from the section of the drawer labeled 505.

"You'll be rooming with Adrian Villalobos, in room 505," Hannah said, as Cinderella took the sword from the table and added it to the box. "You'll get your sword back after you've graduated."

"Here," Mal added, holding out the gift card. "Don't spend this without someone with you, okay, Gil?"

"Why?"

"Because you've got a spending limit," Hannah added, looking at Mal curiously. Mal just gave her one of those I'll explain later looks. "Five hundred per day until you've spent a total of two thousand, at which point the card stops working."

Gil took the card and the key, tucking them into his pocket and trying to walk away before Evie called him back. The next hour and a half consisted of the four getting all twelve new villain kids their schedules, room assignments, toiletries, and the gift cards that would at the very least give them a broader wardrobe. The last one to approach the table was Dizzy, the youngest new student from the Isle, who immediately skipped right past Hannah, Mal, and Cinderella to ambush-hug Evie.

"Dizzy!" the blue-haired girl exclaimed, hugging the shorter girl back tightly. "Oh, I'm so glad you're finally here!"

"It looks amazing, Evie! So green!" Dizzy said, looking around, before her eyes found Cinderella. A momentary somber expression filled her eyes, and she almost shrank into Evie.

"Dizzy?" Cinderella said with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Evie's told me so much about you." It was at this moment that Mal realized she was out of gift cards, and realized that Dizzy was a special case. "If you don't mind, I'd like to help you with getting settled here in Auradon."

Dizzy lit up. "You mean it?" she asked, taking a hesitant step towards the princess.

"Of course I do. You might be Drizella's daughter, but you are still my niece by law, technically." Cinderella put a hand on Hannah's shoulder. "This is my daughter, Hannah. She'll be helping you get settled at school, and I'll be available if you have any questions about living here in Auradon, or if you need anything at all."

Dizzy squealed. "Granny would hate it if she knew!" she exclaimed. "Me, here, with you!"

"Her worst nightmare?" Hannah asked, leaning forward.

Dizzy nodded. And Hannah decided she'd be this poor girl's best friend.