June 1976- Marauders 7th year

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry kicked off another year the traditional way; Sorting Hat, Newbies, Food, and now they were winding down for the End-of-the-First-of-the-Year-Feast-Speech. Sirius Black fiddled restlessly with his wand, his fingers itching to wreak havoc and destruction. These First of the Year Feasts were the most boring things in existence. Not that Sirius, or any of his friends, were incapable of making their own fun, but McGonagall- Professor McGonagall had threatened them within an inch of their life if they disrupted another Beginning of the Year Feast. Say what you will about Stick-Up-the-Ass McGonagall, that lady was scary.

Dumbledore stood up, and the remainder of some Irish form of desert was wiped from the tables. Sirius fiddled with the spoon, the fork… the spoon again. He looked down the long line of Gryffindor table, and wished he didn't have to worry about preserving his balls and life… he'd transfigure the silverware into ants. Fun. Or maybe spiders; caused more pandemonium.

Remus Lupin nudged him sharply in the ribs as Dumbledore rambled on the traditional warnings of off-limits stuff they did a thousand times any-who. Sirius glared, rubbing the offended spot.

"What?"

Remus knew the restless look, it meant someone was about to have a coronary from the impossible happening… like spiders traveling up a pant leg… Yes…Remus knew Sirius all too well.

"Why do you think they haven't put up the Sorting Hat yet?" James whispered. James Potter, equal in ranking to Remus and Sirius in Hogwart's Hottest Players, where they topped the list, was just as bored as Sirius. But, unlike Sirius, he was paying attention to Dumbledore, as Remus was, but for different reasons. Remus listened to the rules years and years over again to keep them out of serious trouble, James listened for trouble. It was an unfortunate attraction that would probably spread to any offspring he happened to sire… The poor sprout.

Sirius looked up, blinking. "Hey! It is still out. Peter, why-" Sirius broke off, looking across the table where James and Peter Pettigrew sat. Peter was fast asleep, drool dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. "Peter… Pete? Pety? PETY!"

"Sirius! Merlin's Beard, keep it down!" Remus murmured, casting a fearful glance at Battle-Axe McGonagall. "I choose life, I hope you know."

"And I choose being able to prove what gender I am…" James muttered, almost cowering.

Peter lifted his head sleepily from his arms, a strand of drool stretching as he rose into a full seated position. "What?"

"They've still got the Sorting Hat out, Pety." Sirius said. Peter made a face and threw a wadded up napkin at him.

"Peter."

"Yeah, yeah. As I was saying- asking—Why?"

"If Remus' not able to tell you, I don't know." Peter muttered, preparing to go back to sleep.

"Guys, shut up. He's getting towards the end of the speech." James warned. Usually, when one gets towards the end of a speech, it tends to get louder. But not at Hogwarts; Dumbledore always said the interesting stuff last.

"-and this year we have a very special occurrence. We have two Seventh Year exchange students from Salem's Academy for Witchcraft in America. Now, I saw them earlier, if you girls could just step-"

The doors crashed open, causing the entire hall to jump. Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter turned as one to see- "Hot damn." Sirius said, whistling appreciatively.

A short, spunky female stalked into the Great Hall, her vividly pink hair enough to single her out on any other day. But that wasn't enough. She wore a black mini-skirt, tied off black polo shirt that showed most of her pale midriff, with thigh high, laced stockings and big-assed clunky heels. She was adorned with wristbands, rings, chains, and- of all things- a choke collar.

Dumbledore beamed. "Selene Darling is our first exchange student. Let see, Professor McGonagall, the Hat, if you would."

McGonagall gave Selene as truly disgruntled look, bearing the hat towards her.

She looked at the hat speculatively, "And that would be?" she asked, an American accent clearly heard in her wind-chime sounding voice.

"This is the Sorting Hat. It will tell us what house you'll be in." McGonagall said, motioning for her to sit down on the stool.

"Uh-huh…Don't you get very good funding? Cause that thing looks a little worse for wear…"

The room erupted with laughter.

"Oh yeah!" Sirius said, nudging Remus, "I like this one!"

McGonagall sniffed, and lowered the hat onto the girl's head. She tossed her head. "Shit! It talks!" Giggles and snorts were the response she got, but she couldn't hear it. She straightened indignantly. "Chit? Just who the hell do you think you are? … Oh? Ok, then." The hat ripped into a mouth, its magically gifted and magnified voice shouting "GRYFFINDOR!" A raucous, predominately male cheer was roused from the Gryffindor table. Selene snatched off the hat, tossed it unceremoniously to Professor McGonagall, and stood to the side, her vivid green eyes looking at her new playground mischievously.

Dumbledore stood again. "And now our second exchange student, Ryann Tate."

Heads turned again the other exchange student glided into the hall, her dark-blue satin, knee-high boots with a spike heel rapping sharply with each step she took, skin-tight brown leather pants almost completely obstructed by the russet dragon-hide trench coat. Her hair shifted with every step, dark, light, brown, red, black, white… but it mainly looked a grey-brown. She reached McGonagall, eyeing the tattered, fraying hat in obvious distaste.

"Silly tradition, isn't it?" Selene said, giggling, "That's what tells us where we go."

Ryann glanced at her. "Did you say the thing talks?"

"Yep."

"Ah. Talking Hat…" She shrugged, and sat down on the stool. The hat settled over her head, and she started. "It talks." The hat moved, ripped open its mouth: "SLYTHERIN!"

"What? Ah, man! They put us in different houses…" Selene groaned.

Ryann took off the hat. "You think you could have told me it burrows through your mind?"

"Surprises, my good friend. They do you a world of good."

Meanwhile, down at Gryffindor table, Sirius was having a fit. "Damn! Slytherin? She's hot; she needs to be in Gryffindor!"

Remus shot him a look. "Shut up. The worlds not ending…" Although to be fair, he had thought the same thing…he'd never tell, though.

Dumbledore rose from his position at the table yet again. "Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, Ms. Tate will need someone to get her familiar with the grounds." He left off invitingly. Several hands rose politely into the air.

"Ah, Ms. Black- yes, Andromeda, you. Thank you, my dear girl." Ryann nodded, going to sit next to the fair haired, sharp featured woman.

"Ms. Darling will also-" Dumbledore stopped, having no need to go further, as in just about every male in Gryffindor was waving their arm around frantically. Sirius detached himself from the table, striding gallantly across the room, up the stairs, until he stood in front of Selene. Performing a sweeping bow, he offered his arm. "I would be delighted to- ahem- show you the sights." He wiggled his brow suggestively. Professor McGonagall shot him a warning look, which, for the sake of the beautiful young filly before him, he ignored.

"My…how noble." she gave him a sultry smile, taking his outstretched hand. They stepped down the stairs as Dumbledore dismissed them.

Sirius began to smatter on about Hogwarts' amazing something or others, but Remus decided to rescue the poor girl. "Can it, mutt." He muttered, removing Sirius from the girl's side and taking up his position. James took her other arm, flashing a smirk over his shoulder as Sirius.

"Good puppy." He said, much the way one would congratulate their dog for bringing them the paper. He turned his charming smile onto Selene. "So. America."

Selene started to answer, but a low, amused voice broke in. "This isn't fair. You're here for twenty seconds, and already you have an escort?" They all turned as Ryann Tate stalked up to them, Adromeda Black following reluctantly at her heels.

Selene smirked at the other girl, "What can I say? It's a gift. I didn't do a thing." She laughed as she walked up to Ryann. "Dude, I'm so pissed. How're we gonna hang out now?"

Ryann smirked. "Simple, we play a game of you tell me yours, I tell you mine." She ran her gaze over the three, no, there was another one there- four boys, then gestured to the girl behind her. "This is Andromeda Black. She has a sister, I think."

The pink haired girl tossed a look at the boys. "I'd introduce them, but they didn't tell me their names."

Sirius sidled up between Adromeda and Ryann. "Sirius Black, at your service."

Remus snorted. "I'm Remus Lupin, the other is James-"

James stepped sharply up. "James Potter, also at your service."

Remus cast him a world-weary look and motioned to the other boy. "And that is Peter Pettigrew."

"Pleasure is all mine. I promise." Selene said, smirking.

Ryann smirked. "She means that." She cast a glance back at Andromeda Black, noticed the antsy fidgeting, and bit back a sigh. "Well, I need to get going. Meet the locals and all that jazz. See ya'll around."

She sashayed off, slinging an arm around Andromeda's shoulders. Selene giggled, allowing herself to be towed off to the Gryffindor Tower. They pulled her through the portrait hole to be greeted by an entire common room full of people. They all turned as she straightened up.

Blinking, she looked around, and then leaned over to Remus. "They're staring… why?"

"Introduction." He said, smirking at her.

"Uh… ok." She looked up. "Howdy, ya'll."

They all gave blank stares.

"Well, that's a fine howdy-doo!" she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Fine, I'll speak your language." She cleared her throat, "Hello. I'm Selene Darling. How do you do?"

They all smirked at her. She sent a sweet smile back. "So? Any questions?"

"What part of America are you from?" asked a black haired fifth year.

"From Texas. Near Dallas."

A brunette third year raised his hand, "What do you do over there?"

"On a normal day? I practice Quidditch. I've got an offer to be seeker on the Sweetwater All-Stars. I'll start when this school year ends."

"Hey, James," Sirius nudged him, "You should take her out and see if she's any good."

He smirked, "Maybe I will."

Selene smirked back, before retuning her audience, "Ho-kai, I'm tired. Let's wrap this up. One more question, then you's guys ask me on your own time, Ok?" she said in a sing-song voice.

"Do you know any cowboys?" asked a skinny blonde girl.

Selene laughed, "Sweetness, I'm from Texas. Hell yeah I know cowboys. Like we say, cowboys do it better."

Sirius smirked. "Do it better? Why, we're just going to have to show you how Brits do it." A rounding cheer came from most of the guys.

She turned on him, giving the most evil smile, "Hun, Brits may 'do it well,' but nobody rides like a cowboy."

He gave her an equally malicious smirk. "You care to let me prove it wrong?"

"Enough, Sirius." Came a female voice from the top of the dorm stairs, "Don't boast what you can't put up."

All eyes turned to the new girl, with Sirius's protests falling on deaf ears. She descended the stairs, her fire-like hair trailing behind lightly. Her bright green eyes met Selene's firmly.

"So you're the new girl?" She asked, reaching the bottom floor, "The Marauders new play thing?"

"I don't know how it works here, but where I'm from, girls are never the plaything." Selene said, easily meeting the red heads piercing gaze. The stare down continued till they were inches apart, tension building thick between them.

James and Remus were about to break them up when laughter erupted between them both.

"Ha ha, I like you….Selene, right?"

"Yes, it's Selene." She offered her hand to the other girl, "And you?"

"Lily Evans. Seventh year and Head Girl." She took Selene's hand, shaking it firmly. "So, I bet you want to settle in now, yeah?"

"That would be lovely." Selene turned to the boys still standing behind her, "Thank you for the escort, loves. I'm going to bed."

"It was a pleasure, dearest maiden." Sirius said, gallantly bowing.

"We'll see you tomorrow at breakfast?" Remus asked her.

"Of course. Goodnight." She turned to follow Lily up the steps. "So…Where's my room?"

"There is a small hallway about halfway up that leads to your corridors. Dumbledore already set it up for you."

Selene stopped short. "It's my own room?"

"Yeah." Lily gave her a confused look, "Didn't you ask for it?"

"Well, yeah…but-"

"Then there's no problem." She turned sharply, walking into a doorway. The room behind it was like a dungeon; cold, dank, and empty save the basics for a room. "Here it is."

"Damn old bastard." Selene mumbled as she looked around in distaste, "I'm surprised he didn't put a coffin in here…"

"What?"

The fuchsia haired girl smiled, "Nothing. Thank you for your help. I believe I can handle it from here."

"Oh, okay then. If you need anything, ask me or James. We're the Head Boy and Girl."

"Will do, Lily." She watched the door shut and waiting for the footsteps to fade away before summoning up her luggage and unpacking.

Ryann smirked at the assembled Slytherins, more particularly, the prefects that were filling her in on the rules. "Allow me to sum this up. I can feel free to cause any amount of chaos resulting in the moral, physical, or mental destruction of Gryffindork, Ravenshit, or Huff'n'Puffs, as long as it does not trace back to me or anyone Slytherin. Is that about right?"

The Slytherins traded amused glances, and smirked back at her. "That's about right," the particularly more slimy of the two prefects said. Ryann recalled his name was Theodore Knott. "All right, I think we've got it. This little meeting has come to an end."

Andromeda touched her arm, leading her over to a small group of people. "This is my sister, Bellatrix." Ryann eyed the slightly manic gleam in Andromeda's sister's eyes. "She is in sixth year. The one next to her is Rudulfus Lestrange. You've met Theodore. Severus Snape is there." She let her eye roam over Severus. He had piercing black eyes, a prominent nose, long sable hair… Ryann smirked to herself. If he didn't have that unfortunate snarl, he would have been very attractive.

She bobbed a little curtsy and said the polite things, and received the polite things, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. It was as if she were at one of her mother's little tea parties.

"So," Bellatrix said, settling onto the plush, green couches. "You're from America. Where, exactly?"

Ryann distilled the immediate dislike she had for the woman, who had none of her sister's blonde hair or silver eyes, instead possessing black eyes and hair. The eyes possessed a hint of madness Rayne hoped never to have to deal with.

"A small wizarding society a slight ways away from Dallas."

"Texas? As in the horse riding, gun shooting, tobacco spitting ignoramus'? Rudulfus asked.

Ryann snorted. "Yes to the first, yes to the second, no to the spitting if you have any sort of class at all. To the fourth," she shrugged. "Everyone has their share." Her cutting glance to Rudulfus was evidence enough she thought Britain's assortment of fools included him.

"What is a gun?" Theodore asked.

Ryann rolled her eyes, slipping her hand under the trench coat to the back of her pants. The people around her stiffened as she pulled out the sleek pistol her mother had given her on her twelfth birthday. "This is a gun, a pistol. A Browning to be exact."

"What does it do?" Bellatrix asked, leaning closer.

"It kills." Ryann murmured, her hand reaching for the wooden coaster on the table between them.

A deafening bang brought the entire common room to silence as they all turned to see the cause. Ryann stood, her arm outstretched, a foreign instrument pointed at the far wall. Andromeda, a small approving smirk on her face, levitated the fragments of the coaster so all could see.

"What spell was that?" A fifth year asked.

"That wasn't a spell." Ryann smirked. "That was pure muggle mechanics." A wave of distaste shuddered through the crowd. She'd heard Slytherins disliked anything and everything muggle, but she'd thought it had been an exaggeration. Oh, she was going to have fun.

"What are you doing with a muggle thing?" Rudulphus asked, lip curled sneeringly.

Ryann held the gun up at eye level, looking at it contemplatively. "It's a killing weapon. It leaves no magical traces, and wizards don't use muggle forensics. If you a good enough Slytherin, you can get away with murder without a problem." Looking past the barrel of her gun, she saw Rudulphus looking decidedly uneasy. Catching his eye, she smiled a distinctively unfriendly smile, pleased beyond measure when the man gulped. Holstering her gun, she turned back to Andromeda and Severus. Yes, this was going to be an interesting year.