Hello wonderful Harry Potter fanfic readers! I'm Camden and I am super excited to start this story. The main character is of my own creation, Julia Smith/Malfoy, but everything else belongs to the amazingly talented JK Rowling. This story will be eventual George Weasley and OC. This story takes place for the moment over Julia's 5th year at Hogwarts (same as the Golden Trio), so George is in his 7th year. Basically, it's set during Order of the Phoenix. Please read and review! Love you all! Also, I hopefully will update my Les Mis fanfic soon, I'm sorry to all who follow that. I'm having writer's bloc with that story and for some reason I just can't get through the next chapter. In the meantime, enjoy this story.


I Knew You Were Trouble

Prologue

Julia Smith walked hesitantly up the stone steps towards the place where Professor McGonagall was holding the moving Sorting Hat in her hands. The hat grimaced at her as if trying to detect her secrets before it was on her head. Julia stared at it with wide, vacant eyes. She knew she would not be able to block her mind from the hat, but she wouldn't let him into her head before it was necessary.

Julia positioned herself on the small stool her pale blue-grey eyes scanning the room for the eyes that matched hers. She found them at the Slytherin table and glared at the boy to whom the eyes belonged to. He glared back as if daring her to make the Sorting Hat put Julia in his house. Though she was fearful of what her parents would do if she wasn't, she silently dreaded the thought of being put in the "Pureblood" house.

Professor McGonagall dropped the hat on her platinum blonde head, and her thoughts began to swirl around her mind against her will. The Sorting Hat spoke to her as the thoughts wove in and out of her psyche.

"My dear, you are not who you say you are," the Sorting Hat admonished lightly. "Your surname betrays your true colors."

Julia grimaced and resisted the urge to gag. Never again would she go by the name…

"Malfoy," the Sorting Hat continued. "Oh yes, I know to whom I speak. 'Tis a shame Dumbledore thought it would be better for you to live a lie. Although I must say, he is quite right. Slytherin does not suit you lovely child at all."

Julia breathed a sigh of relief and concentrated on the remaining three houses that she might possibly be sorted into. Truthfully, she would hate being sorted into Hufflepuff although any house was better than Slytherin. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were both possible options though; however, she was not the brightest person in the world. On the other hand, Gryffindors were like the mortal enemies of the Slytherins, and she knew that would not sit well with her family.

"Hmm," the Sorting Hat breathed. "You fear your family a great deal, but you have courage all the same. Yes, I see the many great things you are capable of. A war is coming, you know." Julia frowned at this. She couldn't think of anyone who would start a war. The Sorting Hat continued ignoring her unvoiced question, "You will play a great role in this war if you make the right choices later on. Witches and wizards will look up to you for your bravery, charisma, and outward defiance against a great enemy."

Julia's frown deepened as she listened. She didn't like hearing that she would be the center of attention in this so called "great war." And she had never been brave. Her family had instilled a deep fear in her that would never disappear no matter how hard she tried to forget all the horrible things done to her. She flinched at the memories of pain. The Sorting Hat took no notice.

"My dear, I look forward to watching you grow. You may even be as famous as Harry Potter one day. That being said, I choose GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in applause as Julia finally got off the stool and headed to join her new cheering classmates. As she walked to the table she distinctly ignored the glare Draco Malfoy was giving her from across the room. As far as she was concerned, she no longer had a twin brother, nor was she a part of one of the most ancient pureblood families the wizarding world had ever known. That life was dead to her. She would never set foot in her family's manor again. Julia might not know where she would spend next summer, but she would jump that hurdle when she came to it.

Julia sat down next to a tall brown-haired, blue-eyed girl who had gotten Sorted before her. Julia couldn't remember her name, but she'd learn all of the Gryffindors' names soon enough. Across from her, Harry Potter looked at her oddly and said, "I think you may have been up there longer than I was."

Julia smiled. "I think you may be right."

The Sorting ended with Blaise Zabini strutting his way to the Slytherin table. For the first time in her life, Julia felt like she belonged. She knew she would make friends, and no one would ever know where she came from. That name was dead to her. She would never again be addressed as Julia Narcissa Malfoy. She was now and forever Julia Smith. And she intended to keep it that way.


After the feast, all of the new first years were herded out of the Great Hall by the prefects. The one with red hair and glasses was being particularly loud and bossy. Julia ignored him looking around at the many moving staircases they had come to. It was truly fascinating. The castle was much brighter than her former home which always seemed dark and gloomy no matter what time of day it happened to be.

"Move on then!" yelled a loud voice in her ear. Julia jumped swiveling around. She had slowed down to admire a portrait of a foreign prairie with several animals flittering about. The shouter was none other than the bossy prefect she'd noticed earlier.

"Oi! Perce!" sounded a boy with matching red hair from further below. "Leave the poor first years alone!"

Another boy next to him, his twin Julia saw, laughed at his brother. "Yeah, that's our job!"

Julia hid a smile. The two boys looked to be about two years younger than the prefect and relatively harmless although the twinkle in both their eyes showed mischief.

Unbeknownst to the prefect and the twins, Julia slipped by to regain her place in the crowd of Gryffindors. She bumped into a girl who looked terrified. Julia smiled reassuringly at the girl who smiled weakly in return. "I'm Julia," she said, "but you can call me Julie if you like. I answer to both."

"I'm Kat," she said quietly. "Actually, my real name is Fay Katrina Dunbar, but I prefer Kat."

"Kat's fine," Julia said while surveying the girl. She was a first year as well with short brown hair and chocolate brown eyes to match. The girl was extremely short even for an eleven-year-old, but Julia didn't mind. She liked being taller than someone. Kat was not slim as Julia was, but she was not fat either. Julia thought of her as above average in weight. Julia herself was thin and tall for her age, but she assumed the boys would all surpass her height in a couple of years.

Kat coughed, and Julia realized she had asked her something. "What?" Julia asked.

"I said, are you a pureblood? You don't seem very nervous, so you can't be a Muggleborn, and your aura exudes confidence and stature which makes me think pureblood. I'm a half-blood myself."

Julia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The girl should be in Ravenclaw if she was that observant. "No," Julia lied. "I'm not sure what I am. My parents died when I was a baby. I lived in an orphanage until now. The headmaster doesn't want me to go back there though. The place is terrible."

"I'm sorry about your parents," Kat said. "And you've met Headmaster Dumbledore?" she asked incredulously. "He seems rather…intimidating."

Julia laughed before she could stop herself. "Dumbledore is one of the nicest people I've met. Of course, I haven't really met that many nice people."

"Oh," was all Kat could say.

The group approached a large portrait with a fat lady in it. She smiled at all of them and waited. The bossy prefect was pushing his way to the front. "Hold on! The password…I have it right here! Move!" he was shouting. Kat jumped as he passed her. Julia sighed internally. She'd have to do some work on this girl. Kat had little confidence it seemed and from her first impression, Kat didn't seem comfortable in her own skin. Julia could help with that. Julia might have many fears and her own internal issues, but she was not about to become friends with a Gryffindor girl who had no confidence or bravery.

The bossy prefect said the password, and they all entered through a small portrait hole. Julia was amazed at how cozy it looked. She had heard so much about the Slytherin common room from her parents, but they had never described it as warm and comforting like her common room was. There was a fire roaring in the hearth around which comfy red armchairs sat. The ceiling was high as they were in a tower with many small windows through which a lot of light could come in through during the day.

Julia loved it. It was the opposite of everything she had grown up with.

Later in the evening, Julia found herself lying comfily on a large four poster bed talking to the other first years. Kat spoke infrequently as did another girl named Hermione Granger. The other two girls, Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil, however, would not shut up for two seconds. They seemed to like Julia well enough, but she could tell the two girls would become best friends before the week was over. That left Kat or Hermione. Or both. Julia turned to talk to Hermione but found her nose buried in a large book. Julia sighed and began talking to Kat. Soon enough, she began talking at Kat. Something would have to be done.

The lights were turned out, and the five of them went to bed anxious for the next day of classes. Julia fell asleep easily knowing she was finally safe.


The next day brought a beautiful clear blue sky and mild temperatures. All the girls took this to be a good sign as they walked down to breakfast together. Kat stayed close to Julia and would move even closer when an older student walked by sniggering at the little first years. Julia ignored them easily, but Kat could not.

Julia sat down in the middle of the Gryffindor table while Kat skittered in next to Julia on her right. Hermione, Lavender, and Pavarti sat across from them. Julia quickly shoveled down her breakfast and started to leave the Great Hall. Kat stopped her. "Where are you going?" she asked nervously. Julia knew she didn't want to find her class without Julia, but Julia had some unfinished business to attend to before she went to her first class.

"I left something in the tower," Julia answered quickly. "I'll meet you there."

Kat reluctantly let her go for which Julia was grateful. She glanced over at the Slytherin table to make sure he was getting up to. Julia left the Great Hall and turned down a deserted corridor. He followed.

"They've officially disowned you," Draco Malfoy told her as she turned to face her twin brother. He thrust a letter in her hands and found the part addressed to her. Julia grimaced at the contents, but it was as she expected. She no longer inherited any of the Malfoy fortune and was no longer welcomed in Malfoy Manor.

"Thanks for that," Draco drawled. "I now get everything instead of half. How does that feel?"

"As if I care," Julia shot back. "Keep the money. Drown yourself in it. I'll make my own way."

"Please, you won't last five days on your own without money after the school year ends."

Julia stamped her foot. "It's called making friends."

"Oh and their families will just adopt you for the summer I suppose?"

"Well, I'm a lot more likable than you, so maybe so."

"You really are a terrible liar Julie," Draco smiled evilly. "I guess you intend to spend the summer with that terrified little mouse who seems to be attached to you."

"Oh shut up. I'm sure Mum will just love your friends. I bet they only talk to you because you're a pureblood and filthy rich."

"How dare you?" Draco spat. He moved to slap his sister, but fell flat on his face at her feet instead. Julia looked up for the source and saw the red-headed twins she had seen the previous night. Seems they had now saved her twice.

"This git giving you trouble?" one of them said.

"I had it under control," Julia said firmly.

"Oh yes," said the other. "I suppose we just imagined this slithery filthy idiot was about to hit you?"

Julia said nothing. She stared at the stunned Draco on the floor. He looked so vulnerable. She briefly thought about stepping on his perfect face for all the fights she had lost over the past year, but Julia wasn't quite as cruel as Draco was.

"So," the first twin said. "How are you on speaking terms with a Slytherin or did he corner you?"

"Do you have secrets?" Julia asked avoiding the question.

"What?" they both asked, confused.

"Exactly. You'll never get a truthful answer out of me, so don't try to."

Julia tried to sidestep the twins, but one of them stopped her with little effort. She glared at him and tried to stomp on his foot.

"My my my, aren't you feisty. At least tell us your name, so we can know whom we're going to have to save every other day."

Julia raised her eyebrows. "After you tell me whose names I have to yell when I'm in trouble."

They both snorted. "You're brave. Most first years see us and run the other way."

"Well, I'm not 'most' first years."

"Obviously. I'm George Weasley," said the one on the right. "And this is my brother Fred."

"Julia Smith," Julia replied moving around the twins. "Now, I've got to be going. Don't want to be late to my first class. And don't worry. I'll remember to scream your names really loud whenever I need help," she added sarcastically.

"And we'll hex whoever's in range," Fred grinned.

"Or pummel them," George supplied. "Whichever is more satisfying."

Julia laughed and left the two brothers as they conspired as to what to do with Draco. She wasn't all that concerned. They'd have to let him loose, so he could get to his first class. She still worried over what would happen to the two of them. Draco and her were twins just like Fred and George only much less compatible with each other. Sure, they loved each other deep down, like way deep down, but she knew all the things their father would place in Draco's head about her once he left Hogwarts for the summer that could further sever the ties they had made long ago.

Stepping back into the Great Hall, she found an anxious Kat waiting for her at the doors. Julia smiled and linked arms with her. "C'mon Kat," Julia said brightly. "We've got a whole lot of adventures ahead of us."

Kat smiled in return. "Does this mean we're friends?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course!"

Julia and Kat left the Great Hall arm in arm determined to find their first class and happy at their new friendship. Many hard years were ahead, but the two innocent first years were determined to live in the moment and disregard the future for the time being. They were only eleven after all. Life seemed easy and effortless. The future might bring darkness, but it also brought light and many good times ahead.


Hoped everyone liked the prologue! I will be updating soon, by Saturday at the latest, so stay tuned! Also please review, it is greatly appreciated! The more reviews, the faster the next chapter gets posted! Thanks! ~Camden