DISCLAIMER: i dont own any of the character except Tara. everything else belongs to J.K Rowling ect ect.
PLEASE REVIEW!! i know the 1st chapter is short but im adding more really soon =]
Draco Malfoy sat at the Slytherin table on the first day of his 5th year. The stupid, puny first years were about to be sorted.
Look at the lot, he thought. Scared out of their minds they have to battle You-Know-Who himself!
He gave a short laugh. Pansy Parkinson heard it and looked over at him. She batted her eyelashes a few times and smiled.
Go jump in the lake, he thought, but gave her a brief smile and this seemed to satisfy her because she turned back to whoever she had been talking to before. Draco rolled his eyes and glanced over at the Gryffindor table. Potter, Weasley, and Granger were sitting together, big surprise there. They also looked like they were talking about something morbid, like Harry's poor mummy and daddy. Draco rolled his eyes at the thought. Potter always made such a big deal about his stupid parents and his stupid scar. 'Oh look at me, I'm Harry Potter! I have an amazing scar shaped like a bolt of lightning! Aren't I cool?'
Yeah, more like sketch ball poster child of the century. Granger snapped something at Weasley then folded her hands and looked up where the sorting should be. Draco looked up too, and saw that Dumbledore was holding up his arms for silence.
"This year," Dumbledore said. "Hogwarts School has been chosen to accept an exchange student from America." There was murmured excitement. "Her name is Tara Locke and she would like to say a few words to you."
This ought to be good, Draco thought. Everyone strained to get a better look as Tara walked out. She had long dark hair that drifted lightly around her face as she walked. She was pale with eyes the color of… well Draco could not decide what color her eyes were. Originally he thought they were brown, but now they seemed blue. Her skin was perfect, clear and the color of ivory. Her full lips were colored mahogany.
Holy crap, Draco thought. Were all American girls this drop dead gorgeous?
When she got to where Dumbledore had been, she stopped.
"Five sickles she has perfect teeth," Draco heard someone whisper.
"You're on," someone else said.
Tara smiled. She did have perfect teeth, and Draco heard the coins being exchanged. Then Tara started to talk, and her voice. Oh God, her voice. There was something about it that made you want to drop everything and just listen to her talk. Maybe it was the accent, but Draco doubted it.
"Hey everyone," Tara said. "I am really looking forward to spending my fifth year here at Hogwarts. Back home at my school in the states I was chosen amongst my peers to be privileged enough to join you at the best school for witches and wizards in the world."
She was chosen, Draco thought. That must make her some sort of model student, like Granger. Why can't we ship Granger out of the country?
"I am going to be sorted with the first years in a moment, Tara continued. But unitl then does anybody have any questions for me?"
"What's your favorite sport?" A Ravenclaw called out.
"Well, Quidditch, obviously. And soccer." There was some snickering. 'Oh, sorry, you call it football here."
Granger raised her hand. "Where in America are you from?"
'The state Maine," Tara answered. "Do you know where that is?"
"Yes," Granger said. But a lot of people shook their heads. Draco knew why too. A lot of people who grew up in all magical families just never bothered to learn some stuff. Like geography or common sense. Weasley sure hadn't learned anything about common sense.
"Well, let me see…" Tara trailed off. She took out her wand, mumbled something and a huge map of the world appeared above her head. The map zoomed in down to northern America to the state called Maine.
"Everyone see?" She asked. Some people nodded, awestruck at her magical ability.
"She seems…nice," Crabbe said, sitting on Draco's left.
"Yeah, might as well go take Diggory's seat now," Draco responded. Crabbe paled and turned away. OK, it was a pretty bad joke. The whole school had been shocked at Diggory's death, even him. But normally Crabbe would have laughed anyway, just to please Draco. Something weird was definitely going on with him.
More people had their hands raised for questions, but Dumbledore came stroding up from behind and everyone's hands dropped.
"The hour is getting late," he said. "Let us sort Miss Locke, the first years, and then begin our feast." Dumbledore motioned Tara to the sorting stool where McGonagall placed the hat on her head. All was quiet. Draco thought she was a definite Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. After what seemed like a millennia and a half, the hat opened its mouth and called out; SLYTHERIN!