Chapter 1
"Is it possible for you to not cause trouble this year?" My mother asked as she entered my room while I packed my school books away in my trunk.
"Do you think its possible for you not to bring this up everyday single day?" I spat at her with a look of utter contempt.
"I am not the one who went and got herself expelled from school along with six other people, one of which is your own brother. That my dear was all you." She said with a sneer.
"We all had a hand in that and you bloody well know it!" I said starting to get very irritated
"She does have a point you know." My brother Shane said as he walked into my room and leaned against my bed post.
"Meaning?" Mother questioned.
"Meaning that if it had just been Ashley that had done it, she would've covered her ass better and not been caught" Shane stated this as if it were an impenetrable fact. And if you know me, it sort of is. "There were too many hands in the pot, so to speak."
"Thank you." I said with a nod at Shane.
"No matter who was at fault cause one person is always more so than the rest. I don't want to hear even the slightest whisper of trouble from any of you this year. Do you understand that? It took a lot of persuading on your fathers part to convince the school governors to even entertain the idea of you lot attending Hogwarts." She spat at the two of us as she walked out of my room.
"So you almost done?" Shane asked looking towards my trunk.
"Almost." I said as I took my wand out of my pocket. I waved it and at once the rest of my belongs soared through the air and into my trunk. "I hate when she makes us pack the muggle way."
As the day wore on our friends Brittany, Billy, Nick, Kristina and our cousin Brianna came over for one last party before we set off for Hogwarts the next morning.
"Remind me why we go back to the states for school?" Brianna mused as we all sat around the sitting room in the guest cottage on my families property. Moore Manor sat on 60 acres of land. Growing up we always spent the better part of the year here. Only going back to the states for school. None of us ever understood why we just didn't go to Hogwarts. Though I'm glad we didn't, in the states you learn at a faster rate. At 13 we learned to apparate so as to get your license when you turn 14. So all seven of us can apparate while those in our years at Hogwarts won't be able to. Though according to Kristina you can't apparate or disapparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, which is a bit of a let down.
We were all talking about and toasting to our new school as the sunset on our last day of vacation. Tomorrow morning at 11am we would be on board the Hogwarts Express as it begins its journey to Hogwarts castle from Platform 9 ¾.
When we got to Kings Cross Station it was 10am and as it was packed with muggles it took us about 20 minutes before we made it to Platform 9 ¾. We managed to get our trunks loaded onto the train by quarter to eleven so we made our way back onto the platform to say our goodbyes. The seven of us had a compartment to ourselves near the back of the train. We waved goodbye once more as the train pulled away and started the long journey to Hogwarts.
There was a sense that nothing could possibly go wrong. But in the back of my mind I knew that things were going to change. There was no way we would all be put in the same house. The Seven of us were to be sorted tonight after the 1st years, before the Start of Term Feast. There were four houses at Hogwarts Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. We all know what each house's characteristics are and we know ourselves. The odds were not exactly in our favor. The day wore on and the sky darkened as the train continued to speed northward. We could hear students in the corridors saying that we were nearly there so we all changed into our robes and waited for our arrival at Hogsmede Station. The shuffle to get onto the platform was intense. The 1st years were lead away while the rest of us were to wait for carriages to take us up the long winding road to the castle. The seven of us waited for the last carriage. When we stepped out of the carriage walked up the steps towards the massive front doors it was obvious that we were all impressed. Hogwarts was enormous compared to our old school. Before we entered the castle I turned to take in the view and I was not disappointed. I could see the 1st years still making their way across the Black Lake in dozens of small boats.
Once inside the entrance hall Professor McGonagall greeted us and lead us to a small chamber beside the Great Hall. She instructed us to wait there until we were announced. She then carried a tattered old hat and a stool from the room and exited through a door that took her into the noisy hall where the rest of the school, minus the 1st years were already gathered.
A few minutes passed before we heard the unmistakable sound of the people in the foyer of the castle. The 1st years had made it up into the school and were now waiting to enter the Great Hall. The heavy doors opened and the 1st years made their way into the hall to extraordinary applause. The hall became quiet as Professor Dumbledore welcomed all the students back. He said a few words before handing it over to Professor McGonagall who read students names off parchment. Then the sorting hat called out which house that student belonged in. Time was speeding up and slowing down at the same time while we waited to be announced.
Finally Professor Dumbledore spoke again. This was it.
"I know we are all ready to start our feast but before we do there are seven more students who must first be sorted. These seven witches and wizards are coming to us from America. They are not coming to us as 1st years or else they would have been sorted with the rest. So please join me in welcoming our newest students."
Applause broke out again as the door to the small side chamber opened. We all walked out into the hall and made our way towards Professor McGonagall and the sorting hat. She still had her parchment out.
Let the sorting begin I thought as I looked at the tattered hat sitting on the stool.
"Brittany Ivee - 4th year." Professor McGonagall proclaimed.
Brittany stepped forward and took her spot on the stool. Once the sorting hat was placed on her head it took only a few seconds before it had made its decision.
"Gryffindor!" The hat bellowed.
The Gryffindor table applauded as Brittany joined them and sat next to a curly haired ginger girl.
Professor McGonagall read the next name on her list. "Shane Moore - 4th year."
The hat barely touched my brothers head when it bellowed "Slytherin!"
He went off to join them under the green and silver banners.
"William Raith - 4th year." Professor McGonagall said.
He liked my brother was placed almost instantly into "Slytherin!"
Cheers erupted yet again as he walked over and sat beside Shane.
"Nicholas Raith - 5th year."
Nick took his place on the stool as the others had done. This time when the hat was placed on his head it remained silent for a minute before it announced it's decision. "Ravenclaw!"
"Kristina Millbrook - 5th year"
The instant the hat touched her head it shouted "Ravenclaw!" And the table cheered again.
"Brianna Craven - 5th year" Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head and a few seconds later the hat exclaimed "Ravenclaw!" for the third time.
I was the last one to be sorted and I couldn't help but think just how different the seven of us truly are, as I waited for McGonagall to say my name.
"Ashley Moore - 5th year."
As I made my way to the stool I could feel every pair of eyes in the hall watching my every move. I turn around and sit down. I already have a pretty good idea where the hat will place me. Professor McGonagall raises the hat above my head as my green eyes locked with a pair of all too familiar blue-gray ones. The owner of those eyes had his lips drawn into a smirk, he knew exactly what I did.
The hat was two inches above my head when it shouted "Slytherin!"
And then the table beneath the green and silver serpent clad banner erupted with cheers yet again as I made my way over. I walked along the wall down the table towards the only person who sat there not cheering. The person who sat there smirking,
I sat down next to him and looked into those piercing blue-gray eyes.
"Hello Draco." I said returning the smirk which was still etched onto his face.
Under the table I felt his hand slid onto my knee "Ashley."
Without looking up I could tell that Pansy Parkinson was glaring at me. Ever since we were kids she has had a thing for Draco. She never could fathom why on earth he fancied me when he could have her. Of course she has yet to convince him of this.
The tables filled with food as the feast began. The Great Hall filled with talking and laughter once more. Term had officially started. Tomorrow we would get our schedules at breakfast and classes would start directly after.
LUMOS: SECRETS IN THE DARK
Chapter One