It had had been the same routine for Alina McGonagall the past four years she attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Just like any first year she so eagerly boarded the Hogwarts Express, where she met George and Fred Weasley. Along the ride they became vast friends, but when it came time for the sorting hat, the friendship was short lived. See while the Weasley twins were sorted into the House of Gryffindor, she was sorted into Slytherin. A huge surprise to her, because her mother, Professor McGonagall, had been a Gryffindor and now held the head of house position. Only naturally did they assume she would follow in suit. The rest of the year went by with a breeze.
The real struggle started in her second year. Alina found interest in Quidditch, and tried out for the team. She was a natural, and made the team as one of the beaters. In her first game with Gryffindor she came in contact with the twins. Personally they had no quarrels, except Slytherins and Gryffindors don't usually mix company. The fact that they played the same position for separate teams didn't help much either. By the end of the game Alina had knocked George Weasley off of his broom, and won the game for Slytherin. When she went to apologize he just brushed past her and ignored her attempts. Through the year he kept in his cold ways, which in turn she became just as frigid. They exchanged innocent banter that turned ugly at times, but there was a hidden tension, always. The year ended with her putting food coloring in his shampoo, turning his hair bright green.
Her third year wasn't the easiest of goings. Alina had just started transitioning into puberty, which made for an unsightly appearance. Braces, acne, bad brows, and nappy hair. George Weasley took this as an opportunity to make his mark. His teasing worsened over the year, and gave Alina a very hard time. Instead of letting it get to her, she poured herself into Quidditch and her studies. Other weird things happened that year. With the batch of new first years Harry Potter, the boy who lived, made his appearance.
In her fourth year things got a bit easier. She still had braces, but she figured out a spell to remove the acne and learned how to use tweezers and a brush. Last year terrible things happened at Hogwarts. Muggleborns were petrified by a huge Basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets. George's sister, Ginny, was even kidnapped, but Harry Potter and Ron Weasley saved her. Second years were really stepping up their game. Alina and George shared a few encounters, but nothing too upsetting.
Now her fifth year was on it's way and approaching fast. Alina had blossomed into a rather beautiful young lady over the summer. Her once nappy tangled dull black hair, was now long wavy and more of a luscious black. Her green eyes were framed with long dark lashes, and her cheeks had a certain rosy tint. Her body no longer resembled a child, but now a forming young woman. Now she wasn't afraid to wear her required skirt to school. Which she had to pick up at the tailors this afternoon, before she had to leave and stay at the Leaky Cauldron, while her mother goes to set up at Hogwarts.
Alina ran down the stairs and into her mother's office, where she was filing papers and getting ready to return to Hogwarts. "Mum, have you forgotten?", she asked.
Her mother took her reading glasses, and looked at her daughter, "Forgotten what exactly?"
"You have! Mum school starts shortly and you leave tomorrow, and you have yet to get my jumpers and such! I'm going to have to wear last years uniforms, aren't I?", she screeched.
"Not with that growth spurt, you'll look like one of those trashy girls in your class, and I for one am not going to allow that. Get yourself together and we will go.", her mother ushered her up the stairs.
"If it doesn't concern Gryffindor, it doesn't mean anything to you does it?", Alina glared.
"You will watch your tone with me young lady, and I will not repeat that again.", Minerva warned.
"Yes Professor.", she said and hauled into her room.
After Alina and her mother got back from picking up the rest of her supplies, she was ready for bed. The covers were already pulled back from the night before, so she climbed on in, and looked up at her ceiling. There was a strange feeling in her gut. A feeling as if everything was about to change. That something was on the horizon. Rolling over she shoved the feeling aside, and tried for sleep.
The next morning her mother had already brought all of Alina's belongings down stairs, and woke her up to get ready. She threw her feet over the edge of her bed and sat up. Sleep still idle in the corner of her eyes, she let out a huge yawn. Her mother walked in with an unpleasant look on her face.
"Alina Andr-", her mother began, but Alina cut her off.
"Mum, please do not finish that sentence.", she pleaded.
Minerva picked up her wand and flitted it at her daughter. Alina immediately was dressed in only something her mother would approve of. She hated it when her mother did that to her. "Oh look you're ready. Let's go."
Since she was underage, she couldn't just change clothes with a swish of her wand. So Alina just trudged down stairs and out the door. Minerva gathered all of her things, and grabbed Alina's wrist. In merely seconds they appeared at the check-in portion of the Leaky Cauldron. Alina's stomach could rarely keep anything down when her mother did that.
"Room number 78, my dear. Do you need help bringing everything upstairs?", her mother asked.
"No, I'll be just fine Mum. I love you. I'll see you at Hogwarts tomorrow night.", she said hugging her mother.
"Alina, I know I'm hard on you at times, but it is for your own good.", she said then gave her daughter one last look and apparated to Hogwarts.
On the way to her room she stopped by the dining room, where she saw Mrs. Weasley giving Harry Potter a hug. Alina didn't stop to talk to anyone, but came to a holt when a wanted picture caught her eye. The poster read: "Have you seen this wizard?", and in the picture there was a man, a crazy looking man.
"That's Sirius Black.", said a familiar voice.
"Who is he?", Alina asked Mr. Weasley.
"He's a terrible and murderous man, and he has escaped from Azkaban.", he said.
"Escaped? Won't they catch him?", she asked.
"Yes my dear girl, but do yourself a favor and be very cautious.", he said eyeing her.
"I-I will Mr. Weasley…", she said backing away. She turned to go upstairs, only to find her nose in someone's chest.
"Watch it McGonagall.", George warned.
"Oh I'm so sorry, guess I didn't smell, I mean see you.", she batted her eyelashes.
"You could've knocked me over with those hips of yours.", he said looking her up and down.
"Well it's a good thing you weren't on your broom. You would've ended up on your hideous face, but then maybe that would've made an improvement.", she said getting in his face.
"Slytherins, they think they are better than everyone.", George glared.
"It doesn't take being a Slytherin to know I'm better than you George Weasley.", she grinned all the way to her room. This year was already on to a good start. Alina-1 George-0