"First class, Potions," she muttered to herself. Great, she thought. She had Snape for her first class, not exactly the best way to assuage her fears. She walked to the dungeon, trembling with nerves. Breathe in and out, she told herself. She slowly strutted into the class about five minutes late.
"Well, who have we here?" Snape barked. Maddie jumped back when she saw him. He looked so, well, different.
"Madeleine McNestrelle," she said very quickly. "I'm a new student in Gryffindor from Egypt." She hoped no one had noticed how forced her words were.
"Your first lesson here, Miss McNestrelle, is that tardiness is not excepted! Ten points from Gryffindor for your behavior." Maddie sighed. He certainly hadn't changed much. Still as pissed off as ever. She ran her fingers through her long light brown hair nervously. "You may have a seat between Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Longbottom," Snape said with a slight evil grin. What was so bad about that? She wondered.
"McNestrelle," she heard Malfoy snort. "What a stupid name is that?" Maddie narrowed her eyes and turned to look at him. What was his problem?
"What kind of name is Malfoy? It's not even a real name!" she snapped. Malfoy glowered at her. Great way to make new friends, Maddie. She reached out and fingered the bracelet around her wrist. "Anyway it's a bit immature at seventeen to pick on each other's names, isn't it?" she said.
"Immature!" he exclaimed loudly, making the whole class turn around. Malfoy blushed profusely and Maddie laid her head down on the table. She had a long way to go.
***
"What do you think about the new girl?" Harry asked them at dinner that night.
"She's awfully quiet," Hermione said. "I mean, she won't even look you in the eye."
"Yes she does," Seamus said. "We had a very nice conversation in Transfiguration. She knows all about the pyramids. She used to live in Cairo and went to school there." Hermione frowned. She didn't like to be proved wrong.
"I think she's really pretty, " Ron said absent-mindedly.
"You would," Ginny snickered.
"Shut up."
"It's weird," Hermione said. She looked down at the bracelet Harry had gotten her for her birthday. He had said it was a good luck charm, but she doubted it. You make your own luck, she thought. There was no luck and fate. Those who believed in things like that became nuts divination teachers.
"I like the name Madeleine though," Ginny said.
"Me too," Hermione agreed. "I had a stuffed bear named Madeleine once when I was really little, but my cat ate her." Ron burst out laughing.
"Crookshanks ate your bear!" He gasped between guffaws.
"It wasn't Crookshanks!" she protested, but he was almost on the floor laughing. How dare he insult her cat! Her eyes watered with tears, and Harry put his hand to her face.
"It's ok," he said with a smile. Then he looked over and glared at Ron, making him burst into even more laughter.
"Here we go again," Ginny mumbled.
***
Maddie laid in her bed late that night, after everyone was asleep. She flipped through her photos again and again, praying that she could make everything all right. She had too; she just did. The fate of the world was in her hands. It wasn't that dramatic, but that was how she felt. Why was she cursed with this task? She thought as a tear rolled down her cheek. She stuffed her pictures under her pillow and walked to the window. Choosing a star from the heavens, she wished that luck would come change the fate of history.*
A/N: Who is Maddie? I wonder… Please review! I hate not getting feedback. Anything would be greatly appreciated.