Miss Behave
Chapter: 1 A Bad Beginning
Alison Clout sat atop the sorting hat's chair as Professor McGonagall placed the dusty
sorting hat on her head. Alison was a tiny girl even for her age. Her golden honey hair lay limp
on her lightly freckled face, her hazel eyes sparkled with the reflection of hundreds of enchanted
candles. She gazed out at the house tables, where all the other Hogwarts students sat awaiting the
sorting hat's decision. There were four separate tables; each table had a different colored flag
with its specific house's emblem on it. There was the yellow flag with a badger on it labeled
Hufflepuff, a red flag with a lion on it labeled Gryffindor, a green flag with a snake on it labeled
Slytherin, and a blue flag with a raven on it labeled Ravenclaw.
Alison gasped as the sorting hat began to muttered words into her head. "Ah… you have
much courage, and an eye for adventures… yet I can see you have quite a mischievous nature."
The hat paused for a moment, Alison swung her legs nervously. "Better be SLYTHERIN!" The
hat shouted with a joyous tone that rang like a bell through the Great Hall. The Slytherin table
erupted in cheers, as she joined them.
"Welcome to Slytherin." Said a tall blonde haired boy
"I'm Draco Malfoy" he continued then, he jabbed a finger to his chest, where a forest
green and silver badge labeled Prefect was attached."I'm one of the House Prefects," then he
elbowed the dark haired girl next to him
"Ouch!"
"This…" he said jovially "…is Pansy Parkinson, the other House Prefect."
"Don't be so overbearing Malfoy; you'll intimidate the little snake." Pansy chided as she
turned to continue her conversation with another Slytherin.
"I'm Ali," Ali chimed in trying to be recognized as someone other than little snake.
"Well Ali there's a few things you should know about being in Slytherin…"he paused
and stole a quick glance over his shoulder where a tall man stood, his dark eyes scanning the
Slytherin table. "…that's Professor Snape. He's our Housemaster and one of our professors…"
Malfoy intermittently paused and glanced over his shoulder to see if Professor Snape was
watching. "…NEVER Lie to Snape!"
That evening in the Slytherin common room, Ali met some of the other Slytherins.
"Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Mcleary, uh…"
"Too slow Clout! You're OUT!" Jason Mcleary whooped making Ali jump.
"Her names Phairis," Malfoy declared in a sarcastic tone "Gee-whiz Alison! Don't you
even know your own roommate's name?"
"I'm tired of The Name Game Malfoy!" Ali cried out in vanquish
"It's ok," Anne Phairis said meekly from the corner of the room "Nobody knew my name
at my last school either."
"Malfoy you PRAT!" Ali scolded putting her fists up
"What do you think you're do-arg…!" Ali swung her little fists at the 5th year causing
him to let out a grunt of surprise.
"What's all this?" said an icy voice from the shadows, Professor Snape had emerged
wearing a glare most menacing.
All of the snakes stood up "Good evening Professor Snape." They chorused
Snape glowered at his snakes, then turned his attention to Alison and Malfoy. Snape swept
the length of the room, his black cloak billowing behind him. Then in one fluid motion he
grasped onto Alison and Malfoy by the ears and hauled them out of the room and into his
office; leaving the remaining Slytherins in reverence.
"…and just what did you think you were doing!" Snape bellowed at his charges
"Well…um…Sir…we…" Malfoy stuttered
"Were just playing." Ali interjected. Then noticing her Housemaster's glare added "Sir."
"'Just playing'…" Snape said in a voice that made Ali and Malfoy recoil. "I can see
Malfoy has yet to inform the 1st years of the rules in Slytherin House." Snape glared at Malfoy
who immediately scrambled for words, and seemed to be tripping over his own tongue.
"Never mind Malfoy…" Snape said coolly "you may go." Malfoy and Ali started for the
door "Not you Miss Clout." Ali gulped and reentered the office. "Miss Clout, you seemed to
have made a rather bad first impression. I do hope that I do not impress upon you, only my
stricter side." Snape strode to the front of his desk "Come hither."Ali wanted to melt onto the
stone floor, Malfoy was right 'NEVER lie to Snape'.
Snape took hold of Alison's chin, bringing her eyes to his level. "You are
NEVER to lie to me again. I know perfectly well what you and Malfoy were doing.
Fighting, in this house, is strictly prohibited. If I ever catch you hurting another Slytherin again
I'll flog you!" Snape's crooked nose was about an inch from Ali's face, and Ali's chin was
burning like fire from Snape's clenching grip."Do I make myself clear Miss Clout?" Snape said
still clasping Ali's trembling chin
"Transparently Sir" Ali mumbled defiantly, holding back tears.
Snape let go of Ali's chin, Ali took this as a sign that she could go and turned to leave,
Snape leaned forward and cuffed the back of Ali's head as she exited the office.
"Detention 8:00 tomorrow evening"
