There was something in the wind that day: Something Nicole Carter could feel down to her core. As she stood surveying the unfamiliar grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with the wind whipping through her long blond hair, she sensed something.
This was not at all unusual for Nicole, as she had somewhat of a gift (if you considered it to be one) of knowing when something was going to happen. Her gift was not so finely tuned that you could call her a Seer, however, it was tuned enough to have never let her down. She had first noticed her gift around the age of five. She began to get a strange feeling in the pit of stomach before something would happen to her, good or bad. The feeling would come before a pop quiz was announced, or before her parents planned a big vacation to Hawaii. It slowly developed into different types of feelings for her and as she grew older she could distinguish the feelings: good, and she would feel a light flutter deep inside of herself; bad, and she would get a nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach. Today as she viewed this foreign land and the school she would now call home, she was entirely confused and somewhat frightened, for never in her life had she sensed the feeling she had now: a combination of joy and foreboding. What could this mean? Although her feeling was unexplainable, she lifted her head in the strong wind and began her walk toward the large oak doors that were the entrance to her new life.
Nicole's life had taken a giant turn just six short months ago. At that time she was in America attending the Wimbley School for Magic. Her life seemed perfect to her and everyone around her. She was eternally smiling and laughing, and was never mean or hurtful to people less fortunate or different than her. She took it upon herself to seek out friends that were not considered the usual type of friends a pretty blond-haired blue-eyed girl would choose. She was beautiful, so much so that even the 'in crowd' did not dare to cross her. Most people who chose the friends Nicole did would be made fun of and tortured, but there was something about this girl that everyone liked. Most considered her the girl next door.
It was in her third period Great American Wizards class that everything changed. Half way through her exam the feeling came fast and strong. It was one she had never experienced before, and she was scared. There was no time for her to think about her fears though for at that very instant the principal of Wimbley stepped into her classroom and went directly for the teacher's desk. The whispers between teacher and principal could not hide the tone of alarm in the conversation. It was when the two men turned and looked directly at Nicole did she know that something awful had happened.
She was pulled from class and whisked away to the principal's office. It was there she was informed that her parents had perished in an automobile accident. The shock from the news was more than she could handle. From that moment on Nicole stopped smiling, she stopped laughing. She never cried or showed any emotion to her principal, or any adult for that matter, who tried to console her in the months that followed. She finished her fifth year at Wimbley in a void.
It was the end of May and all Nicole had expected to do was stay at her grandmother's house and wait for the next school year to start. She had been going so emotionless for so long that it was quite a shock when she felt a small flutter from inside her. Not caring one way or the other what it might be she simply waited. Around thirty minutes later her grandmother entered her bedroom and sat at the foot of the bed.
"Hello darling, are you feeling alright? I wanted to tell you something."
Nicole simply stared with emotionless eyes as her grandmother continued.
"I … I want you to know I love you…and want only the best for you. It's just that…well… I am afraid I cannot give you the care you deserve... and I…"
Nicole felt panic gripping in her throat "What?! What are you saying? Gramma you can't care for me?! What's going on?!"
What was going on? The feeling she had, not thirty minutes earlier was a good one not a bad one, now for all she knew her grandmother was about to ship her off to some orphanage.
Her grandmother quickly quieted her granddaughter.
"Please, Nicole, listen to me. Your aunt and uncle have offered you a place at their home in London. You know how they love you. It will, I believe, be good for all of you."
Nicole's initial shock was beginning to melt away to her ever so familiar void.
"My…my aunt and uncle? Why I … I.."
It seemed as if for a second Nicole was about to open up to her grandmother, a small glint of a tear could be seen forming in the corner of her eye, but just as quickly as she opened up, she closed again.
"Whatever is easier on you. I understand."
Her grandmother saddened. "Now, now sweetheart, it's not like that. It isn't about convenience…its just that…I'm older now, and can't keep up with your studies and such. I also think that perhaps Aunt Addie can help you…well…cope with your parents de…"
Nicole sat straight up. "Yes, yes fine, alright that's fine, just please don't talk about it. I am very happy with your decision, Gramma." She didn't smile. "It will be best for all of us, just like you said, now please may I be alone?"
Her grandmother was reluctant to leave her after this decision had been made so rapidly, but she respected her wishes and let her be.
The summer quickly passed as arrangements were made for Nicole to move overseas. She learned that she would be attending Hogwarts and though she didn't show it, the idea of attending the best school in Europe excited her. Trying to forget about a tragedy in your life was difficult, and she did the only thing she could to do: just that. She threw herself into her studies. Her fifth year marks had been the highest in her class, and the opportunity to expand her education at Hogwarts excited her.
The somewhat chaotic move to London was stressful and instead of arriving at Hogwarts on the first day of school, her aunt and uncle decided to let Nicole adjust to her surroundings and held off her arrival by one month. As she walked up the pathway to enter her new school, she was thinking how much more difficult and awkward her month long delay would make her adjustment process.
As she reached out for the iron handle, the doors opened by magic and let her pass. Nicole glanced down at a folded piece of parchment in her hand 'Please proceed to the headmaster's office on the …' She knew the rest by heart. She looked around and couldn't help but notice how completely different Hogwarts was from Wimbley. Hogwarts definitely had more history: it was much older. In a way she liked it, yet at the same time she felt scared and shy. It was easy to hide those emotions though, just like everything else she was feeling. So she bottled them up and proceeded to meet her new principal…er…headmaster, she would have to remember that.
Standing before a giant stone gargoyle and saying the word 'fiddlesticks' felt odd to Nicole. The goal at Wimbley was to behave like Muggles to almost every extent, except of course the materials that were taught, like Charms. There was no such thing as talking to gargoyles and things of that nature. Ah well, she thought, something I will have to get used to. The gargoyle rotated to reveal rotating stairs. She stepped onto the first stair and began her ascent as her mind traveled back to the last time she was in an office at school. Before she could think anymore on it, a voice from behind a wooden door could be heard saying, "You may enter."
A stern looking older man with a long white beard and hair was sitting behind a large oak desk. "Ahhh, Ms. Carter…so happy to have you here at last, I trust your carriage ride was pleasant? Please take a seat." Nicole did as she was told without a word and the man continued. "I am Albus Dumbledore. While you are here at Hogwarts my door is open at any time, for any matter. I'm sorry to rush our little meeting, but I have an urgent matter to attend. I'm afraid you missed the first transfer student Sorting ceremony, so you will have to wait a week or so to be sorted. In the meantime, you will reside in the neutral dormitory. Your things have been taken there for you. You will find it to be quite peaceful, as you will have no other students residing with you. If you should find anything you need, you may consult the Head Girl, Hermione Granger." With this Dumbledore stood up and walked around his desk toward Nicole. He handed her a package. "These are the school rules, passwords you will need, a map of the grounds and the school, and your schedule. Now if you will excuse me."
Nicole was unsure of what to say as she was exiting Dumbledore's office "Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore."
Even with the map of the school Nicole was having quite the difficult time finding her way to her dorm. She had already been searching for a full hour when a voice from behind her called out "You there! What do you think you are doing? Classes started fifteen minutes ago."
She was so caught off guard that she dropped her package of parchment and they scattered around her. Before bending down to pick them up she turned around to face the voice that startled her. For just a split second her stomach hurt, and then it turned to fluttering. Oh what IS going on with me?! she thought to herself. She was looking at a tall boy walking toward her in a brisk manner with a stern look on his face. He was very pale with almost white hair and her first impression was not a good one as he came storming up to her.
"Oy! Pick those up and go to class. Where are your robes? What house are you in? I will be docking points!"
Nicole never stood for bullying at her old home and this instance was no different. "Excuse me, but I haven't been sorted into a house yet," she said calmly as she bent down to pick up the papers, expecting help from the boy. "Aren't you going to help me?" she exclaimed.
The boy snickered "Me?! Help you? Have you lost your mind?" Nicole let out a huff of irritation as he stood there with his arms folded, watching her pick up the parchment. He noticed her accent and instantly became curious about her. I could offer to help, he thought to himself. No, why would I do that? She must be the new transfer student Dumbledore told me about…she is quite beautiful…no stop that…what are you thinking Malfoy? Quick, say something harsh. "Well hurry up then!" he snapped at her.
Nicole was horrified. "How dare you treat someone you don't even know in such a manner," she said, raising her voice. "I have done nothing to upset you…I don't even know you!" She picked up her remaining parchment and stormed off.
"Hey!" Malfoy called after her "You don't speak to me that way! I'm Head Boy!" His warning was ignored by Nicole as she stormed off as quickly as she could.
The run in with the white-haired boy had Nicole's blood boiling. She hadn't felt anger like that since before her parent's death. I shouldn't have lost my temper, she thought to herself. If I can hold in sadness there is no reason I can't hold in anger.
She eventually found the Neutral common room with the help of a third year girl skipping class. As she entered the portrait she immediately began exploring her new surroundings. There were four comfortable chairs arranged in a semicircle around a huge fireplace. Each had a different color: maroon, blue, yellow, and green. A few desks and tables were littered here and there around the room, and two staircases labeled 'Boys' Dormitory' and 'Girls' Dormitory'. She headed up the girls' staircase and found a single room at the top. It was the most beautiful room she had ever seen: there were high vaulted ceilings, a four poster bed again with the four colors of the chairs in the common room for each post, her own vanity, an armoire, and a desk. Six months ago she would have giggled and flung herself onto the bed. However, today she simply went over to the desk and set down her now untidy package of parchment. She found had her own bathroom with a good-sized tub for relaxing. Such a shame, she thought, that I will only have this room for a week. If it were up to Nicole, she would remain in the secluded room all year.
While Nicole was still in the bathroom, she could hear a voice calling from downstairs. "Hello? Is anyone here?" Nicole made her way downstairs to find a pretty brown-haired girl wearing a black robe with a maroon and gold patch with a lion on it. "Hello! I'm Hermione Granger, I'm the Head Girl this year and I've come to welcome you. Sorry you are all by yourself up here, it will only be for a short while though."
Nicole shook her head in polite protest "No, no it's perfectly fine, and I like to be alone anyway."
Hermione smiled at Nicole and pressed on. "Well, that's good then. I'm going down to the Great Hall for lunch, do you want to join me?"
As much as Nicole enjoyed the peace and quiet of the Neutral common room, she was quite hungry. "Yes, sure, thank you."
She followed Hermione down to the Great Hall, which took a good twenty minutes. The whole way Hermione chatted about rules and regulations. Nicole didn't get one word in by the time they reached the Great Hall. Hermione paused and looked at the four tables. "Oh dear, I didn't think of where you would sit. Oh why don't you just sit with the Gryffindors for now?"
Nicole nodded in reply and followed Hermione. As the two girls were passing the yellow table (Nicole didn't know the house names yet), she noticed the white-haired boy bullying a small boy seated at the end of the table. The white-haired boy looked up as she passed and noticed her right away. For an instant their eyes met. There was no mistaking the feeling of Nicole's stomach fluttering now. Is this boy connected to the something good that will happen? Nicole thought. Just as she was about to smile for the first time in months the boy's expression turned to smugness and he looked away as he scoffed at her. If he does have something to do with it…I don't want anything to do with him, she told herself.
Nicole was introduced to Hermione's friends Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. They seemed very nice and Nicole enjoyed their conversation very much. She was just about to explain Wimbley's school customs when her stomach took a lurch. Oh no, she thought, not again…not here. She noticed the faces of Hermione, Harry, and Ron looking above her head with looks of disgust. Nicole turned around and inhaled a quick breath as she noticed the white-haired boy was standing right behind her.
"May I help you?" she said as she stood up to meet his gaze.
"I just thought I would come over and introduce myself to you," he said in a smug voice. "I see you have started mixing with the wrong sort already. Perhaps I can assist you. I am Draco Malfoy, Head Boy, and a Slytherin. You would do well to remember that, girl."
Nicole scoffed and moved in closer to the boy "My name isn't 'girl'. It's Nicole, and I make it a point to not remember things of annoyance."
His face turned slightly pink as he leaned in to Nicole, closing the gap between their bodies. "Watch your tongue, little Nicky, or I might jinx it right out of that pretty little mouth of yours."
Nicole was ready to make a quick-witted comeback but Malfoy's steely grey eyes were staring right into her deep blue eyes with barely a millimeter between their noses. She sensed the tension between the two of them. She wanted to slap him…hard. Just as she brought her hand up to inflict pain on his cheek a hand gripped her wrist and tugged it down hard to her side.
"Ah, ah, ah, Ms. Carter…wouldn't want to do that on your first day, now would we?" The greasy haired man standing near her was clearly a professor, and Nicole could sense she was in trouble.
Hermione interjected "Professor Snape, Malfoy was instigating her, sir."
"That's enough Ms. Granger! There is no excuse for violence against a Head Boy. Ms. Carter has no house points to be taken away and therefore will perform a detention with me tonight at six o' clock sharp. Is that understood, Ms. Carter?"
Nicole was still upset from Malfoy but knew not to smart mouth a teacher and so she responded "Yes sir, six o' clock, sir."
"Very good, continue with your lunches then." He stalked out of the Great Hall.
Nicole hadn't noticed the hand that gripped her wrist was not Professor Snape's, but Malfoy's, and he wasn't letting go. "That should teach you to disrespect me. Watch your step, Carter, don't want to get a nasty little reputation here at Hogwarts, now do you?" With that comment Malfoy released her wrist and walked away. Nicole stared at the back of his white hair wishing anything but tickles and roses for him. Wherever that good feeling came from…it wasn't him. Nicole didn't know much about her new school, but she did know that she hated Draco Malfoy.