Chapter One: Belinda Bagshot
A petite 11 year old girl walked on to the Hogwarts Express, ready to start her first year of study. She found a compartment to sit alone, and gazed out of the window. She was actually deep in thought although she didn't look like it; most people would have concluded she was just mindlessly staring. Some other students entered the carriage, three young boys. They were also first years, who were chatting animatedly about the year ahead.
"What house do you reckon we'll be sorted into?" the blond haired boy was saying.
"My family's all Slytherin." A brown haired boy replied.
Opal Koboi forced herself to listen to their conversation. She hadn't had time to learn all details of the wizarding world, and maybe these young Mud Men would be able to tell her something useful. She'd use the mesmer on them, but she doubted anything they could tell her was worth the magical energy.
She'd escaped from the LEP after her plan to bring the People into contact with the Mud Men via iron probe had been thwarted by Artemis, Holly, Mulch and that damned centaur. Being Opal Koboi, she'd had a back-up plan, and working her way into Hogwarts had been it. A while ago she'd come across information – that would have been highly classified if it was not so outlandish – that some of the Mud Men had a magic of their own. It had long been a half-forgotten legend in the fairy world; most didn't believe it but perhaps a few did.
Opal used the massive resources at her disposal, as owner of Koboi Labs, to research the legend further. Years ago there had been strange sightings in the Mud Man world that involved people in funny clothes and owls acting oddly. The wizards were supposed to be hidden from the ordinary Mud Men, but on this occasion some had let themselves get too excited; some story to do with a boy named Potter. This confirmed to her that the legend was true, and it didn't take her long then to discover the magic school, Hogwarts.
The methods she's used to humanise herself in order to be on the human side in the war she planned to start could also be used to pass herself off as a young witch. She'd found an old witch named Bathilda Bagshot, in the place that those overexcited wizards had mentioned, Godric's Hollow. She was clearly losing many of her mental faculties, and this made her incredibly easy to use the mesmer upon. If anyone asked Bathilda, she would swear blind she had a granddaughter named Belinda, who was growing up nicely and was just about to start her first year at Hogwarts.
As for the wizards, well she figured that they wouldn't suspect any foul play. They knew nothing of the world underneath their feet, just like ordinary Mud Men. Perhaps fairy kind existed in myth, but that was all.
Opal made her way up towards the castle. She didn't think much of it; the design wasn't really to her taste. She was sure the place would be tiresome. A school filled with Mud Men – even if they were magic – was not Opal's idea of a good time. She wished she was back on her pod, floating on her trademark Koboi Hoverboy, eating the most gorgeous truffles known to fairy.
The others were grinning excitedly and pointing out different elements of the grounds to each other. Opal tried her best to look interested as some youngster jumped up and down at the sight of the Whomping Willow. They finally reached the castle, and a stern looking woman gave them a lecture regarding the sorting, house points and other such information. They went into the Great Hall and all of them stood in line, waiting for their name to be called. Many of them looked as if they were going to be sick, but Opal just looked a little bored. She watched as the brown haired boy she had seen on the train was indeed sorted into Slytherin, and wondered why she had to put that disgusting looking hat on her head.
A few other first years were sorted, and then she was called.
"Bagshot, Belinda."
She walked towards the hat and slowly lowered it onto her head. The hat spoke to her, something she wasn't really expecting.
"Hmm…difficult choice." The hat said, "Definitely got the brains for Ravenclaw, but still…I think best off in SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted. She walked over to the Slytherin table to applause.