CHAPTER ONE
The sun was just hitting the noon mark when I stepped off the Hogwarts Express. It was a crystal clear day on September the first and the sky was a gorgeous blue and the sun was warm.
"Elsie Dejena?" A very large and very hairy man asked walking over to me. He was at least three times as tall and wide as a normal man and his curly black mane covered everything but his beetle eyes.
"Yes that's me," I replied and he nodded and took my trunk. I ran my hand through my perfectly straight dark brown hair that was chopped half way up my neck. I was slim and average height for a sixteen year old with dark brown eyes. I guess you could call me pretty.
"Yer from Durmstrang aren't ya?" The giant ask as he led the way down a slippery slop where I caught my first view of Hogwarts.
I nodded and stopped to gawk at the huge castle. It had at least half a dozen towers and was at least twice the size of Durmstrang. It sat next to a lake and was as gorgeous as could be.
"Beauty ain't it. My names Hagrid by the way, Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. Been here for most of meh life and the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, is the greatest wizard that has ever lived."
"Will I be sorted with the rest of the first years or will they do it right when I get there?" I asked a little optimistic.
"Professor McGonagall will take you up to Professor Dumbledore's office right when we get there and he will help you be sorted. They figured it would be a bit embarassin for ya to be sorted with the first years."
I nodded and Hagrid and I climbed into the carriage being pulled by two threstles. Yes I can see them and its part of the reason that I was going to Hogwarts for my sixth year in school.
It was a quiet ride up to the castle. Hagrid was a bit intimidating and I was much too perplexed by the scenery to even bother talking to him. When we did get to the castle a tall stern looking women that wore her hair in a tight bun was waiting on the front marble steps.
"I'll take her from here Hagrid, thank you." Hagrid nodded and said good bye to me before getting back in the carriage and continuing along the path.
"Hello Miss Dejena, my name is Professor McGonagall and I am the deputy headmistress and head of the Gryffindor house. Shall you be sorted into Gryffindor I will be the one you report to. I also teach transfiguration. Follow me please."
She waved her wand and my trunk that Hagrid had just set down levitated and followed us. McGonagall led me into the giant castle into a gorgeous entrance hall with many pictures and knights in armor.
She brought me up many sets of winding stairs that always moved behind us. The many hallways we walked down were all unique and no one hallway looked the same. Finally we came to a stop in front of a statue of a gargoyle and McGonagall whispered something to it before it jumped out of the way and revealed a door.
"Go through here and up the stairs. Knock on Headmaster Dumbledore's office door and wait for him to acknowledge you. I'll be down here waiting once you are sorted."
"Thank you," I said politely and walked through the door. I climbed the stairs the immediately spiraled up to another antique door. I knocked twice on the door and heard a quiet "come in" which I did gladly.
Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard ever, sat at a desk that was covered in parchment and odd instruments for even odder purposes. Dumbledore was very old, with long silver hair and beard. He wore half moon glasses over his grey eyes and his nose was pointy and crooked.
"Welcome, Miss Dejena, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I hope your ride here was comfortable and Hagrid and Minerva greeted you warmly," he said politely setting his parchments aside and entwining his fingers. "Please sit down."
"Yeah they were all great and the castle is absolutely gorgeous." I said taking a seat across from him and running my hand through my hair again. It was kinda a nervous habit
"Yes it is. I prefer it best around Christmas time and I'm sure you will see why. Now I bet you are nearly jumping out of your seat to see what house you will be placed into so let's not wait anymore."
Dumbledore stood up and made his way over to a shelf. He stroked the red Phoenix for a moment before grabbing the dirty worn hat from next to the gorgeous bird and walking over to me.
"I would like you to meet the Sorting Hat. This is what will tell you the house you belong in. Now don't be fooled by how it looks," Dumbledore said noticing my look of disgust, "Never judge a book by what's on the cover."
Dumbledore placed the hat on my head before returning to his seat. We both sat staring at each other for a few minutes and I felt really silly just sitting there with the filthy hat on my head. But then suddenly there was a whisper in my ear.
"My, my, this is rather awkward. It seems like you are far too old to be sorted. You shall be tricky to place but I'll figure it out." The voice was a bit uncomfortable and I tensed up.
"Now please do relax, I'm not hurting you after all. I see a very sad past but inheritance or heroism. Yet you have no idea where you truly come from. I must insist then, that I put you in the best place that will allow you to find yourself. SLYTHERIN." The hat yelled out loud and Dumbledore clapped his hands and beamed.
"Congratulations Elsie," he said pull the hat off and returning it to the shelf. "Professor Snape is your head of house as McGonagall might have told you and I know he will make you feel right at home."
"Thank your Headmaster," I said still a little confused as to what the sorting hat had said. "Well I guess I better go unpack and write to my parents. I'll see you later."
The whole way down the hall I thought of what the sorting hat had told me. I thought I had a very happy childhood with loving parents. Also my father was never any type of hero and I also knew where I came from…at least I thought I did until today. But then why am I listening to a dumb dirty hat anyway?
I slammed right into Professor McGonagall when she stopped in front of a damp stone wall
"The password to enter the dormitory is Flibble-bibble," McGonagall said and instantly the wall sprang open and I followed her through the doorway.
The Slytherin common room was full of squashy arm chairs and unsteady tables. A large fireplace cuddled a warm and welcoming fire and I instantly felt at home in this strange empty place. The ceiling was high and the main theme of the common room was snakes and emerald green.
"Your dormitory is down the hall and labeled 'Sixth Year Girls'. The others will arrive at around six o'clock so you have four hours to get settled. It may be wise for you to come down as the students are coming through the front door so you can blend in. Just follow the students with silver and green trim on their robes."
"Ok thank you very much," I said and she waved my trunk up to the room and I followed it as she exited. I was very nervous about taking one of the four other girls beds but they had all left little things above their beds to mark it so I could clearly see which bed was empty. It was as if they knew I was coming.
I set my trunk at the foot of the bed that was farthest from the door and began to unpack my small accessories and moving them to the antique nightstand. I pulled on my school robes and pinned the Slytherin pin to the front.
When I was finally done I had two hours so go. So I grabbed my Standard Book Of Spells: Grade Six and headed outside to read a little by the lake before the sunset and the students arrived.
I found a patch of grass and tree a few feet from the lake which I gladly sat by and read in the warm sun while the large squid in the lake swam back and forth. I skimmed through the book looking at each of the spells. My stomach began to do flips as the sun began to set and the student's arrival edged closer.
At quarter of six I heard the Hogwarts Express' whistle blow and I closed my book and headed for the castle. I tucked the book in my cloak and entered the castle with a group of students with blue trim. I slowed my steps and waited for someone with green trim to walk by. Finally a group did and I followed them into the Great Hall and gasped at what I saw.
The Great Hall had a very high ceiling that matched the sky outside. It was full of four long tables that were filling up quickly and another table at the far side where the teachers sat. Candles floated over the entire room and it was full of students greeting each other after a long summer holiday.
I re-found the group of Slytherin's that I had been following and headed towards the table they had taken a seat at. On my way though I slammed into someone much taller and bigger then I and I nearly fell onto my butt. I looked up to see who I had slammed into and instantly blushed.
Standing in front of me was this gorgeous guy with ice grey eyes and blonde hair that was chopped to his ears and parted. He was almost a foot taller then me and thin. He was a Slytherin and my best guess was the head of his group because he had at least five of his cronies around him not including the chick that was hanging all over him. He eyed me up and down before they rested on my Slytherin badge.
"I thought I knew every Slytherin, and I'm sure I would remember one as pretty as you. So you must be new?"
I turned bright red as the chick I guessed to be his girlfriend shot me and ugly look. "Dracie-poo I actually think her hair is too short and she's way too thin."
"I'd rather have short clean hair and be thin then look like a fat dog," I shot back and the girl instantly made a lunge at me. But the guy stepped in between us and, to my great surprise, faced me.
"You'll have to excuse Pansy. I try and be nice and give a girl a compliment and she turns around and ruins it. I'm Draco," the tone in his voice when he spoke made me uneasy and think he was fake so I muttered my name and walked away.