Hello, everyone! I've started rereading the Harry Potter series, and this fic inserted itself so firmly into my head that I just had to write it down. Zoe is actually a character I know very well; I'm very excited to finally share her! This is mostly her story, starting at the beginning of the gang's sixth year. Enjoy!

For Harry, the inaugural Slug Club meeting on the train to Hogwarts was a waste of time. Not only did he have to listen to Slughorn try to suck up to the students that were well-connected, he also had to endure another round of questions about the previous year. It didn't help, either, that Blaise Zabini threw Harry a dirty look every time the title 'The Chosen One' was brought up. Harry was more than glad, then, when Slughorn dismissed the students. Walking back with Neville and Ginny, Harry spotted Zabini going back into his compartment. This would be a perfect time to see what Malfoy was up to. Throwing on his Invisibility Cloak, he told Neville and Ginny not to wait up, and caught up to Zabini as he shut the sliding glass door to the compartment. Harry threw his foot into the gap, gritting his teeth to stop himself from crying out as the door slammed into his foot. Zabini attempted to shut the door again, but Harry grabbed it and wrenched it open, throwing Zabini into Crabbe and Goyle. In the resulting commotion, Harry climbed onto Zabini's open seat and leapt onto the luggage rack. For one horrible moment, Harry thought his trainer caught the eye of a dark-haired girl he didn't recognize, but then her attention turned to Malfoy, who had practically climbed into her lap to avoid being hit by Zabini, who overbalanced as he stood and nearly fell back into the seat Malfoy just vacated.

Steadying himself, Zabini shut the door, and sat at the window seat across from the dark-haired girl. Pansy Parkinson threw the girl a nasty look and clamped onto Malfoy's arm, pulling him over to her, where she rested her head on his shoulder and smirked triumphantly at everyone in the compartment. Talk turned to the Slug Club meeting, where Malfoy's initial surprise at not being invited was chalked up to his father's arrest earlier in the year. "I've got better things to do, anyway," he muttered. "But why wasn't Zoe invited? Her marks rival that Mudblood Granger's, and I heard Slughorn liked her father when he was in school."

"Her?" Pansy shrieked, laughing contemptuously at the girl by the window, fixing her with a taunting stare. "Why should he? He could talk to the door handle and get the same result." And indeed, Zoe stared out the window as though she hadn't heard a thing. "Inviting her anywhere is a waste of time," Pansy continued, a petulant whine sneaking into her tone, "Draco, why did you have to invite her?"

"Because I want her here," the blonde answered simply, looking over at Zoe as though to make sure she was still there. Pansy huffed and didn't push the topic, but she did continue to periodically throw smarmy looks in the other girl's direction. Conversation then led to Malfoy dropping hints about his plans for the coming year and after, some of which tore Zoe's gaze from the window to give Malfoy a warning look. Malfoy continued on, ignoring her disapproving stare completely.

"- I mean, think about it. ... When the Dark Lord takes over, is he going to care how many O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s anyone's got? Of course he isn't. ... It'll be all about the kind of service he received, the level of devotion he was shown."

Zabini clearly thought little of Malfoy's zealousness, considering he wasn't yet a fully qualified wizard. Malfoy brushed off his doubts with a reiteration. "I just said, haven't I? Maybe he doesn't care if I'm qualified. Maybe the job he wants me to do is-"

Zoe spoke for the first time, her voice quiet but firm. "Draco, don't."

Pansy's shrill voice seemed to stab Harry in the ears as she shrieked, "Don't you dare tell him what to do, Ashdown! It's alright, Draco, you can tell us..."

But Malfoy wouldn't say another word about it, clearly relishing the effect his hints had on the other Slytherins. "I can see Hogwarts. We'd better get our robes on."

Harry was so busy staring at Malfoy, he didn't notice Goyle reaching up for his trunk; as he swung it down, it hit Harry hard on the side of his head. He let out an involuntary gasp of pain, and Malfoy and Ashdown both looked up at the luggage rack; Malfoy frowning, Ashdown studying the spot where Harry lay. Unafraid of Malfoy though he was, he grasped his wand in case Zoe turned out to be a liberal caster of hexes. To his great relief, however, both Slytherins looked away and continued to pull on their robes.

The train slowed and came to a jerky stop, and Harry could see the corridor filling up with students eager to leave and head up to the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony and the start of term feast. Crabbe and Goyle exited the compartment first, punching younger students out of the way, followed by Zabini. Pansy left next, holding out her hand as though she expected Malfoy to hold it, but he waved her away. "You go on. I want to talk to Zoe for a minute." At this, Pansy looked as though she'd swallowed a lemon, but she nodded and left, leaving Malfoy and Ashdown alone. Malfoy turned to Zoe, and it was with a curious expression on his face-was that remorse?-that he began to speak. "Zoe, I-"

But Ashdown cut him off, crossing the compartment and locking the door as she lowered the blinds. No one would be able to see inside. Harry quickly became uncomfortable as she raised a finger to her lips and gently placed a hand on Malfoy's shoulder. What was she d-

"Petrificus totalus!" the girl cried, pulling Malfoy out of the way as Harry came crashing down to the floor, his Invisibility Cloak trapped underneath him. Ashdown's wand remained pointed on him for a moment until she was sure he wasn't about to move, then slipped her wand back up the sleeve of her robes. Malfoy looked like Christmas had come early.

"I knew it!" he said jubilantly. "I heard Goyle's trunk hit you!"

"And I saw his trainer after Zabini came back," Ashdown added quietly, a look of fear in her eyes that she was trying to suppress. Maybe she was afraid Harry had heard too much? "Draco, maybe I should-"

"He didn't hear anything I care about." Malfoy seemed to be considering his options. "But while he's here..." He stamped down hard on Harry's face. Harry felt his nose break; blood gushed everywhere and Ashdown cringed away. "That's from my father. Now, let's see..." He grabbed the Invisibility Cloak from under Harry and threw it over his immobilized form. "There. I don't reckon they'll find you until the train's back to London. See you around, Potter... Or not." And, taking care to tread on Harry's fingers, he took Ashdown firmly by the arm and led her out of the compartment, shutting the door behind him.

When the start of term feast ended and the students of Hogwarts were dismissed from the Great Hall, Harry, Ron, and Hermione hung to the back of the crowd to talk without being overheard. Harry explained why he had been covered in blood when he arrived to the Great Hall in one word: "Malfoy." His friends didn't seem surprised by this, but Harry's next question seemed to come out of nowhere. "What do you know about Zoe Ashdown?"

Ron shook his head, shrugging, but Hermione was able to answer. "Zoe Ashdown? She's in our year in Slytherin, I always see her in the library. She doesn't really talk much-actually, I'm not sure I've ever heard her speak. But she gets high marks in just about everything and doesn't seem to take much pleasure in laughing at us like the other Slytherins do." She shot Harry a questioning look. "Why do you ask?"

"She was in the compartment with Malfoy and the others. She's the one who noticed I was up in the luggage rack and put the body bind on me. Parkinson seems to hate her, but Malfoy got along with her just fine. Whatever Malfoy's planning on doing, whatever it was he was hinting at, she knows about it, because the second it sounded like he was going to say something big she shut him up."

Ron spoke the words Harry had been thinking. "No one close to Malfoy can be good news."

"Oh really, Ron." Hermione's voice sounded exasperated. "We don't know that. She's never sided with him before, she's always kept to herself. She may not have even wanted to be there, if Parkinson really does hate her!"

"Parkinson probably hates her because Malfoy doesn't. Doesn't want the competition."

They were nearing the end of the long Gryffindor table now, and Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table, where all but two students were filing towards the doors. Ashdown remained seated at the end of the table closest to the exit, looking into the throng of students and completely ignoring Malfoy, who stood next to her and seemed to be trying to tell her something. Harry nudged Ron and Hermione, directing their attention to the table as Malfoy seemed to ask a question that Ashdown didn't answer. He asked again, and, frustrated by her lack of response, he grabbed her arm to get her attention, asking the question once more. Ashdown jumped about a foot in the air before settling a glare at the boy, answering him shortly before wrenching her arm out of his grasp and stalking away from him.

Ashdown was inadvertently approaching the spot Harry, Ron, and Hermione were stuck in. The Slytherin girl, spotting this, came up short, hesitating as she found herself being approached by the three Gryffindors. She seemed to be considering going back to Malfoy, but the trio could see that the thought alone intimidated her. She took a deep breath, as though she was steadying her resolve, and spoke directly to Harry. "I was going to apologize about your nose." She looked over his robes, blood-free. "But it looks like I don't have to anymore." Her gaze flickered to Hermione. "Nice cleaning charm." After this, her resolve seemed to fail, though whether it was because she thought she'd said too much or because Malfoy was approaching, it wasn't clear. The Slytherin raised a hand in farewell and disappeared into the throng of students. Malfoy replaced her next to the trio, but he hardly took the time to throw them a dirty look before pushing further into the crowd, looking for the witch that seemed to have evaporated. The three friends shared a look before heading back to the common room, knowing they would have a lot to discuss that night.

There's the first chapter for you. Let me know what you think! Do you like Zoe?

Until next time!