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The story all came from J.K Rowling's Harry Potter Series except for my new character Gretchen Giudice! :)

PS: Reviews please and I'll thank you all (individually)! :)

Chapter One: The Owl and The Letter

Age Eleven…

Gretchen Giudice was a girl with long golden hair that reached her waist; she had bright blue eyes and a nice light, cheery voice despite the fact that she was always miserable. It was all because of the new girl that came into the school. This girl was one year older than Gretchen and had black hair that rippled behind her shoulders, and brown eyes that sparkled hate at the first sign of Gretchen.

"Hello, you must be new! My name is-"

"I don't care what your name is; all I care is why did I get signed into this dump! This is Sirius' fault!"

"Oh..." Gretchen paused, but then she smiled and held out her hand so Bellatrix could shake it. "I am Gretchen; pleased to meet you!"

"Yuck! Me shake your hand? The hand of a Muggle?" Bellatrix looked at Gretchen as if she was some ugly, insect that had flown right in front of her. Gretchen frowned and sighed. Just then someone else came. He was a black haired boy with brown eyes and a nice warm smile. He turned to Gretchen and held out his hand, and Gretchen shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Sirius Black, what's your name?"

"Gretchen Giudice!" Gretchen then added quickly. "Should I give you a tour around the school?" Sirius smiled and nodded and the two set off.

Gretchen was now facing torment; her old friends hated her. It was all because of Bellatrix; everyone feared her, but Gretchen didn't understand why. She was just a snobby, rude, and competitive girl who always got her way. Bellatrix smirked at Gretchen every time they saw each other and Gretchen waved nervously, always thinking' Kill her with kindness…kill her with kindness.'

"Hey, Giudice!" A girl shouted and threw her an evil smile. "Can I cheat off your paper?" Gretchen was the smartest girl in her class and she was always the quickest at answering math equations. Every girl wanted to copy off her work, but Gretchen would always ignore them and walk to a different desk. But this time it was different: The girl wrenched the paper from Gretchen's hand and handed it to Bellatrix Black!

"Watch this Giudice!" Bellatrix smiled and looked at the paper carefully and it blew up. A million pieces flew everywhere; Gretchen shrieked, running away from the girl and Bellatrix. But all of a sudden, Gretchen found herself on the rooftop of the Cafeteria holding a paper. She squinted at it, the sun was very bright and it was hard to read in the light, and gasped. The paper was the work that Bellatrix had blown up, but it was good as new. As if it had never been destroyed.

Suddenly there was a loud screech and a giant screech owl landed at the tip of the flag pole right in front of Gretchen. As she reached for the letter in its beak, it nipped her hand and opened its mouth; it wanted food. Gretchen dug through her pockets and found only buttons.

"This is all I have; I wish I had something to give you." Then to her astonishment, Gretchen saw that the buttons had turned into five chunks of meat. Gretchen awestruck held out her hand and let the owl eat the meat. As soon as the owl flew away, Gretchen hastily opened the letter:

Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Ms. Giudice,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

Grtechen hastily opened the next page and read out loud:

"Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry

UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
sets of plain work robes (black)
plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS"

Gretchen boarded the bus all her new items packed safely in a luggage cart. Her eyes were wet; she had been crying because her parents couldn't afford a pet for her to take on the journey to Hogwarts. Her parents were distraught because she hadn't said a word to them at all until they were facing the Hogwarts Express. The scarlet train burst to life and they saw Gretchen waving at them from a window.

"Bye! See you next summer!" She called and her parents waved until the train picked up speed and was out of sight.

Gretchen lugged her trunk into the train and looked through the compartment windows, but they were all full. She finally found one with just four people in it. She knocked lightly and then opened the door.

"Can I join because everywhere else is-"She blushed when she saw which people were occupying the compartment: A sallow faced boy with long, greasy black hair and a hooked nose; a girl with red hair and green eyes who looked as if she had been crying; a boy with untidy black hair and glasses; and another young boy, sitting next to the boy with untidy hair, with black hair and brown eyes also a light smile.

"And I thought you were normal!" shouted the boy with untidy hair and then the one sitting next to him said.

"I might break the family tradition..." And then the boy sitting with the red haired and green eyed girl said something spiteful that Gretchen could not hear and then the other two boys started saying rude things about the other one. The girl obviously was friends with the greasy haired boy, and was losing her patience with the mockery from the others, that she said:

"Come on, Severus!" And that started up more jeering and the boy with the black hair and brown eyes, whom Gretchen had realized was Sirius and that's why she blushed, called after him. "See you later, Snivelus!"

"Ouch!" Gretchen cried out as the girl and boy bumped into her, causing her to fall on her trolley and the boys in the compartment to howl with laughter. She blushed and got up, dusting her clothes.

"Sorry!" the girl cried out.

"It's fine!" Gretchen groaned as she rubbed her back which was very sore. "My name is Gretchen, what's yours?

"Lily Evans and this is Severus Snape!" she addressed the sulky boy who waved at Gretchen moodily.

"You live at Spinner's End, don't you Severus?" she asked politely and Severus nodded.

"I think it's a rather nice place!" Lily said in defense, she must have thought Gretchen would make fun of Severus for that.

"I didn't say it wasn't." Gretchen said quietly.

"Well we got to go." Severus said at last and he pulled Lily away.

"See you later!"Lily called as the two disappeared around the corner. Gretchen sighed and opened the compartment door once more.

"Can I join because everywhere else is full?"

"Sure!" said the boy with untidy hair and then he added seriously "As long as you aren't friends with Snivelus."

"Relax, James! That's Gretchen, the girl from my old school. You know the Muggle school.

"Oh okay!" and James smiled as he let Gretchen in.

"Who is Severus anyway and why do you not like him?" Gretchen asked out of curiosity

"Well we didn't say we don't like him, but he is a little annoying. I mean he likes Slytherin doesn't he?" Sirius scoffed.

"What is Slytherin?"

"It is the name of one of the four founders of Hogwarts School, the place we are headed for." James said.

"And the name of one of the four houses!" Sirius added.

"Okay, wait there's houses?"

"Yeah, there's Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." James said and made a look of great distaste as he said the word 'slytherin'.

"Okay; which one do you want to go to?"

"Well Sirius and I both want to go to Gryffindor: 'Where dwell the brave at heart'" James explained and together Sirius and James both leapt up and brandished there wands at each other as if they were swords and Gretchen laughed.

"What about you?" they asked as they each sat down on either side of Gretchen.

"I don't know. Maybe Gryffindor?"

"Excellent choice!" the two said and they began to fight with their wands.

"Can't those wands easily break?" Gretchen asked, but the two were so engrossed in their game that they accidently sent sparks flying at Gretchen. She shrieked and dodged them.

"Woops!" James and Sirius said in unison. "Sorry."

They were finally at Hogwarts and all the first year students were lined up and eager to be sorted into their houses. They pushed and shoved, cutting in line and causing others to fall to the ground. Soon however, everyone was silent as a witch put a hat on a stool and smiled.

"I am Professer McGonagall. All first years will be assorted into their houses before they enjoy the feast. I'll call out names and when I call yours I want you to put this hat on your head. Then when you hear your House called out, you instantly join your house table. Thank you. Evans, Lily!" The girl who had been talking to Gretchen rushed on over to the stool sat down and placed the hat on her head and to Gretchen's astonishment the hat yelled.

"Gryffindor!"

"No." Severus said quietly as Lily hopped off the stool and ran on over to the table that was below the flag bearing the Gryffindor sign: A lion.

"Snape, Severus!" Professor McGonagall called out and Severus rushed over to the stool, stuffed the hat on, and raced to the Slytherin table.

"Giudice, Gretchen!" Shouted Professer McGonagall. Gretchen was next and she wringed her hands nervously; what if the hat told her she wasn't a magical person and they all made fun of her.

"Giudice!" Came a shout and Gretchen's heart sank; Bellatrix was sitting at the Slytherin Table an evil smile of glee on her face. Gretchen slowly walked to the stool, sat down and placed the hat on her head. Her eyes were closed and she whispered over and over.

"Any house is fine, any. Just let me be a witch." She begged silently and the Hat replied:

"I can see a series of wonderful requirements you fulfill for each house, but you are braver than bold and kinder than pure. You're a Gryffindor!" And the hat called out "GRYFFINDOR!" Gretchen met applause and she curtseyed as she took her seat next to Lily. Sirius smiled kindly at Gretchen.

"Welcome!" he said as Gretchen waved and smiled; then she turned to Lily who had her arms crossed and was looking away from Sirius.

"Hi, Lily! We are in the same house, huh?"

"Yes!" Lily said, her anger instantly changed to happiness.

"And now." announced a man who Gretchen guessed was the head of the school."We feast!" And he clapped his hands as a series of delightful, tasty foodsappeared on the clean golden plates and everyone jumped at the food. There was pudding, chicken, and everything wonderful you can ever see. There were even some candies that Gretchen had no idea what they were.

All the Hogwarts students were stuffed and full. They ran to their common rooms, all except for Gretchen. She went hither and thither looking through classrooms, and secret passages. She even found a blank wall and when she thought of something it became that! She loved the new school, but now it was time to sleep. She decided to explore the grounds the next day.