I fiddled with one of long, dark reddish black plaits. My mother kissed my head, hugging me tight. "Be careful, Amy!" she grinned, ushering me forward.

I stumble over my Converse laces, tripping into a tall, skinny boy with a cheeky grin and reddish black hair like mine. He makes no complaint, just stoops down and helps me up. "You alright, there?" he asked me, looking at me in the eyes.

I gulp, and just nod, collecting my books into my ripped bags with a quick spell I scavenged from my books over the summer. His father comes over. "You alright there! Reparo. There you go, dear."

I thank him, and grin jumping onto the train.

The boy looks impressed. "Cool. I'm James."

"Amelia." I say, politely, swinging my bag over my shoulder and holding out a cold, pale hand.

He shakes it, and grins. "C'mon. We'd best not be late!"

I nod, and we climb into a compartment, with a tall, handsome, dark boy, with a cheeky grin, a blonde girl, and a boy with turquoise hair. Which is weird. "Hey guys! This is Amelia... Sorry, I didn't catch your surname?"

"That's because I didn't tell you. Riddle."

There was a cold intake of breath, and the compartment went silent. I looked at them, blank faced. A small, slight girl who is obviously the dark's guy's brother gets up from the corner, dark black waves swaying. She grabs a Potions book, and hurls it at my head. "GET OUT!" the girl screams, and I flinch, backing out quickly and slamming into the door, knocking my head against the glass.

I woozily stir into consciousness. A tall figure with black hair, freckles and pale skin is looking at me.

"I don't see why you care, James. She's not anything to do with us."

"Actually, she's my friend, Roxanne, so you can stay to apologise for throwing a book at her head."

"She's a Riddle for Merlin's sake!"

"Her surname's the same as Voldy's, yeah yeah, I know, I'm not thick as Slughorn, you know. Riddle's probably a coincidence. Merlin, for a Gryffindor you sure are prejudiced, Roxy."

"Shut UP, James! She's probably related to the foul little git!"

"She's not! Okay? Oh. Hi, Amelia. You feeling okay?" James asked, looking at me as I fully formed into consciousness.

"Yeah. Great. I how long have I been out?" I yawned, in a hollow voice, struggling up.

"All of the train ride and ten minutes." James grinned. "The feast's just started. Madam Pomfrey - the school nurse - had to stitch up your head, and you've broken your wrist, but you should be okay."

I swing out of the bed, and shrug on the robes my parents bought me, and the black tie, and pull on my Converse boots. I smile at Roxanne, and walk out, boots clumping on the ground as I realise I am completely lost.

James calls after me.

"AMELIA! Wait! I have to stay with you. Headmistress' orders." he grins, and leads me to the Great Hall.

The headmistress herself is waiting.

"Ah. Thank you, James. Now, be off with the pair of you!" Professor McGonagall commands the other two, and looks at me. "Miss Riddle. I hear you had quite a bash."

"Yeah, I tripped over my laces."

"Really?"

I nod.

She sweeps me into the Great Hall with no more than an unconvinced glare, and into the Sorting queue. A short, small Professor is reading out the names.

"Riddle, Amelia!"

I look at the Headmistress, who flicks her finger to the stool. I stumbled up to the stool, and noticed that the hall was completely silent, and everybody looked disgusted. "GET HER OUT!" yelled a Slytherin.

The Professor shushes the boy, and positions the hat on my head.

Amelia Riddle, eh? Well well. Where will we put you? A Muggleborn indeed. Distantly related to He Who Must Not Be Named. Well well well. Intelligence is consuming your mind, but there is so much bravery and courage under that layer of arrogant skull. So where do you belong?

Five minutes have passed.

Yet you have the cunning mind of a Slytherin, the loyalty of a Hufflepuff.

Not Slytherin. Please, not Slytherin.

Well, if your sure, better be

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yells.

I stumble out, and unlike everyone else, not a single person applauds. And then, the tall, lanky dark-haired boy cheers, getting up from seat. James. He cheers, clapping hard. I grin at him, and James waves. Roxanne curses. The turquoise haired boy's hair is now red and gold, and slowly dying to a deep, messy inky blue. The blonde is glaring at me. I shift in my seat, as the headmistress announces for us all to tuck in. I dig into chicken, and look up to find Roxanne glaring at me. My cutlery poises above my meal, and I carefully set them down, and gulp down the liquid. My food remains untouched, as the Headmistress chants a speech, and sends us to bed. The dorms are read out by the blonde girl.

"Roxanne Weasley, Audrey Finnegan, Alice Longbottom, Lacey Scamander and Amelia Riddle, you'll be sharing this dorm. I'm Victoire, I'll be your prefect. Come and talk to me if you have any problems." the blonde smiles, pushing open the door at the very top of the tower. I immediately shoot for the bed by the window, furthest from the others. I undo the curtains that are fastened across, so they loosely hang. I storm into the bathroom, and fiddle with the waterproof bandage on my wrist. My wrist is healed, according to James, but Madam Pomfrey said I needed a bandage to be discharged. I chuck it in the bin, and quickly get changed into my pyjamas, a pair of comfy, dark blue long-sleeved pyjamas that fit nicely. I climb into bed, wrench across my hangings, and fall asleep, staring out at the window, and already hating my new school.

I wake up the next day, and go to change into my new black skirt bought for school, and my grey socks and blouse, to discover that they are not where I left them. I climb out of bed, sleepily running my hands through my thick black hair. Stupid frizz! I look up at the ceiling, to discover my socks, skirt, tie, coat and shoes hanging from the rafters. Roxanne. The kind looking, skinny girl with messy curls of strawberry blonde hair looks at me. Lacey Scamander. "I'll help you get them down if you like?" she offered, but her eyes were unconvinced and glaring.

I just shake my head, and go and fetch the head of Gryffindor, Professor Longbottom. He comes back, sighing. "Who did this, Lacey?"

"Roxanne Weasley, sir."

He summons them down, and passes them to me. "See you first period, Amelia."

I quickly get changed as he exits, looping my hair into two thick plaits, and tying them with red ribbon. I slipped on the dark, well fitting coat, gathered my text books, and pulled on my ballet flats, and hurried out. I hear a call, and turn around. "Amelia!"

It's Roxanne.

"Who the MERLIN do you think you are?"

"Amelia Esme Riddle. Why?"

"You'll pay for this, Riddle. Watch it."

I just glare at her, redoing the lace on my Converse, my bag sliding.

Alice Longbottom storms past me, shoving me again the wall. I climb up, and storm downstairs. I slump in a seat, and my coat sleeve falls down to reveal the small scar on my wrist, and my collection of threaded bracelets. The hall is silent, and everybody is glaring. I wolf down toast, button up my duffle coat, and walk out. James catches my arm, but I shrug him off with a glare.

"Told you she was bad news, mate." yawned a blonde boy, with strong resemblance to the beautiful, blonde Prefect.

James looks at him in disgust, and sits down. I walk across the fieldstone to the greenhouse. I look around. Only a few Slytherins and Hufflepuffs were around. I walk up to a small, blue-eyed girl with mouse hair. I just sigh, checking my timetable. Greenhouse one. I check the small signs swinging on the door. Number one. I push open the squeaky door and examine the glass room. The tall head of Gryffindor is examining a plant.

"Sir?" I ask, meekly.

"Miss Riddle. Please, take a seat." he sighs, and he puts the plant under a shelf, nodding to the chairs arranged higgledy-piggledy around the room. They are squashy but reasonably small.

I take out my textbook and my new wand - fourteen inches, unicorn hair, silver birch.

"Wand and textbook away, Miss Riddle." the teacher said, coolly.

I obeyed, flushing pink.

The tall lanky boy with blonde hair, and a Hufflepuff tie walked in.

"We have to have a class with that?" the boy despaired, flicking back his hair.

"Quiet, Mr Delacour-Weasley. Sit." Professor Longbottom ordered. He hesitantly sat down on the other side of the room, light hair messy.

The class walked in. I ended up with nobody next to me. James sat next to Louis, and the girls in my dormitory had friends. The lesson passed quickly. We had to pot these plants, and we have to research the Emblem flower. It was really cool.

We had a free period, then, so I rolled up my socks, hitched up my skirt, and sat down lazily by the Black Lake. I flick through my thick Transfiguration book, as a familiar face appears.

"Hello, Miss Riddle." the boy says.

"Go away James." I snap, examining my black nails.

"Why?"

"Because this place is lousy and I want to go home!" I yell, chucking my book at him, and storming off.

He looks bewildered, as I turn back. He lifts a hand to do something, but it hovered and fell into his hair, hand running through it.

I stormed up to my dorm room and curled up on my bed. Suddenly, I heard a loud bang downstairs in the common room. I shot down, to find Roxanne duelling with a thin, lanky girl with dark ginger hair.

"Deal with it, Roxanne!" she yelled.

Roxanne gave up on magic, tossing her wand aside and punching the girl. I stood, horrified.

"STOP IT!" I screamed, lunging at the pair and tearing them apart. The ginger girl looked like she had a bad smell under her nose.

"You're a Riddle. Can't you hold a fight?" she sneered.

"Shut up, Finnegan." I snapped, and Roxanne looked mildly grateful.

Audrey Finnegan brushed herself down and haughtily strode off.

"Why'd you do that?" Roxanne asked, as I dabbed at her split lip with a tissue impatiently.

"You're James' cousin. I like James." I said quietly, as she smiled.

"I'm sorry."

"For being a prat? You should be. Why were you fighting?" I ask, impatiently wiping the blood in her lip.

"She said stuff."

"About you?"

"About my mother. Racist crap, because Finnegan don't support Mum's team."

"You should have gone straight to Professor Longbottom or McGonnagall.

"It's strange. They usually seem nice. The Finnegans. Seamus is a good friend of Uncle Harry and Audrey's twin, Mae, is hilarious. Weird."

"Mae's that Hufflepuff with red hair, isn't she?"

"That's the one. Riddle, I think my lip's stopped bleeding now."

"No. Yu should probably go to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey will fix it in a minute."

"Will I get out of class?"

"No."

"Then no."

I look at her, annoyed, as the bell sounds and we grab our bags and head to Transfiguration.

"Oh Merlin!" I said, clapping a hand to my forehead and groaning.

"What?" Roxanne asked, irritably checking her watch.

"I don't have my textbook! I chucked it at James' head!" I sigh.

"Fine. He'll have it."