A/N: Sorry this took so long in getting up. I only had one review for it (and it was my sister's) so I wasn't very inspired to write any more. But then I got more reviews (THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!) so I started writing again. =D

In sticking with canon, some of this chapter was taken straight from the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (or Philosopher's if you prefer) Stone pages 111-128 and belongs exclusively to J.K. Rowling.


Chapter 2/The Hogwarts Express and the Sorting Hat

Narcissa fussed over Draco for a long time before we boarded the Hogwarts Express at platform number nine and three-quarters. Lucius remained stoic beside her, as if to compensate. No one fussed over me, but I didn't care. I smirked at Draco's uncomfortable fidgeting under his mother's hand as she straightened his jacket, made sure every single of white-blonde strand was perfectly in place (although with all the stuff he put in it, I gathered if I tossed a coin on his head it would bounce), and lectured him on the importance of getting Slytherin. I sighed and watched as one of the train's assistants loaded up all our bags. Finally the call for the last passengers came and we had to hurry on board.

"Aren't you going to wave goodbye to dear, precious Mummy?" I teased as the train began to pull away and we made our way down the aisle to find a compartment. He just scowled at me and walked faster, not even glancing out the window to where Lucius and Narcissa were still standing.

As we passed down several cars (apparently Draco was looking for familiar faces to sit with), I overheard a couple of other first years whispering about someone named Harry Potter. For some reason that name sounded really familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

Draco finally stopped at a compartment that housed a pug-faced girl and two large, stupid looking boys. All three of them greeted Draco like they were great buddies of his and then turned to look at me suspiciously.

"Who's the frizz-head?" the pug-faced girl asked in a rather annoying tone of voice.

I wanted to reply "who's the dog-face?" but I kept my mouth shut. Spouting off insults was no way to make friends. Apparently the pug-faced girl didn't know that.

Draco glanced sidelong at me as he took a place between the two large boys who moved over to make room. "This is my cousin. Hydra."

"Don't tell me she's Andromeda's kid," the girl said, wrinkling her little pug nose. I wondered if dogs ever greeted her as family.

"Narcissa Black had two sisters, you know," I stated flatly as I took a seat beside her. It was the only seat left unfortunately.

Her eyes got wide. "I didn't know Bellatrix and Rodolphus had a daughter," she stated, studying me suspiciously with a superior air that said 'I know everything and since I didn't know they had a daughter you must not exist.'

"They don't," I said impassively. "I was immaculately conceived."

Draco couldn't help but snicker at that, but the two lump-heads beside him looked confused. The girl sniffed, knowing she was being teased and not amused at all.

"You've got a smart mouth," she said, narrowing her eyes at me. "That'll get you points deducted, you know."

I rolled my dark eyes skyward. "Yes, I try so hard not to speak, but my lips just keep moving. I really think they have a mind of their own."

Shaking her head so hard in disgust her page-boy hair cut swished across her neck, the girl turned away from me and stared stubbornly at the window. I glanced at Draco who was looking at me with some new kind of respect. I nodded to the two boys beside him. "So?"

He started slightly then glanced at his two bodyguards (really, that's what they looked like). "This is Vincent Crabbe," he introduced, pointing to one. "And this is Gregory Goyle." He pointed to the other. "That's Pansy Parkinson," he added, nodding to the pug-faced girl.

I resisted the urge to snicker at her name. And I thought I had a bad name. She ignored me most of the way to Hogwarts. A lady came by with a cart full of treats and Draco bought some for everyone. I thought this was surprisingly nice of him. Unfortunately Pansy made sure to get all the good ones. She simpered and batted her eyes at Draco until he relinquished the sweets with a pained expression. Crabbe and Goyle stuffed their faces eagerly. I was left with a box of Every Flavor Beans and one Chocolate Frog. Draco had several more things, but I wasn't about to ask for any more. I'd show them I was perfectly capable of being content with what I had. However that did not stop me from swiping a Chocolate Frog from Pansy when her back was turned, and I was sure no one else was watching.

Every time a couple of students passed by our compartment, they whispered something about this Harry Potter character. The third time this happened, Draco's head came up with a thoughtful frown.

"I wonder . . ." he started and then stood, beckoning Crabbe and Goyle to follow him. I made as if to follow but the door slammed shut in my face. I scowled at Draco's back and then took his seat, grumbling about annoying boys and their "no girls allowed" cliques.

Pansy could not resist a smug smile. "They always let me go when them when I ask," she stated with a lot of self-importance.

I gave her a sickly sweet smile in return. "Of course they do. How else would they get you to shut up?"

Her cheeks turned pink and she turned toward the window again. For a moment I felt bad, seeing as now I had no one to talk to, but then I reminded myself that I did not want to be Pansy's friend and my guilt disappeared. A few minutes later a passing girl told us we'd better get our robes on since we would be arriving soon. Pansy and I managed to do so without saying a word to each other.

It was not long before Draco came back, his expression stormy. Crabbe and Goyle also looked angry and Goyle was holding his finger which was bleeding slightly. I frowned and stood, getting out of the way quickly as they headed for their original seats. Before I could ask what had happened, Pansy was all over Draco, asking what was wrong and begging him to tell her since she was his special friend (I swear she looked right at me when she said that). To his credit he shoved her away and sat brooding by the window.

I turned to Crabbe and Goyle, wondering if they could enlighten us. "Harry Potter's stupid friend's rat bit Goyle," Crabbe said, concentrating very hard on getting a complete, intelligent sounding sentence out.

"You went to see Harry Potter?" I asked Draco, suddenly remembering who the kid was. I had read about him in some old newspapers and the director at the orphanage had always said she wished Potter had come to her orphanage when his parents were killed. She would have gotten better business, she would say, because everyone would want their child growing up beside the Boy Who Lived.

Apparently he had defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort as a baby or something like that. I'm sure it was more complicated then that because I had read about the Dark Lord and knew he was much too powerful to be taken down by a little baby.

Still he was somewhat of a celebrity and I would have liked to see him.

"Draco asked Harry to be his friend," Goyle said, sniveling slightly. "And Potter said no. And then the rat bit me. For no reason!"

I highly doubted that, but left it alone and glanced at Draco for confirmation. He looked up at me, an angry pink tinge to his pale cheeks.

"I didn't ask to be his friend," he snapped. "As if I would stoop so low. No, I offered to be his friend. It would have been in his best interest to agree, but no. He wanted to stay with that disgusting Weasley." He frowned at me. "His family is the ultimate riff-raff. They breed like rabbits and are extremely poor. Potter should know better than to spend time with them."

I realized Draco's pride had been hurt and now was not the time to make smart comments. Instead I made a small, sympathetic noises and told Crabbe and Goyle that they should get their robes on since we were almost at the Hogwarts station. They did so quickly. I held out Draco's to him.

"Don't worry about Potter," I said. "I'm sure he'll regret his decision later."

"Oh he will," Draco said, taking the robe from me and putting it on. "I'll make sure of that."

I tried my best not to sigh. In my experience getting back at someone only landed you in the naughty chair without supper and extra chores. (I was eight and a boy had pulled on my braid so that it popped out of its holder and my hair practically exploded. I had been humiliated and that night chopped off all his hair. The sight of him bald was worth the extra chores. I smirked even now thinking about it.)

When we got off the train we were led to boats through a narrow path in a thick wood by this giant of a man who had a funny accent that was really hard to understand. It was dark by then, and I could barely see anything save for the bobbing lantern that the giant held. I shivered slightly and drew my robes tighter around me.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the giant called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud, "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. I thought it looked like something out of a horror story with vampires. Majestically beautiful in a terrifying sort of way.

"No more'n four to a boat!" the giant called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. I hung back slightly, expecting Draco to get in with Pansy and Crabbe and Goyle, but instead, while the bigger boys were getting in, Draco turned to me and asked,

"Coming, Black?"

I grinned at Pansy's dismayed, and then angry, expression. Stepping into the boat, I quickly sat down to keep it from rocking too much. Draco took his place beside me. I could not help but look to see who Pansy had to sit with. Unfortunately I could not see very well and did not recognize any of them.

"Everyone in?" shouted the giant, who had a boat to himself. "Right then – FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over us as we sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled the giant (I would really have to learn his name soon) as the first boats reached the cliff; we all bent our heads and the little boats carried us through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. We were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking us right underneath the castle, until we reached a kind of underground harbor, where we clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

We climbed out of the boats and one of the boys found a toad he had apparently lost. We then made our way up a passage in the rock after the giant's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. We walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. Pansy elbowed her way to stand next to my group, although she seemed more interested in standing next to Draco than anyone else. I rolled my eyes.

The giant made sure everyone was here and then knocked three times on the castle door. It swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face that reminded me somewhat of the director of the orphanage.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant.

"Thank you, Hagrid (Finally! A name!) I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big it could have fit the entire orphanage in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing us led to the upper floor.

"This is incredible," I whispered, having never seen anything like it before. I mean, the Malfoy's house was amazing, even awe-inspiring, but this . . . this was awesome on a whole new level. Draco could not resist a thin smile at my wonder.

We followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. I could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right—the rest of the school must have already been here—but Professor McGonagall showed us first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We crowded in, standing rather closer together than I liked. Pansy stepped on my toe, but I knew that was not an accident. I stumbled against Draco who gave me an annoyed look. I muttered an apology and someone shushed me from behind as the Professor began to speak.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are here at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She left the chamber.

Nobody talked much, except one girl with bushy hair and rather large front teeth. She was whispering very fast something about all the spells she'd learned. I almost rolled my eyes again, but I was getting slightly nervous about the upcoming Sorting. So nervous in fact, that I yelped quietly when someone grabbed my arm. I relaxed when I realized it was only Draco. He gave me a strange look before whispering intently,

"Better pray you get Slytherin."

Before I could reply I almost jumped out of my skin when several people behind me screamed. I looked up and gasped softly. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at us first years. They seemed to be arguing.

Finally one of them noticed us. He was wearing a ruff and tights. "I say, what are you all doing here?"

We all just stared.

"New students!" said one that looked like a fat friar, smiling at us. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" the Friar said, and beside me Draco choked rather unsubtly. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. "Now form a line," the Professor told us first years, "and follow me."

We did as she said, and I fell behind Draco. Pansy had to go behind me and she did not look very happy about that fact. We walked out of the chamber, back down the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

It was every bit as magnificent as the rest of Hogwarts. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led us up here, so that we came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind us. The hundreds of faces stared at us, their faces seeming to glow in the flickering light of the candles.

Looking to my right I scanned the group of students for Harry Potter, but I could not pick him out. I did not really know what he looked like. All I knew was that he was supposed to have a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of us. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. The hat was extremely ugly. It was patched and frayed and very dirty. Everyone was staring at the hat expectantly. I wondered why, it wasn't like the hat was going to dance a gig or something. But then it twitched. I found my jaw drop slightly as a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and it began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you're a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall bursts into applause as the hat finished its song. I kept my hands at my sides as it bowed to each of the four tables and then became inanimate again. Really it had not been an entirely well written song. But it did get me to thinking. Its descriptions of the different houses were not at all like how Lucius Malfoy had described them. I wondered then if I really wanted to be in Slytherin. Then I glanced over at Draco and realized I really had no choice. If I wanted to stay in my family (the only family I had) I would need to be in Slytherin.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long roll of parchment in her hands.

"When I call your name," she said, "you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be Sorted." She glanced down at the parchment and then said loudly, "Abbot, Hannah!"

I knew I would be one of the first, which made me nervous. After Hannah had been sorted into Hufflepuff, my name was called:

"Black, Hydra!"

I could hear some whispering as I walked up to the stool. I knew there had not been any Blacks in Hogwarts since Regulus Black. I sat down and Draco gave me an encouraging nod. I closed my eyes briefly as the hat descended on my head. Instantly it began talking to me.

"Hmmm, very interesting. Very interesting indeed."

Before it could go on, I found myself thinking, Please let me be in Slytherin. Please let me be in Slytherin.

It did not seem surprised that I wanted that particular house. "Yes," it said softly. "I thought you might want that one. Not unlike your father in that regard. I suppose we can only hope you turn out better in than he did. Very well.

"SLYTHERIN!"

I breathed a sigh of relief as a smattering of applause from the Slytherin table greeted me. Draco nodded in approval as I passed. When I sat down though, I thought over what the hat had said. How had my father turned out bad? I mean, Lucius was not winning any awards for Best Father of the Year, but he was not that bad. Of course I don't think I would have wanted to turn out like him, but the thought did not completely turn my insides around.

I was so focused on wondering what the hat could have meant, that I completely zoned out and did not pay much attention to the rest of the Sorting. Before I knew it, Crabbe and Goyle and Draco were sitting next to me and Pansy was being sorted. When she got Slytherin it was no surprise to me there. I was glad however, that Draco was not one of the ones clapping for her. A foreboding and gaunt looking ghost with his robes stained in silver blood glided over and sat on the other side of Draco. He moved closer to me with a look of slight disgust. I hid a snicker.

When Harry Potter's name was called, I looked up, eager to catch a glimpse of this Boy Who Lived. Draco did not seem that interested. Instead he leaned back and said something mean about Potter to Crabbe and Goyle behind my back. The large boys sniggered and I ignored them.

Potter was not much to look at really. Scrawny with shaggy black hair and large green eyes behind coke-bottle glasses, he looked absolutely terrified going up to the stool. I almost thought I could see his small body shaking beneath his robes. When he was Sorted into Gryffindor, he got the loudest cheer. I noticed no one at the Slytherin table was applauding.

The sorting went on until a black boy named Zabini, Blaise was Sorted into Slytherin. He came over looking rather smug and Draco sat up slightly, studying the slender boy as he sat down smoothly and gave everyone a chin-up greeting. I heard several girls sigh. I will admit he was very good looking, in a somewhat sinister way, but now was not to the time to make any sort of comments as the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, stood.

"Welcome!" he said, his arms spread wide as if he wanted to embrace us all. He was practically beaming. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you."

He sat back down as everyone clapped and cheered. I noticed Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle did not. I did not know whether to laugh or not.

". . . Is he . . . always like this?" I had to ask, fearing somewhat for the level of my education.

Draco shrugged. "I've heard he's a bit mad," he admitted. "But Professor Snape is the Head of our House and he's not. So you don't have to worry about him making idiotic speeches." He rolled his pale eyes.

Before I could reply, the plates in front of us suddenly became piled with food. I gawked openly. I had never seen so much food except at the Malfoy's, but even then there was not so much verity as here. In fact, most of the foods in front of me were dishes I knew and liked very much. It was almost as if the kitchen staff knew my tastes.

I dug in happily, suddenly realizing how hungry I was. Conversation spiked up around us as everyone discussed their families and their bloodlines and various advantages of being purebloods. Draco liked to boast about his father a lot and soon I tuned out his bragging words. Instead I glanced over at the High Table where all the teachers were sitting. I tried to pick out who was who. I finally recognized Severus Snape from one conversation of two girls at the table who were discussing hair products. The commented on the greasy state of our Head Professor and then it was easy to see who it was. He was talking to some nervous-looking man in a ridiculous-looking turban.

I found myself staring at this turban for no particular reason. I mean, it was gaudy and should have been trashed years ago. But no, that's not why I was drawn to it. I kept thinking, somewhere in the back of my head, that the professor should take off the turban. That whatever was underneath the turban shouldn't be hidden away as though he were ashamed of it.

I was still staring when the desserts arrived and Draco had to prod me rather viciously to get me to notice before it disappeared. I quickly grabbed a couple pasties and ate the quickly. After a while the desserts were gone and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem—just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds in forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Again I did not know whether to laugh or not. Everyone else seemed dead serious so I kept my mouth shut.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. I heard several of the Slytherins around me groan. I had read some of the lyrics before and knew why. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

I listened to the dreadful lyrics and did my best not to grimace. I definitely did not sing. A few of the Slytherins sang in monotone, sparking a few snide giggles. It felt like my eardrums were going to burst, and I felt a headache coming on as chaos sounded all around me. Draco studied his manicured nails and waited for it all to end. Finally, mercifully, it did. Or so I thought until I heard two red-headed twins singing to a very slow funeral dirge. I admit, I had to hold back a laugh, but I was relieved when it was all over.

"Ah, music," Dumbledore said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

I had never been so anxious to get out of anywhere before. Well, except maybe the orphanage. And the Malfoy sitting room when Narcissa had on the radio. I followed the rest of the Slytherins out of the Great Hall, sticking close to Draco. Pansy, I saw with relief, was busy bothering Blaise Zabini, who looked at her like he'd rather throw her off a cliff than endure one more word of her drivel.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Draco murmured. "Now all we have to do is make sure those Gryffindors don't get the house cup."

"Good luck with that," I muttered back. Of all the houses, Gryffindor seemed to be the most popular.

As we rounded a corner, I caught a glimpse of Professor Snape. Our eyes met briefly and his narrowed slightly, their dark gaze studying me closely as though he were trying to figure out if he had seen me before. The look unnerved me somewhat, and I turned away, patting down a few wild curls that had come out of my braid.

This place sure looked magnificent, but for some reason, as we descended steps that led us down underneath the castle, a sense of foreboding came over me. Something dark was going on, I could feel it. It was now just a matter of whether or not I wanted to find out what it was.


Wow, that turned out long! Review and tell me what you think!