Chapter II

The rest of Karida's train ride went uninterrupted. She stared out of the clouded window and watched the hilly landscape blur by as she tried not to think about how this year was going to go. Even if she didn't crack under the pressure of the O.W.L.s, she would still have to see Malfoy. Every day.

She tried to clear her mind again as she saw the lights of Hogsmeade in the distance.

After the train had jolted to a stop, Karida stood up and tried to pull her trunk down from the overhead rack. She pulled on it a couple of times, and after once of it almost falling over the edge, she realized going at it this way was not very was only after staring at the trunk for a minute or two wondering how in the world she was going to remove it, that Karida remembered; she was a witch.

She drew out her slender ash wand, and muttered "Locomotor trunk," and used it to direct the trunk to the floor. With a grunt, Karida heaved her luggage out of the door. Since she had taken long enough to get up, the crowds had died down and she was able to get off the train relatively quickly.

After she had put her trunk into the luggage pile, Karida joined the crowd leading away from the Hogwarts Express, looking around anxiously for people she wanted to avoid.

"First years line up over here, please!" An unfamiliar voice called from the side of the street. "All first years to me!" Sure enough, a stream of tiny first years was filtering towards a woman with a prominent chin, whom Karida remembered taught Care of Magical Creatures a few times.

She thought to herself as the eleven-year-olds milled by her that, of course, she couldn't have possibly been that small when she had first arrived at Hogwarts? The firsties seemed to shrink every year.

As Karida walked farther, she saw the carriages that would take all of the older students to the castle. The Ravenclaw girl she had met on the train passed by her, a tiny owl perched happily on her shoulder.

After some ducking and weaving through the crowd, Karida found an empty carriage and clambered into it. The front of the carriage was open, and she sat on the side where she could have a good view of the thestral pulling it. She had always been fond of the thestrals. Only after she got over the initial shock of them, of course.

As a first year she hadn't gone so far as to see the carriages, but at the beginning of her second year at Hogwarts she was startled by the skeletal creatures. Karida remembered how the other students walked past them casually, while she stood there, mouth agape. It was only after Malfoy had wondered out loud how the carriages were able to pull themselves that Karida realized the others couldn't see them.

She had written to her father about them that night, and he replied a week later. Of course, the curiosity had gotten to her before then, and she had visited the library. After reading up about the creatures, Karida was saddened that the thestrals were regarded to as beasts. She also felt less special after realizing that it was only because of her mother's death that she could see them.

Her reminiscing was interrupted when the carriage door swung open, revealing Pansy Parkinson. She barely seemed to notice Karida was there, and turned to call two other Slytherin girls over.

They all piled into the carriage coolly, and Karida watched them warily. None of the girls seemed to realize how uncomfortable she was. Millicent Bulstrode was rather bulky, and Karida had to give up most of her personal space to accommodate her. The carriage gave a little start as it began moving.

The girls were all quite noisy, and Karida wished silently that she could have shared the carriage with that Ravenclaw from the train. After everyone had gotten settled, she looked back from the window, and found herself facing Pansy. Her classmate had not seemed to change at all over the summer.

As soon as Karida had appraised her, she made to look out the window again.

Pansy, like Draco, was not attuned to her signals of not wanting to talk.

"We didn't think you were on the train," the girl smirked. "Of course when I patrolled the corridors during my prefect duties with Draco," She paused for a minute as Daphne Greengrass giggled. "He told me he'd seen you."

Karida didn't know what to say to this, as it was merely a statement of fact. She nodded and scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.

Pansy eyed her suspiciously, but then turned to her other two friends. "Well, as I'm a prefect now, I suppose I'll be seeing rather more of Draco," she giggled in her annoyingly falsetto voice. Her friends 'ooh'-ed at her. Karida had to turn away to hide her grimace.

Again, Pansy read this body language incorrectly. "Oh, are you pouting? Thought you'd be made a prefect, did you?" She said, her voice dropping at least an octave.

Karida shrugged. She didn't want to instigate anything, much less let Pansy know she was jealous.

"Kneazle got your tongue, eh, Talon?" Pansy remarked, obviously thinking calling Karida by her last name would make her feel inferior.

"No. I just think Dumbledore didn't have much to choose from, in four Slytherins." Karida replied carefully.

"And what do you mean by that?" Pansy asked, glaring.

"That he probably thinks we're all the same." Karida admitted grimly. "Who knows, maybe he just wrote all of our names on pieces of parchment and stuck them into the Sorting Hat."

At this, the other girls quieted, shocked. Pansy looked at the floor, scowling.

The carriage shook once more as the thestral came to a halt in front of the gates. Karida knew better than to stand up first, and let the other three girls shuffle out before stepping out of the carriage herself. She paused, lightly stroking the thestral, allowing the other Slytherins to get a decent length ahead before following them.

It was only after stepping into the warm Entrance Hall when Karida noticed how cold she had been. She stomped some of the mud off of her boots and proceeded into the Great Hall, to sit at the Slytherin table. After picking her spot carefully, she slid in next to two second-years, who didn't draw back at all.

Karida stared up into the beautifully lit ceiling, which had always been one of her favorite features of Hogwarts. It was a cloudy night, so the stars were shrouded and she got bored quickly. Feeling awkward, Karida fiddled with her silverware for a minute before the first years came shuffling down the aisle, led by Professor McGonagall.

Each of the tiny new pupils looked as scared as the one before him. Karida remembered the feeling of standing in front of the entire school, and kept hoping to that day that she would never feel that way again.

McGonagall set the Sorting Hat down on top of the stool she had been carrying, and stepped away. The decrepit hat began to sing; Karida let her thoughts wander a bit, but she couldn't help hearing the end. The whole room went even more silent than it had been at that point.

And now the Sorting Hat is here

And you all know the score:

I sort you into Houses

Because that is what I'm for,

But this year I'll go further,

Listen closely to my song:

Though condemned I am to split you

Still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfill my duty

And must quarter every year

Still I wonder whether sorting

May not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,

The warning history shows,

For our Hogwarts is in danger

From external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her

Or we'll crumble from within

I have told you, I have warned you…

Let the Sorting now begin.

There was an unmistakable confusion within the applause that followed the song. Karida thought hurriedly of the previous four poems the Hat had sung for the school, but couldn't think of any that gave a warning as this one had.

"We must unite inside her"? Karida snorted. Like that's easy when you're in Slytherin and everyone hates your guts. She thought bitterly. Hell, even other Slytherins hate your guts.

Her mind was still buzzing with the crowd as the Sorting progressed. Soon, however, the last girl standing had timidly stepped her way over to the Hufflepuff table. Dumbledore stood up to greet the students and faculty. Karida noticed her stomach growling, and hoped that he would continue his tradition of letting everyone have dinner before starting a lengthy speech.

"To our newcomers, welcome!" Dumbledore's voice was as powerful as ever, silencing the few that were still whispering after he stood up. "To our old hands – welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!" And with that, he sat down to appraise the food that had appeared out of nowhere onto his plate.

While the hall around her erupted with the clatters of plates and excited voices telling stories about the summer holidays, Karida stared disappointedly at the dishes in front of her.

Halibut. A salad with cucumbers. And what looked and smelled like a spicy curry dish.

Her lip curled as the scent of the fish starting wafted toward her.

As the hall had filled up, Slytherins were next to her on all sides, so if Karida wanted anything else, she'd have to ask. Or just grab, as most students at her table were doing. None of the pupils around her were ones she knew, and a group of seventh-years had replaced the second-years next to her.

Looking down the table, Karida found there was a small tray of spaghetti being passed around near her. She had almost started to ask, when the boy next to her took the last of it.

As she was starving, Karida cast around for any other choices, to no avail. Having a very delicate tongue to spice and no taste whatsoever for seafood, the salad looked like her best option. She shoveled it onto her plate, hoping that either something better would come her way, or that there might be some very filling desserts.

While eating the salad, Karida eavesdropped on the seventh-years talking about the upcoming Quidditch season. They were as arrogant as any other athletes, being quite sure that they were a shoe-in for the cup. Their conversation became very dull, very fast.

Since she was on the side of the Slytherin table facing the rest of the hall, Karida had a good view of the students at other tables. Being extremely sneaky so no one would notice, she watched the Gryffindors laughing together with a twinge of jealousy. Usually, the only laughing at the Slytherin table was at someone else's expense.

Malfoy's voice rung out from down the table, where he seemed to be recounting his summer in a very dramatic fashion. She looked away before he could notice her paying attention.

Karida set her fork down and leaned back from the table, having her fill of the bland dish. As she watched, the cucumber pieces she had picked out vanished, and an astonishing array of desserts appeared on the table instead. Still very hungry, Karida almost lunged for the peach cobbler, and scooped herself a large portion before setting it down and watching the greedy and hungry students dive down on it.

After she had finished her helping, Karida started to plot how she would get out of the Great Hall. She was much too tired to go very quickly, but she wanted to get into bed and be asleep before Pansy started snoring.

She didn't have very much time to think, however, as Dumbledore stood once again, and stepped up to his ornate podium. "Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast," Karida mumbled her disagreement. "I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," Dumbledore continued, smiling brightly to his school.

He listed off the same announcements that came every year; how the Forbidden Forest was out of bounds, no magic in the corridors, and of course, any of Filch's extra (albeit ignored) rules.

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to be welcoming back Professor Grubbly-Plank," the woman who had lead the first-years in stood up. "Who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher." He gestured to a very fat woman, and paused to let the audience lead a shaky applause, while each student leaned to get a better view of the new teacher. Professor Umbridge hadn't even stood up for her welcome.

Dumbledore didn't seem to notice, but continued, smiling just as brightly. "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the –" He trailed off, looking behind himself at the Umbridge woman. He grinned, and sat down quickly. Karida didn't understand what was going on, and craned her neck to see what might have interrupted him.

A sickly sweet voice echoed through the hall, and it took Karida until quite a bit into the woman's speech to realize that it was coming from the woman that so resembled a blowfish. She now realized the woman was indeed standing, but was just very short. Students at other tables exchanged glances with their classmates, trying to figure out who this woman thought she was.

Of course, Malfoy looked up at Umbridge knowingly, whispering to Pansy. Well, not exactly whispering, it was Malfoy after all. His voice carried, and as the hall was almost silent, Karida could distinctly make out the words, "My father…"

Umbridge coughed once very girlishly, and continued. "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She gave an exaggerated smile. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

The thugs sitting next to Karida didn't seem very happy, even though this seemed to be where Umbridge's attention was drawn.

After another tiny cough, Professor Umbridge gave a very lengthy and boring speech that Karida did not even try to follow. She let her mind wander, and she could tell that most of the students in the hall were doing just the same. The Weasley twins that she had encountered on the train weren't even looking in Umbridge's direction, but instead were shaking from a fit of silent laughter.

After quite a long wait, Dumbledore started clapping as Umbridge finally sat down. Not very many of the students – or even the faculty – seemed to be clapping, so Karida just nodded slowly, still a bit spaced out.

Whoever that woman was, Karida could tell she didn't like her.

Too much pink.

Dumbledore made a few more notices - including one stressing the ban on dungbombs – before excusing the students to their dormitories. As soon as he had, the seventh-years next to her shot out of their seats and booked down the hall.

Malfoy and Pansy, as prefects, had to lead the first-years down to the dungeons.

"Oi! Ickle firsties!" Malfoy yelled down the table. "What's taking so long? Get a move on! I'm not going to wait all day!" A first year shuffled past Karida, looking extremely terrified.

Pansy stood on the bench, pointing to her prefect badge and sneering at the eleven-year-olds. "Afraid to sleep in the dungeon? Need your mum to tuck you in?" Her high voice rung through the crowd.

Karida side stepped out of the bench, and walked as quickly as she could out of the Great Hall. This wasn't very fast, of course, since the place was packed with all sorts of students attempting to do the same thing.

Even Harry Potter seemed keen to get out as quickly as possible. He shoved Karida aside on his way out. She thought this was quite rude. And unnecessary. She couldn't really complain though, as she pushed her way through as well.

Soon the crowd thinned, and Karida was able to change into a brisk jaunt as she walked down the corridor – down some steps – turned right – through a door behind a curtain – down some more steps – through an empty classroom – turned left – down even more stairs (skipping the vanishing step) – until she found herself standing in front of the stone wall in which the entrance of the common room was concealed.

She clapped her hand to her forehead. Didn't think to stop and ask for the password. She decided to run through the basic Slytherin passwords, ones that had been used many times in the past.

"Salazar? Serpent? Basilisk? Bloody Baron?" All of these attempts failed. Still no students appeared from the corridor behind her. She mentally scolded herself for not catching up with the couple of Slytherins who had been right in front of her. "Er… Pure-blood?" She tried a password that was used once in second year.

A door seemed to melt out of the stone. Karida rolled her eyes. As Malfoy was prefect, there were going to be a lot of passwords like this…

Stepping into the eerily lit common room was odd. Karida felt warmer and colder at the same time. It was chilly, but also distinctly muggy and musty. Being under the lake, there's not much opportunity for ventilation.

A fire was crackling under the mantel, over which the portrait of three powerful-looking wizards was snoozing. A few students were chatting in some very elegant black chairs, and a couple was on the verge of snogging on a couch.

Even though she wasn't as bloated as usual with her start-of-the-year feast, Karida was still unbelievably tired. The torches on the cracked and damp wall didn't give off very much light, so she had to watch her step as she went farther down into her dormitory.

After one set of stairs down and going farther down the corridor than she had the year before, Karida saw a silver sign that said "Fifth-years" in dignified writing. She turned left at this, where she found two doors directly across from each other. As the girls' dormitories had been on the right for four years, she opened this door.

To her relief, inside she found her trunk against a four-poster with a nameplate on it. She opened the three latches quickly and dug out her nightclothes. Deciding she would unpack later, Karida slid the trunk safely under her bed.

Wanting to be safely asleep before the other girls came in, she changed as quickly as possible. Even if she couldn't by then, Karida at least wanted to be tucked in - and truly asleep before Pansy filled the room with her snores.

There were footsteps and conversation outside the door as more students came to bed. Karida knew she was safe, as Crabbe and Goyle would be lost without Malfoy, so they'd wait.

And Pansy's loyal gaggle of girls would be behind her, giggling at all of her jokes, and helping her make fun of those poor first-years.

Karida sighed and clambered into bed, drawing her emerald green curtains shut around her. This was going to be her longest year at Hogwarts, wasn't it? There was no way her father would let her come home from the holidays. He was too scared that her deranged aunt might show up on their doorstep.

The other thing Karida wondered, as she pulled her blankets up around herself and curled up; was who that Umbridge woman could possibly be. She had quite nerve to interrupt Dumbledore like that. Nerve, or she was like Malfoy and his father, having no respect for the headmaster.

And the Sorting Hat's warning; well of course, it wouldn't be easy for her to act upon it. How exactly was she supposed to go up to Neville Longbottom, for example, and give him a warm "how do you do?", when he would almost jump out of his skin at the sight of her?

House unity. That might be easy for the Hufflepuffs.


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