BRINGING HOPE TO HOGWARTS

This is my first EVER fanfic, guys! Please R&R, it'd really help an aspiring writer!

DISCLAMER; Harry Potter is copyright JK Rowling, all rights reserved. I do not own Harry Potter or any of the trademarks associated, no profit is being made from this piece of Fanfiction.

Chapter Two – Welcome to Hogwarts

Her speech finished, McGonagall made her way towards Meena past the chattering first-years. When she spoke, her tone was warm and welcoming, and draped with a thick, Scottish accent.

"Miss Hope. Welcome to Hogwarts. We are currently awaiting the sorting." she held up a roll of parchment that Meena guessed held the names of the children stood before her. She pointed it at Meena, and continued. "You shall need sorting too. We shall start with the children," she waved her hand at those behind her, "and you shall remain here. I believe it is Professor Dumbledore's intention to introduce you before you're brought in. It's not often we get a transfer student."

Meena nodded her thanks, though her stomach had lurched at her words. The headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, was going to introduce her in front of the whole school. If there was something Meena tried to avoid at all costs, it was being the centre of attention. Meena felt her palms begin to sweat at the thought of all those different people looking at her.

Meena settled herself against the wall while McGonagall threw open the doors and led the children through into what she had called The Great Hall. Over the heads of the students, Meena managed to glimpse four, long tables running the length of the hall, all of which were crammed with excited students talking to their peers. Meena was surprised to find that the doors to the hall were left slightly agar whilst the sorting took place. She listened to somebody with an ancient, scratchy voice, sing a song of departure and turmoil in the schools past. She heard McGonagall shouting out the names of students, the list of which seemed to be never-ending, and heard whoever chose the houses sorting the little witches and wizards into their respective homes for the next seven years.

Finally with a shout for 'Zoric, Lucas!' from McGonagall, who was placed into Hufflepuff, Meena heard the introduction that was given by the headmaster, Dumbledore.

"To our new students, welcome! To our old friends, welcome back!" He paused whilst the applause that had erupted around the hall died down. "Now, I'm afraid I shall have to hold our marvellous feast for just a little while longer…" There were dismal groans from the students who had been eagerly awaiting their welcome back feast. Meena became even more nervous. Here we go, she thought to herself. Dumbledore continued as if there'd been no interruption "…for Sixth years, I have an announcement to make.

You have a new student entering your midst this year! A transfer student from our dear friends in the North, Durmstrang! Now if you would, please join me in welcoming Miss Meena Hope!"

Dumbledore began to clap, and the rest of the hall followed his lead. The doors to which Meena had been hiding behind were suddenly thrown open. She recognised the huge bulk of Hagrid, and she smiled at him as she stepped tentatively out onto the bight atmosphere of the hall. She looked around. At the end of the hall closest to her was a table with who she concluded must be the teachers. She saw a tiny little wizard sat next to an enormous empty chair that could only belong to Hagrid. Further along there were two more empty seats; a golden, high backed chair in the very centre, and a smaller chair on its direct right. These must have belonged to the Headmaster and Deputy-Headmistress, who, she found, were standing facing her, waiving her forward.

She believed she had never seen such a beautiful room before. The high walls, decorated with the banners of the school houses, soared up and up until they disappeared behind a clever piece of magic that showed the clear nights' sky above them; Meena could easily make out the famous constellation of Orion. The remainder of the hall was illuminated by charmed candles that floated about the room, their light flickering beautifully off the ancient architecture. She saw the students, their faces bright with interest, their hands clapping wildly.

Dumbledore was everything Meena had expected him to be. Wearing long robes of shimmering blue that, even from this distance, Meena could see they matched his eyes perfectly. He had half-moon spectacles perched on the end of his nose, and hair as white as her own, with a beard to match which was neatly tucked into the belt of his robes.

As Meena stepped forward into the candlelight she tugged with all her might on the sleeves of her robes, pulling them all the way to her knuckles, and patted down her unruly hair in an attempt to tame it. She continued forward to Dumbledore and shook his outstretched hand.

McGonagall cleared her throat. Turning herself away from the Headmaster to face her, Meena found her to be stood next to an old, three legged stool, and holding up an old, patched hat.

Meena was confused, but she didn't want to look stupid in front of her new peers, so she took a few steps forward and sat down on the stool, her back straight and her hands clasped elegantly in her lap.

The instant she had sat on the stool, the applause stopped and every face was staring at her expectantly.

McGonagall stepped forward and placed the hat on her head, wrestling it over a few stubborn curls. The hat began to shuffle, and Meena almost panicked before she noticed no-body was looking alarmed.

Calm down, she told herself inside her head.

"Yes, please do." replied another voice. Her head snapped round and she could she her Headmaster smiling at her in amusement.

The voice in her head continued.

The hat is actually talking to me, this is absurd!

"Shh now," it replied, "older minds need more concentration, you know. How very interesting. There's intelligence here, vast intelligence, I can feel it. There's humour too, oho, yes, very funny." Meena wasn't sure what the hat had found within her head, but it seemed to entertain it for a few moments before it started to speak again. "Ah, here it is, a fierce desire for learning, how wonderful. And ambition, too, I see. But what is this? Defensive, I see? Very defensive, aren't we? Humm, okay, not to worry about that. So, where to put you? A mind like yours, so strong, so clever, but...i don't…I think…no...ah, yes,"

The whole school seemed to lean forward on the edge of their seats to hear its assessments conclusion;

'SLYTHERIN!' it bellowed out loud.

The table on the far left erupted in applause, and Meena could see that they wore green and silver on their school robes. Good - she liked green.

She quickly scanned the other three tables, and saw they were only politely clapping. The house wearing red generally showed faces of disgust, the house in blue seemed totally unfazed, and the house in yellow, Dear Sam's old house, Hufflepuff, was the only table out of the three holding faces that smiled.

McGonagall removed the hat from her head, and led her to a seat, placed on the end of the Slytherin table, next to the first years, where a gleaming gold plate and matching cutlery sat waiting for her. From the staff table, the Headmaster proclaimed "Let the feast, begin!", and wondrous amounts of food appeared in front of her out of thin air.

Roast duck, pies, mashed potatoes, tarts, sausages, vegetables, pasties, jugs of various drinks, legs of chicken, lamb chops. All sorts of various foods were scattered up and down the table. Meena, along with the first years, smiled, and helped herself to a large plate of various items, and tucked in.

After the plates had been cleared, the Headmaster stood at the front of the room and smiled warmly, his eyes seeming to look individually at each and every student in turn with a simple turn of his head. He assured everyone that the castle had been properly warded against the evil that waited outside, and urged anyone, student or staff, to step forward if they noticed anything suspicious. There were murmurings throughout the students at the sight of one of his hands, which was black and gnarled like the roots of a tree, though he managed to shake it off with an airy remark.

"But now, your beds await, as warm and as comfortable as you could wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefor say goodnight. Pip pip!"

There was the loud scraping of benches against stone and the Great Hall buzzed with chatter and the rustle of robes. The young students around Meena murmured nervously as two students from further down the Slytherin table wandered towards them; a boy and a girl.

The girl stopped at the front of the cluster of children, and the boy came up to the back of the group, near where Meena stood.

"Good evening. We," she gestured to herself and the boy "are Slytherins fifth year prefects. There are prefects in fifth, sixth and seventh years. If you have any issues, you come to us, or our Head of House, okay?"

She paused, whilst affirmative murmurs rippled through the collected children. "Good." She continued. "We're going to guide you to the Common Room and dorms. Slytherins are in the Dungeons. Follow me, stay close together now, its easy to get lost here in your first weeks."

She turned and strode from the Great Hall, the children shuffling after her. Once in the Entrance Hall, she took a left down a flight of stairs to a lower floor, along a corridor, and then she stopped.

"This is the entrance to the Dungeons. You wont find much down here, apart from our rooms, the Potions labs, and the office of our Head of House. It's a bit of a labyrinth, but you'll get used to it eventually."

She dipped through a small archway, and then they were going down another flight of stairs that wound round and round, and it got colder as they descended, the flames from the torches on the walls casting deep shadows and enlarged silhouettes on the opposite walls. The ground levelled out and then the Prefect was winding her way through corridors and arches with practiced ease. Meena tried to memorise it; Second left, right, right, middle fork, down another staircase, left archway, right, but she eventually lost it. She just hoped she would be able to follow someone back out to the Entrance Hall in time for her first lesson tomorrow.

Eventally, the girl stopped, and waited for the uneasy whispers from the first years to settle, and for their many footsteps to stop echoing off the tunnel walls. Meena looked around, but couldn't see anything of interest for the girl to be stopping for.

"This is the entrance to our common room. Its concealed from students of other houses, and you have to give it the correct password, otherwise you'll be sleeping out here in the hall."

Meena smirked as she saw the little girl in front of her shiver. She turned her attention back to the female Prefect, just as she was turning to face the wall.

"Listen up kids, for the moment, the password is 'Purity'."

This girl is a nutter, Meena thought to herself, but then was proven entirely wrong as a great mahogany door melted through the bricks. There were a few stifles gasps of awe, before the girl twisted the great snake-shaped handle and pushed the door, which opened with a deep groan.

On the other side of the door was the common room;its walls were made of grey stone, lit by green lamps which glowed dimly onto heavy, intricately carved desks, leather wing-back arm chairs surrounding heavy stone mantles over roaring fires, tall, dark windows that showed nothing but black. Dotted around the room were more seating arrangements; green leather sofas and button-back chairs, bookcases as tall as the room, complete with sliding ladders, and in the centre of the room, creating the most light, a fantastic chandelier of green and clear crystals, silver snakes and thousands of flickering candles.

The male prefect behind Meena ushered them through the door and the girl stopped to talk once more.

"The common room; Its simple enough. Over there is the notice board, that section of desks is for studying only, stay away from the windows; they're warded, but you never know. Through that doorway is the boys dormitories," she pointed through the small archway set into the left-hand side wall, and then pointed to the right hand side of the room, "and over there is the girls'. I suggest you go and settle yourselves in, and make sure you're on time for class tomorrow; don't go letting down your house on your first day."

She walked away without any further notice, as did the other prefect, and Meena and the group of first years were left to make their own way from there. They all stood awkwardly for a moment, before Meena sighed hand headed in the direction of the girls' dormitory. She could hear the footsteps of the first year girls behind her. When she reached the archway, she stepped through and was greeted with a door and yet another staircase. Meena rolled her eyes. She was going to hate stairs by the time she was finished with this school. The door in front of her had a number four engraved on a silver plaque. The stairs headed down boasted a plaque with the numbers one, two and three, and the staircase heading up held the numbers five six and seven.

Simple enough, Meena thought, and stepped up the stairs until she reached the landing with a door with a number six. She pushed open the door and found herself in a rectangular room which held four four-poster beds draped with silver-embroidered green drapes. The walls here were still grey stone, but surrounding each bed, the walls were decorated with personal items; A green Slytherin banner hung beside one bed, another wall was littered with wizarding photo's, there was a calendar next to one bed with young wizards in various states of undress sporting Auror robes – Meena was sure none of the models were actually Aurors; they were far too pretty and pristine.

At the end of each bed, on the bar running across the top, further silver plaques hung with names engraved into them, in what looked like each girls' different handwriting. On the right there was Millicent in a spiky hand, and Daphne, in a handwriting so old-fashioned it was almost illegible. On the left bed was Pansy, in neat, rounded letters, and the bed net to that had an empty plaque.

At the end of the room were two doors. She curiously pushed them open. One had shining marble sinks, with taps shaped like snakes, and four more doors, each holding another plaque, three of which held the letters, M,D and P. The fourth was, once again, left blank. Through the other door was a room tiled in green, and more doors, this time frosted glass that held the same plaques as last time.

Meena backed out and went to sit at the bed with the unsigned plaque and walls empty of personal affections. She found her trunk next to her and popped open the latches. She was amused, and a little intrigued, to see that the sets of robes she had bought, all of which had been plain black with the Hogwarts crest, now boasted Slytherin green and the House crest with the serpent. She rifled through her possessions in search of some parchment and quill and ink.

Once located, she sat herself at the little writing desk that sat on the left side of her bed (beyond which was a dark mahogany wardrobe, whilst on the other side of the bed there was a simple set of draws and a night stand) and began to write a letter to Sam.

Dear Sam,

So, I made it! The headmaster, Dumbledore, introduced me in front of the whole school – that was scary!

I've been sorted; I'm a Slytherin, which is good I suppose. I think this house is a bit obsessed with snakes – seriously, every tap, handle and carving I've seen had somehow had a snake in it – but I like it anyway.

The common room has so many books it could be mistaken for a library – I can't wait to see the actual library here!

She tapped her quill against the side of her glasses, and wondered what else to write. Eventually, she rolled up the parchment and placed it onto her desk, content to finish it tomorrow when she had more to fill Sam in on.

When she turned from her desk she was amused to see that the silver plaque at the end of the best now hosted her name, in her own handwriting, a lazy, rolling Meena now lined the end of her bed.

Out in the stairwell, she heard the sound of footsteps and the murmur of three voices ascending the stairs. The door to the room was thrown open, and the simple room filled with the noise of chatter and laughter as three girls stepped through. They fell silent, still bunched in the doorway, when they caught sight of Meena standing stiffly by the side of her bed.

"Oh, hello." One said, stepping forward. Meena could see the shining of a badge, engraved with a P, sitting in her robes. The girl had a scrunched up face, sleek, black hair cut into an angular bob, and her eyes were somewhere between a cold grey and a dull blue, which looked out of place against her slightly dark skin. If it hadn't have been for those eyes, Meena would have believed this girl to have been of Mediterranean decent. She strode across the room and held out her hand. "I'm Pansy Parkinson."

Meena shook her outstretched hand and smiled. Pansy didn't smile back, but instead ran her eyes up and down Meena; from the scruffy black boots peeping out the bottom of her robes, to the messy while curls that fell about Meena's face, in such contrast with her own hair. It took her a moment, but she eventually nodded as if in acceptance.

"Meena Hope." Meena replied.

It was then that the next girl stepped forward. She was big, both in height and the width of her shoulders, with an unfortunate jaw that jutted out just a little too far, dark eyes, chestnut coloured hair that fell lankly to her shoulders, and an unfortunately placed wart on her forehead. She looked downright nasty, but when she held out her hand for Meena to shake, she smiled, and it was a warm, true smile that changed her persona entirely.

"Millicent Bulstrode, but I prefer Millie." She said, in a soft voice that Meena certainly didn't expect from someone who looked like Millie did.

So you're the one with the dodgy calendar, Meena thought inwardly. Outwardly, she replied with a pleasant, "Pleased to meet you."

Lastly, the third girl stood forward to shake hands. "Daphne Greengrass. It's wonderful to meet you, Meena. I hope you find us accommodating and that you enjoy your time with your fellow Slytherins."

She then smiled, and it was dashing. She had perfect white teeth surrounded by plump lips. Her skin was rosy and she hadn't a blemish in sight. Her eyes were almond shaped, with beautifully long lashes, and they were the colour of warm honey.

"I'm already feeling right at home." Meena chuckled in response. Daphne laughed then, a high, tinkling laugh like bells. She swished her champagne-coloured hair over her shoulder, the loose curls falling down to her waist.

"We came here to collect you." Millie said, in her wispy, quiet voice.

"I'm sorry?" Meena replied.

This time, Pansy laughed, and quite unlike Daphne's soft peal, Pansy's laugh was a high shriek. "To come and meet the others!" she said through her laugh.

"Oh, right, Okay. One moment." Meena pulled her wand out of her pocket, and turned to the full-length mirror that was attached to the inside of their door. She swept her hair up in a loose bundle at the back of her head and stuck her wand through it. A few wayward curls fell out over her glasses and behind her ear, framing her face.

"Why did you do that?" Pansy asked, as they began to decent the stairs.

"My hair?" Meena asked, and Pansy nodded. "I'm not very good with having my wand in my pocket; I tent to end up sitting on it."

"Oh dear." Daphne said lightly.

"Indeed, its why I keep it in my hair, so it doesn't snap."

"Here we are." Pansy mumbled, when they'd reached the doorway to the common room. She cast her eyes about and, eventually finding her target, began to walk across the floor with a wave to the girls to follow.