Ouch.
That was the first thing I thought as we landed. Standing up awkwardly, I mentally slapped myself for my rotten clumsiness. As soon as I put pressure on my leg, I regreted it. Letting out a quick hiss of pain I shifted my weight to my other leg. I don't think that one was awake. Tumbling to the ground again I felt a nice bruise forming on my butt. What a great way to start school. Why couldn't the big, white-haired, Gandalf looking guy poofed me a giant marshmellow?

Before I could continue my thoughts a boy about my age lent down to help me up. He had a messy mop of raven coloured hair on his head and dazzling hazel eyes covered by a weird pair of round glasses.

He smiled and I felt my heart leap. Maybe this place won't be so bad…

Lifting me up, we both looked at the Gandalf impersonator.

"Mister Potter, this is Miss Lee"

"Hi, I'm James" The boy said,offering his hand.

"Hey, I'm Adelaide" I replied, shaking his hand firmly.

" Mister Potter is your map for Hogwarts. Anything you need, ask him" The old guy said looking at me.

"Okay"

Well, that was a little awkward. What if it was something really personal or what if he gets really sick of me and then he starts spreading romours of me around the school saying I'm as right pain in the butt and I should be avoided. And then because of that I get no friends and I grow up lonely and miserable and eventually commit suicide but then I'm brought back from the daed because it's magic and charged with murder and sent to Azkaban for the rest of my life? I don't like that kid, he's going to ruin my life, I can tell.

"Don't worry, I'm fine with it" James said with a reassuring smile. Merlin, he's good looking. I knew there was a reason I liked him.

"Now, Miss Lee, would you kindly take a seat"

I walked over to the small wooden chair he had indicated, slightly confused.

"Can I ask why?"

"Of Course. This hat here reads your state of mind to tell what house you belong in. Mister Potter is in Gryffindor. There is also Huffelpuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin" He said the last one a lot less enthusiastically. I wondered why.

Dumbledore placed the old and fading hat on my head. I thought about how goofy I must look, but then dismissed it because everyone would have to do this.

"Hmm, a new student in the middle of the year. Lets see" the hat said, "Very kind maybe Huffelpuff will be it for you. But no, you have knowledge, beyond most others" I scoffed at that. "Pride and bravery denominate you though. Lets see, very difficult. Better be, GRYFFINDOR" The hat shouted.

I smiled in relief; James was in my house.

I sat up quickly, that hat was giving me the creeps. Well you can't exactly deny it. Imagine something being able to read your mind and not just anything, a freakin five hundred year old inatimate object.

I danced back to James, who had a lopsided grin plastered on his face. Dumbledore, as I shortly learnt was not called the Gandalf impersonator, congratulated me before he dismissed us.

"See ya sir" I replied casually.

James smirked and led me out.

"What?" I demanded.

"Just the way you talked to the Professor, no one really talks to him like that"

I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.

"So, what exactly should I avoid?" I asked wanting to change the subject.

"Well, firstly, being Gryffindor, you need to avoid all Slytherin." He said matter-a-factly.

"Why?"

"Well, most of them will grow up to be death eaters"

"To be what?"

"Death Eaters, they're Voldemorts followers"

"Oh. Anything else I need to stay away from?"

"The forbidden forest, especially at full moon"

"Are there werewolves?"

"Um, well… maybe? I mean, I've been told rumors about one being there but I don't know" he stuttered. I knew he was hiding something.

"Whatever, anything else?"

"Nuh, well, only Professor McGonagall when you didn't do your homework"

I laughed and he grinned.

We turned a corner and I froze I my steps. The stairs were moving. MOVING! How the hell are the stairs moving? That's not normal.

James put an arm around my shoulder "I remember doing the exact same thing"

He led me up the stairs of what-the-hell-ishness as they are now called. As we neared a picture of a big lady he said quietly.

'Now, the entrance to each common room is hidden, people only know where their common room is. There are different ways to get into each house. For Gryffindor, you need the password. You say it to the fat lady and she'll let you in.

"The fat lady? That's not very nice…how would you like to be called fat?"

"Well, I suppose she's used to it, it's just kinda her name"

"Well it's still not nice…doesn't she have a real name?"

"I don't know, but she's so old it would probably be better if we called her 'The Fat Lady'"

"Okay, so what's the password?"

"Balderdash" he said confidently.

"Oh, and who do we have here, a new student?" the picture said. I jumped. I was used to pictures moving, but not talking.

"H-hi, I-I'm Adelaide, Adelaide L-lee"

"And nice to meet you Miss Lee, you may enter"

The portrait swung open like a door and we stepped inside. There were at least thirty or forty kids in the common room. There was a warm fire licking away at some logs in the left hand corner and in front of that some couches and tables. The Right hand side of the room held some more couches and study tables whilst the the stone walls were drapped with long red and gold material. There were two staircases winding off in different parts of the room, to the dormatories I guessed. The overall effect was nice, homey even.

Many of the students turned glanced up to see whom had entered. Noticing it was someone they did not recognise, they continued to stare. Drat.

James stood on a table and said,

"Everyone, this is Adelaide Lee. She is new to Hogwarts and I want all of you to take it upon yourselves to help her settle in" the boy's in the room all looked gob smacked.

James put his hand down and lifted me onto the table.

"What are you doing?" I hissed into his ear.

"You've got to introduce your self" was his simple reply.

"Oh" I raised my voice so everyone could hear me, "Right well I'm Adelaide. I transferred here from Australia, um; I'm in year 3 and, Uhh, well yeah."

A small boy, perhaps in his first year called out, "Why are you so pretty?"

"Umm, thanks, erm, my mums a vela but um, I kinda took after my dad" I said using the 'I'm half veela' excuse to cover up for my vampire beauty.

I jumped down and James grabbed my hand to introduce me to a girl sitting on the other end of the common room, obviously not at all aware of the brief introductions that just took place.

"Lils" James said.

The girl was rather beautiful herself. Her firey red hair fell down around her face as she emersed herself in a book. Her bright emerald eyes were quickly scanning from left to right across the page. She had quite a pale complextion comapred to the deep tan couch she was balled up on.

"What is it James?" She asked, her frustration obvious.

"Lily this is Adelaide" he said.

"Oh, hi Adelaide. Are you new?"

"Yeah"

"Oh, what year are you in?"

"Year three, well, that's what the Principle said"

"Principle?" she asked confused.

"Uhh, yeah that, umm, what was his name, Dumbers something"

"Oh, you mean Professor Dumbledore" she said.

"Alright" James cut in "Lilykins, I was hoping you would take Adelai- is it alright if I call you Addie or Adz or something?'

"I'm used to Adz" I said.

"Okay, Lily would you mind showing Adz to the dorms?"

"Sure"

Lily shot up, clearly over her previous frustration and yanked me in the other direction, up the left flight of stairs.

"Well hi there Eager McBeaver, you seem happy"

"Well, I haven't really got that many girlfriends; hopefully we'll be friends though."

"Sure" I said, glad I was already on my way to making more friends.

"Oh, one warning, I always have my nose stuck in a book" she said with a sheepish giggle.

"Well, that's one thing we have in common already" I smiled geniually.

"Really, you read?" she questioned, pausing at a slightly chipped wooden door bearing the number 3 in golden plating.

"Yeah, all the time"

"Well, cool…. okay, this is your bed" she said indicating a big four poster in the back left hand corner.

"Wow" I exclaimed.

"And, Dumbledore has already sent your stuff up"

I looked and sure enough there was Largy and my suitcase.

"Wow, your…um…owl? Is different"

I laughed. "He's not an owl. This is Largy, my kookaburra; I use him to post letters and stuff"

"Oh, he is beautiful"

"So, where can I plug in my laptop?"

"Oh, electricity doesn't work here, too much magic" Lily said.

"Oh, okay, that's fine" I said, "Regomarge"

"What did you just do?" she asked.

"Oh, right. Dad bought me this laptop but it's a magical one, so the more magic, the better it works. But I had to switch it back onto magical mode I s'ppose you could call it" I explained.

"Wow, I never thought of that"

Lily and I spent the rest of the hour talking about each other. I learnt that Lily was a muggle born. She was exceptionally good at potions and charms and loved to read.

I had a feeling we were going to be great friends.