SAPPHIRE

Two large brown eyes gazed down at Sapphire as she opened her own eyes on the first day of term. Hermione Granger, a pretty 7th year, was standing over Sapphires bed already dressed.

"Come on Sapphire" Hermione said. She had her bag over her shoulder. "Get dressed and I'll meet you in the common room in 5 minutes." She walked out of the dormitory and closed the door behind her.

Sapphire sat up in her bed and looked around her. She really could not believe it that she was finally at Hogwarts. Her other room mates were starting to get dressed aswel. They all kept glancing over at her and whispering. Sapphire found it quite annoying, but then she thought about what some one had said to her last night at the feast. Harry Potter –another 7th year- had told her he had people whispering about him all the time and that he had worse. Sapphire hoped to see Harry again. She liked talking to him, because he knows how she is feeling.

Sapphire looked across the room at the other Gryffindor first year girls and smiled at them. One of them had blonde hair in a long plait down her back, who she new from the sorting as Lola carriage. She did not smile back. 3 other girls smiled back at her though.

They began to whisper again. Sapphire started to undress and pulled some clean robes out of her trunk. She stowed her wand in the inside pocket of her robes, picked up her school bag and walked down the spiral staircase to meet Hermione.

Her and Harry where stood next to the notice board in the Gryffindor common room and waved at Sapphire as she reached the last step of the stairs.

"Morning Sapphire" Harry said. "You ready for your first day at Hogwarts?"

"A little nervous" She said truthfully. She didn't mind admitting it to Harry and Hermione.

"You will be" said Hermione. "I'd be surprised if you weren't"

Sapphire smiled, just then a Red haired boy came down from the boys dormitories. He waved at Hermione but acted as though Harry was part of the notice board and exited through the portrait hole. Hermione looked curiously at Harry.

"What-" she began

"Ron thinks I was ignoring him last night" said Harry huffily. "Because I was talking to Sapphire"

"Oh, how ridiculous" Hermione said irritably as they made their way out of the common room and down to breakfast. "Just because you were talking to sapphire"

"Yep" Harry said. "Oh yeah and he thinks that sapphires lying".

Sapphire stopped in her tracks

"He thinks WHAT"

"That it's just a little plan of Draco's" Harry said quietly

Sapphire's temper rose. Who was this Ron? How dare he think that I made this up she thought.

"Great" She said angrily. "Just great" they reached the Great hall where most of the students where having breakfast. They chose seats far away from Ron. Sapphire stabbed her bacon moodily. She did not feel like eating right now.

"Sapphire please eat something" Hermione pleaded. "Look just ignore Ron he was only angry at Harry"

"Yeah but if he starts telling other people, the more for them to whisper about" Sapphire. "I don't even know this Ron, who is he?"

"He's my best friend" Harry said pouring milk on his cereals. "Or was my best friend until last night"

"I'm really sorry Harry" Sapphire said apologetically. "I feel like I'm some what responsible for this"

"It's not your fault Sapphire you didn't do anything" Harry said "Its Ron fault for being a jerk".

Sapphire felt a bit happier at Harry's words, she really felt that she had caused Harry and Ron to fall out. She was glad Harry had reassured her that she hadn't.

Professor McGonagall was handing out timetables along the Gryffindor table. When she reached Sapphire she smiled at her. A rare sign according to Harry and Hermione.

Sapphire had potion's first. Hermione said that they were in the dungeons with Professor Snape who particularly hates anyone who isn't in Slytherin.

When breakfast finished Sapphire said bye to Harry and Hermione and set off for her first lesson at Hogwarts.

The rest of the class were lined up out side the classroom, and immediately started whispering when Sapphire joined them. She could see Lola with the other Gryffindor girls. She might aswel start making friends now, she'll need them.

Sapphire casually walked up to them.

"Hi" She said to them. They all looked round at her.

"Can we help you?" Lola asked rudely. She folded her arms and tapped her foot on the ground.

"Ermm …" Sapphire had expected a rather politer response

"Yes?" Lola said impatiently.

"Well … I was… I was just coming over to introduce myself" Sapphire said. She didn't know it was this hard to make friends. "You know because we're in the same house and -"

"We know who you are already" Lola retorted. Sapphire had a bad feeling about Lola. "So you can just beat it and get back in Slytherin, where you belong"

All the girls started to laugh and snigger. Sapphire turned on her heel and joined the back of the queue; Lola's giggling ringing in her ears.

Suddenly her left arm seared with pain. She clapped a hand to her forearm.

"Not now" She thought desperately "I don't need this right now"

The pain died down as the door to the dungeons creaked open and a man with greasy black hair stepped out of the darkness.

"Silence" He spat. The noise disappeared instantly. "Go in with out any noise or I will put you in detention" The class filed in past him. Before Sapphire entered their eyes met.

"Ah … Sapphire Malfoy" He said quietly. "Lucias Malfoy's daughter. Your father must have felt rather dishonoured that is daughter was placed in Gryffindor." Sapphire already hated him.

"My father disowned me as you saw at the feast … Sir" She added. Snape inclined his head stiffly but did not say anything. Sapphire hurried in and sat down right at the back of the dungeon. The dungeons were dark and cold. Jars of eerie looking ingredients where staked on shelves all the way round the room. Snape closed the door with a bang and the whole class jumped.

He smirked at them and sat down at his desk

"My name is Professor Snape" He said to the class. "But you will always address me as Professor or Sir, do I make myself quite clear". The class nodded.

"Good. Also if any of you even thinks of misbehaving in my class room then you'll be losing more than points, do you understand me" The class nodded again. Then the dungeon door opened again and a boy rushed in.

"Sorry I'm late professor McGonagall wanted to see me." He breathed

"Well well well let's see I think we'll have 2 points from Gryffindor for your lateness" Snape smirked.

"But I have a note" The boy said he took a piece of parchment out of his pocket and handed it to Snape. "So it's not my fault."

Snape's smile instantly vanished

"Well then we'll have 2 points off for your shirt being un-tucked instead" Snape said coldly.

"But-"

"Do you want more points taken from Gryffindor?" Snape asked

The boy shook his head

"Then sit down"

The boy whirled round; the only spear seat was right at the back next to Sapphire. Sapphire moved her bag off the chair next to her as the boy approached her and dropped into seat as Snape began writing on the black board.

"Stupid man" He muttered

"Tell me about it" Sapphire said who was becoming more bored by the second. She had her head propped up by her elbows on the desk.

"I'm James, James Cohen" the boy named Jake said

"Sapphire" Sapphire introducing herself.

"Hey your Draco Malfoy's sister" James said

"That's me" Sapphire said sarcastically. Jake looked at her apologetically with great blue eyes.

"I'm really sorry" He said. "It must be hard with everyone whispering about you and your Family hating you".

"To be honest with you James I'm not really bothered about my Family" Sapphire smiled.

They both laughed. Sapphire and James spent the whole lesson laughing and talking about ways that Snape might die even though they were highly unlikely. Sapphire told Jake all about Lola and her gang and Girls. She also told him about Hermione and Harry. Sapphire found it easy to talk to James.

After half an hour of Snape's company the bell rang for the next lesson and Sapphire and James where the first ones out and the first to arrive at their next lesson, charms.

Professor Flitwick was their teacher. He was so small that he had to stand on a pile of books just to see over his desk. Sapphire thought that James would go and sit next to his friends but he followed her to some spare seats and started taking out his books. Sapphire was rather puzzled but still, she wasn't complaining about it.

"Why aren't you sat with your friends" She asked him curiously

James blushed slightly

"Ok don't laugh but… I kind of don't have any friends…yet"

Sapphire blinked. She didn't laugh. She didn't have any friends either.

"Hey I don't have any friends either so..." She was hoping James would catch on.

"Yeah we'd better find some friends quick" He said. He looked round the room then his eyes rested back onto Sapphire. Then he finally caught on.

"Oh right … well hey do you want to be friends" He laughed

"Yeah go on then" Sapphire smiled. Mr Flitwick was now calling for quiet

"Welcome everyone" He squeaked. "Now as it's your first lesson, I suppose we should start off with something fun" The class whispered excitedly. He took out his wand and made a swish and flick movement with his wrist. "Wingardium leviosa" He pointed his wand at an ink bottle and it levitated two meters off his desk. The class surveyed him in awe. Flitwick set the bottle back on his desk.

"Right everybody lets practice that together now, with out wands, after me Wingardium leviosa"

"Wingardium leviosa" rang through the room.

"Good now everyone pick up there wands and practice the swish and flick movement- careful there Mr David you're putting in to much flick- excellent Miss Malfoy nice movement- Now everyone come and collect a book we're going to see how long you can keep a heavy object levitating"

The lesson's seemed to fly by and by lunch time Sapphire and James wished they were still in charms. They found Hermione and Harry near the end of the Gryffindor table tucking into their lunch. Hermione spotted them and waved at them.

"So how's your first day so far" She asked as they sat down.

"It was brilliant" Sapphire beamed" But I hate Snape-

"Who doesn't" said Harry from Hermione right

"- oh and I made a friend aswel, Hermione, Harry this is James." Sapphire gestured towards James next to her. Hermione and Harry greeted him and shook his hand. Sapphire and James spooned some shepherd's pie on to their plates and began to eat. Then Sapphire noticed something on Harry's robes.

"Your quidditch captain?" She asked

"Yeah, are you thinking of trying out?" Harry said

"I thought first years weren't aloud their own broom stick?"

"No they abolished that rule" said Hermione pouring some pumpkin juice into a goblet. "There was no need for it".

"Well I don't have my own broom anyway" Sapphire said gloomily. Harry and Hermione looked at each other smirking.

"Come with us" They said Harry Hermione Sapphire and James got up from the table and left the Great Hall. Harry and Hermione lead them into a small classroom just off the great Hall.

"What are we doing in here?" James asked as Harry shut the door. There wasn't much in the classroom. All the tables where stacked up against the far wall and there was one small window above the tables. In the centre of the room was one single table and laid on it was a broomstick wrapped in brown paper. They stepped forwards towards it. The light from the window spilled into the table making a spotlight on the broom. There was a letter attached to it and Harry pulled it off and gave it to Sapphire

"Go on, open it" He said

Still confused about all of this, Sapphire opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

Dear Sapphire

Now that I'm your guardian I suppose I'd better start acting like one. Also now that first years can have their own broomsticks I though you'd might need this. Don't worry about how I bought it, when you've been in prison for 12 years you don't really spend a lot of your money.

Hope you're having fun in your new term

Sirius

Sapphire put the letter down smiling. She reached for the broomstick and started to rip the wrapping off. Out fell a firebolt

"No way" James said in awe.

Sapphire didn't say anything. No one had ever given her something as wonderful as this. She was truly speechless.

"It came this morning" Hermione said. "But it came late because it's so far away"

Sapphire gazed up at Harry and Hermione.

"So when are quidditch trials then?" She asked grinning

"This Friday" Harry said. "4 o'clock sharp. We need a 2 chaser and 2 beaters"

Sapphire couldn't wait, she was already excited. She raced upstairs to her dormitory and locked it in her trunk and back down to meet James in the Entrance Hall to go to herbology.

All though she was excited, she had never flown a broom before. Maybe Harry will help her before the tryouts. For all Sapphire new she could be dreadful at quidditch.

By Thursday – the day before quidditch tryouts – Sapphire began to panic slightly. She had not asked Harry at all to help her and now that they were finally coming to the end of their first week first years were starting to get homework. At lunch time in the Great Hall Sapphire decided to ask Harry for some help. She was a little embarrassed.

"Why didn't you come to me sooner?" Harry asked

"I don't know, I guess I was embarrassed" Sapphire confessed

"Well tonight at around 6 o'clock I'll meet you on the quidditch pitch ok" Harry said

"Yeah ok I'll see you there" Sapphire said feeling slightly relieved as Harry walked away from his next lesson.

At quarter to six Sapphire grabbed her broom said goodbye to James in the common room and set off down to the quidditch pitch. When Sapphire arrived Harry was already in the changing rooms sat on the team bench waiting for her.

"Let's do this" He said

The two of them went out onto the pitch with their firebolts over their shoulders and into the centre of the field.

"Ok" Harry said. "Lay your broom on the ground" Sapphire obeyed "And put you left arm over the broom" Sapphire stuck out her arm over the broom gingerly. What on earth was Harry doing?

"Now say up in a clear and loud voice"

"UP" Sapphire cried. The broom soared up to her hand so fast it startled her. Harry was grinning from ear to ear. Sapphire was confused. Why was she doing this?

"What?" She said at Harry. He was still smiling.

"That was a test" He said. "To see if you have flying abilities"

"Did I pass?" Sapphire asked nervously. Harry laughed

"With flying colours" He said. "Right, I think we will start by flying round the pitch once" Sapphire nodded and mounted her broom, Harry did the same.

"Ready?" Harry asked

"As ill ever be" Sapphire replied. Harry kicked off from the ground and Sapphire followed. She had never felt anything like this before. She was so light and the breeze whipped her hair behind her. She felt so free up here. She could soar right up into the clouds and over the mountains in the distance. She laughed out loud as her and Harry circled the pitch once then set back down on the grass lightly.

"Wow" She said.

"Yep" Harry said. "That's why I love it so much"

After that Harry decided he'd be keeper and Sapphire would play chaser. Harry handed sapphire the scarlet quaffle and headed for the goal rings. Once Harry was in place Sapphire kicked off from the ground and flew straight at Harry the quaffle tucked under her arm. She dodged Harry but only barely and the quaffle sailed right through the centre hoop. Harry smiled and through her the quaffle after diving to retrieve it from the ground and she tried again.

They practiced all night until Hermione furiously came onto the pitch demanding that they get back to the common room immediately. As the three of them made their way back to the common room sapphire could not help smiling to herself. This time tomorrow she could be Gryffindor chaser.

But that smile had completely faded by breakfast next morning. As she made her way down the Gryffindor table with James to Hermione she over heard Lola boasting to her friends.

"Oh yes I've been playing quidditch since I was 5" She gloated. "Daddy bought me all sorts of broomsticks." All of the girls around her sighed.

"You're so lucky" one of them said.

"I know" said Lola flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "There is no point any of the other Gryffindor chasers even trying out because I'll just easily beat them"

Sapphire and James both snorted as they were just passing the gang of girls. Sapphire couldn't resist, she had to bring Lola down some how.

"How do you know you'll get chaser?" Sapphire asked with her arms folded.

Lola and her girls turned to face Sapphire and James.

"Because" Lola said rudely. "I just will. I win everything"

Sapphire and James looked at each other and then burst out laughing so loud a couple of people turned to stare at them. Lola looked at Sapphire and James in disgust.

"Yeah you do win everything" James breathed. Sapphire turned to stare at him in horror. "I mean you certainly won best troll impersonator" Sapphire sniggered

"Besides I'll prove you wrong that you're apparently so good at quidditch" Sapphire said

"How?" Lola said stupidly

"When I become chaser tonight" Sapphire said coolly.

"That's funny" Lola said sarcastically "Why aren't you trying out for your own house team, Slytherin" Now it was Lola's turn to laugh. Many of her friends laughed along with her.

"Well you have just proved one thing" James said turning to Sapphire and winking

"What?" Lola smirked

"That you're more stupid than you look" Sapphire said. She and James walked off to Hermione before Lola could figure out what they said.

At half 4 that night Sapphire made her way down to the quidditch pitch with Harry to the quidditch tryouts their brooms in hand. Harry asked her to help get the trunk with the blugers, quaffle and golden snitch in it and put it near the stands. At 5 to 4 the Gryffindors who wanted to tryout for the team began to appear on the stand ready to begin, Sapphire could see Lola clutching a broom. Ron and another red haired girl Sapphire did not know made their way towards Sapphire and Harry.

"Oh no" said Harry. "I totally forgot that Ron was our keeper."

Sapphire was about ask why this was a problem.

"But why- Oh yeah you've fallen out with him, I forgot to, who's that girl next to him?"

For some reason Harry slightly blushed at Sapphires question.

"Oh ... erm that's Ginny, Ron's younger sister and the other chaser" He said

Ginny and Ron finally approached Sapphire and Harry.

"Hey Harry and … Sapphire is it? Ginny said looking at Sapphire smiling

"Yeah … you're Ginny right?" Sapphire asked

"Yes I am. Are you tryout for chaser?" Ginny asked curiously

Sapphire nodded

"Good luck I hope you get on the team" Ginny said. Ron gave her an unapproved look but didn't say anything and put his hands in his pockets moodily. Ginny noticed.

"Oh Ron stop it" She said angrily. "There is nothing wrong with Sapphire."

Ron sniffed

"Ginny its ok" Harry muttered

"No Harry its not Ron is just being stupid -"

"- I'm fine, don't make him -"

"- But he's being ridiculous about this. Ron look Sapphire is not a Slytherin. If she was then the sorting hat would have placed her in Slytherin but has it. No! She's in Gryffindor so stop being such a baby and apologise to both Harry and Sapphire."

There was a silence between then just the babble of the students in the stand.

"He doesn't have to apologise to me" Sapphire said. "I don't even know him. He needs to apologise to Harry"

Ron nodded and turned to Harry.

"Erm … I'm sorry I guess I just … well … I was just jealous … so … erm yeah" He mumbled. Harry grinned

"Its ok Ronald old pall" He laughed. "Now can we please get on with tryouts we've wasted enough time?"

Harry called up the tryouts for beaters first. Most of them where first years, though there where about nine 5th years.

Soon two 5th years Robert Sharpe and Jordan Sunerly where joining Ginny and Ron in the stands. Now it was the chasers tryouts.

Lola strutted forward with her broom (a nimbus 2001). Harry called each student to see how many balls they could get past Ron in 2 minutes. Lola was up first. She scored 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, times. Smirking she landed back on the ground in front of Sapphire.

"Right Sapphire you're up"

Mounting her broom she pushed off the ground and caught the quaffle Harry passed to her. Harry started his watch and she was off.