Disclaimer: The only characters I have rights to are Demi and her mother thus far.

'thoughts'

Chapter 3: Lost and a New Day

Demi went through dinner that night without saying much to anyone, not even her new friends. She felt extremely uncomfortable. Everyone knew each other and was either catching up on the latest gossip, arguing over stupid stuff, or swapping stories about what they did over the summer. 'Is this all the care about? Do they not care that I feel unwelcome? I should have stayed in America…'

Once she had finished eating, Demi got up to wander the castle, seeing as dinner wasn't exactly over yet. She looked around her taking in the various pictures place on the walls. When she walked up the next flight of stairs, Demi felt a definite shift in the floor. When she realized the staircase was moving, she screamed at the top of her lungs for help. 'This school is crazy… stairs aren't SUPPOSED TO MOVE! I knew my old school was better for me.' Storming down the staircase and taking a random turn, Demi found that in her anger she had managed to get lost. Turning helplessly she walked towards one end of the hallway, hoping she'd stumble upon the Great Hall.

"Demi! Wait up!"

Demi spun around to see Hermione, Harry, and Ron chasing after her. 'Civilization! Finally!"

"Why'd you leave so quickly? We were going to show you where Gryffindor Tower is unless you know where it is." Hermione panted slightly out of breath.

"Well I wasn't exactly comfortable in there because you know I was making tons of friends in there having the best conversations I've had in years," she explained, her voice carrying obvious sarcasm, "so I left to take a walk and promptly got lost after a staircase decided it would be a good time to MOVE cause I know my way around this place!"

Harry smiled slightly at her obvious annoyance with the moving stairs among other issues and offered her a hand. " Come on, Demi, we'll show you where Gryffindor Tower is, and if you keep it a secret there's a way you can learn your way around the school."

"There's a way to do that. Wow, I thought I'd have to wander aimlessly until someone found me and showed me where I was supposed to be."

Hermione shook her head slightly at Demi's dramatics, "You should have most of your classes with at least one of us, so we'll show you the way 'til you get the hang of it."

"Yeah, no worries, mate." Ron said trying to help cheer her up a bit.

Demi stayed silent the rest of the way enjoying the random conversation that came up amongst her new friends. 'Life is so much better when you have someone to enjoy it with.'

The next day, Demi was woken up by Hermione, and in her mind it was rather rude to interrupt 'beauty sleep'. Once she got over the shock of having her warm blankets ripped away from her at such an early hour, she made it look like she was getting ready, but the second Hermione left, Demi was back in bed contentedly sleeping. About an hour later, Demi woke up with a start, and the realization that she would be late for her first day of classes hit her full force.

After throwing on her robes, Demi dashed out of the girls' dormitories and out of the House. She took a few left turns and then a right, hoping that she was heading in the right direction of the Great Hall for a quick breakfast. She also realized that NO ONE was in the halls. 'That might mean that first classes already started, and guess what? I have no idea where it is meaning I'm going to redefine being late!' As she took another turn a voice she did NOT need to hear at this time sounded through the halls.

"Ms. Catel, a word please!" Snape shouted as she tried to run off. Demi quickly spun around and fixed him with a hard stare. From the look on his face, she guessed that he was rarely ever happy, and that the words smile and laughter would never be found in his vocabulary. 'That's my father I guess. The cold heartless guy who doesn't know a smile when he sees one.'

"Excuse me, Professor, but if you can't tell, I am quite lost and not exactly happy about it. You know this school should look into making a map so that people can find their way around. But back to my point, I should be spending time finding my way around instead of giving you a word." She said with a bit of an arrogant tone.

"Are you heading to breakfast?" Snape asked sounding nothing less than annoyed.

"So there still is breakfast? I thought the lack of people meant that classes had started." She replied with a happier tone.

"It's the middle of breakfast; therefore not many students are in the halls because they are already eating."

"… Well you don't have to make me sound like an idiot. I'm new here."

"Learn the way things work faster then."

Demi followed Snape down the hallways until she heard a voice call her name. 'Not another teacher...'

"Hey, new girl!" A Gryffindor girl with long black hair came running up to her.

"Um… hi… do I know you?" Demi asked cautiously as she directed an annoyed glance at the girl.

"My name is Parvati, a fellow Gryffindor. I was wondering if you'd like a guide to the Great Hall. Maybe we can be friends." She said quickly. "Oh, hello, Professor Snape."

Said Professor just glared at her in response.

"I'd like that. Sorry for bothering you, Professor Snape."

A few minutes later they entered the Great Hall and the two girls went to their table promising to get to know each other a little better.

Demi walked over to where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting and seated herself next to Hermione.

"You were late getting up." Hermione scolded.

"Yea, a trick my mom taught me when one needs more beauty sleep." Demi answered with a sheepish smile.

"It's going to be a rough year with you won't it?" Hermione asked shaking her head with a resigning sigh.

"Probably."

As the trio continued talking, Professor McGonagall started to hand out schedules to Gryffindor students. Demi looked up as a paper came into her line of sight.

"What's this?" she asked slightly confused.

"Your schedule, Ms. Catel." McGonagall answered in an uncharacteristically patient tone.

"Oh, thanks, Professor." She answered with a radiant smile as she took the paper and started to scan it.

"Ok, so what do you guys have first?" Harry asked out loud.

"Charms, then Herbology." Hermione and Ron answered simultaneously.

"Demi?" they asked out of sheer curiosity.

"Uhhhh…Charms, Herbology, Divination, and Transfiguration." She answered shakily. 'Okay, I don't have him today… Thank you so much, Dumbledore…'

Harry looked at his schedule again. "Same as mine."

"Mine too." Ron added.

"There, you have two well prepared escorts, Demi." Hermione said with an amused glance at her new friend.

"So when do we head to Charms?" Demi asked.

"We can go once you're done eating."

"I am done eating."

"You barely ate anything at all!" Harry exclaimed a little too loudly.

Shying away from the new stares she was getting from housemates and fellow students, Demi shrugged slightly and mumbled, "Can't eat when I'm nervous."

"You need something." Ron insisted.

Demi sighed and grabbed a piece of toast. She sighed and started to nibble on it. "Happy?"

"Happier." Hermione answered.

"Okay, then, let's go."