"Okay guys, listen up," Josh began, as he, Turpy, and myself prepared to go to the Great Hall.

"I think we should all walk in there together, as a composed group, to let everyone else know that we're going to be the ones that they need to befriend to be of any significance in terms of the social ladder."

"Wow! I can't believe I'm actually going to be part of the popular group!" Turpy gasped.

"Sounds good to be," I said, making my way between Josh and Turpy. I would be in the middle, after all, I was probably the most interesting one out of the three of us.

"Hey? What are you doing?" I demanded as Josh started to worm himself in between myself and Turpy.

"I'm going in the middle, after all, I'm the best looking, the most talented, and it was my idea."

I blocked him with my hip, before he could go any further.

"I don't think so, if you're in the middle, only a few people will stop to look at us, but if I'm in the middle, all eyes will be on us, I am after all, a rarity here."

I wasn't sure if that were true, I mean, no one really noticed me at the sorting ceremony, and if it was because they were too excited about getting sorted, then they might be too excited about their first official day to notice me as well.

I couldn't let Josh win though! It seemed like he got everything handed to him on a golden platter but not this time.

"Uh guys? I have an idea, how about I stand in the middle? I mean, you two are roughly the same height, but I'm shorter, if I'm in the middle, it will look symmetrical."

Josh and I stopped trying to push each other out of the way, to focus on Turpy.

"Um, you in the middle? We want people to look at us, not look away in disgust when the first thing their eyes hit is you!" Josh exclaimed.

"Harsh man," I told Josh, as Turpy's eyes filled with tears.

Josh didn't say anything, he just shrugged in response.

"Come on guys, I don't have all day to wait around," a girl wearing a prefect badge said. She had blonde pig tails, but despite her youthful hairstyle, her face looked stern and ridgid, and I could even see the beginnings of wrinkles on the corners of her mouth.

"Why don't we alternate? Like, to begin, one of us starts in the middle, we get halfway there, then we switch to the next person, and finally, we switch just before we walk into the Great Hall," I suggested.

Josh tapped his chin.

"That hardly seems fair, I mean, the last person will barely have any walking time in the middle."

"Yes, but they're the ones that everyone is going to see enter."

"That is true."

"I think it's a grand idea!" Turpy exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

"Well, I'm going to be the one who walks into the Great Hall, called it!" Josh exclaimed quickly.

"Okay Turpy, you go in the middle first," I said, moving a bit to give him space between Josh and me.

"Oh boy, this is so exciting!" he squealed as we walked out of the common room together.

When we got half-way there, or what I guessed was half-way, we switched. As soon as I stepped into the middle, I felt my nerves flare up. I looked around to make sure no one was looking at me. Thankfully, they seemed to be immersed in the wonders of the talking portraits, and all that.

"You okay? You look like you're about to hurl," Josh snorted.

"I-I'm fine."

Ugh, why did I think this was a good idea?

Fortunately, by the time we rounded the corner, I was still in one piece, and no one had even looked our way.

"I think this will be a good place to switch," Josh said, already making his move.

I could have argued, but I was too eager to get the spotlight off of me, I didn't know what possessed me to even want it there in the first place.

"Why is no one looking at us?" Josh asked through clenched teeth, as we made our way into the Great Hall.

"It seems like they're too interested in their meal," Turpy said.

He was right, everyone seemed to be buried to their necks in pancakes, waffles, sausages, and probably just about every breakfast food you could think of.

"So you're telling me, that I came up with a genius plan, only to have it overshined by food?" Josh screeched.

That caused a lot of people to look our way, which Josh smiled about.

"Oh my gosh, that's the vampire kid, do you think the vampire bit him?" I heard a girl ask from the Hufflepuff table.

Unlike mostly everyone here, I had pretty good hearing. As well as having good reflexes, I was faster, stronger, and more durable than my other peers. I wasn't bragging or anything, it's just how it is.

"Don't be dumb Clara! He's not even bleeding," another Hufflepuff girl said.

"Yeah, well, maybe he has burning saliva that cauterized the wound!" Clara retorted.

Hmm, that would be nice, and it would save a lot of mess. That was, if I drank from human hosts. Most of the blood I drank came from bottles, which people willingly donated.

"Come on, we have to act like we own this place, we can't just stand here looking like we don't know what's going on," Josh hissed.

He was right. I started walking with him and Turpy, away from the conversation between the two girls, and towards a plate full of delicious food, sadly, I would be eating none of it.