I make the biggest mistake of my life

"I simply cannot believe it! Fighting on your first day! Ron, I've never been so ashamed! What's this girl ever done to you? How could you do this to me? Tarnishing the Weasley family reputation! I had hoped you wouldn't be like Fred and George! I'm writing to mum and that's final!"

He turned and stalked away without even glancing at me, let alone telling me off. Weasley was now positively foaming at the mouth, but the annoying girl was looking irritatingly smug.

"He's right you know," she said in a self-satisfied tone.

Ron told her just where to get off in a particularly colourful way.

"Fine," she said, suddenly all huffy. She stalked away, muttering darkly.

"And the same to you, Malfoy," he snarled.

"Charming," I said, coldly. I reached inside the compartment and grabbed my brother.

"Come on, Draco," I said in a very dignified way. "We're not wanted here."

My brother opened his mouth, doubtless to come up with some incredibly witty retort, but I just ignored him and marched off down the corridor, the huge idiots following close behind.

"Where's your compartment?" I asked, confused, as we reached the very last, full to bursting compartment in the train. He wrestled himself free and glared at me.

"At the other end of the train."

By the time we got there, it was already pretty dark. I slid the door open and marched confidently in (or, as confidently as you can be while dragging the trunk that you were forced to side-track and go and retrieve).

"Draco," whined a rather unfortunate looking girl, with a squashed face, "where have you been? And," she wrinkled her nose, "who's this."

"This is my sister," he said grimly, sitting down and grabbing the last chocolate frog.

"Sister?" said a haughty looking boy who was obviously very full of himself.

"You got a problem with that?" I said, changing quickly into my robes as the train began to slow down.

He looked me up and down, reminding me that I was half dressed.

"Zabini, you pervert," said my brother, giving him a good kick. "Close your eyes!"

Reluctantly, he covered his eyes with his hands until I was completely changed, and the train was just coming to a stop.

"Come on, Draco," simpered the ugly girl, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the compartment.

The thick-skulled, brain-dead minions lumbered after them, leaving me and Zabini alone.

He was still looking me up and down with an unpleasant look on his face. I cleared my throat nervously.

"We need to go."

I turned away and hurried out of the compartment, following the crowds out of the train and onto the platform.

"Firs' years! Over 'ere!"

I immediately recognised the giant of a man that had accompanied Harry to Diagon Alley, and tried to stay out of his eyeline as he took us down the platform and down a little narrow path.

I yelled embarrassingly loudly as I tripped over a loud rock. One foot hit solid ground, but the other kept going. There was some kind of slope, and I was slipping...

Someone grabbed my hand and heaved me upwards. Brushing myself down, shaking slightly, I murmured my thanks.

"Any time."

I knew that voice! I looked up into the smug face of Zabini, who was still smiling in a very odd way.

I automatically stumbled backwards, and stupidly crashed into someone else.

"Vespia! There you are!"

Harry held my shoulders to steady me and I quickly fell into step beside him.

"Yeh'll get yer fir' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the giant shouted, just as we turned a corner.

There were a lot of gasps and ooohs as the great castle came into view, towering above us on a mountain top.

I was so busy staring at the castle that I wasn't looking where I was going. With a SPLASH, I slipped on a wet pebble and slid downwards into the freezing lake.

"Are you always this clumsy?" Harry laughed, pulling me to my feet.

"Of course not," I said in mock offense. "What do you take me for?"

"No more'n four to a boat!" the giant called, gesturing to a load of little rowing boats bobbing on the water.

"Coming?" Harry asked, as Ron waved excitedly from the boat he was saving.

I laughed nastily. "Me? Weasley? You've GOT to be kidding!"

I marched away to a boat with only one person in it and sat behind them without a backwards glance at Harry.

He's got to choose, I thought fiercely. It's me or Weasley.

"Hey!"

In my anger, I had accidentally thumped the boy in front of me, knocking him off his little perch.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I said, helping him back onto the seat. "I'm Vespia Malfoy, by the way."

"Theodore Nott," he said stiffly, turning to face the front as the giant yelled, "FORWARD!" and the boats began to glide slowly through the water.

The castle loomed nearer and nearer until it was almost on top of us, and the giant shouted "Heads down!"

I hastily flattened myself against the bottom of the boat as we passed through a tiny opening in the cliff face and down a dark tunnel.

There was a small bump as the boats hit a sort of harbour, and we all clambered out of our boats. I saw Harry give me an apologetic glance from where he stood with Weasley, but I ignored him.

Several girls screamed as a toad hopped out of one of the boats and onto the hard rock floor.

"Trevor!" said the boy called Neville blissfully, scooping up his beloved toad. The giant chuckled and then strode off, with all of us trotting after him, sometimes breaking into a run to keep up.

"Everyone here?" he called as we emerged onto smooth damp grass just outside the doors to Hogwarts. "Righ' then!"

He knocked smartly on the castle door, which swung open at once to reveal a stern looking witch with her black hair scraped back off her face in a tight bun.

"Ah, all's well and good," she said briskly. "I'll take them from here Hagrid."

So that's his name, I thought, as Hagrid blundered away into the darkness.

The woman took as through into an enormous Entrance Hall and then through into a small side chamber.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, a little louder than was necessary, for everyone was too nervous to talk. "My name is Professor McGonagall, I am the deputy headmistress here, and I will shortly take you through into the Great Hall for the start of term feast. However, before you take your seats, you must be sorted into one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin."

I noticed the slightly disapproving way she said 'Slytherin' and concluded that she must have been a Gryffindor when she went to Hogwarts.

"Each house has produced outstanding witches and wizards; none are better than the others. During your stay at Hogwarts, you will gain or lose house points according to your conduct, standard of work and regard for rules. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup. Please wait here. I will return when we are ready for you." She looked around at us sceptically and her nostrils flared slightly. "I suggest you smarten yourselves up."

She turned and marched out, leaving us all shivering in our thin cloaks.

"I wonder how we get sorted?" asked a girl standing next to me nervously. Her friend simply shook her head, afraid to speak.

I felt an overwhelming sense of superiority. I knew how we were sorted.

But I had my fair share of things to be puzzling over. What house was I going to be in?

Well, I mused, what would annoy Mum and Dad most?

Hufflepuff
, I thought automatically.

You? said the nagging little voice in the back of my head. Hufflepuff? You're not exactly the loyal type.

Ravenclaw then
, I thought stubbonly.

You're not really the smartest person in the world either, the annoying little voice said.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the thoughts I was about to think.

Gryffindor?

There is no way THAT is happening, the little voice persisted. Not if you want to live past twelve. However, there is one more option...

I sighed inwardly. Slytherin.

"New students!" someone boomed, making me jump.

I hadn't even seen the ghosts come in, I was so immersed in my own dilemma. And yet, there they were. The one who had spoken was a fat little monk with a ridiculous smile on his face.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff," he said jovially. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," snapped Professor McGonagall, who had appeared as suddenly as the ghosts. "The Sorting is about to start."

As we shuffled along into the Great Hall, I barely noticed the wonders (enchanted ceiling, floating candles etc.) because I was still mulling over what house I thought I would be in. I was positive that the Sorting Hat would let me tell it where to be put.

Gryffindor is a bit TOO risky, I thought. But, then again, it would be good... It COULD happen...

I stuffed my fingers in my ears to block out the out of tuneless wailing of the Sorting Hat.

Hufflepuff's not going to happen. But it might if I ask nicely... Ravenclaw... Well, I am quite clever...

I saw Professor McGonagall get out a roll of parchment.

Slytherin... I could be a GOOD Slytherin, that would annoy everyone... But then again...

You get the basic gist. There were always two sides, whichever angle I looked at it.

"Malfoy, Draco!"

My brother stepped forward and lowered the hat onto his head.

"SLYTHERIN!"

He went to sit down with his minions, looking pleased with himself.

Well, duh, I thought to myself.

"Malfoy, Vespia!"

I took a step forward but hesitated on the edge of the crowd.

I looked up at the Sorting Hat, and suddenly, I had made my decision.

"I know what house I'm going to be in," I whispered as I placed the Hat on my head. It chuckled in my ear.

It's nice when people make my job easier. Let's see... Oh. That's interesting... But you seem decided, so...

"SLYTHERIN!"