Chapter 4:

As Ashley walked into the school along side Hermione, Harry and Ron, Suzan came rushing up to her and pulled her away.

"Did you just get out of Harry's carriage? Am I blind when I saw you talking and walking with him?" Suzan asked excitedly.

"Yea I got out of his carriage… well it was mine but Hermione had them join me. She asked if I wanted to hang with them so I was walking to dinner with them. If you don't mind," Ashley said rushing back towards Hermione. She walked to the Gryffindor table with them and took a seat beside Hermione while Harry and Ron sat across from them.

"So Harry what were you saying about Kreacher?"

"Oh right," Harry said. Obviously they were picking up a conversation from earlier. "I'm just curious to know if he'll obey me here… I mean I sent him to work here and he obeyed but you never know right."

"True," Ron said, "But house elves are legally tied with a magical contract to obey their owners,"

"I think it's just wrong," Hermione said, "You should just let him go Harry,"

"But Sirius left him for me… and if I let him go he'll go serve Bellatrix, do you really want that?"

"Good point," Hermione said, "That would be dangerous beyond anything."

"Exactly," Harry said.

Ashley sat there listening to everything but not understanding a word of it. Bellatrix… the name rung a bell in her head. As did Sirius… but she couldn't think of a reason why. The only Sirius she knew was… well Sirius Black… the man who was sentenced to Azkaban for killing countless muggles and a wizard and then broke out a few years ago. But… didn't the Prophet announce over the summer that he was cleared of all charges after he was mysteriously killed? She remembered reading the article at Cordilla's house.

"I'm sorry… but are you talking about Sirius Black?" Ashley finally had to ask.

"Er, yea, why?" Harry asked.

"I was just wondering. My dad used to say that the man was innocent. My dad went to school with Sirius. They weren't in the same year or anything but they were at Hogwarts at the same time… I think my dad was a few years younger then him. Anyways, my dad told me about him and how funny he was. Him and his best friend, James Potter. He was your dad wasn't he?" She asked. Harry nodded, "Yea, my dad used to say they always pulled pranks and were always having fun. I also heard," Ashley lowered her voice, "That Professor Snape was their favourite victim,"

"That's true," Harry said.

"Well, my dad never believed Sirius would commit such crimes and was convinced he was innocent. When he broke out of Azkaban, my dad wasn't worried a bit. He was actually hoping to run into him and congratulate him. My dad was a great guy," Ashley sighed.

"Was?" Hermione asked picking up on the past tense.

"Yea, he was killed a few years ago. The Prophet put it down to a back firing spell but… it's not what really happened." Ashley sighed. "Death Eaters killed him. We don't have many details on it but… we know that for sure."

"Death Eaters," Harry muttered under his breath.

"When did this happen? I think I remember reading something about it in the paper a few years ago,"

"It happened when I was in first year… during the summer really."

"That was just after Voldemort came back," Harry said. Ashley saw Ron shutter at the name but it didn't bother her. She felt as if she had the right to say his name, along with Harry, since Voldemort killed her father.

"Yea, my father was his first victim I think. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and well," Ashley sighed. "Life at home has been terrible these past few years. My mom told everyone it was food poisoning that killed him. Some muggles are so stupid they believed it; others just didn't bother saying anything. There were the odd ones who actually questioned but my mother just ignored them."

"Is your mom a muggle or magical?"

"She's muggle. She can't stand me around at all because I remind her of my dad."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Hermione said.

"Wrong," Ashley said as the first years started filing in. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Honestly, everything I do makes her think of him. I can't even write her because my owl was my dads. She doesn't even see me to the barrier. She just waves and leaves as soon as I'm out of the car," Ashley sighed again and turned her attention to the sorting.

After the sorting the food appeared. Ashley grabbed some of her favourites and started to eat. The trio talked among themselves and Ashley sat there in silence. She glanced around the table. She saw Suzan and Cordilla a few spots down. Suzan was staring at her in admiration while Cordilla looked a little sad. Suzan waved her down but Ashley ignored her. She was in Malfoy's carriage as well.

Finally, the feast was over and Dumbledore made his usual announcements and introduced the new teacher, in which the person surprised Ashley.

"This year, we have a very special Defence teacher. He attended Hogwarts years ago and I had the pleasure of being his headmaster as well. I'd like to introduce to you David Meeker." Everyone applauded as the new teacher stood up but Ashley just stared. She hadn't seen her Uncle in years, not since she was five. He'd disrespected her father and ran off. No one had heard from him since. It surprised her greatly to see him standing there.

David was the bad apple of the family, the black sheep if you will. Not that he was evil or anything but he screwed her dad over for a hundred gallons. In the muggle world, according to her mom, he'd been in jail twice. She never went into detail about it though. David had short light brown hair and was wearing a set of brown robes which looked nice with his honey brown eyes. He shot a look over to Ashley and smiled slightly. It scared Ashley to see it.

Afterwards, Ashley walked up to the Gryffindor common room with Harry because Hermione and Ron had to lead the first years.

"Are you alright Ashley, you seem a little quiet," Harry asked.

"Yea, I'm totally fine, what could possibly be wrong?"

"I don't know it's just that… well after Dumbledore announced the new DADA teacher, you seemed a little… shocked or scared."

"Harry," Ashley sighed, "Put the facts together… think of his name and then think of mine," Harry was quiet for a second.

"He's a relative?" Harry asked.

Ashley nodded, "An Uncle, my dad's brother. I haven't seen or heard from him in nearly ten years. I was five when I last saw him. My dad kicked him out because he 'borrowed' a hundred gallons off him and never paid him back."

"That's horrible," Harry said. Ashley was about to respond back when she heard her name being yelled.

"ASHLEY! Ashley! Wait up," Harry and Ashley turned around to see who was calling her. It was Suzan.

"Oh Merlin, Harry you better run. I'll see you in the common room," she muttered. Harry nodded and walked off alone.

"Ashley… where's Harry going?" She asked catching up to her.

"To meet his friends," Ashley shrugged and started up the stairs.

"Ashley wait," Suzan said. "What's up with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you ignored us at dinner and now you're walking away from us. You ran off earlier when we got off the train… what's bugging you?"

"Why do you care?" she asked.

"I thought we were friends,"

"So did I… before you decided to run along in Malfoy's carriage as well," Ashley said nastily and turned back towards the stairs, "I suppose now you're going to ditch me as well and switch houses."

"Ashley wait, why would I do that?" she asked catching up to her. "I love being in Gryffindor, I wouldn't want to be in any other house,"

"Cordilla used to say the same thing, before she met Malfoy," Ashley said as she walked, "How do I know you're not going to change as well."

"Because Malfoy is a nasty git. He didn't say one word to me the whole ride to the school; he was too busy fussing over Cordilla. I swear, they'll be dating by the end of the month,"

"Don't," Ashley said, "don't say it. It's bad enough she's leaving us… but I can't imagine that… Malfoy has a rep of using girls and ditching them as soon as they fall to hard for him. He enjoys breaking girl's hearts. Don't say it,"

"See, you still care… don't let some petty fight over a git get in the way of your friendship,"

"But Suzan, this isn't just a stupid fight… she's going to end up in Slytherin… I know it. She'll follow her mother's footsteps… except I have a feeling she won't end up as good as her mom did."

"Ashley, Cordilla is a bright girl… she wouldn't do that,"

"How do you know?" Ashley challenged as they reached the fat lady. Ashley gave the password, which she got off Hermione, and walked in. Suzan followed her in but Ashley stopped her.

"Please, I just need to be alone right now… you should go unpack," Suzan nodded and walked off. Ashley sighed and joined the trio by the fire. What was she going to do about her friends?

A/N: Alrighty then, sorry for the long time update but here it is! Reason I haven't updated in a while was school but im done my first semester (with an 83% average and a 3.55 GPA!!..so proud of myself) and now that im on holidays I thought I'd update as many stories as I can so I hope you liked it! Please review!!

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