Students filed into the building and sat down at their respective tables – Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. There was the usual light-hearted chatter and share of holiday vacations. The atmosphere was light and cheerful all around the dining room – all except for the small corner near the door of the room where the first year students stood shuffling awkwardly, hands trembling as they buttoned and unbuttoned their robes again and again.

Silence descended as Dumbledore stood up from his table on the stage, his hands raised above his head to call for attention. "The time has come to us again to welcome yet another set of new students. Welcome first years!" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with his usual kindness and friendly authority. Hearing the warm welcome speech and welcoming applause that followed soon after the headmaster's words eased the nervousness among the new students.

"Your names will be called alphabetically later, when your name is called please take a seat on the stool and place the hat on your head so you can be sorted into your respective houses."

"Remember to repeat your cover name inside your head when the hat is placed on your head, we don't want that stupid old hat to ruin our cover story." Lucius Malfoy's cold voice sent a shudder down Lorna's spine as she set her shoulders and followed the line as they walked forward towards their seats to await the introductory song the hat gave every year.

There was a collective gasp as the battered old hat on the stool shuddered and started singing in its rough yet clear voice.

Do not judge me by my look,

As I have predicted destiny of many.

I know more than any book,

The rest of the song was drowned by the overwhelming thoughts that gathered inside Lorna's head. Which house would she be sorted into? What if she was in Gryffindor, what would Draco think? If she were in Gryffindor, wouldn't that be a better cover story?

"Abigail Airhead."

A short black-haired girl walked up the stage with a surprisingly familiar haughtiness. The hat was placed on her head quickly; after a moment's decision, the tear at the brim of the hat opened and shouted a single word, "Slytherin!"

Lorna's gaze followed Abigail as she walked towards the Slytherin table where the students there welcomed her warmly. Her eyes settled on her brother as he sat at the edge of the table, waiting for the next first-year to step on stage. As if feeling the intensity of her glance, Draco turned and locked eyes with her for a brief moment. He nodded slightly, assuring her that everything was under control and that everything will be okay. Only Draco was able to comfort her with just a single, quick gesture.

"Lorna Grayson."

Her head snapped back towards the stage and realized that everyone in front of her has already gotten to their respective tables. She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. That was when she felt it again – the gentle tickle along her arm, the feeling that someone or something was talking to her. It was the exact same as last time except for the fact that she heard what it was saying. It was repeating something over and over again as if chanting an ancient rhyme.

Your destiny is planned, your destiny is planned…

What was that suppose to mean? Lorna shook her head to clear all the thoughts and decided that she was merely hearing things.

As the hat was placed on her head she whispered to herself, "Lorna Grayson. Lorna Grayson."

She felt a deep vibration and realized the hat was chuckling, "Lorna Grayson is it? This is going to get interesting."

"Please," She heard herself think as she realized the hat knew Grayson wasn't her real last name, "Don't ruin the cover story."

"I won't," A deep voice answered her, "If I were to place you with your real name, it would have been very easy, it would have been Slytherin immediately."

A sense of dread spread in her chest as she heard this. She wasn't going to be in the same house as Draco!

"But sense your last name is Grayson, your true family background does not hinder my choices. According to your personality, Gryffindor it is."

The hat raised his voice and shouted clearly, "Gryffindor!"

She couldn't look at the Slytherin table as the Gryffindor's table erupted with cheers, of which Harry and his two friends' cheered the loudest. Instead, she turned her head towards the place where the professors sat as she walked down the stage and made her way towards the Gryffindor table slowly. Dumbledore's eyes still held the same friendliness as he watched the next first-year walk up the stage nervously and was almost immediately classified to the Hufflepuff house. Her eyes traveled towards the right side of the line of professors and found herself locking eyes with someone with a large hooked nose.

He was thinner than the rest of the professors and made an immediate contrast with the half-giant that was sitting close beside him. He was dressed in flowing back robes, his shoulder-length black hair made his eyes more penetrating and the curl of distaste on his lips even more pronounced.

Distaste? Where did that word come from? How did Lorna feel the distaste from the professor that easily? Lorna took her seat at the Gryffindor table quietly, tearing her gaze away from the professor. Hermione noticing her previous gesture, whispered to her softly, "That's the Defense of Dark Arts teacher, he holds a personal grudge against all Gryffindor students, especially to Harry and us. He is the head of Slytherin and his name is Severus Snape. Professor Snape."

Lorna nodded silently, stealing another glance at the sullen-looking professor. He was no longer looking towards her but watching another Slytherin first-year take his seat at his house table. Taking this as an opportunity, she looked back and caught sight of his brother. He was looking at her, his anger barely contained. She swallowed and looked away, feeling a sense of overwhelming guilt.

Never had she made Draco angry or upset before. In fact, it was quite the opposite – she was always the one to make him smile, the one that could invite the other rarely seen caring side of Draco. This was the first time she had seen Draco this angry, so angry that he couldn't even hide the frustration and disappointment from evaporating from his usual aura of calmness. And it hurt to know that she was the reason for his lost of temper. She decided immediately that she was going to apologize to him some way or the other that very night and explain the conversation that she had with the hat.

But she never got the chance to explain.

~HP~HP~

She sneaked out of her dormitory that night and wandered around the halls, looking for the place Draco had given her on a piece of crumpled paper when they filed out of the dining room that afternoon. He had been seething, his voice trembled with rage when he said, "Meet me here tonight." And stalked away to do his duty as a prefect.

She stopped as she saw the place Draco described in his short note. The Room of Requirements, he had written.

"So I see you have come as told, little Gryffindor student."

It took a moment before Lorna got her shock under control and realized that the cold and distant voice that had spoken to her was from her brother.

Before she could respond, however, a fist connected with her stomach and she crumpled to the ground. It took all her strength to not lose consciousness.

"Disgrace…"

NO! I'm not a disgrace. You don't understand, Draco. Let me explain what the hat told me. But these words were never spoken out loud as she was mercilessly dragged into blackness.