Disclaimer: I do not have control over anything from the Harry Potter series, all of that belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Seven: On My Own

A young girl sits on her four-poster bed, staring wistfully out the window. The clouds that have been lingering since she woke up hang over the castle. The world is tinted in a grayish color, giving everything the same monotonous feel that the young girl experiences. She watches as a hulking figure with a shaggy head crosses the lawn of Hogwarts castle. Though it is the first week of September, frost creeps up the window, lingering like a ghost. Her breath fogs up the glass, and she wipes it away with her thin fingers. The grounds are empty, now that the large man has entered his secluded hut. A squall erupts from the silence and several trees part in the Forbidden Forest. The young girl cranes her neck to see what will emerge from the woods, but there is nothing. However, the trees continue to split, with leaves flying and branches snapping. The loud noises float up to the girl's window, snapping her out of her dazed state. She squints her eyes, trying to see the animal that has flown away. The clouds break to reveal a thin shaft of sunlight. The light illuminates nothing in the grey sky, but now the young girl can hear a flapping noise. It is frenzied, like that of a bat. The flapping noise grows louder and louder…

Smack!

I hear something run into the glass, hard, but can't see anything. I look to my left and right, seeing if anything has run into the stone on either side of my window. Nope, nothing. Only the noise. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end as I turn away from the window, attributing the noise to my tiredness in the early hour. This is my first day of class at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and I wanted it to be perfect. My goal for the day was simple, but would certainly be difficult to achieve. Make people forget about the Sorting Hat incident. I have not let myself think about it very much yet, simply going along for the ride. Everything that has happened since the Sorting Ceremony has gone through my mind as though I was seeing it through someone else's eyes. As if I am just watching a film, watching somebody's life unfold other than my own. Then again, my life wasn't exactly unfolding, imploding more like. After the meeting with Augustine last night I had been left in a strange castle full of people wary of me, without even a place to sleep. Augustine set up a small room at the top of a tower for me, something temporary until we could attempt to re-try with the Sorting Hat. Personally, I am itching to put the Sorting Hat back on, even if the thing is patched and frayed. I want the Sorting Hat to speak to me more, because it clearly understood me better than even I did. Also, I desperately want to be sorted. I want to join my fellow Slytherins, for I know that the house of the snake is a place where I can fit in. Not only fit in, I think with a smirk, but rule.

I quickly get dressed, pulling my black robes over my head. I put my pajamas in the small wardrobe next to the bed. Looking at my messy bed, I think for a moment. Bed making was always something that our house elf, Dot, took care of. My hand hovers, reaching ever so slightly towards the sheets. Then, realizing what I am doing, I recoil quickly. Making beds? Really, Gemini, you have to pull yourself together.

I walk out, closing the thick door behind me. A whooshing sound washes over the door, accompanied by a bluish light. Now, anyone who tries to enter my makeshift room will have to provide a password. This is one thing I appreciate from Augustine, I can just picture some silly little lion heads trying to steal from me. Walking down the spiral staircase, I think of how I will enter the Great Hall. First impressions are crucial, and as mine has already been ruined, the second will have to do. But it has to be perfect. I pause on the bottom step; hand on the door handle to the hallway beyond. Where on earth will I sit? I don't have a house, at least not yet. My heart pounds in my chest, and I open the door to the hall, emerging in an empty corridor. I walk down two marble staircases before I reach the same massive room through which I entered the school only hours ago. A slow trickle of students comes down from other staircases, all filing into the Great Hall. Luckily, none of them have recognized me as the 'girl who ruined the ceremony' yet. As Augustine informed me, the Sorting Ceremony went on as planned after my departure, with the hat talking and sorting just like new. Well, just like the beginning of the evening, at least. One would have to go back a very long time to see that hat new.

`The doors to the Great Hall stand open, and as I walk through I am faced with four long tables. Each has only about fifteen students sitting there, as breakfast has only just begun. Four giant hourglasses stand at the end of the room, each filled with hundreds of a certain jewel. I gaze upon the table opposite the hourglass filled with emeralds, the Slytherin table. It is filled with older students, and, despite my intimidated feeling, I stand tall and walk over. Sliding into a spot on the edge of the table, I look around slowly. None of the older students even glance up from their Daily Prophets. I huff, feeling empty without the attention. Well, I guess it is somewhat better than bad attention. My fingers find the serving spoon for a vat of raspberry jam, which I spread over the golden-brown toast that has appeared on my plate. Suddenly, three voices call out from across the room.

Oh, Merlin.

The three lion heads from the Hogwarts Express wave to me enthusiastically.

"Minnie! Come sit with us, Minnie! Over here!" The brown haired one yells. Her name is on the tip of my tongue, something like Charlotte or perhaps Corinne. Not that it matters, of course. I hang my head, forcing myself not to looks at them. Eventually the yells cease, and I let out a relieved breath. But then, oh Merlin's pants, they are coming over. Four pairs of feet bound over and sit next to and across from me at the table once reserved for pure-bloods. Wait, four feet? I glance up, sneering as Caroline's (yes, that was it, Caroline) smiling face appears much too close to mine. I see the other two, Maggie and Ariana, on either side of her. But then, turning slightly to my left, I see the boy. The same boy that was at my shoulder before the ceremony. His eyes regard me carefully, a hint of the amusement from the night before lingering. I instantly grow self conscious, assuming he was amused by what happened with the Sorting Hat. Nostrils flaring, I stand up abruptly, causing the trio of girls to stare at me with confusion.

Stomping loudly, I flee the scene, leaving my freshly jammed toast behind. I storm back through the doors of the Great Hall, running up the marble staircases towards my room. As I climb my own personal staircase, I count to five slowly in my mind, calming my anger. Those little lion heads! They think they can come and invade my personal space, and sit at the Slytherin table?! What daft dimwits! Then again, I am not entirely sure that the boy is in Gryffindor. His name must have been after mine alphabetically, as I didn't get to see his sorting. Jolted by this discovery, I curtail my ascent. Then, I realize. I don't even know his name.

A/N- Yeah, that was kind of a short chapter, please don't be mad at me! I figured that something short and sweet like this would be a lot better than waiting until next week. Please review! Was it good? Bad? Questions? Comments? I would really like your feedback, it definitely helps! And a special thanks to TimeLady945 for reviewing the last couple of chapters. Also, thank you to Felix Felicis17, I really appreciate that you said that! So I'm not quite sure of the next chapter, so don't freak out if the title changes. Farewell! And thanks for reading :)

Coming Soon: A Day in the life of a Squib