Chapter 8 – The Hogwarts Express

So Zatora is going to Hogwarts in this chapter and be sorted. This is going to be exciting. First I need to say a few thank you's to the following reviewer's.

Hurricane Rachel: Yes, it was rather intense and don't worry she'll find out about her parents in due time. I have that part already in the planning but it won't happen for a few more chapters. She does know about her mothers name, so she just doesn't know about Voldemort being her father but it'll come.

Strange and proud: Thanks for the compliment on cool. The others don't know about her real parents just yet and with the final comment of her getting to be friends with Harry you'll just have to wait and see, but I will say that she isn't going to meet him in this chapter and not for a while.

CrazySmallLady: Thanks! I agree, I'm all for the lions! Go Gryffindor. I've always loved Gryffindors, they are awsome, but I like the other houses too. Slytherin isn't always too bad I don't think, and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are also cool. Gryffindors still rock though.

Right so that's enough blabbering about Reviews. Thanks for the reviews, they truely help me to know, how I'm doing as a writer and what I need to improve on to make my stories better. I am not JK Rowling and therefore do not claim to own anything (except my own characters such as Zatora and her family). Here is the chapter and I hope you like it!

Zatora was staring at her plate of food but wasn't remotely hungry. In fact, she had picked at it for the past hour but had found that her appetite this morning had completely vanished. The house seemed completely in a daze. Daniel was still in his sleeping clothes and Mathew was walking around the house trying to find everything he still needed to put in his trunk. Zatora was the only one who had her things by the door, but that was only because she had been ready to go since summer had began. This was Hogwarts and she wanted to know everything about it. Unfortunately now that the day had finally arrived she felt sick at the thought of leaving the house and getting on the train that would take her into the magical world.

Zatora played around with the food on her plate, her heart beating wildly against her chest as the hours turned into minutes, that soon turned into seconds that she would, be leaving. Leaving, what a strange word that was. She would, be leaving her adopted home, that was now nothing more than her life. The love she felt in this family was something that she had never dealt with until the day she had walked through the door. Now leaving the house seemed out of place, it was too long to be gone for. Every second made her want to bolt out of her seat and beg to be locked away and not allowed out of this house.

Home school, they must have heard of that one. She was tempted and yet, she wasn't moving. Zatora just sat stock still staring at the wall until it was time to go. "Zatora," her father called from the doorway, "lets put your stuff in the car and then you need to get buckled in so we can go to the train station."

Zatora got up numbly and nodded, and together with her father they dragged the trunk outside and placed it into the back of the car. After the trunk was stowed away she scrambled into the back of the car and got buckled in, making sure there was enough room for Daniel, Mathew, and David. The family was using the van today because this required the whole family going on a drive. There was also a regular car, but they only used that when they weren't all going and if it wasn't a big trip with the whole family.

Carefully playing with a lock of her hair she had to admit that the hardest part of the whole entire ordeal about leaving would have to be not seeing Freddy for a whole year.


"Freddy, where are you, we need to talk?" Zatora called, searching under her bed for her not so little friend.

"Talk about what?" she heard a soft hiss from behind her and she turned so quickly on the carpet that Zatora felt her knees begin to sting.

Zatora grinned, "well, you know how I'm going to Hogwarts this year"

"Ooo, yes, I do" Freddy hissed. He had grown several inches long since she had first brought him to this house. He was still small, but now he was deffinately not a baby anymore. His tail wagged happily just like a puppy greeting an awaited master, "yes, isn't it going to be fun at Hogwarts? Me and you, together through the very end."

"Well, that's just the thing," Zatora sighed. This was was so difficult. She took a deep breath and said, "Freddy, it's not going to be me and you… not this year."

"What?"

"I can't take you," she whispered, her eyes becoming unfocused because of tears. She blinked furiously and continued, "snakes aren't allowed at Hogwarts. They only allow owls, cats, and toads."

"Why do scaly old toads get to go but not a friendly little old snake?" Freddy demanded, looking hurt.

Zatora bit her lip, "I don't know, just don't give me that kind of a look. It's not my fault that you can't come, it's the rules."

"I thought we liked breaking rules," the snake insisted, his beedy eyes staring up at her.

"Not this year. I don't want to get into trouble."

"Hmph, what if you get hurt, or something happens to you and I'm not there? I should be allowed to go."

"Freddy, I'm sorry—"

"Hmph," was the last word spoken by Freddy who slithered away under the bed.

Zatora sat down on the floor, letting a few silent tears escape.


Zatora sighed deeply as her family climbed into the car and sat down next to her. Freddy had not showed up since that conversation. She was deffinately going to miss him while she was at Hogwarts. Daniel grinned at her once he was buckled in and said, "so, you ready to go to Hogwarts?"

"Not really," Zatora said, "I'm a little nervous…"

"Ahh, don't worry," Mathew said, "you'll love Hogwarts, it's the best."

Zatora nodded, "I know, I'm just worried about… houses…"

Daniel and Mathew just smiled, before Mathew said, "don't worry about it so much, we'll love you no matter what. Although if you end up in Slytherin we might have to reconsider that statement."

Daniel deliberately nudged him in the ribs with his elbow causing Mathew to cry out in pain. Zatora, however, was looking alarmed and wasn't paying attention to her brothers fight. Once satisfied that Mathew had gotten the point, Daniel turned to Zatora only to find her gazing back horrified. "Don't listen to him, Zatora," Daniel said, "we would never reconsider our love for you. You're our sister no matter what happens, even if you're in Slytherin."

Mathew nodded, "yeah Zatora, I was just kidding."

Zatora let out a sigh of relief, "okay, good."

The trip to the train station was a quite one. Zatora watched the busy roads of London and the traffic that crowded the streets. All the sidewalks were crowded with people shopping for clothes and various other things in the earlier morning hours. They pulled into the parking lot of Kings Cross Station and everyone got out of the car to help put the trunks on carts.

Carefully wheeling her trunk into the station behind her mother Zatora couldn't help but loose a few of her nerves as they headed for the correct barrier. This was the extreamly easy part; getting onto the plateform 9¾'s was easy. Running through the solid looking wall and then appearing on the other side to a station full of wizarding and muggle families seeing their children off was a thrill. Just the fact that this was even possible was the fun part. Zatora felt her heart quicken with both excitement and nerves as they came up to the barrier.

"All right," she heard her father say, "Heather, you take Zatora and David through first. Mathew, Daniel, and I will come after you've gone."

Her mother nodded grabbing David's hand who was attempting to get to the barrier. David, though despite the fact he was young, knew more about the wizarding world that was good for him. He had already begged to be allowed to come with the rest but had been constantly turned down. While they walked through the barrier David's lower lip began to tremble.

"But I want to go too," David whinned, his small eyes filling up with tears.

"You're not old enough to go," his mother said as they came out on the other side to see a bright red steam engine in front of them.

"Please let me go, they can make an exception," David said wiping the tears from his face, "you cuold pack me into one of their trunks or something. Please let me go Mum, please!"

"No, David," she sighed as she turned to see her husband and oldest sons walking through the gateway.

"Hey David," Zatora said kneeling down on the ground next to her little brother, "I promise I'll write to you every week to keep you up to date on what's going on at school."

David smiled, "okay, Zatora."

"Good," Zatora said happily, "besides you're going to be starting school too in a little while so you'll be busy without us."

David nodded as Mathew and Daniel made their way over to them. Mathew piered over the heads and said excitedly, "Mum, I can see Isaac and Michel, can I go to them, please?"

"Oh, all right," she said, "but take you're things with you and be good at school this year will you?" She gave Mathew a quick hug and then watched him walk through the crowd with his friends before turning on her other children.

"Now, Daniel, will you watch over Zatora and make sure she's all right?"

"Don't worry Mum, she'll be fine." Daniel said reassuringly.

"I don't know," she said, giving Zatora a hug and stroking her black hair. Zatora looked at Daniel and gave him a look that read: help.

"Look," Daniel said, heaving his trunk towards the train, "I'll sit with her for this trip instead of with my friends. If she meets someone I'll ask her before I leave if it's all right if I go. I'll watch over her Mum, don't worry so much. Besides, if you don't let her go David'll jump on the train."

Zatora found herself out of her mother's grip so fast she was stunned. She turned to find her mother grabbing David who had been extreamly close to getting onto the train and not coming off. "Mum," David cried, tears begining to fall down his cheeks in a steady stream, "let go." Their mother simple tightened her grip on his hand and dragged him back over to their father where he picked David up and swung him over his shoulder.

"Be safe," he muttered to Daniel before giving him a one armed hug. He then turned to Zatora and said sternly, "be good and stay out of trouble."

"I always stay out of trouble Dad," Zatora said hugging her father. She backed away and Daniel led her off towards the train. They dragged both trunks onto the train and then closed the door as the whistle sounded. Daniel pointed to where their mother and father stood with David waving at them. They waved enthuisiastically as the train began to move, they were moving farther away and suddenly their parents and David were out of sight.

"Come on," Daniel said, "lets find a good seat." He picked up the end of his trunk and began dragging it down the corridor looking for a free compartment.

Zatora quickly grabbed her trunk and followed suite. She looked in at the different people on the train. Some of the students were older, talking with old time friends they had made over the years. In other compartments some students were sitting in theirs seats nervously, watching the scenery fly past the windows. As they passed a compartment Zatora stopped and said excitedly, "hey, Daniel, I know that girl in this compartment. She was the shop where I got my robes fitted. Let's see if we can sit here, she looks like she's alone."

"All right," Daniel said shrugging.

With out a second thought Zatora opened the door and the girl she had met in the store looked up. She grinned and said, "hey, Zatora isn't it?"

"Yeah, hi Padma," Zatora said, as Daniel followed behind her, "can we sit with you?"

"Sure, that's fine," Padma said excitedly, "my sister went off with one of her friends who's starting Hogwarts this year too. They wanted to go up the train to see if they knew anyone else."

"Oh, so you don't know anyone else?" Zatora asked curiously.

"Nah, I'm really shy and my twin sister is really talkative. Naturally, she has all the friends."

Zatora opened her mouth to reply but was cut off when the compartment door was opened by a group of older girls and boys. They were looking at Daniel happily and one of the girls giggled, "hey Daniel, what's up?"

"Nothing really," Daniel said shrugging, "just watching over my sister."

"Oh, that's a shame… we were hoping you could come and sit with us."

Daniel looked at his shoes looking a little forlorn as the group moved towards the door. Swiftly Zatora said, "wait, Daniel, go ahead and go with them. I'll be okay here with Padma. I don't mind, we'll be okay. We're in the same year so we'll know where to go when the train stops. Go with your friends Daniel."

Daniel looked up and smiled, "thanks Zatora." He jumped up and ran out of the compartment after his friends. Zatora sat back in her seat and said, "right, well that's over. Don't worry too much about not having alot of friends, I don't have any friends except my brothers and two other boys, but I haven't been able to stay in contact with."

"Really?" Padma asked cheering up a bit.

The two girls continued talking as the train sped past different green hills and trees. When the witch who pushed the trolley came by both girls got up and bought something to eat. Zatora returned to her seat with several choclate frogs and a two pumpkin pasties. She opened a frog and quickly snatched it before it made an escape. Padma sat back down with her own lunch and asked, "so how many brothers do you have?"

"Three," Zatora said brightly, "what about you, have any other brothers or sisters besides your twin?"

"Nope, just me and my sister," Padma said quietly, "so what house do you think you'll be in?"

"I don't know," Zatora replied, "I would like to be in Gryffindor, but any house is good for me… I'm not too sure about Slytherin but I guess if I'm placed there I'll live."

"I don't care where I'm placed as long as I can focus on my studies," Padma nodded, opening a pack of blowing gum.

The compartment door was suddenly opened and a group of girls walked into the compartment. They were all chattering away madly and Padma and Zatora both exchanged looks of shock. One of the girls in the front looked around the compartment and said, "hi, who are you two?"

"I'm Padma Patil," Padma said quietly, moving closer to the window.

"Zatora Varner," Zatora replied watching the girls cautiously.

"Pansy Parkinson," the girl said sitting down rather quickly, "these are a few girls I've met through out the train. So, this is a nice compartment, although it's rather empty. Are you two trying to be quiet and shy or something?"

"No," the two girls said looking at each other again. Padma cleared her throat and said, "we were just talking with each other, we hadn't really had the urge to leave our compartment yet."

"That's a shame," Pansy said airily, "my father says that it's always important to make friends, you never know when they come in handy but you always want to make friends that'll also make you look good."

"Oh," Zatora said slightly taken aback.

"Don't look so worried," the girl continued as if Padma and Zatora were way behind on things, "it's okay if you're shy, I totally understand that. I used to be shy too, until I got my first friend, but she was a muggle so we don't talk anymore. Well, I suppose I'll see you two around at Hogwarts, bye." With that the girl got up and walked out of the compartment with the other girls.

"That was interesting," Padma noted as the compartment door closed behind her, "she seemed overly friendly… and full of herself."

"Yeah, I think she thought we weren't interesting enough," Zatora said quietly.

"You know, I think I'm going to change into my robes, what about you?"

"That's a good idea."

Together the two girls pulled out their robes as the scenery outside grew darker as the sun set. The lights on the train flickered on and Zatora and Padma talked nervously as the train began to slow down pulling into the station. They joined the crowd outside the compartment and made their way to an exit. Once outside Zatora could hear someone calling, further down the plateform, "'irst years, this way, 'irst years."

"Come on," Padma said, and she grabbed Zatora's hand and led her through the crowd to the rest of the people their age. Zatora gazed at the owner of the voice that had been calling the first years over to where they were and felt her jaw drop. The man was tall, very tall, twice as tall as a normal man, with black wild hair and beard. She closed her mouth with a snap, now she was just being rude. Who cared if you were a giant or not? He seemed friendly enough and with that she put aside her fear of the possibility of crossing his bad side.

"this way, the boats are down here. Yeh'll be able to see 'Ogwarts in just a minute." The giant said leading them down a dirt path of gravel.

Padma gasped audibly next to Zatora as Hogwarts came into view. All the windows were lighted and was reflected in the peaceful lake that led to the castle. Zatora couldn't take her eyes off it as she stepped into one of the boats with Padma and Pansy Parkinson and another red headed girl. Her eyes were transfixed on the towers and the flickering lights in some of the windows. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen and she longed to see the beauty that was inside of it's walls. She couldn't imagine Hogwarts not being beautiful if it could this majestic on the outside.

As soon as the boats came to the dock under the school the first years clambered out of the boats. Zatora and Padma stayed close together as the man led them up some stone steps and to a wooden door. He knocked on the door and it was answered by a very strict looking witch.

"The firs'-years, Professor Mcgonagall."

"Thank you Hagrid, I will take them from here."

The witch took over from the door and led them through the Entrance Hall. Zatora felt her breath catch in her chest as she starred at the entrance hall. It was exquiste; it deffinately was large enough for any amount of people and the grand staircase was absolutely beautiful and obviously made out of marble.

They followed the Professor McGonagall into an empty room where she turned and adressed them. "Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts—"

Zatora spaced out completely as Professor McGonagall continued talking. Another family? It appeared to her that no matter what she did she couldn't keep just one. Something like your family? What was that suppose to mean? What if she was placed in a house that didn't turn out to be much of a family at all? She shuddered, thinking back to the orphanage and wondered if she would turn into yet another outcast. The family she was with now were in Gryffindor, would she be placed with them so as to not split up the family or would she end up somewhere else? If she did end up somewhere else did that mean that she wasn't suppose to be with in their family?

"—I will return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

Shaking her head swiftly she watched as the witch left the room leaving the first years alone in the room. She could see other students looking anxious and others staring around the room in silent wonder. Zatora glanced over at Padma who was also looking around the room until she suddenly let out a shriek. Looking up Zatora felt her jaw drop yet again.

Ghosts were floating through the wall and into the room chattering away with each other. The rest of the students were now watching them apprehensively, as they continued floating. She recalled what her brothers had told her about the ghosts.

"Oh they're friendly, and there's a house ghost for every different house," Mathew had said his voice reviberating in her mind, "but I wouldn't get too near them. If they touch you or glide through you it feels extreamly odd. Really cold, so unless you enjoy being cold I wouldn't touch them."

She watched as they floated out of the room wonder which ghost was for which house. Suddenly she hear Professor McGongall's voice instructing them to form into a line and that it was time for the sorting to begin. Zatora got into line behind Padma and followed her out of the hall and into the Great Hall.

The first thought that crossed her mind was that there were too many people watching. The next thing Zatora noted was that the Great Hall was brillant. The candles were floating above them in midair, and the cieling looked like the night sky outside. A few stars twinkled brightly down at her and she felt her heart leap as she spotted a shooting star streaking across the sky. Golden plates were gleaming wating to be filled with food and the older students were watching curiously.

They came to a hault in front a stool with a old looking wizard's hat sitting on top of it. Zatora watched it curiously waiting for it to begin singing. Her brothers had explained everything to her about the sorting. The hat would sing and then they would get called up so the hat could tell them which house they belonged in. Through the line she could just make out the old hat sitting on a stool and gazed at it catiously. Suddenly it's mouth opened and began to sing.

Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

The great hall burst into applause as the hat finished his song. Zatora didn't know if she should clap or just be happy that the song had ended. Finally she settled with a polite quick smile and watched as Professor McGonagall waited for the last unsettled clapping to settle down. She cleared her voice and said, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."

Professor McGonagall began to call names off of a list. The hat was placed on the person's head and then the hat would call out which house they belonged in. Zatora shifted nervously glancing quick glances around the room. Every time the hat shouted out a house a table would burst into applause according to the house that was called. She watched as student after student got sorted and she become increasingly nervous.

Biting her lip she glanced around the room again. There was a name called that she completely missed and suddenly a hushed silence fell over the Great Hall. She looked around confused and saw as a young boy with black hair make his way up to the stool. The students around her were whispering is awe and excitement as they watched the boy. Zatora felt absolutely sorry for the boy, everyone talking about him behind his back. She spaced out again when she noticed how few first years there were left and went back to being extreamly restless.

When the boy was finally sorted the house litterally burst with happiness. She looked around shocked as people were standing and applausing as the boy came and joined the table. The boy sank down into a free place as people continued to clap and cheer. Finally they settled down and the next student was called up.

They were getting down the list of last names faster then what Zatora found necessary. Thomas, Dean was sorted into Gryffinodr and then suddenly, with out warning, "Varner, Zatora."

Zatora lifted her head slightly and walked nervously but determined to the hat. She sat down on the stool and put the hat on top of her head which sank down over her face several inches. Almost at once a voice said, "Ahh, what's this? Another heir of Slytherin?"

Excuse me? Zatora thought confused.

"Yes, yet another one," the voice said. "The same blood flows through your veins. I also see courage but fear of doing the wrong thing. Beauty, grace, but deffinately not perfect. Far from it, you have much to learn. I know just where you belong; there's no question you belong in—SLYTHERIN!"

She took the hat off stunned and made her way over to the table that was applausing her. Slytherin? Zatora thought numbly as she sat down in an empty seat next to the girl who had walked into her compartment earlier that day. She glanced over at the Gryffindor table and could almost see Daniel and Mathew whispering together. They were talking about her, she just knew that they were. Finally the last person was sorted and the headmaster stood up but she didn't hear a word he was saying. Suddenly she found the plates in front of her filled with food and she began eating without even showing the slightest shine of shock that the plates had just been empty moments before.

Zatora ate numbly at first thinking things through. Slytherin couldn't be all that bad, it looked somewhat friendly and the girl Pansy seemed to be wanting to start up a conversation with her. Most of the people around her were talking and there was a group of three guys laughing a few seats away from her on the opposite side of the table. She played with her food a little before taking another bite and chewing it slowly in her mouth. It wasn't like it mattered what house she was in, she wasn't about to become evil, she was friendly and nice and her brothers would still love her, that's what Danil had said.

She looked up at the staff table and recieved a shock when she found Professor Dumbledore watching her. Swiftly she looked back down at her food feeling frightened and slightly concerned that he was looking directly at her. When she dared to glance up at the staff again he was talking with one of the other teachers in the opposite direction. Maybe he had just been looking around the room and she had looked up at the wrong time.

Pansy cleared her voice and Zatora looked at her. She played with her food for a little and said, "so, we're in the same house?"

"Yeah," Zatora said, "have all your family been in this house or are you the first?"

"Nah, I'm a pureblood and my family fancy's the dark arts. Did you know that Salazar Slytherin fancied the dark arts along with You-Know-Who?"

"You-Know-Who?" Zatora asked confused taking another bite of food.

"You can't honestly tell me you don't know about the Dark Lord?" The blonde who was sitting some seats a way said in surprise having listened in to this conversation.

"I can say that I have no idea what you're talking about." Zatora replied curtly.

"He was in power for the longest time," Pansy replied, "he favored the dark arts and killed muggles and mudbloods, wizards or witches who were born from muggles and all that. He was rising to power and that's when Harry Potter came in and stopped him. No one knows how he survived but he lived through the killing the curse and ever since then He's disappeared. There's more to it I'm sure, but I can't remember the complete story. That's a shortened version of it."

"All you need to know is the basic geest of the story," the boy with blonde hair said, "I'm Draco Malfoy, by the way. This is Crabbe and Goyle." He indicated to the two boys sitting with him who looked extreamly big for the age, as if they were some kind of body gaurd.

"Zatora," she said smoothly, turning her attention back to Pansy. "So, why do we call him You-Know-Who?"

"We just don't speak his name," Pansy shrugged, "he scared alot of people. It was a horrible time to live in. Depending on your parents, though, if you supported him it wasn't too bad until his downfall. Then everyone had to be careful. Why don't you know any of this, don't you come from a wizarding family?"

"Of course I do," Zatora said sharply, "they just never mentioned it, that's all."

"Oh," Pansy said, "I'm sorry, that was kind of rude of me."

Rude is an understatement, Zatora thought but found she couldn't keep her anger, "It's all right, you didn't know."

The two girls continued to talk through the rest of dinner and all the way through dessert. She notticed the blonde boy starring at her quite a bit but she decided to ignore him for the time being and kept getting to know Pansy better. By the time the desserts disappeared the two girls were smiling having finally made a good start at friendship. The headmaster told them that the third corridor was out of bounds and all the warning of not going into the Forbidden Forest.

The thing that frightened Zatora the most was when she suddenly found the school singing the school song. Everyone was off key, off tempo, and the Slytherin's all had looks on their faces as if they would rather die then sing the whole song. Some were singing just because they were use to it while others merely lip sung and quickly ended that as if they had choosen an extreamly fast tune to sing it to. The first years along the Slytherin table were all looking at each other as if they had entered some mad house. Zatora hesitantly leaned over to Pansy and asked, "this is insane."

"Agreed," she said softly starring around at everyone singing."

Finally the song was over and they were excused to leave. Zatora turned to Pansy and asked, "where do you suppose we go?"

She shook her head and suddenly she heard a voice saying, "first years, over here, if you please."

Zatora turned to see a young man waiting for the first years near the middle of the table. Nervously everyone crowded up to him and he said, "I'm one of the Slytherin prefects, I'm going to show you how to get to our common room and give you the password. Follow me, if you will."

With that he turned and led them out of the Great Hall, past some frightened looking Hufflepuff first years, and straight to the door across from the Great Hall. "This is the way to the dungeons. We probably have the easiest route to a common room, not counting the Hufflepuffs, from the Great Hall. Potions is also held in the Dungeons and our head of house, Professor Snape, has his off here on your right."

They passed a pure black door on their right but continued walking further down into the dungeons. It was colder down here and they were all shivering as they followed the prefect to their common room, hardly paying any attention to all the turns they took. Finally, when Zatora's feet and hands were beginning to feel like they would never be warm again, they came to a hault in front of a door. The prefect said, "well, here we are. The password, for now, is Basilisk Venom."

The door clicked open and the prefect led them into the common room. Zatora had to admit that it was what she would have called fancy. The black leather couchs were close to the fire along with some other black leather chairs. There was also a large table by the windows with several chairs and papers on in it, some of them looked like the Daily Prophet. A notice board near the door and then there was a hallway on the right hand side. The prefect turned to face them and said, "this is the common room. You will find yourself most likely doing homework here alot or in the library. Down the hallway are the dormitories. The girls will turn right at the end and go up the stairwall there while the boys will go left. Any other questions or help you can always find one of the four prefects, including myself, around Hogwarts somewhere. There is also Professor Snape. Have a good evening."

With that he leaned against the wall, looking pretty cool, watching the first years all walk towards the dormitories. Zatora stuck close to Pansy and the other girls in their year. Everyone was suddenly rather talkative as they climbed the stairs to their room. Finally they came to a room that had a sign that read: first year, girls.

They entered to find six beds all spaced around the room at intervals. Everyone went their seperate way once their trunks had been located. Zatora found that she was next to Pansy and and the far wall seeing as the room was square. She opened her trunk and let out a horrified gasp. Several of the girls looked up but she didn't answer their questioning looks. Zatora merely stared down into the beady eyes that belonged to Freddy.

Okay, so I am in an extreamly odd mood and decided what the heck, lets end it with a cliff hanger. Let me know what you think. Reviews are kindly welcomed. The good news is Chapter nine is now going to have to be written because I can't even stand the suspense to what just happened. I thought there were boring parts in this, so let me know what you think. I will promise that the next chapter is going to be better. We're going to deal with Freddy sneaking along, Zatora making more friends, and talking to her brothers, not to mentions little glimpes of classes. Okay, I can hear everyone telling me to stop rambling so I'm going to say: thanks for reading! Hermione-Hermyown

*Little Note: the underlined portions are taken from the book. I tried not to include too much from the book and focus on Zatora's thinking but there was just some stuff that was said that couldn't be avoided. Most of this can be found in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.