The rush of cool air against my neck felt glorious. Riding up to the castle seemed far longer than I had expected, but I credit that to the fact that I was squished up against the window of a horseless carriage to be the problem. The carriage had become rather toxic once the boy named Seamus removed his dirty, black shoes. And I became very weary once the girl, Luna, had told me about Nargles and mistletoe. And what topped it all off was being constantly poked in the side by a strange potted plant the boy Neville was holding. I walked behind their small group lead by Ron and the boy Dean chatting on about the terrible potions teacher when I realized that I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. I stopped and gazed around quickly.

"I'll see you guys later," I said quietly, more to myself.

"Good bye Anna," Luna had turned around and was walking away backwards, "remember, stay out from under mistletoe." I waved a little to Luna.

The large groups of students seemed to be separated by the color of their ties and robe trimmings, their houses I assumed. Everyone was loudly gossiping around me, he asked her that, they went there, she beat her to a bloody pulp. I didn't think wizards would be familiar with the term 'cat fight'. It made me think of school back home. I instantly became more comfortable as the chatter became louder around me.

Trying to avoid Pansy, Draco Malfoy hid near a group of Hufflepuffs, the one place he knew she wouldn't look. He sat down on the side of the fountain behind them and that's when he noticed that girl from the robe shop standing around by herself. He figured, in his own arrogant way, he should at least get a name to go with the face and decided to go over to her and strike up a harmless conversation.

"Hello," Draco walked up next to her and held out his pale hand, "Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," he said suavely. The girl look at him with her aquamarine colored eyes for a moment. Draco felt like they were piercing through him but he stood his ground. And after what felt an eternity even if it had only been a half of a second she recognized him and grimaced.

"Your that boy who..." she stopped, huffed a little to herself, and spun away from Draco. Draco felt his mouth pull into a smirk as she shifted her weight from her right foot to her left.

"Who what?" he said, the smirk widening on his face. She quickly spun around with her hand on her hips.

"Oh you know exactly what," she hissed.

Draco laughed, turned around, and headed back towards Crabbe and Goyle.

"Excuse me!" he heard her yell but Draco had already disappeared with a group of other students.

Harry Potter was leaning against a wall listening to Hermione go on about her summer and glancing around for Ron. It was than that he saw that girl who had been in the quidditch shop. She was standing by herself off in the distance near the entrance of the court yard..

"There you are Ron!" Hermione said. Harry only realized Ron had joined them with some of the others when Hermione had stopped talking about her trip to the seaside.

"Hey guys" Ron playfully punched Harry in the shoulder.

"Hey Ron," Harry smiled at him and slowly drifted his gaze back to the girl. He was only half listening what to Ron and Seamus were saying.

"...What do you think Harry?" Seamus looked at him.

"...What...oh yeah sure," but after Harry had said that everyone laughed. Harry was absolutely confused by what they were laughing at.

"You do realize you just admitted to liking to lick Malfoy's feet, right?" Hermione cringed. They were laughing at him.

"What! Eww that's disgusting!" he whacked Seamus on the shoulder.

"Told you he wasn't listening," Seamus taunted, everyone was soon back in conversation and Harry's eyes began to drift until Ron pulled him aside.

"Are you alright Harry you seem a little out of it?"

"Yeah I'm fine... I just have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Do...do you know who that girl is over there," he pointed at the girl near the entrance.

"Where?" Ron squinted in the general direction Harry was pointing .

"Over there," Harry emphasized the movement of his hand.

"Oh yeah, she's new here something about being home schooled, I met her on the train."

"Oh..." Harry said curiously.

"Hey you remember Gil right?"

"Yeah."

"She's one of his friends, her name's Anna."

"She's a mermaid?" Harry's eyebrows knitted together in confusion

"No, if she were a mermaid why would she be coming to Hogwarts School for witches and wizards?"

"You got a point," Harry mumbled, Ron grinned at him.

"What are you two doing? Come on McGonagall's ushering us in," Hermione pushed them from behind into the crowd of students.

I noticed that all the students had begun to enter into the castle through the huge set of doors on the other side of the courtyard. A little bit of panic began to blossom inside of me and I ran over to the back of the herd. Just as I walked through the door, the last one in, someone placed their hand my right shoulder.

"Miss Nunes?" I turned to see who had stopped me and there was a tall, older woman standing there.

"Yes," I looked at her. Her black hair was pulled back tightly and there were dark gray hairs beginning to sprout on her head. She wore small rectangular glasses on the brim of her nose and spoke in an authoritative manner.

"I'm Professor McGonagall. How was your ride on the express?"

"It was fine, thanks."

"Good. You'll be going in with the first years but you'll be sorted first."

I nodded my head sternly. The way McGonagall had talked to me made me feel that that was how I was supposed to respond.

"Come along."

McGonagall took off swiftly into the castle with me at her heels. I could see the last of the other students scurrying down the corridor with the professor and I both behind them. The corridor walls were lined with doors and at the end it opened into a hall, we passed a grand marble staircase at the far end was a set of large doors with a bright glow coming from underneath it and an accompaniment of hundreds of voices. We took a sharp right at the large doors to another even larger set of doors. When the professor open those door there were a large group of small and scared looking children standing with a man that was twice the size of even Mr. Mcnault, my six foot, six inch neighbor back at home.

"Alright students follow me, and step lively we wouldn't want you getting lost," McGonagall motioned me behind her and the first years followed closely behind, obviously frightened of getting lost on their first day. We walked quietly past the doors with all of the voices behind them and we were filed into a small chamber off the main entrance. Once we were all inside Professor McGonagall began to address all the first years and myself.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," it was there that McGonagall began to tell us all what to expect, the sorting, the banquet, the houses, everything that Ron had told me about on the train. "I'll be back in a few moments when we're ready for you." And with that she left us all standing alone in the room. There was an instant flourish of murmurs around me.

Most of the first years were scared about how the school would go about sorting them. One little girl with brown hair and a pretty face looked worried as she explained her story of sorting. Apparently her brother had told her that she would have to wrestle a grindylow. Most of the children had become very antsy after this and even more so when a red-haired boy that looked a little like a rabbit said there was a test to get into a house. I was so wrapped up in their tales of sorting that I hadn't seen the little blond boy that had appeared next to me until he poked me in the hip.

"You're not a first year," he sneered matter-of-factly, "what are you doing here?" I looked at all the other students, they had gone completely silent, waiting for my answer. And not to be attacked by anyone else I said the first thing I could think of.

"I'm here to make sure that the ghosts don't eat you."

Another boy piped up, "ghosts don't eat, they're-"

The boy, lucky for me, wasn't able to finish his sentence because in that moment a pearly, translucent man floated through the wall, a ghost. I had caught me by surprise but some of the first years began to scream, the brown-haired girl grabbed onto my robes, and the pot-bellied ghost looked at all of us as another taller ghost floated through the wall as well.

"What's all this Friar?" the tall ghost asked.

"Oh it's the first years Sir Nicholas."

"P-please be on your way gentleman, I-I b-believe you are wanted in the next room," I stammered, and the girl clung tighter to my robes.

"Ah, quite right, thank you," Sir Nicholas said, "Miss..."

"Nunes, Anna Nunes."

"Yes, thank you Miss Nunes. We shall be seeing you." Sir Nicholas and Friar drifted through the opposite wall they had come through. All of the first years just stared at me with gaping mouths. One was about to say something when McGonagall finally came back.

"Line up everyone, Miss Nunes in front" she turned on her heel and started out of the chamber, "follow me." We walked across the hall and up to the large wooden doors where all the commotion was coming from. She turned to the door and waved her hands; suddenly the doors flew open to reveal a huge hall filled with people. There were four long tables each flooded with a sea of students, one table of green, one of yellow, one of blue, and one of red. At the other end of the room was another long table where the teachers were sat.

I scurried after McGonagall down the middle of the hall between the yellow and blue tables. I could here the first years gasp along with me at the sight of the hall, as well as the other students mumble while looking at the new attendees of Hogwarts. We finally reached the end of the great room when a scraggly looking man placed a stool on the steps in the front of the hall and handed McGonagall an old hat. She stood there with a roll of parchment in one hand and the hat in the other; but before unrolling the parchment she had an announcement.

"This year we have a transfer student," almost like she read my mind she regurgitated the lie I had told Ron on the train. "She comes to us after being home schooled in magic by her mother and father. She will be in her seventh year. Nunes, Anna," she called and I looked back at the crowd of first years. They were all clearly glad that I was the one to go first. I snapped back round and approached the stool. McGonagall motioned me to sit down and once I had she placed the hat one my head and it slipped just under my eyebrows.

"Miss Nunes...hardly," a rough voice echoed through my head and I jumped a little in my seat. "No need to be frightened dear," it chuckled at me.

How do you know I'm not a Nunes? I echoed back to the hat.

"My job is to place the students in the most fitting house, so I dip my brain into there knowledge Miss Dempsey," the hat hissed at me.

Okay then do your job properly, I hissed back, and listened to the hat fight with itself over where to put me.

"Ahh demanding, cunning? I see you would do perfectly in Slytherin but wait what's this... Your heart my dear, one of the bravest I've ever seen. Gryffindor would do just as nicely. Although you are very intelligent. You have your wits about you with magic and would do well in a tight situation maybe Ravenclaw... Then again you are an excellent companion, loyal, so Hufflepuff would suit you as well. Hmm...I've never quite met anyone like you before, someone who could be suited for any house equally. I am puzzled, curious of course, but puzzled all the same...oh dear.

I felt the hat spin 180 degrees on my head and began to talk to Dumbledore who was sitting directly behind me. I could feel his baffled eyes on the back of my neck and I could see the confused eyes of all the other students.

"I do not know where to place her sir," what seemed like a whisper, gathered a large gasp from the students and most of the teachers. I looked around at the tables of gawking students, this has probably happened before, I mean come on I'm sure not everyone is easy to read, even if the hat dips its brain into your knowledge? Right...right? Everyone was still staring so I figured that I had to be wrong.

"Did you hear that Harry?" Hermione questioned Harry Potter while he watched everyone turn to Anna sitting on the stool at the front of the room.

"No, what did the sorting hat say?"

"It said it couldn't place that girl," Hermione whispered to him.

"Maybe she's not a witch?" Ron suggested, looking fairly disappointed. Harry shrugged and remembered that Ron had met her on the train. If he didn't seem to think she was a witch maybe she was something else? There was something about her that made him uneasy standing in the courtyard. Harry saw the perplexed look on Dumbledore's face. And if he wasn't sure what to do with her... The teachers held a small conference at the head table, then Dumbledore mumbled to the hat and stood up.

"Our trust worthy sorting hat has informed me that Miss Nunes is far too equally qualified for each and every house. Therefore she will stay in the prefect dormitories seeing as this will be her first and last year at Hogwarts. She will not have the power nor the responsibilities of a prefect in any case." Dumbledore directed his attention towards Snape. "Our own professor Snape has informed me that he has only elected one Slytherin prefect this year, Miss Nunes will stay in the spare Slytherin prefect room.

"But she will not be in a designated house and will be able to tryout for any house team she wishes and will not receive or be deducted any house points. I would like you to welcome her to our school with open arms. Now Professor Snape who have you selected to be the Slytherin Prefect?"

"Draco Malfoy," Snape peered down the long table of green. Harry saw Anna flinch when Snape had said Malfoy's name.

"Mr. Malfoy would you please stand for us," everyone turned their head to a smirking, and now standing, Draco Malfoy.

My entire body went ridged at the name that escaped the professor's lips; I turned down the Slytherin table and saw the head of blinding blond hair greet me. Our eyes locked and a shiver ran up my back; his mouth curled into even more of a smirk. I looked back at Dumbledore; he stood there with what might have been a fake smile on his face.

"Would you care to join Mr. Malfoy at the Slytherin table?" I could tell that if I had said 'No I would much prefer Chinese water torture' Dumbledore would have let me make that choice.

"Thank you," was the only thing I could say, it was like all of my will power had been drained out of me, it was like I was a robot. I quickly turned on my heel and headed towards Malfoy. When I neared the end of the table I heard him say something.

"Zabini, Parkinson move down!" he hissed and a dark haired boy and girl shuffled down the bench. He patted the seat next to him. "Here's a free seat," his glare told me to sit, but in the back of my head something told me to ask the two, assumedly Zabini and Parkinson, if they wanted their seats back.

"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to sit down?" he spat at me. I couldn't think of a clever retort so I quickly took the seat. Just as I sat down everyone at the Slytherin table broke into applause and stood up. I looked around and saw one of the first years, the boy that had poked me, sit down at the other end of the table, but just as I got a glimpse of the next person who was called I was yanked back down roughly. I turned and glared at Malfoy who had pulled me.

"So you do have a real name?" Malfoy smirked remembering my lack of response from earlier in the evening.

"Yes as a matter of fact I do, now why don't you turn around and place your interest elsewhere" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ahh someone thinks they're a big to do," he sneered at me, I was about to hiss back at him but something else did. There was a deep rumble from under the table.

"Sorry," muttered one of the rather large oafish boys across from me.

"Oi, Crabbe can't your stomach wait another five minutes," said the other oafish boy hitting him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about that lot. They're all a bunch of idiots," Malfoy whispered in my ear his nose brushed the side of my cheek, I felt my flesh crawl but I stayed focused on Crabbe punching the big second boy back.

"Friends of yours?" I muttered to Malfoy still watching the boys duke it out.

"Yeah that's Crabbe and Goyle," he pointed to the two troll-ish boys across from me. Malfoy then leaned past me and and the dark haired girl and pointed to the boy he hissed at to move, "And Zabini."

"What about me Drakie?" the girl purred and reached over me trying to touch Malfoy. I saw him flinch and pull back. I smirked at this.

"And that's just Parkinson," he said, the girl grinned at him.

"Pansy actually," but before Pansy could say anything else Dumbledore began to speak.

"I want to thank you all for joining us this year at Hogwarts and now let our feast begin," Dumbledore waved his hands and in front of everyone appeared food. My eyes widened at the sight.

"You look like you've never seen anything like this before?" Malfoy whispered through his teeth I glanced at him and rolled my eyes and began to eat.

In the middle of our meal I began to glance around and my eyes drifted to Pansy shoveling spoon full after spoon full of food into her mouth.

"Enjoying yourself Pansy?" I said holding back laughter and watching the scoops fly down her throat, she turned completely around and looked at me, she did something with her eyes that made her look like she was possessed.

"I'd enjoy myself more if I were sitting next to my Drakie," she hissed at me. I turned to Malfoy and saw him cringing.

"Oh I'm sorry Pansy I didn't know that you wanted to sit next to your Drakie," I was facing Malfoy the whole time I spoke, "You can sit next to him if you like I don't mind switching seats," he slowly turned his head to me, the expression on his face suggested that I had just given him the death sentence.

"Oh thank you Anna," I gave a sarcastic smile to Malfoy and got up from my seat. Pansy quickly slid over and her elbow flew right into Malfoy's side.

"Ahh...Pansy watch where your putting those baked hams," everyone snorted at Malfoy's joke.

"Aww you don't mean that Drakie," I said pouting my lips, Malfoy glared at me, I smiled sweetly and went back to eating.

I walked behind Malfoy and his cronies through the entrance hall and down some stairs. Behind me was a gaggle of first year Slytherins. Zabini and Goyle where going on about quidditch, which I would normally join in on, but they were discussing some rather gruesome tacts that had made me linger behind the group. Crabbe fished through his pockets for left over crumbs, his face lit up a little when he found a smear of frosting on his robe. However the most amusing site had to be Pansy, with her hands iron locked around one of Malfoy's arms. She kept whispering in his ear and his face progressively became more horrified by the moment. Her tactics must have been more horrifying than the ones Goyle had learned over the summer.

I smiled a little to myself and exhaled sharply thorugh my nose. My breath had become a little misty. I hadn't realized that the corridors had become darker and colder as I followed along behind Malfoy. I looked back at the new students that were shuffling along quickly behind me. Some of them had looked petrified when Malfoy had begun to yell at them. 'Slytherin first years follow me,' he had said, 'I don't want any of you to get lost and eaten by the giant squid!'

Malfoy had laughed at the first year's expense until Pansy had gotten hold of him and told him how sweet he was to be escorting her to the Slytherin common room. And when she giggled it sounded like she was trying to start a lawnmower that had already been smashed and set aflame.

I felt a sudden tug on my robe and looked to see the blond boy walking next to me.

"Do you really think that there is a giant squid?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe not."

"Well my brother is a third year and he told me there was a giant squid, in the Black Lake."

"Has your brother ever seen the squid?" I asked. The boy's eyes widened a little.

"No."

"Then you shouldn't believe everything your brother says. What's your name anyway?"

"Colin Pritchard."

"Well Colin," I paused for a moment, deciding if I should be asking him the question, "Where are we going exactly?"

"And here we are!" Malfoy had sounded relieved at the sight of a bare patch of wall. Zabini mumbled what I expected to be a password and a door appeared right before my eyes.

"Alright first years, in you go," Malfoy shouted. The first years filed in behind Zabini, Gyole and Crabbe. I saw Colin trip in the doorway but he quickly regained his posture and sauntered into the common room. The room looked to be lit with greenish lamps because of the green glow on the low ceiling. Lucky for me I turned just in time to see Pansy plant a wet one on Malfoy's face, and I was sure there was going to be sick everywhere.

"Bye Pansy," he muttered. She waggled her fingers at him and skipped into the common room. I watched Malfoy quickly try to scrap off Pansy's slime as he started ahead of me down the hallway.

"If you want to get rid of that you might have to boil your face," he stopped and let me catch up to him.

"You know of any one that would want to boil her? And then maybe eat her?" he looked back at the door as it faded into the wall.

"I don't even think a troll would be able to stomach that," I said matter-of-factly, Malfoy choked in mid breath as if he had come to realize something.

"Come on," he said monotone.

"What?"

"Just...nothing," he turned and walked off like he was in some kind of great hurry. I chased after him for four or five minutes through the corridors until I had had enough.

"Would you wait up!" he stopped short and I rammed into him by accident. "What the bloody hell was that all about?"

"Would you just shut it!" he shouted, I looked up and glared at him.

"There is no need for the yelling Malfoy!" I shouted back, he stood there and looked at me blankly like no one had ever told him off before. "Whats your problem any way?" he didn't say anything he just turned around and stormed off and turned half way down the hall.

"You can find the dormitories on your own!" he shouted down the corridor and began to run around the corner. I was left alone in the middle of nowhere. Walking to the end of the corridor, I peeked down the connecting one, but Malfoy was gone. I looked around hopelessly. Something moved slightly in the corner of my eye and I turned to see a large portrait.

"Dobraxus Livytoad...what kind of name is that?" I spoke aloud.

"A very fine one if you ask me," the portrait snapped back at me. Letting out a small scream, I ran as fast as I could down an unknown hall, shaking from what I had seen.

"Paintings don't talk right?...RIGHT?" I shouted at a new painting that I had come across, there was a slight looking woman with a large dog sitting next to her. The label on the painting read 'Matilda and Tobey'.

"Well of course we do dear," I jumped backward and the dog barked.

"I'm just seeing things. I'm just seeing things," I said as I scurried away.

"Suit yourself," I heard a voice call after me.

"And hearing things!" I hurried even faster, snaking through corridor after corridor and climbing stair after stair, one of which my foot fell through. Everything seemed like it just kept moving around. I finally stopped and looked around, now I really had no idea where I was.

"Well this is a right fine mess I've gotten myself into," I mumbled and sat down in the hall. I tried to blink back tears. It was stupid of me to cry, just because I was lost. I rubbed my eyes and stood up. I would find the prefect common room even if it killed me. Well maybe not killed me.

After standing around only moving a few steps I heard voices coming down the last hall I had turned from, so I peeked my head around the corner and saw the source. Ron and a girl and boy where strolling down the hall.

"RON! Oh thank god I found you," I shouted and ran over to him.

"Nice to see you again to Anna," Ron looked at me strangely, "What are you doing anyway?"

"Well I was following Malfoy back to the prefect dormitories and he just kind of ran off, and now I'm completely and hopelessly lost," as I said this a little fire to seek revenge on Malfoy was stoaked.

"Sounds exactly like Malfoy," the girl sneered.

"Yeah," replied the boy.

"Hey Anna, Harry and Hermione could probably show you back, they're the Gryffindor prefects!" Ron smiled at me.

"Ahh...so these are your imaginary friends, I'm Anna," I held out my hand and Harry just looked at it until Hermione took it.

"Hermione Granger, nice to meet you," she spoke cheerfully and Harry just grunted, "Don't mind Harry, I think he ate too much," Hermione whispered to me.

"Well I'll see you guys later them," Ron turned and walked up a small and rickety looking flight of stairs and around the corner. As we walked on Hermione started to ask me about the classes I thought I would be taking and as I listed all of them off I could see her eyes light up. I then preceded to ask her if the portraits were supposed to move. She had laughed and told me what a strange witch I was.

Once we reached the prefect dormitories and had made it into the common room I stood in front of the portrait that led to the Slytherin prefect rooms rather confused.

"Good luck trying to get in there, I'm sure Malfoy probably changed the password to something impossible," Hermione looked sympathetically at me.

"Don't worry about me, I'm sure I'll manage." Hermione smiled at me and headed to the other side of the common room and into the Gryffindor dormitories right after Harry. I waited until the portrait was closed behind her before I tried to get in. I had been embarrassed enough already with the moving portraits.

"Excuse me," I tapped the frame of the portrait, the woman in the picture looked away from the needle work she was doing, half of a yellow frog on a green lily pad.

"May I help you dear?"

"Yes actually, how do I get in?"

"Well you simply state the password," she said like it was obvious, the way that Hermione had talked about a password only moments ago.

"Oh..." I thought for a moment, "well has anyone changed it in the past hour, maybe someone with hair the color of, oh what would you say? Laser lemons? Did he demand the change perhaps? Slam you shut after he was through with you?"

"No not that I recall," the portrait said hastily and when back to her yellow frog. I could tell the woman was lying, her eyes were unsure. I sighed and pulled a piece of paper from my pocket. Melinda had given it to me before I left. She had told me to use it only when I needed it. And well getting into my bedroom seemed rather important. The portrait looked down at the piece of paper, there was only one small phrase written on it, and it looked like a completely different language. The woman's eyes widened and the portrait swung open.

"Thank you," I smiled.

"No my grace thank you," the portrait closed behind me. I looked down at the small piece of paper in my hand and thought for a moment. It that was the result I had better keep it safe. I reached down into my shirt and grabbed at the warm metal of my amulet. Unlocking and opening it Flick peeked her head up at me and smiled.

"Flick will you hold on to this for me?" I handed her the paper that I had folded into a little square and she snuggled it in her arms. After securing Flick back in the amulet and the amulet under my robes I walked down the small hallway. At the far end I saw the bathroom door open ajar.

I stopped at the first closed door and leaned my ear against it until something was abruptly thrown against it. And I heard cursing on the other side. So I kept walking to the next room and peeped my head in and saw my trunk, broom, and Septimus all waiting inside. When I opened the door of the cage Septimus swooped out and perched on the back of the desk chair. I started to walk over to my bed but half way there I whacked my toe against something and losing my balance I tipped over and came crashing to the floor. Malfoy's door clicked open and he walked down the hall.

"What are you doing Nunes?" he looked at me disgusted as I nursed my foot.

"Oh I don't know I just though I'd examine the wood grain of the floors," I snapped at him still holding my toe.

"Right," he threw a irritated look at me and walked out. There, sitting on the floor, I scowled as if Malfoy were still in the room.