On my profile under FIC PICS I've posted some pictures of Mira and the banner for this story. I'll be adding pictures for my other stories as well, so check it out! Enjoy.
As you wish, Mira. The Hat shot at her before openeing it's mouth.
"Slytherin!" The Hat announced.
Mira breathed easier and ripped the hat off her head. Dumbledore was looking down at her, his expression very grave. Mira glared at him and turned on her heel, swiftly walking back to the table to sit next to Draco.
The school applauded. The doors behind the tables opened, and in trailed a line of children who looked, to Mira, no more than eleven or twelve, at most. While the older lady (McGonagall, as she remembered) read names off a long parchment list, Mira's eyes wandered around the Hall. Over at the Gryffindor table, she noticed, Ron, Harry and Hermione had their heads pressed tighter, talking low and look serious. Mira rolled her eyes and looked to the staff table. Here, Dumbledore was whispering with Snape, who was staring straight at Mira, his black eyes glittering dangerously.
"You've messed up far too badly this time." Draco said from next to Mira.
She stared at him, her green eyes narrowing. "I've told you, Slytherin is in my blood." She replied, turning away from him.
Draco grabbed her elbow and pulled her to him. "Blood has nothing to do with it. The plan was for Gryffindor, Mira, do you have any idea what you've done?"
Mira shrugged, glaring at the Slytherin before her. "Obviously, Draco, I don't give a shit for your traitorous plans. Slytherin has chosen me, so deal with it." Mira spat. She turned and continued to watch Dumbledore.
---
"Look at Dumbledore's face, he knows she did something." Ron said to Harry and Hermione, gesturing towards Dumbledore's grave vesture.
"Honestly, Ron, it's the Hat that chooses Houses, don't go blaming her." Hermione said frostily.
Harry nodded, agreeing with his female friend, though he knew differently. Very differently.
Mira, Dumbledore had told him, had the gift, somewhere in the depths of her soul, to destroy Voldemort. She would this share with Harry, and by so doing Voldemort would be vanquished. This, Harry knew, was what set Mira apart, what made her so desirable not only to the Order, but to Voldemort, as well.
But it also made Mira dangerous, very dangerous.
---
The Sorting now complete, Dumbledore stood and announced the beginning of the feast. Draco was now talking to Pansy, who had somehow managed to worm her way to their end of the table. Mira sat, isolated it was true, but she didn't care. She was at Hogwarts for revenge, not to make friends.
After downing a tangible amount of food to last her the night, Mira left the table. She walked out of the Hall unnoticed, except for a pair of old, twinkling blue eyes Mira felt upon her back. Having studied long and hard the many maps of Hogwarts that Lucius held in his library, Mira knew her exact way around the castle.
As she found her way to the dungeon stairs, she began to feel more at home. It was almost as if she could feel Salazar Slytherin, leading her to her fated House. By making it into Slytherin, she had ensured the complete success for her revenge.
"Wandering around in the dark, Smethwyck?" A hard voice came from behind her.
Mira spun around, to see Severus Snape looking at her. "Ah, Severus, I wondered when we would speak." She said in return.
Snape nodded, and joined her on the step. "So, made it into Slytherin, nicely done, the Dark Lord will be pleased…"
Mira only nodded. Yes, Voldemort would be pleased, but she rather thought she should keep the Sorting Hat's comment about her being qualifiable for Salazar's Heir to herself; Voldemort, as Tom M. Riddle, had already claimed that prize.
"And yet, I heard from Dumbledore that you did possess certain….traits…that should have landed you in Gryffindor?" Snape said, descending the stairs in rhythm with Mira.
Mira shook her head. "I am sure you are mistaken, Professor. I am a Slytherin to the core. Why, suggesting that I should be in Gryffindor, well, the Dark Lord wouldn't like that very well, would he?"
Snape shook his head, his greasy hair sticking to his temples. "I am to show you to your dorm. Tomorrow will be the first day of lessons, your course schedule should arrive at breakfast. If you have any problems, I am sure Mr. Malfoy will be happy to assist you." Snape said, in a business-like tone.
Mira snorted. "If he can pry himself from Pansy, you mean." She said disdainfully.
Snape said nothing, only led her down more steps and into a corridor. "Here we are." He said, stopping in front of a long, smooth, stone piece of wall. Unlike the walls around it, that held paintings or dusty, threadbare tapestries, this length of wall was bare. "Pureblood." Snape said, in his silky voice. The stone wall slid open, and Snape walked forward, Mira following closely in his wake.
"This," Snape said waving his hands around, "Is the Slytherin common room. Many of the students do their homework and socializing here, though I feel that you shall have no need of either." Mira nodded, smirking slightly. "Through that door and to your right you will find your dormitory." He said, pointing to a tall, dark wood door that arched at the top. "You will be sharing it with the other sixth year girls, and yes, Mira, that does include Ms. Parkinson. I suggest keeping your temper and patience in check, unless you wish to end up in front of Dumbledore's office." Snape said. He nodded to her, and left her in front of the door.
---
Alone in the dormitory, Mira found her trunk laid neatly on the farthest bed by the window. Isolated by a steel furnace, her bed had it's own small alcove-like area where she laid out her belongings.
The door banged open, and in walked several girls, giggling shrewdly.
"Yes, Draco is very delectable this year, too bad he's with Pansy, I might give him a sweet go." One of them, a blonde girl with a permanent scowl on her face, was telling her friend, a red-haired beam pole who wore a skimpy miniskirt, a variation of the Hogwarts uniform.
Her friend laughed, tossing her long hair over her shoulder. "Since when has somebody having a girlfriend ever stopped you before?" The two girls laughed again.
The blond girl turned to Mira, her eyebrows raising. "Who are you?" She said aggressively.
Mira lifted her own eyebrow. "Apparently manners aren't something they teach you in slut school." Rolling her eyes, Mira turned back to unpacking her trunk.
"That was nice." A third voice chimed in.
Mira's back stiffened, and she bit her lip to keep from swearing loudly. She ignored Pansy, though she knew she couldn't do it for long.
"This, girls," Pansy said, walking closer to Mira, "Is Mira Smethwyck. Her parents are the ones that died over the summer. Draco's family has been charitable enough to take the ratty thing in."
Mira breathed deeply, then turned around. "That's right, I'm Mira. And you are?" She said, looking at the two girls in turn.
The blonde girl scowled again. "Denise." She said, turning away, as though she couldn't bear to see anything as horrible as Mira.
"I'm Cheryl." The red-head said, wearing a smile that might have reflected welcome, but Mira couldn't really tell thought the many layers of lipgloss she wore.
Mira shrugged. Her ratted black hair and dark makeup were high contrasts compared to the well-groomed girls in front of her. Denise's blonde hair was shiny and smooth, and her blue eyes were perfectly framed by dark lashes. Cheryl's skin glowed along with her red hair, and her brown eyes were accentuated with light eye shadow. Pansy, though, Mira was delighted to see, was still as ugly as ever. Her chin-length brown hair lay limp around her face, and the girl wore no make up. Her face was oily, and her clothes too tight.
Mira smirked again, then went back to unpacking her trunk. After everything was in its place, Mira took out a thick book on potion antidotes and began to read. About an hour later, Pansy left the dormitory, closely followed by Denise. Cheryl stopped at the door, turning back to Mira.
"We always hang out in the common room after dinner, Mira. You should come down, the whole House will be there."
Mira looked up from her book. "Thanks, but I'll pass."
Cheryl looked outside the door, then shut it quietly. She walked over to Mira's bed, and whispered "Draco told me to get you down there. I don't know why he cares about you, he's supposed to only consider Pansy. You're special, Mira, that's what Pansy is so threatened by." Mira cocked an eyebrow, regarding what Cheryl had said.
Cheryl shrugged, then turned and walked out of the dormitory.
Mira pursed her lips for a moment, then shut her book and got off her bed.