Maeve had packed and organized all her things the night before, too anxious to actually get any sleep. She waited impatiently for her relatives to awake so they could leave. She wanted to put as much distance between them as quickly as possible. She dressed in a form fitting pink blouse and washed out jeans, her hair was pulled in a clean ponytail and small feet covered with her white ballet shoes.

Loki was in his new cage, curled up and asleep. She paced around her room, debating if she should just wake them up herself. In the end, she just let them be, they'll wake soon enough.

Around nine, the Dursleys were finally up and ready. Which was good, she didn't want to punish them so early, wanting to save her energy. Besides, the train will leave around eleven, she would very much not like to be late.

Uncle Vernon hauled her case into the trunk and placed Loki's cage in between Dudley and herself. She cracked a smirk at her squirming cousin, her serpent merely lazily hissed at him.

~We'll be on our way?~

Loki hissed in question. She hummed in response, not seeing the point in replying verbally. Uncle Vernon drove in silence, he usually complained about every little thing he saw, but she guessed he could do that when she's gone.

She twirled her finger around her wand, 13 1/2" Walnut wood and Dragon Heartstring, she thought back to what had taken place at Gringotts. There were people attempting to control her, and she was some kind of chosen one. Of course, she wouldn't allow it, but the thought of it occurring was amusing, if not a bit annoying.

Maeve looked out the window, the feeling of her magic coiling around her soothed her nerves. She tapped her fingers gently against her thigh, trying to match the rumbling of the car. Clouds darkened as though it was to rain, she let a smile fill her face. The Stormy weather was always enjoyable.

Loki watched his human become lost while staring out the glass pane. Tongue flickering out every now and then catching a taste of her magic. He slid on the large smooth rock placed in his cage.

~What isss the matter, missstresss?~

Maeve didn't answer right away, she instead tried to pull her thoughts together.

§Nothing, my darling. Jussst sssimply wondering how thisss year would turn out for us.§

Loki seemed content with that answer as he laid and rested. His mistress should be fine with whatever she's dealing with. She was by far the strongest and smartest human he knew. Granted, Loki didn't know many people.

The trip to Kingscross wasn't very long or eventful. The Dursleys stayed as quiet as possible, they tried hard not to disturb Maeve. Said girl was merely thinking about Hogwarts. The magic school separates from different houses, as told by Hogwarts: a history.

She was most likely a Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Hopefully not a Gryffindor, she was not brash or headstrong. Preferring to think things through and she had self-preservation.

Vernon pulled up front and unlocked the doors. "We're here." He grunted. Maeve refocused, she nodded and stepped out.

"Well, come help me. The sooner I'm in there, the faster you all can leave." She said, all three hurriedly got out. Maeve grabbed Loki's cage, as the snake would be complaining if someone else were to grab him.

Dudley got a trolley, while Vernon opened the trunk and got out her case. Placing her things neatly on the trolley, they all walked into the crowded train station. 9 3/4 wouldn't be able to be seen by these parasites, Maeve concluded, Petunia would have to know how, if my mother was a witch.

"Aunt Petunia, you said mother was a witch correct?" She asked, looking at her horse-necked relative. Said woman nodded nervously. "Then obviously you'd know how to get to 9 3/4, right?" Her tone left no room for nonsense.

Petunia nodded, cursing herself for letting this demonic child boss her around. Lily was never this way, always kind and polite. She was glad to be getting rid of her for the rest of the school year. Though, she had half a mind not to repeat her thoughts out loud.

"Well?" Maeve prompted with a raise of her dark brow.

"It's a wall between 9 and 10. Its magic keeps passage out of sight of the muggles," she said that word as though she couldn't believe that was what she and her kind were referred to. "You just walk through and you'll be at Hogwarts express."

The young dark haired witch nodded, pleased with the answers she received much to her aunt's relief. She motioned with her hand to lead the way, she had things to do than stand around. Fortunately, her relatives knew this and were quick to follow orders. Such good little pets.

They stopped at a rather unassuming wall, though Maeve knew better, after all magic could deceive anyone. She felt the magic pull around the air, it was pure. Quite nice. She grabbed a hold of her trolley and glanced at her dreadful relatives. "Well, I suppose this is it. I hope you know just because I won't be there doesn't mean you can get away. I own you Vernon Dursley. That pretty little mark on your arm will always lead me to you." She had a vindictive smile on her angelic face.

She shooed them away before walking confidently into the wall. Her already large green eyes widened at the sight before her, the scarlet train was magnificent. Plump pink lips curling into a smile, this was going to lead her to her home, the very place her parents were taught at and practically grew up in.

Pushing forward, she hadn't noticed a large family of redheads enter the magical border, the elder woman looking quite distressed. She carefully made her way onto the train, the steps tricky to see as she pulled her trunk up. Frowning, she gave one more harsh tug before stopping and instead scanning the area for someone to help her.

A taller boy her age with platinum blonde hair walked by with two large lackeys. She smirked, time to charm some boys. "Excuse me?" She called out to him in a soft voice, though the weight of her words rang loud.

The boy glanced in her direction, a bored indifference expression on his face. His pale blue eyes widened slightly before he regained composure. "Yes?" He had a soothing voice, pleasing to the ear.

She widened her eyes a little more, throwing in the kicked puppy look she mastered. "We'll, you see, I'm trying to get my things up but they're much too heavy for me. I was hoping you'd be of help?" She blinked slowly, fluttering her eyelashes innocently.

His pale skin flushed slightly under the attention of a pretty girl, he straightened up and walked towards her, companions in tow. "I'm Draco Malfoy." He spoke as he bent down and grasped her trunk tightly, hauled it up all while glancing at the sleeping serpent in his cage. He didn't question it, very smart of him. "That's Crabbe and Goyle." He must have seen her eyeing them in curiosity.

She led them to an empty compartment before bothering to introduce herself. Malfoy stuck his hand out, giving her the option of accepting it like a proper gentleman. She smiled sweetly. "I'm Maeve Potter." Her voice had an airy tilt to it.

Malfoy seemed to have a perfect grasp on his mask as he didn't show his shock too much, just a minor widening of his eyes. But it was quite alright, as she is known as the girl who lived. She reckoned she'd be surprised to meet a supposedly famous person as well.

"Would you care to join me here?" She politely asked,x leaving room to decline. Having already sat down and soft red cushions she peered at him curiously. Malfoy gave a slight quirk of his lips, obviously pleased at being invited inside her compartment.

He nodded his head once. "I'd love to accompany you."

"Your friends are also more than welcome to join us." She reassured him with a nod at his hesitance. With that the four children say in relatively silence. Neither knows how to break it. Maeve pursed her lips in thought, should they get to know each other? He could be a very valuable asset in her plans.

"Where have you been staying? My father said Dumbledore claimed you were living with muggles, is that true?" He asked as though the very thought of living with muggles was a disgrace. He was right, of course, but that tone of voice would never be allowed with her. Best he learns that now then to make a mistake like that again.

"Yes, it's quite true. Though, I hated every moment of it. Muggles act more like animals than people, especially the ones I lived with." She paused and allowed a small smirk upon her lips. "Well, only until I showed them their place. After all, I'm daughter of the noble and ancient house of Potter, we bow down to no one."

Malfoy smirked, his eyes glinting in barely hidden amusement. "Well, as heir to the noble and ancient house of Malfoy, I'd like to extend a hand in an alliance."

Though she would never admit to anyone, Maeve was impressed. As she thought, Malfoy would make a valuable asset, she'll keep him close. She smiled politely and accepted his hand, feigning a blush as he kissed her knuckles lightly. "I do hope we become friends, after all in times like this, we can use all the allies we can gather."

The blonde nodded, she didn't miss the calculative look in his eyes as he took in her words. Good, she wouldn't want an imbecile by her side, no matter how politically powerful they are. The world is a cruel place, weak minded people will never survive.

Maeve shifted through her trunk, which she kept beside her and Loki who still slept, for her plain school robes. She stood up with a smile. "Excuse me, I'm going to change, you should as well. I'll be back in a moment." She stepped carefully around the things belonging to the lackeys, their names forgotten, and opened the compartment before stepping out.

Upon entering the girls loo, Maeve was hit by the strong smell of lavender and vanilla. She scrunched up her nose in distaste as she walked into an empty stall to change as quickly as possible. The need to get away from the awful, most likely cheap, perfume is what fueled her into moving faster.

She stepped out the stall once she was fully dressed, the tie was a bother to put on so she left it hanging loosely around her neck. There were no rules stating she had to have it on properly, just as long as it was on. Maeve glanced at her reflection, she pulled off her hair tie to braid it out of her face. She left two strands of curls to frame her face.

Once she was done she made her way back to her compartment, where she saw a lanky redhead with a large nose and a face full of freckles. Maeve eyed his clothes, they were clearly hand-me-down. As she got closer she couldn't help but roll her eyes at what he was spitting out his mouth. Obviously this boy couldn't be in anything other than Gryffindor, with his brash and distasteful attitude.

"I don't know why Headmaster Dumbledore allowed the likes of you to enter Hogwarts. The son of a no good death eater!" Honestly this boy had no respect. Malfoy was obviously wealthy and from a respectful family, this ginger clearly couldn't see he had no room to talk.

"Please, Weasley, I wouldn't talk when obviously your parents still can't afford decent clothing. Would you like me to donate some of mine?" Malfoy replied, with a smirk but his eyes held a promise of pain.

Deciding that was enough, Maeve stepped in to make her presence known. "Pardon me, but you're in my way." As a Lady, she had to be polite unless, of course, she was provoked. And the idiot looked like someone who didn't know their limits.

She was proven correct when he opened his mouth, "Go around, I'm busy as you could see." She refrained from out right growling, the nerve he has to speak to her like that and he doesn't even bother to look at her when speaking.

"Perhaps, I was a little too kind. What I meant to say was, Get out of my way or I'll make you. I have zero patience or tolerance for pigs who don't know their place." She snarled, toxic green eyes glowing with magic and anger. "And look when a person is talking to you, have you no manners?"

The redhead turned with a glare that burned out when he made eye contact with the furious raven haired girl. Despite being much shorter, he felt like she was towering over him, he gulped in fear. Though he'd be no brave soon to be Gryffindor if he showed it, so in an act to cover his wounded ego, he puffed his chest. "I don't take orders from little girls." He spat.

This time Maeve let the growl out, this idiotic boy had to go and bury himself even deeper into the hole he dug. Oh, how she'd enjoy punishing him in many different ways. But she couldn't, at least not yet. "I'll. Destroy. You." She punctuated the three words, and she meant them for she was a Potter and she recognized his name from the list of those planning on controlling her. "Now, you should leave before you make things worse."

She shouldered passed him and closed the door in his face. Malfoy watched as she huffed before sitting down, looking just as angry as he gently rubbed her hands along the scales of her rather beautiful snake. His face grew slightly pink as he recalled how she stood up to Weasley, and the fact that she didn't seem to care about how Weasley claimed him to be a death eater.

"Honestly, did his parents not teach him manners? And to speak to a lady like that? How dare he?" Despite attempting to calm down, her anger wouldn't simmer. How dare a lowly boy like him think he could speak to her in such a disgusting way. She'd have his head on a platter served to his mother who didn't think to discipline him.

Malfoy shrugged elegantly, his face set in a cool, indifferent mask. "He's a Weasley and his mother is most likely a harpy with the way she's always shouting. Father says despite them being pureblood, they bring nothing but disgrace to the other wizards and witches. Mr. Weasley works as head of the misuse of muggle artifacts in the ministry of magic. The man is obsessed with everything muggle. His family is known as blood-traitors simply for that fact."

Maeve listened as he spoke, his usual drawl not present as he talked politics. She filed that as important in her mind, it seems she'd have further use of him aside from school. "How could anyone like muggles? They're parasites infesting our air." Though she did realize after her visit to gringotts that muggles did have their use, such as providing fresh magic in some of their children.

Muggleborns, they're called. Her mother was one, and she was the brightest witch of her age. Unlike Malfoy, Maeve didn't care for blood, as long as you had magic you belonged. The only thing that mattered was magic and how powerful you were.

Soon the train was pulling to a stop, night had already fallen and the sky was filled with stars. They were told to leave their stuff in their spot so that the elves would retrieve them. She whispered to Loki, making sure Malfoy couldn't hear, telling him to wait here. Every student from each year filed out, idiots shoving and playing around. Maeve rolled her eyes at the immature dimwits. They were hardly worth her time.

As soon as she stepped foot on the ground, Maeve could feel the burst of magic rushing around them. She looked all around her, for the first time in forever she could feel childish excitement welling inside her. She took a glance at Malfoy and saw a similar look of amazement on his face, it looked like his mask was capable of fully breaking.

"First years, over here! First years!" Her eyes landed on the shouting man, she remembered him as the giant who stood in front of the leaky cauldron. She walked towards him alongside the other first years.

"He looks sort of savage, don't you think?" Maeve glanced at Malfoy, who was eyeing the halfbreed in distrust. A slim, dark skinned boy agreed, nodding his head. She didn't say anything, even though she also thought the same.

The man led them to the lake which had a row of boats. "Alright, no more than four to a boat!" He instructed. Maeve walked to the nearest one, followed by Malfoy and two others.

The dark skinned boy sat across from her next to a pug faced girl while Malfoy sat beside herself. The girl seemed to be glaring at her, eyeing her unkempt tie. Once they made eye contact, Maeve simply raised a brow, daring her to say something. The girl appeared to at least have some brain cells as she merely turned the other way with a barely covered scoff.

-Petty little thing-, she thought.

"I'm Blaise Zabini." The dark skinned boy introduced himself, holding his hand out with an attractive smirk on his face.

Maeve smiled kindly, this one should be kept as well. He's a dark horse. "Pleasure, I'm Maeve Potter." She took his hand, feigning another blush as he pressed a delicate kiss on her knuckles in the same manner Malfoy did.

"The pleasure is mine." He said, dark eyes glinting as he analyzed her.

"Potter, you say?" The pug faced girl asked with a shrilly sort of voice. She had an air of superiority, as though she assumed she was better than those around her. But Maeve had seen her eyeballing Malfoy since they sat down, most likely hoping to catch his attention.

Unfortunately for her, Maeve had already claimed Malfoy. "Yes, is there a problem?"

"Why on earth would Malfoy be sitting with a halfblood?" Oh, the poor girl simply didn't know who she was insulting.

"What's wrong with being a halfblood? I'm dying to know." She sarcastically inquired.

She cackles at something she clearly only thought was amusing. "Our blood is pure, yours is tainted by that mudblood of a mother." Pug face sneered.

Before anyone knew what happened, the girl was thrown off the boat with a loud shriek that captured the other first years and the man's attention. Maeve stayed seated, a look of concern plastered over her face. Anyone who bothered to look close enough could see the malicious amusement in her eyes.

"Oh my, someone help. She fell off the boat!" She shouted, shooting the soaked girl a dark smirk.

"Up you go, lass." The giant lifted her up and placed her on ground, the boats having already stopped at the edge of the lake.

"Thank you for helping her, sir. She was far too clumsy, I warned her to stay seated. She just wouldn't listen. Say, what's your name?" Maeve asked, masking her face with a look of innocence.

"The names Hagrid." He introduced himself, she shot a beaming smile but didn't bother to say her name.

"Well thank you, Mr. Hagrid." She said once more before walking closer to the wet, shivering girl. "Next time, don't bad mouth the dead, especially about my dead relatives or I'll make sure you join them six feet under. Understood?"

She nodded, whimpering pathetically when Maeve chomped her teeth close to her ear.

"Good girl."

Malfoy stood near Zabini waiting for the raven haired girl to return. "You think she pushed her?" He asked.

Zabini took a while to answer, Potter was an enigma. He vowed to figure her out. "Most likely, she played the innocent card perfectly. But at least we know to avoid the topic of her family."

They glanced at each other and nodded, agreeing to avoid anything that would cause her to anger. It was only logical. They stopped talking about her when they saw her make her way back to them.

"Hogwarts is beautiful, such a shame that weak minded people are here as well." Maeve stated as she saw the redhead from earlier insulting another person, a girl with bushy hair who seemed to have pointed out the smudge of dirt on his nose. She sighed in disappointment.

"I agree, love, too incompetent for my taste." Blaise eyed the crowd of first years who shuffled around nervously.

Hagrid led them to the huge double doors of Hogwarts. Lifting a large fist, he pounded on it three times. The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Maeve's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

"The first years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

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

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big it could fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Maeve could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right, the rest of the school must already be here, but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"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. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on a student in the front that Maeve could see trembling, and on Weasley's still smudged nose. Maeve shifted impatiently on her feet.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She left the chamber.

Maeve glanced around. "How exactly do they sort us into houses?" She asked Malfoy.

"My father said the sorting will be done through some sort of hat. Though, I'm not entirely sure as he refused to give out more information." He replied.

"They're planning to sort us through a hat? Is it enchanted?"

Zabini had been the one to answer. "My mother had said they place this old tattered hat on your head and he shifts through your mind before deciding what house you'll belong in."

Something happened that made several students jump about a foot in the air, several people around them screamed.

"What the -?"

Malfoy gasped. So did the people around them. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

Maeve rolled her eyes at the reaction everyone was having. Magic was real so honestly how could ghost existing be what surprises them?

She stepped forward but just as she was going to answer them, professor McGonagall returned.

"Move along now," she said sharply. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start. Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Maeve got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Malfoy and Zabini behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.

Maeve looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She heard someone whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

She quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. Must be the one Malfoy and Zabini spoke about.

The hat twitched and a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm 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 folk 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 whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song, Maeve looked around making eye contact with an extremely old man with long pure white hair and a similar beard. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause...

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Maeve noticed redhead twins catcalling, she supposed they must also be Weasleys.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. That was the house she was mostly interested in.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Maeve had noticed that the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy that stood in front of her, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

The bushy haired girl she recognized as the one who outed Weasley for the smudge on his nose almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. She snickered as the redhead groaned.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who had been trembling at the doors, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Longbottom. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Longbottom ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

She quietly giggled to herself when Malfoy had been called up as he swaggered forward and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join the table that politely clapped for him.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last- "Potter, Maeve!"

She rolled her eyes when she stepped forward, as the whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Maeve Potter?"

Oh, how she hated this dumb fame.

She sat patiently, looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.

Hmm," said a small voice in her ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Not a bad mind. Very intelligent. There's talent, and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... Cunning and manipulative, I see. There is only one place that can help you sharpen your talents and make you great...

Better be SLYTHERIN!"

No one made a sound, the silence was deafening. She saw how the old man leaned forward with narrowed eyes. Seems he was expecting something different. -Not today, old man- she thought with a smirk. She made her way towards her house table, Malfoy made space for her and gave her a smirk.

McGonagall went back to calling out names as she started a conversation with Malfoy.

"So you've joined the best house in Hogwarts, you know what this means?"

She raised a brow. "No, what does it mean?"

"Everyone will be watching your every move."

"I'm not going to let anyone control me, especially not old Gandalf wannabes." She replied.

Malfoy furrowed his brows confused. "Who's Gandalf?"

"Never mind that, my point is, that doddering old fool will have no say in my life. No one controls a Potter."

Maeve mentally smirks to herself when she sees Weasley get sorted into Gryffindor just as she thought. She and Malfoy stop talking as Zabini walks to be sorted, he sat there for a second before the hat called Slytherin. She, along with the rest of the house, clapped and invited him to sit across from Malfoy.

Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Maeve had to stop herself from laughing out loud. "He seemed a bit mad." She sniggered.

Maeve, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Maeve's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Maeve's forehead, spreading throughout her entire body.

Flinching, Maeve gently rubbed at the scar above her right brow and squirmed in her seat uncomfortably.

"You all right, Potter?" Malfoy asked worriedly.

"'Course," she put her hand down. "I'm fine."

She didn't bother asking who either of them were, both seemed like bad news.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

What on earth is on the third floor that would warrant death? Was this old man nutters? What was he playing at?

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Maeve noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."

At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

Maeve was so exhausted that when they finally made it to the dungeons, she was ready to drop. They made it to the common room, she tuned out the two older teens as they explained the rules and gave advice. She tried hard to stay standing on her feet.

Finally, did the two oldest let the students go to their room to wash up and sleep. Maeve didn't bother to dress into her nightwear, she let Loki out his cage before cuddling him into her side, ignoring his complaints of being trapped for too long. Once Loki stopped hissing both were out like a light switch.