Renee POV

I noticed something was wrong as Sandra and Gill stood in front of me, blocking my way to the common room, to Merlin. To my back were Stacy and Tomasz. Sandra groaned, and Stacy made her way past us.

"Oh gods, it's been a fortnight, hasn't it? And none of us bothered to learn the new password?"

I heard laughter. At first I thought it came from behind me, but then I realized it echoed too much. I looked around, seeing only the tolerable Slytherins, who I had gotten to know quite quickly. Sophia and the other prefects and head boy came up to the front. I realized what had happened.

"Sandra," I hissed! "They've found a way to lock us out!" I gulped. The laughter reminded me of three girls who never ceased to torment me, and there was another voice, one that sounded male and sinister, but almost like Clara's. How Draco, Morgana, Kaylee, Ariana, and the rest of them had managed to do this was a mystery, but I was scared. I reached for Clara's hand before remembering she wasn't there. Sandra clasped mine anyway.

Up at the front, Sophia had noticed it too. "I demand that you let us in, and I'm head girl, so you have to listen to me! You will all receive detentions, and if I find the person who is behind this, I will make sure you get extra!"

"You're not at all threatening, Ballias!" The people inside roared with laughter.

"Warrington! I should have known! Why did they make you a prefect?" Sophia looked ready to bang her head against the wall, but the head boy whispered something to her, and she nodded. "That's it, I'm going to Snape!"

In my head I heard Clara trying to tell me something, something instinctual. Something I should be doing. The voice changed to Clarisse's, and she spoke more clearly. Use your powers, idiot!

"Sophia, before you go, let me try something. I can't guarantee it will work but….I'll try."

Sophia nodded, and the people behind the door guffawed. "Like you could stop us, Sanderson!"

Oh, you'll see, Kaylee Parkinson! "Why don't you just….open up that door. There we go, nice and easy, we never meant to hurt you, we're friends! See, that's right, we have to work together. We're a house, you know. That's it, we're friends." I could see that Sandra was seriously thinking about it, thinking about becoming friends with Kaylee or something. "That's it, just open the door."

Finally, the meaner students relented. Draco said a few words and the portrait swung open. I was proud, and Sandra hugged me. Then Gill did, too, and I blushed. I hadn't really spoken to him much, but he was nice.

Kaylee screamed. "You! Renee Sanderson, what did you do? That's not the kind of magic we learn here!"

"I guess I'm just very charismatic," I said slyly.

"You ruined everything, Sanderson!" she ran out of the room, and I shuddered.


"Detention, Miss Sanderson, and if I hear another word about your stupid charisma, you will be back on the train quicker than you can say 'Slytherin!'"

I had just sat down to relax in the common room when he came in, Kaylee at his heels. He accused me of doing something nasty to win what was "just a game," according to Kaylee.

"But sir, I didn't hurt her!"

"Silence! Ten points from Slytherin!"

I could almost hear the emeralds trickling from the hourglass. I had thought that Snape was supposed to favor us as a house, not as individuals.

Ariana came over. I had thought she was just a pawn for Kaylee and Morgana, but seeing her alone was….terrifying, to say the least. She stared me down, and I watched Snape leave.

"You! You lost us all the points I got from Snape for brewing a good beautification potion yesterday! Not that I need it, of course. However, you could use some!"

Slytherin erupted with laughter again. Suddenly, before my eyes, my hair went sleek and my robes transformed into a beautiful black dress. Ariana stared, but my transformation didn't stop there. My hair curled into little ringlets and a silver dove chain appeared on my neck.

"H-how did you do that? You can't transfigure our robes, you're not allowed! And anyway, you don't know how to perform even simple nonverbal spells yet!" As she said that, the final piece of my outfit fell into place, a green and silver crown with a snake between two doves. Now, I knew what my mom was trying to say. You belong in Slytherin, Renee Sanderson. Never doubt that.


Snape asked me to stay after class a week later. Ginny looked at me nervously, but I shook my head. "It's fine," I mouthed, giving her a little push. She nodded solemnly.

"Sanderson, your detention will take place tonight at eight with professor Lockhart. You, and some other, ah, delinquents who deserve to be more punished, but somehow got lucky, will be addressing his fan mail." Snape gave me an evil grin.

I groaned. Not only were Lockhart's lessons getting worse and worse, I had seen him trying to make Harry into some kind of celebrity. I knew Harry didn't appreciate this, because who would? Well, no, I could think of a few who would. Kaylee, Morgana, and Ariana, for example, would love that. My sister Drew probably would too. But as for me, I wanted to earn my fame. I was happy that I'd get to meet some other people, though. Apart from my friends, the other first years, and the other Slytherins, I didn't know many people.

I ran to Hufflepuff to tell Clara that the detention was tonight. She sighed when I told her what it was.

"He has got to be the most ridiculous professor ever! You make sure to charmspeak him into giving us a good lesson for once, Renee!"

I laughed. "I'll try."


"Ah, beautiful Renee. So lovely to see you." Lockhart handed me a letter and a pile of address labels. A boy was working with another stack. He looked up and smiled, seeming glad he didn't have to do this alone. Well, he had Lockhart, I guess, but that didn't count.

"Ah, Harry, Gladys Gudgeon, huge fan of mine," said Lockhart, handing him a signed portrait. I sat down, realizing the boy was Harry Potter. I smiled. Lockhart was the only professor who ever called us by our first names, which just made him even more of a joke.

Harry and I fell into the silent pattern of addressing the letters and occasionally looking at each other and rolling our eyes if Lockhart muttered, "Fame is a fickle friend, remember that," or "Celebrity is as celebrity does."

I was falling asleep and wondering how long we had been there when I realized Harry was staring at me, wide-eyed. I looked quizzically at him before hearing a noise, a sharp hissing. "Riiiiipp, killll, tear," over and over again.

"Did you guys hear that?" Harry asked, alarmed.

"Hear what? I think you're getting a little tired, Harry, and….Great Scott, look at the time, we've been here nearly four hours, no wonder. You two go up to bed, now. And don't expect a treat like this every time you get into trouble!"

He practically shoved us out the door, and I took a big gulp of air. That room had been very tight. Harry turned to go, but before he did, I whispered, "Harry, that hissing voice? I heard it too, clear as day."

He nodded, and we parted ways, not knowing that that night had been the beginning of something huge.


The weeks passed smoothly after that. Kaylee and her friends teased me all the time, Sandra stuck up for me when she felt like it, and the homework load was just getting heavier. McGonagall announced that we were ready to turn beetles into buttons, something we had been greatly looking forward to. Meanwhile, we were learning how to make things fly in charms. In herbology, things got more and more interesting as we learned about and tested on all types of plants. Sprout was always helpful with the demigod thing.

Flying lessons began in early October, which was a relief. We had that with the Gryffindors, too. I wished Clara was there, though.

That was fun. I was really getting the hang of it. Tomasz, on the other hand, was clumsy and fell off his broom the third time we did it. I heard a loud "crack!" as he sped past me, flying backwards. I heard the same evil laughter as I had from the night of the lockout, and knew that his broom hadn't malfunctioned. Kaylee sped down from her high perch, a blur of thick black hair and the smell of some sort of nasty perfume that I recognized from camp.

"Everyone, stay here while I take Mister Ruddernot here to the hospital wing. If I see one broom leave the ground you'll be packing your bags quicker than you can say 'Quidditch!'"

I groaned. I hated to miss out on flying.

Morgana noticed something glinting on the ground and whispered to Kaylee and Ariana. Kaylee scooped it up and took off on her broom. A minute later, I realized it was his triangle-eye-thing chain that he always wore. I had heard him tell Sandra it was very special to him, and that it symbolized possibility.

Sandra saw what I was going to do a moment before I did it. "Renee, no!" You can't get us into trouble like that! You've already lost us so many points!"

"Sandra, that's Tomasz's. I can't just let Kaylee get away with it!"

Kaylee was leering down at me. "Come and get it, you big baby!"

Without a second thought, I hopped onto the broom and raced to the Ravenclaw tower, where Kaylee was hovering. Sandra gave me a disapproving look, but I was paying attention to Gill, who looked ready to faint. He was watching me closely.

Morgana and Ariana had risen into the air with Kaylee, they were surprisingly good fliers as well. They passed the necklace to each other, cackling with glee. I didn't see what I could do. They had made a game of trying to get it through the turrets of the castle, and I hovered, waiting for an opportunity to grasp it. I followed them around, mirroring their every move. Sandra was screaming at me, Ginny and Gill were shuddering, and I feared for my time at Hogwarts.

Ariana must have thought I wasn't looking, so she threw it hard through one of the loops beside me. I veered left, keeping my broom level. I reached the wall and managed to grab the chain with my foot. Ginny's friend Rachel pointed up at me, gaping, but everyone else stepped back as they saw someone storming out of the castle.

"Come with me, Miss Sanderson, you insufferable little girl."

It just had to be Snape. I wouldn't make it to dinner that night, that was certain. Snape pulled me by my collar up to the castle. I tried to tug free, but his grip was too tight.

"Miss Sanderson, that was a very sly move. Let me talk to Flint."

He led me to Lockhart's classroom, rapped on the door, and glared at the eccentric professor in his turquoise robes. I honestly couldn't blame him.

"Flint, come with me," he said, barely acknowledging Lockhart, who was staring open mouthed at him. A tall, thick boy I knew only by sight rose, seeming happy to leave Lockhart behind. Who wouldn't? I thought.

Snape led us down the corridor. We passed a charms classroom, and I saw Clara. She noticed me and immediately her face turned green.

We stopped at an unused classroom, where he ushered us inside. Flint looked angrily at me, wondering why Snape had brought him with a scrawny, beautiful first year. I was, too.

"Flint, I'm willing to make a deal with you. We can get back at Gryffindor, but only if you treat her nicely. I have found you a keeper."

"Oh, all right, show me what she can do, then."

Snape explained to me what was happening and told Flint about my miraculous save. Flint nodded, groaning. "Marcus, we're getting close. And desperate. I'm not saying you have to like the girl, of course. I'm just saying she'd make a good keeper."

Flint groaned. "Okay, fine. But I expect her training harder than the rest of the team if we want to win that match!"

I wanted to protest that, but I couldn't find words.


A/N: Okay so there's another chapter. Sorry to include Renee more than Clara these days. I'll make it her story a little later too.

I realize that one was really all over the place. I just sort of had to show that all these things were happening at once. I was going to make this the Halloween chapter, too, but once I realized how long this was going on, I realized that I'm better off just doing that for next time. The Halloween chapter will be the last one for a while that is mostly Renee. Then I will go back to my original plan of switching.

Anyway, I've got winter break coming up, so I expect to be posting a bit more soon. Maybe I can even get back into Voldemort's Back. I hope so. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. They mean so much to me. If you are a frequent reviewer, I promise I'll check out some of your stories. Anyway, please tell me what you thought!

~Hufflepufferfish