Disclaimer: any characters who you recognise from "Harry Potter" do not belong to me, nor was I paid to write any of these stories. Any of the characters who you don't recognise, belong to me
Chapter Three
"So where are you from, Melisande?" Hermione asked a few moments later, as the Hogwarts Express moved off from the platform.
Melisande smiled politely and replied, "Oh, not too far away. I've come here because my parents wanted me to be under the instruction of Professor Dumbledore. He really is wonderful, isn't he?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Yes, he is."
Harry and Ron looked at Hermione, who looked like she was up to something. She's been acting really strange recently, Harry thought to himself. Please don't embarrass the new girl, Miony.
"I suppose you're good at school work then, if your parents have sent you to Hogwarts for that reason," Hermione said, feeling competitive.
Melisande simply looked at her pointedly. "Well I do get good marks, I suppose, but the real reason my parents wanted me here was because...well, there was an accident at home. Well, not an accident exactly, but an attack. Voldemort attacked my house and killed my brother. My parents wanted me far away in case he tried to get to me."
Harry felt the tension in the cart grow. He had never heard anyone casually refer to the Dark Lord as "Voldemort" before, except himself and Dumbledore. Ron's face had turned bright pink as he glared at Hermione, who looked slightly guilty.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, crossing her arms and looking out of the window. "It must have been awful."
"Yes," Melisande agreed. She shrugged. "But I'll get him back one day."
Ginny looked at her in surprise. "You'll fight You-Know-Who?"
Melisande nodded, her face like thunder. "If it's the last thing I'll do, I'll hunt him. Then I'll kill him."
There was a shocked silence, which was only interrupted when the food trolley lady knocked on the door and asked if anyone wanted any lollies.
*************************************
"Welcome back to Hogwarts, everyone! And now, before we begin the feast, there are a few notices I must tell you." Professor Dumbledore stared down at his pupils through his half-moon glasses. He was standing at the top of the dining hall, goblet in hand, surrounded by the Hogwarts teachers. He cleared his throat and began.
"It is obvious to all that the Forbidden Forest is, again, off-bounds, unless you wish to wonder around for the rest of your life or be attacked by wild magical animals. As is the third corridor - Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that students found in the corridor will as a consequence, be punished in any way by Mr Filch, within reason, of course."
There was a pause as many of the students turned to look at the grubby old cleaner who was standing at the back of the hall with his cat, Mrs Norris, who looked more evil than she usually did.
"Now, students, I would like to announce that we have a new student at our school. I would like to call upon Professor McGonagall, who will invite the student to come up in front of you all and be sorted."
Professor McGonagall moved to the front of the table as Dumbledore took his seat. She held up a parchment of paper in one hand and the sorting hat in the other. Harry smiled as he remembered being sorted himself, on his first day. The Professor cleared her throat and called out, "Melisande Theddle."
Harry recognised the girl walking up the aisle towards the teachers desk as the girl who had sat with him on the train. She looked absolutely beautiful and as she walked past the tables, the boys all turned their heads and nudged each other, grinning from ear to ear. Harry noticed Draco turn a funny colour as he looked at Melisande. It was as if every boy in the room suddenly had a crush on Melisande and the girls were all beginning to look annoyed.
Melisande daintily sat on the stool and Professor McGonagall put the sorting hat on her head, then stepped away. There was a long pause, as every person in the room sat in suspense of what house this beauty would be in. Harry could see the hat moving and wriggling, but it didn't seem to be reaching a conclusion. A murmur began to spread through the hall as many people began to whisper to each other. This was strange, usually the hat decided quicker than this. Perhaps it was because she was from so far away.
Suddenly Hermione gasped silently. She had been watching Melisande's face and had seen the strangest thing. Her eyes had narrowed and flashed angrily, she had bitten her lower lip and seemed like she was concentrating. She had been the picture of evil, but Hermione blinked and Melisande's face seemed normal again, beautiful and pale.
Then something stranger happened. The hat exploded. Just like that. In a shower of ribbons and thread, it just exploded with a huge bang. Everyone screamed and Professor McGonagall was thrown to one side. Professor Dumbledore got up and began shouting at everyone to calm down. Hermione felt herself being roughly pushed and nudged and people excitedly twisted this way and that to try to see better. Through all this, Melisande sat there with a shocked look on her face.
Everyone hushed and Professor Dumbledore announced, "I am sure that what you just witnessed was a complete accident and you should now forget it and continue with your feast. As Melisande already knows many people from Gryffindor, she shall be placed in that house until we can get another sorting hat and sort her properly." With that, he clapped his hands twice and everyone gasped as all sorts of foods appeared on the tables in front of them.
Melisande came and sat next to Harry, though many people were staring at her strangely. Everyone dug in and the chatter began again, talking about exciting holidays and wonderful new spells. Everyone, that is, except for Hermione, who continued to look, confused and worried, at the girl who had just exploded the Sorting Hat that had sorted Hermione herself, on her first day those years ago at Hogwarts.
Chapter Three
"So where are you from, Melisande?" Hermione asked a few moments later, as the Hogwarts Express moved off from the platform.
Melisande smiled politely and replied, "Oh, not too far away. I've come here because my parents wanted me to be under the instruction of Professor Dumbledore. He really is wonderful, isn't he?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Yes, he is."
Harry and Ron looked at Hermione, who looked like she was up to something. She's been acting really strange recently, Harry thought to himself. Please don't embarrass the new girl, Miony.
"I suppose you're good at school work then, if your parents have sent you to Hogwarts for that reason," Hermione said, feeling competitive.
Melisande simply looked at her pointedly. "Well I do get good marks, I suppose, but the real reason my parents wanted me here was because...well, there was an accident at home. Well, not an accident exactly, but an attack. Voldemort attacked my house and killed my brother. My parents wanted me far away in case he tried to get to me."
Harry felt the tension in the cart grow. He had never heard anyone casually refer to the Dark Lord as "Voldemort" before, except himself and Dumbledore. Ron's face had turned bright pink as he glared at Hermione, who looked slightly guilty.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, crossing her arms and looking out of the window. "It must have been awful."
"Yes," Melisande agreed. She shrugged. "But I'll get him back one day."
Ginny looked at her in surprise. "You'll fight You-Know-Who?"
Melisande nodded, her face like thunder. "If it's the last thing I'll do, I'll hunt him. Then I'll kill him."
There was a shocked silence, which was only interrupted when the food trolley lady knocked on the door and asked if anyone wanted any lollies.
*************************************
"Welcome back to Hogwarts, everyone! And now, before we begin the feast, there are a few notices I must tell you." Professor Dumbledore stared down at his pupils through his half-moon glasses. He was standing at the top of the dining hall, goblet in hand, surrounded by the Hogwarts teachers. He cleared his throat and began.
"It is obvious to all that the Forbidden Forest is, again, off-bounds, unless you wish to wonder around for the rest of your life or be attacked by wild magical animals. As is the third corridor - Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that students found in the corridor will as a consequence, be punished in any way by Mr Filch, within reason, of course."
There was a pause as many of the students turned to look at the grubby old cleaner who was standing at the back of the hall with his cat, Mrs Norris, who looked more evil than she usually did.
"Now, students, I would like to announce that we have a new student at our school. I would like to call upon Professor McGonagall, who will invite the student to come up in front of you all and be sorted."
Professor McGonagall moved to the front of the table as Dumbledore took his seat. She held up a parchment of paper in one hand and the sorting hat in the other. Harry smiled as he remembered being sorted himself, on his first day. The Professor cleared her throat and called out, "Melisande Theddle."
Harry recognised the girl walking up the aisle towards the teachers desk as the girl who had sat with him on the train. She looked absolutely beautiful and as she walked past the tables, the boys all turned their heads and nudged each other, grinning from ear to ear. Harry noticed Draco turn a funny colour as he looked at Melisande. It was as if every boy in the room suddenly had a crush on Melisande and the girls were all beginning to look annoyed.
Melisande daintily sat on the stool and Professor McGonagall put the sorting hat on her head, then stepped away. There was a long pause, as every person in the room sat in suspense of what house this beauty would be in. Harry could see the hat moving and wriggling, but it didn't seem to be reaching a conclusion. A murmur began to spread through the hall as many people began to whisper to each other. This was strange, usually the hat decided quicker than this. Perhaps it was because she was from so far away.
Suddenly Hermione gasped silently. She had been watching Melisande's face and had seen the strangest thing. Her eyes had narrowed and flashed angrily, she had bitten her lower lip and seemed like she was concentrating. She had been the picture of evil, but Hermione blinked and Melisande's face seemed normal again, beautiful and pale.
Then something stranger happened. The hat exploded. Just like that. In a shower of ribbons and thread, it just exploded with a huge bang. Everyone screamed and Professor McGonagall was thrown to one side. Professor Dumbledore got up and began shouting at everyone to calm down. Hermione felt herself being roughly pushed and nudged and people excitedly twisted this way and that to try to see better. Through all this, Melisande sat there with a shocked look on her face.
Everyone hushed and Professor Dumbledore announced, "I am sure that what you just witnessed was a complete accident and you should now forget it and continue with your feast. As Melisande already knows many people from Gryffindor, she shall be placed in that house until we can get another sorting hat and sort her properly." With that, he clapped his hands twice and everyone gasped as all sorts of foods appeared on the tables in front of them.
Melisande came and sat next to Harry, though many people were staring at her strangely. Everyone dug in and the chatter began again, talking about exciting holidays and wonderful new spells. Everyone, that is, except for Hermione, who continued to look, confused and worried, at the girl who had just exploded the Sorting Hat that had sorted Hermione herself, on her first day those years ago at Hogwarts.