Breath of fresh air from Down Under

Chapter 2:

The train pulled up at the Hogsmead station after dark and everybody filed off the train. Clarissa had changed into her robes on the train and it seemed so had everyone else. Hermione told Clarissa she needn't worry about her trunk because the house elves would take care of it.

They all got into carriages pulled by invisible horses. Clarissa was in awe, there was nothing like this in Australia.

'So Clarissa, do you know what's happening with you going into a house?' Ron asked

'Nope, but I really don't want to be in Slytherin' Clarissa said 'I hope I get in Gryfindor with you guys though' she said

'I wonder if you'll get sorted with the first years' Hermione thought out loud

'Sorted?' Clarissa asked

'Yeah it's a ceremony, its how they determine which house you go in, you'll see when we get there.' Ron said

The carriages came to a stop and everyone got out and headed towards the entrance hall. It was a cloudless but crisp night and the moon provided sufficient light that the lanterns were unnecessary. They then filed into the Great hall and sat at the house tables. Clarissa decided she'd sit with Hermione, Ron and Harry. She caught the eye of her father at the head table and waved to him.

'Do you know the knew Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?' Harry asked

'Yeah, he's my Dad' Clarissa said

'You didn't tell us that' Hermione said as she turned to look at the new Professor

'Well, I don't really want to publicise it, the less people that know the better I reckon' she said

The doors to the Great Hall opened once again and a middle-aged witch wearing green robes lead a group of first years to the front of the Hall. Not long after Clarissa found out what the sorting was and wondered if she was going to have to go through that process or maybe she could just stay in Gryfindor seeing as she was already seated at their table. However when the last first year was sorted into her house (Ravenclaw) Professor McGonnagal did not take the sorting hat away. An elderly man stood up and asked for silence in the hall. Everyone was hungry and impatiently waiting for their meals to appear before them. Clarissa assumed this must be Dumbledor the headmaster of the school.

'I would ask you all for your patience for a few more minutes as I would like to introduce to you our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Delaney.' He gestured to Lionel Delaney and there was a polite applause from the student and teacher body. 'Professor Delaney has travelled a long way to us from Australia with his daughter Clarissa.' A few heads turned to look at Clarissa and she moved uneasily in her seat ('so much for not wanting to publicise it' Ron said quietly to Harry). 'And therefore I believe we have another sorting to take place. Clarissa if you wouldn't mind.'

Clarissa got up slowly aware that the wholes schools eyes were on her she looked self-consciously around her and saw Draco Malfoy staring intently at her. It made her uneasy, more so then being stared at by the entire student body. How could he do that? She shook herself mentally. There was no way she wanted Malfoy to know he had any effect on her and as of yet he didn't know he did. She stepped up to the stool and sat down. The sorting hat was placed on her head and she heard a little voice in her ear. 'Interesting.. hmmmm I think it will be.. GRYFINDOR!' the hat called out.

Clarissa sighed with relief whilst the whole of Gryfindor applauded and took off the hat and gave it to Professor McGonnagal. She went and sat back down with her friends not noticing the look on Malfoy's face. Although if she had, she would have noted a certain trace of annoyance.

**~~**

At breakfast the next morning they were given their timetables. Clarissa briefly looked over her timetable the put it aside and kept eating.

'Hey, we don't have Care of Magical Creature with the Slytherins anymore' Harry said happily

'Yeah were with Hufflepuff, that'll be good' Ron said

'Oh no, we may not have Care of Magical Creatures with Slytherin but now we've got Defence Against the Dark Arts with them' Hermione said annoyed

'What? We don't usually have Defence Against the Dark Arts with anyone, maybe there's a mistake' Ron said hopefully

'I doubt it, looks like they decided to combine us for that one.' Harry said mournfully

'Hey come on guys it cant be that bad' encouraged Clarissa

'You'll change your mind after first period, 'cause we got potions' Hermione said dryly

**~~**

Weeks went by and it turned out the classes with Slytherins were as terrible as Ron Harry and Hermione made out to be. Clarissa was getting used to the differences of Hogwarts but still got lost occasionally in the halls and was occasionally late to some classes. But all in all she was finding Hogwarts to be lots of fun. Her new friends constantly made her laugh and her and Hermione had become great friends. Clarissa got he feeling Hermione like having some female company.

As much fun as she was having, she was still feeling homesick. Her Father had told her it would get easier, but at the moment it was just getting worse. She could barely pass an hour without thinking of something back home. And recently she had noticed that there was this feeling growing inside her, it was painful yet small. Thankfully its size allowed her to ignore it easily, but she had an inkling it wouldn't be ignored forever. However, she promised herself she would go on pretending it was not there, so that no one would be much the wiser to her feeling homesick. The last thing she wanted from people was pity.

It was the forth week of term and Clarissa and Hermione were going over their Transfiguration homework at breakfast and Harry and Ron were discussing Quidditch. Clarissa had never seen a game of Quidditch before but shed read about. She and Hermione were so engrossed in their homework that Clarissa didn't realise when 5 owls swooped down and dropped something heavy behind her. It was only the thud that the parcel made on the groun that made her draw attention to it. It was a big bulky parcel that was wrapped in brown paper. She went to pick it up but failed to do so because it was so heavy. I was then that she realised what it was. Her punching bag. Many people had turned their heads trying to see what the huge parcel was.

'What on earth is that?', asked Ron

'Its my punching bag', beamed Clarissa

'What's a punching bag?', Ron asked again

'Well think about it Ron, Punching Bag, what do you think it is' Harry teased

'You mean it's a bag you punch or something' Ron asked

'Pretty much, but how come you have one' Hermione asked

'Back home I used to do kick boxing but it wouldn't fit in my trunk so we put it into storage. Dad must have sent for it' just as the words came out of her mouth she looked up to the head table at her father. He gave her a big smile then kept talking to Professor Flitwick.

'So open it' Hermione said

'I reckon I'll open it up in the dorm, I think I'll have to levitate it up there' Clarissa said with a small laugh. By now more then half the people in the hall were looking at the parcel and asking questions to one another. 'But I doubt I'm going to be able to hang it in the dorm. I might go and see McGonnagal later today and see what we can do.' And with that Clarissa got up and started collecting her things.

'Hang on a sec Clara, I'll come too, I've got to send an owl home to mum and dad. Ron do you mind if I borrow Pig?' Hermione asked

'Yeah sure go ahead, his owl treats are in the common room by the fire I think, it's the only way you'll get him to keep still.'

'Thanks, see you in Transfiguration' Hermione said

'Wingardium Leviosa ok you right to go, see you boys' Clarissa and Hermione walked out of the great hall with the heavy parcel floating in front of them. They were both conscious of the hundreds of eyes that were watching them and they picked up their pace eager to get away from the stares. Clarissa was especially waiting to get up to the dorm and rip the paper of her once best friend in the world. She made up her mind that after transfiguration she would ask McGonnagal about a possible place for her to keep up with her training. She didn't realise it until now but she missed kick boxing more then home its self.

A/n: Hmmm these chaps are a bit short at the mo, but they'll get longer. I apologise if sentences don't make sense. I have been drastically changing the first two chaps cause I didn't like the originals. So with all the editing going on it may be a tad muddled. Plz R/R cause that with motivate me to write even more!