If anyone is reading this, this is my first Fanfic ever, so tell me what you think! And I can't promise to update this too too often, as stupid school is always in the way. Also, if anybody has any suggestions for a better title and how to improve, please tell me (in other words, review) !!!

Disclaimer: If you think that I have enough money to own Harry Potter you have got to be crazy!!!

Child of Grey

Harry Potter trudged down the length of the Hogwarts Express, dragging his heavy trunk behind him. He was looking for the compartment in which he usually sat in with his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Its lucky the Dursleys dropped me off so early, he thought. All the rest of the students trying to get here in time'd probably trample me. Unfortunately Harry hadn't been able to stay at the Weasley's hose this summer at all during summer holidays, as they had won a trip to North America. That meant that he hadn't seen Hermione either - the Dursleys would hardly let him out of their sight lest he did anything remotely stranger than they would have liked.

Finally Harry reached his usual compartment, dropped his trunk and opened the door. He heard a stifled gasp and jumped. When his heart stopped beating quite so fast he peered into the corner and saw a pile of robes.

"Who's there?" it asked. "And why are you here so early?"

The poor boy standing in the doorway blinked, blushed to the roots of his black hair and slowly backed away. "S-s-ssorry," he stammered. "I didn't know that anybody else was here-" he gasped as he tripped over his trunk.

The pile of robes stood and revealed a petite girl of around 16, Harry's age. She was very pretty, or at least would have been with her long auburn hair, turned up nose and piercing blue eyes - her pale skin was marred with various bruises and scrapes, which didn't look to be very old.

She walked over and gave Harry a hand up.

"Hello, I just transferred here from Beauxbatons."

"I'm Harry Potter. Nice to meet you! What did you say your name was?" He asked, pulling himself up.

"I didn't. I'm not quite sure what it is, because I've been told that I was left on the front doorstep of a Children's home when I was about a year old. But I've always been called Elizabeth."

All of a sudden Ron and Hermione barged in.

"Harry, you're still alive!" Ron cried. "Those stupid relatives haven't finished you off yet, have they? Mum was so worried about you that she almost apparated right into the Dursleys backyard. Which wasn't too smart because we were so far away. By the way, North America was great! There weren't so many witches and wizards that I could see, and also not so much Quidditch. But the few teams that were there were pretty good, especially the Winnipeg Whompers," he babbled excitedly.

Hermione cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Ron. He finally stopped babbling and saw Elizabeth.

"Sorry 'bout that. Haven't seen him all summer, you know. I'm Ron Weasley, and this bookworm beside me here is Hermione Granger."

"I'm Elizabeth, and I just transferred here from Beauxbatons. Would you like to sit down?"

~*~*~*~

The three veteran Hogwarts students wasted no time filling the newcomer in on what was what at her new school.

"Watch out for the Slytherins," cautioned Ron. "None of them are ever up to any good. Their Head of House, Professor Snape, is absolutely vile. He *never* misses a chance to take house points off our house (which is Gryffindor, by the way) and give as many as possible to his own. He also looks like an overgrown bat, so be careful."

"But Ron, I haven't been sorted yet. What would you say about me if I ended up there?" Elizabeth asked curiously. She found these three very easy to talk to, even though she had never had all that many friends.

Ron's ears turned bright red as he tried to find something to say.

Harry grinned and said "You don't really *look* like a Slytherin. I would say you are more of a Gryffindor. Well, at least you would match the decor," as he looked at her scarlet hair.

The said redhead laughed and punched him in the arm.

"I wonder, though, if you'll be sorted with the first years or what," said Hermione thoughtfully.

"Mean it's not in 'Hogwarts: A History' or anything?" Asked Ron.

"No, it doesn't mention anything about transfer students. But then again, it doesn't say anything about the meaningless slavery of house elves either," the Hermione retorted as the lunch cart rolled in.

As usual, Harry bought as much candy as he thought that he needed to, as well as enough cauldron cakes for everyone. Ron and Hermione took their turns, and the kind old witch turned and asked if Elizabeth wanted anything.

"No, thank you. I - I didn't bring any money," she said quietly, looking down. So the old witch with the cart smiled apologetically and left.

Ron started digging through his small pile of candy, looking through boxes of Chocolate Frogs for any card that he might not have had yet, while Harry passed out the traditional Caldron Cakes for all. As he tossed a couple to Elizabeth she protested.

"You really shouldn't," she said. "I'll be fine."

"Nonsense," said Hermione. "He *likes* to do this, seeing as these are the only thing we'll let him buy for us. We do have out pride, after all."

"Yeah, he actually likes sharing." Ron added. "But then again, I might too if I didn't have six other siblings to share with."

"Well, Harry, if you insist," consented the other redhead as she opened a cake and bit into it. She was actually pretty hungry, she realized. And were those ever good!

~*~*~*~*~

The four friends spent the rest of the train ride playing endless games of exploding snap and wizard's chess, eating candy, practicing new spells and just talking. Hermione was just teaching Elizabeth the disarming spell when Draco Malfoy appeared in the doorway.

"Well, Potter," he smirked. "Another filthy little mudblood to join your fanclub?"

"Jealous, are you Malfoy?" Hermione asked sarcastically.

"Why would I be so jealous of Mudbloods like you?"

"We have friends and all that you have are fat, stupid bodyguards", Ron retorted. "Which you don't even have, seeing as they were expelled last year…"

"So, mudblood, I guess you have 'friends' to stand up for you." Malfoy said to Elizabeth, who was by now seething with rage. How dare he judge her like that when he didn't even know her! He was just like the others, she thought. Shallow, prejudiced purebloods…

"If you call me that one more time, I swear I'm going to hurt you," Elizabeth said as calmly as she could, memories of being taunted for her unknown heritage running through her mind.

"Don't like being teased, eh, mudblood? Haven't gotten used to it by now? I'll bet that they were glad to get rid of you at your last school. Or at least they would have if they had any sense of wizard pride."


"SHUT UP!!!" With that, and a flash of light, Elizabeth lost her temper. Before she knew it the heir to the Malfoy fortune was lying unconscious on the ground sporting purple skin (which clashed horribly with his white-blond hair) and apparently a full body bind.

A moment later, as the inhabitants of the train surveyed the damage, a voice drifted magically through the train. "We have now arrived at Hogsmeade Station. Please leave your things on the train and gather in the lobby."

One by one the four exited the compartment, Harry in the lead. As he walked past the body on the floor he just couldn't resist kicking it slightly. Nor could the others. As she walked past, Elizabeth said something that she had always wanted to -- "Filthy little pureblood, aren't you?"

~*~*~*~*~

End Chapter One

This fic has just been revamped and edited slightly – spelling and grammar corrected and such, and a new title. And right now I'm working on Chapter 2. Tell me what you think!