Author's Notes: This is the second chapter of my HP/BtVS crossover called
'Over the Rainbow'. This chapter is called 'Onward to the Great Unknown'.
The rating for this chapter is PG. Just so that everyone is clear, Season
5 of Buffy ends at the SAME time as GoF in the Harry Potter series.
If you're interested in getting a copy of this story with a header for posting on a website email me at jesca10@attbi.com.
On with the story!
*~*~*
Dawn watched the people alongside the street go by as they made their way along the London road. She looked over at Giles, who sat beside, and then turned her attention back outward. The streets were unlike what she'd seen in the states. Some were cobbled and a lot of stone was used in the older buildings. It looked like something out of medieval times that was suddenly modernized. When finally the cab stopped in front of a beaten up looking pub, Dawn looked back to Giles. He smiled and got out, and she followed suit.
"The Leaky Cauldron?" Dawn asked as if she wasn't sure she was seeing the lettering right.
"What's that miss?" the driver asked, not sure he heard her correctly.
"I said, the Leaky Cauldron," and she pointed to the sign above the pub. The cab driver looked at Dawn as if she were a mental case.
"No, miss, that's a book store. And that," he said pointing to the shop on the other side of the Leaky Cauldron, "is a record shop."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "I know that. I meant the one in the middle."
"In the midd-"
"Dawn?" Giles called her. Dawn left the weird cab guy as he scratched his head, trying to figure out what she was saying.
Giles leaned over to her and whispered, "He can't see the pub. Just for magical eyes only."
"Oh." Dawn smiled sweetly at the cab driver that seemed by now to be glad to be getting rid of her. After he was paid he screeched off.
Dawn picked up her suitcase and head inside the pub. Giles held the door open for her. It was dark and grubby looking. Some of the people there looked like they sorely needed a bath. Some of the inhabitants were very small. One was very large. He stood up when he saw her enter and she involuntarily took a step back. She swallowed back the fear and chided herself. Just because the man stood up, didn't mean he was coming over to see her. But no sooner had the thought crossed her mind did she hear the heavy footsteps and see the man approach. She was tall for a girl, but she had to crane her neck to see his face. His hair was very bushy and there was so much of it you could barely see a face under all of it. His clothes were a bit ratty and his duster looked like it had seen better centuries. Giles put a hand on Dawn's shoulder and steadied her.
"All right there, miss? All right there, sir?"
He seemed to be greeting them and Dawn tried to smile politely.
"Uh.hi."
"Rupert Giles," Giles said and held his hand out. "Are you Mr. Hagrid?"
The great man smiled a little. The sides of his moustache turned up a bit at the sides when he did. "It's just Hagrid. That's what everyone calls me. But yah, I'm Rubeus Hagrid Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." He seemed to wear that name proudly. Dawn smiled a little more genuinely this time.
"Ah, well, we can't be blockin' up the door, now can we?" He ushered Dawn and Giles away from the door.
"I'm Dawn Summers," she supplied.
"Well, o' course yeh are," he smiled down at her and offered her a chair where he had been sitting. "Rosmerta, one Butterbeer and one-" he looked at Giles. Giles smiled at the lady and supplied, "Bourbon." She nodded and went to fetch the drinks. When Hagrid wasn't looking and Giles was, Dawn mouthed 'Butterbeer'? Giles merely smiled.
"Now. Words gonna be out 'bout you, Dawn. No' many start at fifth year," Hagrid said a little conspiratorial. She smiled. He was kind of treating her like a ten year old, but she didn't mind so much from him.
"Well, I just hope I can catch up," she said and eyed the drink the woman put in front of her. It was dark and a little frothy, but it had a wonderful aroma.
"Ah, yer no' to worry. We've got the bes' professors here at Hogwarts, we do. Especially Albus Dumbledore." He smiled and the way he said the name, she guess he was important to Hagrid.
"Isn't he the school headmaster?" Dawn asked, screwing up her pretty face in thought.
"Yep, that's the one."
Dawn took a drink of the Butterbeer and was surprised at the warm feeling that seemed to spread from her mouth to all over her body. London's weather was quite damp this part of the year and she was glad for the warmth.
"Well, I suppose you wan' to take 'er through Diagon Alley, or do yer wanna leave 'er with me?" Hagrid asked Giles. Dawn looked at Giles, in alarm.
"I promised her I'd see her to the train, and I intend to," Giles said, more to reassure her than to be assertive. Hagrid just grunted his compliance and took another swallow of his drink. Dawn took the opportunity to just take in her surroundings and drink more of the Butterbeer.
Dawn wasn't sure she was ready to go when Hagrid signaled that it was time to by standing up and patting his large middle. But she too stood and grabbed her suitcase. Hagrid noticed the both of them carrying cases and kindly asked the man behind the counter to keep a hold of them for him. The bartender agreed and soon Dawn and Giles were free of their burden.
"Lots to carry in Diagon Alley. Need yer hands free, you do," Hagrid said as he walked to a back entrance to the pub. Dawn followed him while Giles brought up the rear. When they got outside, though, all she saw was a brick wall and a trashcan. She frowned.
"Not much of an alley, is it?" Dawn said. She wondered what they were getting out here.
"This ain' the alley. This is the door." Hagrid brought out from under his long coat a pink umbrella and he tapped a few bricks and suddenly the wall started to rearrange itself. She looked on in awe as it did so. Slowly, but surely, she could see Diagon Alley being revealed from behind.
People in long robes were bustling everyone along the alley. Dawn watched a few of them pass by her and she looked at their pointy hats. Then the shops started to distract her. She saw a shop full of different kinds of cauldrons, an owl shop, and a shop form magic books. Dawn smiled when she saw that. She was curious at how different it would be from the Magic Box. This whole alley seemed to be a bit of the Magic Box broken up in the many shops and then some. Although she was certain she never saw a flying broomstick in the Magic Box. She was curious as to how to maneuver it. But she figured she'd learn.
As they were walking a large building loomed in front of them and Dawn's eyes widened.
"What kind of store is that?" she asked in awe.
"Why, that's no store. That, there, is Gringotts. It's the bank," Hagrid announced. Dawn was visibly impressed. Soon, though, her emotions turned to fear as she spied a bunch of small demons just outside of and inside the bank.
"What kind of demons are those?" she asked Giles.
But before Giles could give his lengthy response Hagrid's voice broke in. "Those ain' no demons. They're goblins."
Giles' slowly closed his mouth, but added, "Quite right."
Hagrid smiled a satisfied smile. "This 'ere is jus' like bringin' Harry for the firs' time. Only I 'spect you know a bit more than he did about witches." He winked.
"Harry Potter?" Dawn said, recognizing the name. A man who was walking past them turned to look at her when the name left her lips and faintly echoed in the large building. She looked at the man and they stared at each other for a moment but then the moment passed and he turned his attention away.
"That's the one. Famous, he is." Dawn nodded, having heard the story and had some time to question Giles at leisure. Hagrid brought them to the front desk and Giles produced a small golden key. The goblins took them to what looked like a roller coaster ride, and suddenly they were zipping around as if that was what it really was. Hagrid opted to stay behind so it was only the goblin, she and Giles. She felt a little uneasy sitting next to something that if she saw in Sunnydale she'd be calling a demon. When they slowed and stopped, Dawn saw a vault numbered 821. She remembered Giles giving that number at the desk.
When the vault was opened, Dawn gasped at the shiny money she saw. She didn't quite understand the money system, but it looked like there was gold in that vault. She looked to Giles. "You hiding something from us, Giles?"
He smiled fondly to her and went inside. She followed while the goblin waited outside. "I should say not. As a matter of fact, I find it very difficult to keep a secret from any of you when you all get wind that I have one. Compliments of the Council." He started scooping money into a bag and she giggled, noticing the way her voice reverberated off the walls of the vault. After Giles was done and the purse was quite full, he turned and handed it to her. He grabbed a smaller purse and put a few more of the coins inside and put it in his own pocket. "Just in case," he said and pat the pocket the money was in.
"You'll need to teach me the money system." And on the way back, Giles tried explaining to her about Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. After a while he just told her he'd write it down. She shrugged sheepishly at him.
Going through Diagon Alley and buying her supplies was a lot of fun. Dawn got new robes, all her school books and a new book bag, got a bunch of potion supplies, and by the end of the trip she was feeling exuberant. She looked down at her list, "I only need a wand and can I get a pet?" she asked eagerly. Giles smiled and pointed to the wand shop. A sign that read: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. hung over the door. Dawn walked in with Hagrid and Giles.
At first glance, the shop seemed to be filled with nothing but dusty long boxes. There didn't seem to be a clerk in sight. Dawn started browsing at some of the pictures on the wall. She saw someone holding a really long wand and she grinned. "That's the one I want, right there," she said pointing to the wand.
"Sandalwood, fourteen and a half inches. Heartstring of a dragon in that one. Very supple wand, it was," a voice from behind them said. Dawn jumped. She turned and saw a man at least a foot and a half shorter than she. "No, no. You see, you don't select the wand, Miss. The wand selects you." His eyes widened a bit to emphasize and she got an eerie feeling about him.
"Well now," the man said, "what can I help you with?"
"Well, Mr. Ollivander, sir, she'll be needin' a wand for school."
"Yes, yes. Well. Let's see what we have back here." The man disappeared behind shelves and emerged a moment later with a box. "Let's try this one, shall we?" He opened the box and pulled out a long dark wand. "Mahogany, ten inches, dragon's heartstring," he said as he handed it to her. She took the wand and looked at it. She was largely unimpressed with it. She liked the wood, but she wanted a bigger wand. And she didn't know how keen she was on having an animal's heartstring inside her wand.
"Give it a bit of a wave and lets see how it fits you, shall we?"
Dawn shrugged and waved the wand a little, but before she got too much of a wave out of it, he snatched it from her, quickly. She jumped, startled at his quick and unexpected action. "No, no," he muttered, "that won't do." He came back to her a moment later with another wand. This one was longer and a lighter color. "Cedar, eleven inches, phoenix tail feather," he said as he handed it to her. She raised it to wave the wand but he snatched this one too from her. She frowned. She was beginning not to like wand shopping.
"Let's see. Twelve inch cherry with a dragon's heartstring again." She grimaced but took the wand anyway. And just to give it a good wave she stood back a second before she waved. Sparkling lights shot out of the wand and into one of the shelves, knocking over everything onto the floor. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were burning with embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, but he seemed unconcerned about the mess she made.
"Seems not." He took the wand and seemed to be in thought. Suddenly the answer to whatever he was mulling over, seemed to come to him. "Just a moment," he said and hurried into the back of the shop. Dawn waited for him for what seemed like ten whole minutes before he bustled out with a box. The box looked suspiciously smaller and Dawn narrowed her eyes a bit. When Mr. Ollivander opened the box and pulled out the wand, Dawn bit her tongue to keep from saying no. She wanted a great big long wand, but this one couldn't be more than six inches long!
Confirming her assessment, Ollivander stated, "Redwood, five and a half inches, unicorn's hair. Bit of a heavier wand, but very manageable." The unicorn hair inside intrigued Dawn, so she decided to give it a chance. She wasn't sure what he was looking for, though. She seemed to be able to use the last one. She probably could have used the other two if he hadn't of stopped her. This time when the wand touched her hand she was prepared to give it a good wave, but without doing anything but merely holding it the wand and her hand glowed and she seemed to hear a bit of a voice on the wind. It sounded like Buffy but she couldn't make out the words. She just looked at the wand a moment while she heard Ollivander sigh in contentment.
"Very good wand, that one is. A very fine unicorn mare gave that hair to me when I kept her foal from being lead by an especially gifted Grindylow. May it help you see the greatness that can come from helping one in need, whether beast or man." He smiled and took the wand from her, packaging it back up in her box as Giles helped her work out the money.
"He's a little.strange," she said as she left the shop. Giles just smiled. "So.Giles? Can I get a pet?" she smiled at him sweetly, hoping to convince him.
"Of course," he said. "You may get an owl, a cat, or a toad."
"Well, definitely not a toad," she said pulling a face. "What would I do with an owl?" she asked.
"Well, in the wizarding world you send your post with owls."
"Huh?"
"You tie your note to the foot of an owl and they take and deliver your message. That's the wizards form of the post office," Giles tried to explain patiently.
"Oh." She tried to think if she should get a cat or an owl but she couldn't decide. "Well what do you do with cats?" she asked.
Giles looked at Hagrid who wasn't paying attention. When Dawn repeated the question he smiled. "Well, smart buggers they are. You can talk to them, some of 'em."
Dawn smiled. A talking cat or an owl? She thought maybe she should get the owl, just because she'd want to send letters, but she really wanted a cat.
"If you decide not ter get yerself an owl, the school's got plenty of 'em," Hagrid said, making up her mind.
"Then I'd like a cat," Dawn said, a dreamy smile on her face.
Hagrid and Giles stood behind talking to each other while Dawn peered through a window at the kittens that were on display. She smiled as they tackled each other and wrestled around. A particularly small kitten zoomed past the glass so fast that Dawn gave a bit of a start. She looked over to where the cat was coming from to see what had startled it when she saw two boys, roughly her age or a year older. One was holding a wand and they were both laughing. Something in their manner made Dawn think they zapped that poor little kitten. Dawn looked over at the kitten. It was the runt of the litter that much was obvious. It was a white long hair with the brightest blue eyes Dawn had ever seen on a living thing. It had a spot of black on its hind end and a dark gray tail. Black bands of hair swept across its brows making it look like it had bushy eyebrows. It was absolutely adorable and she glared at the two boys that were still snickering because of the injury they gave it. When the two boys looked like they were heading towards the tiny kitten again, Dawn hurried inside.
When inside, she instantly went over to the display window and stood on the side where the tortured kitten was curled up.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" she said, glaring at the two boys. Both boys were beefy, one was taller than the other, but they looked rather similar. Both of them wore cruel smiles on their faces. "Well, that is, if you can find someone your size," she shot at them.
They're eyes widened after a second, letting Dawn get a glimpse at how dull it was inside their heads. They headed toward Dawn, both with leers on their faces. They both had their wands out, but Dawn's wand was in the bag that Giles was carrying.
"Crabbe! Goyle!" a voice yelled. Dawn didn't take her glaring eyes off the two boys, but the boys jumped in response to their names being called. Finally, after they looked towards the yeller, she turned her head and looked as well. For a moment she thought she was seeing Spike as a young boy. She almost smiled at the thought, but he was sizing her up and she didn't want to appear dumb. His blonde hair was slicked back, much like Spike's sometimes was. His pale skin looked almost vampiric, and his eyes were a pale blue.
"Who are you?" the boy asked in a haughty tone. Dawn saw the way the toy boys flanked each side of the boy, so she was sure he was trouble.
"Keep your gorillas away from the kittens," she said, indicating Crabbe and Goyle. They narrowed their eyes at her, but didn't make a move. The blond boy's eyebrow raised and a smile crept over his lips.only it didn't seem like much of a friendly smile.
"Which cat?" he asked.
"All of them," Dawn said.
"Which cat?" he repeated, and although his eyes didn't leave Dawn, she knew he was speaking to the boys. Goyle pointed out the white runt. The boy smiled. "Draco."
Dawn frowned. "What?"
"That cat's name is Draco." Dawn looked at the shivering cat before looking back at the boy. "How can you tell?"
"I know the owner. The mother belonged to the owner and his boy loved this one. Called him Draco. He died of a terrible sickness before the cat was ever weaned."
Dawn's defenses went down and she quickly picked the cat up. She missed the laughter in the eyes of Crabbe and Goyle. The blond boy turned to them. "Don't mess with the cats again. Now go," he said harshly as he smiled and winked at them. They tried to keep from smiling as they left. They're heads were down to hide the mirth on their faces.
Dawn gave the boy a smile. Perhaps she had judged him too quickly. "I'm Dawn Summers, I'm new."
The boy smiled. "Malfoy. I'll be seeing you around Hogwarts, then." He smiled as he left. Dawn pet little Draco and she kissed him on the head before taking him to the counter to pay for him. When she walked out of the shop, the kitten in her hands, Malfoy and the others were nowhere to be seen.
*~*~*
Getting on the platform took a little while, due to the fact that Dawn didn't believe it could be done, but when Giles went through, she just closed her eyes and ran until she thought she should have hit the wall. When she stopped and opened her eyes, she saw a magnificent train. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. She looked up and saw she was on platform nine and three quarters. She smiled at Giles. Most of the baggage was left for someone else to pack onto the train, but she took what Hagrid said she'd need, like her robes and such. Little Draco was cuddled into her jacket, purring.
"Well, I guess this is it," Dawn said, unsure what else to say. Giles pulled her into a gentle hug, careful not to hurt the cat.
"Take care. And remember, you can come home anytime you like. You just let me know, ok?" Dawn nodded into his tweed jacket. Dawn laughed a little to cover the tears in her voice.
"You know, out here, you actually look like you fit in," she said, chuckling. After a moment of confusion on his part she pointed out his tweed and then another man who went by with the same material jacket on. Giles smiled warmly at her.
"Do you think this is what Mom would want?" she asked quietly.
Giles took a moment and then smiled and nodded. "I think she'd want you to do what you thought would make you happy." Dawn nodded and they parted. The whistle on the train blew and Dawn, throwing a kiss at Giles, boarded.
Giles said a silent prayer that she would survive this year, safely.
Dawn walked through the bus and peered into the different compartments. Finally she found one with only three students and she asked if she could sit with them. They let her, all of them smiling.
"I'm new. I'm Dawn Summers," she smiled at them. They all looked confused for a moment.
"You can't be new. You're a little old to be a first-year," said the redheaded boy in astonishment.
"Oh, I know," Dawn smiled, "I'm a fifth-year."
"Are you a transfer student from another school?" the girl asked.
"Well, kind of." Dawn said, unsure. If you counted the school she went to in Sunnydale, then she guessed she was transferring.
"What school did you go to?" the girl asked, watching her intently.
"Uh, from Sunnydale Jr High, which is kind of doubling for the High School at the moment." Dawn smiled at her. She was aware no one introduced themselves, but she was hoping she wouldn't have to ask.
"You transferred from a High School? You're from America, aren't you?"
Dawn nodded. The three seemed impressed by this. She was guessing she'd be one of few or the only person from America at Hogwarts.
"Well, I'm Hermione Granger. This is Ron Weasley," she said pointing to the red-head, "and this is Harry Potter," she said indicating the other. Dawn's eyes opened wide and she looked at Harry curiously. So this was Harry Potter. Harry smiled a little but she got the impression he didn't like her staring, so she stopped.
"It's nice to meet you three." A moment of silence was shared but then broken when Dawn's cat poked his head out of her jacket.
"Ooohh," Hermione cooed. "How adorable." She smiled at the kitten and then asked if she could hold him. Beside Hermione was a big ginger colored cat with a smooshed face, which was pointed at little Draco this moment. Dawn wasn't sure if her kitten would be safe. Hermione seemed to see where her eyes were looking.
"Oh, don't worry about Crookshanks, he's harmless," she said. The redheaded Ron snorted but said nothing. Finally Dawn let Hermione hold the kitten.
"He's so cute. He's got to be the cutest thing! Well, next to Crookshanks, of course," she said and pat her own cat. The cat didn't seem convinced but didn't protest. Dawn smiled. "What's his name? I bet he has the cutest name." She looked at Dawn expectantly.
"His name is Draco," she smiled in pride. But all three people gasped and froze, looking at her. Before she could ask what was wrong she heard great laughter from out in the hallway. She noticed the door was ajar and she could see a glimpse of blond hair behind the door. When it was shoved open and Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle came through, she knew something was up.
"You think my name is the cutest name in the world, Granger?" Malfoy said, laughing hysterically. Hermione looked at Dawn, almost accusingly, but from the confused look on her face, she figured she was a pawn as well. "Well I'm flattered you think I'm so cute, Granger, but unfortunately for you, I don't date Mudbloods." Harry and Ron both stood up quickly. Whatever a Mudblood was, Dawn was guessing it wasn't good. "And you," Malfoy turned and looked at her, sneering. "You meet me once and then name your cat after me? Was I really that good?" he said suggestively, making Dawn's eyes widen and her skin flush at what he seemed to be suggesting. Her blush only made the two behind him cackle more. But then she realized, a good portion of the school must be out there, laughing at her, all thinking that she, and Malfoy. Dawn thought she might be sick with the humiliation. She wanted to run but she had no idea where to go, as Draco Malfoy, as she was sure his name was now, was blocking her path.
Harry and Ron both stepped forward; Harry's wand was drawn. "I' think it's time you go."
Draco stopped laughing and looked at Harry, smiling cruelly. "Or what? You're going to beat me up?" His voice was mocking and it dripped with sarcasm. "Try it, Potter."
Ron had had enough. He quickly pulled Draco in and slammed him against a wall. Draco's eyes widened with shock but he didn't seem afraid. Crabbe and Goyle moved in but Harry kept his wand pointed at them, and they stopped, not sure what to do.
"You know, Harry faced the Dark Lord many times, but only two months ago he faced him after he had risen. He defeated him. What do you think you're chances are?" Ron's eyes had an eerie look to them and Draco looked from Ron to Harry.
Draco's expression had changed, but he clearly didn't want to show any weakness in front of these people. His face leaned towards Ron's and he said in a low deadly voice, "Get your hands off my robes, Weasley. You're father's yearly wages couldn't pay for the repairs on this robe should you rip it but a little bit." Ron's ears went red and Dawn really thought he was going to hit him. But Hermione, after dumping the kitten on Dawn, put her hand on Ron's arm.
"He isn't worth it, Ron. Just let him go."
Draco smiled a smile that reminded Dawn of Spike, once again. "Yeah, let me go Weasley, or your girlfriend's going to have a fit."
Ron sputtered a bit at the girlfriend bit. "She likely wants me to stand back so she can beat the snot out of you.again." Ron's eyes shown with pleasure as he saw Draco's darken at the memory. Ron moved back and shoved Draco into his two goons and when they had all stumbled out of the compartment, he closed the door, tight.
Dawn didn't know what to do or say. She couldn't believe she fell for Malfoy's name trick. She didn't want to look any of the three people in the faces, incase they believed that she and Malfoy.she was very embarrassed.
"You shouldn't let him bother you like that," she heard Harry say. "He's like that with everyone."
Dawn nodded, but still didn't look up.
"Honestly, Dawn. No one in here believes what he said," Hermione said comfortingly.
Dawn looked up and looked at all of them. She smiled a little at them, relieved. As Dawn looked at all their faces, she knew she had found her friends.
*~*~*
Freshly changed into her new robes, Dawn had been told to follow the first years and she sailed across the waters with them. The night was frosty but it was clear and she gasped and gapped as much as all the little eleven year olds around her as she spotted the huge castle that was to be her home for the next ten months. She could hardly believe it. She wondered if she'd have her own room or if she'd have a roommate. She wondered if she'd be bunking with the first years or with the fifth years. A lot of questions raced through her head as she anticipated what was to come.
After they reached land and climbed out of the boats, the first-years and Dawn all filed into the building. A very severe looking witch in a green robe and a hat met them at the top of the stairs they began to climb.
"Welcome to your first year at Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. The start of the term banquet will begin shortly, but first, you will all have to be sorted into your houses. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. It is important that you take heed of the sorting ceremony for your house will be your family for the rest of your stay at Hogwarts. Your triumphs will earn points for your house but your mistakes will earn you points deducted from your house. At the end of the year the house with the most points will be honored. Now, quickly line up, and I'll take you in to be sorted."
Dawn wasn't sure she'd like Professor McGonagall. She looked very strict and like she didn't know what a sense of humor was. She took a deep breath as she went inside. The Great Hall had four very long tables going lengthwise across the room while one shorter table went horizontally across the room. The adults seemed to be sitting at the shorter table. Dawn looked around for her new friends and found them sitting on the right of her. She hoped she was in their house.
Dawn looked up to see the banners hanging down and gasped at the sky she saw instead of a ceiling. This place was getting weirder and weirder. She knew she saw a roof from the outside. Finally all the students stopped before the adults. A brief speech was done about each house. Gryffindor was the house for the brave of heart while Ravenclaw was the house for the quick of mind. Hufflepuff was the house for great kindness while Slytherin was a house that coveted power. She looked at the banner above the Slytherin table. The snake shown proudly on it. She looked down and saw Draco smirking at her. Figures, she thought. She narrowed her eyes at him, but then he leaned over to whisper at a girl at that table and when he pointed at her she held her head high and looked straight ahead.
The Sorting Hat was placed on a small stool beside McGonagall. After a moment, the hat broke into song. Everyone waited until it was done and clapping ensued.
"I'll call your names and then you'll come up, place the hat on your head and be sorted," Professor McGonagall said. Dawn swallowed and hoped she wouldn't be called first.
The professor opened her mouth to speak when a man behind her stood up and spoke. "If I may have a word with the school before we start, Professor McGonagall?"
"Yes of course, Headmaster," she replied before promptly lowering her parchment list.
"I wish to greet you all to another year at Hogwarts!" He looked around and smiled. "So many new fresh faces as well as the most welcome older ones," he mused. "But we have a special circumstance with us today. A young lady who has transferred here from America to join us here at our humble school." Dawn felt her face flush immediately. "Dawn Summers, you'll notice is the tall girl among the first years. She will not be attending as a first year, though. She will be attending as a fifth year. Please make certain that you help her to find her way around, as she is quite a bit more disadvantaged than other fifth year students. Thank you." And with that, Professor Dumbledore sat down and afterwards his eyes smiled at her over his half-moon glasses.
McGonagall raised her parchment roll one more time and clearly called out, "Summers, Dawn!"
Dawn closed her eyes for a moment and then made her way through the gaggle of first years to get to the sorting hat. She picked up the raggedy hat and put it on her head after sitting on the stool. Instantly she could hear a voice inside her head.
"Hmm. Two choices I see. You'd do well in Hufflepuff but bravery steers me towards Gryffindor," the voice said ponderingly. Dawn frowned as she waited for the hat. She was so nervous, but she was trying, most of all, not to make eye contact with Malfoy. "Hmm, sure you wouldn't enjoy going into Slytherin?" The hat seemed to chuckle a little. Finally after a moment it yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"
She sighed in relief as the Gryffindor table burst into applause, and she went over to join them, taking a seat that Hermione saved her. She smiled proudly and then looked back to watch the rest of the ceremony.
When it was over, Dumbledore stood up again and she started to turn red just wondering what he might say next. When silence greeted him, Dumbledore spoke clearly to the house.
"A reminder to the students and a notification to the first years that the forest is forbidden to students. Also, Quidditch will resume this year." There was a ripple of cheers for that news. Dawn wanted to ask someone what Quidditch was, but she thought she should wait for later. "Also, a great many passageways which were once thought of as secret have now been discovered by a very useful item." Dumbledore seemed to look towards Dawn again, but then she realized he was looking at Harry Potter, across from her. "I will kindly ask that no one take these passageways, as they are not a secret any longer. The security of this school will be temporarily heightened until things become less dangerous. Any student found wandering around after curfew would be punished severely. Now, I think it is time." He clapped his hands and suddenly the plates before Dawn and everyone filled. Dawn's eyes grew big and she realized how hungry she was. Everyone hung in hesitation for a brief moment before everyone dug in. It was possibly the best supper Dawn had ever had.
She chatted slightly with the kids around her, tried to get to know their names. She fed her kitten scraps of her own food, and he ate it hungrily.
"So.I don't guess you're keeping the name you picked for him, are you?" Ron asked Dawn, indicating her kitten.
"No way!" she exclaimed. Ron smiled. "I just don't know what to name him now. He kind of looked like a Draco to me, after a while." Dawn thought about it for a moment. She thought about her sister and the memory pained her a little. She realized she hadn't really thought about her sister much today, though. Maybe being here was having a good effect on her. As her thoughts lingered on her sister for a moment, she smiled. "I think I'll name him, Angel." She smiled shyly at everyone. No one knew where the name had come from, and it did kind of fit him since he was mostly white. Hermione smiled.
"I think Angel is a much better name," she said and everyone laughed.
That night as their Prefect, Angelina Johnson, led the first years to their room, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Dawn all walked to the Gryffindor common room. As they did Hermione started to point out things to Dawn, commonly citing the book Hogwarts, A History. Dawn smiled and listened while she pretended not to see Harry and Ron roll their eyes every time she cited the book. They showed her the Fat Lady and told her the password. When she spoke it, ("Jellyfish.") the portrait opened and she climbed inside a comfortable room filled with nice chairs, plenty of room to move around, and tables to study by. A fireplace was crackling away, giving the place a nice glow.
Hermione and Dawn said goodnight to Harry and Ron. Hermione showed her to her bed. There were five beds in this room, which was marked Fifth Years. Dawn briefly wondered what happened to the girl who used to sleep in this bed, as she was sure it wasn't empty before she came along, but after a while she grew too tired to think. She looked around, noting that her stuff was here. She also noted the gold and maroonish colored scarf, gloves, and ties that were waiting for her. She quickly pulled on some pajamas, vowing to do her unpacking tomorrow, and quickly dozed to sleep, cuddled with Angel the kitten. Her last thought before sleep took her was that she had just had the most interesting day of her life.
If you're interested in getting a copy of this story with a header for posting on a website email me at jesca10@attbi.com.
On with the story!
*~*~*
Dawn watched the people alongside the street go by as they made their way along the London road. She looked over at Giles, who sat beside, and then turned her attention back outward. The streets were unlike what she'd seen in the states. Some were cobbled and a lot of stone was used in the older buildings. It looked like something out of medieval times that was suddenly modernized. When finally the cab stopped in front of a beaten up looking pub, Dawn looked back to Giles. He smiled and got out, and she followed suit.
"The Leaky Cauldron?" Dawn asked as if she wasn't sure she was seeing the lettering right.
"What's that miss?" the driver asked, not sure he heard her correctly.
"I said, the Leaky Cauldron," and she pointed to the sign above the pub. The cab driver looked at Dawn as if she were a mental case.
"No, miss, that's a book store. And that," he said pointing to the shop on the other side of the Leaky Cauldron, "is a record shop."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "I know that. I meant the one in the middle."
"In the midd-"
"Dawn?" Giles called her. Dawn left the weird cab guy as he scratched his head, trying to figure out what she was saying.
Giles leaned over to her and whispered, "He can't see the pub. Just for magical eyes only."
"Oh." Dawn smiled sweetly at the cab driver that seemed by now to be glad to be getting rid of her. After he was paid he screeched off.
Dawn picked up her suitcase and head inside the pub. Giles held the door open for her. It was dark and grubby looking. Some of the people there looked like they sorely needed a bath. Some of the inhabitants were very small. One was very large. He stood up when he saw her enter and she involuntarily took a step back. She swallowed back the fear and chided herself. Just because the man stood up, didn't mean he was coming over to see her. But no sooner had the thought crossed her mind did she hear the heavy footsteps and see the man approach. She was tall for a girl, but she had to crane her neck to see his face. His hair was very bushy and there was so much of it you could barely see a face under all of it. His clothes were a bit ratty and his duster looked like it had seen better centuries. Giles put a hand on Dawn's shoulder and steadied her.
"All right there, miss? All right there, sir?"
He seemed to be greeting them and Dawn tried to smile politely.
"Uh.hi."
"Rupert Giles," Giles said and held his hand out. "Are you Mr. Hagrid?"
The great man smiled a little. The sides of his moustache turned up a bit at the sides when he did. "It's just Hagrid. That's what everyone calls me. But yah, I'm Rubeus Hagrid Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." He seemed to wear that name proudly. Dawn smiled a little more genuinely this time.
"Ah, well, we can't be blockin' up the door, now can we?" He ushered Dawn and Giles away from the door.
"I'm Dawn Summers," she supplied.
"Well, o' course yeh are," he smiled down at her and offered her a chair where he had been sitting. "Rosmerta, one Butterbeer and one-" he looked at Giles. Giles smiled at the lady and supplied, "Bourbon." She nodded and went to fetch the drinks. When Hagrid wasn't looking and Giles was, Dawn mouthed 'Butterbeer'? Giles merely smiled.
"Now. Words gonna be out 'bout you, Dawn. No' many start at fifth year," Hagrid said a little conspiratorial. She smiled. He was kind of treating her like a ten year old, but she didn't mind so much from him.
"Well, I just hope I can catch up," she said and eyed the drink the woman put in front of her. It was dark and a little frothy, but it had a wonderful aroma.
"Ah, yer no' to worry. We've got the bes' professors here at Hogwarts, we do. Especially Albus Dumbledore." He smiled and the way he said the name, she guess he was important to Hagrid.
"Isn't he the school headmaster?" Dawn asked, screwing up her pretty face in thought.
"Yep, that's the one."
Dawn took a drink of the Butterbeer and was surprised at the warm feeling that seemed to spread from her mouth to all over her body. London's weather was quite damp this part of the year and she was glad for the warmth.
"Well, I suppose you wan' to take 'er through Diagon Alley, or do yer wanna leave 'er with me?" Hagrid asked Giles. Dawn looked at Giles, in alarm.
"I promised her I'd see her to the train, and I intend to," Giles said, more to reassure her than to be assertive. Hagrid just grunted his compliance and took another swallow of his drink. Dawn took the opportunity to just take in her surroundings and drink more of the Butterbeer.
Dawn wasn't sure she was ready to go when Hagrid signaled that it was time to by standing up and patting his large middle. But she too stood and grabbed her suitcase. Hagrid noticed the both of them carrying cases and kindly asked the man behind the counter to keep a hold of them for him. The bartender agreed and soon Dawn and Giles were free of their burden.
"Lots to carry in Diagon Alley. Need yer hands free, you do," Hagrid said as he walked to a back entrance to the pub. Dawn followed him while Giles brought up the rear. When they got outside, though, all she saw was a brick wall and a trashcan. She frowned.
"Not much of an alley, is it?" Dawn said. She wondered what they were getting out here.
"This ain' the alley. This is the door." Hagrid brought out from under his long coat a pink umbrella and he tapped a few bricks and suddenly the wall started to rearrange itself. She looked on in awe as it did so. Slowly, but surely, she could see Diagon Alley being revealed from behind.
People in long robes were bustling everyone along the alley. Dawn watched a few of them pass by her and she looked at their pointy hats. Then the shops started to distract her. She saw a shop full of different kinds of cauldrons, an owl shop, and a shop form magic books. Dawn smiled when she saw that. She was curious at how different it would be from the Magic Box. This whole alley seemed to be a bit of the Magic Box broken up in the many shops and then some. Although she was certain she never saw a flying broomstick in the Magic Box. She was curious as to how to maneuver it. But she figured she'd learn.
As they were walking a large building loomed in front of them and Dawn's eyes widened.
"What kind of store is that?" she asked in awe.
"Why, that's no store. That, there, is Gringotts. It's the bank," Hagrid announced. Dawn was visibly impressed. Soon, though, her emotions turned to fear as she spied a bunch of small demons just outside of and inside the bank.
"What kind of demons are those?" she asked Giles.
But before Giles could give his lengthy response Hagrid's voice broke in. "Those ain' no demons. They're goblins."
Giles' slowly closed his mouth, but added, "Quite right."
Hagrid smiled a satisfied smile. "This 'ere is jus' like bringin' Harry for the firs' time. Only I 'spect you know a bit more than he did about witches." He winked.
"Harry Potter?" Dawn said, recognizing the name. A man who was walking past them turned to look at her when the name left her lips and faintly echoed in the large building. She looked at the man and they stared at each other for a moment but then the moment passed and he turned his attention away.
"That's the one. Famous, he is." Dawn nodded, having heard the story and had some time to question Giles at leisure. Hagrid brought them to the front desk and Giles produced a small golden key. The goblins took them to what looked like a roller coaster ride, and suddenly they were zipping around as if that was what it really was. Hagrid opted to stay behind so it was only the goblin, she and Giles. She felt a little uneasy sitting next to something that if she saw in Sunnydale she'd be calling a demon. When they slowed and stopped, Dawn saw a vault numbered 821. She remembered Giles giving that number at the desk.
When the vault was opened, Dawn gasped at the shiny money she saw. She didn't quite understand the money system, but it looked like there was gold in that vault. She looked to Giles. "You hiding something from us, Giles?"
He smiled fondly to her and went inside. She followed while the goblin waited outside. "I should say not. As a matter of fact, I find it very difficult to keep a secret from any of you when you all get wind that I have one. Compliments of the Council." He started scooping money into a bag and she giggled, noticing the way her voice reverberated off the walls of the vault. After Giles was done and the purse was quite full, he turned and handed it to her. He grabbed a smaller purse and put a few more of the coins inside and put it in his own pocket. "Just in case," he said and pat the pocket the money was in.
"You'll need to teach me the money system." And on the way back, Giles tried explaining to her about Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. After a while he just told her he'd write it down. She shrugged sheepishly at him.
Going through Diagon Alley and buying her supplies was a lot of fun. Dawn got new robes, all her school books and a new book bag, got a bunch of potion supplies, and by the end of the trip she was feeling exuberant. She looked down at her list, "I only need a wand and can I get a pet?" she asked eagerly. Giles smiled and pointed to the wand shop. A sign that read: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. hung over the door. Dawn walked in with Hagrid and Giles.
At first glance, the shop seemed to be filled with nothing but dusty long boxes. There didn't seem to be a clerk in sight. Dawn started browsing at some of the pictures on the wall. She saw someone holding a really long wand and she grinned. "That's the one I want, right there," she said pointing to the wand.
"Sandalwood, fourteen and a half inches. Heartstring of a dragon in that one. Very supple wand, it was," a voice from behind them said. Dawn jumped. She turned and saw a man at least a foot and a half shorter than she. "No, no. You see, you don't select the wand, Miss. The wand selects you." His eyes widened a bit to emphasize and she got an eerie feeling about him.
"Well now," the man said, "what can I help you with?"
"Well, Mr. Ollivander, sir, she'll be needin' a wand for school."
"Yes, yes. Well. Let's see what we have back here." The man disappeared behind shelves and emerged a moment later with a box. "Let's try this one, shall we?" He opened the box and pulled out a long dark wand. "Mahogany, ten inches, dragon's heartstring," he said as he handed it to her. She took the wand and looked at it. She was largely unimpressed with it. She liked the wood, but she wanted a bigger wand. And she didn't know how keen she was on having an animal's heartstring inside her wand.
"Give it a bit of a wave and lets see how it fits you, shall we?"
Dawn shrugged and waved the wand a little, but before she got too much of a wave out of it, he snatched it from her, quickly. She jumped, startled at his quick and unexpected action. "No, no," he muttered, "that won't do." He came back to her a moment later with another wand. This one was longer and a lighter color. "Cedar, eleven inches, phoenix tail feather," he said as he handed it to her. She raised it to wave the wand but he snatched this one too from her. She frowned. She was beginning not to like wand shopping.
"Let's see. Twelve inch cherry with a dragon's heartstring again." She grimaced but took the wand anyway. And just to give it a good wave she stood back a second before she waved. Sparkling lights shot out of the wand and into one of the shelves, knocking over everything onto the floor. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks were burning with embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, but he seemed unconcerned about the mess she made.
"Seems not." He took the wand and seemed to be in thought. Suddenly the answer to whatever he was mulling over, seemed to come to him. "Just a moment," he said and hurried into the back of the shop. Dawn waited for him for what seemed like ten whole minutes before he bustled out with a box. The box looked suspiciously smaller and Dawn narrowed her eyes a bit. When Mr. Ollivander opened the box and pulled out the wand, Dawn bit her tongue to keep from saying no. She wanted a great big long wand, but this one couldn't be more than six inches long!
Confirming her assessment, Ollivander stated, "Redwood, five and a half inches, unicorn's hair. Bit of a heavier wand, but very manageable." The unicorn hair inside intrigued Dawn, so she decided to give it a chance. She wasn't sure what he was looking for, though. She seemed to be able to use the last one. She probably could have used the other two if he hadn't of stopped her. This time when the wand touched her hand she was prepared to give it a good wave, but without doing anything but merely holding it the wand and her hand glowed and she seemed to hear a bit of a voice on the wind. It sounded like Buffy but she couldn't make out the words. She just looked at the wand a moment while she heard Ollivander sigh in contentment.
"Very good wand, that one is. A very fine unicorn mare gave that hair to me when I kept her foal from being lead by an especially gifted Grindylow. May it help you see the greatness that can come from helping one in need, whether beast or man." He smiled and took the wand from her, packaging it back up in her box as Giles helped her work out the money.
"He's a little.strange," she said as she left the shop. Giles just smiled. "So.Giles? Can I get a pet?" she smiled at him sweetly, hoping to convince him.
"Of course," he said. "You may get an owl, a cat, or a toad."
"Well, definitely not a toad," she said pulling a face. "What would I do with an owl?" she asked.
"Well, in the wizarding world you send your post with owls."
"Huh?"
"You tie your note to the foot of an owl and they take and deliver your message. That's the wizards form of the post office," Giles tried to explain patiently.
"Oh." She tried to think if she should get a cat or an owl but she couldn't decide. "Well what do you do with cats?" she asked.
Giles looked at Hagrid who wasn't paying attention. When Dawn repeated the question he smiled. "Well, smart buggers they are. You can talk to them, some of 'em."
Dawn smiled. A talking cat or an owl? She thought maybe she should get the owl, just because she'd want to send letters, but she really wanted a cat.
"If you decide not ter get yerself an owl, the school's got plenty of 'em," Hagrid said, making up her mind.
"Then I'd like a cat," Dawn said, a dreamy smile on her face.
Hagrid and Giles stood behind talking to each other while Dawn peered through a window at the kittens that were on display. She smiled as they tackled each other and wrestled around. A particularly small kitten zoomed past the glass so fast that Dawn gave a bit of a start. She looked over to where the cat was coming from to see what had startled it when she saw two boys, roughly her age or a year older. One was holding a wand and they were both laughing. Something in their manner made Dawn think they zapped that poor little kitten. Dawn looked over at the kitten. It was the runt of the litter that much was obvious. It was a white long hair with the brightest blue eyes Dawn had ever seen on a living thing. It had a spot of black on its hind end and a dark gray tail. Black bands of hair swept across its brows making it look like it had bushy eyebrows. It was absolutely adorable and she glared at the two boys that were still snickering because of the injury they gave it. When the two boys looked like they were heading towards the tiny kitten again, Dawn hurried inside.
When inside, she instantly went over to the display window and stood on the side where the tortured kitten was curled up.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" she said, glaring at the two boys. Both boys were beefy, one was taller than the other, but they looked rather similar. Both of them wore cruel smiles on their faces. "Well, that is, if you can find someone your size," she shot at them.
They're eyes widened after a second, letting Dawn get a glimpse at how dull it was inside their heads. They headed toward Dawn, both with leers on their faces. They both had their wands out, but Dawn's wand was in the bag that Giles was carrying.
"Crabbe! Goyle!" a voice yelled. Dawn didn't take her glaring eyes off the two boys, but the boys jumped in response to their names being called. Finally, after they looked towards the yeller, she turned her head and looked as well. For a moment she thought she was seeing Spike as a young boy. She almost smiled at the thought, but he was sizing her up and she didn't want to appear dumb. His blonde hair was slicked back, much like Spike's sometimes was. His pale skin looked almost vampiric, and his eyes were a pale blue.
"Who are you?" the boy asked in a haughty tone. Dawn saw the way the toy boys flanked each side of the boy, so she was sure he was trouble.
"Keep your gorillas away from the kittens," she said, indicating Crabbe and Goyle. They narrowed their eyes at her, but didn't make a move. The blond boy's eyebrow raised and a smile crept over his lips.only it didn't seem like much of a friendly smile.
"Which cat?" he asked.
"All of them," Dawn said.
"Which cat?" he repeated, and although his eyes didn't leave Dawn, she knew he was speaking to the boys. Goyle pointed out the white runt. The boy smiled. "Draco."
Dawn frowned. "What?"
"That cat's name is Draco." Dawn looked at the shivering cat before looking back at the boy. "How can you tell?"
"I know the owner. The mother belonged to the owner and his boy loved this one. Called him Draco. He died of a terrible sickness before the cat was ever weaned."
Dawn's defenses went down and she quickly picked the cat up. She missed the laughter in the eyes of Crabbe and Goyle. The blond boy turned to them. "Don't mess with the cats again. Now go," he said harshly as he smiled and winked at them. They tried to keep from smiling as they left. They're heads were down to hide the mirth on their faces.
Dawn gave the boy a smile. Perhaps she had judged him too quickly. "I'm Dawn Summers, I'm new."
The boy smiled. "Malfoy. I'll be seeing you around Hogwarts, then." He smiled as he left. Dawn pet little Draco and she kissed him on the head before taking him to the counter to pay for him. When she walked out of the shop, the kitten in her hands, Malfoy and the others were nowhere to be seen.
*~*~*
Getting on the platform took a little while, due to the fact that Dawn didn't believe it could be done, but when Giles went through, she just closed her eyes and ran until she thought she should have hit the wall. When she stopped and opened her eyes, she saw a magnificent train. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. She looked up and saw she was on platform nine and three quarters. She smiled at Giles. Most of the baggage was left for someone else to pack onto the train, but she took what Hagrid said she'd need, like her robes and such. Little Draco was cuddled into her jacket, purring.
"Well, I guess this is it," Dawn said, unsure what else to say. Giles pulled her into a gentle hug, careful not to hurt the cat.
"Take care. And remember, you can come home anytime you like. You just let me know, ok?" Dawn nodded into his tweed jacket. Dawn laughed a little to cover the tears in her voice.
"You know, out here, you actually look like you fit in," she said, chuckling. After a moment of confusion on his part she pointed out his tweed and then another man who went by with the same material jacket on. Giles smiled warmly at her.
"Do you think this is what Mom would want?" she asked quietly.
Giles took a moment and then smiled and nodded. "I think she'd want you to do what you thought would make you happy." Dawn nodded and they parted. The whistle on the train blew and Dawn, throwing a kiss at Giles, boarded.
Giles said a silent prayer that she would survive this year, safely.
Dawn walked through the bus and peered into the different compartments. Finally she found one with only three students and she asked if she could sit with them. They let her, all of them smiling.
"I'm new. I'm Dawn Summers," she smiled at them. They all looked confused for a moment.
"You can't be new. You're a little old to be a first-year," said the redheaded boy in astonishment.
"Oh, I know," Dawn smiled, "I'm a fifth-year."
"Are you a transfer student from another school?" the girl asked.
"Well, kind of." Dawn said, unsure. If you counted the school she went to in Sunnydale, then she guessed she was transferring.
"What school did you go to?" the girl asked, watching her intently.
"Uh, from Sunnydale Jr High, which is kind of doubling for the High School at the moment." Dawn smiled at her. She was aware no one introduced themselves, but she was hoping she wouldn't have to ask.
"You transferred from a High School? You're from America, aren't you?"
Dawn nodded. The three seemed impressed by this. She was guessing she'd be one of few or the only person from America at Hogwarts.
"Well, I'm Hermione Granger. This is Ron Weasley," she said pointing to the red-head, "and this is Harry Potter," she said indicating the other. Dawn's eyes opened wide and she looked at Harry curiously. So this was Harry Potter. Harry smiled a little but she got the impression he didn't like her staring, so she stopped.
"It's nice to meet you three." A moment of silence was shared but then broken when Dawn's cat poked his head out of her jacket.
"Ooohh," Hermione cooed. "How adorable." She smiled at the kitten and then asked if she could hold him. Beside Hermione was a big ginger colored cat with a smooshed face, which was pointed at little Draco this moment. Dawn wasn't sure if her kitten would be safe. Hermione seemed to see where her eyes were looking.
"Oh, don't worry about Crookshanks, he's harmless," she said. The redheaded Ron snorted but said nothing. Finally Dawn let Hermione hold the kitten.
"He's so cute. He's got to be the cutest thing! Well, next to Crookshanks, of course," she said and pat her own cat. The cat didn't seem convinced but didn't protest. Dawn smiled. "What's his name? I bet he has the cutest name." She looked at Dawn expectantly.
"His name is Draco," she smiled in pride. But all three people gasped and froze, looking at her. Before she could ask what was wrong she heard great laughter from out in the hallway. She noticed the door was ajar and she could see a glimpse of blond hair behind the door. When it was shoved open and Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle came through, she knew something was up.
"You think my name is the cutest name in the world, Granger?" Malfoy said, laughing hysterically. Hermione looked at Dawn, almost accusingly, but from the confused look on her face, she figured she was a pawn as well. "Well I'm flattered you think I'm so cute, Granger, but unfortunately for you, I don't date Mudbloods." Harry and Ron both stood up quickly. Whatever a Mudblood was, Dawn was guessing it wasn't good. "And you," Malfoy turned and looked at her, sneering. "You meet me once and then name your cat after me? Was I really that good?" he said suggestively, making Dawn's eyes widen and her skin flush at what he seemed to be suggesting. Her blush only made the two behind him cackle more. But then she realized, a good portion of the school must be out there, laughing at her, all thinking that she, and Malfoy. Dawn thought she might be sick with the humiliation. She wanted to run but she had no idea where to go, as Draco Malfoy, as she was sure his name was now, was blocking her path.
Harry and Ron both stepped forward; Harry's wand was drawn. "I' think it's time you go."
Draco stopped laughing and looked at Harry, smiling cruelly. "Or what? You're going to beat me up?" His voice was mocking and it dripped with sarcasm. "Try it, Potter."
Ron had had enough. He quickly pulled Draco in and slammed him against a wall. Draco's eyes widened with shock but he didn't seem afraid. Crabbe and Goyle moved in but Harry kept his wand pointed at them, and they stopped, not sure what to do.
"You know, Harry faced the Dark Lord many times, but only two months ago he faced him after he had risen. He defeated him. What do you think you're chances are?" Ron's eyes had an eerie look to them and Draco looked from Ron to Harry.
Draco's expression had changed, but he clearly didn't want to show any weakness in front of these people. His face leaned towards Ron's and he said in a low deadly voice, "Get your hands off my robes, Weasley. You're father's yearly wages couldn't pay for the repairs on this robe should you rip it but a little bit." Ron's ears went red and Dawn really thought he was going to hit him. But Hermione, after dumping the kitten on Dawn, put her hand on Ron's arm.
"He isn't worth it, Ron. Just let him go."
Draco smiled a smile that reminded Dawn of Spike, once again. "Yeah, let me go Weasley, or your girlfriend's going to have a fit."
Ron sputtered a bit at the girlfriend bit. "She likely wants me to stand back so she can beat the snot out of you.again." Ron's eyes shown with pleasure as he saw Draco's darken at the memory. Ron moved back and shoved Draco into his two goons and when they had all stumbled out of the compartment, he closed the door, tight.
Dawn didn't know what to do or say. She couldn't believe she fell for Malfoy's name trick. She didn't want to look any of the three people in the faces, incase they believed that she and Malfoy.she was very embarrassed.
"You shouldn't let him bother you like that," she heard Harry say. "He's like that with everyone."
Dawn nodded, but still didn't look up.
"Honestly, Dawn. No one in here believes what he said," Hermione said comfortingly.
Dawn looked up and looked at all of them. She smiled a little at them, relieved. As Dawn looked at all their faces, she knew she had found her friends.
*~*~*
Freshly changed into her new robes, Dawn had been told to follow the first years and she sailed across the waters with them. The night was frosty but it was clear and she gasped and gapped as much as all the little eleven year olds around her as she spotted the huge castle that was to be her home for the next ten months. She could hardly believe it. She wondered if she'd have her own room or if she'd have a roommate. She wondered if she'd be bunking with the first years or with the fifth years. A lot of questions raced through her head as she anticipated what was to come.
After they reached land and climbed out of the boats, the first-years and Dawn all filed into the building. A very severe looking witch in a green robe and a hat met them at the top of the stairs they began to climb.
"Welcome to your first year at Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. The start of the term banquet will begin shortly, but first, you will all have to be sorted into your houses. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. It is important that you take heed of the sorting ceremony for your house will be your family for the rest of your stay at Hogwarts. Your triumphs will earn points for your house but your mistakes will earn you points deducted from your house. At the end of the year the house with the most points will be honored. Now, quickly line up, and I'll take you in to be sorted."
Dawn wasn't sure she'd like Professor McGonagall. She looked very strict and like she didn't know what a sense of humor was. She took a deep breath as she went inside. The Great Hall had four very long tables going lengthwise across the room while one shorter table went horizontally across the room. The adults seemed to be sitting at the shorter table. Dawn looked around for her new friends and found them sitting on the right of her. She hoped she was in their house.
Dawn looked up to see the banners hanging down and gasped at the sky she saw instead of a ceiling. This place was getting weirder and weirder. She knew she saw a roof from the outside. Finally all the students stopped before the adults. A brief speech was done about each house. Gryffindor was the house for the brave of heart while Ravenclaw was the house for the quick of mind. Hufflepuff was the house for great kindness while Slytherin was a house that coveted power. She looked at the banner above the Slytherin table. The snake shown proudly on it. She looked down and saw Draco smirking at her. Figures, she thought. She narrowed her eyes at him, but then he leaned over to whisper at a girl at that table and when he pointed at her she held her head high and looked straight ahead.
The Sorting Hat was placed on a small stool beside McGonagall. After a moment, the hat broke into song. Everyone waited until it was done and clapping ensued.
"I'll call your names and then you'll come up, place the hat on your head and be sorted," Professor McGonagall said. Dawn swallowed and hoped she wouldn't be called first.
The professor opened her mouth to speak when a man behind her stood up and spoke. "If I may have a word with the school before we start, Professor McGonagall?"
"Yes of course, Headmaster," she replied before promptly lowering her parchment list.
"I wish to greet you all to another year at Hogwarts!" He looked around and smiled. "So many new fresh faces as well as the most welcome older ones," he mused. "But we have a special circumstance with us today. A young lady who has transferred here from America to join us here at our humble school." Dawn felt her face flush immediately. "Dawn Summers, you'll notice is the tall girl among the first years. She will not be attending as a first year, though. She will be attending as a fifth year. Please make certain that you help her to find her way around, as she is quite a bit more disadvantaged than other fifth year students. Thank you." And with that, Professor Dumbledore sat down and afterwards his eyes smiled at her over his half-moon glasses.
McGonagall raised her parchment roll one more time and clearly called out, "Summers, Dawn!"
Dawn closed her eyes for a moment and then made her way through the gaggle of first years to get to the sorting hat. She picked up the raggedy hat and put it on her head after sitting on the stool. Instantly she could hear a voice inside her head.
"Hmm. Two choices I see. You'd do well in Hufflepuff but bravery steers me towards Gryffindor," the voice said ponderingly. Dawn frowned as she waited for the hat. She was so nervous, but she was trying, most of all, not to make eye contact with Malfoy. "Hmm, sure you wouldn't enjoy going into Slytherin?" The hat seemed to chuckle a little. Finally after a moment it yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"
She sighed in relief as the Gryffindor table burst into applause, and she went over to join them, taking a seat that Hermione saved her. She smiled proudly and then looked back to watch the rest of the ceremony.
When it was over, Dumbledore stood up again and she started to turn red just wondering what he might say next. When silence greeted him, Dumbledore spoke clearly to the house.
"A reminder to the students and a notification to the first years that the forest is forbidden to students. Also, Quidditch will resume this year." There was a ripple of cheers for that news. Dawn wanted to ask someone what Quidditch was, but she thought she should wait for later. "Also, a great many passageways which were once thought of as secret have now been discovered by a very useful item." Dumbledore seemed to look towards Dawn again, but then she realized he was looking at Harry Potter, across from her. "I will kindly ask that no one take these passageways, as they are not a secret any longer. The security of this school will be temporarily heightened until things become less dangerous. Any student found wandering around after curfew would be punished severely. Now, I think it is time." He clapped his hands and suddenly the plates before Dawn and everyone filled. Dawn's eyes grew big and she realized how hungry she was. Everyone hung in hesitation for a brief moment before everyone dug in. It was possibly the best supper Dawn had ever had.
She chatted slightly with the kids around her, tried to get to know their names. She fed her kitten scraps of her own food, and he ate it hungrily.
"So.I don't guess you're keeping the name you picked for him, are you?" Ron asked Dawn, indicating her kitten.
"No way!" she exclaimed. Ron smiled. "I just don't know what to name him now. He kind of looked like a Draco to me, after a while." Dawn thought about it for a moment. She thought about her sister and the memory pained her a little. She realized she hadn't really thought about her sister much today, though. Maybe being here was having a good effect on her. As her thoughts lingered on her sister for a moment, she smiled. "I think I'll name him, Angel." She smiled shyly at everyone. No one knew where the name had come from, and it did kind of fit him since he was mostly white. Hermione smiled.
"I think Angel is a much better name," she said and everyone laughed.
That night as their Prefect, Angelina Johnson, led the first years to their room, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Dawn all walked to the Gryffindor common room. As they did Hermione started to point out things to Dawn, commonly citing the book Hogwarts, A History. Dawn smiled and listened while she pretended not to see Harry and Ron roll their eyes every time she cited the book. They showed her the Fat Lady and told her the password. When she spoke it, ("Jellyfish.") the portrait opened and she climbed inside a comfortable room filled with nice chairs, plenty of room to move around, and tables to study by. A fireplace was crackling away, giving the place a nice glow.
Hermione and Dawn said goodnight to Harry and Ron. Hermione showed her to her bed. There were five beds in this room, which was marked Fifth Years. Dawn briefly wondered what happened to the girl who used to sleep in this bed, as she was sure it wasn't empty before she came along, but after a while she grew too tired to think. She looked around, noting that her stuff was here. She also noted the gold and maroonish colored scarf, gloves, and ties that were waiting for her. She quickly pulled on some pajamas, vowing to do her unpacking tomorrow, and quickly dozed to sleep, cuddled with Angel the kitten. Her last thought before sleep took her was that she had just had the most interesting day of her life.