Saz and I transferred to Hogwarts from Durmstrang. After the incident with
our old headteacher, Karakoff, our parents thought it wise to move us.
Towards the end of the summer holidays we had to go to Hogwarts to be
sorted into our houses. We stopped by Hogsmeade on the way to school and
bought some sweets from Honeydukes sweet shop. So we got sorted and then
went to stay at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley until term started. We
wandered around Diagon Alley and got to know it quite well. We bought our
school supplies and took some money out of our accounts at Gringotts.
The weekend before term started, on an unusually hot day, we sat outside of
Florean Fortrescue's Ice Cream Parlour munching our way through two giant
chocolate sundaes. We'd already got our owls, but I had to buy a black cat
to keep me company, as we were to be in different houses. As we'd already
bought our uniforms we were wearing our Hogwarts cloaks, even though it was
sweltering outside. My cat, Salem, who had been sitting quietly purring on
my lap, suddenly lept up and started hissing and spitting.
Ally: Salem! What on earth's the matter?
Saz: Could that be your answer?
A bandy legged ginger cat shot out from underneath the table. I looked up,
straight into the eyes of a bushy haired girl.
Girl: Would you mind keeping your cat under control?
I notice two boys standing behind her, looking rather worried.
Ginger Boy: Er, Hermione can't we just leave it and go?
Hermione: No! Not until she apologises for letting her cat attack mine!
Both boys give her a funny look, fortunately for them she's turned back
round to talk to me. I just sit and look at her.
Hermione: Well? Are you going to apologise?
Ally: I will if you will.
Hermione: What's that supposed to mean?
Ally: Your cat scared mine, my cat scared yours. We both apologise.
Hermione: Fine! I'm sorry my cat scared your cat.
Ally: I'm sorry mine scared yours. Would you like to join us for some ice
cream?
All three of them look at each other, I look at Saz. Salem jumps onto my
lap and stares at them.
Brown haired boy: Yeh sure we would. I'm Harry and this is Ron (he motions
to the Ginger boy) and Hermione.
Saz: Hi I'm Sarah, but please call me Saz, and this is Ally.
Ally: Hi.
So they sit down and Florean came and took our orders:
Harry - One Strawberry Sundae
Ron - Two Small Toffee Sundaes
Hermione - One small vanilla ice cream
Saz - One Strawberry Sundae
Ally - One large Mint Choc chip Sundae Surprise We talked while we ate, but no one mentioned school, apart from to say we were transferring to Hogwarts. Then we talked about quidditch and Hermione got a book out to read. They were all staying in the Leaky Cauldron too, so we planed to meet there for dinner. Hermione dragged Ron off to look in Flourish and Blotts, so Harry wandered around with us. We popped into the Apothecary to purchase some potions ingredients that weren't in when we went there before and then went to the Magical Menagerie to look at the animals. By the time we'd finished messing about it was time to head back to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner. Tom had already laid the table ready and steaming plates of food covered the surface. Dinner was a noisy affair, with Harry and Ron doing their best to beat each other in a who can shout the loudest competition. While Hermione looked on in disgust a full-scale food fight broke out and we had to be told to calm down by Tom. After dinner we sat in Harry's room playing exploding snap, except Hermione, who had got a face full of custard at dinner and decided to leave us to our own devices and read alone in her room. We talked a little about school, and discovered Ron was a prefect and so was Hermione. Saz: Well that explains a lot! This comment was met with hearty laughs, which turned into full scale howling as Ron set fire to his eyebrows for the fifth time that night. At about eleven o'clock we decided to turn in, as we had to be up early to catch a taxi to Kings Cross station for eleven o'clock the next morning. Tom knocked on our doors at nine the next day; to give us time to pack and have breakfast. We sat at the bar eating eggs and bacon, it was such a contrast to the day before. Then it had been sunny and bright and we had been loud at dinner, today it was dull and over cast and we were very quiet at breakfast. After breakfast our taxi arrived and we all bundled into the back. We got an odd look from the driver, as we were carrying four owls and two cats. Ally: We're going to a pet show in Manchester. Cab Driver: Oh I know the one you mean, good luck. Harry: Thanks. We sat cramped in the back with Hermione casting black looks at Ron. No one spoke on the way to the station. We paid the driver and grabbed three trolleys, one for Ron and Hermione's trunks, as they were going straight to the prefect carriage, one for Harry and Saz's trunks and one for my trunks, the owl cages and the cat basket. Ron and Hermione went through the barrier first, chatting to each other as they walked straight through. Harry, Saz and I leant on the barrier chatting and immediately we were on Platform 9 ¾. We didn't really fit in, in the wizarding world. There was Harry, wearing baggy trousers, trainers and a hoodie, Saz, wearing baggy trousers, trainers and a black top with a pink zip, and there was me, wearing bootleg jeans, beige stiletto boots and a beige tank top with ruffles at the front. We went to find an empty carriage; by the time we found one the train was about to leave. We quickly dumped our stuff and got settled in. I let Salem out and he curled up in the chair next to Harry. Harry and Saz started to play wizards chess and as neither was very good they decided that it wasn't a serious game. I sat and began to read Standard Book of Spells: Grade 7. After about half an hour Hermione poked her head round the compartment door. Saz and Harry were currently setting fire to each other playing exploding snap, and I was over half way through Standard Book of Spells: Grade 7. Hermione nodded to herself and went to leave, and then she noticed what book I was reading. Hermione: Ally? Ally: (without looking up from my book) Hermione? Hermione: Have you read Standard Book of Spells Grades 1 to 6? Ally: Yes Hermione: Oh Then she left. All three of us burst out laughing. Harry: Did you see her face it was a picture! Saz: Yeh! After we regained our senses, the lady came round with the food cart. We bought some of everything. I bought five chocolate frogs. Harry opened a packet of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, and started sharing them with Saz. I opened a Chocolate Frog; let it jump into the air and the grabbed it. Harry: You've obviously eaten those before. Ally: Yup they're delicious! Oh, man! I got Dumbledore again! Harry and Saz laughed. We'd been on the train nearly three hours now, and the novelty of exploding snap had started to wear off. So they started to play with Salem. At first he doesn't want to know, but after a while he can't help himself. I just sat and watched. Suddenly the compartment door rolled open, and a blonde haired boy stepped in. Harry was kneeling down on the floor behind the cat basket. As Saz was standing in front of it and turned round to face the blonde boy, the blonde boy didn't see him there. Ally: Who the hell are you? Boy: Draco Malfoy, you must be the new girls. Saz: Yes we are and we do have names. I'm Sarah and this is Ally. Draco: Ally.. You're the new Slytherin aren't you? Ally: So what if I am? What's it to you? Draco: Didn't Dumbledore tell you? Saz: Tell her what? Draco: She's also the new Slytherin prefect, now Pansy Parkinson's left. Along with me, of course. Harry now stood up. Malfoy looked him up and down, and then turned back to me. Draco: Well I'll have to teach you a thing or two about who you choose for friends. Don't want you hanging around with the wrong sort do we? Ally: Who are you to tell me what to do? I already have friends, or are you offering your friendship? Draco: Yes I suppose I am offering you my friendship. Ally: I've been talking to you for five minutes and already I dislike you, take your friendship and shove it where the sun don't shine! Harry: You heard her Malfoy get lost! She doesn't want you, she's the first Slytherin I've met that has sense and I like her. Ally: Oh I never said I didn't want him. I just said I didn't want his friendship at this precise moment. Harry & Saz: WHAT???? Ally: He's beginning to grow on me, so if you'll excuse me I'll take my luggage to the prefect carriage. Saz, don't look so worried I'll write to you don't worry, he can stop me seeing you but he can't stop me being your friend. And you Harry. I took my stuff from the luggage rack and followed Draco down the train. When we reached the prefect carriage we had a compartment to ourselves. Draco: This is the Slytherin compartment. Ally: I kinda gathered. I put my stuff away, and then we got changed into our uniforms. I pinned my prefect badge on my jumper and walked out into the corridor, straight into Hermione and Ron. Ally: Oh, hi. Hermione: You're a Slytherin?! Ally: Yeh. Ron: And a prefect?! Ally: Looks like it. Hermione: Now I know why I didn't like you, what about your friend is she a Slytherin too? Ally: No. She's in Gryffindor with you. Ron: Who's the other Slytherin prefect then? Malfoy joined us in the corridor, put his arm round my waist, and squeezed me gently. Draco: Weasel, Mudblood. How nice to see you. Ron: Malfoy. Hermione: I might have known! Draco: Nice to know I'm the hot topic of conversation. Now if you two losers will excuse us we're going to meet the rest of Slytherin and I'm going to show off our hot new prefect, have a nice day. Ally: (smiling) Bye! We wandered down to the back of the train, where all of Slytherin seemed to be gathered. There were a couple of Gryffindors giving us hateful looks, but mostly the faces were Slytherin. Then we bumped into Ginny Weasley. Draco: Oh look, another Weasley. Ginny: Shut your face Malfoy! Ally: You wanna watch who you tell to shut up little girl, or you might just end up with me giving you detention. Ginny: Who's your girlfriend Malfoy? Draco: The new Slytherin prefect. Ally O'Connor. Ginny: Well Miss O'Connor. I'll have you know my brothers a prefect too and if you give me detention he'll curse you. Ally: Well Miss Weasley I'll have you know if your brother even thinks about cursing me he'll end up with his wand so far up his backside he'll be begging you to take the detention. Ginny took one look at Malfoy and legged it up the train. Malfoy grinned at me. Draco: For the new girl you sure know how to scare younger kids. Ally: All part of being a Slytherin prefect. Besides I can't stand it when younger kids mouth off at older kids. We decided to go back to tour compartment because it had started to get boring and there was no one around. So we sat down and started to chat about our lessons, most of which were with Gryffindor last year, so they might be this year. We couldn't think of anything else to say, so we sat in silence. After ten minutes I fell asleep on Malfoy's shoulder, after fifteen he'd fallen asleep too. The train coming to a halt and my trunk bashing into Malfoy's woke us up. Salem was sitting alert on the opposite chair and staring at the door. I stretched and got up to look out of the door, to see what was going on. Then I heard the carriage doors banging and felt the cold air rush in from outside. I looked around at Malfoy, he was grinning. Draco: Welcome to Hogwarts. I smiled and picked up Salem. He meowed a protest, but I put him in his basket anyway. Our owls started hooting; they knew we'd arrived. Malfoy got up and lead me off the train. I briefly caught sight of Harry and Saz, walking arm in arm down the platform, but soon they were lost in a sea of students. I looked at Malfoy, he hadn't stopped smiling since we got off the train, then I realised why. All of the sixth years were turning to look at us, I was the new girl and I was hanging round with Draco Malfoy. I could feel myself blushing, which was strange because I didn't usually get embarrassed. Malfoy guided me into a horseless, black carriage and pulled the door shut. Immediately the carriage began to move. Ally: What pulls these things? Draco: Some magical creature, one you can only see if you've seen someone die. Ally: Thestrals? Draco: Yeh, that's them. Ally: So.Are there any privileges, being a prefect? Draco: Well, let's see.you can give detentions, deduct house points, and you get your own room. Ally: My own room.cool and there aren't, like, any traps on the doors to prevent certain people getting in? Draco: Not that I know of we'll have to try it out when we get there. The carriage comes to a halt. Draco: Well here we are. We stepped out onto the grass; I drew my cloak in around me to shut out the cold. We shepherded a group of Slytherin second years into the Great Hall, and took our places at the table. There were only a few seats left, as we had been some of the last students off of the train. We managed to get two seats together though; I could see Saz and Harry across the hall, chatting away like they had known each other all their lives. Saz caught sight of me watching her and waved; I smiled in return. The Great Hall fell silent as Professor Dumbledore stood to address us. Dumbledore: Now, for the sorting ceremony. The whole of Slytherin table groaned, including me. I sat staring at my plate, wishing it to fill with food. Malfoy was fiddling with a knife on the table and another Slytherin was reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. The sorting seemed to take forever, until finally the disjointed applause stopped and the hall fell silent again. I looked up; Dumbledore was standing again. I yawned and continued to stare at my plate while he made his start of term speech. Dumbledore: Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I hope you all enjoyed the summer; hot as it was. A few start of term notices; the list of forbidden items will be on Mr. Filch's door as usual, the forbidden forest is out of bounds and finally we have an old friend returning to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. May I introduce to those who don't know him, Professor Lupin. The whole of Gryffindor were on their feet applauding. I leant back on the bench to talk to Malfoy. Ally: Who the hell's he and why do Gryffindor love him? Draco: He was our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in third year; he's a werewolf. He favours Gryffindor though, just because Potter and Granger are in there. I nodded; favouritism had been a problem at my old school. Dumbledore waved his hands in the air to silence us. Ally: What now? I'm starving. Dumbledore: Let the feasting commence. Ally: Oh. Suddenly there was food everywhere. There was light-hearted banter between mouthfuls of chicken and potatoes. The whole of Slytherin seemed to be laughing and joking. While the teachers sat and quietly talked the students argued, laughed and chatted about the year ahead. The food was good and, to me, the company was better. I was going to fit in well here, I could tell. After a three-course meal Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat again. Ally: Is he always this boring? Draco: Always. Dumbledore: You will now proceed to your dormitories. Prefects stay behind; we will allocate your rooms. Draco: Excellent, we get preferential treatment. Ally: Cool! We stayed sitting until the rest of the students had left, then we stood up and went over to the teachers table. Malfoy had his arm round my waist again, but I didn't notice until Hermione gave us a filthy look. I didn't tell him to let go though, I was enjoying getting on Hermione's nerves more than she realised. Dumbledore: You will follow your Head of house to your rooms. Each house has two prefect rooms these will be next to each other, in case of emergency. Mr. Malfoy, I hope you have told our new prefect the rules? Draco: Yes Professor. Dumbledore: Good now off you go, lessons will start after breakfast tomorrow. Don't be late. I followed Malfoy over to a greasy haired teacher, who had squinty eyes. He looked me up and down, smiled then stood up. Draco: Professor Snape, this is Ally O'Connor, the new student. Snape: Good Evening Mr. Malfoy, Miss. O'Connor. Ally: Good Evening Professor Snape. Snape: Follow me to your rooms. Then he swept away with a swish of his cloak. Malfoy and I looked at each other and followed. It was like a scene from a horror movie, with the creepy hotel guy and the two helpless kids, fortunately I knew it wasn't a horror film. We followed in silence as Snape lead us down towards the dungeons. Finally he stopped next to two doors. Snape: These are your rooms; you can fight it out yourself who gets which one. Then he quite literally vanished. We opened the door in front of us, left it open, and then opened the other. Something didn't seem to be quite right. Malfoy went in one door, and I went in the other. Then we turned to face each other, and collapsed in a fit of giggles. There was no wall between the doors! We had one room but two doors, to make it look like two rooms. Our trunks had already been unpacked and there was a roaring log fire going in the fireplace. We dumped our cloaks on our beds and went to sit by the fire, in a lounge sort of area. There were two other doors leading out of our room, one had a plaque on it saying 'Bathroom' and the other had a plaque saying 'Common Room'. Salem was already laying on the fireside rug purring, and both our owls were perched on the end of my four- poster bed. We sat down and started to chat about our teachers. Malfoy turned out to be quite sensitive really; when I asked him about his parents he started to open up even more. Draco: I hate my parents, my father bullies me, and then I take it out on my friends. I wish I didn't have to live with them. Ally: Oh We were silent for quite a while after that. I had no idea what to say, so I got up and got ready for bed. The bathroom was huge; there was a bath the size of a swimming pool and it had all kinds of bubble bath. I came out of the bathroom and walked smack, bang into Malfoy and fell over. Ally: Ow! Draco: (helping me up) Sorry, I'd forgotten the door was there. Ally: That's ok, it was my fault too I should have looked where I was going. I picked my stuff up and walked over to my bed. Throwing my dressing gown on the end of my bed, I climbed in. it was like heaven, the bed was warm and soft, and I couldn't feel any springs poking me in the back. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling for ten minutes. Malfoy came out of the bathroom wearing black boxer shorts, and got into bed too. I heard him blow out the candle on his bedside table; I blew mine out too. Draco: Night Ally. Ally: Night Draco. The first thing I became aware of when I woke up the next morning was someone tickling my ear. I opened my eyes and turned over to look at what ever it was that was aggravating me. Malfoy was staring back at me, fully dressed and brandishing an eagle feather quill. I scowled at him and turned over again. This time he started tickling the back of my neck. I stretched and sat up in bed. Pulling my dressing gown on, I snatched the quill from him and chased him around the room tickling him, until he begged me to stop. I looked at the clock; it was half past six in the morning. I punched Malfoy on the arm. Ally: What did you get me up this early for? Draco: I was bored, so I decide to wake you up so we could go to breakfast.
Ally: What time do lessons start? Draco: Nine o'clock Ally: Fine I'm going to get dressed then we can go to breakfast, actually I'm starving. I open my trunk and pull out my uniform. I managed to find most of it, my jumper, my plain grey kilt, my knee-high grey socks, and my tie, but I couldn't find my shirt. Ally: Draco.Have you seen my shirt? I looked up at him; he had a sly grin on his face and was holding my shirt in his hand. Draco: Is this the one you're looking for? Ally: Yes, give it. Draco: You'll have to catch me first. Ally: We'll see about that. I pulled out my wand, Draco went as white as a sheet. Draco: What are you going to do? Ally: Hmmm, let's see.Accio shirt. My shirt flew out of his hand and across the room. I caught it and gathered up the rest of my clothes. Malfoy had gone and sat down, so I went and got changed. When I came out of the bathroom, Malfoy was sitting in the chair stroking Salem. I put my shoes on and picked up my cloak. Ally: Are you ready? Draco: When you are. Ally: Let's go then. He grabbed his cloak and we walked into the common room. It was only seven o'clock, so there wasn't anyone around.
Harry - One Strawberry Sundae
Ron - Two Small Toffee Sundaes
Hermione - One small vanilla ice cream
Saz - One Strawberry Sundae
Ally - One large Mint Choc chip Sundae Surprise We talked while we ate, but no one mentioned school, apart from to say we were transferring to Hogwarts. Then we talked about quidditch and Hermione got a book out to read. They were all staying in the Leaky Cauldron too, so we planed to meet there for dinner. Hermione dragged Ron off to look in Flourish and Blotts, so Harry wandered around with us. We popped into the Apothecary to purchase some potions ingredients that weren't in when we went there before and then went to the Magical Menagerie to look at the animals. By the time we'd finished messing about it was time to head back to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner. Tom had already laid the table ready and steaming plates of food covered the surface. Dinner was a noisy affair, with Harry and Ron doing their best to beat each other in a who can shout the loudest competition. While Hermione looked on in disgust a full-scale food fight broke out and we had to be told to calm down by Tom. After dinner we sat in Harry's room playing exploding snap, except Hermione, who had got a face full of custard at dinner and decided to leave us to our own devices and read alone in her room. We talked a little about school, and discovered Ron was a prefect and so was Hermione. Saz: Well that explains a lot! This comment was met with hearty laughs, which turned into full scale howling as Ron set fire to his eyebrows for the fifth time that night. At about eleven o'clock we decided to turn in, as we had to be up early to catch a taxi to Kings Cross station for eleven o'clock the next morning. Tom knocked on our doors at nine the next day; to give us time to pack and have breakfast. We sat at the bar eating eggs and bacon, it was such a contrast to the day before. Then it had been sunny and bright and we had been loud at dinner, today it was dull and over cast and we were very quiet at breakfast. After breakfast our taxi arrived and we all bundled into the back. We got an odd look from the driver, as we were carrying four owls and two cats. Ally: We're going to a pet show in Manchester. Cab Driver: Oh I know the one you mean, good luck. Harry: Thanks. We sat cramped in the back with Hermione casting black looks at Ron. No one spoke on the way to the station. We paid the driver and grabbed three trolleys, one for Ron and Hermione's trunks, as they were going straight to the prefect carriage, one for Harry and Saz's trunks and one for my trunks, the owl cages and the cat basket. Ron and Hermione went through the barrier first, chatting to each other as they walked straight through. Harry, Saz and I leant on the barrier chatting and immediately we were on Platform 9 ¾. We didn't really fit in, in the wizarding world. There was Harry, wearing baggy trousers, trainers and a hoodie, Saz, wearing baggy trousers, trainers and a black top with a pink zip, and there was me, wearing bootleg jeans, beige stiletto boots and a beige tank top with ruffles at the front. We went to find an empty carriage; by the time we found one the train was about to leave. We quickly dumped our stuff and got settled in. I let Salem out and he curled up in the chair next to Harry. Harry and Saz started to play wizards chess and as neither was very good they decided that it wasn't a serious game. I sat and began to read Standard Book of Spells: Grade 7. After about half an hour Hermione poked her head round the compartment door. Saz and Harry were currently setting fire to each other playing exploding snap, and I was over half way through Standard Book of Spells: Grade 7. Hermione nodded to herself and went to leave, and then she noticed what book I was reading. Hermione: Ally? Ally: (without looking up from my book) Hermione? Hermione: Have you read Standard Book of Spells Grades 1 to 6? Ally: Yes Hermione: Oh Then she left. All three of us burst out laughing. Harry: Did you see her face it was a picture! Saz: Yeh! After we regained our senses, the lady came round with the food cart. We bought some of everything. I bought five chocolate frogs. Harry opened a packet of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, and started sharing them with Saz. I opened a Chocolate Frog; let it jump into the air and the grabbed it. Harry: You've obviously eaten those before. Ally: Yup they're delicious! Oh, man! I got Dumbledore again! Harry and Saz laughed. We'd been on the train nearly three hours now, and the novelty of exploding snap had started to wear off. So they started to play with Salem. At first he doesn't want to know, but after a while he can't help himself. I just sat and watched. Suddenly the compartment door rolled open, and a blonde haired boy stepped in. Harry was kneeling down on the floor behind the cat basket. As Saz was standing in front of it and turned round to face the blonde boy, the blonde boy didn't see him there. Ally: Who the hell are you? Boy: Draco Malfoy, you must be the new girls. Saz: Yes we are and we do have names. I'm Sarah and this is Ally. Draco: Ally.. You're the new Slytherin aren't you? Ally: So what if I am? What's it to you? Draco: Didn't Dumbledore tell you? Saz: Tell her what? Draco: She's also the new Slytherin prefect, now Pansy Parkinson's left. Along with me, of course. Harry now stood up. Malfoy looked him up and down, and then turned back to me. Draco: Well I'll have to teach you a thing or two about who you choose for friends. Don't want you hanging around with the wrong sort do we? Ally: Who are you to tell me what to do? I already have friends, or are you offering your friendship? Draco: Yes I suppose I am offering you my friendship. Ally: I've been talking to you for five minutes and already I dislike you, take your friendship and shove it where the sun don't shine! Harry: You heard her Malfoy get lost! She doesn't want you, she's the first Slytherin I've met that has sense and I like her. Ally: Oh I never said I didn't want him. I just said I didn't want his friendship at this precise moment. Harry & Saz: WHAT???? Ally: He's beginning to grow on me, so if you'll excuse me I'll take my luggage to the prefect carriage. Saz, don't look so worried I'll write to you don't worry, he can stop me seeing you but he can't stop me being your friend. And you Harry. I took my stuff from the luggage rack and followed Draco down the train. When we reached the prefect carriage we had a compartment to ourselves. Draco: This is the Slytherin compartment. Ally: I kinda gathered. I put my stuff away, and then we got changed into our uniforms. I pinned my prefect badge on my jumper and walked out into the corridor, straight into Hermione and Ron. Ally: Oh, hi. Hermione: You're a Slytherin?! Ally: Yeh. Ron: And a prefect?! Ally: Looks like it. Hermione: Now I know why I didn't like you, what about your friend is she a Slytherin too? Ally: No. She's in Gryffindor with you. Ron: Who's the other Slytherin prefect then? Malfoy joined us in the corridor, put his arm round my waist, and squeezed me gently. Draco: Weasel, Mudblood. How nice to see you. Ron: Malfoy. Hermione: I might have known! Draco: Nice to know I'm the hot topic of conversation. Now if you two losers will excuse us we're going to meet the rest of Slytherin and I'm going to show off our hot new prefect, have a nice day. Ally: (smiling) Bye! We wandered down to the back of the train, where all of Slytherin seemed to be gathered. There were a couple of Gryffindors giving us hateful looks, but mostly the faces were Slytherin. Then we bumped into Ginny Weasley. Draco: Oh look, another Weasley. Ginny: Shut your face Malfoy! Ally: You wanna watch who you tell to shut up little girl, or you might just end up with me giving you detention. Ginny: Who's your girlfriend Malfoy? Draco: The new Slytherin prefect. Ally O'Connor. Ginny: Well Miss O'Connor. I'll have you know my brothers a prefect too and if you give me detention he'll curse you. Ally: Well Miss Weasley I'll have you know if your brother even thinks about cursing me he'll end up with his wand so far up his backside he'll be begging you to take the detention. Ginny took one look at Malfoy and legged it up the train. Malfoy grinned at me. Draco: For the new girl you sure know how to scare younger kids. Ally: All part of being a Slytherin prefect. Besides I can't stand it when younger kids mouth off at older kids. We decided to go back to tour compartment because it had started to get boring and there was no one around. So we sat down and started to chat about our lessons, most of which were with Gryffindor last year, so they might be this year. We couldn't think of anything else to say, so we sat in silence. After ten minutes I fell asleep on Malfoy's shoulder, after fifteen he'd fallen asleep too. The train coming to a halt and my trunk bashing into Malfoy's woke us up. Salem was sitting alert on the opposite chair and staring at the door. I stretched and got up to look out of the door, to see what was going on. Then I heard the carriage doors banging and felt the cold air rush in from outside. I looked around at Malfoy, he was grinning. Draco: Welcome to Hogwarts. I smiled and picked up Salem. He meowed a protest, but I put him in his basket anyway. Our owls started hooting; they knew we'd arrived. Malfoy got up and lead me off the train. I briefly caught sight of Harry and Saz, walking arm in arm down the platform, but soon they were lost in a sea of students. I looked at Malfoy, he hadn't stopped smiling since we got off the train, then I realised why. All of the sixth years were turning to look at us, I was the new girl and I was hanging round with Draco Malfoy. I could feel myself blushing, which was strange because I didn't usually get embarrassed. Malfoy guided me into a horseless, black carriage and pulled the door shut. Immediately the carriage began to move. Ally: What pulls these things? Draco: Some magical creature, one you can only see if you've seen someone die. Ally: Thestrals? Draco: Yeh, that's them. Ally: So.Are there any privileges, being a prefect? Draco: Well, let's see.you can give detentions, deduct house points, and you get your own room. Ally: My own room.cool and there aren't, like, any traps on the doors to prevent certain people getting in? Draco: Not that I know of we'll have to try it out when we get there. The carriage comes to a halt. Draco: Well here we are. We stepped out onto the grass; I drew my cloak in around me to shut out the cold. We shepherded a group of Slytherin second years into the Great Hall, and took our places at the table. There were only a few seats left, as we had been some of the last students off of the train. We managed to get two seats together though; I could see Saz and Harry across the hall, chatting away like they had known each other all their lives. Saz caught sight of me watching her and waved; I smiled in return. The Great Hall fell silent as Professor Dumbledore stood to address us. Dumbledore: Now, for the sorting ceremony. The whole of Slytherin table groaned, including me. I sat staring at my plate, wishing it to fill with food. Malfoy was fiddling with a knife on the table and another Slytherin was reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. The sorting seemed to take forever, until finally the disjointed applause stopped and the hall fell silent again. I looked up; Dumbledore was standing again. I yawned and continued to stare at my plate while he made his start of term speech. Dumbledore: Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I hope you all enjoyed the summer; hot as it was. A few start of term notices; the list of forbidden items will be on Mr. Filch's door as usual, the forbidden forest is out of bounds and finally we have an old friend returning to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. May I introduce to those who don't know him, Professor Lupin. The whole of Gryffindor were on their feet applauding. I leant back on the bench to talk to Malfoy. Ally: Who the hell's he and why do Gryffindor love him? Draco: He was our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in third year; he's a werewolf. He favours Gryffindor though, just because Potter and Granger are in there. I nodded; favouritism had been a problem at my old school. Dumbledore waved his hands in the air to silence us. Ally: What now? I'm starving. Dumbledore: Let the feasting commence. Ally: Oh. Suddenly there was food everywhere. There was light-hearted banter between mouthfuls of chicken and potatoes. The whole of Slytherin seemed to be laughing and joking. While the teachers sat and quietly talked the students argued, laughed and chatted about the year ahead. The food was good and, to me, the company was better. I was going to fit in well here, I could tell. After a three-course meal Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat again. Ally: Is he always this boring? Draco: Always. Dumbledore: You will now proceed to your dormitories. Prefects stay behind; we will allocate your rooms. Draco: Excellent, we get preferential treatment. Ally: Cool! We stayed sitting until the rest of the students had left, then we stood up and went over to the teachers table. Malfoy had his arm round my waist again, but I didn't notice until Hermione gave us a filthy look. I didn't tell him to let go though, I was enjoying getting on Hermione's nerves more than she realised. Dumbledore: You will follow your Head of house to your rooms. Each house has two prefect rooms these will be next to each other, in case of emergency. Mr. Malfoy, I hope you have told our new prefect the rules? Draco: Yes Professor. Dumbledore: Good now off you go, lessons will start after breakfast tomorrow. Don't be late. I followed Malfoy over to a greasy haired teacher, who had squinty eyes. He looked me up and down, smiled then stood up. Draco: Professor Snape, this is Ally O'Connor, the new student. Snape: Good Evening Mr. Malfoy, Miss. O'Connor. Ally: Good Evening Professor Snape. Snape: Follow me to your rooms. Then he swept away with a swish of his cloak. Malfoy and I looked at each other and followed. It was like a scene from a horror movie, with the creepy hotel guy and the two helpless kids, fortunately I knew it wasn't a horror film. We followed in silence as Snape lead us down towards the dungeons. Finally he stopped next to two doors. Snape: These are your rooms; you can fight it out yourself who gets which one. Then he quite literally vanished. We opened the door in front of us, left it open, and then opened the other. Something didn't seem to be quite right. Malfoy went in one door, and I went in the other. Then we turned to face each other, and collapsed in a fit of giggles. There was no wall between the doors! We had one room but two doors, to make it look like two rooms. Our trunks had already been unpacked and there was a roaring log fire going in the fireplace. We dumped our cloaks on our beds and went to sit by the fire, in a lounge sort of area. There were two other doors leading out of our room, one had a plaque on it saying 'Bathroom' and the other had a plaque saying 'Common Room'. Salem was already laying on the fireside rug purring, and both our owls were perched on the end of my four- poster bed. We sat down and started to chat about our teachers. Malfoy turned out to be quite sensitive really; when I asked him about his parents he started to open up even more. Draco: I hate my parents, my father bullies me, and then I take it out on my friends. I wish I didn't have to live with them. Ally: Oh We were silent for quite a while after that. I had no idea what to say, so I got up and got ready for bed. The bathroom was huge; there was a bath the size of a swimming pool and it had all kinds of bubble bath. I came out of the bathroom and walked smack, bang into Malfoy and fell over. Ally: Ow! Draco: (helping me up) Sorry, I'd forgotten the door was there. Ally: That's ok, it was my fault too I should have looked where I was going. I picked my stuff up and walked over to my bed. Throwing my dressing gown on the end of my bed, I climbed in. it was like heaven, the bed was warm and soft, and I couldn't feel any springs poking me in the back. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling for ten minutes. Malfoy came out of the bathroom wearing black boxer shorts, and got into bed too. I heard him blow out the candle on his bedside table; I blew mine out too. Draco: Night Ally. Ally: Night Draco. The first thing I became aware of when I woke up the next morning was someone tickling my ear. I opened my eyes and turned over to look at what ever it was that was aggravating me. Malfoy was staring back at me, fully dressed and brandishing an eagle feather quill. I scowled at him and turned over again. This time he started tickling the back of my neck. I stretched and sat up in bed. Pulling my dressing gown on, I snatched the quill from him and chased him around the room tickling him, until he begged me to stop. I looked at the clock; it was half past six in the morning. I punched Malfoy on the arm. Ally: What did you get me up this early for? Draco: I was bored, so I decide to wake you up so we could go to breakfast.
Ally: What time do lessons start? Draco: Nine o'clock Ally: Fine I'm going to get dressed then we can go to breakfast, actually I'm starving. I open my trunk and pull out my uniform. I managed to find most of it, my jumper, my plain grey kilt, my knee-high grey socks, and my tie, but I couldn't find my shirt. Ally: Draco.Have you seen my shirt? I looked up at him; he had a sly grin on his face and was holding my shirt in his hand. Draco: Is this the one you're looking for? Ally: Yes, give it. Draco: You'll have to catch me first. Ally: We'll see about that. I pulled out my wand, Draco went as white as a sheet. Draco: What are you going to do? Ally: Hmmm, let's see.Accio shirt. My shirt flew out of his hand and across the room. I caught it and gathered up the rest of my clothes. Malfoy had gone and sat down, so I went and got changed. When I came out of the bathroom, Malfoy was sitting in the chair stroking Salem. I put my shoes on and picked up my cloak. Ally: Are you ready? Draco: When you are. Ally: Let's go then. He grabbed his cloak and we walked into the common room. It was only seven o'clock, so there wasn't anyone around.