Title: Shrouded in Darkness

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Summary: When Dante's nightmare comes to life, he discovers things about himself, and his past.

Chapter Three: The Group

When I woke up the next morning, I felt the same as I always did after a night of chasing nightmares away, tired and irritable. This was not helped much when I couldn't remember where I was for a moment. Then the memories of the previous day flooded my mind like water into a dry river.

I pulled back the curtains and was nearly blinded by the sun. From the blissful lack of noise, I assumed everyone else had gone. "I hope it's time for breakfast." I thought to myself. I hadn't eaten anything for a few days. "That potion the nurse gave me must have dulled my other senses." I would ponder that thought later.

I climbed out of bed and discovered a large, wooden trunk at the foot of my bed. I opened it and found numerous things inside, including clothes, books, and a small black bag, which jingled when I picked it up. Inside was a note in a very flourished writing, sitting on top of coins.

"Dante, here are some clothes and books which you will need for your classes. We'll deal with your wand situation later. I took this money from your bank account in America.
-Albus Dumbledore"

"Well, at least that solves one problem." I changed rather quickly, hesitating for a moment with the robes, but everyone was probably wearing them as well.

As I left my dormitory, I realized I had no idea of how to get to wherever it was these people ate. I found my answer waiting for me in the common room.

"Good morning, Dante." It was Hermione. "Hungry?" I simply nodded. "I'll show you where the Great Hall is." She walked towards the tower exit, and when I hesitated to follow, she called out. "Are you coming or not? I have no qualms about leaving you behind."

My lips twitched slightly into a half smile. Once you got over this girl's good-doer attitude, she was okay.

Down many flights of stairs, through a few hidden passageways and a final descent of a marble staircase and our journey was over.

"Here we are." Hermione said cheerfully. I rolled my eyes at her. "Well, let's go." She pushed open one of the two heavy halves that made up an enormous portal into the even grander hall beyond.

As I passed through the archway, I got a sudden shiver as if an electric shock had just ran through my body. But it only lasted a second, and Hermione hadn't noticed. Instead, the prefect was walking towards one of the four long tables situated in the hall. Dumbledore's silver beard caught my eye up at the staff table.

"Everyone, this is Dante Gandillion." Hermione said to a group of students, who stopped talking briefly to check me over. Some gave warm smiles before returning to their previous conversations.

"Hey, Dante!" Someone practically shouted. I turned to face the person.

She was tall and graceful, with curly black hair that reached to the middle of her back. Her eyes were hazel and seemed to immediately pierce your soul. Her skin was a creamy white, and she walked with the confidence of someone who knew what they wanted from life, as well as how to get it.

"I'm Ethel." She said, extending her hand, which I shook. "This is Serena." She said, gesturing at a girl who merely lifted her hand and then put it back on her knee. "She's a bit out of it sometimes." Ethel joked.

Serena, however, seemed to be quietly observing everything going on around her. You could almost see her taking in everything through those black as night eyes. Her hair was perfectly straight, jet black, and, though I couldn't be certain, seemed to reach the small of her back in perfect locks. Her skin was slightly tanned, and she had a nice smile.

"And here she comes." Ethel said, nodding towards a girl coming our way. "That's Lilith." She said with a grin. "Don't let the name fool you. She's the evilest Slytherin in years, but once you get to know her, she's awesome."

Lilith, as the girl was called, was shorter than me by a few inches, placing her around 5'8", she had brown eyes, caramel skin, and dark brown hair that reached her shoulder blades in tight curls.

"What do we have here?" Her voice was dripping with poison.

"Dante Gandillion." Ethel offered. A small "hmmm" escaped Lilith's throat.

"Do you have a problem with that?" I said, glaring.

Lilith smirked. "He's cool." She said, before spotting something over my shoulder. "What does Arlette think she's doing?" Then Lilith was gone in a billow of her cloak. "Arlette has been trying to steal Lilith's boyfriend." Ethel shook her head.

I raised my eyebrow and didn't ask anything further. I just watched as the girl called Arlette practically threw herself on a boy slightly older than me with green eyes and wild, black hair. "Welcome to Hogwarts." Ethel said with a chuckle, before seating herself at the table and taking a sausage from a plate on its center.

"This is going to be very interesting." I thought to myself. I could have sworn Hermione was looking at me from the corner of her eye. But everytime I turned my head, I found her eyes trained on a thick volume about Arithmancy, which was lying open on the table.