The Sorting ceremony had just ended and the feast had begun when the two double doors at the entrance of the Great Hall opened revealing Filch, the Caretaker, two very important looking people, and a rich looking young witch. Almost everyone stopped talking and watched as the trio made their way to the staff table and Professor Dumbledore. The two adults looked straight ahead, but the young woman carefully studied her surroundings and tried to keep up with the other two, which seemed to be in quite a hurry.
Professor Dumbledore stood and greeted the two older people and began talking rapidly to them. The younger one took notice of the whispering of the students and frowned.
"Who is that?" Ron Weasely asked his two best friends, Hermoine Granger and Harry Potter, at the Gryffindor table. For once Hermoine didn't know the answer and just shrugged. Harry stared at the girl and was struck with déjà vu. Her wavy dark brown hair and matching eyes looked very familiar, as well as her pale skin and structure of her face. She was very beautiful, but in a creepy sort of way.
The girl noticed Harry staring at her and looked at him. As soon as their eyes connected his scar burned. It wasn't bad but he couldn't stop himself from touching it and wincing. The girl raised a dark and perfect eyebrow and returned her attention to Dumbledore, who was now listening intently to the older people.
Over at the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy took notice of the new girl too. He could tell she was wealthy from the robes she wore, which were dark red velvet. However, the witch and wizard in front of her didn't look as well dressed. They were wearing shabby robes of a deep olive green color and their hats were just as bad. Draco could see a crest on their robes and realized they were from the Ministry.
"Who do you think that is?" Pansy Parkinson said suddenly, making Draco jump. He shrugged and watched as Dumbledore ushered the girl into a small room beside the staff table. The other people were hurrying away without so much as a glance back at the girl. They looked scared.
Ashley was confused as to why she was being transferred to Hogwarts. She was happy at her old school in America. The headmaster here seemed really nice though, except for the worried look in his eyes when he peered at her behind those half-moon spectacles. A couple of seconds later a woman with grey hair tied in a tight bun at the bas of her neck came in carrying the famous Sorting hat the two Ministry people told her about.
"Good evening, Miss Stratus. I'm Professor McGonagall." She said. "I'm deputy-headmistress as well as Head of Gryffindor House and instructor in Transfiguration." Ashley shook hands with her silently and looked at the hat.
"Minerva, I think it is time to sort her. She must be awfully hungry and tired after her long trip from America. Your old school was Hadenfield Academy, was it not?" Dumbledore said and smiled as she nodded.
McGonagall placed the hat on Ashley's head gently and stepped back. "Hmm," It said, making her jump. "Just as hard as sorting Mr. Potter. Don't know where to put you. Hard to determine if you belong in your father's house or you mother's. Let's see…"
The hat took a couple more seconds at deciding and shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Professor McGonagall led Ashley out of the small room and called to someone at the Gryffindor table. A girl with bushy brown hair hurried forward and smiled at Ashley.
"Hermoine Granger, I want you to meet your new fellow Gryffindor, Ashley Stratus." Hermoine and Ashley shook hands. "Now, I want you to show her around for me after you all eat, okay?"
"Yes, Professor." Hermoine said and motioned for Ashley to follow her as she went to her table.
There were a lot of introductions until she finally got to eat. One boy, named Ron Weasely, was very curious and asked a lot of questions. Ashley tried to answer them as good and accurate as she could.
"You're an American then?" asked the same boy who stared at her earlier. She learned that his name was Harry Potter. He had black hair and green eyes and was tall and skinny. He also wore glasses but they made him look even cuter than he already did. Some people were surprised that she had never heard of him. They told her all about him while he sat there uncomfortably. They told her about how he was the only person to escape the Avada Kedavra curse and defeat the darkest wizard of their time. He was only a little baby then too!
"Yes, but I was born here. I've been living with a couple in America since I can remember. Er, my parents died see, so I never knew them. A while back the couple died and the Ministry of Magic in America thought it would be best to send me back to my birth land." That was the most she had talked since her adopted parents had died and she blushed.
"Wow! So you're an orphan just like Harry!" Ron said, only to be elbowed by Hermoine. "Ow!"
Ashley laughed. "Yeah, I guess so." The two boys started talking about some game called Quiditch and Ashley leaned closer to Hermoine and whispered. "Who is that blonde boy over there?"
Hermoine looked and scowled. "Draco Malfoy. Evil little git. He thinks only purebloods deserve to live. He seems not to be able to keep his eyes off of you."
"I've noticed. That's why I asked." She said and finished her soup.
The next couple of days were the greatest for Ashley. She became really good friends with Hermoine, Ron, and Harry, as well as others like Neville Longbottom, Lavender Brown, and the Weasely twins, Fred and George.
"Woodbayne and brustles…" she muttered to herself one day in the Great Hall while studying. There weren't that many people there so she was sure she'd get some studying done. Boy, was she wrong. As soon as she closed one book and opened another someone sat down in front of her. She looked up to the face of the boy named Draco. He had slick blonde-white hair and silver-like eyes.
"I haven't introduced myself." He said. "My name is Draco Malfoy You must be that Stratus girl people are talking about."
"Yes, I am." She replied.
"Is it true they teach the dark arts at your old school?" he asked. Ashley gave up on studying and shoved her things in her bag.
"Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Why are you talking to me anyway?"
He smirked. Ashley stood and began walking outside but he followed. When they reached an empty corridor he stopped her.
"I just wanted to see what was so great about you American witches."
"Oh, you do don't you? If you come closer I'll tell you." She said and he fell for the bait.
She put her face beside his and said, "Ready?" Then kneed him in the stomach, but not hard enough to do damage. Draco doubled over and grabbed his stomach. Ashley sighed and helped him up. She didn't mean to hurt him.
"Hey, you wanted to know! Us American witches have great self-defense. Um, I didn't mean to hurt you…" she put her hand on his shoulder and gasped.
There was darkness all around her. She could see people in black cloaks with their hoods up and hey wore masks. They were circling around her while chanting some strange song.
"Hey are you okay?" Draco's voice dragged her out of her vision.
"Um, yeah, I'm fine." She said as her eyes focused.
He grinned. "I knew I was breathtaking but bloody hell!"
Ashley looked into his silver eyes and frowned. Draco said something about having to meet someone and took off.
The next day was cloudy but fairly warm. Ashley was sitting in the courtyard with her friends when Professor Snape, the Potions Master, came over.
"Miss Stratus. I need to see you for a moment" he said and looked at Harry with hatred in his eyes.
"Yes, Professor?" she asked when they were about a hundred feet away.
"There's someone here to see you. Follow me." He said.
When they got to their destination, Ashley saw a man with long white-blonde hair pacing the hall. Professor Snape cleared his throat and walked off. The man stopped pacing and faced Ashley. He was wearing quite fancy clothes and looked exactly like Draco.
"Miss Stratus, I presume?" he asked in a cold but welcoming voice and held out his hand.
"You may call me Ashley." She said, taking it.
"I am Lucius Malfoy. How do you like Hogwarts so far?" he asked.
She took her hand back. "Fine, I like it fine. What do you want?"
He smirked. "I want to talk to you about your father."
"My father?"
"Yes, I want to talk about Tom Riddle."
Professor Dumbledore stood and greeted the two older people and began talking rapidly to them. The younger one took notice of the whispering of the students and frowned.
"Who is that?" Ron Weasely asked his two best friends, Hermoine Granger and Harry Potter, at the Gryffindor table. For once Hermoine didn't know the answer and just shrugged. Harry stared at the girl and was struck with déjà vu. Her wavy dark brown hair and matching eyes looked very familiar, as well as her pale skin and structure of her face. She was very beautiful, but in a creepy sort of way.
The girl noticed Harry staring at her and looked at him. As soon as their eyes connected his scar burned. It wasn't bad but he couldn't stop himself from touching it and wincing. The girl raised a dark and perfect eyebrow and returned her attention to Dumbledore, who was now listening intently to the older people.
Over at the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy took notice of the new girl too. He could tell she was wealthy from the robes she wore, which were dark red velvet. However, the witch and wizard in front of her didn't look as well dressed. They were wearing shabby robes of a deep olive green color and their hats were just as bad. Draco could see a crest on their robes and realized they were from the Ministry.
"Who do you think that is?" Pansy Parkinson said suddenly, making Draco jump. He shrugged and watched as Dumbledore ushered the girl into a small room beside the staff table. The other people were hurrying away without so much as a glance back at the girl. They looked scared.
Ashley was confused as to why she was being transferred to Hogwarts. She was happy at her old school in America. The headmaster here seemed really nice though, except for the worried look in his eyes when he peered at her behind those half-moon spectacles. A couple of seconds later a woman with grey hair tied in a tight bun at the bas of her neck came in carrying the famous Sorting hat the two Ministry people told her about.
"Good evening, Miss Stratus. I'm Professor McGonagall." She said. "I'm deputy-headmistress as well as Head of Gryffindor House and instructor in Transfiguration." Ashley shook hands with her silently and looked at the hat.
"Minerva, I think it is time to sort her. She must be awfully hungry and tired after her long trip from America. Your old school was Hadenfield Academy, was it not?" Dumbledore said and smiled as she nodded.
McGonagall placed the hat on Ashley's head gently and stepped back. "Hmm," It said, making her jump. "Just as hard as sorting Mr. Potter. Don't know where to put you. Hard to determine if you belong in your father's house or you mother's. Let's see…"
The hat took a couple more seconds at deciding and shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Professor McGonagall led Ashley out of the small room and called to someone at the Gryffindor table. A girl with bushy brown hair hurried forward and smiled at Ashley.
"Hermoine Granger, I want you to meet your new fellow Gryffindor, Ashley Stratus." Hermoine and Ashley shook hands. "Now, I want you to show her around for me after you all eat, okay?"
"Yes, Professor." Hermoine said and motioned for Ashley to follow her as she went to her table.
There were a lot of introductions until she finally got to eat. One boy, named Ron Weasely, was very curious and asked a lot of questions. Ashley tried to answer them as good and accurate as she could.
"You're an American then?" asked the same boy who stared at her earlier. She learned that his name was Harry Potter. He had black hair and green eyes and was tall and skinny. He also wore glasses but they made him look even cuter than he already did. Some people were surprised that she had never heard of him. They told her all about him while he sat there uncomfortably. They told her about how he was the only person to escape the Avada Kedavra curse and defeat the darkest wizard of their time. He was only a little baby then too!
"Yes, but I was born here. I've been living with a couple in America since I can remember. Er, my parents died see, so I never knew them. A while back the couple died and the Ministry of Magic in America thought it would be best to send me back to my birth land." That was the most she had talked since her adopted parents had died and she blushed.
"Wow! So you're an orphan just like Harry!" Ron said, only to be elbowed by Hermoine. "Ow!"
Ashley laughed. "Yeah, I guess so." The two boys started talking about some game called Quiditch and Ashley leaned closer to Hermoine and whispered. "Who is that blonde boy over there?"
Hermoine looked and scowled. "Draco Malfoy. Evil little git. He thinks only purebloods deserve to live. He seems not to be able to keep his eyes off of you."
"I've noticed. That's why I asked." She said and finished her soup.
The next couple of days were the greatest for Ashley. She became really good friends with Hermoine, Ron, and Harry, as well as others like Neville Longbottom, Lavender Brown, and the Weasely twins, Fred and George.
"Woodbayne and brustles…" she muttered to herself one day in the Great Hall while studying. There weren't that many people there so she was sure she'd get some studying done. Boy, was she wrong. As soon as she closed one book and opened another someone sat down in front of her. She looked up to the face of the boy named Draco. He had slick blonde-white hair and silver-like eyes.
"I haven't introduced myself." He said. "My name is Draco Malfoy You must be that Stratus girl people are talking about."
"Yes, I am." She replied.
"Is it true they teach the dark arts at your old school?" he asked. Ashley gave up on studying and shoved her things in her bag.
"Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Why are you talking to me anyway?"
He smirked. Ashley stood and began walking outside but he followed. When they reached an empty corridor he stopped her.
"I just wanted to see what was so great about you American witches."
"Oh, you do don't you? If you come closer I'll tell you." She said and he fell for the bait.
She put her face beside his and said, "Ready?" Then kneed him in the stomach, but not hard enough to do damage. Draco doubled over and grabbed his stomach. Ashley sighed and helped him up. She didn't mean to hurt him.
"Hey, you wanted to know! Us American witches have great self-defense. Um, I didn't mean to hurt you…" she put her hand on his shoulder and gasped.
There was darkness all around her. She could see people in black cloaks with their hoods up and hey wore masks. They were circling around her while chanting some strange song.
"Hey are you okay?" Draco's voice dragged her out of her vision.
"Um, yeah, I'm fine." She said as her eyes focused.
He grinned. "I knew I was breathtaking but bloody hell!"
Ashley looked into his silver eyes and frowned. Draco said something about having to meet someone and took off.
The next day was cloudy but fairly warm. Ashley was sitting in the courtyard with her friends when Professor Snape, the Potions Master, came over.
"Miss Stratus. I need to see you for a moment" he said and looked at Harry with hatred in his eyes.
"Yes, Professor?" she asked when they were about a hundred feet away.
"There's someone here to see you. Follow me." He said.
When they got to their destination, Ashley saw a man with long white-blonde hair pacing the hall. Professor Snape cleared his throat and walked off. The man stopped pacing and faced Ashley. He was wearing quite fancy clothes and looked exactly like Draco.
"Miss Stratus, I presume?" he asked in a cold but welcoming voice and held out his hand.
"You may call me Ashley." She said, taking it.
"I am Lucius Malfoy. How do you like Hogwarts so far?" he asked.
She took her hand back. "Fine, I like it fine. What do you want?"
He smirked. "I want to talk to you about your father."
"My father?"
"Yes, I want to talk about Tom Riddle."