Disclaimer: I own nothing but Pandora Romulus, even she doesn't like me claiming her. I also own the storyline but am not making any money from this venture.

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Chapter 10: Pumpkin Juice with a Twist.

The students in the Great Hall watched awe-struck as the Professor in charge of Slytherin carried the boy-who lived out the door towards the hospital wing, followed by Ron and Hermione. Ginny stood to follow, but Fred pushed her back down gently, talking quietly and reassuringly in her ear. Why he didn't use mobilicorpus no one knew, not even Snape himself.

Dumbeldore hadn't moved, it was almost as though Medusa had looked him in the eyes. He was watching no one and everyone in a moment. Searching for signs hinting at foul play or to raise suspicion. Almost all students reacted normally, silent shock followed by confused chatting. The First Years appeared even wider eyed and frightened than before. The girl standing in the front didn't though. She stared back at Dumbeldore with an air of confidence Dumbeldore couldn't remember feeling in one so young. It wasn't sinister though. Cool, but not dark. Draco Malfoy could be a different story though. The sneer that painted his face could easily achieve full marks in an evil face pulling competition.

'Would everyone please BE QUIET!' Dumbeldore's voice broke the halls rumbling. 'We will go ahead as usual. Minerva?'

Minerva McGonagall nodded and placed the dark and grotty looking sorting hat on a lone stool in front of the teacher's table. The hat shook as if ridding itself of recently accumulated dust and started its annual rhyming banter. Once finished Professor McGonagall unravelled a long parchment.

'Pandora Romulus.'

The older looking girl stepped up and looked quite nervous for the first time. McGonagall gently placed the hat on Pandora's cascading black hair; and there it stayed for quite a while.

'Hhhmmmm, you are an interesting start to the year; you are certainly going to make life interesting here. Have qualities of all the houses Hhhmmmm interesting. Intelligent, yes and loyal, but with a cunning and dark edge. Too much lively mischief and nobility for Slytherin though. You are definitely not going to be a bore, I think you are best suited for GRYFFINDOR!'

The Gryffindor table cheered, but it appeared to be lacking some of the oomph of prior years, as the absence of Harry, Hermione and Ron was felt strongly. Pandora looked up at them and smiled a little sadly. Lee Jordan and Lavendar Brown gasped gently. Pandora's hair was the colour of Snape's, but it was silky, clean and fell down to the small of her back, but it was her eyes they stared at. The colour of aged glass, they gave her a unique beauty which automatically intrigued the onlooker. Ginny looked up and smiled then shuffled across in an invitation that Pandora took. Hermione and Ron came back about 1\4 of the way through the sorting. They smiled at the new First Years sitting at the edge closest to the front.

'How is he Ron?' A wide-eyed and pale Ginny asked.

'We don't know,' Hermione replied 'Madam Pomfrey asked us to leave after we explained what had happened. You know, even Snape almost seemed concerned. Hello who are you?'

Ron turned in Ginny's direction and gasped. Pandora laughed. 'I'm Pandora,'

'Hermione and this is Ron.'

'Hi.' Ron just managed to spit out.

'What year are you in Pandora? You really don't look like a first year.'

Pandora locked eyes on Ron and threw away the key. "I'm not a first year. I'm in fifth year and transferred…'

Hermione thought Ron must have been trapped in a part-veela's gaze. She knocked him gently in the back to break his vision.

'Not from Durmstrang, you don't look right.' Ron said, coming slowly back.

Pandora laughed gently. 'I don't look right? Thankyou very much Ronald Weasley.'

'Your accent,' said Hermione, ever the wannabe Sherlock Holmes. 'Its not British or even European, I would say that you are Australian.'

'Ten points to Hermione of Gryffindor. I transferred from Wombarra in Mullumbimby, Australia.'

'Are you a fullblood?' Seamus Finnegan asked

'What does that have to do with anything?' The coldness like shards of ice straight back at Seamus.

'Sorry. It's just…'

Everyone left Pandora alone after that until 7/8 of the way through dinner.

'Miss Romulus?' Professor McGonagall looked down at Pandora through the stronger part of her glasses. 'Professor Dumbeldore would like to see you at once.'

The group watched her stand up to leave with Dumbeldore then looked back down at their table to find their pumpkin juice had turned the colour of blood.

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Wow, I was totally blow away by all the reviews Thanks muchly everyone.

Jagged Epiphany: Trust me, it develops. I hope that this is up to your standards.

TrueFan: Yes, it is the girl in the leaky cauldron, well done. Sorry this isn't very long, they very slowly do get longer though. Thanks muchly for reviewing.

Kram Nebuer: Thankyou for your review!!! It gave me a massive smile for an hour or more!!! I usually update once a week, but have been rather busy with uni lately with uni and work.