Cora sidled into a spare seat at Slytherin's table, soon after the official Sorting ceremony had begun. She was delighted to get away from Professor Snape. The few words he had uttered in an attempt to be friendly (?)...polite (?)...civil (?), Cora did not know, had been about the high standards he expected from those in Slytherin, particularly in Potions. Besides his limited conversation, he had a funny smell that seemed to follow him around.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Bellowed a familiar voice.

Cora watched in awe as a far table, presumably Gryffindor, burst into a loud round of applause and cheers as a terrified-looking 11-year old boy made his way over to them, the colour only just returning to his frightened pale cheeks.

"Linton, Horace!" A small, tubby boy stumbled through the remaining unsorted first years, nearly sending the stool flying when he tripped over his own feet. He slumped down on the stool, mortified, as a snicker of laughter arose from Slytherin's end of the hall, and stared at the floor to hide the unflattering red colour his cheeks had flushed.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The furthermost table erupted with cheers, and Horace Linton somehow mustered up the courage to stand up and walk over, his cheeks still flaming, although his excitement was visible across his podgy face.

"Labovitch, Melis..."

"New 6th year?" A drawling, yet well-spoken, voice came from behind Cora, and she spun around to see if it was addressing her. She came face to face with a striking blonde boy, with a defined jawline and glittering silver-blue eyes.

"Yes." Cora managed to stutter, not having been expecting anybody to make conversation with her. She did the only thing she knew to do, and held out her hand. "Cora Stern."

The boy stared at Cora's hand for a while, as if deliberating over whether it was worthy of his touch. "Malfoy." Eventually he took her hand and briefly shook it, letting go almost immediately. "Draco Malfoy."

Cora decided against a comment of "nice to meet you." Somehow it did not seem fitting, so instead she smiled weakly.

"Welcome to Slytherin." He continued, although he did not sound as though he meant it. "Don't bother with the other houses." He smirked and turned to his plate, which had magically filled with food.

"Why have you moved to Hogwarts so late?" A female voice rang out from the other side of Cora, as she was loading her plate with roast potatoes. "New students in 6th year are rare. What happened? Were you kicked out of Beauxbatons or something?" She shrieked with laughter at her own joke.

Cora cleared her throat uncomfortably. "I was, err, tutored at home." She tried not to mumble. "I was tutored by my aunt and uncle, but they, err... They died."

"Oh." Said the girl. "Sorry." She didn't sound even remotely sorry. "I'm Pansy Parkinson by the way."

"Cora Stern."

"Stern?" Pansy's left eyebrow shot up into her blunt, dark fringe. "Family died...?" She stopped dead mid-mouthful, and there was a very pregnant pause before she spoke again. "You lived at Dalton Manner, didn't you?"

There was a clatter of cutlery around them, and suddenly everybody at the Slytherin table fell silent, all attention on the new girl.

Wishing the ground would swallow her up, Cora turned slightly green. Patriotic, some might say, seeing as she was a newly-appointed Slytherin. Every eye on the table was boring into her, waiting to hear what she had to say...

She swallowed nervously. "Err... yes?"

(A/N: What happened at Dalton Manner then? If you're interested, reviews will be greatly appreciated. Flames too... But I can't guarantee I won't laugh hysterically...)