The Great Hall was as beautiful as always. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky as it was outside. Today, it was velvety black and covered with sparkling stars.

Melodie headed for the Slytherin table and sat down at an available spot. The dishes, glasses and utensils were sparkling and ready for use.

"There you are Mel," a familiar voice said behind her. She turned around and saw Draco standing behind her with a smile on his face.

"Hey Draco," she said uninterested, but then her eyes widened. He actually looks kinda good-looking in his school robes. He sat down beside her and Crabbe and Goyle sat beside him.

"You were really into the book, and I didn't want to bother you on the train."

"Oh, um, thanks. But I already read it. I was just going through it for the second time."

"I see," he said. Someone called his name and asked him how his summer went and he got into that conversation for a bit.

Then Harry Potter entered the Great Hall. Draco seemed to notice this before anyone else. "Hey Potter, how was your summer? Heard you almost got expelled! How'd you manage to get outta that one?"

Harry glared at him for a few moments before his friend, Hermione, pushed him forward. Draco has this excessive need to torment Harry and his friends. Mel would prefer to become friends with them to being their enemies. She doesn't want to say it, but she has a rather big crush on Harry. If anyone in the Slytherin house ever found out, she would never hear the end of it.

"I can't believe Dumbledore got him out of another one. Potter should have been out of this school a long time ago." Draco stated, and the Slytherins that were listening agreed with him.

This is where Mel is different from the rest of the Slytherins. She doesn't understand why there has to be this constant vendetta against Harry. She's never known Harry to do anything horrible, except maybe save the world from an evil power. Actually, that's precisely the reason why all the Slytherins hate him. They would rather have Voldemort alive, powerful, and ruling over all mankind right now. The Slytherins can sure be stupid, Mel thought to herself.

"Don't you agree with me, Mel?"

"Huh?" Mel shook out of her thoughts and saw Draco staring at her. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said wouldn't you agree that this school would be better off without Dumbledore?"

Now he's moved on to Dumbledore. "Ah, sure. Yeah we would be a lot better off," Mel said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"See, even Mel thinks Dumbledore should be sacked," he said and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I guess he didn't get the sarcasm. Mel looked around the table and say Pansy Parkinson staring at her coldly. I always thought she had a thing for Draco, but I thought that was just me. I guess I was wrong. But let's try something just to make sure. Mel moved just an inch closer to Draco, and Pansy's expression changed from a cold stare to a small look of jealousy. That was interesting. But as nice as it was to annoy Pansy, Mel really didn't want to be in Draco's arms right now, so she sort of half shrugged and half lifted his arm off of her.

At that moment, silence slowly started to creep around the Great Hall. The Sorting Hat was placed on the stool and the Hat started to sing its song. At the end of it, whispers erupted throughout the Hall, for the Hat had told of a warning. If the Houses did not unite and work together, we would be doomed. But silence quickly overtook the Hall again as Professor McGonagall started to list off the names of the first years.

At the end of that, the feast began. And what a great feast it was. The dinner was fabulous and dessert was better than ever filled with all sorts of cakes, pasties, and all other sorts of foods, many of which Mel chose not to take.

The dishes were cleared and Dumbledore went through the rules. Then, finally, they were able to go to their dormitories.

The entrance to the Slytherin Dormitories is in the dungeons. Mel rather likes it down there. It's never too bright and in the summer it's the coldest place in the school. Of course in the winter it's freezing, but that can be fixed with a fire. Mel walked up to the portrait that served as the entrance to the Slytherin dormitories and said the new password, "Shrivelfig." The portrait opened and revealed the Slytherin Common Room. There were couches, chairs and tables spread amongst the room, used for studying or just lounging. The room was decorated with the Slytherin colours, green and black. Mel preferred her quiet bed to all the noise that always exists in the common room.

So, deciding to go to bed she headed up to her dormitory. It was empty, probably, she guessed, because everyone was celebrating the start of another school year. Oh, well, she thought, at least I'll have this place to myself for a little while. She took out a book from her trunk and plopped herself on her bed ready to read.

She fell asleep after the third page.