Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Nope.

"James Potter, you really ought to watch where you are going," Amy Hammond exclaimed as James helped her off the floor and helped her gather her books.

"Yeah, sorry," he murmured, mostly to himself.

"Oh, that's fine," Amy said, instantly flirtatious, "So, since you seem to be bumping into me, why not manage to do it at the Halloween Ball? Or do you already have a date?"

James quickly looked down at his feet and stammered, "Well…you see…"

"As a matter of fact, he does," a voice said.

James turned around and found himself face to face with Pallas Malfoy.

Amy had a look of complete confusion on her face. "What do you mean, Malfoy?" she asked.

"Come now, Hammond, I thought you a bit wittier than that. Though, I shouldn't expect wit from a Hufflepuff. Now, will you please grace my date and me with your departure?" Pallas said in a tone not unlike her father.

Amy looked as though she could not decide between hitting Pallas or looking dignified in front of James. She decided to fly at James, "You cannot go with someone so evil. You are the son of Harry Potter! And she…she is nothing but Death Eater scum!" And with that she stalked off.

When she was ought of earshot, Pallas said, "You're welcome."

"For what?"

"For saving you from an unpleasant encounter with Hammond. A lot of people think she is a nice girl, but they haven't seen her slipping around in the dungeons with certain members of my beloved House."

"Why did you do it?" James asked warily.

Pallas shrugged, "Well, you don't deserve it. I thought after I appealed to your legendary Gryffindor 'damsel-in-distress-must-save' concept that you would at least not ignore me when I tried to talk to you for the last month."

James sighed, "About that…"

Pallas reached up to tuck a strand of platinum hair into her bun and her sleeve fell back, revealing a nasty bruise in the shape of a handprint. She quickly tried to cover it up, but James had already seen it. She tried to swat him away, but he gently took her hand and pushed the sleeve up. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Who did this you?"

She looked him in the eye and said, "Slytherin is not a very nice place for me at the moment. I am lucky that this is the worst that has happened. Will you help me now?"

James stared at her for a moment and then asked, "What can I do?"

Pallas beamed at him, and he wondered how he could have ever thought ill of her. "Well, I have this plan…"

Several Hours Later

"This is absolutely unheard of!" McGonagall exclaimed.

"Professor, please, you have to help us!" James pleaded.

"Mr. Potter, first you don't even show up to my class, and then you come here and tell me this very confusing story, and then you ask if it is possible to get the Sorting Hat to change its mind about Miss Malfoy! And I thought you two were sworn enemies!" McGonagall said.

"Perhaps this will clear up matters a bit, Professor," Pallas said, rolling up her sleeve and revealing the bruise.

McGonagall immediately softened and said, "Oh, my dear girl. Who did this to you?"

"Does it really matter, Professor?" James asked. "Any Slytherin worth his or her salt would gladly do it to her. That's why she cannot stay there any longer. She needs to be resorted."

McGonagall thought for a moment and said, "Well, Miss Malfoy, I think it may be possible. After what I have heard, you are obviously a different person than what you have led everyone to believe. I believe you may have even fooled the Sorting Hat during your first year. Indeed, you may very well be a true Gryffindor."

"I was a Slytherin in my first year. But a lot has changed since then. I am no longer blind," Pallas said.

McGonagall smiled at her, "No, my dear, you are not. But how shall we manage to move you from Slytherin to whatever House you may be resorted into and let the whole school know?"

James unknowingly grabbed Pallas's hand and said, "I think I have a plan. Would you really like to be my date to the Halloween Ball?"