Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to Rowling and the WB. All power to them.
I remember walking up those steps. I was drained, my head hurt, and I wanted to go to sleep, but I had made up my mind that that I wouldn't let them make me leave. The first thing I noticed when I entered the school was a man waiting for me in the Entrance hall. From a far, he looked extremely old, long white beard with hair to match. Close up he looked half his age and had baby blue eyes behind glasses that were in the shape of half moons. He had long red and gold robes and looked very tall to me (I was only 5'7" then, ehm, I'm 5'8" now, thank you very much).
"I do believe that we have a new student, Professor McGonagall," said the man.
I stared blankly at him and wondered if he was talking to himself, because no one answered him. I jumped when I heard the sound of a woman's voice echo into the Entrance hall.
"I do believe you are right, Professor Dumbledore."
Professor McGonagall entered quickly, heels clicking, midnight blue robes sailing behind her, pointed hat tottering dangerously on her head. She too wore glasses and her face was set sternly as if she had just been yelling at a student and was still mad... too bad she always looked that way.... A ghost flew across the hall. He looked at me as he passed, welcomed me, and then reminded me that I was late. I remember thinking that I was getting in over my head. Ha! Ahh, anyway, my expression must have mirrored my thoughts because Dumbledore said, "That's just Sir Nicholas. He is as harmless as almost everything else here at Hogwarts." I blinked at him.
"Now, your trunk and bag will be brought up to your room after you are sorted into your house. There are classes going on now but you won't start any of your classes until tomorrow. After you are sorted, Professor McGonagall will discuss with you what you will be taking. I expect that you are tired after your trip...Good then. Professor, if you will get the sorting hat. I shall check out how you are getting acquainted with everything later."
Dumbledore walked off. McGonagall and Istood in silence for a bit after Dumbledore was out of sight.
"I will get the sorting hat," said McGonagall, "Stay here."
I looked around. It was quiet and torches were burning on the walls next to portraits of people. I walked around the hall and stopped in front of a portrait of a woman dressed in blue lace but covered in gaudy gold necklaces and rings. She looked at me, smiled, and then began to knit. Geez, that lady freaked the hell out of me. She's actually really nice though. Madame LeRouge is her name. You know, she died during one of those damn goblin wars. She was trying to stop them when....Fine, whatever, as you wish. So, like I was saying, she freaked the hell out of me so I ran out of the entrance hall.
I ran for a bit past classes and I didn't stop running till I knew I was lost. Before I could think of what to do, I heard footsteps coming behind me and, like the idiot I was then, I ran into the room closest to me as if I had done something wrong.
"Where am....?"
"Shh!"
I was in the library and being shushed by Madame Pince, the librarian. I whispered an apology and looked around. Besides the endless rows of books, there were tables filled with students wearing black robes and studying or copying each others homework.
"What are you doing?," I asked a random boy.
He had flaming red hair and a crooked nose. He looked tall even though he was sitting and had a lion on an emblem on his robes. He just blinked at me either in surprise or confusion. I turned toward his friend. He was the only other person sitting at the table and he too had a lion emblem. He had emerald green eyes behind black glasses and his hair....I swear, I just wanted to run a comb through his hair; it was jet black and just all over the place, nothing like how it is now.
"Um, we're doing homework. Transfiguration," he said.
"Okay....," I said while sitting down next to the red head.
"Excuse me," said Red, "But, who are you? I've never seen you here before. Are you visiting a relative?"
"Actually, I'm not visiting anyone. I'm Enticima Haldara. I'm starting here as a 5th year tomorrow."
"Oh cool. We're both 5th years. I'm Ron Weasley."
Ron shook hands with me.
"And I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
"Pleased to meet you both, " I said while shaking Harry's hand. He had this relieved expression. I think he was happy that I didn't know who he was, or how important he was.....sigh ignorance is bliss....
"What house are you in?," Ron asked curiously as he closed his textbook.
"I don't know yet. I'm about to be sorted."
"We're in Gryffindor," said Harry.
"The best house in the whole of Hogwarts," interjected Ron.
"Oh, I seriously doubt that, Weasley," said a cold voice from behind me.
I turned around. There was a boy coming toward us. He wore black robes like all the other students, but he had a different emblem on his, a snake, and a 'P'. Come to think of it, Ron had a 'P' on his robes too. He had white blonde hair and intriguing gray eyes. I remember thinking, "Damn. What house is he in?"
"Corrupting innocent new 5th years, are we, Potter?" asked the blonde to Harry.
Harry scowled and answered, "I don't see how this is any of your business, Malfoy."
"Oh! I'm offended! How is it not my business when you and the Weasel are..."
"Watch it, Malfoy, or you'll end up with a mouthful of slugs," said Ron, his face getting redder every second Malfoy was standing there.
"What's wrong? Don't you remember what happened the last time you tried that? Hmph, I suggest you put that wand away because everyone knows you can't do anything without that filthy Mudblood friend of yours around."
Before Ron could do anything, Harry had gotten up from his seat and held him back. Malfoy laughed triumphantly and turned towards me.
"I'm Darco, by the way, Draco Malfoy. I suggest you don't hang around with this lot of dirty blood lovers and scarheaded reject orphans."
This time it was Harry who attacked. He sprang at Draco and pinned him to the ground. The librarian came running and, sadly, pulled Harry off before he could do any real damage. McGonagall came up to us then. I don't know how long she had been there for.
"Mr. Potter! Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Weasley. I will take care of the three of you later. Miss Haldara, it is time for your sorting. Follow me."
I remember looking back once more and catching Harry's eye. I always liked his eyes.....I remember the walk to McGonagall's office. It felt like it took forever. We walked in stony silence, she being madand all.The only noise came from our heels and the distant sound of teachers' voices. I wasn't nervous or excited or scared. I was just walking and waiting for what was next to come. I had this sense of foreboding that I couldn't shake, but I ignored it as I entered into McGonagall's office. It was simple. Two chairs in front of a desk, a table in one corner with some items I didn't recognize, a bookcase, portraits on the walls, and another table with a tattered and dirty hat sitting on top of it, looking rather pathetic.
"Take a seat," said McGonagall as she lifted the pathetic hat. She placed it on my head after I was settled.
"Ahh yes. A late comer I see," started the Hat. By then I was rather annoyed with people calling me a "late comer" so I rolled my eyes and drummed my fingers on McGonagall's desk out of boredom.
The hat continued, "A late comer filled with courage....and wit. Smart, I see and very clever. Cunning too...sly and secretive....sneaky, very sneaky. Loyal, quite loyal though. Hmmm...quite the puzzle you are. Would be good for all the houses, but Slytherin and Gryffindor seem to stand out for you. But where to put you, where to put you...."
"I don't care what house I'm in as long as I'm in the same house as Draco Malfoy," I thought.
"Hmm....I see. Are you sure you don't want to be in Gryffindor? Courage and loyalty are valued. You'll make lasting friendships; be accepted."
"I told you that I don't care. There's nothing in Gryffindor that I want. I want to be in whatever house Draco is in."
"Okay. Are you sure? Hufflepuff is very....no? Okay.....SLYTHERIN!!!!"
"Congratulations on your house," said McGonagall as she took the hat off my head. She looked a bit disappointed to me, but she filled me in on my classes cheerfully. She told me who the head of Slytherin house was, Professor Snape, and then told me that I could go to him if I had any problems, but that I could go to any teacher if my problem was very important. She then told me how to get to Slytherin common room. As I left, I heard her say, "Oh well. One less Gryffindor. Severus will be so thrilled."
As I walked toward the common room, I remember wondering why I told him to put me with Draco. Yeah, I thought he was cute and all, but that kind of thing had never swayed my judgment in the past. The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became. By the time I got to the portrait hole, I was wondering if it were too late for me to be switched to Gryffindor like the hat wanted too.
"What is the pass...Hey. I've never seen you before. Are you late?," asked the man in the portrait.
"Cascade Leaves," I said, annoyed, and the door swang open.
I entered inside the common room. The room was dark with black stone walls, green drapes, hangings, and rugs. There were black couches and black arm chairs with emerald green cochins. It was a bit chilly, but there was a healthy fire burning in the stone fireplace so I plopped myself down on the couch closest to the fire. I liked Slytherin common room. It seemed to fit with me. I felt as though I belonged there and the dark quiet calmed my nerves as I laid there in blue jeans, a t-shirt and a jean jacket hugging one of the moss green pillows. I remember lying and staring into the embers.
"I can't see my mother. I can't go home. I think I may be a bit in over my head..."
I don't remember when I fell asleep, but I do remember when I woke up. Someone had pulled me to the floor by my hair. I stood up quickly, pulled out my wand, and saw that I was being faced with two boys and a girl. All three of them were at least an inch taller than me and at least 3x my weight.
"Where the hell did you come from?," asked the girl. I watched her in awe as her second chin bounced up and down with every word. I snapped out of my daze and answered her.
"I'm from the US, the states. I'm Enticima."
"Ha! When did they start letting dirty little immigrants in?!," asked chin girl.
"Oh, I don't know," I answered, "Probably about the same time they started letting fat ugly cows in. Oops, I didn't mean that. I meant grossly obese mudblood bitches."
"I'm no mudblood you little....," said chin girl, coming toward me.
She smacked me across the face. I punched her in the eye and kicked the boy who was going after my wand in the nuts. Chin girl was coming at me again so I pointed my wand at her and yelled, "Inimicus Accido!" Chin girl was tossed hard to the floor and she laid there unconscious.
"What's going on? Crabbe! Goyle! What happened?"
The fat boys turned around allowing me to see who spoke, although I already knew who it was by the voice. It was Draco. He came toward us, looked at chin girl, looked at me, and then at Crabbe and Goyle.
"Crabbe, Goyle. I need to talk to you two later. Enticima, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle. They're fifth years too. You don't need to worry about them. Come now, let's unpack your things."
I remember leading him up to my room. It was a spare room, like a furnished dungeon. I had it all to myself, no roommates, and I always liked it. But, as I lead him up, I wasn't thinking about the room. All I could think about was Draco and the power he held over the two freaks who attacked me. I realized then that I wanted the same kind of power.
"Its nice," said Draco as we entered my room, "The other dorms are less elaborate, less spacious."
It had black chairs and green cochins. There was a dark green carpet and green hangings over the walls. My bed had black sheets with squiggly silver lines of thread all over it. I had a black bookcase and a black dresser as well. If it wasn't for the bed, it would have looked like a mini version of the common room, but, like I said before, I loved it. Anyways, we began putting away clothes and books and the such in silence. We were organizing my bookcase when Draco began to speak.
"You sure have a lot of books on the dark arts."
"What can I say, I love the dark arts. Its so much more mystical and it seems more useful as well. What I used on the chin girl was something I got out of that book," I pointed to a tattered brown book called 'Avada Amicus'.
"Chin girl?," Draco said while laughing, "Her name is Parkinson, Pansy Parkinson. I can see why you'd call her chin girl. But she's alright and she has her.....uses." He laughed some more.
I continued, absently, not caring much about whatever it was that was making him laugh, "That's one of my favorite books. I hear that its not allowed here though."
"No, its not. But there are other schools that are good for it......Well, maybe..."
"Maybe?"
"Its nothing. I was just thinking that maybe I should take you around the school, teach you how to be a real Slytherin......you're pure blood aren't you?"
He had been stroking his chin, deep in thought. His face was all screwed up in a concentrating look. He looked very good then and it took a moment for me to register what it was he had said, "Uh...I don't know and I don't really understand what it means. I know that a mudblood is a negative connotation."
Draco looked puzzled at the fact that I didn't know what a pureblood was, so I filled him in on my situation. I told him about my mother and how I found out I was a witch and how I couldn't go home.
"Do you know if your father is a wizard?," asked Draco
"I don't know. Its not like my mother woulda told me anyway. Why?"
"To be pure blood, your whole family has to be wizard."
"What is it? Do I have to be pure blood to be a real Slytherin?"
"I don't know yet......," said Draco distantly while messing with one of my books.
God, if I knew then what I know now. Its still hard for me to believe that that was only two years ago.....
"How about this," continued Draco, "I'll observe you for a whole school week and by the end, I should know if it matters whether or not you're a pure blood. And if it does matter and you're not pure, we'll have to keep that to ourselves. This could definitely work. Let me see your schedule....yeah, almost all the same classes as me....Arithmacy? Latin? Why the devil do you need those?"
"McGonagall gave me Arithmacy, said that my school records show that I could be alright in that class. I chose Latin. I figured it would be good to learn since some dark arts books aren't in English. I can't read two of my books because of that."
"Then its settled. Just do me a favor. Figure out for sure if you're pure. I don't take well to mudbloods or half bloods and it would be a pity if you couldn't be a real Slytherin."
He turned to leave. I was angry at him then. It wasn't my fault that I didn't know and it wouldn't be my fault if I weren't a pure blood. I had no idea what he had in mind but I was once again starting to regret my choice. He turned around and looked at me once more and left. I locked my door, undressed, and laid down. I wasn't in the mood to sleep or go to eat with the other members of my house. I fell into a light sleep at around 7pm-ish........Hmm? Fine, go have your little coffee break, Rita. Hurry back, cause the next part is really what tells you how everything started,.....the beginning of the end for me it was, the beginning of the end .....
A/N: Latin translations (from my handy-dandy Latin dictionary):
Avada Amicus -Away Friendship
Inimicus Accido - Fall Enemy
Just a question. Should I italicize the parts when Enticima breaks out of her narrative and says asides or things to Rita? Tell me your opinion when you review. (Review, damn it!)
