PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: I never really liked Harry himself as much. There are going to be some more major turnings like that though, and this is only the beginning.
Sark's Heart: Slytherin is my favorite too! :D Thanks!
Ellsie: Thanks! Here is more!
TriGemini: Slytherin is my favorite house, so I wanted to make it the main house this story.
Yaukira: I like vampires too! Thanks!
Wow, another longer chapter! I must be getting used to this thing. Some deep thoughts are at the end of the chapter, but I do not plan to make everything this serious. Have fun!
The moment Arabella and Gwen arrived in the Great Hall, Draco, Greg, and Vincent showed up.
"Shove off, Greg," Gwen said, rolling her eyes.
"Who's the older one here?" Greg said tauntingly.
"Shut up... she's just your little sister," Draco told him. He complied at once and Draco turned his attention to Arabella. "I had a feeling you would be in Slytherin. On the train... I just had a hunch... You said your name was Dursley?"
"Yes," Arabella said, wondering what he wanted.
"Are you related to Harry Potter?" Draco asked. Arabella decided it was better to tell the truth now than try and hide it and be hated later on.
"I am his cousin," Arabella said, ignoring Gwen, who had just kicked her. "However, I have no real loyalties to him or Gryffindor. I am Slytherin and proud of it. Whether I am related to Harry or am Muggle-born really makes no difference. Draco nodded.
"I can respect that," he said at last, and headed off to sit next to Pansy. Arabella knew that she had to talk to Harry again.
"Harry," she said, running over to him. "Draco has accepted me, even though he knows what I am. Does what house I am in really matter so much? Would you be lower than someone you know to be your enemy?"
"I know," Harry said. "It just... doesn't feel right. You are destined for one thing, Ara, and I am destined for another. I think our paths are splitting. Besides, it is not like we would have much time to talk anyway." Arabella could tell that he was actually slightly afraid of her. She sighed sadly.
"I guess..." she said, and walked back to the Slytherin table. She joined Gwen and Chase. Chance handed her their schedule.
"Double Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, and Double Potions," Arabella read out loud. "Yes; we have potions today!" Gwen and Chance laughed.
"But then, we have Double Transfiguration first. With the Gryffindors. And Greg said that McGonagall is really strict," Gwen moaned.
"Harry said that too," Arabella said, her face falling.
"At least you two got an advance warning. You do not know how lucky you are to have older students in your families. I cannot even ask my parents- they went to school in Russia," Chance said gloomily.
"Why would they want to go to school in Russia?" Gwen asked scornfully.
"That is where we lived until two years ago."
"Whoops." Gwen grinned in embarrassment. Chance and Arabella laughed at the look on her face. "But then, is that why you are always so pale? I mean, did you have to stay inside because it snows all the time or something?"
"Gwen, your mouth is larger than Hogwarts... and the grounds... and London all put together!" Arabella said. Gwen laughed.
"Being a Seer can sometimes be a terrible burden... and draining," Chance said quietly. "I am normally very shy and people always either think that I am depressed or sick."
"And yet you chose to sit by me and be my friend," Arabella said slowly. "Can one boat ride tell you that much about a person?" Chance looked miserable.
"No," he said at last. "I did not even become your friend because I cared about you or thought you were pretty or anything. I Saw us... you and me... in McGonagall's office. You were defending me... and I took that to mean that we would become friends..."
"Okay," Arabella said, shrugging.
"Come on; breakfast is no time for a crazy sentimental moment!" Gwen complained. "You have not even finished eating yet and I certainly want to get a good seat in Transfiguration."
"What is a good seat?" Arabella asked.
"Between you two, away from the wacko-minded Gryffindors, and behind the tallest kid in Slytherin or Gryffindor!" Arabella laughed and Chance grinned, and the "crazy sentimental moment" was gone.
As it turned out, none of Gwen's requirements came true. The trio managed to get three seats at the end of the back row. Gwen got the end seat, Arabella sat on the seat next to her, and Chance sat on the seat next to Arabella. Professor McGonagall was not there yet, though there was a gray tabby cat sitting on the desk watching all of them very closely. Arabella grinned as she watched a Gryffindor kid start doodling and Delectabla pulled out the September edition of The Quibbler.
The cat jumped off the desk and in doing so, transfigured into Professor McGonagall. There were several surprised exclamations... mainly from the Muggle-borns, and the class applauded politely. At least, most of the class did. Eleanor sat aloofly in her seat, looking bored, two Slytherin boys looked scornful, and Delectabla had not even looked up from her tabloid.
"You can put that away now, Miss Reid," Professor McGonagall said. Delectabla looked up in shock and shoved the magazine into her bag. Had she been human, she would have possibly turned red.
"I have never heard of a vampire liking to read tabloids during class... or able to go out in the daytime," Arabella whispered.
"Well, don't forget- before they were bitten, vampires were people too. Reading The Quibbler during class is something anyone can do. And the daytime thing is a spell so she can attend classes," Gwen whispered back.
"One of the rules of my class is no reading OR whispering, Misses Dursley and Goyle," the professor said, looking at them sternly.
"Whoops?" Gwen said. Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes and began explain the rules and the lesson.
"Harry and Percy taught me the whole match-into-needle thing," Arabella said when they had gotten the matches and set about the practical part, during which they were allowed to talk.
"Lucky," Gwen muttered. "Greg got the lowest 'A' possible on his Transfiguration exam the first year; he could not teach anyone anything."
"It is not really that hard," Chance said, watching Arabella transfigure her match, then attempting it on his own. Gwen glared at her very match-y match.
"Is that your first time doing this spell, Miss Dursley?" a voice interrupted them. They spun around to see Professor McGonagall looking at the needle on Arabella's desk.
"No," she confessed. "I wanted to learn more ahead of time so I persuaded Percy and Harry to teach me some before I came."
"It is nice to see such a dedicated student," Professor McGonagall said with a small smile. "Ten points to Slytherin. And Miss Goyle... stop swishing your wand so much and you will get better results." She walked away and Gwen looked at her wand with a rather surprised expression. Chance grinned and jabbed his wand at his match. It turned silver-ish for a moment. Gwen glared at him.
"No one mocks Gwyneth Rachel Goyle," she hissed and waved her wand with an extra swish at him. This caused his robe to levitate into the air, taking Chance with it. The result was that Gwen lost Slytherin twice the number of points Arabella gained it, and Chance's robe kept fluttering at odd moments as they walked to Herbology.
"I cannot wait until today is over," Gwen fumed. "What do we have tomorrow?" Arabella consulted her schedule.
"History of Magic, then Double Defense, then Double Charms, then a free period," she said.
"Who's the free period with?" Gwen asked. Arabella looked quizzically at her.
"It is free so we can go anywhere," she said slowly. "If you want to study"- she laughed at this- "go to Professor Lupin's, the Defense teacher, classroom."
"Besides, you are not supposed to use 'with' at the end of a sentence. You should say, 'with whom is the-'" He was cut off as Gwen got out her wand threateningly again.
"You guys, it's the first day of classes. At least wait until next week to kill each other," Arabella said with a grin.
"Oh, I was going to let someone else kill him. I was just going to cast morsmordre and say you did it. That is probably the only spell Greg knows without looking in a book," she laughed.
"Don't do anything right under Dumbledore's nose," Chance hissed in a lower voice. "Are your parents...?"
"Yeah," Gwen whispered back. "Yours?"
"No, but they are not against him either," Chance said.
"What are you guys talking about?" Arabella asked.
"Keep your voice down- we could be expelled and our parents imprisoned if people hear this," Gwen said, trying to snap at Arabella in a whisper.
"Has Harry told you about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Chance asked. Arabella nodded. "Has he told you about the Death Eaters?" Arabella shook her head.
"Come on... in this closet... this is worth being late to Herbology for... but you must promise not to tell anyone..." Gwen said, looking nervous. This told Arabella that something was really serious, for Gwen did not seem to be afraid of anything. Chance was even paler than usual.
"I promise," Arabella told her friends.
"In whispers in the dark closet, Gwen and Chance explained about the Death Eaters and why it was so dangerous that no one find out that Gwen parents were involved, even certain Slytherins.
"In other words," Arabella whispered at the end, "your parents are allies of the man who killed my aunt and uncle?" Gwen nodded. Having laid their deepest secrets out to their new friend, all Gwen and Chance could do was wait.
"Well, they died before I was even born, and Harry does not seem to care about me at all. His battle is not my battle. You two are my friends now. I can not say that I will take your side, or Harry's side, in the final climax, but for now, I will be neutral and silent. Come on, we are already really late and it is only our first day." The friends managed shaky smiled at one another and continued to the greenhouses.
Arabella scarcely noticed when Professor Sprout took thirty points off Slytherin. She was at a major crossroad, and she had to decide which way to go. Would she stick with her cousin, though he turned his back on her, or would she go with the majority of her house and friends, who clearly cared about her, though she came as not really one of them? The eleven year old girl shivered, for the greenhouse had suddenly turned as cold as if a dementor walked in.
Sark's Heart: Slytherin is my favorite too! :D Thanks!
Ellsie: Thanks! Here is more!
TriGemini: Slytherin is my favorite house, so I wanted to make it the main house this story.
Yaukira: I like vampires too! Thanks!
Wow, another longer chapter! I must be getting used to this thing. Some deep thoughts are at the end of the chapter, but I do not plan to make everything this serious. Have fun!
The moment Arabella and Gwen arrived in the Great Hall, Draco, Greg, and Vincent showed up.
"Shove off, Greg," Gwen said, rolling her eyes.
"Who's the older one here?" Greg said tauntingly.
"Shut up... she's just your little sister," Draco told him. He complied at once and Draco turned his attention to Arabella. "I had a feeling you would be in Slytherin. On the train... I just had a hunch... You said your name was Dursley?"
"Yes," Arabella said, wondering what he wanted.
"Are you related to Harry Potter?" Draco asked. Arabella decided it was better to tell the truth now than try and hide it and be hated later on.
"I am his cousin," Arabella said, ignoring Gwen, who had just kicked her. "However, I have no real loyalties to him or Gryffindor. I am Slytherin and proud of it. Whether I am related to Harry or am Muggle-born really makes no difference. Draco nodded.
"I can respect that," he said at last, and headed off to sit next to Pansy. Arabella knew that she had to talk to Harry again.
"Harry," she said, running over to him. "Draco has accepted me, even though he knows what I am. Does what house I am in really matter so much? Would you be lower than someone you know to be your enemy?"
"I know," Harry said. "It just... doesn't feel right. You are destined for one thing, Ara, and I am destined for another. I think our paths are splitting. Besides, it is not like we would have much time to talk anyway." Arabella could tell that he was actually slightly afraid of her. She sighed sadly.
"I guess..." she said, and walked back to the Slytherin table. She joined Gwen and Chase. Chance handed her their schedule.
"Double Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, and Double Potions," Arabella read out loud. "Yes; we have potions today!" Gwen and Chance laughed.
"But then, we have Double Transfiguration first. With the Gryffindors. And Greg said that McGonagall is really strict," Gwen moaned.
"Harry said that too," Arabella said, her face falling.
"At least you two got an advance warning. You do not know how lucky you are to have older students in your families. I cannot even ask my parents- they went to school in Russia," Chance said gloomily.
"Why would they want to go to school in Russia?" Gwen asked scornfully.
"That is where we lived until two years ago."
"Whoops." Gwen grinned in embarrassment. Chance and Arabella laughed at the look on her face. "But then, is that why you are always so pale? I mean, did you have to stay inside because it snows all the time or something?"
"Gwen, your mouth is larger than Hogwarts... and the grounds... and London all put together!" Arabella said. Gwen laughed.
"Being a Seer can sometimes be a terrible burden... and draining," Chance said quietly. "I am normally very shy and people always either think that I am depressed or sick."
"And yet you chose to sit by me and be my friend," Arabella said slowly. "Can one boat ride tell you that much about a person?" Chance looked miserable.
"No," he said at last. "I did not even become your friend because I cared about you or thought you were pretty or anything. I Saw us... you and me... in McGonagall's office. You were defending me... and I took that to mean that we would become friends..."
"Okay," Arabella said, shrugging.
"Come on; breakfast is no time for a crazy sentimental moment!" Gwen complained. "You have not even finished eating yet and I certainly want to get a good seat in Transfiguration."
"What is a good seat?" Arabella asked.
"Between you two, away from the wacko-minded Gryffindors, and behind the tallest kid in Slytherin or Gryffindor!" Arabella laughed and Chance grinned, and the "crazy sentimental moment" was gone.
As it turned out, none of Gwen's requirements came true. The trio managed to get three seats at the end of the back row. Gwen got the end seat, Arabella sat on the seat next to her, and Chance sat on the seat next to Arabella. Professor McGonagall was not there yet, though there was a gray tabby cat sitting on the desk watching all of them very closely. Arabella grinned as she watched a Gryffindor kid start doodling and Delectabla pulled out the September edition of The Quibbler.
The cat jumped off the desk and in doing so, transfigured into Professor McGonagall. There were several surprised exclamations... mainly from the Muggle-borns, and the class applauded politely. At least, most of the class did. Eleanor sat aloofly in her seat, looking bored, two Slytherin boys looked scornful, and Delectabla had not even looked up from her tabloid.
"You can put that away now, Miss Reid," Professor McGonagall said. Delectabla looked up in shock and shoved the magazine into her bag. Had she been human, she would have possibly turned red.
"I have never heard of a vampire liking to read tabloids during class... or able to go out in the daytime," Arabella whispered.
"Well, don't forget- before they were bitten, vampires were people too. Reading The Quibbler during class is something anyone can do. And the daytime thing is a spell so she can attend classes," Gwen whispered back.
"One of the rules of my class is no reading OR whispering, Misses Dursley and Goyle," the professor said, looking at them sternly.
"Whoops?" Gwen said. Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes and began explain the rules and the lesson.
"Harry and Percy taught me the whole match-into-needle thing," Arabella said when they had gotten the matches and set about the practical part, during which they were allowed to talk.
"Lucky," Gwen muttered. "Greg got the lowest 'A' possible on his Transfiguration exam the first year; he could not teach anyone anything."
"It is not really that hard," Chance said, watching Arabella transfigure her match, then attempting it on his own. Gwen glared at her very match-y match.
"Is that your first time doing this spell, Miss Dursley?" a voice interrupted them. They spun around to see Professor McGonagall looking at the needle on Arabella's desk.
"No," she confessed. "I wanted to learn more ahead of time so I persuaded Percy and Harry to teach me some before I came."
"It is nice to see such a dedicated student," Professor McGonagall said with a small smile. "Ten points to Slytherin. And Miss Goyle... stop swishing your wand so much and you will get better results." She walked away and Gwen looked at her wand with a rather surprised expression. Chance grinned and jabbed his wand at his match. It turned silver-ish for a moment. Gwen glared at him.
"No one mocks Gwyneth Rachel Goyle," she hissed and waved her wand with an extra swish at him. This caused his robe to levitate into the air, taking Chance with it. The result was that Gwen lost Slytherin twice the number of points Arabella gained it, and Chance's robe kept fluttering at odd moments as they walked to Herbology.
"I cannot wait until today is over," Gwen fumed. "What do we have tomorrow?" Arabella consulted her schedule.
"History of Magic, then Double Defense, then Double Charms, then a free period," she said.
"Who's the free period with?" Gwen asked. Arabella looked quizzically at her.
"It is free so we can go anywhere," she said slowly. "If you want to study"- she laughed at this- "go to Professor Lupin's, the Defense teacher, classroom."
"Besides, you are not supposed to use 'with' at the end of a sentence. You should say, 'with whom is the-'" He was cut off as Gwen got out her wand threateningly again.
"You guys, it's the first day of classes. At least wait until next week to kill each other," Arabella said with a grin.
"Oh, I was going to let someone else kill him. I was just going to cast morsmordre and say you did it. That is probably the only spell Greg knows without looking in a book," she laughed.
"Don't do anything right under Dumbledore's nose," Chance hissed in a lower voice. "Are your parents...?"
"Yeah," Gwen whispered back. "Yours?"
"No, but they are not against him either," Chance said.
"What are you guys talking about?" Arabella asked.
"Keep your voice down- we could be expelled and our parents imprisoned if people hear this," Gwen said, trying to snap at Arabella in a whisper.
"Has Harry told you about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Chance asked. Arabella nodded. "Has he told you about the Death Eaters?" Arabella shook her head.
"Come on... in this closet... this is worth being late to Herbology for... but you must promise not to tell anyone..." Gwen said, looking nervous. This told Arabella that something was really serious, for Gwen did not seem to be afraid of anything. Chance was even paler than usual.
"I promise," Arabella told her friends.
"In whispers in the dark closet, Gwen and Chance explained about the Death Eaters and why it was so dangerous that no one find out that Gwen parents were involved, even certain Slytherins.
"In other words," Arabella whispered at the end, "your parents are allies of the man who killed my aunt and uncle?" Gwen nodded. Having laid their deepest secrets out to their new friend, all Gwen and Chance could do was wait.
"Well, they died before I was even born, and Harry does not seem to care about me at all. His battle is not my battle. You two are my friends now. I can not say that I will take your side, or Harry's side, in the final climax, but for now, I will be neutral and silent. Come on, we are already really late and it is only our first day." The friends managed shaky smiled at one another and continued to the greenhouses.
Arabella scarcely noticed when Professor Sprout took thirty points off Slytherin. She was at a major crossroad, and she had to decide which way to go. Would she stick with her cousin, though he turned his back on her, or would she go with the majority of her house and friends, who clearly cared about her, though she came as not really one of them? The eleven year old girl shivered, for the greenhouse had suddenly turned as cold as if a dementor walked in.
