Authors note: thank you to angel-wings76, seerofsorrow, paprika90

Zenya Taki for your reviews! They mean the world to me! they really encouraged me to continue this fanfic. Hummmm….you will be seeing it from the opposite side of hogwarts! There are a lot more surprises in store ;) and when you say a little bit more detail how do you mean: S anyway, heres a new chapter, so hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4: Contrast & acceptance

Anna stepped out almost timidly onto the platform but sharply pulled herself together. She then stopped dead awestricken when she looked up at the castle what she had expected and what was in front of her were two completely different things. The castle stood proudly with many turrets and towers with hundreds of tiny-lit windows twinkling like stars. She almost gasped but stopped herself, the contrast between this castle and the Durmstrang castle was amazing.

"Anna, are you coming or not?" Pansy said impatiently. Anna looked around in the sea of black robes to find her new acquaintance surrounded by a group of girls all staring at her curiously, she smiled and began to walk over when a huge man in a moleskin overcoat blocked her way with a lantern in his large hand calling out "Firs years over ere, firs years this way."

"Excuse me, please!" She said as he was about to walk into her, he peered down and apologized

"Sorry, didn't see you there," Anna was quite annoyed by now, the big man continued to look at her "You don't 'ave an house emblem on your robe, you look too big to be a firs year." He observed. Anna gazed up at him shielding her eyes from the lantern he was holding,

"I'm not in a house…yet, but it is my first year here even though I'm going into the 6th year." She jadedly explained as soon as she said it she wished she hadn't.

"Oh right, I see well if its your firs 'ere then you can go across the lake with the rest of 'em." She stood horrified to learn that she was resigned to crossing the lake. He turned back to look at her "Follow me." He called.

She spent the rest of a nightmarish 20 minutes stuck in a boat with a little boy who gawped at her as she stepped into the little rowing boat, then for next fifteen minutes contented himself with bombarding her with persistent questions in a squeaky high pitched voice, ignoring the glares she shot him every so often and to top it all off every time he brought the oars from the water she got flicked with big droplets of water as a result they made very little progress. She stayed quiet throughout the whole journey deep in thought about what house she was going to be put in.

When they eventually stopped and left the little boats, she paid very little attention to her surroundings but snapped back to reality when confronted with a tall, strict, aging woman who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall deputy head and teacher of Transfiguration. She led them through to a small room Anna taking up the rear considerably taller than the first years and earning herself intrigued glances from them, the annoying boy from the boat was tagging along with her talking non-stop oblivious to the fact that Anna wasn't taking a blind bit of notice. Professor McGonagall turned and addressed them adding at the end, "I will speak to you in a minute Miss Safire, Please stay here until I return." to Anna.

She then lead the reluctant first years through to what seemed to be a hall, where a hushed silence fell. She felt her nervousness from earlier return in a rush; She listened and heard what seemed to be a song followed by applause and a long list of names being called out. After every name was called, a silence ensued then the person she assumed who had sung the song called out the house the first year was best suited to. The list seemed to be in a long alphabetical order and as they reached the end of the list she heard chattering commence only to be silenced. She heard a strong voice say something she couldn't catch followed by whispers; suddenly the door opened and Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway. "Your turn Miss Safire." Anna opened her mouth to say something then thought better of it after seeing the look on the professor's face.

She stepped out in to a long hall with five tables; one with the teachers and the other four packed with students who all turned to stare at her muttering to their friends, she looked up to the ceiling only to find the sky above her, it must be enchanted she thought. The walk past the tables seemed to take an eternity. Professor Mcgonagall directed her to a spindly stool with a dirty, dusty, old hat balanced on top. She looked enquiringly at the Professor who motioned for her to sit. She sat upon the stool gingerly and the hat was placed upon her head, she was shocked to find that it spoke.

"Ahhhh Miss Safire, what a pleasant surprise well lets see now, which house shall I put you in," Anna's mind was completely blank she was too nervous to think, "Well I think you will do well in Slytherin you are cunning with a thirst for power, but also in Ravenclaw, you are strong minded and intelligent, ummmmmmmm now where to put you."

The hat was silent for a moment the hall (along with Anna) seemed to be waiting with baited breath…

"Slytherin!" The hat called out, Anna almost fell off the stool with relief. A table cheered she slid off the stool and walked briskly over to that table. She squashed in next to Pansy who was shuffling up to make room for her (Pansy seemed more accepting of her now then on the train); She turned to Anna and squealed, "I knew it! You did it!" Anna felt at home for the first time in weeks.

Up at the teacher's table Dumbledore narrowed his eyes watching through his half moon spectacles as Anna was being greeted by the Slytherin table and spoke softly to Professor Mcgonagall "This is not good, this is not good at all."