"Out of bed at this hour?"
"Yes, well, uh, I kind of…got lost, you see, and I couldn't find the place where I'm supposed to be, this place is huge, and umm…"
"You must be Mandy." He said this with a sneer which he evidently thought was a warm smile. "Follow me." I paced a couple feet behind him, trying to rid myself of his grease and smell. I thought that asking him to shower was too much of a step upon first meeting him.
After what seemed like hours of trying to block my nose and looking down, following the cape behind who I'd nicknamed "Greaseball", he stopped suddenly in front of a portrait. His cape did not stop moving until seconds later when I'd banged right into his back.
He turned on me, looking as though he was ready to soak me in his own slime, but just said "Be more careful next time."
Turning his eyes toward the portrait, he said concisely : "Heirarchy." The portrait swung forward to reveal a gloomy-looking room full of seemingly lazy students, sitting on uncomfortable chairs. I smiled nervously, whispered a quick thanks to grease ball, and walked into it, trying to look sincerely happy.
"This is Mandy, she is new, Malfoy show her around. Good bye." With a sneer and a whiff of body odour, the teacher was gone. When I looked back into the room, there was a pair of baby blues looking back at me, guiding me to what looked like the most cosy of the most uncomfortable couches around the room. I sat on it, and he sat beside me, about an inch closer than he should have. I grinned wearily, shifting my eyes to take in the surroundings. It was a gloomy place indeed.
Unexpectedly, an owl flew in down the chimney, extinguishing the dim flames in the fireplace, and dropped a letter on my lap. I had already been familiarized with this sort of mail. Opening the envelope, in forced slanted writing, it read:
Miss Mandy Froy, welcome to Hogwarts. I hope that you are comfortable with your new housemates, and I would like to apologize for bidding you come see me at this late hour. Please have Mr. Malfoy escort you to the gargoyles watching over my office, where I will have someone waiting to escort you to me.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
The entire letter looked conspicuous to me, but all the same, I bade Malfoy take me to where I was asked to meet Dumbledore's allies. We spoke rarely as we walked, I had little energy for such trivial things, and finally we reached the gargoyles.
"Bye." I said, as warmly as I could put it.
"I'll see you later-do you remember how to get to the common room?"
"Of course. Bye."
Malfoy walked away looking somewhat put out, and I stood, waiting for someone to help me to Dumbledore's office. I felt something grab my mouth from behind and guide me backwards, in the opposite direction of where Malfoy had gone. I bit the hand hard as I could, and turned smartly only to find the face of one of the twins looking very pissed off indeed.
