A/N: HP is JKR's. There, I said it. I was just going to steal all of her characters and ideas without crediting her. Unfortunately my lawyer informed me that I could go to jail for an undisclosed (but very long) period of time.

Chapter 20: Vendettas and Houses and Tempers, Oh my!

"Welcome to your first day of N.E.W.T. Potions. I will have you know right from the star, I do not tolerate failure in this class. If you manage to maintain lower than an E in here, you will no longer be allowed to continue studying." Professor Snape stood at the front of his classroom, unsmilingly addressing the unfortunate students that managed to get an O on the O.W.L. test from the previous year. Alana immediately held no affection for the man whatsoever, not just the playful dislike she felt before. Her disgust came not only from his cold and vindictive personality, but she could feel something, an unsettling aura hanging around him.

She had no doubt he had killed in the past, innocent blood stained his hand long ago, but mostly it was the oil of evil blood that clung to them now. She was surprised to learn how sad a soul he had, but it was not unexpected from such a bitter man. His foulness was merely a facade to hide and protect himself, but she could see through it like water in a pond and glimpse what he didn't want anyone to see. Perhaps that was why he never seemed to do anything but hate her after that first day.

"Ms. Lucas." Snape was trying to get Alana's attention but she was too lost in thought. She knew if she could even just dent the professor's icy shell, she was sure he could be made more tolerable. Certainly not likeable, but tolerable.

"Ms. Lucas." He said again, this time stronger and more impatient.

"Hmm?" Alana replied as she returned her attention to the lesson.

"Thank you for joining us in this world. No doubt yours is more interesting, but I don't think dreaming about Mr. Malfoy will help you pass my class." Snape was almost sneering as Alana followed his finger to the place she had been staring and her eyes narrowed maliciously.

"The only thing I would ever daydream about him is the most painful way to kill him." Malfoy looked almost startled as he stared back at her. His usually clam features were almost unnoticeably distorted.

"What did you say? Are you threatening a fellow student?"

"No." Alana replied coolly, but she felt that her eyes were starting to glow. "I said I would only dream of him dying. And I don't think I'm the only one to ever think about it."

Snape paused and thought for a moment. It wasn't every day that he dealt with violent teenagers, though he did from time to time.

"And why, may I ask, do you want to harm Mr. Malfoy."

Alana glared at her new professor, fury boiling and her eyes literally alight. She was very aware of all the attention the rest of the class was giving her, but what could she say? How much was safe to tell? Of course some students would expect that Malfoy had followed the family name and become a Deatheater and some others must have had their families ripped apart by Voldemort....

"Vendetta." her eyes were so bright she had to point them at the table, they hadn't been like this in a long while and they would be a dead give away if anyone saw them.

"I see...And why do you have a vendetta against him?" Snape pushed "What have you convinced yourself he has done?"

"I don't particularly think it's any of your business." Alana said mock sweetly. "If you really want to know, take it up with one of your bosses. They should both know what Mr. Malfoy was sent to do."

Snape glared at Alana and brought his face within an inch of her own. "Ten points from Gryffindor. I warn you now, this behaviour is entirely unacceptable at Hogwarts, no matter what your other school may have taught." He straightened himself up and snapped at the class to get to work before seating himself at his desk to do paperwork.

Alana did not meet anyone's eyes while she stewed her potion, not even Hermione's, whom she was working with during the period. Her eyes were still glowing even though the argument was long over and every so often, a student or two would look up at her, wondering what the Malfoy family had done this time. It didn't surprise any of them though, nobody liked Malfoy if they weren't in Slytherin and he really grated on everyone's nerves with his incessant tormenting.

"Hey Alana." Ron whispered from the table over. "What was that all about?"

"Shut up will you?" Alana hissed back "I can't talk about it in here."

"Well yeah I know but don't you think they'll figure it-"

"Ron! Quit it! We'll talk after class!"

"She's right you know," Harry whispered when Ron turned back towards him. "This is not the place. Especially not with Snape around."

"That man is even fouler than you made him out to be!" Alana shouted stressfully as she, Hermione, Ron and Harry emerged into the entrance hall. "How on earth can you stand him?!"

"We don't," Harry replied. "We have to ignore it unless we want loads of detentions though."

"I swear I thought I was going to cut his tongue out where he stood!" she said as she shifted her bag higher onto her shoulders and straightened her collar. She hesitated for a moment before unbuttoning the top button.

"And why did you go off and tell them about Malfoy?" Ron asked "Someone is bound to figure it out."

"Only if they have the facts." Alana replied and shifted her bag again. She paused for a moment before rolling up her sleeves. "Boiling for a castle, isn't it?"

"It's always like this." Hermione mumbled "Or it's too cold."

"Either way it's a horror when you have to climb five flights of stairs to get to your next class." Ron muttered dejectedly but brightened when he glanced the top of the grand staircase. "Smile everyone, here comes Professor Dumbledore."

And so he did, the headmaster was making his way down the stairway and was headed straight in their direction. He looked happy and worried at the same time, not his usual while he was with students.

"Hello Uncle." Alana said happily. "What brings you down from your office? It has to be less stuffy than it is here."

"Not really my dear." Professor Dumbledore said in his usual wise and tickled tone. "I came because I heard you were in class."

"Mm-hm. I went to potions. And that Snape man is absolutely wretched! He tried to tell the entire class that I was daydreaming about that murderous, what was his name? Oh yeah, Malfoy!" Her voice dropped an octave and she whispered to Albus. "He told them I was daydreaming about Maggie's murderer!"

Dumbledore nodded gravely and sighed.

"Yes, I heard from Professor Snape himself what happened. He also told me you threatened himself and Mr. Malfoy as well as make up a ridiculous story about a vendetta against the Malfoy family." The headmaster shook his head sadly and reprimanded her mildly. "Alana, we are doing our best to keep you secret, telling the entire school you have a feud against the Malfoy's is not going to help keep that secret."

"I know Uncle, he just made me so mad!" Alana sighed. "I'm sorry."

"That's alright, but I must insist you come with me to my office. I was planning on waiting until tomorrow but seeing as you are finished studying and want to attend your classes, it must be done sooner."

"What's got to be done sooner?" Ron asked from behind Alana.

"Since I wanted to avoid arousing suspicion, I didn't have you sorted into your house last night Alana. But you need to use the Sorting Hat to tell you where you will spend your time this year."

"You mean I don't get to stay with them?" Alana asked incredulously. "But I don't know anyone else!"

"I know Alana, but it is tradition and you need to follow the same customs you would if you were really on of us."

Alana made a face and sighed dejectedly but nodded that she would do as she was asked. She followed her uncle to his office where the Sorting Hat was kept while her friends continued to their next class. She just hoped she wouldn't get stuck with the murderers Slytherin.

"So I have to put the hat on my head....And it'll start talking to me?" Alana was seated in front of Dumbledore's desk, staring at the very old hat sitting on the desktop. Something told her it was going to be a very interesting afternoon.

"Precisely." Dumbledore replied with his blue eyes twinkling. "But only you will be able to hear it. I would also advise you not to try to lie to it. It has access to all of your memories and dreams, and it particularly hates it when someone tries to deceive it."

She still only stared at the hat.

"So what is it going to do if I lie to it? Eat my hair?"

Dumbledore chuckled, leave it to her to come up with something like that.

"I mean honestly, am I going to wake up with it trying to smother me in my sleep or something? Cause if that's the way this works, I'm going to have to pass on this one. I like Gryf-whatever well enough. And I could be in the one...the one with the eagle... Not Slytherin or the one with the badger though...I hate badgers. They're very scary when provoked you know. They whip out a can of badger whoop-ass on you." She shuddered and glanced back at the hat. "Well, I'd better get this over with. I was hoping I could visit that one teacher...Trelawney? Yes, the others think she's such a wonderful teacher. They described her as...what were the words? Oh, yeah, fraud and morbid and crazy old bat. Then sweet little Hermione said a few things I'm not sure are school appropriate. Hmm, fiery spirit that one's got. If you can't tell I'm trying to stall this whole head eating thing..."

Dumbledore was chuckling again. "If you really do want to meet our in house psychic,"

Alana coughed and if he wasn't mistaken, it sounded a little more like psycho then most coughs do. The only problem was, she didn't stop coughing. The joking sparkle in her eyes, so much like his own, disappeared and was replaced with surprised panic.

"Alana? Are you alright?" He stood up from his chair and crossed to her side. "Should I send for the nurse?"

Still coughing she waved a hand at him and shook her head no and forced in a large gulp of air. The coughing stopped immediately, but she grabbed her throat and winced when she swallowed. Dumbledore materialized a goblet of water on the desktop and she took it gratefully and sipped a little of it.

"Ow," She said hoarsely. "That's not fun." She drank some more water and sat the goblet back down on the table. "Ready to get on with it?"

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Of course. My throat was just dry that's all." She paused before picking the Sorting Hat up by its point. "Here it goes."

Next thing she knew it was dark, the hat fell well over her eyes, and a small voice was speaking to her inside her head.

"Well isn't this new?" it said, "I don't believe I have ever sorted a sixteen year old since before the time of Merlin."

That's very nice for you. Please just get on with this, and don't eat my head. I'm quite attached. She could have sworn she heard the hat laugh.

"Let's see, let's see...You're a special one aren't you? Very powerful, almost more so than the you have a very kind heart. You are remarkably brave, and your family is your greatest strength...your greatest weakness and well if I say so myself."

Leave them out of this. No one is supposed to know about them. Ever.

"Stubborn and Brazen as well...But which house?" The hat was silent for a good minute before it said anything. "You would do well in any of the houses you know. Hufflepuff could lead you to a career in Healing. Ravenclaw could give you a prominent career in the Ministry, not that that would be any use to you. Slytherin cou-"

I will not be in that group of murderers! Alana snapped at the hat, you should know that from my memories. They killed my cousin. I won't, under any circumstances be anywhere near them when I don't have to be. And I certainly won't eat with them. I'm afraid I'd loose my lunch anytime I sat next to one of them.

"I see," The hat said, "that you would not do well among them. Because of the rarity in which I sort people that are no longer supposed to be in existence, I am not certain as to where I should put you. I am quite certain you should be in either Hufflepuff or Gryffindor...."

Gryffindor sounds good to me. I mean, I do fight those damned necromancers, and some of the other Gryffindors fought that Voldemort man...He seems like a necromancer on a power trip if you ask me. Maybe I can help.

The hat didn't respond for a moment, and all of a sudden, there was a sharp, burning, pain on her head, equal to having a red hot poker rammed through it and she whipped the hat off her head and flung it across the room before being thrown to the ground by some unseen force and being crushed under her chair.

A/N: Was that a cliffy or not? Nay? Yay? Please Review, I'm feeling unsuccessful. Trin is the only one that reviews regularly so if you have the tendency to lurk, please please please just write one little bitty review. Please?

Get my television fix sitting on my cruscifix in the living room of my private womb while the Mom's and Brad's are away to fall in love and fall in deist to alcohol and cigarettes and Mary Jane to keep me insane and doing someone elses cocaine. GD. (Stay XSTRAIGHT EDGEX kiddies. No need to walk the path of unrighteousness.)

sXe