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You boarded the train with the others, finding a compartment to yourself, Ginny going off somewhere else, probably with her other friends in 5th year. Hermione went on and on about who knows what and they explained a little more to you about the wizarding world. For some reason, Harry was really getting on your nerves. Up one minute and down the next and all Hermione did was talk talk talk. Usually it wouldn't be a bad thing but you had just had such a long week that her constant jabbering made you want to knock her out. Ron really didn't do anything... if anything he was TOO quite. A little weird you know? But over all you all got along, that is until Malfoy decided to interupt you in the middle of your conversation by barging in unwelcomely into your compartment.

"Get out of here you little white ferret!" yelled Harry making to stand up.

"Settle down Potty, I was sent here to get Mudblood and Weasle for prefect duties, dont get your knickers in a bunch." He nodded towards you "Fancy meeting you here again, still having caught your name."

"Aurora. Aurora Borealis."

"Ha, what kind of hippies did you have for parents. A nice name you got there, Your last name is too long to call you by, I'll have to come up with something creative." He winked at you and slammed the compartment door shut.

"Why did you tell that dirty scumball your name!"

"He asked, so I told him..Why do you have such a problem with him? I mean, he doesn't seem too nice, but he doesnt seem like the devil you three make him out to be, to be honest."

You were paraded with angry yells and stories all at once by all three trying to explain how horrible he was to people weaker than him ect ect. Boring.

"You guys are so judgemental." And with that you turned to face at the swaying trees in the distance, attempting to tune out the angry protests about blasphemy and other such things. You just wanted to go to bed. You had these off days where basically everyone got on your nerves. You would be better tomorrow... you hoped. With the castle coming into view in the distance you wondered if it always looked this eerie. Perhaps it was the misty cloud overhang or the chilly feel to the air. It made you feel stronger, yet cold and you shuddered to keep warm. Nights like these always made you feel stronger, especially since you found out about your powers, the chilly night air made you feel powerful and in control, but you werent exactly sure why. Feeling this made you remember your powers. You attempted to conjure up fire to warm yourself with but all you could get was a feeble flame, then it was gone in a wisp of smoke. Worthless.

You made your way to the horseless carraiges that everyone seemed to be flocking to but a large had stopped you in your tracks and you had to urge yourself not to scream. In front of you stood the largest man you had ever seen.

" 'Eh you mus' be Aurora. Yer gonna be goin' over 'ere with the res' of the firs' years. In the boats ya know. " He pointed behind him and then commenced calling out for the rest of the first years.

You turned around to see him talking with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Of course they would be the ones to befriend him. Not that it really mattered, but he really needed to work on his English. The boats were crammed full of scared looking first years, and of course you were stuck in the boat with Hagrid who was sinking down the front end causing you to have to hold on to the edges of the boat in fear of falling off. He talked about nonsense almost as much as Hermione did, but you could understand her at least. 15 minutes and a soaked set of clothes later, you arrived at the castle, after everyone else had gotten out of the horseless carraiges. You longed for the feeling of the dry warm interior of the castle that looked more inviting from here than they did back by the carraiges. You barely had time to admire the glorious surroundings your saw when you walked into Hogwarts for the first time. Sure the pictures in u Hogwarts a History /u were beautiful but you had no idea they could actually be real! You were pulled from your thoughts as Hagrid opened huge doors into the Great Hall, with four long house tables.

You knew what happened next, the sorting, traditional ever since the four founders Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Boo for Hufflepuff, she just accepted everyone because she didn't have any real thoughts of her own. Weak. Boo for Ravenclaw too because being smart wouldn't get you everywhere in life. The other two you weren't sure about so you closed your mind off and waited for them to bring out the sorting hat, which you had read about as well. Bored waiting for the McGonagall woman Hermione praised so much you looked around at your peers feeling more than a little self concious seeing as though you were at least a foot taller than the rest of the first years. Trying to find something to do while the insufferabe woman made sure the hat was comfortable you held out your hand and made a small ball of fire to play with in your hands. Since there was no wind inside it came up easily when of course, you heard a collective gasp from the room. Apparently flinging fire wasnt normal. You looked towards the Slytherin table to see Dracos eyebrows shoot up and then to the Gryffindor table where Hermione was franticaly telling you to put it out. You did. Whoops...note to self, not good to do magic in front of magical people, ironic.

There were whispers and pointing and the first years had all sort of backed away. Before you could object to this Professor McGonagall announced that the hat was indeed ready for the sorting. You listened to some song about the four houses and how we should unite.. blah blah get on with it. They called all the first years up before they got to you, which seemed like an interminable amount of time...and then came..." Borealis, Aurora". You walked placidly up to the stool and picked up the hat and put it on your head. It was much too large.

"Ah, you know, I knew I would get one of you one of these days" a voice sprang up in your head.

One of what...

"Oh you know... with the fire? Impressive. I must say I..."

Can we please get on with it... I'm really hungry and you're keeping me from..

"Testy testy.. fine. I see no Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, but you wouldn't fit in well there anyways. Gryffindor... hmm you are brave, forthright... maybe.. Slytherin? Yes... You do like to get what you want don't you?"

Who doesn't?

"Well.. With that attitude I think I've made my decision.. better be Slytherin!" The hat yelled, this time not in your head. Applause erupted from the Slytherin table as you went to sit near the end. Looking across the room, you saw Harry and the others looking at you. Harry and Ron were glaring and Hermione was looking apprehensive. They had made it quite clear that they didn't like the Slytherins. Who did they think they were? Especially Harry, did he think he was going to save the world one day or what? He was so full of secrets that you didn't know where the truth ended and the lies began. You were pulled out of your reverie for the second time that night by a hand coming across your shoulder and a whisper into your ear.

"I knew you'd come to the right side, better left here than with boy wonder and his faithful gang of idiots."

"Yes, he does have a bit of an ego doesn't he" you said to Draco who had taken to sitting next to you.

Suddenly, you looked up and everyone was completely silent. You could almost hear a pin drop. Dumbledore rose from the staff table and addressed the entire school.

"Hello newcomers and welcome to all you old faces. So begins another year."

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"As your heard" Dumbledore continued, "the sorting hat felt a dire need to warn us all about unity and I must stress this fact now more than even because as you all know, Voldemore (collective gasp) has risen to power and when we are divided, it causes us to be weak and we must be ever vigilant. Also, to help promote unity in the school, we are going to have a new activity this year. You will be sending post to a different student in a different house other than you own. You will not know which house or the name of the student with which you will be communicating with. This activity will ensure that you will be able to connect on a personal level with students in your year but whom you would normally have no contact with. You have already been assigned your partners previously to today. You will send your letters across the school at least once a week. You may not write out you name in the letters for at least 2 months. You will be give a special stamp to put on the outside of your letters so the owls will know who to take it to a head of time. Now onto more pressing materrs. Firstly, the Quidditch tryouts will begin next Saturday so you will all have enough time to practice before the first game on November 3rd. Secondly, we have a new defense against the dark arts professor but sadly she will not arrive until well ito the night so I am afraid you will not be able to meet them until you have them for classes. Now, I have talked for far too long, time to dig in!" and with his speech ending and your stomach pleading for food, the golden plates in front of you filled with more food than you had ever seen in your entire life.

You were looking for something to start your dinner off with when you noticed a pudgy girl with a pug-like face was glaring at you from halfway down the house table and motioning for Malfoy to sit with her. He grumbled bu treluctantly stood up and made his way to her without even saying good bye to you. You sat eating in silence and when Dumbledore dismissed the entire school, you stood in a line to get your respected stamp then followed the rest of the Slytherins to your common room. The prefects led the way and opened the portrait entrace of a man with a snake tangled around his feet hissing menacingly.

"Pureblood" Malfoy spat trumping through the hole. Banners of silver and green clung tightly to the walls and the fire roared sinisterly at one end of the common room. You walked in and plopped down on the couch looking around at the slender snakes intertwined in the picture frame above the fireplace. A sharp gleaming sword stood inside it's glass case on the mantle with a gold inscription on the bottom of the case Salazar Slytherin 1492 it read.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself. I can't beleive you made it into the elite. Slytherin! You don't know like any magic do you? I bet Granger was going to tutor you with her feel-good magic but you know where your loyalties lay obviously."

"My loyalities?"

"Yes, you know Dumbledore and Potty or the true ruler, the Dark Lord."

"Dark lord...?"

"Oh my God... you don't know do you? About St. Potter and the most powerful wizard of our time?"

"Err..." He nearly passed out.

"You really are worthless you know that? Look, I don't usually help people but you're in Slytherin and if you're weak then we're all weak -- and a Malfoy, is anything but weak. You'll learn that." He chuckled but then his face went tight and he began to tell the famous tale of Harry Potter and Voldemort.

Of course, he didn't know the whole story and he severely twisted several facts but none the less when the story ended you were in awe. Someone so powerful fell by that know it all? No wonder he had so many issues. He really needs to get some kind of anger management thing going on because he seriously has problems. You told Malfoy this and he laughed knowingly and you sighed remembering that you had classes coming up. Dumbledore let you start late seeing as though you knew near nothing in the magical world. Hermione had been so convinced that you were going to be in Gryffindor that she had offered to tutor you and lend you books but seeing as though that wouldnt be likely now that you were seperated into the most rivaling houses, you weren't sure how you were going to ever even begin to catch up.

"What's with the sigh? Whatever it is, suck it up." Malfoy said facing the fire, its flames flickering ominously in his silverblue eyes.

"Well theres no way I'm ever going to be able to get Hermione to help me now, not that I really wanted her help in the first place, all she does is talk and giggle. She drives me insane. Anyways, I need someone to help me.. I wonder if Dumbledore would..." you trailed off.

"Look, Borealis, I know not original, I'll help you only if you prove to learn quick. When I say quick I mean QUICK. Show me, what can you do, anything? Anything at all?"

You took a breath and made a silvery translucent ice ball appear and it floated gently over your hands by some unseen wind.

"Okay, well. I'm .. impressed! I wish I could do that, unfortunately I'm not a freak. Pity. Anyways, seeing as though its nearing 11, and I have classes, I'm going to bed. If you want to look through some books, I left some from home over on the tables." And with that he walked away towards the boys dormitories, shutting the door behind him leaving only you and the crackling fire in the Slytherin common room.

Pondering... you got up slowly to the small stack of books littering the otherwise clean table. You flipped through them, some of them older than seemed possible. Dark Arts, Volumes I-XII , The Serpent and Me , Unforgivable curses , Legilimency Tactics and Opposition and Rise and fall of the Dark Arts . After hearing Malfoy's spiel about the Dark Lord, he seemed like someone people would look up to. A great public speaker, with supporters and giving his supporters what they wanted. Darwinism -- the servival of the fittest. You approved. You gently blew away the dust that was beginning to accumulate on the top of Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and began to read. You were so immersed in the book that you read.. and read... and read until the faint twinkle from the rising sun could be seen through the thin windows on the opposite side of the room. Your eyes were accustomed to the darkness and the flickering quality of the lamp beside the table, that when the sun began to rise more and more, you had to squint your eyes to read. You heard Malfoy and a few others coming down their respective staircases, the pudgy girl that Malfoy had called Pansy was glaring at you before deciding to take her leave to the Great Hall for breakfast. If she keeps her face like that anymore, it's going to get stuck. you thought angrily as you shut your book for the first time in nearly 8 hours. Page 471 -- not bad, almost completely done with it and it was one of the most interesting books you had ever read, far more so than the ones Hermione let you borrow.

"Have you been up all night!" Malfoy asked alarmed, rubbing his sleep filled eyes, coming up to you.

"Yes. This book is very good, do you mind if I read the others, there's lots of spells and such in these and they're particularly interesting.. that is, if you don't mind"

"Yea, whatever, I'm going to eat, you really probably should too... but whatever, no skin off my back." he said and followed Pansy out of the portrait hole and on to breakfast.

You reimmersed yourself in reading, far too indulged to stop for a measly thing like breakfast, you had no classes and there would always be lunch around noon. That is, if you could pull yourself away from the tales of the Dark Lord and his loyal followers...