Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything but Devon and maybe my imagination... I hope.

xxxxx

She smiled to herself as she stepped, after long last, into the Great Hall once more and gazed up at the starry black ceiling. She almost hated to admit it but, she had missed the school Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardry during her summer holidays and was actually eager to come back to start her sixth year and also see all of her friends again. She sat down at the Gryffindor table and was greeted by Luna Lovegood, whom she sat beside. Soon every one was seated, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione who had ended up sitting across from Ginny and Luna as well as the few others that had joined them.

They watched as the first years step on to the stage lead by Professor McGonagall in a single file line, most of them looking as the first years always did—nerves, some looking up in awe at the bewitched ceiling, while others stared fearfully into the crowd of students sitting at the four long house tables—Luna nudged Ginny lightly to get her attention. "Hey look at her," she said pointing to the very end of the long line of bodies. "Doesn't she look a little old for a first year?" Ginny squinted to get a better look at the far away girl. She did indeed look too old to be a first year nor, did she seem as anxious as most of the people ahead of her in the line. Her eyes were heavily outlined with black eyeliner and the top of her left ear was pierced with a small silver hoop. Though the thing that really caught her eye about the girl was she had short, just barely chin-length red hair a little like her own had been before she had grown it out and put a few black streaks in it, except it was of a darker hue.

"Yeah she does... and get alode of her hair, that can't be her natural color."

Luna nodded in agreement. "No kidding, it almost looks like the color of blood or something."

Ginny did not answer, as the Sorting Hat had begun its traditional song, though it changed every year. After the hat was finished its song the Great Hall rang with applause, as the clapping died down Professor McGonagall began to unroll a long scroll of parchment. One by one the first years were called forward and sorted, every time the old hat shouted out the house that particular student would belong to cheers erupted from the according table.

Within a few minutes there were but two people to be sorted before it was the red-haired, mystery girl's turn to place the Sorting Hat on her head. The first was sorted into Ravenclaw and the second—a boy who looked a little more anxious then the ones before him—was greeted by a loud cheer form the Hufflepuff house table. Before the girl could sit down and place the Sorting Hat upon her head Professor Dumbledore stood up and spoke. "I would like to introduce miss Devon Merow, she has transferred here from Durmstrang and will be staying with us for the school year, attending normal sixth year classes with the house that she is sorted into. I trust you will welcome her with open arms." At that he took his seat once more.

Luna grinned and nudged Ginny again. "Told you!" She whispered.

Ginny nodded, overhearing Hermione murmuring something about there not being a transfer in years to Harry and Ron, who seemed to be not at all interested. The redhead sat on the three-legged stool and placed the animated hat upon her head. The hat did not shout out the house that she would be in right away; rather it seemed to be taking its sweet time in deciding. Finally after what had to be a minute or so the tear near the brim of the Sorting Hat opened to speak. "S... Gryffindor!"

A loud cheer came from the Gryffindor table, Ginny and Luna applauding with the rest of the students that were seated at the same table. Devon Merow stood and put the Sorting hat back on the stool before walking off the stage and over to the Gryffindor table. She took a seat at the very end of the long table leaving a space between herself and the nearest person that was seated on the same side. Professor Dumbledor said a few more words and then the empty dishes before them where promptly filled and the feast began.

Ginny grinned, quickly filling her plate with little of any thing that looked good, which in turn turned out to be nearly everything on the table. As she began to eat Luna nudged her for the third time that night. "Looks like our food isn't good enough for the Durmstrang girl." She pointed to where Devon was sitting, Ginny looked over and noted that there was nothing on the girl's plate and she was simply sipping from her goblet.

"So? Maybe she's just nervous or isn't used to the food here yet. Or she could have eaten already." Ginny responded, slightly annoyed. "Just leave her alone."

xxxxx

It had been just about a month since the start of the new school year. And it seemed that the new student from Durmstrang had a number of rumors being spread about her. Rumors saying that Devon Merow was not a transfer but a spy for the next Triwizard Tournament, to others saying that the reason the red-haired girl had transferred here was because the headmaster of Durmstrang—Mr. Igor Karkaroff—couldn't handle her, for she spent much more time in Professor Dumbledor's office then any rule abiding student would normally. Many other rumors were spread when it was discovered that she had an entire room to herself within the Gryffindor tower.

Ginny sighed quietly as she listened to her friends talk about the Durmstrang girl, or at least that was the title that replaced her name when the students talked about the seemingly rather dark female when they were sure she was well out of ear shot, the now rather tall girl didn't remember exactly how the topic of the controversial girl had come up, nor did she really care. She was actually getting rather fed up with her fellow sixth years, muttering amongst themselves about how the sortinghat had made it's first mistake, that the Durmstrang girl seemed to be a Slytheren more then anything else, always pointing out that the girl never liked to sit near anyone at the long house table during the meals, or claiming they had never actually seen the girl eat the food that always appeared before her... as if she was too good to eat something that a houseelf had touched, or maybe it was because it sat at the Gryffindor table. But Ginny couldn't really blame the girl. It was obvious that most of the Gryffindor —most of Hogwarts for that matter—didn't really want anything to do with her. She sighed yet again and there was no doubt in her mind that the girl had over heard one or more of the conversations that were going on behind her back. But she never stopped to correct the rumor makers; actually she didn't seem to be trying to defend her reputation in any way, shape, or form.

Ginny was snapped from her thoughts when someone made a relatively loud remark about how the Dumstrang girl should just go back to where she came from, they hadn't been told the real reason for the girl's coming to Hogwarts in the first place.

As if on queue Devon Merow walked through the portal of the Fat Lady about halfway through the declaration. Ginny noticed a small sigh escape the other girl's lips but nothing more as she simply continued to walk, making her way to the girl's dormitories.

Ginny glared in the general direction of the speaker before she stood from her spot on one of the plush common room couches and made her way to the girl's dorms as well. Set on doing something that no one else seemed to want to do, simply confront and perhaps get to know the girl. Well at least she would do her best to apologize for the boy that had voiced his opinion at the wrong time.

She took a deep breath and as gathered up every ounce of her Gryffindor courage and knocked on the heavy door ever so lightly. Almost hoping that the girl wouldn't hear so she could hastily trot back down the stairs. What if some of the rumors where true.

xxxxx

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