Disclaimer: Um yeah, we still don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters. lol

Chapter 2

The ride to Hogwarts was rough and bumpy. I suspected that we were riding through some hilly country, probably somewhere in Scotland. Stan Shunpike came to a stop and yelled in his cockney accent, "This stop Hogwarts!"

Me and Dumbledore stepped off the bus and looked around. There was a lake in front of us and an empty train station near us. It was a bright, beautiful day. I looked across the lake, and saw something that truly amazed me. There was a huge castle with many turrets and towers jutting out from it.

"That must be Hogwarts School," I thought to myself. "Beautiful, isn't it," said a voice behind me. I turned around to see Dumbledore's beaming face and nodded.

I followed Dumbledore through the great wooden doors of Hogwarts School. As we walked through the school, I saw many amazing things. Ghosts were roaming the halls, and I could've sworn that the pictures on the wall were moving. We went up several stairs and down several corridors until we reached the room that I was to stay in until the Sorting that night.

"Here we are, Julius," exclaimed Dumbledore. All of your things are in the corner. The Sorting will take place later tonight…you will have to try on the Sorting Hat that I told you about. The whole school will watch while the hat picks your House. I suggest you get some rest. We've been on the road a lot for the past couple of days." And with that, old Dumbledore left me to my own devices. I took Dumbledore's advice and promptly fell asleep. I dreamed of Sorting Hats and Houses, wizard prisons and high-pitched laughter.

At about 7:00 p.m., a loud knocking on my door awakened me. I groggily got up and opened the door. A stern looking witch in a crooked, pointed hat and spectacles was standing before me.

"Hello, Julius," she said quickly. "The Sorting is starting right this minute. We meant to wake you up earlier, but we lost track of the time." She looked at my messy hair and baggy muggle clothing. "You'll just have to come as you are."

"Fine with me," I replied. Actually, I was glad not to have to wear the wizard's robes. I preferred my jeans, Tims, and black Hawks sweatshirt.

"Come with me, then" she said. I followed her through the many winding corridors and down the moving staircases. Finally, we reached the Great Hall, where the Sorting was already taking place. As I walked into the front of the hall to join the other first years, all eyes turned to look at me. Some of the girls giggled and waved. I flashed them my cockiest smile and waved back. I felt kind of stupid for being with the first years. I was 6 years older than them, but since I had no House, I had to be sorted with the first years. Dumbledore said that with much practice, I could catch up to the other sixth years.

The other first years looked scared and intimidated by the other students, the teachers, and the tattered hat sitting on a stool before them. Each first year was to try on the hat, and the hat would take a look inside people's minds and put them in their rightful Houses. Gryffindor House was for brave, bold leaders; Hufflepuff was for kind and sweet workers; Ravenclaw was for studious bookworms; and Slytherin was for clever, mischievous schemers. I didn't think that I fit into any of these descriptions, so I was nervous about which House the hat would pick for me. The Sorting began as soon as I reached the head of the hall, where the other first years stood. Professor McGonagall called out the names in alphabetical order, so it was a while before I heard "Lestrange, Julius!" It took a second to remember that I am Julius Lestrange, not Julius Logan. Then, I walked up to the stool, sat down, and commenced to put the Sorting Hat on my head. As the brim of the hat was about to fall over my eyes, I saw the expressions of some of the students. Some of them were looking at me in a disgusted manner. I thought maybe they knew about my criminal parents.
Two boys at the Gryffindor table had turned completely white, one chubby and one skinny and bespectacled. Their teeth and fists were clenched like they wanted to beat the hell out of me. Some of the girls were looking at me like I was Vin Diesel or somebody, though. That was good by me. I smiled and the hat fell over my eyes.

"Hmm…Mr. Lestrange. I meet you at last. I sorted both of your parents into Slytherin…and you see where it got them today. But that was their fate. And yours is…

GRYFFINDOR!"

I hurriedly took the hat off of my head and made my way to the Gryffindor

Table. The Slytherins were looking disappointed that I wasn't sorted into their House,

and the Gryffindors were looking disappointed that I was one of them. I got a very less

than warm welcome. The other Houses and the teachers just looked thoroughly surprised. I guess everyone expected me to be a coldhearted Slytherin. Well, judging from who my parents are, I couldn't blame them. As I sat down with the Gryffindors, I felt their dislike almost immediately. No one spoke to me, and all of the guys avoided my glance. The girls kept looking at me, whispering, and then giggling. There was one pretty girl with thick hair who kept giving me curious looks and then looking away. Since she was sitting near me, I tried to start a conversation with her.

"Hey, how ya doing, I'm Julius Lo- I mean Julius Lestrange. I just moved here from America…Atlanta, Georgia, to be exact."

"Well, technically you didn't move here from America. You moved here from the United States of America. By the way, I'm Hermione Granger."

What a know it all bitch! I thought to myself. Out loud I said, "Well pardon my wording," in a snooty British accent.

She laughed. I started to think maybe she wasn't so bad. At least she had a sense of humor. Maybe.

For the rest of dinner, no one talked to me at all. All I got were furtive glances and scowls from people I was supposed to be living with for the next two years. I started to think that maybe life at Hogwarts wasn't gonna be all that it was cracked up to be.

After dinner, I didn't feel like going up to the Gryffindor common room, so I decided to roam the halls for awhile. Actually, I was on a mission. A mission that began in the library. I wanted to know more about the ones who conceived me.

As I looked closely for the library, a loud, obnoxious ghost started taunting me with this rhyme:

"Wee Lestrange,

He's so strange!

Like his mum-

He is Deranged!

Like his pop he'll be caged

Poor Little Chap

He is, Lestrange!"

I swipped at the asshole but he disappeared in midair, crackling with sadistic laughter.

Finally I found the library, and started reading a book called Modern Day Criminals of the Wizarding World. Under the L's, I found photographs and biographies on my parents. My mother, Bellatrix, was a dark woman with large, heavily lidded eyes. She appeared to be either sleepy or drunk. My father Rodolphus had a very expressionless face, and he was tall and slender with light brown curls. I knew that the things they had done were terrible- they were torturers, murderers, spies, and thieves combined. But that didn't make me any less curious, and I had an overwhelming desire to meet with them, talk to them, just see what they were like. After all, they were my only real family. And truthfully, I was feeling a little lonely at Hogwarts.

Until I met Draco Malfoy.

A pale, blonde boy waltzed into the library while I was reading, and got a book off the shelf called How to Pass the Top Student in the Class.

"So, who's the top student in the class?" I asked with interest.

"Hermione Granger, do you know her?" he said in disgust. "She's a fucking teacher's pet. No matter what I do, I can't seem to pass her. My father's terribly upset, and I don't want that at all, of course…I don't want…" his voice trailed off, and there was an awkward silence.

"Yeah, she's a nightmare all right!" I said, and we both laughed. He ran his hand throught his sleek platinum hair. "So what's the deal with these Gryffindors?" I asked. "Tough crowd, huh?"

"Very tough," he said, "and if you're the son of a Death Eater, forget it. You and I are two of a kind. I know what it's like to live in the shadow of your father's evil, to be forced to act a certain way so you won't be disowned by your father…to deal with the kinds of things…." Again his voice faltered. I thought the boy was okay, so I held out my hand for him to shake. "I'm Julius," I offered.

"And I'm Draco Malfoy," he responded. His pale face leaned in towards mine, his cold grey eyes sparkling with delight. "Wanna get in some trouble tonight?"

"All right!" I exclaimed, beaming. I was always up for an adventure.

He grinned. "Tonight, we play a prank on the Gryffindors. You know the password to the Common

Room, right? Well, this is my idea. You get us in there, and we'll trash their dorms. Whip cream and toilet paper everywhere, stick their hands in hot water. They'll never know what hit them!"

I laughed in delight. I, being the king of pranks, never turned down a good practical joke. And I thought it might loosen up the Gryffin-bores a little, show them a what a sense of humor looked like. I could see that Draco's motive and mine differed a little. He was seeking revenge and I was seeking a good time.

We loaded up on toilet paper and tins of hot water from a remote girl's bathroom, which we thought was deserted. It turned out that the bathroom was haunted by a manic-depressive ghost named Myrtle, who kept trying to flirt with us. We got out of there as quickly as possible, and acquired cans of whipped cream from two of Draco's dumb cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. They were both rather hefty and stupid, and had a lifetime supply of junk food. As Draco said, "They're good to have around, because they do what I tell them to do, the stupid oafs. But now that I met you, I'll be having some real fun!" We both sniggered and headed up many staircases to the Gryffindor common room. At dinner, Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, had told me the password to the common room. I repeated it now to the portrait of a big-boned woman that was guarding the way.

"Merlin," I said calmy, trying to look as innocent as possible. The fat woman eyed Draco suspiciously, but let us pass through.

In a matter of an hour, we had successfully administered generous amounts of toilet paper and whipped cream around the common room, without being heard. We then stuck my roommates hands in buckets of hot water, so they would pee on themselves while they slept. I didn't know any of my roommates at all, but felt a little bad at the embarassment they would endure in the morning. But oh well, who said life is fair?

When all was done, I said to Draco, "Well, man, I better get to bed. I put a bucket of hot water next to my bed so they won't suspect me. Awesome prank, man! See you tomorrow, at breakfast?"

"Yes, at breakfast." He said, grinning. I think we both knew that today was the start of a lifetime friendship, and bonds had been made that would withstand the terror and trials soon to come.