Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing at all. JK does. I have permission from MssrsMoonyandPadfoot to use the Rebecca Holmes character though, who originally wrote her in their fan fictions.

Chapter 2

Of Mudbloods and Slytherins

The Hogwarts Express had me in awe the first time I saw it. It was large, and magnificent, like nothing I had ever seen before. As I looked around the platform, I saw students of all ages standing there, talking with people they knew from previous years, or had grown up around. I suddenly felt oddly self conscious about myself, feeling out of place and like I didn't belong.

I started to play nervously with my brown hair, put up in its normal pony tail. I always played with my hair whenever I was nervous of anything like that, it was just a habit. And right now, I was probably the most nervous I had ever felt. I scanned the platform, observing some of the students. It made me feel alone, watching them all. I saw a group of guys a bit older than myself, meeting up in the center of the platform, looking excited to see each other. I felt a twinge of jealousy towards them, not having anybody to be with.

Well, despite being alone, I knew I had to get on that train eventually. I took a deep breath and picked up my trunk, and walked towards the train. Finding a compartment though, I soon found out, was going to be a greater challenge. Anywhere I tried to sit, was either already filled or filled with people I could tell didn't want to sit with me. I mean, who wanted to sit with me? I was a girl, who had barely reached 4'3, wore glasses that obviously didn't look right on me, and hid my brown eyes, teeth that well, could have been straighter, long brown hair that was always up in a ponytail no matter what, and freckles that stood out on my cheeks and nose.

I felt it was inevitable that I would be alone for my 7 years of Hogwarts. I felt even worse when I was forced to sit by myself for the entire ride to Hogwarts. It wasn't too bad…I guess. I mean, I got to catch up on my reading and all, but still, I wished I was with someone who could talk to through out the train ride, so I wouldn't feel so alone. I just saw this train ride as a bad omen for the rest of my years at Hogwarts, that I was going to have no friends throughout my seven years.

I don't know how long the train ride was. It felt like ages. Time generally passes by slowly when nothing happens. By the time the train stopped, I was already in my school uniform, with my trunk all packed up and ready to go. I Must have been one of the first ones off the train; it just showed how eager I was to get off it. When I got onto the platform though, I saw something that just sent me into awe.

"Firs' years over 'ere!" said a loud, booming voice. I looked up at this…giant. He was twice the size of any normal man, and three times as wide. He seemed friendly though, as he gathered up all the first years and led them over to the boats.

I sat in a boat with two other first years, but I was too nervous to ask for their names. Normally, I'm a very outgoing, amiable person. But right now, the thought of talking to someone frightened me to death. So, I just did what any scared person does, and remained silent.

Although, all thoughts of trying to make friends were pushed out of my mind once I laid eyes on the castle. My jaw just dropped as I watched it in wonder as it slowly came into view over the lake. It was so…majestic and incredible that it was hard for me to imagine I would be spending the next seven years here.

I was quickly snapped back to reality when the boat stopped and the large man, Hagrid, ushered us off the boats and towards the castle. He lead us through the doors of the Entrance Hall, and we were met by a strict looking lady, her raven hair pulled back into a tight bun, and an odd looking hat adorning her head. She gave us an explanation of the four houses, names of them I had already memorized before hand. After a few minutes, she lead us through another set of doors, and into the Great Hall.

Walking down the aisle, in between the house tables, was probably one of the most nerve racking experiences of my life. I couldn't recall feeling more self conscious about myself than I did that day, having all eyes looking at me as I walked to the front of the Hall and stopped in front of a three-legged stool. We all looked at it confused for a second, until the lady brought out this ratty looking hat. I raised an eyebrow at it, and nearly jumped out of my shoes when it started to talk. It sang about the houses, and how they were all formed. Once it was all over, the hat became still again and everyone applauded. I clapped as well, so I wouldn't be the only one not clapping.

"Anderson, Connor," were spoken that stopped the applause almost immediately. A small, scrawny boy with blonde hair and pale blue eyes nervously walked out of the crowd of first years and sat on the stool. He sat there a good five minutes before the hat finally shouted out "HUFFELPUFF!" HE gave a sigh of relief and jumped off the stool and walked over to the Hufflepuff table, being greeted by the rest of his new classmates.

After that, my mind started to drift, studying my surroundings and what the Great Hall actually looked like. As I looked around, I saw the ceiling, and I just started to gape at it. It was…magnificent. It was one of my first sights of magic, and wow…I was just amazed of it all. I was snapped out of my daze though when some kid poked me hard in the back.

"Hey mudblood, it's your turn," some other first year whispered to me in a menacing voice. It was an icy tone, and the speaker had sharp grey eyes and messy black hair.

I turned around to him, a bit fearfully. I nodded and muttered a "Thank you" before making my way up to the stool. I felt all eyes watch me as I sat down on the stool, my face turning a deep red. I soon lost sight of everything around me when the hat was put on my head, reaching past my eyes and to my nose.

I sat there for a few seconds, wondering what I was supposed to be doing, when a voice started to speak to me from inside the hat. "Ah, a muggleborn I see, but strong magic too. And courage, ah yes, and loyalty to friends as well…but where to place you…hmm…well, better be GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted, the name of the house echoed through out the entire Great Hall.

I smiled widely once the hat called out my house; cheering from the Gryffindor table could be heard as I made her way over to the table. With a smile on my face, I sat down at the table, feeling as if I finally belonged to something at Hogwarts.

After the last student was sorted, Mariah Zaleta for Gryffindor, starting the feast. The feast at Hogwarts could have been possibly one of the best meals I ever ate. I was just beginning to talk with people at my table, my nerves starting to subside some, when the prefect called all the first years to the front. With some regret, I got up from the table, and over to the congregating first years near the front of the Great Hall. A couple of the prefects started to talk with each other as the first years stood there, waiting.

I was about to turn to the person next to me, a first year Ravenclaw, who's name I learned to be Laszlo Lovegood, I felt something grab onto my ponytail, and pull down, hard, to the point where I swear I felt many hairs being pulled out of my head. I quickly grabbed my ponytail back, some tears in my eyes from the instant pain, and turned around to see who it was, but instead I saw two similar looking boys, wrestling on the ground in front of me. I looked at them puzzled, the two of them screaming at each other.

"What the bloody hell did you do that for!" the one with longer, black hair shouted as he threw a particularly nasty punch towards the other one's head.

"She's a filthy mudblood!" the other one shot back, me still confused about what on earth a mud-whatever was. "Don't tell me you've on and become a mudblood lover, because I'm sure mother and father would love that," he said grinning, making the other one just get angrier, and having a third one, about the same age, with very untidy jet black hair, joining in on the fight.

I watched on, still very confused on what was going on, as I held onto my ponytail, scared as if someone else might grab onto it, when someone else was coming up. He had light brown hair, and blue eyes, that seemed to reflect the moonlight coming from the enchanted ceiling. For some reason though, I seemed to calm down some as he came up to me, feeling a bit safer with him there.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked me pretty calmly, some of his hair falling into his eyes.
I nodded, still holding onto my hair. "Yeah, why did he do that though? I didn't do anything to him," I said, wiping at my eyes with my free hand, not wanting him to see my tears.

He glanced over at the fighting boys, sighing some. "Well, see that one there, with the shorter hair," he said pointing at the two fighting boys. I nodded and looked back at him. "That's Regulus Black. Pureblood. He doesn't exactly think highly of people who come here with muggle parents."

I started to think back to what this boy said to me before, and piecing it together with what this guy said. "Is that what mud…" I started, before he cut me off quickly.

"Don't say that. It's a really nasty term for someone like yourself. Not everyone here is like that, just the stupid one's like Regulus," he said, giving me the hint that this was one word I was to never say again. I appreciated what he was doing though. He was helping me out with my confusion and stuff, and he wasn't forced to or anything. Not many people would do that for a first year.

"Oh, so I guess you're one of the good ones then?" I asked him, smiling some as I did so, forgetting the pain I just experienced. I saw him starting to blush some and that made me laugh slightly, though I tried to suppress it, not to embarrass him or anything.

"I guess you could say that," he said with a nod.

"Well, does this good guy have a name?" I asked, a smile still on my face as I kept up with this banter.

"Yeah, his name would be Remus Lupin. He's a second year in Gryffindor," he said with a slight laugh as he held out his hand for me to shake.

His laugh made me smile even more as I shook his hand. "Well, I'm Rebecca Holmes, just sorted into Gryffindor," I said to him. Right then, I heard the prefect finally calling out for first years, though I didn't want to go as much anymore. "Well, see you around," I said, walking back with the other first years, waving at him some as I walked away. I found myself smiling the entire way up to the Gryffindor Tower.

I don't remember exactly how I got up to the Common Room, or even my dorm room. My mind was just swarming with so many things. Hogwarts, Magic, and even Remus made his way into my thoughts. It was all just so…overwhelming, especially for me.

I finally collapsed onto my bed, just managing to get under the covers as I fell asleep, still in disbelief of the world I was now in.