Chapter I:

My mother's sharp nails dung into my wrist as she dragged my through the busy train station. I reached up to make sure my base ball hat was securely placed over my feline ears that sat atop my head and tightened my tail around my waist. My gray eyes stared at the British families around me through my blue colored sunglasses and my cat like pupils shrunk as the sun shined off of a bald head, blinding me. The trolley that held my things was grasped in my other hand and I tried to keep it from tipping over, though it was difficult. An Ocelot, a small wild cat with stripes down their head and spots on their body, had her nails dug into the hard leather of my case and was looking quite irritated with this ride. I smiled at her apologetically, a fang glinting between my parted lips.

My wavy, dark red hair hung to my thighs in a messy braid and my bangs were held out of my face by my ball cap. My freckle dusted nose wrinkled as a drunken human muggle wobbled past. Human, they were every where! I kept my head down, trying not to attract attention. I had gotten very good at not being noticed. Anyone that had been in hiding since they were fourteen would. Now that I was sixteen, I was a pro. I dodged a frantic woman who was screaming for a lost husband and closed my coat, hiding my feminine form. That alone would attract male eyes. With my ears hidden beneath a cap, hair a tangled mess, exotic eyes behind blue glass and body swallowed by a rain coat, I looked almost human. I turned up my collar to hide the shimmering object around my neck.

My mother was also in disguise, hiding her beauty with bag like clothes. Her hair was stuffed up in a flower hat and was wearing a brown dress that looked suited for carrying potatoes. She was taller than my five feet four inches and held a quite dignity that I had always envied. She was almost regal, which was why he wanted her so much. My eyes darkened at the thought of our pursuer, the reason we were fleeing. If he found us… I shuddered at the thought. ' He won't.' I thought vehemently.

I looked over at my mother and frowned. Why was she heading for a wall? I opened my mouth to holler at her to turn but before I could so much as fill my lungs with air, we hit the bricks. I opened cat like eyes, not remembering closing them, and peered around me, curious. A large and impressive train spouted steam and wizards and witches filled the boarding area. I could see a few sticking their heads out the window, waving at family while others were placing their trunks in the baggage area. I saw a large family of red heads and smiled. Wizard families were so interesting. I watched as the plump mother fussed over one of her sons while the father patted the back of another.

I felt my mother tug me to the side and she turned sad green eyes on me. She pulled me close to her in a tight embrace, her body shaking. I fought back tears and held her close to me, wishing I didn't have to let go. I felt her rub my back and a few tears slipped down my smooth cheeks and I buried my face into her shoulder, trying to hide them. She pulled away, and I reluctantly let go. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small coin purse. I gasped and tried to refuse but she silenced me with a look. Neither of us talked, for fear of complete break downs. She then pulled out a letter and presses it in my other hand. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to my forehead and wiped my tears from my face.

" Never forget my love." She whispered and her eyes grew over bright with unspilt tears. I nodded and watched her turn from me and quickly walk through the wall we had come through. I stood there staring at the wall for a few more seconds before forcing myself away, placing the wizard money and envelope in my pant's pocket.

The ocelot, whose name was Mauri, made a soft reassuring noise and I smiled down at her. She had been my best friend for years. I had found her injured while traveling. I had taken her in and fixed her up. But she was not my pet. I could never reduce her to that. I took strength from her gaze and turned towards the train to see many were starting to board. I quickly went over and dragged my things onto the strange train, Mauri following behind me silently.

Inside was a flurry of activity, something I truly did not wish to be around. I bit back a sigh and looked for an empty seating area. But I had taken too long to get on and nearly all the seats were filled. I felt relief flood over me when I saw an empty seat and went for it. I had been afraid all the seats would be taken. I shoved my trunk under my seat and saw three others, one by me and two across. And here I thought I would be alone. I frowned, just wanting to be alone. Oh well…

I took off my long rain coat and fluffed out my tail. I then removed my hat and glasses and placed them in my trunk before pushing it back under my seat. My baggy black jeans hung low on my hips so my tail could hang loose and my slate blue tee clung to my form, something I didn't like. It had shrunk in the wash and I hadn't had time to change. My eyes flicked around, taking in all the noise around. The hat had diluted the noise and with it gone, the train seemed much louder. I sat down and drew my legs up to my chest, my white tipped tail wrapping around my ankles. The fur on my tail and ears matched the deep red of my hair. My ears each had a small tuff of white at the tips, not unlike a sphinx.

I looked out the window at the happy families waving and thought about my mother, praying she would get to safety. Mauri jumped up onto the seat to land beside me and laid down to nap, her warmth seeping into my thigh. I reached down and stroked her ears (the way I liked mine to be stroked) while my other hand fiddled with the collar around my neck. Its silver shimmered in the light from the window I was beside and I absently flicked the silver bell, causing it to tinkle merrily. The name 'Samantha' was engraved on it while along the bottom going all the way around were the words unknown to humans, wizard or muggle. I again flicked it and the air filled with its lovely sound. At least, to me it was beautiful.

Mauri looked up at me with an annoyed expression. " Must you always make racket? Some of us are trying to sleep." She yowled before she yawned widely. No, she wasn't a talking cat. All of my people understood and spoke the feline language fluently.

" Sorry Mauri. I guess I'm just nervous. Do you think this Dumbledore will keep his promise?" I asked, though it came out in a series of meows, yowls, and other odd noises you hear from only cats. I was a tad worried about the Dumbledore fellow, but I hadn't told my mother, not wanting to bother her with my fears.

An enlightened look entered Mauri's gold eyes. " Ah, I see. I assure you, he is most trustworthy. I have heard nothing but good things about him. The only ones who were unsettled by him didn't have a good scent about them.' She purred reassuringly.

I smiled and scratched her ears in thanks. A rumble came from deep in her throat and she leaned into my ministrations and I thought about what she had said. A noise does not lie. I trusted Mauri's sense of smell and felt better knowing what she knew. I leaned back in my seat and stared out the window to see we had started to move. Beautiful scenery flitted past quickly and I pulled my braid over my shoulder and took it down. I combed through it with my fingers before rebraiding it in a neater fashion.

I pushed my nose length bangs from my large eyes and watched as a field of cows passed by. A large sheep dog lumbered around the large beasts and I repressed a shudder. Dogs. How I despised them. Barking and snarling at you with no reason. Horrifying! Glared out the window at the evil mutt and my tail puffed up and began to twitch in annoyance. My ears were pinned down on my skull and disappeared in my fluffy hair. You wouldn't believe how many times I had been chased up a tree by the canine mongrels.

My ears swirled around on my head to listen to the activity in the halls. Voices argued loudly with each other and I could tell a fight would ensue if they weren't stopped soon. How ever, it wasn't my problem if the stupid wizards felt the need to tussle. I smirked at a particularly good insult. I then heard a sharp voice enter the conversation. I listened to the reprimanding by an older student. Perhaps the head boy. I wasn't quite sure though, I didn't know much about the school ranking system.

I nearly had a seizure when the door suddenly burst open and two gorilla-like wizards entered, each had a certain vacant look about them. They even smelled empty headed. They stared at me stupidly and I turned my gaze from them. Let them stare like idiots. I felt Mauri stiffen beside me and I looked down at her. Her tail was slightly puffed and my lip twitched. Apparently the door had startled her more than me. I looked up to see that the monkey boys had sat down but were still staring at me. I held back a growl and my tail flicked with suppressed anger. They were starting to annoy me.

The door opened again before I could kill them and discard the remains and I saw a much more attractive wizard enter. My eyes roved over his tall form, very much liking what they saw. His platinum blonde hair was swept back with gel and his light blue eyes were filled with arrogance. His tall frame was strong and slender. He was wearing strange clothing, perhaps it was normal wizard attire. His skin was smooth with a slight tan, though he was still pale. His lips curled into a smirk and he sat beside me regally.

His British accent was strong and his voice spoke of a cultured life. " Well, what do we have here? Aren't you an interesting creature." He drawled and raised an eyebrow at me. Mauri climbed to the other side of me and glared at him suspiciously. I brought my eyes up to look at his face and saw him looking at my ears

" Why yes, I am. Name's Sam. And you would be…?" I questioned as he leaned back in his seat with the air of one who was handsome and knew it. I smirk, his attitude somewhat refreshing after meeting guys who pretended to be humble. This fellow, however, wasn't the type to pretend to be a sweet young man. Oh no, he was bad. And he liked it.

" I, am Draco Malfoy, the guy to know around here. Those are Crab and Doyle. So, which school did you transfer from?" I smiled at his curious nature, something we had in common.

" Well I was going to a human school in Texas but that was nearly a year ago. Lately I've just been teaching myself. You know, reading books or looking things up on the internet. The internet is a fascinating invention by muggles by the way. My mother taught me a few things as well. Human muggle schools are horrid. Very much like a prison would be." I trailed off.

" You know a lot about the muggle world." He stated, his voice edged with slight disdain. I cocked my head to the side, why would he be upset by this? Does he dislike muggles?

" I suppose. But I have studied their culture just as I have yours and many others. Wizards are quite interesting but so are centaurs. Their anatomy is so complex!" I exclaimed with a bright smile. " Oh, there is something I wish to ask you. What is quidditch? I've come across it a few times but I don't know very much about it." I leaned my head on my knees and looked into his eyes, giving him my full attention.

He stared at me as if I had two heads. " What, do you live under a rock? Quidditch is a sport where you fly around on brooms and…" And there he went. I sat there and listened raptly as he listed the rules and names of teams and players. He certainly was knowledgeable on the subject. I carefully stored away all the information he was giving me and smiled softly at how excited he got when talking about the wizard sport.

My ears perked up at the sound of padded feet approaching. I listened closely, half closing my eyes, and could hear the faint swish of a tail and the quick heartbeat of a small animal. I looked at the door and heard a slight scratching noise on the door. Without thought I leaned over Draco and opened the door, resting my hand on his knee for extra balance. An orange Persian cat sauntered in and I slid the door closed again. My tail was raised slightly to help keep my balance and I looked down at the long haired feline. I carefully climbed off of a startled Draco and peered into his dark gold eyes.

" Well, hello. And who might you be?" I asked, curious. I knew I might attract a bit of attention but I hadn't expected a guest so soon.

" My human named me Crookshanks. I smelled you when you entered the train and for a moment I did not believe my own senses. Are you truly one of the Ancient Race?" He meowed in wonder.

I smiled down at him. " You have no reason to doubt your nose Crookshanks. I am one. My kind does not leave our realm often but circumstances demanded a quick departure. Does your human know where you have gone? You know how they worry." I mrowled, hinting for him to return back.

Crookshanks lowered his head slightly in a catly bow. " Indeed, you are correct. I smell her in the halls, she is searching for me. I thank you for this great privilege." I nodded at him and opened the door for him. I could see an upset girl in the halls calling for her cat. Crookshanks slowly trotted over to her and I smiled when she picked him up in relief. I quietly closed the door I turned slightly to see that Draco's eyes were mere inches away and I smiled and I leaned back into my seat, careful to not sit on my tail.

His face was bewildered. " Were you just talking to Granger's cat?" His face held an odd expression. He obviously did not know how to feel about this.

" Yes, a sweet fellow. He just wanted to say hi. Do you dislike cats?" I asked, my voice taking on a dangerous tone. Even a simpleton knew the answer to that question.

" I have no problem with cats, it is Granger I have a problem with. Her parents are muggles! If you asked me, you shouldn't fraternize with her. She's a teacher's pet, an overachiever." He said in disgust.

A frown marred my pretty face. " Sounds to me like she's a nice girl. She's going to be a very important witch someday. The smart ones always do. And so what if her parents aren't magic users. Why does that matter to you?" I was starting to have a bad feeling about this Draco fellow. My gray eyes took on a blue tint, hinting I was upset. Thick lashes fluttered as I watched his expressions carefully, trying to gauge how he felt exactly.

He sighed and ran fingers through his hair in slight frustration. " I was taught only pureblood wizards should hold places of importance. Purebloods, like myself and my family, are above mudbloods like her." Though his voice held a haughty tone, his eyes were watching me sharply, as if trying to read my mind. Though that was quite impossible. A wizard, get into my mind. Phfft! Laughable!

My frown deepened. " Who has taught you these things? And what is a mudblood? That does not sound like a good word to me." This teen was messed up. Why would he dislike his own people so much? A human was a human, magic user or not. Someone obviously had forgotten to inform him of this.

" My father was the one who told me these things, and I think he's right! A mudblood is someone with dirty blood, with a muggle parent. She doesn't deserve to be at a school with Purebloods!" He declared, daring me to tell him he was wrong.

' I'll take that bet, you fool.' I thought with anger. " You have been quite misinformed. So because she isn't ' Pureblooded' she isn't fit? That has to be the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard. I must ask you, if Daddy says it, does that automatically make it right? Have you no mind of your own? At least she's human! You need to take a good, hard look at who you are Draco Malfoy, and where you'll end up. I do want us to be friends, but first, I think you need some time to yourself. Goodbye." I finished with a slight smile. I had not raised my voice, and I hadn't spoken with hate or anger. I had been quiet and kept a normal voice. I wasn't trying to attack him, just help him see the error of his ways.

I stood and grabbed my trunk, hauling it up on the back wheels and opening the door. Draco sat there, a stunned expression on his face. Seemed like I had given him the kick in the pants he needed. I ushered Mauri out and dragged the trunk behind me. I waved at him then closed the door. I looked around the hall and began to ponder my dramatic exit. Yes, it had looked cool, but had also lost me a seat.

" Mauri, do you think Crookshanks would mind if we sat with him and his witch? Perhaps I could sit on the floor or something." I looked down at her and saw her give me an approving look. " Okay then, let's see…" I carefully sniffed the air, sifting through scents and trying to find the orange Persian's. " Aha! Here it is, I found the trail. I think he's in… here." I smiled at my success and tapped the door softy before opening it slowly.

Inside was the orange cat sitting on the lap of a slightly frizzy haired girl. Across from her were two boys, a red head while the other had messy black hair. I waved slightly and gave them a shy smile. " Uh, hello. I'm Sam and I just lost my seat. Do you mind if I join you?" I blinked when I felt fur rubbing against my ankles and saw Mauri slip between my legs and into the room, jumping onto the empty seat. I gave her a disapproving look which she ignored.

I blew my hair from my eyes and watched as they glanced at each other before the girl up at me and smiled. " Hello Sam, come on in. I'm Hermione Granger." My wide, full lips stretched into a smile of thanks and kicked my trunk under the seat, next to the girl's. I scooted Mauri over and plopped down, crossing my legs Indian style. I pulled my braid over my shoulder and began to play with the tip absently, listening as the two boys began to introduce themselves.

The black haired one spoke up first. " Hello, I'm Harry Potter and this is Ron Weasley." He said, pointing to the redhead who waved. " I've never seen you here before, are you a new student?"

" Uh… kind of." I said with a half smile. " I used to go to a muggle school in the USA. It was hard seeing as my appearance isn't… normal. My mother thought it would be easier for me to go to a wizard's school. I won't stick out as much." My half lie was a good one, for they did not suspect anything if their smiling faces were anything to go by.

" Yeah, you'll probably fit right in. We've got half giants, house elves, and centaurs all over the place!" Harry chuckled. Ron joined him and Hermione smiled.

My ears perked up and I cocked my head to the side. " Centaurs? Really? I've always wanted to meet one! This is fantastic!" I nearly bounced in my seat with excitement.

" Well there's one centaur that you can talk to but the others are in the Dark Forest." Hermione pointed out in a matter-of-fact manner.

" Oh? What's the Dark Forest? Sounds fun." I smirked, liking the mysterious name. Mystery had always been one of my biggest weaknesses. That and shiny things. And fish and sliding on polished floors in my socks.

" You don't want to go in there! It's filled with giant spiders! Ghastly." Ron shuddered, apparently not enjoying the thought of giant spiders. I stored that piece of information away and listened as Hermione began to speak.

" It is also against school rules. No student is allowed in the forest, no matter what. It's filled with worse things than spiders." She told me in a serious tone.

Ron looked at her like she was crazy. " What could possibly be worse than giant spiders? "

I shook my head as they began to bicker and turned towards Harry to see he was slightly amused with their fight. Mauri yawned widely and began a conversation with Crookshanks. I leaned back in my seat and head a crinkling in my pocket. I frowned and reached in and my hand brushed against paper. Mother's letter! I pulled it out and made sure the others were thoroughly distracted. Seeing them deep in a conversation, I used my sharp claw like nails to slit the envelope open and pulled out the letter. Mother's beautiful handwriting scrawled across the page and I read each word carefully.

My lovely Samantha,

I am sorry my child, so sorry for not being able to protect you. Though it breaks my heart to be separated from you, I know you will be protected at Hogwarts. You will not have to disguise yourself there and that is what I have always wanted for you. The wizard Dumbledore promises me that it will be impossible for your father to find you there so do not live in fear. I have gone into hiding as well. I will not say where, for such information is dangerous, but I want you to know that I will be safe. I will try to write you and I want you to know you will be in my thoughts every second of every day.

Never forget who you are,

Your loving mother

I closed my eyes against a flood of tears and carefully folded the letter back up and placed it back within the envelope. Placing it back in my pocket, I turned my eyes towards the window and saw the sun would start setting within the hour. I could feel the questioning gaze of the humans, but I ignored them, far too upset to speak.

I wouldn't have to hide myself? I would be free to be who I am, to laugh and make friends. I could dress the way I wanted as well. But my mother… She was in hiding and did not have my new freedom. A sudden realization hit me and I held back a sob. I might never see her again. She was out in the world, one among billions, and finding her would be nearly impossible.

I suddenly couldn't take it anymore. I jumped up from my seat and threw the door open and ran down the hall of the swaying train. Tears streamed down my face and everything turned into a giant blur. I ran into someone and felt arms wrap around me to keep me from falling over. I looked into the blue eyes of Draco Malfoy and he looked confused at my tearful face. I rested my forehead against his chest and wept. His strong arms tightened around my shaking form and I felt comforted by his warmth. My slender fingers gripped the front of his shirt loosely and took deep, steady breaths, trying to stop my tears.

I tipped my head back to look into his eyes and saw he was worried, though it was well hidden. I looked down at his mussed shirt." Sorry, I didn't mean to latch onto you like that." I whispered as I smoothed his rumpled shirt. I felt a finger under my chin lift my head up and I looked up at Draco.

" Why were you crying?" He asked softly. His hand hadn't left my face and his other still held me close. Our close proximity made my brain fizzle and I struggled to speak.

" I've been under a lot of stress. I guess I just kinda, broke down." I muttered distractedly. His musk filled my senses and I relaxed against his strong body. My sensitive ears listened to the beat beat beat of his heart. I bit my lip and carefully pulled away, looking into his eyes thoughtfully. " You know what? I misjudged you. I think I just might have to make you my friend Draco Malfoy. You may be a little misguided, but you have a kind heart. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. See you around." I promised and smiled slightly at him.

" You are an odd girl." He said with a raise brow, a small smirk pulling on his lips. His hands slid of my back and hung loose by his side.

" Thanks." I smiled at him, feeling better. I saluted him before I went back to my seating area, sliding the door shut behind me. I turned around to see three anxious humans. I smiled at them, somewhat surprised that they were worried about me when they didn't even know me.

" Are you okay Sam?" Hermione asked softy, her eyes following me as I went back to my seat and dropped rather ungracefully down.

" Yeah, we tried to go after you but—" Harry was cut off.

"But your vicious cat wouldn't let us." Ron said, glaring at Mauri who sneezed, looking rather proud of herself.

" I'm sorry to have worried you. I'm just tired and my emotions got the better of me." Hermione nodded her head in understanding and the boys dismissed my episode as a girl thing. " Mauri knew I just needed some time to myself, she didn't mean to be rude." Mauri jumped up into my lap and lay down. Her furry warmth was comforting and I relaxed into my seat. " So, when are we going to get to the school?" I questioned as I threaded my fingers through Mauri's silken fur, effectively changing the subject.

Hermione looked out the window and stared at the horizon. " Um, I think in about an hour." She muttered, carefully examining the sky.

" Hey, you hungry? You missed the food cart." At Harry's words, I realized that I was indeed, quite famished. I mentally beat myself over the head with a rock for being so emotional. My hungry expression spoke volumes and Harry laughed as he pulled out some odd candy.

" Are you sure? Thanks Harry, you rock!" I squealed and took the wizard candy from his outstretched hand. I opened it to see a chocolate frog. Dear God, chocolate! My pupils grew to double their normal size when the frog began to try and escape me. " Oh no you don't!" I snarled with glee and snatched it mid hop and took a bite. " Ugh, so good." I purred, literally.

Hermione and Harry laughed but Ron was in deep thought about something else. " Why did you call Harry a rock?" He finally asked, looking quite perplexed.

That made everyone laugh harder and Hermione quickly informed him of the meaning of the muggle word. I finished of my chocolate frog with relish. I licked my fingers and listened to the other talk about varies things such as classes and a place called Hogsmeade. Harry ran his fingers through his hair and I saw lightning bolt scare on his fore head. ' Sweet, I know the boy who lived.' I thought distractedly. Yeah, I had heard of him, who hadn't? ' That explains his eyes.' I thought. His eyes held this deep anguish. Poor guy had gone through a lot. What with his parents being murdered and being hunted by some guy (I forget his name). I was pulled out of my thought by something Hermione said.

" Huh? What?" I asked intelligently.

" I said, we should probably change into our uniforms, we're nearly there." She said as she reached for her trunk and pulled out some black robes as well as a skirt and a top, all very school uniformish. The boys followed suit and went else where to change.

" Uh, I don't have one. I was supposed to find a professor named McGonagall and she was going to take me to Dumbledore's office where I would wait for him." I stated, remembering my mom's words perfectly.

"I suppose that would be the best way to do it. We've never gotten a new student at your age before. Oh! How pretty, I never noticed your necklace before!" She leaned close and looked at it appreciatively. " I feel like I've seen another like it in a book I read a while back." I had already figured out that she was a giant bookworm.

" Thanks. What book did you see it in? I didn't think there were any books on my people." I looked at her curiously as she struggled to remember.

" Ooh!" She groaned in frustration. " I can't seem to remember. This is going to drive me crazy!" she changed into her uniform, all the while mumbling books titles to herself. I hide a smile, humans were so weird.

" It'll come to you sooner or later. Oh! I think I feel the train slowing down!" I exclaimed and peered out the window. I was not prepared for the sight.

A huge castle loomed ahead, glorious and mystical. I could see lights through windows all through the massive building and I wondered if they had electricity. Spires filled the clear indigo sky and even the stars seemed different. Just behind the castle was a forest, dark and wild. A foreboding feeling drifted from its ink black depths and a slight shudder ran down my spine. The grounds were spacious and I longed to go exploring.

The train came to a smooth stop and I could barely contain my excitement. Nor my nervousness. My stomach became the new home to some butterflies and I fiddled with my braid's end, trying to distract myself. I wasn't normally a nervous creature, but seeing as I was at a school filled to the brim with wizards, yeah, I was somewhat freaked.

" That has to be the largest school I've ever seen. How on earth do you not get lost?" I questioned, trying to keep my voice calm. My tail twitched erratically, showing my distressed state, and I reached back and grabbed it, holding it still.

Hermione smiled as she got ready to get off the train. " Yes, I felt the same way when I first saw it. You do get lost a lot at the beginning, but don't worry, you'll get the hang of things faster than you think." Her reassuring tone did help unfrazzle my nerves a bit and I took a few calming breaths.

I pulled my trunk out from under my seat and nudged a sleeping Mauri awake. She opened one wheat-colored eye to glare at me. How dare I wake her from her slumber. I motioned for her to take a look out the window and after a stretch and a yawn, she did. She seemed slightly impressed as she meowed appreciatively at the scenery. You know how cats are, nothing impresses them easily.

Hermione slid the door open and Harry and Ron stood there, waiting for us. I let Hermione go first before I quietly followed with Mauri trailing slowly behind me. It felt as if everyone was trying to get off the Hogwarts Express at once and I nearly had to beat my way off the train. I bit back a scream when my tail was stepped on and decided it would be safer to keep it wrapped around my waist. My ears were pinned down to my head, trying to block out the noise. Bloody loud hooligans.

I sighed in relief when I had finally forced my way off the train of doom, as I liked to call it, and looked around for Hermione and the others. I saw them not too far off and headed towards them, that is, until I ran into something. An odd squeak noise came from my lips and I stumbled back. I looked up, as I usually have to do seeing as most everything was taller than I, and saw an impressive glower. The lovely expression belonged to a pale as death man who looked like he hadn't washed his long, stringy hair in a while. I blinked and tried to move around him but his nasally voice stopped me.

" I am Professor Snape. Dumbledore requested that I bring you to his office." His tone told me he would rather be anywhere than here with me. I felt so special.

A confused look crossed my face. " I was told a Professor Magonicle was going to get me." I eyed him suspiciously, not sure if I should go with him.

He glared at me, apparently disliking being questioned. " Plans change. Come on then." Without another word he flounced off and I had no other choice but to follow him. I growled to myself and looked down at Mauri to see she didn't like him either.

" I really don't like wizards." She muttered, her tiny nose wrinkled in distaste and I smothered a laugh.

I turned to the side and saw the others waiting for me, looking curious. I waved and pointed to the Professor, hinting I was to go with him. Hermione caught on and told the boys who frowned. Perhaps this Professor Snape was not a favorite of theirs.

I trotted after the Professor, struggling to keep up with his long stride. Stupid tall people with their stupid long legs. I glared evilly at his back and struggled with my trunk. 'Twas heavy. The air was humid, placing me in somewhat of a foul mood. Cats and humidity don't mix well you see. My clothes stuck to me in an uncomfortable manner and I growled. Mauri echoed my noise of discomfort and every few steps would shake the dew from her paws.

The professor stopped in front of a horse less carriage. My ear twitched when a drop of rain landed on it and I glared up at the forming clouds. The sky had been clear a few moments ago… I shrugged off the strange weather and entered the carriage after the Snape guy. Mannerless fop. I hopped in and settled myself on the other side of the carriage and Mauri jumped in behind me. My trunk lay on the floor between us.

With a small jerk, we began to move and I watched as other carriages followed behind us, for we were the first. A few moments later the rain began to fall in earnest. I glared at the evil clouds in an impressive way and sank deep into my seat. My tail slowly curled and uncurled, a sign I was irritated. And I was. My stormy gray eyes flicked down to Mauri who was trying to lick her paws clean and sighed slightly. I was ready to be out of the horrid weather and full of something yummy. My stomach grumbled at me, demanding food or else.

But I ignored its idle threats, and instead looked the professor over. He was a lanky man, practically taking up the entire carriage. His hair, somewhat stringy, hung in his pale skinned face. He was bony and had a sour disposition. No, he would not be my favorite person in Hogwarts. I sniffed the air slightly and found he smelled strongly of odd ingredients. The kind you put in potions. I wrinkled my nose at the scent and sneezed.

The slow rocking movements the swaying carriage made lulled me into a sleepy state. I yawned, my long canines flashing, and blinked rapidly. We stopped suddenly and I held onto my seat to keep from tumbling to the floor. Professor Snape climbed out of the carriage and I followed closely behind, dragging my trunk behind me. Mauri mumbled darkly to herself and tried to stay as dry as possible, which wasn't much. My ears lay flat against my skull, trying to keep the rain out. My eyes had turned black in their discomfort and I blinked droplets of water from my long lashes.

In the two minutes it took for me to go from the carriage to the castle's door, I was soaked through. Mauri yowled wetly and shook herself only to have more water collect on her pelt than before. My long braid was heavy with the weight of the rain and I scowled at all around me. My mood indeed was most foul. The door quaked open and I shot inside where I shook myself off in a manner that matched Mauri's. I grabbed hold of my deep red braid and wrung it out, making a lovely puddle on the floor.

I could hear the wizardlings climbing out of their carriages as well and running for shelter. I jumped to the side to prevent getting trampled and watched in amusement when a few went sliding about, all thanks to my puddle. A throat cleared behind me and I turned to see the professor motioning for me to follow him. As we walked I stared around me in delight. The building was made of impossibly smooth stone and everywhere you looked there were thousands of pictures and intricately made staircases. I looked up and jumped when I saw the stairs move. Yup, I would get lost in seconds.

My sensitive nose picked up the scent of many strange creatures and it took every ounce of my will power to keep from following the trails. But no being on this planet could resist the smell that had just wafted my way. My fail fluffed up slightly and I nearly melted with joy. Fish! Glorious mouth watering fish! I turned towards the smell and started to follow it, walking mush like a zombie. I needed that fish. My pupils had grown to twice their normal size and held an odd vacant look in their silvery depths.

A hand grabbed my shoulder and tried to yank me back. He was after my fish! I narrowed my eyes in a dangerous way and turned to look at the tall, oily man. He was looking at me like one would a psychotic mutant orange. Well he could give me all the looks he wanted, he still couldn't have any of my fish. I pulled my arm from his grasp and tried to make a run for it. Obviously he had an advantage what with those long legs I mentioned.

Iron like arms wrapped around my waist and I felt myself being carried away at a fast pace before I could so much as squawk indignantly. I was about to slash his face off with my razor sharp nails when we turned a corner. Though I could still scent the fishy smell, it was quite a bit weaker. I blinked rapidly and tried to gain control over myself. That had never happened before. I had never lost control of my animal instincts before. At least, not to that degree. That fish had smelled good though. Wait a minute, when did I get so tall?

" Are you calm?" A calm voice rumbled form behind me. I squeaked and discovered a pair or arms wrapped around my waist. Oh yeah.

" Yessir. I apologize. Something is wrong with my collar. Good hustle by the way." I smiled, though he couldn't see it, and felt him relax his surprisingly strong grip enough for me to drop down to the ground. I rubbed my ribs slightly and looked up at his contemplating face.

" I see. What are you doing here at Hogwarts, exactly?" His brow was furrowed slightly and he was staring at me, demanding an answer.

Well that was kinda rude. Politeness wasn't his thing I suppose. " I am not at liberty to discuss that with you. If Professor Dumbledore thinks you should know, than he will tell you. I don't know you. With all due respect Professor I therefore don't think it wise to trust you. This is a delicate situation." Please don't ask anymore questions. I silently begged while leveling him with a 'don't question me' look.

He looked down his nose at me before continuing to walk, forcing me to jog to keep up. Someone sure was pissy tonight. I frowned and absently touched my collar in thought. It had never failed to keep me in control before. This was bad. If I didn't figure out what was wrong with it and fix it, someone might get hurt. I usually wasn't easily angered but you never know what'll happen. I was still deep in troubled thought when we stopped in the middle of the hall.

I looked at the professor and quirked a brow while looking up and down the hall. Nope. No door mark 'Big Boss'. He walked up to a statue and started to talk to it. Crazy people were everywhere here! Did he just call the statue a sugar quill? I took a slow step away from the insane wizard and eyed him warily. The sound of grating stone filled the air and I watched in fascination as the statue began to move to reveal a stairwell. Sweet.

I sighed in relief that Professor Snape was not crazy. That might have been awkward. Without a backward glance at me he went up the spiral stairs. I blinked and took a moment to think about how odd this all was before following him up. He really didn't want to be around me, did he? I smirked to myself before I entered the coolest room I had ever been in, Mauri close behind.

Shelves lined the walls and stretched towards the ceiling, stuffed full with strange yet beautiful books. The room smelled strongly of their leather covers. My eyes roved over all the shiny objects and I felt as if I had died and gone to heaven. A bird, a phoenix I believe, slept on its perch. I did not wish to attack it though. I had never liked the taste of fowl. Except chickens. They deserved to be eaten, cocky little… I shook myself from my thoughts to stare appreciatively at the intricate design of the strange, and uber cool, telescope that glimmered in the candle light. Odd little knickknacks were littered about.

Professor Snape stood to the left of a small table covered in books and a small, and very odd looking, globe. I was a few feet from him, quite liking my bubble space to be uninvaded. " So," I started, not liking the uncomfortable silence. " When is this professor guy getting here?" That seemed like a safe question.

" After the Feast, which is where I am going now. Stay here and wait for him. Do not touch anything." He glared at me in a rather pompous manner before leaving with a flamboyant swish of his robes.

I watched him leave and stuck my tongue out at the jerk. Wizards! I leaned my trunk up against the wall next to the staircase and sat down in an extremely comfortable armchair that was placed near the fireplace. I sighed sleepily and looked around the room blearily. I was a nocturnal creature so being up all day had really messed up my ream cycle. I stretched, not unlike a cat, and tried to stay awake. Mauri was grooming herself profusely underneath a table.

The roaring fire warmed my face and my clothes began to dry. I blinked when I realized I was getting the chair wet and flung myself from it. I stood closer to the fire and shook out my tail, wishing very mush to be dry. The fire warmed me enough to where I could pay more attention to everything around me. This was definitely a strange room. I walked over to his shelves, half expecting that Snape dude to pop out of nowhere and curse me into oblivion. But he didn't and as I leaned over to peer at the books, I very much wanting to pull one down a read it. But I placed my hands in the pockets of my baggy black pants to resist temptation.

I blinked at myself before smacking my face with my hand. I called myself a few choice words when I realized something. I could use my magic now. I smiled joyously and went still, my back rod straight and my heart beat slowing. I closed my eyes half mast and held my hands out in front of me, palms facing each other. My hands slowly began to warm and I tensed to keep from twitching . Suddenly my hands came together and a loud bang filled the room, hot air flowing in all directions. I felt it wash over me and sighed happily as it dried me out, along with the chair and Mauri. The fire roared to twice its size before settling back down.

I looked over at Mauri and saw her purring happily, ecstatic to be dry. I smiled at her and turned towards the table in the center of the room. Now that I was dry, I could look around more thoroughly. Books were piled on it and I looked at the covers but refrained from opening them. The small silver bell around my neck tinkled softly as I leaned over the table to see an open book near the center. I arched a brow to see it held a picture of my kind, fully transformed. I looked closer to read the page and saw it was in my language. I carefully read the paragraphs to see it was about Jahkio, a very famous warrior among my people. I could remember my mother telling me stories about him at bedtime when I was young. Why did the wizard have this book?

' Perhaps doing research? Smart guy.' I thought with a smile. Maybe this Professor Dumbledore would be cooler than I thought. I turned from the book and nearly screamed when I saw a wizard standing just a few feet away from me.

My tail was fuzzed out and my heart was racing in my chest. How had he managed to sneak up on me like that? He was an old wizard too. His silver beard hung down to his knees and a pair of half moon glasses were balanced precariously on his nose. His kind eyes watched me calm myself with slight amusement and his long fingers where clasped together in front of him. His robes were eccentric and his wizard's hat was at a slight angle on his head.

" Uh, hello. You sure are quiet. Are you Professor Dumbledore?" I asked, my curiosity not the least bit dampened by my scare. One ear faced the wizard while the other was bent down towards Mauri who had awoken and walked over to us.

" Yes I am, you must be Samantha." He smiled kindly at me, much like a grandfather would. " Shall we get down to business? You are to be a student here at Hogwarts, which means you will go to classes, belong to a house, and obey the rules. I think first we should decide which house to put you in." He turned from me and went over to a shelf where a ripped and dusty hat sat.

'Weird, that wasn't there a few moments ago.' I pondered to myself. I watched him bring it over and held still as he placed it on my head. It slipped down a tad and half covered my eyes. Obviously it did not fit. I was about to ask why I was wearing an old hat when a voice echoed around me.

" Well, what do we have here? Hmm… An interesting girl, no doubt. Courageous, intelligent, virtuous. Very cunning, defiant. You are quite the clever girl." The voice rumbled.

" Uh, thank you. Are you a talking hat? I must say, I haven't met one of you before." I said, curious as to how this happened. Did the hat take speaking lessons? Or perhaps he (for the voice was male) was magicked by a wizard, Dumbledore, perhaps.

" Curious too. Hmm… This is tough, quite tough. Goodness, are you…? Yes, yes you are. Well then, I know the perfect place for you! Gryffindor will suit you nicely, yes, quite nicely." And with that announcement the hat was removed and placed back on the shelf. A few moments later a soft snoring drifted from the hat's direction. I chuckled quietly to myself, who knew hats were funny?

Dumbledore had a pleased expression on his face. " Excellent. Know, here is a list of your classes and here are your supplies. You mother told me you couldn't afford to get them so I took the liberty to do it myself." I watched with wide eyes as he pulled out robes, cauldrons, books, quills and ink pots. I blinked, not sure what to do. He waved his wand, saying another word I did not know, and they all vanished. Along with my trunk. I looked at him, somewhat suspicious.

" Uh where did it all go?" I asked, trying to keep from freaking out. My trunk held very important things and if I lost them…

" Do not worry, I sent them to the room you will share with the other Gryffindor girls. Now! The rules." He began and I felt the need to inform him of my… habits. He seemed to sense I had something to say and was quiet, waiting for me to spit it out.

" About the rules. I know that going out of the rooms at night is a no-no but I'm a tad nocturnal. Actually, I'm quite a bit nocturnal. If I don't go out at night and completely wear myself out, I stay up all night, quite a bit hyped up, and the next day I get nothing done. Even if I tire myself out during the day, I cannot sleep through the night. I understand that it can be dangerous, but I'm sure you know I am capable of taking care of myself." I finished, watching his face closely. He was a hard one to read though.

" Yes, your mother informed me of your habits, as you call them, in her letter. I am more than aware of your abilities dear girl so I have made a pass for you. For an hour every night you will be allowed outside your room. When you hour is up, you must return to your room. I will know it you didn't. Also, if you go places you shouldn't, like the Dark Forest or a class room, I will take away your pass for a week. During that time you will scrub lavatories." As he spoke he withdrew a small charm from his pocket. It hung from a long and pretty silver chain and was rectangular with runes inscribed on it. I took it from his out reached hand and slipped it around my neck, tucking it under my shirt.

" Hmm, he's the first smart wizard I've met. I told you there was nothing to worry about. " Purred Mauri smugly. I gave her a look, which she ignored, and turned back to the Professor.

" Thank you for understanding Professor, and for trusting me." I said in a serious tone. If he had refused, I would have had to sneak out every night. For staying cooped up would surely have been the death of me.

" You are most welcome. I have asked Hermione, whom you have met, to wait out in the hall so she could show you to your house. Goodnight Samantha, and welcome to Hogwarts." He smiled kindly down at me, and I returned it. I bowed my head slightly, something my mother had taught me, and turned to leave.

I slowly walked down the stairs and smiled at the waiting Hermione. She smiled back we began to walk down the halls, Mauri right beside me. We were both tired and when I yawned, Mauri echoed it. Hermione smiled at us and shook her head slightly.

" What?" I asked peering at her through half closed eyes.

" It's nothing. You're just look a walking zombie. When was the last time you got a good night's rest?" She asked as we turned a corner. A few bleary eyed paintings watched us walk by with slight interest. A few even waved.

I waved back to them distractedly while I thought about her question. ' You know what? I have no idea. I don't usually sleep very soundly and you know how loud the muggle world is." She nodded. " Not to mention my hearing is excellent. Like a cats."

" Really? How fascinating! Can you see in the dark?" Hermione asked. Seems like the witchling was just as curious as me. How wonderful!

" Yup. It's pretty useful for when I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night." I chuckled and she joined me. We chatted with each other throughout our traveling (for our destination was far off) and by the time we arrived at the Fat Lady painting, we had the base of a good friendship built.

Hermione approached the painting and the plump woman asked for a password. " Chocolate frogs." Hermione informed her and with that, the painting swung to the side and we walked in through the portal.

I arched a brow at the large room, the common room they called it, and saw chairs and desks strewn across the area. A fire burned in the large fireplace and the colors red and yellow covered everything. I walked on the plush carpet over to where Ron and Harry sat, playing a game of chess. I blinked in surprise when one of the pieces beat the tar out of another one. Okay, wizard chess. Hermione, who had followed me over, inquired who was winning.

" Ron is, but barely!" Harry told her somewhat glumly. I looked down at the table and saw that nearly two thirds of Harry's pieces were gone. Oh yeah, Ron is barely winning.

" Sure Harry, what ever helps you sleep at night." Ron smirked. " My turn." Harry groaned as Ron's bishop tackled his knight to the ground and began to pummel it into dust. Delightful game, really. I watched in amusement as Harry tried to come up with a tactic that would keep him from loosing, but not much hope remained for that.

" Not that chess isn't absolutely enthralling," Mauri meowed in annoyance. " But do you think you could ask where the rooms are so I can go to sleep?"

I looked down at her and apologized. " Sorry Mauri! I forgot. Hold on a moment." I turned to Hermione who was looking at me strangely. "Mauri wants to know where the rooms are. What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

" I didn't know you could talk to cats. Um, you can, uh, tell her they're up those stairs. If she scratches, someone will let her in." Hermione said still watching me with an odd expression on her face. " I'll be right back, I need to go look something up in one of my books." And with that she zoomed off.

Mauri watched her go and yawned widely. " Does she know I understand her? The human language is quite simple. Whatever, I'll be asleep if you need me. Wake me and die." She slowly walked off towards the staircase Hermione had pointed to a few moments ago.

I watched her go and shook my head. Forty-eight hours awake and she gets all cranky. Kitties really like their cat naps. I yawned but decided to sit up with the boys for a while, dig up some dirt on a blonde wizard I'd been thinking about. I dragged a chair over and watched as they set up for another violent game of wizard chess. I watched as Harry went first, his green eyes thoughtful.

" So, I met an interesting boy on the train. Do you know a Draco Malfoy?" I asked in a casual tone, watching their faces carefully. Ron and Harry tensed and looked at each other before looking over at me. That usually wasn't a good sign.

" Malfoy is a no good snob who's lower than the worms under the dirt. I have never met anyone as rotten as he is. " Harry muttered between grit teeth. " He puts me through hell everyday. If I never saw him again, it would be too soon."

" Bloody scum bag." Ron growled. " Insults my family all the time. I would beat him into the ground if giving the chance. Wouldn't even hesitate."

I arched a brow at the passionate hate in their voices, not sure what to do with this new information. I didn't know these two all that well so there really was no telling if they were being truthful. However, I had seen Draco being a jerk once before. ' Perhaps I should just get to know him and make a decision for myself.' I thought.

" He didn't do anything inappropriate did he? Make in fun of your ears or tail?" Ron asked in a protective manner. Awe, he was getting all big brother like.

I smiled in a calming manner. " No he didn't say anything. I think perhaps I'll befriend the fellow. Can never have too many friends." I told them in a nonchalant way. But my tone did nothing to calm them.

Ron's eyes bugged out slightly and Harry nearly fell from his chair. " What on Earth are you talking about? Why would you want to be friends with a jerk like him?" Ron nearly shouted.

My ears pressed against my skull and I gave him an annoyed look. " Please lower your voice Ron, I'm not deaf. But I might be now. I don't see why it would be such a bad idea. Sure he is a jerk, but maybe he isn't once you get to know him. Everyone has enemies. It's healthy. You never got past the 'I really hate you' stage. I've decided to skip it and go straight to the 'you might not be as evil as I thought' phase. Really, what harm could it do?" I asked in a soothing voice.

Harry sighed irritably and Ron grumbled to himself. I heard him quite clearly though. " Yes Ron, it is my mistake and I do believe I'll make it. All my friends don't have to like each other. I don't agree with the things he says about you two and Hermione just like I don't agree with how you two think you get to decide who is my friend and who is not. Now, I think I'll go to bed now. Lovely chatting with you, see you tomorrow!" I smiled and turned towards the stairs, leaving the boys to their chess game.

I climbed the stairs and entered a round room filled with several sets of bunk beds. A few girls were asleep in some of them so I treaded quietly, not wanting to wake them. I looked around and spotted Mauri asleep on a top bunk near the large window. I tiptoed over and found my trunk at the foot of my bunk bed set. I smiled and opened it (undoing a small spell that kept nosy people out) and pulled out a pair of pjs. I blinked and looked closer, seeing that the robes and such had been added. I closed it, surprised it would with all the new stuff in it, and changed clothes. I held my dirty ones in my hand loosely, not sure what to do with them. I then noticed that the girls that had gone to bed had left their laundry on top of their trunks and decided to follow suit.

I yawned and climbed up to my bunk, thoroughly exhausted. I scooted Mauri over, for she had been directly in the center of the bed, and climbed under the covers, comfy in my oversized dark green tee shirt. I snuggled into the covers and closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep. My tail twitched and my ears swiveled around as I heard a girl begin to snore. I groaned into my pillow and tried in vain to block out the noise. Humans just couldn't be quiet, not even in sleep!

My gray eyes glowed green as I stared around the room, trying to locate where the noise was coming from. I spotted a girl with short black hair lying at an odd angle. I flicked my wrist in her direction and she flopped over into a more comfortable position. I sighed in relief as the horrible snoring stopped and was replaced with soft breathing. I settled back into my bed and closed my eyes. I felt Mauri get settled against me and I smiled slightly, her small body warm against my calves.

My thoughts turned towards my mother and I said a quite prayer for her safety. She had said she was going far away but that might have been a lie to trick those who might have been listening. I forced myself to stop worrying, knowing it wouldn't do anything to help her. She could take care of herself. She was, after all, the one who taught me to fight. She was a very formidable foe. I felt myself relax at these thoughts and I began to sink into sleep. My last thought was on what tomorrow would bring.

A/N: Okay! I just read through this and saw too many mistakes for my liking so i went through and cleaned it up a tad. I feel better now. - I am working on the next chapter at this very moment so don't you worry about my taking forever! Also, I haven't read the books in forever, got lost during my move, so I am a bit lost on a few things. Please help me along with spelling of names, how long vacations are, and a few spells. Truly appreciate everything! - Lub lub!