Author's Notes: Thanks for reviewing everyone. I was thrilled that I got 4 new reviews. So, thus, my next chapter. Sorry it took so long to get out. I don't have any good excuse except that I'm really lazy and school got out yesterday. Meh. And my life goes on.

So, read, enjoy, and review.

Chapter 3

Samantha's shining black eyes ran over the text in her book. They never skipped a word on the bounded crisp parchment she held within her pale boney fingers.

You cannot apparate or disapprate one Hogwarts grounds. Because of this fact, Hogwarts is safe during any war. It also helps provide a huge case of secur-

Samantha's head snapped up as a screeching noise came from the rusty door. A girl with bright blond hair stepped in, a grin on her face. Samantha shuttered as she spotted a silver dot on her nose and her ears. Another girl stepped next, long blondish brownish pigtails swinging behind her.

"Can we sit here?" The first girl asked, pointing to the seats across from Samantha.

"No one else wants us in their compartment." The second girl told her, her loud and informative. I wonder who they are? And why'd they come in here, of all places? Samantha thought, putting a silky dark green ribbon on the page and shut it quickly. The brown-headed girl jumped slightly.

"Yes, you may," Samantha told them quietly, moving closer to the closed window covered with a dark red curtain to allow more room for them. The girls both sat down. The second girl waved brightly, her hand swing around everywhere in front of Samantha's face.

"I'm Marissa Jones," Marissa started to talk and her upper body turned sharply to the other girl, throwing her arms open wide and gave the girl a tight hug. "And this is Mia Futé. We're bestest friends forever. We've been friends since we first met at a Quidditch field. She beat me at a muggle card game. It was so much fun!"

"So, what's your name?" Mia asked, pushing Marissa's arms away silently. Samantha's head looked up at Mia, while her black eyes darting furiously around the room.

"I'm Samantha," She told them, fiddling with her hands as she tried to smile. Why are they being so nice? If Father doesn't like me, no one will.

"Mmm," Mia nodded. She stared intently at Samantha, almost like she was examining or grading her. Samantha slightly glared at Mia then turned her attention to her book as she opened it back up again. The green ribbon fell silently to the floor and Mia hastily picked it up. Turned toward Marissa who was busy holding up two fingers with her left hand and pushing her fists together, and putting one finger down on the left hand and lifting a finger up from her right hand.

"Look, Mia! I can do a magic trick. Watch this!" She grinned broadly and did the trick again. Mia gave a small laugh and pointed at Samantha who had her head bent down in her book. Her bright strawberry blond hair had fallen to the sides of her head, her long nose clearly hidden from view.

"Doesn't she seem a bit… oh, I don't know, familiar?" Mia whispered to Marissa, making sure she wasn't facing Samantha. Her hands grasped the bright gold velvet seat. "She looks so much like someone I know. I just can't place my finger on it. What do you think, Marissa?"

"Samantha? I don't know. I'll go ask her," Marissa said loudly, completely oblivious to the fact that Samantha could hear her every word.

"What ever you do, try not to be so direct. We don't even know her-," Mia told her in a whisper, letting her voice drop after Marissa hopped up of the seat.

Ask me what? Did I do something wrong? Samantha thought franticly, trying to remember anything she had done wrong lately. I pushed Mr. Draco into his lemonade fountain. No, they probably don't know him. I broke Father's love potion jar. That couldn't be it. I already go into trouble.

"Hey, yo! Samantha!" Marissa was waving her hand in front of Samantha's face. "Are you related to anyone at Hogwarts?"

Mia sighed and muttered softly to herself, "Way to be to the point, Marissa."

Samantha looked up at Marissa, completely startled. But… aren't I in trouble? She nodded and spoke, "Yes. My father is a professor here."

"Right on! High-five!" Marissa grinned again then put her hand up for a high-five. She pointed at it with her other hand and Samantha oddly placed her longed and thinner hand upon Marissa's. "Yeah! That must be so cool! Who is it? Is your dad Dumbledore? Or is it Professor Flitwick? Or…"

A strange thought came over Marissa's head and she gasped, her mouth wide open in shock. "You wouldn't happen to be Professor Snape's daughter would you?"

Mia shook her head as she spoke to herself again. "A lost cause, that girl is."

Samantha's heat skipped a beat and her frightened face confirmed Marissa's thought. Marissa turned back to Samantha, her voice soft and motherly, "You poor girl! Come here. We must make you feel all better! Professor Snape for a father. Who would have thought? Don't you dare go crying, deary!"

Marissa hugged Samantha tightly and she recoiled. Marissa didn't seem to notice as she wiped Samantha's face for any invisible tears.

A loud booming voice came from nowhere, startling both Marissa and Samantha. "We will be arriving soon."

Mia stood up and smoothed her dull black uniform, her scarf and hair ribbon standing out brightly. The red and gold colors seemed to flash brightly across her chest. She smiled at Samantha and told her, "It's time Marissa and I go. I hope to see you in our own house, Gryffindor."

She grabbed Marissa's upper right arm and dragged her out of the corridor while Marissa screamed to Samantha, "Help me! She's got me! Let go of me Mia, I want to say good bye!"

Mia shrugged and told her with a smirk plastered upon her freckled face, "No."

"You're no fun at all! Can I please- Hey, wanna see me do a magic trick?" Marissa asked Mia suddenly who groaned and continued to drag her down the long hallway.

Samantha turned back to her book, worries running down her brain. Father is going to kill me if I'm not in the house, Slytherin. 'I will see to it that you are expelled if you aren't placed in Slytherin.' But Mia seemed so nice, even if her house is on Father's 'Make sure to kill list'.

She placed her head on the side of the compartment, the rough material poking through her hair, but barely scratching her skin. Samantha sighed and began to wonder if it was a good idea to come to Hogwarts.

"We have arrived. Please get off the train."

Samantha yawned, and stood up, her legs moving without command. She stepped out of the compartment, a cold breezing rushing over her and she shivered, her skinny arms draped over her flat chest.

Kids rushed past her as she walked slowly out of the bright red train. A large man stood over by a huge lake with kids her age crowded around him. She spotted the boy she had seen in Diagon Ally. Samantha could hear her father's voice running in her head, "Listen to me, Samantha. You are never to talk to them. Ever. They're bad news. If I even hear that you were communicating with them, I'll cast Crucio on you. Do you hear me?"

Ever though her father wasn't here to take control over her, she nodded numbly and walked over to some of the older students who had gather by a bunch of horseless carriages. She stepped in one, hiding behind a blond student who was standing beside her. Samantha sat down next to him and opened her book for the last time on her journey to Hogwarts. The cart jostled her up and down and suddenly came to a complete stop. She grumbled quietly to herself as she stepped out of the cart and saw a huge castle, the moon shining brightly behind it. She gasped and someone chuckled behind her, thumping her on the back.

"You must be a first year. I'd go run and catch up with them, if I were you," the boy she had sat down next told her brightly and pointed to a crowd of kids all huddled by a large staircase. Samantha muttered a soft yes and put her book inside her robe as she ran across the muddy banks of the lake.

"Righ' then! 'rist years 'ver 'ere!" The large and bulky man shouted as he trudged up the towering stairs. Samantha followed the rest of the first years. Her legs felt like wooden posts as she ran up to catch the rest of the group. The man knocked on a huge door loudly as the group reached the top of the staircase.

"In here, boys and girls," An old lady had walked out of the doorway and shuffled them in a room. Samantha looked down as not to be spotted as she followed someone ahead of her. Her foot stepped on his heal and he turned around to face her and shoved Samantha to the ground.

"You stupid girl! Watch where you go," He growled at her harshly. She picked herself up quietly as he turned to talk with his group of friends. Samantha walked to a corner and sat down, her knees up. She could feel the hard and solid walls behind her, and yet it seemed as though she soaring in the sky. She didn't seem to notice when a few ghosts flew over her head and began to talk to the other first years.

"Miss, please come with me," The old lady she had seem earlier was tapping her on the shoulder, gesturing to door across the room which the other first years were walking through. Samantha stood up, her legs swaying slightly towards the door. She walked through, her heart beating quicker by the second as they gathered. Oh, Merlin! Father is in there. Curse me now. I'm not going to live until tomorrow if I… Samantha gulped … get placed in Gryffindor

"When I call your name, you are to sit down and place the Sorting Hat on your head. From there, go to your new house," Professor McGonagall told the first years.

"Allio, Leo."

A tall boy with short spiked black hair and tan skin walked up to the stool and put a brown, dirty, old, talking hat on his head. The boy seemed to be talking to the hat for a while after deciding.

"Gryffindor!"

Leo ran over to a table, and huge grin plastered on his face. Samantha could see Mia and Marissa waving him over and she felt a pit in her stomach, I guess they found a new replacement for me.

"Noel, Lily."

A short girl with brown hair pulled back into a braid nervously walked up and slowly brought the hat down on her head. It covered her entire head up to her mouth. The Sorting Hat was much quicker this time for it's choice.

"Hufflepuff!"

"Kenithsberg, Olivia."

A girl with long black hair pulled into thousands of little braids and a chocolate colored skin ran up to the stool and shoved the hat on her head. It's mouth seemed to smile as it shouted loudly its answer.

"Gryffindor!"

Samantha shuffled her feet impatiently as the group grew shorter and shorter. Her pale fingers reached for her hair and she began to fiddle with it. She looked up to her father who was glaring at her. Samantha blinked and turned away.

"Snape, Samantha."

Samantha slowly walked forward her mind ignoring the looks of surprise and the rude comments she could hear. Sitting down, her worries grew and her hands began to twitch as she placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

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-Lily