Author's Note: Sorry it has been so long since an update! The new school semester has started, so it has taken me a while to find the time to write. I'm back now, and I would like to say a few things before we get this chapter going!

Firstly, I would like to thank all of you who have left reviews, followed, and favorited my little story! Your support is completely unexpected but 100% appreciated. Thank you so very much!

Secondly, I would like to draw attention to the content to one review that I received that really struck a chord with me. One of you pointed out your disapproval of the mention of sexual assault in the earlier chapters. Though it was not my intention to use it as a throw away line, I see how my use of it for dramatic purposes is insensitive and completely disrespectful. I would like to formally apologize to my readers because I know how upset I would be if I saw writing done in this way, and I would like to inform you that I have removed that part completely from the narrative. Thank you to the person who wrote this review and bringing this issue to my attention, and again, I am so sorry. I hope you all enjoy the next installment of the story, and feel free to leave a review xx

Chapter 5

One minute. Five minutes. Nearly ten minutes of absolute silence passed in the Great Hall. Evalane was not entirely sure how to handle the situation; it was almost as awkward as the time Sherlock fell down the steps at their elementary school, and Evalane was the only person to offer him help. Life was so simple back then. Granted she was miserable most of the time due to the daily torment she received from Todd, but at least she had Sherlock. What did she have now? A massive room full of apparently wizards and witches staring at her like they were waiting for her to spit fire or make the sky explode.

"Well, go on and sit with the rest of your House, Miss Potter," removing the Sorting Hat from the young teen's head, Professor McGonagall nods her head towards the table of green and silver. Evalane could feel the woman's disappointment radiating from her soul, but she was trying to hold it back for her sake.

With lead feet, Evalane made her way to the Slytherin table. Hundreds of eyes scanned her from head to toe in every way from condescending hatred to a neutral uneasiness; though the Hat said so, she felt anything but a welcoming unity from the House. She quietly took a seat next to one of the first years, and before she could receive any ridicule from her new Housemates, Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet and silence graced the entire room. He was older than the other professors at the table with a white and silver beard and whiskers falling to just below the waist of his violet robes, and resting on his crooked nose were half-moon spectacles.

"Welcome. Welcome, all of you, to another wonderful year at Hogwarts. Before your minds are befuddled by our excellent feast, I have a few important announcements to make, one being rather serious."

The old wizard cleared his throat, leaving every student on the edge of their seat. "I'm sure many if not all of you are aware of the dementor's search of the Hogwarts Express, and I'm especially certain that you are wondering why. Well, Hogwarts will be hosting some of the dementors of Azkaban for the time being, as they are here on business for the Ministry of Magic." A sour expression crept onto the face of the otherwise kind wizard, so Evalane could only assume that this Ministry gave the Headmaster little say in this matter.

"Therefore, as a precaution, no student under any circumstances is permitted to leave the grounds without the permission of a professor. Dementors are no creature that are easily hoodwinked by disguises, tricks, or even Invisibility Cloaks." Dumbledore playfully lowered his head towards the Gryffindor table, making Evalane suspect that one of these cloaks was in the possession of a Gryffindor, but one can never be entirely sure.

"I would advise each and every one of you to give the dementors no reason to harm you. Dementors cannot tell the difference between an innocent misunderstanding between the crime they seek, and it is not in their nature to be understanding towards excuses or pleadings. I ask all prefects and this term's Head Boy and Girl to keep a close watch on the younger students." The man paused to catch his breath, and he looked around the Great Hall for some kind of a reaction. Not one soul moved or made a noise of any kind.

"On a lighter note, I am pleased to announce that we have made two additions to our staff," Dumbledore continued. "First, I would like to introduce Professor Lupin, who will be filling the position for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

A few students and most of the other professors gave the man some polite applause, but Evalane and her brother's table made up for the room's lack of enthusiasm for the new professor. Perhaps the position is frequently being refilled, Evalane thought to herself as she watched Lupin rise from his seat. The poor man looked out of place amongst the other staff members in their fanciest robes, but he seemed content nonetheless. Professor Snape, on the other hand, seemed to have acquired a rancid taste in his mouth and gave two half-hearted claps for his new colleague.

"Secondly, due to Professor Kettleburn's retirement- as he desired to spend the rest of his days relaxing with his remaining limbs -the position of Care for Magical Creatures teacher will go to Hogwarts' very own gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid." A much louder applause broke out throughout the Great Hall for the massive man, who nearly knocked over the table trying to stand up.

"I believe that is all," Dumbledore smiled once the applause had died down, "So let us enjoy the feast!" Suddenly the tables were full of the most beautiful foods and drinks Evalane had ever seen in her life, and not only that, this was the most food Evalane had ever seen period. The students had the option of turkey, chicken, ham, and pork, along with dozens of options of sides that were completely unknown to her. Her mouth began to water uncontrollably, but she hesitated to take a helping. The other students around her, however, grabbed anything and everything that made their tummies happily rumble.

"What are you doing?" A boy with platinum blond hair sneered through a mouthful of ham. By the looks of his pristine school robes and his overly confident mannerisms suggested that this boy's family was rather well-off, and he was used to being perfectly capable of criticizing others without any kind of repercussions. That being said, this boy clearly had his own personal insecurities that required constant reassurance of his superiority.

"Hello? You deaf, Potter?" The boy was now waving his hand in front of her face. He had two rather large friends chuckling next to him.

"I am not deaf," Evalane grabbed his wrist before he could utter another word. "And even if I was, what good would waving your grimy hand in front of my face do?"

The boy quickly tugged his hand away from her grasp. "Well now, Potter, seems like you're more of a Slytherin than we would have expected. Look," he leaned in closer, bringing his voice down to a whisper. "Being a Potter in Slytherin won't be easy, not to mention that you're almost five years behind. Making friends is crucial to your success here, and I can help you with that."

He extended his hand to Evalane, but what he did not realize was that she was able to tell exactly what kind of person this boy was just by looking at him.

"You know what," she lifted her hand towards his, but instead of accepting it, she gently pushed his hand down. "I would, but I can already see that you are a narcissistic arse who is so incredibly insecure with himself that he feels the need to make everyone around him feel inferior, WHICH you have plenty experience of since you crave approval from your powerful and wealthy parents."

The boy was completely taken aback by the accuracy of Evalane's accusations, but as Evalane predicted, he quickly covered up the rejection with more insults.

"You'll regret this, Potter," he spat as he coldly turned away from her.

"Don't think I will," Evalane chuckled to herself. Looking back towards the extensive supply of food in front of her. She was unsure where to even begin with this meal. Any food brought into the Knaggs' home would either be alcohol or cheap fast food, and most all of it went down Todd's throat. For years Evalane had accepted any scraps that she could find, so having all of this food at her disposal was overwhelming.

She decided to start out slowly with a small piece of chicken. The flavors danced freely on her tongue, pulling Evalane into a daze of complete bliss. Before she could decide on another delicacy to try, the entire staff table rose from their chairs, and the entirety of Hogwarts quickly followed suit. An older girl from Slytherin approached the first years and gestured for them to follow her. Evalane didn't have much time to give a complete deduction of the girl, but from a quick glance she could tell that she also came from a wealthy family but also had two siblings- one older and one younger -and had an absurd addiction to chocolate. The girl walked with excited purpose, so she struggled to keep track of the many first years trailing behind her.

"Hello first-years! My name is Emma, and I am honored to be the prefect to welcome you to Slytherin House!" She weaved her way through the many other students trying to find their way through the corridors, half-shouting and half-talking to the dozen eleven year olds and one confused fifteen year old. "A few things about Slytherin House that you should know before term begins: our emblem is a serpent, the wisest of all creatures. Our House colors are emerald green and silver, so don't be shy to show off your Slytherin pride both in and out of school! Oh! And here we are!"

The small group of students stood before a large concrete door that was seemed to be hidden away from the rest of the hustle and bustle of the castle in the dampest, darkest corner of the school. Emma turned to the first-years, pulling an old silver key from her robe pocket.

"This door is the most common way to get down to the dungeons, which is where you will be spending most of your freetime." Without any other explanation, she turned to unlock the dungeon door.

"I'm sorry," A boy quietly chimed in, causing a stir amongst their new classmates. "Did you just say the dungeons?"

The door swung open to reveal a staircase descending into a dark and murky hall. Emma practically skipped down the stairs, but Evalane and the younger students slowly made their way down into the dungeons. Every one of their steps echoed for what seemed like a million kilometers away, and there were a few lanterns to give the hall some light; however, the light was only emphasizing the eeriness of the atmosphere because of the way the flickering candlelight made every shadow extend for an eternity across the dusty brick wall. Finally, the small party stopped in front of yet another door, but this one had a small snake carved into the dark wood above the handle.

"This here is the entrance to the Slytherin common room and dormitories. In order to enter, you have to give a password." Emma took her place i front of the entrance, and simply uttered the word "Pureblood" and the lock clicked. Grinning from ear to ear, Emma pushed the door open. With curiosity swimming in the young students eyes, they all craned their necks to catch a glimpse of what will become their home for the next seven years.

The dreariness of the dungeons made the Slytherin common room appear to be a utopia of life and relaxation; in fact, many of them struggled to believe that it was connected to the dungeons at all and not some magical portal to a different world. The only reason Evalane knew for certain that it was not a portal was because the walls of the common were the same grey stone, though these walls were clean and not covered in the same dust and grime as in the hall. The decor of the common room was covered in an elegant green, and when she looked up, Evalane could see beautiful silver chandeliers hanging from shining chains.

The sound of crackling flames caught Evalane's attention, and she turned to view a massive brick fireplace that was basically the centerpiece of the room, consuming everyone's attention to the red and orange flames that danced at its core. The walls of the common room were covered in lopsided oval windows, but instead of the fields and blue sky, Evalane could see sand and fish swimming happily through the current. The entire common room was submerged in water.

"As you can see, the common room has many wonderful advantages that anyone is welcome to use! We have plenty of comfortable chairs and desks for either relaxing or studying; the fireplace is enchanted, so there's always a fire burning." Emma grinned from ear to ear as she witnessed another round of first years stand in complete awe of their new home. "Girls' dormitories are to your right down those stairs, and boys' to your left. There's three of you to a room, and your names are posted on the door. Tomorrow is the first day of classes, but don't worry, you'll receive your class schedule at breakfast tomorrow at 9 o'clock sharp! Any questions?"

When no one bothered to raise their hands, Emma simply dismissed the young children to their rooms for the night. Evalane soon found herself standing in front of a small door, slightly isolated from the other girls' dorms, and instead of two roommates, it was just her in the room. Her room was simple, just a black desk and a bed with deep green sheets, but it was more than she could have ever hoped for.

Reality suddenly sank in faster than quicksand. This was her life. This was going to be her room, and tomorrow was going to begin her "magic" education. It was very rapidly becoming too much for her to handle. Before she could have a full blown mental breakdown, however, there were three quick taps on her door.

"Yes?"

"Hi Evalane!" Emma poked her head through the doorway. "Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak with you before the night is over, so mind following me up to his office?"

"Y-yeah...yeah, sure that's fine," and taking one last glance of her new home, Evalane Lily Potter made her way to speak with the Headmaster of Hogwarts.