Disclaimer- This is fiction (to be more specific Fan Fiction). The first couple of chapters will be used to introduce the Original Character and her first interactions with the others. And I know that Lucius is 5 years older than Snape and the Marauders; but, for purposes of this story I've made him only 2 years older, which makes him a seventh year student. Thanks for reading and please review.

Chapter 2: The Sorting Hat

Leila stood there frozen on the spot with shock and confusion at what had just happened. She hadn't even listened to the comments Lucius had made while passing through the corridor. She could feel the soft jolts of the train as it passed its metal tracks. A hand on her shoulder was what woke her from this fuzzy daze. A set of comforting emerald eyes looked at her.

"Are you alright? What happened?" the red head asked while looking back at the door she had just come out of. "I just had a talk with Severus. Did you really call him Snivelus?" She asked with one raised eyebrow.

Leila looked up confused as her senses slowly came back to her. She breathed in some air and spoke "Why? Isn't that his name? I thought that was his name; that's what they told me it was." Her pale slender index finger pointed towards the compartment with James, Sirius, Peter, and Lupin.

From this gesture, Lilly seemed to understand everything. She shook her head tersely; her red locks moved as she did so and fell to the front of her face.

"Of course!! Those three must have something to do with this." she said disapprovingly; her hands to her hips. "I'm sorry. This was just all a misunderstanding. His name is actually Severus Snape and as much as those three call him Snivelus, its not his true name. That is why Severus blew up at you. He must have thought you had something to do with Sirius, Peter, and that git with the inflated head, James Potter."

"Did I just hear my name?" James smirked over to Lilly as he slid his hand through his black, unmanageable hair. Everyone must have heard Snape's rampage because a lot of heads were stretching their necks to peek outside of their compartments. Lilly just rolled her eyes at James's subtle and unwelcomed introduction to the scene.

"I'm glad you hear the words 'inflated head' and 'git' and recognize that I'm talking about you Potter" Lilly said casting James a deathly glare. "Anyways, as I WAS saying before I was rudely interrupted…"

"I'm not a git!!! The only git here is that Snivelus" James interrupted once more, visibly offended. "I don't understand why someone like you hangs around someone like him."

"And I don't expect someone like you to understand it even if I did explain" Lilly said focusing her attention again towards Leila while ignoring that James was standing right behind her.

"Leila if you want…" she started before she was interrupted again.

"What are you trying to say?" James said as he stepped closer to both girls. Leila could feel his shadow behind her.

"I'm saying that someone who thinks the world revolves around them couldn't possibly understand the nature of other human beings, Potter!" Lilly said matter of factly.

James looked offended and opened his mouth to say something back; but, he closed it again as he noticed Lilly's glare.

"I … I think I should go back and apologize to him" Leila held her left shoulder shyly as she spoke. "I .. really didn't know that wasn't his real name and I feel horrible now."

James rolled his eyes "Leila don't! You don't know him. He deserves to be called Snivelus.. And much much worse. As much as Lilly wants to defend him he doesn't deserve it."

"No James. I really should go and apologize. Nobody deserves to be made fun of and I don't even know him and I.. I… I just feel terrible" Leila sighed and avoided both their eyes. She knew how it felt like to be on the receiving end of taunts after all.

James shook his head and shrugged his shoulders "Fine go ahead… Another lost cause… I don't think he's the forgiving type though." James said with both eyebrows raised. He pushed his glasses up with his index finger.

"It's alright … I'll just" Leila started before she was interrupted by Lilly.

"I hate to agree with him; but, James is right in that perspective." Lilly said as James gave her a triumphant smile, which she ignored. "I highly doubt Severus is going to want to see you at the moment. He is still fumed at what just happened. Let him cool down a bit before you approach him. I'll go sit with him and let him know it was all a misunderstanding." She put a hand on Leila's shoulder's and smiled.

Leila nodded "Alright.."

"Right. Well, now that that is settled. I have a feeling Lucius will be rounding us out again. So, we might as well go back to our compartments before he does." Lilly said as she turned around to go towards Snape's compartment.

"You sure you don't want to ditch that greasy git and come with us?" James shouted with a tinge of hope in his voice over Leila's shoulder to Lilly.

Lilly's unturning back was all the response she gave to James, as she marched and disappeared into the solely occupied compartment.

James smirked looking smug. "You know" He leaned towards Leila. "She's just playing hard to get. Deep down, she's secretly in love with me"

Leila just gave him a 'are you serious?' look and when it appeared that, in fact, he wasn't joking, she repressed a couple of chuckles underneath her breathe.

James unwrapped a sucker that was dripping crimson red and placed it in his mouth. "Come. Lets go back" James mumbled to her as he slurped on the sucker and headed back to his compartment.

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Roaring laughter emanated from a packed compartment of young men and one young lady. A blonde boy rolled on the floor grabbing the side of his stomach as he continued to laugh. Peter had been kicked off his seat by Sirius so that Leila would sit on it; but, she remained standing.

"Stop! It's not funny… I felt horrible! Why didn't you guys tell me what his real name was!?" Leila asked defensively.

"What? Snivelus isn't his real name?" the handsome brunette gasped. "That thing has a real name?" Sirius joked. He cackled; but, slowly stopped as he saw her searing gaze.

"Oh, come on!!! Don't tell me you're into defending him too? Just what we needed! Another girl to nag at us about him." Sirius said shaking his head annoyed.

Leila remained quiet. She couldn't believe the type of bullies they were. True, she didn't really know this Severus character that well; but, they, especially Sirius, seemed to think of Severus as less than human. Leila didn't quite like this too much. All she wanted was to be by herself, like always. And to her luck the train came to a quick halt as it reached its destination.

"Hogwarts! Everyone off!!!" she heard Lucius and some other people with badges shout down the corridors.

She quickly grasped a firm hand on her suitcase and went for the door. She waved goodbye to everyone without saying a word and disappeared into the departing crowd.

Sirius watched the back of her ebony, dark hair disappear before he could say anything. He sunk back into his chair.

"Oh, I don't think she likes you much, I reckon" James had a smirk on his face as he got up and stretched. "I can almost hear those galleons in my pockets" James said referring to the bet Sirius and him had made.

"Your speaking too early. I've never lost a bet" Sirius smirked before opening the door. "You're the one whose going to be losing money here, you git with the inflated head" Sirius mimicked Lilly before running away from an incoming punch from James.

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Leila followed a huge crowd and became lost within its mass. She could only take tiny steps forward as the bunch were all anxious to get inside the castle's interior.

Leila's face sprouted a huge grin as she took in everything.

"Right this way" A girl with a badge led them to a huge hall decorated with the school's logo. She soaked in as much of the beautifully decorated and enchanted room as she could . She stood there entranced before she realized that the majority were already seated. She realized that they had all been seated by the house they belonged to (the similar colored ties were a clue into this).

Her posture was awkward. She tried to figure out what to do, where she should sit. She looked around and spotted the unfriendly boy she had offended. She wondered if he had cooled down yet; but, a firey glare her way told her that Severus most likely wasn't. She quickly glanced away trying to seek anyone else in the same awkward position as her; but, her eye was caught by a waving figure in the far distance. Sirius was waving for her to come over. She reluctantly moved in his direction, since there was nowhere she could really go now. Luckily, she spotted a detour on the way.

"Er, Hi Lilly. May I sit here for now?" she said as she gave a disheartened-looking Sirius a 'I'm sorry' type of shrug.

"Of course. But, shouldn't you get sorted first?" Lilly told her.

"Yeah, I guess; but, I've no clue as to how I do get sorted. It wasn't quite explained in the letter I received. So, I'm just a bit confused at the moment."

"Oh, well, behind the great hall doors right now, the first years are waiting to be let in. Your actually supposed to be back there with them. Or at least, that is what I've seen them do with other exchange students. You'll just have to wait until all of them are sorted for it to be your turn." she explained.

Leila gave her a thankful sigh of relief. "Thanks for letting me know. I guess. I should be off then" She said as she turned around on her seat and got up.

She rushed forward to open the lavishly decorated doors and saw a bunch of frightened looking little faces turn her way. She smiled back at them as she passed the small group until she was the last in line.

She felt a bit awkward waiting there for her turn. She could easily see how the sorting was done since she towered in height over all the little ones in front of her. Everyone could tell she didn't fit in with this group because wandering eyes kept meeting her tall standing form. As she moved along the line she could hear snickering coming from the green and silvers.

"How many times have you failed the first year? So dim-witted you haven't even put on your school robes! What are you wearing anyways.." a squeaky voice taunted, which she recognized to be coming from Lucius's friend, Avery.

He was referring to the fact that she was still in her regular clothes, unlike everyone else in the room. There was cackling coming from her surroundings, she looked to see if Severus had joined his table in laughing at her. There was a curled smile of contempt etched on his face as he got to see her being made fun of. He seemed quite satisfied at her being ridiculed and she turned away from him. Leila ignored them and continued to look in front of her.

"She's an exchange student you bunch of idiots! A fifth year to be exact!!! AND apparently, smarter than the lot of you, since you weren't able to piece two and two together " came a voice from the distance. Leila looked over to see who it was. She couldn't help, but, grin as she sent him an affectionate smile in thanks. A certain warmness had broken her cold first impression of Sirius at that moment in time.

Sirius noticed and sank back into his seat, apparently quite happy with himself.

Some of the teachers had noticed the shouting back and forth that came from the Slytherin table and from Sirius's side of the table. They rushed to stop their bickering and ordered for them to be silent.

Finally, after all the first years were sorted out, it was Leila's turn.

"Leila Crealant" the headmaster said. "Ah yes, I would like to introduce our new fifth year exchange student, in hopes that the shouting from our slytherin's will subside" He smiled as he looked through his speckled glasses over to the slytherin table, whom were now groaning at being pointed out their mistake.

"Ah! Much better!!" he said as the room became more silent.

"As I have been told, you have come to us from the Beauxbatons Academy. I hear their Crepes with strawberry sauce are quite a treat, is that true?" Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes met hers.

She couldn't help chuckle under her breath and give him a huge grin of liking as she nodded.

"Well, I must visit France sometime to see if the rumors are, in fact, true. I'm sure my sweet tooth will much enjoy said needed vacation."

"Alas! I have side tracked" he gave a kind smile. "I believe you're here to be sorted. Please, sit on the chair so we can introduce you to our sorting hat."

Leila sat in the chair as the sorting hat was placed on her head.

"Hmm, I can see this will be a bit difficult. Three out of four! Three out of four places to put you." The hat began to speak to her.

"I can see lots of wit jumbled up in your head. Should I put you in Ravenclaw then? Where great minds think alike? Ah, but I can see bravery as well. A self-sacrificing personality you do have; but, is it strong enough to make you a Gryffindor? And a heart filled with kindness, kindness only a HufflePuff can possess." The Hat paused before continuing.

"Hmm…A slytherin you certainly are not and that is your weakness because you have little motivation and no ambition. Shame, a true weakness a lack of that is indeed! But, where does Miss Crealant belong? I say..."

"Gryffindor!"

Applause echoed from the Gryffindor table.