The Great Hall was unlike anything Lia had ever witnessed before. With towering ceilings that seemed to reach high up for the enchanted night sky above, and candles illuminating each and every corner of the colossal room, it was a sight to behold. Four long tables stretched out vertically, and the older students seated on the chairs swung their heads around to glance intriguingly at them, the first-years forming a group in the centre of the hall.

Lia turned her head around and spotted Malfoy standing on the opposite side of her. His face was still a slight shade redder than usual, and his skin more tanned. Most likely a remnant of the spell that she had pulled. His gaze was furious as his eyes met hers.

"You'll pay," he whispered resentfully to her.

"I'm trembling," Lia shot back.

It probably would be wise if she was more worried about Malfoy's threats. After all she had little knowledge of who he was, and he seemed to have quite a lot of power over the other students already - through fear or admiration, she didn't know. But she couldn't bring herself to waste any more of her energy thinking about the irksome boy. It was just too tiresome.

And he was totally ruining her euphoria about finally arriving in Hogwarts' towers.

She bought her eyes back to the front of the room, where a professor was now holding a tatty old hat. The hat had just finished singing a song of its own creation. She knew from her own prior reading, and Professor McGonagall's speech, that they were about to be sorted into their own houses: witty Ravenclaw, kind Hufflepuff, daring Gryffindor, or cunning Slytherin.

Anticipation and a smidgen of fear flowered in her stomach. She didn't really feel like she was destined for any house, or even that she was made for all of them? Maybe not Hufflepuff though, Lia was a bit too brazen for that.

Harry seemed to sense her nervousness. His hand reached out and grabbed hers. He gave her a shaky smile, that Lia returned. Whatever house they were in, even if they were split up, she knew that Harry would still be at her side. Together, they were an iconic duo.

Lia couldn't stop her mind from wondering as she contemplated which house she would be in, as a dozen names and faces that she didn't recognise were called out and sorted. Personally, she was rooting for Gryffindor, for she was sure that Harry would definitely be placed there. He matched the traits: brave, almost to the point of stupidity; loyal, again almost to the point of stupidity; and chivalrous too, always going around standing up for the weak because of his silly, albeit virtuous, morals.

"Hermione Granger." Lia's mind focused on the present again.

She watched with anticipation as the sorting hat was put on Hermione's eagerly waiting, slightly quivering head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" it yelled.

Lia clapped for her enthusiastically. Although Ron seemed a bit off put. He was probably still insulted by the way Hermione had spoke to him on the train.

Her stomach was churning by now. She really, really, really wanted to be in Gryffindor. Hermione was in there. Ron and Harry would probably soon follow after her. A horrid thought stuck her. What if she placed in some other house? Ravenclaw for example? And she was there all by herself? She didn't think she could stand being an outcast again.

Harry's thoughts appeared to have echoed hers, for he looked back at her with that same fearful expression.

"Draco Malfoy."

Malfoy walked up to the front with that idiotic swagger of his. He was trying to look collected and confident, but Lia could tell that he was shaking beneath those expensive robes.

He needn't have worried though. The hat hardly even grazed his head before it cried, "SLYTHERIN!"

"What a shock," Lia thought. Malfoy's whole family had probably been in that house.

"Ronald Weasley."

Ron was pale, and he looked close to vomiting. As he sat on the seat, he looked down at his older brothers sitting in Gryffindor, who were waiting in anticipation, and gulped.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Relief shone in Ron's face. His brothers clapped him hard on the back when he walked over, and they all grinned exuberantly.

It wasn't long before it was Harry's turn. Although they had the same last name, H came before L, so naturally he was usually before her for most things.

She watched, squirming with barely restrained anticipation. The hat seemed to deliberate on him for much longer than anyone else.

Finally, it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Lia felt so happy for Harry, he looked ecstatic, but it also meant that now she was worried. What if they did put her in Ravenclaw? She didn't know anyone there. Or worse … what if it was Slytherin? She didn't think she could survive seven years with that awful Draco Malfoy.

"Daliah Potter."

She slowly walked up. She shuddered a little as the hat landed on her head.

She heard someone sitting in the Ravenclaw section whisper, "Potter? What? When did the Potters have a girl?"

She strained her ears and tried to hear more, but stopped as the hat spoke to her.

"Oh, another Potter. Such talent too. Ah, Potters. Always making things so difficult for me … you're just as hard to sort as your 'brother'," the hat seemed to have said brother with a strange tone.

"Such courage, such determination, hmmm a cunning mind too. Very clever, oh my, such a sharp mouth! What house? What house to pick? You'd do nicely in all of them. Well…perhaps … yes, yes … I see it now … Slytherin? Great potential down that path!"

Lia's eyes widened.

"Please, not Slytherin!" she pleaded inside her head. "Please, sorting hat. I'll do anything! Please, I can't survive in Slytherin!"

The shabby hat seemed to laugh at her. "Well, aren't you just like the Potter boy."

Lia was bemused.

"Ah, but different too …. maybe Gryffindor was right for Harry. But for you I see no other option. Now, girl don't be so worried. You look positively sick with fear. No, no, please don't beg. I promise you. You will thank me later. A mind like yours could only belong there, and no need to worry you will have many friends." A teasing tone took over the hat's voice, "Perhaps even more than that."

And then it bellowed, to Lia's horror, "SLYTHERIN!"

She didn't know whether to scream or cry. Ron had told her that Slytherin was where all the bad witches and wizards went, where the dark ones were placed. Voldemort himself, her parents' murderer, had been in that very house. But Lia … she wasn't evil was she? But she remembered the things she had done in the past. The way she sometimes hurt people, made them scream. She thought of the dark monster that lurked inside of her.

"Perhaps the sorting hat was right," she thought bitterly. "I do belong in Slytherin."

She spotted Harry's equally miserable face as she walked towards what was now her table. It was alright for Harry. He had Ron and Hermione. Who did Lia have? She saw a patch of blond, blond hair. Draco. Freaking. Malfoy. Harry saw the disgust and dread on his sister's face. He seemed to be trying to silently communicate to her with his eyes now.

"Be brave."

Well, easy for him to say. He was in Gryffindor, and everyone was patting him on the back, that Weasley boy that was a prefect even went and shook his hand, like Harry was Prime Minister or something. Lia wasn't that brave anyway, not like Harry, she was too selfish, too cowardly. She wasn't the type to sacrifice herself for others. No … she wouldn't have fitted in in noble Gryffindor.

Lia saw with dismay that the only seat left on the table was beside Malfoy ... Malfoy, who was now looking at her with contempt. She resisted the urge to punch him, as she slid down into the chair. She resolved to just ignore him, and try to find some nicer people who were more worthy of her company.

Sadly, he didn't seem willing to let her brood in peace. He smirked slightly. Lia heard warning bells in her head.

"Well. Well. Look who it is," he drawled. "Little Miss Potter, all alone in scary Slytherin. Why, the sorting hat must be getting old. Who knew a half-blood would be allowed in this house?" He looked at the other newly arrived Slytherin girls – Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Tracey Davis, Daphne Greengrass and Selene Blackwater - with an expression of mock horror.

One of the girls, Pansy, laughed. "You're right, Draco. Merlin. I hope I'm not sharing a room with her. Father would be furious if he knew I was associating with such filthy blood. Mudblood mother," she spat.

Lia narrowed her eyes.

She had thought that she'd escaped the harrying, snooty girls when she left her home in Pivet Drive, but apparently she was wrong. It seemed that she would never be at peace - leaving one nightmare, in order to gain another. But she was Daliah Potter, and she wasn't going to let some imprudent brat ruin her Hogwarts experience.

"Same goes for you Pansy. Although I really can't understand you and your dad's perspective. I'd sure like to see things from your point of view, but …" She sighed, her expression regretful, sad even. "I can't seem to get my head that far up your ass."

"Why you -" growled Pansy. Lia knew that she had most likely made an enemy, but she didn't care too much. She couldn't see herself being friends with this Pansy in any alternate universe.

Pansy didn't get to finish her sentence, for Dumbledore had clinked his glass and the hall fell silent. After a few short words and a swish of his wand, the plates and bowls adorned around the tables immediately became filled with food of every kind. Lia thought that she had never beheld such a delicious, mouth-watering sight. It really put Petunia's cabbage soup in perspective.

She wasn't the least bit sorry to say that, upon hearing her stomach growl, she forgot all her determination to become a lady, and ate like a starving cave woman. She rolled her eyes at Malfoy, whose expression was disgusted as he watched her shovel food onto her plate.

"Ahhhh," she said, opening her mouth so that Malfoy had a stunning close-up view of the churned mashed-up food inside. He made a gagging sound.

It was the start of a most beautiful enemy to enemy relationship.

Lia grinned. Sure, she wasn't with Harry, Ron or Hermione, but at least she had the privilege of being able to offend Pansy and infuriate Malfoy. It would be a fun year. She imagined all the insults, jinxes and hexes that she could use on the two. Tracey Davis, who had been watching in amusement, gave her a little smile, that she returned.

Yes, perhaps Slytherin wouldn't be as bad as she thought.