Chapter 3

I received little sleep that night. They had all celebrated in the common room, asked how did I do it? How had I tricked Dumbledore's age line? They all sympathised with me, because I must have wanted all the glory for myself. They also supported my apparent annoyance that my brother would have to share it.

"It wasn't me!" I screamed after having to listen to these comments for far to long, "I didn't put my name in the goblet and my brother swears he didn't either. Something's afoot that isn't meant to be. Can you not see? I don't want eternal glory, for the reason, my fellow Slytherins, that my name is already in the history books."

The common room fell into a stunned silence as I stormed up to my room. I would be lying awake for many hours that night.

When I awoke the following day I heard nothing but whispers. By the end of the first day of November the entire school was convinced that the 'Potter twins' had planned this all along. We hadn't, I swear. Now I spend every waking moment fearing for my life. Someone was out to kill me. That is the only reason they would have gone to the effort of hoodwinking the cup and, as Dumbledore had said when we had joined the other students in the back room, it takes a powerful wizard to trick it - that's what scares me.

"Miss Potter are you listening to me?" questioned Professor Moody from the front of the classroom.

I blinked, staring at the green light that was fading from around the dead body of the spider, "No sir and I don't want to."

You could hear the intake of breath around me.

"And why is that Miss Potter?" asked the teacher, I swear he was smirking at me.

"Because I don't want to see the curse that murdered my parents," I stated as I rose from my seat and turned to my brother, "Harry, you're stronger than me and can probably cope. You've lived with the knowledge our parents are dead longer than I have. I can't take this."

With that I stormed out of the classroom, whispers erupting once again. I really hate my life - why did Dumbledore have to find me?

As I settled myself in front of the charms classroom door - where my next lesson would be held - my thoughts rushed back to that day…

I

I was sitting at the end of a long table. The room I was in felt friendly and welcoming, I could even hear children's voices from outside the windows. Where was this beautiful place?

"Miss Potter," began the man that looked like Santa, "my name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the headmaster at a school that you will begin in September."

"No you're not," I replied, "I'm starting a secondary school near my house, they've got a headmistress. My parents and I had to meet her about a month ago."

The man named Albus smiled grimly at me, "I'm sorry, you'll not be going there."

"Why not?"

"Because you're a witch."

I paused, trying to rewind the conversation in my head. Witch?

He looked at me with his pair of piecing blue eyes. It was if he was trying to read my mind, "Miss Potter, I have taken many years to attempt to find you. Your real parents - James and Lily Potter - were murdered by a wizard named Voldermort when you were about one and a half. I had planned to place you with your aunt and uncle - with your twin brother. However, before I had a chance, you disappeared from beneath our noses and we've been trying to find you ever since…"

/I

"Miss Potter?" greeted a voice from beside me, "Shouldn't you be in a lesson?"

I turned to see my head of house beside me. He looked slightly concerned, which as rare for him, "yes sir," I replied, "but I refused to sit though it."

"And why is that?"

"Because Professor Moody was teaching us about the unforgivable curses sir and I didn't want to watch the curse that killed my parents - that tried to kill me. I don't need to see it, that green light haunts my sleeping hours. I don't need to see it during the day as well."

He looked at me for a moment, the same shock as when he had first laid eyes on me…

I

I had enjoyed the train ride to Hogwarts. The Weasley brothers had been brilliant - I had been living with them since Dumbledore had rescued me from the wizards. It had been brilliant fun and me and Ron had spent the entire train journey attempting to get to know my brother. Apparently he had been informed of my existence over the holidays - but we hadn't met.

Shooting a smile to my twin, I walked with the other first years to the front of the hall. The great dining hall of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry was the most amazing room I had ever seen in my life. The ceiling above me reflected the sky outside and floating candles drifted above me. It was a fabulous piece of magic.

The students around me were spilt into four house tables - Griffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. The staff were all seated on a long table in front of us, in front of them was placed a stool and a large black hat.

I was most surprised when it began to sing to us. But wasn't too bothered about the house descriptions. Everyone was so sure I'd make Griffindor. Apparently everyone in my family had been one, but I wasn't too bothered about where I went. My new friends would like me wherever went - wouldn't they?

"When I call out your name," announced our strict deputy head, Professor McGonagal, "you shall try on the hat and it shall announce your house to the school. Good luck."

She read out of load of names,

"Granger, Hermione."

I watched the next nervous first year walk up to the stool, she was whispering to herself. I was as well, "keep calm Kirsty, it's almost your turn…."

Harry would be before me and Ron would be shortly afterwards.

"Potter, Harry."

Having lived in the wizarding world all summer, I wasn't altogether surprised by the whispering that broke out,

"Potter did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

'Well who else would he be?' I thought to myself, shaking my head as I watched my twin seemingly muttering to himself - weird.

"Griffindor!"

Ron and I smiled at him as he walked past the group to the house table near us. He seemed pleased and I noticed he received the loudest cheer yet.

"Potter, Kirsty."

This time the whispers were slightly different,

"There's another Potter?"

"Yer, she went missing soon after the attack."

"I heard she was brought up my dark wizards…"

I shook my head, what were they going on about? Once I had reached the stool I was quite happy to place the hat on my head and see where it'd put me.

"Miss Potter," the hat could speak? "I have only two choices for yourself. Griffindor or Slytherin. You seem not to mind the prejudice towards the Slytherin house. A willingness to give them a fair chance is within you. Perhaps….Yes….You will be great…

SLYTHERIN!"

The entire hall fell completely silent. I looked behind me at the staff table, no one was clapping. No one except a lone dark haired man towards the end of the bench. He seemed slightly shocked at my placement - but not displeased….

/I

"Fair enough Miss Potter," he commented, bending down to me, "but beware about your weaknesses, there is an enemy about the castle, someone within these walls wishes to kill you and your brother. If you have any concerns at all see me immediately. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

I watched him stalk on down the corridor as the bell rang.

A/N: Another fast chapter…Aren't you the lucky ones…lol. They might take a bit longer to put up than normal because I'm proof reading them first.

Hope you like it all so far….

TBC,..