'What?' I exclaimed, looking at my parents in disbelief. We stood on platform nine, staring at a stone wall. I felt the need to point out the insanity of what they had just said to them both.
'That. Is a wall. A solid stone-and-motar wall. You can't expect me to run into it! I'll break something!' I said, exasparated. My parents looked at each other and smiled. My mother rolled her eyes and turned my confused face to face her.
'We don't expect you to run into the wall, silly!' she said, 'we expect you to run through it. We'll be right here with you, to stop anything breaking, trust me.' she said, in her Believe-Me-I'm-Your-Mother tone of voice, which also said And-Plus-I've-Done-This-Before, her grey-blue eyes comforting me, and banishing any thoughts of broken bones from my mind. I sighed, turned around, and started to push my trolley towards the wall, my parents along side me.
As the train rumbled out of the station, I worked my way along the crowded corridor in an effort to find a carriage that wasn't already taken. My annoying white/blonde hair was definately too long in my opinion, and it kept getting caught in hooks and nails as i walked, meaning i had to stop every now and then to pull a lock of wavey hair out of parts of the train. When the corridor cleared a little, I could finally walk a bit more freely, although there wasn't much point. Every carriage i passed was full of chittering school children. When i had walked what felt like the full length of the train, I eventually found one empty and I settled down by the window. I was exhausted, I must have been walking around for hours as the window was black, with the occasional flickering light in the distance. After what seemed like minutes, my eyelids began to quiver, and i floated into blissful sleep.
I braced myself for what ever lay ahead, or i hoped i did anyway, as the group of new-comers which i was a part of lined up to enter the Great Hall. Most of the other children were in twos and threes as we filed in, but i pretended not to care, although i couldn't hide the nerves all that well. My small hands shook, so i clamped them together in front of me. I stuck my chin out, and held my head up high as i entered, but couldn't help peering around at all the students sat at the long tables, all staring back at us. I knew each house by colour now, after the years of being told by my parents, who were both in Gryffindor. I so dearly hoped i was too, because although they had said they would be proud of me which ever house i was in, I knew it would be such a disapointment if i wasn't in their house. I looked to the far end of the room, in an attempt to distract myself. Ravenclaw, each end of the table piled high with books, they sat politely and quietly talked away to each other over their spotless table. Hufflepuff sat happily, laughing amoung themselves, and i heard a few of them discussing quidditch moves and improvements to spells and potions. Then i looked to my other side and saw the wonderful Gryffindor house, all of them laughing and eating heartily,and i heard several cries of 'when's pudding? i'm starving!', the whole table just shone with happiness. Then i blinked. And now it was just a table of laughing friends. Then at the other end of the hall, sat the dreaded Slytherin house. I could probably cope with not being in Gryffindor, as long as i wasn't in Slytherin. There sat a dark row of students, all looking at us then talking amoungst themselves, as if they were discussing how vile we looked. To be honest, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that that wasn't what they were saying. I looked up and down the row of glaring students, when i suddenly noticed one boy, his pale blonde hair slicked back and a smirk on his face. He sat between two oafs, who seemed to be stuffing their faces with whatever food was in front of them. The blonde boy stared straight back at me, with a thoughtful expression on his face, as he polished a shining red apple on his robes. He raised one eyebrow, and for a moment, i couldn't take my eyes off him. Then i ducked my head in embarressment, and hurried a little to catch up with the person in front of me. When it was my turn to sit upon the rickety three legged stool, a slight shudder ran through me, as i thought what it would be like if i was put in Gryffindor. I couldn't wait. Then the old black hat was plonked on my white locks and, after a moment or two of deliberation, shouted out a word that sent a cold shiver down my spine.
'SLYTHERIN.'
I froze for a moment on the seat, before i was pushed off it and towards my new house. A little stunned, i looked at the blonde boy. He was still looking at me, and he smiled, one eyebrow raised, and bit into his apple. I sat down at the end of the row and shook hands with a friendly looking girl with short, black hair, blissfully unaware that i had just locked eyes with the prince of Slytherin. Draco Malfoy.