Hugging my jacket close, I walked down the long stone path from the Manor. I then took a sharp left and headed towards the servants' quarters. I opened the door, not having the need to knock. I walked over the threshold onto a worn carpet with torn seams lining all sides of it. The pattern almost wasn't visible in the small light coming through the doorway. I flicked the switch on the wall turning on the small chandelier overhead.

I walked the length of the room to a small fireplace. I crouched down into the small opening, grabbing a handful of floo powder from the leather pouch hanging from the wall.

"Diagon Alley." I said clearly, throwing the clenched mass of powder down onto the floor of the fireplace. I felt a heat engulf my entire being as green flames surrounded me.

Thump…I fell to the floor of a fireplace located in the local bookshop, Flourish and Blotts. I dusted myself off of any soot remaining on my clothing and stood up. A gangly redheaded woman was making her way past me, dragging a girl of the same fiery hair color towards the front of the shop. The girl rolled her eyes at me as she passed. When they reached the front, a man of the same likeness who had been trailing behind them whispered something at the woman and he walked back out of the shop, standing outside.

I quietly giggled to myself, happy at the reassurance of not having parents. Then a small strange longing erupted within me. I frowned.

Why was I feeling remorse over not having proper parents?

I shoved this thought from my mind as soon as it had entered. I removed the frown from my face, making it placid, and walked to a row of books on a nearby table, scanning the bindings for names.

Read this…Read this twice…Read this…I then abruptly stopped and caressed the binding of a deep indigo book with my fingertips. "The Magic of Love" was spelled out in a shimmering silver ink on its spine.

I wondered why out of all of these books, this one single book lay unread in the mind of the Dark Lord.

"Hmm…" I sighed, opening the book to the first page.

I noted a presence beside me but didn't think it important. Then the presence scoffed and picked up a Daily Prophet lying nearby on the table, looking at the front page.

Unable to read anything in the book I was holding because of how curious I was, I placed it back on the table and slyly looked over at the Prophet lying in the person's hands.

I couldn't help but let out a snicker, noticing who was holding it.

"What a load of rubbish…Isn't this ridiculous?" The same fiery redheaded girl stated, noting the smirk on my face.

I then realized that she thought I had been smirking at the Prophet. Trying to hide this small mistake I looked down at the pile of the newspapers on the table.

"The Chosen One?" was the headline in bold letters.

There was a moving photo of Harry Potter smiling awkwardly while getting his picture taken.

I then looked up at the same girl and smiled.

"I think it's rather amusing." I said, trying to catch what she meant about it being ridiculous. I mostly thought the name they gave him was the ridiculous part. I myself had no idea what the article itself was about.

She then tilted her head sideways, I presume she calculating why she had never seen me before.

She then smiled and held out her hand for me to shake.

"I'm Ginny. Ginny Weasley." She said, still smiling.

I reached out and grasped her hand in mine and shook it lightly.

"I'm Mariella. Mariella…err…" I had forgotten to think of a last name for myself. I though of my father's last name, Riddle. I then took the letters and switched them around.

"Didler." I sighed. Hoping that slight pause wasn't too much of a giveaway.

To my great relief she didn't seem to have noticed.

"Didler huh? I've never heard of it. Are you a muggle-born then?" she inquired

Taking this one easy way out I replied, "Yes. Both of my parents are muggles."

"How old are you?" She asked, looking a little befuddled.

"Sixteen." I answered this time easily. This only seemed to increase the confusion apparent on her face so I added more information, creating an alias for myself as I did so.

"My parents wouldn't let me come to Hogwarts because of the ongoing war erupting in the magical world. But I finally convinced them to let me come. Of course I had to keep up on studies while I was at home. That made it easy for me to switch when my parents…"

I had to give a reason why I didn't have parents or else people would wonder why I never received any letters or never went home for the holidays.

"…died during this past month. They were a target for attacks. Being muggle-borns you know?" I said, putting a slight frown on my face. I wish I would have thought ahead and made a background story for myself.

Her face softened.

"I'm not too good with emotions, sorry." She said, a slight red tinge appearing on her freckled cheeks.

I was so happy that I didn't have to pretend to have emotion around her. Maybe I wouldn't have to be alone after-all.

It was then that the same red-headed woman from earlier bustled up to us.

"Ginny, we've got everyone's school books. It's best we get going before they…get too worried." She said this while glancing nervously at me, but training her eyes back on Ginny quickly.

"Alright mum." She sighed, and then began walking away with her. She then stopped and turned towards me.

"I'll see you on the train tomorrow then Mariella?"

I was so happy I had already made a friend. Even though I was kin of the Dark Lord I still had human needs, such as the need of a presence other than your own to converse with.

"Yeah, I'll see you then." I smiled widely at the girl. She returned this smile and turned around to leave again. It was then that I saw her mother looking at the both of us with a huge smile on her face. She began walking towards me but Ginny grabbed her arm, her face turning the same shade as her hair as she did so.

"Come on mum…" she sighed.

Mrs. Weasley then "humpf'ed" and walked out of the store, glaring at her daughter all the while. I then let out a sigh as I watched the two bicker as they faded out of sight.

I awoke the next morning to the sound of a fist banging on the door of my room at the Leaky Cauldron. I opened the door to a small elf glaring up at me with disgust. I couldn't believe that Bellatrix had managed this.

"Take your luggage you little…"

I grabbed my luggage as she started this sentence and slammed the door in her face before she could finish it.

I couldn't believe she would defy my father and bring it in the morning instead of last night like she was supposed to.

I opened the bag and noted a shrinking charm made on the articles within. I pulled out a white silk top. It had a large V-neck embroidered with gold with a gold satchel to hold it shut. With it I pulled out a mahogany camisole with a lace fringe. I then pulled out a pair of mahogany biker shorts to match. To finish it off I grabbed a pair of white flats with gold embroidery on them.

I returned everything I had pulled out back to normal and put them on, storing my dirty clothes in a side zipper pocket. I then closed my suitcase and put it next to the door.

I looked over at a clock on the wall. I took a double-take. 10:00! I couldn't believe she would bring it at 10:00 no less!

I rushed to straighten my rats nest I called hair. Succeeding, I pulled it up into a messy bun, letting pieces fall against my cheeks next to my bangs.

Wingardium Leviosa. I thought, pointing my wand at my suitcase. It levitated off the ground and I followed it out the door onto the landing.

I rushed downstairs, asking the barman how I was to get to King's Cross in time. A nearby wizard, a waiter I presume, grabbed my arm and my bag and spun on the spot.

We were at platform 9 ¾.

I thanked the wizard for his help before he spun and disappeared again. I then hauled my bag towards the loading area and pushed it up onto the train. Right as I jumped on, the train lurched forward as it blew its obnoxiously loud horn. I fell backwards over my suitcase in a heap on the floor.

Struggling to get up I grasped an unknown hand that had reached out to help me. Still too embarrassed about falling over I didn't look the person in the eye as they righted my suitcase for me.

"Nasty fall there. Better be more careful next time." I heard a boy say with a heavy Irish accent.

I looked up at the boy's face. He smiled at me.

"You look new. Do you need help finding a compartment?" He said still smiling at me.

"That'd be great thanks." I said returning the smile.

He then proceeded to grab my bag and wheel it down the corridor. I followed him, not wanting to lose my luggage first of all, and second of all I honestly didn't know where to go.

We stopped at a compartment a little ways down and found a fuming Ginny glaring at the window with a boy glancing worriedly at her time and time again.

As the boy carrying my suitcase opened the door, he seemed oblivious to the mood in the compartment.

"Hey guys, I was wondering if…?" He then looked at me to produce my name for him.

"Mariella."

"Mariella, could sit with us in our compartment?"

Ginny seemed to growl, as she snapped her head swiftly in our direction ready to glare at the boy. Then when her eyes rested on me, her whole being relaxed and she smiled.

"Hey again." She said, offering me the seat across from her. I sat down and smiled back at her, accidentally leaving the boy to lift my bag into the overhead compartment for me.

"You usually in this bad of a mood?" I asked slightly laughing.

Her expression then changed back to a glower.

"Bloody Zacharias Smith…" She let out through clenched teeth.

"Do I even want to know?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

I looked over at the dark skinned boy next to her as he mouthed "No".

Ginny seemed to see this and hit him on the arm.

"Ow that hurt!" He said, rubbing his now probably bruised arm.

Ginny then suddenly moaned as a small boy walked into the compartment, handing her an envelope. She then opened it, read it, moaned again and stood up.

"I'm wanted in that bloke Slughorn's compartment. I have to go." She then seemed to slump forward as she walked out of the compartment.

After she left, the two boys introduced themselves and then got out a game of Exploding Snaps. I watched a couple of rounds until I lost interest and then decided to look out the window at the passing fields and trees.

A knock sounded on the door. I looked over and saw a woman pushing a cart full of what seemed to be candy.

The one I got to know as Seamus, with the Irish accent, opened the door and stuck his hand in his pocket.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" She asked looking around the cabin.

"A box of Flavored Beans and…three chocolate frogs please." Seamus said, giving the woman a couple of coins as she grabbed what he wanted off the cart.

Seamus then looked over at Dean, the dark skinned boy, who asked for the same thing and gave the woman his coins.

Dean then looked over at me with a questioning look.

"None for me thanks." I said, smiling up at the woman.

She then closed the door and continued on down the hallway.

After another couple of rounds of Exploding snap between the two, and one of Seamus' chocolate frogs achieving the task of escaping by squeezing itself under the door of the compartment, Ginny returned with a tall boy at her side.

I began to wonder how many guys Ginny knew.

He didn't stay however. He bade goodbye to Ginny and left.

Ginny then talked about her experience with Slughorn. I wasn't really listening though. Once she finished Dean stood up and pulled down each of our suitcases.

Not knowing what to do I just stand there watching Ginny pull out her robes. Catching what was going on I unlatched my bag and pulled out a shrunken classic black robe, a skirt, some tennis flats, a white button down, and a black fleece V-neck. I was told this was basically the uniform by Draco. My father would have told me if he were lying so I was in the clear.

I then realized I had forgotten about Draco. I probably wouldn't see him anymore anyways if I was sorted into Gryffindor, which was what I was sought to do. But I still felt guilty about not being able to see him anymore.

The two boys then left the compartment to change, leaving it to the girls.

I pulled the curtains closed on the window as Ginny pulled the blinds on the window to the corridor.

We then faced opposite sides of the compartment and changed. When we were done we both put our muggle clothes away and latched our luggage. Ginny then grabbed a small cage from overhead with a large purple fluff-ball in it. She then tickled it with her finger. The ball giggled and rolled away from the attacking finger. Grabbing hold of all our things I opened the door to let Ginny through.

We both left the compartment just as the train lurched to a stop.

A/N : Is the story too fast? Too slow?

Tell me so I can make it better !

Thanks for reading, and tell me where you think the plot should go !

:D :D :D