"Gryffindor!"
A voice rang out loudly throughout the Hall, one thousand times me loudly in my head. The ragged Sorting Hat was tugged from my head, and I traispsed to the table with the loudest scremers. I spotted Sirius, who was beckoning to me, and I made a beeline for him and his friends. Peter whipsered "Congratulations!" while James gave a small wink.

As the remaining kids were sorted, I took my first good look around the Hall. Bright, burning, candles were magically suspended in mid-air. Banners bearing the school seal could be seen from every angle, and, looking straight up, I could see a clear night sky sprinkled with stars. I caught a few stray eyes on me: some bewildered as to why I was with who I was with, others eyeing my hair curiously, but what in a different way than my curls. I smiled in spite of myself.

"Still no Moony?"

The Sorting Ceremony had ended. A man was carrying away the overly large Hat, and conversation began to break out in every corner.

James sighed, whipping out a book and piece of parchment, and began to work once again. "Mcgonagall wanted him for something." He heaved another great sigh. "I swear, this is the last time..."

No sooner had the words issued from his mouth, another mn began to rise. he was older and taller than the man who had conducted the Sorting. Though he spoke no words, he seemed to demand respect from everyone watching, and everyone gave it to him.

"Welcome, old students and new alike, to another year at Hogwarts!"

He then gave a short speech, and bt the tie he had finished, rows and rows of food appeared right in front of me...

"Hey Tonks, one more...please?"

I pretended to look annoyed; inwardly, I was enjoying the attention thoroughly. I concentrated, and soon my blue afro straightened, turned light gray, and fell past my shoulders in feathery strands. My face sagged ith the weight of wrinkles.

The common room exploded with laughs. "Binns!" shreiked Madison Bordstrom, one of the new Gryffindors. I grinned appreciatively and gae a fake bow to tumultuos applause.

The room slowly emptied of people. The Gryffindors, stuffed to burstingpoint, fell under a sleepy spell and felt it best to go up to bed. Madison, fascinated, remained by my side, still saying "That last one was really great you know..."

We went up to the dormitory a while later, laughing at my first impression, which was of Sirius. Though I was becoming more and more tired by the minute, a warm feeling was flaring inside. I'd made my first friend...

The wide, circular staircase wound up the the Girls' dormitory, a spacious room with five other beds. Memories still fresh in my mind, i drifted off to sleep...

I awoke with a start. the entire room was bathed in white, cresent moonlight, but it wasn't what had startled me. someone was making an awful lot of noise...

"HA!" an unfamiliar voice shouted in triumphed. "Look at this! Just what Peevsie was looking for! A stout man was waving a wand all around, his tongue out. My wand...

"HEY!" I sprang out of bed, fuming. Coming out of her sleep, i heard Madison mutter vaguely "What's happening?" but i had no time to answer. i grabbed my robe and dashed downstairs, chasing the theif.

It was not an easy task. the man zoomed ahead, down the steps, out of the common room while i sprinted, hardly keepin gup. The man merely cackled, andhere athere fidgited with the wand, sending galling orange sparks down deserted corridors, or else turning various walls purple.

The hem of my robe made it's way under my foot. I slipped, barely managing to break the fall with my hands. My eyes wattered at te stinging sensation taking place near the palms of my hands, and the man, cackling more madly still, went on his way, my wand still grasped between his fingers.

Tears of anger welled in my eyes as I gave up. i sat back on my heels and examined my hands. One was bleeding.

"Damn," I heard myself whisper. "My wand..."

"Excuse me?"

I looked up, startled. A boy was standing a few feet off, looking at me skeptically. In the moonlight, a badge over his chest gleamed Head Boy...

Oohhh...Lupin's here! Now it'll get a little more interesting...

Hey, do you have to be a prefect first to be Head Boy? Because in OotP they say that Lupin got the Prefect's badge and James didn't, but in SS Hagrid says James was Head Boy...so i just made Lupin Head Boy...more fitting...

besides, why would they pick James, of all people, to be Head Boy...?