As we filed into the Great Hall after the long, cold ride across the lake, I looked around me in astonishment. I had never seen a place so big. This room alone could have held at least ten of my house in it, if not more. The four long house tables were crowded with older students all jostling each other, trying to get a better look at the first years. We lined up in front of the staff table while Professor McGonagall placed a worn hat upon a small stool in front of us.

All throughout the hall the noise ceased immediately as every student stared at the battered hat. I, too, turned toward it, trying to see what everyone else found so interesting. A small hole near the brim opened wide and the hat began to sing. Even though I had grown up with magic this was something that was entirely new to me. Listening intently to the words of the song, I turned to my left to gauge Draco's reaction to the singing hat. As it sung about Slytherin his grin grew even wider and he turned and winked at me, causing me to grin back.

When the song had finished McGonagall pulled out a scroll of parchment and glanced down at it. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." She looked around at us, making sure that we all understood what we were supposed to do.

She moved down the list alphabetically and the students moved forward one by one, most of them looking just as nervous as I felt. Some students were placed the second the hat was placed on their head while others sat there for several minutes before the hat made its declaration. "Lupin, Carrie-Anne." It was a second before I realized that she had gotten to my name already. Draco gave me a little nudge and I smiled at him nervously before stepping forward and sitting on the stool.

I felt a little flutter in my stomach as the hat was placed gently on my head. It fell down past my eyes and immediately started talking, though only I could hear its voice. "Mmm, many good qualities. Bravery beyond your years and great ambition, you have a need to prove yourself. Ah, and what an excellent mind you have. That is by far your greatest quality. Ravenclaw!" The hat called out the last word so that the entire hall could hear it. The table second from the left exploded with cheers. Many students stood up to welcome me as I hurried to sit down. When I was seated I looked back up at the rest of the students waiting to be sorted.

Draco was looking straight ahead, a weird expression on his face, somewhere between disappointment and sadness. I tried to catch his eye but he wouldn't even look my direction. "Malfoy, Draco," the teacher called and he swaggered forward, his familiar sneer now back in place. I felt my heart sink as the hat called out Slytherin before it really touched his head.

It wasn't his house that bothered me; it was his last name. My father had told me all about the Malfoys and what terrible wizards they were. I knew how much he hated them and I also knew in that instant that I would never be allowed to be friends with Draco. My dad would never allow it; it could ruin my relationship with him. I felt my heart crumble inside me. I had already lost the first friend I'd ever made, just a few hours after meeting him. I felt sick to my stomach and I was so lost in myself that I didn't even pay attention as the headmaster stood and gave us a speech. Without warning, at least for me, the golden dishes on the table in front of me filled with food. As hungry as I was, I couldn't bring myself to eat any of it.

The people around me were talking loudly but I didn't hear anything anyone said. At least not until the girl next to me tapped me on the shoulder, snapping me out of my reverie. "How about you? Were either of your parents in Ravenclaw? Both of mine were." I tried to speak but the words kept getting stuck in my throat. Misinterpreting my silence, she quickly spoke again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. Are you Muggle-born?"

"No, no, you didn't offend me. I'm sorry, I was just a bit distracted," I assured her, pasting a fake smile on my face. "My mum was in Ravenclaw and my dad was in Gryffindor," I explained to her, trying to keep my concentration on the words I was speaking. She kept talking to me but I just nodded in response, not having the energy to talk any longer. A hollow laugh sounded from the table to the right of us; I looked up immediately recognizing the sound. Draco was sitting snugly between Crabbe and Goyle, laughing at something someone ha told him. He must have felt my gaze on him because he turned to face me, all traces of a laugh gone. His eyes bore into mine and that same sad, desperate look filled them. I knew he was thinking the same thing I was; that we could never be friends. I wondered though if he hurt nearly as much as I did. He gave me a tiny attempt at a smile before turning back to his friends.

Just as I turned away from him I heard the girl that had been talking to me say, "Oh, I'm Mandy, by the way. That was terribly rude of me not to introduce myself."

"Quite all right," I insisted, the fake smile back on my face. "I'm Carrie-Anne." As soon as I had spoken the girl across from us reached her hand over the table for mine. I shook it as she said, "I'm Lisa Turpin." She then shook Mandy's hand as she continued in her sugary-sweet voice. "I didn't mean to interrupt you two. I just couldn't resist the opportunity to make a couple of friends. You guys don't seem too bad." Her outspoken nature made me smile for real and it made Mandy laugh. The three of us talked for the rest of the meal. As excited as I was at making two new friends I almost forgot about my predicament with Draco. Almost.