The day I had been looking forward to all of my life and the day had been dreading all at the same time was finally here. We went to a train station called Kings Cross. It was pretty big, Grand Central Station big.

Or at least almost. I wasn't going to give this place more credit than it deserved.

When Mommy asked me how I liked this big neat place with the colorful train that was to whisk me off to a castle where I would most likely freeze to death all I could do was shrug.

If they didn't care that they were sending me off to face certain death by freezing or being torn limb from limb by the horrible creatures in the forest surrounding the school then they did not deserve a complete answer.

Mommy reminded me how low and common shrugging was. She would have lost it right there if I had rolled my eyes. I knew how far I could push things with her. I always pulled back just before punishment. Unless I was going for a gale force tantrum. Then it was all bets off.

There were certainly a lot of other people here. But none of the faces were familiar. Back home my friends and cousins would all be waiting for me. Mommy and Daddy were always the last to arrive. We would meet up and talk about our summer and we would be laughing and goofing off. But here I didn't know anyone yet, except for Isis. At least she looked sorry that I was being sent to my doom. Or maybe she was just sorry I had to keep her in her cage until we got on the train.

I would have been angrier with my parents if they didn't look as sorry to see me go as I was to leave. At least Mommy cried. I pretended to be embarrassed, but it was mostly for show. She is kind of embarrassing though.

Good, maybe she would be sorry when I froze to death. Or was mauled by an angry troll. When I suggested this she laughed through her tears and said "Cassie" in that warning tone of hers.

"What? Michael says…" I started.

"Michael, Michael, Michael. One day you are going to learn that boy doesn't know everything there is to know young lady." She told me laughing.

I finally got to take Isis out of her cage when my trunks were loaded on to the baggage car. This was it. Mommy and Daddy would be gone and for the first time ever I wouldn't have anyone. I was pretty scared, but I didn't want any of my new classmates to see me crying so I just sighed really loud when Mommy and Daddy hugged me and told them to stop embarrassing me I had to go or the train would leave without me. When Mommy wasn't looking Daddy tucked a few extra galleons into my pockets for emergencies. And some chocolate. Daddy is the best. Mommy makes me eat things that taste bad but are good for me. We are WITCHES why can't we just make chocolate good for us. Mommy laughs when I say that but I think I am on to something here...

When I finally got on the train and was looking for a place to sit a couple of boys rushed past and knocked me to the ground. I barely kept Isis from going flying by holding her tight. I must have squeezed too hard because she let out a loud squeak. As I was checking her over to make sure she was OK a hand suddenly appeared before me "Need a hand up?" I looked up in to the most startling grey eyes I had ever seen and took his hand. He led me into a cabin and helped me get set down. "Draco" he said "Draco Malfoy." He cast a disapproving look towards where the boys had run off to showing how he felt about their rude behavior "You will soon learn that some wizarding families are better than others" he seemed to think about what he was saying for a moment "Some, like that lot, will knock you down without ever even knowing or caring. Or mock your family or name. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort, I can help you there."

I gasped in outrage, I hated bullies "Someone made fun of your name?! That is awful! I like your name. It means dragon right? And made fun of your family? Like your Mom? Creeps." I blushed at how much I was babbling.

He didn't seem offended though, he looked amused. "You sound different. American?" I nodded "Nice. You must not have met many people here yet."

I shook my head "No one, you are the first." He smiled, wow he had the prettiest smile. Are you allowed to call boys smiles pretty?

I finally remembered my manners "I am Cassandra, Cassandra Taylor. My father just got transferred to the Ministry here. That is why I am starting school here and not with my friends and family. He is an ambassador"

"Oh yes, my father was telling mother last night that we have a new ambassador. My father is very important in the Ministry. We are hosting a welcome dinner at Malfoy Manor for your family in a few weeks! Nice to meet you beforehand."

I agreed, but just smiled shyly at him.

"What is your blood status?" he asked suddenly.

It sounded important, and I wanted to give the right answer, but I didn't know what it was he was looking for so I just said "Fine thanks."

He laughed "Good one. But seriously. You aren't muggleborn are you?"

I was confused and I shrugged, even though Mommy hated it when I shrugged, she said it was rude "I don't know… What does that mean?"

He looked at me for a long time as if trying to figure out if I was joking "Are your parents magical?"

"Oh. Yes, my parents aren't No-Maj If that is what you are asking."

"No-Maj? What is that?"

Now it was my turn to be confused. "People without magic. No-Maj, see?"

"Oh, we call them muggles. What about your grandparents, were they mug.. or No-Maj?"

"No, all wizards. Why?" I was confused and fascinated by this whole line of questioning. I could tell it was important and I didn't want to offend my first new friend. If we were friends now. I hoped we were any way.

"Well, it has to do with what house you can get in to. We won't know what house we get until we get to Hogwarts but my family has always been in Slytherin, so I am sure that is where I will go, but you have to be pureblood status, or at least halfblood, you sound like you are good there. If you are smart Ravenclaw is goo too, bookish but not in a bad way" he hurried to add "but Gryffindors are so stuck on themselves, they think we all cry about not getting to be Gryffindors and Hufflepuff, ugh, I would leave school first!"

"How would someone have no-maj parents?" I asked confused. Wizards did not marry no-maj. We all knew it was illegal for them to even know we existed we were not allowed to interact. How could we marry one and have children if we did not get to know them first?

He looked at me funny when I asked that and started to say something but we got interrupted before he could.

We were so involved in their conversation they were surprised when the door opened and two boys and a girl entered.

"Oi, Draco. Who's this" said the skinny one.

The girl just gave me a sort of disgusted face. Or maybe that was her normal look. It was hard to tell, but I knew one thing. She did not like me sitting so close to Draco. I wasn't sure how I knew this, but she did not like it one bit.

Whatever, he had scooted next to me. I sure wasn't moving. Not like I could, he had me pretty well pinned between him and the train.

The other boy, a dark skinned boy with an intelligent look smiled at me politely. I returned his smile.

Draco moved over to my seat placing himself in the middle letting me have the window. I thought that was very considerate of him.

"Cassandra, this is Pansy, Blaise and Theo. This is Cassandra. She is from America, her father is the new Ambassador to the Ministry." Draco introduced us around.

I was happy he was doing that since I really wanted to fit in. My parents made it very clear we were not going anywhere any time soon. Probably not before I graduated since his was an eight year placement.

Pansy wasted no time taking the seat next to Draco. "Oh?" she said pursing her lips and making a tsking sound "With that red hair of hers I thought you had brought a Weasley in here."

I was fascinated by that sound. I tried to practice in my head how to make it and where to add that in to a temper tantrum. At the beginning to set things off, or at the end when I was winding down but not quite ready to be finished? I would have to practice.

"Don't be a bitch Pansy. Her hair is nowhere near that awful color of Weasley red and her eyes are green not that washed out blue." The darker boy Blaise had spoken up for me. I was a little shocked by his language but still pleased.

"Still" continued Pansy "Red hair is so out of fashion I would not show up in public wearing it!" she made that sound again. That tsking sound.

"How do you do that?" I suddenly blurted out to her. I couldn't very well practice right here, but I really wanted to know.

She seemed startled to have me address her "Do what?"

"Make that sound, that clicking tsking sound? I would love to learn that. It would drive my mother crazy she says sounds like that are low class and common and it would add an extra element to my world class temper tantrums!"

Pansy stood up suddenly "I am not going to stand here and be insulted by some… some red headed American!" she stormed out.

"Did you just use my hair color as an insult? I would have started in on how my clothes and accent were different from yours." Maybe she didn't have as much to teach me as I thought.

I was astonished. I looked around at the three boys. "I was complimenting her not insulting her!"

They found this incredibly funny and all three burst into laughter. Well, at least I had made someone happy. Isis and I looked at each other and I shrugged, she made a happy chirrup sound.

These Hogwarts students were a lot harder to understand than I thought they would be. The oddest things seemed to make them laugh. That was OK though. At least they seemed to like me and Blaise even called Pansy a bitch for me.

We spent the rest of the ride laughing playing games and eating from the cart. At least they liked candy in this hideous place. I don't think I could have withstood having no sweets as well as being dragged off to a savage country.

Before we reached Hogwarts I had made three friends and one enemy.

A pretty good start to my scholastic career.