"What the actual fuck have you done to your hair?"

I turn around as I feel a hand grab onto my wrist, tugging me towards the person speaking to me. When my eyes meet those of my sister, I frown, shrinking under her harsh gaze. I had been on my way to my first class - Defense Against the Dark Arts, but apparently, that will have to wait.

"I dyed it." I answer, trying not to sound as pathetic as I feel. "Does it look terrible?"

"Does it look terrible?" Cho repeats my question, shaking her head back and forth. "It looks ridiculous! What are you, five? Who the hell has pink hair?"

"Er…me?"

"Honestly, it's like you're trying to make my life a living hell." She sighs, running a hand through her hair, which is the same shade of black that mine had previously been.

I blink, confusion flooding me, followed by a tang of guilt. Have I really been making Cho's life bad? But how? What have I even done? "How am I making your life hell?"

"By standing out too much! You were acting all strange when talking to Marietta on the train, then getting sorted into Slytherin, of all houses, and now dying your hair pink? It's a bloody monstrosity! Do you really crave attention that much? Do you not think being the new girl is enough spotlight on you?"

"It was a dare." I insist, a blush creeping across my face. Why does she care so much, if I get attention? It isn't like it affects her in any way. "My dormmates and I played truth or dare. They wanted me to dye my hair pink, so I did." I explain, before adding, "I think it looks pretty. I like the color."

"You're absurd." Cho insists with the shake of her head. "Just forget it. Go off to class. See if I care."

"Why do you care?" I call after her, but she's already halfway down the hall, storming away with fury like I've never seen on her before.

Cut her some slack. I tell myself firmly. She's grieving. Her boyfriend is dead.

Well, sort of dead.

Unless my conversation with Cedric the day prior truly was a figment of my imagination. I haven't seen any dead people since yesterday, so maybe it was a one time thing.

I better not jinx it, though, so I quickly banish the thought, and instead make my way to my first class.

Getting lost was not on my agenda, but the halls of Hogwarts are a bloody maze, and by the time I find the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, I'm nearly twenty minutes late, and a sweaty mess from all the desperate running I'd just been doing.

"Hem hem." A woman's voice says the moment I stumble into the classroom, and I look up to find a woman dressed head to toe in pink standing at the head of the room, holding a wand in one hand, tapping it against the other as she makes a sound like she's clearing her throat, but not quite. I recognize her as the woman from the sorting, the one who I'd been too preoccupied staring at Quirrell to notice. "Excuse me, who might you be?"

"Er, I'm Meiqi. Sorry I'm late, I got lost." I don't mention that it had been my sister to hold me up for part of the time, thinking it unfair to throw her under the bus.

"I do not tolerate tardiness. Detention, tonight. With Mr. Potter."

I sigh in annoyance, closing my eyes for a brief moment as I take a deep breath. When I open my eyes again, I find her staring at a black haired boy, with bright green eyes and silver glasses.

Mr. Potter - as in Harry Potter? Holy shit! I forgot that Harry Potter was in my year! Cho always talks about him, going on and on and on about him. If I didn't know better, I would think she fancied him, but she'd been dating Cedric for a year, so that was impossible.

Potter gives me a small sort of smile, though I can sense the agitation hidden beneath it.

"Please, take a seat, Miss…?"

"Chang." I answer, moving through the classroom towards the very back, where there's one empty seat, next to a Hufflepuff boy with brown hair and a sly smirk, one much like the one Draco often wears. He looks up at me, his grin expanding, and I return the smile.

"Miss Chang. I must say, I do love your hair. Pink is my favorite color."

Really? I couldn't tell.

"Oh, er, thanks." I run a hand through my newly pink locks. "I like your…outfit, too."

She tilts her head, letting out a weird sort of giggle. "I think we'll be very good friends, Miss Chang."

I'm unsure what to say to that, so I simply nod. This seems to be answer enough for her, as she turns around, and with her wand, begins to write something down on the whiteboard. I strain my vision to see it, considering how far away I am from it, but before I can focus on the words she's writing, the boy next to me nudges me.

"Psst, Chang, is it?"

I nod, turning to look at him.

"You missed a quite intense showdown. Harry Potter practically screamed at Umbridge, about what happened to Cedric Diggory. She claims it was an accident, and he says Voldemort is back."

At the mention of You-Know-Who's real name, I wince. It's rare indeed, to meet someone who says his name, and it certainly takes guts. I decide in this moment that I quite like the boy next to me, if he's that brave.

"Really?"

He nods. "I'm not too sure about it being an accident. I don't see why Potter would lie. Unless, of course, he was the one to murder Cedric Diggory."

I freeze, eyeing him up and down, as the proposition he'd just made runs through my mind. It had never once occurred to me that Harry Potter could've done anything to hurt Cedric, because what reason would he have to do such a thing? Fame for winning the tournament? He has enough fame as it is, being the Boy Who Lived.

"I don't think a fourth year would be able to overpower a sixth year." I eventually say, my voice trembling ever so slightly.

"You're probably right." He admits, and I let out a breath of relief. "I'm Cyril, by the way. Cyril Burns."

"Meiqi Chang." I reach over and shake the hand he has outstretched for me.

"Nice to meet you, Meiqi. I love your hair, by the way. It's so…unique."

"Thank you." I grin. "My sister called it a monstrosity this morning, so I'm glad someone likes it."

"A monstrosity? Has she seen Umbridge's outfit?"

I can't help but let out a snort, one that has a few people nearby glancing over to look at me. Among them, I spot Draco Malfoy, looking somewhat confused, as though I am doing something odd. Well, laughing in class is a strange thing to do, I suppose.

When our eyes meet, his grey to my brown, he raises his eyebrows, jerking his chin in a gesture towards my hair.

I respond with a shrug.

His sly smirk only increases, and with a final cock of his eyebrow, he turns back to face Umbridge.

"You're blushing." Cyril leans over and whispers into my ear. "Don't tell me you fancy him!"

"I do not." I hiss in response, glaring at him. "I hardly know him - or you, for that matter. Even if I did fancy him, I wouldn't tell you."

"Fair enough." He sends me a wink, as though he knows something that I don't.