The Golden Trio and the Slytherin

Chapter 2

The castle was magnificent. Towers upon towers reached towards the sky and she lost count of the glowing windows she could see. They had approached the castle by small boats that moved on their own. Hermione had been in her boat, and they had both gaped in awe at the scene before their eyes.

Once the boat ride was over, they were led into the main entrance and to the great hall. Just outside the doors stood Professor McGonagall. She was dressed in emerald robes and a pointy hat to match. Her look was stern as she gazed down at all the first years, but a twinkle in her eyes suggested this was her favorite part of the year. Diana stood closer to the front of the students, eager to see what lay behind the doors.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you can take your seats, you will be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now, your house will be like your family while you're here. Your triumphs will earn you points and any rule-breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup." McGonagall announced, but she was interrupted by a croaking toad and the kid Neville jumping forward to grab it.

"Trevor!" Neville exclaimed as she reached down and picked up the toad. Neville bashfully apologized before returning to his place, and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." McGonagall's eyes met hers, and she smiled ever so slightly. Why? Diana had no idea. The older witch left them to stand there and wait, leading to small chatter among the students.

"So, it's true then! Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." Draco announced to the entire group, eyes fixed on Harry. "This is Crabbe and Goyal, and I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." The silvery blond stepped forward to introduce himself properly, and she narrowed her eyes at him. He had seemed much nicer on the train when she had run into him, but now she was second-guessing her judgment. Next to Harry, she heard Ron snort at the sound of Draco's name. "Think my name is funny, do you? No need to ask yours, red hair and a hand-me-down robe. You must be a Weasley. Potter, you'll soon discover that some wizarding families are better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself thanks." Harry ignored the hand Draco held out for him to shake and fixed Draco with an equally nasty look. Harry's response seemed to aggravate Draco whose jaw clenched. At that moment, the professor came back to collect them, and it took the attention away from Harry's rejection. Diana reached over and tugged Draco away from Harry, pulling him to her side as McGonagall addressed the students again.

"We're ready for you now." The professor told them and then turned to walk away. The students followed her, all eager to be sorted into their houses. She hung back with Draco for a moment though.

"You didn't have to be such a prick you know." She told him gently. Her comment earned her a death glare. He pulled his arm away from her and scowled.

"What would you know about it? I haven't even heard of your family, Prince." He spat. She rolled her eyes at the boy. Now he was keeping up an act. She could see it. On the train, he had hardly said a word to her, but his entire demeanor changed when his friends were by his side.

"You pure blood think you're all high and mighty don't you." She kept her voice calm and even. He may have been an ass but returning the attitude would get her nowhere. "Get off your high horse and join the real world." She walked past him and quickly joined the others at the front of the group.

As she entered the hall, her jaw dropped ever so slightly. The high arched ceiling was given the illusion of night clouds, and candles hovered above their heads to light the room. Four long tables ran down the room, with about a hundred students seated at each one. And then at the end of the hall was one more large table where all the professors were sitting. All eyes in the room were on their small group of students. One set of eyes caught her attention though. At the front of the room, one of the professors on the far-left side was staring at her. He wore all black robes to match his hair, and his hand was near his chin. He was deep in thought before they entered the room. But his eyes had widened ever so slightly at seeing her. The reaction was minuscule and lasted no more than a millisecond. But it had been a reaction, and she wondered who he was.