When Lightning Struck

Chapter 3 - Adjusting

Part 9 - The Sorting

The Great Hall was absolutely enormous. Like collage auditorium sized, except not terraced with balconies and theater seats and a stage. Just an enormous open area with four long tables down it and another one, not quite as long, across the front. That would be the High Table. There was a stool with the Sorting Hat on it in front of the table where the entire hall could see it and the new students were lined up behind the High Table where they couldn't see the staff properly. The hall was silent, watching the hat expectantly, and after a moment it began to sing.

Which house do you belong in,

Master Wizard, Mistress Witch?

Perhaps you belong in Gryffindor,

Home of the Lion-Hearted.

Or maybe you're a Ravenclaw,

If you're a clever pupil.

Hard workers go to Hufflepuff,

And if you are not found

Fear Not!

There is one more: Slytherin,

Lair of those with great ambition.

I haven't once been wrong.

So place me now upon your head,

I'll tell where you belong!

The entire hall erupted in applause. Well, except for a few slightly green sorties. Meega bit her lip to hold back a fit of laughter, remembering a fan fiction she had once read. To the Archy house for those with queasy stomachs! Professor McGonagall stepped forward and instructed the students to come up and try on the Hat when their name was called, unrolled the scroll, and read off the first name.

"Balrog, Morgianna."

It was one of the three transfer students that Meega and Mione hadn't met. She appeared to be another fifth year, though she could have been anywhere from the third year to the seventh year. She had shimmering ebony hair that was slightly longer than Meega's and bright violet eyes. She would have been amazingly beautiful, but she had a exceedingly arrogant air about her that dulled her looks. She smiled in a half arrogant, half seductive manner at the hall before placing the tattered Sorting Hat on her head. It took a shockingly short amount of time for the Hat to decide. "SLYTHERIN!"

"Cassandra, Falon."

A little first year girl slipped warily up to the stool. "RAVENCLAW!"

"Clint, Gregory."

Another first year. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"DeMon, Alexander."

This one was French, a transfer student, probably in the second or third year. "HUFFLEPUFF!" Who would have expected that when he had a last name like Demon?

"Eros, Zoo... Zoe... Xoch..." Meega grinned at Professor McGonagall's inability to pronounce "Xochiquetzal".

Morrigan was already up there and put a hand lightly on the Deputy Headmistress's arm. "It's all right, Minerva," she said softly, then took the Hat before McGonagall got over her shock.

For the first time that night the Hat said, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The shaken Transfiguration Professor read off the next name. "Frank, Lori."

A first year. "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Frank, Robi."

A first year girl, identical to Lori. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Green, Ashley."

Meega smiled as the Hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Mione would have wanted to be awful to the Hat, and she didn't have time for much. She was simple: she wouldn't except being in any house but Gryffindor. There was some chance she'd flat out leave Hogwarts. A very small chance, seeing as how much she loved the books...

"Herro, Jupiter."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Inez, Margaret."

Another transfer student. Meega had a bit of trouble placing her age, though she had that unmistakably mixed breeding that signified an American. "RAVENCLAW!"

"James, Mat."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Jerry, Sam."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Kent, Kyle."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Kyle-Derc, Mega."

Meega winced at her mispronounced name, but went up to the stool. "It's Meega Kyl-Derc."

Minerva McGonagall looked annoyed, but nodded. "Excuse me. Kyl-Derc, Meega."

Meega nodded and sat on the stool, placing the Sorting Hat neatly on her head.

"Hmm... difficult... It's been a few years since I've had someone who was much of a challenge, or suitable for more than two houses."

And that would be...

"Hmm? It was a boy in your year. Does it really matter who?"

Yes. Was it Neville Longbottom?

"Yes. Now be quiet."

Why?

"So that I can Sort you!"

Oh. Hey, do you know that joke that Dumbledore was going to tell last year?

"Yes, that is interesting, how you and your friend are from another reality. I'm afraid I don't know anything about the joke."

Oh. Did you hear the one about the Agnostic Dyslexic Insomniac?

The Hat sighed. "I can read you mind, you know. 'He laid awake at night wondering if there really was a Dog.'"

Mm-hmm. So, let's get to Sorting. I can fit anywhere but Hufflepuff.

"Will you shut up?"

No. Why would I want to do that?

"Aargh! Let me work! Now: Ravenclaw. You are quite intelligent, though sometimes you drop the clever... frequently, actually. You have the most appalling collection of useless rubbish floating around inside here."

Hey!

The Hat ignored her. "And Gryffindor! There's a lot of bravery there, and some nobility. Hmm... And Slytherin... Arrogant, self-serving, greedy, selfish-"

Most people are, and you're being redundant.

"Shut up, @#$^ it!"

I didn't know you could swear. It was interesting that he did, if offensive.

"I picked up a few things over the years. It's the first time I have, though."

Sweet! Anyhoozles, I'm ambitious, arrogant, brave, slightly noble, self-serving, smart, occasionally clever, and a perfectionist. And not lazy, but not a hard worker, either. Oh, and Muggleborn.

"I hadn't noticed," the Hat said dryly. "Now let me figure out which House you go in."

How did you get this job?

"Has anyone ever told you that you're horrible?"

Hmm... I don't rightly know... Thank you!

"If you're going to be that way then it better be HUF-"

Do it and you won't survive.

"All right, all right," the Hat grumped. "Just be quiet!"

Meega complied, but not for more than a few minutes. Are you done yet?

"No!"

Oh. Okay. There were a few more minutes of silence. Now?

"No! ...Wait... I've got it! SLYTHERIN!"

Meega pulled off the Hat and joined the Slytherin table, grinning at the look on Mione's face. Not to mention Harry and his group. She wound up between Morgianna and a fairly good looking blond boy with amazing gray eyes. She smiled at the boy, the turned her attention back to the Sorting.

"Marks, Aryan."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Notes, Ben."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Pantry, Elizabeth."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Porter, Mark."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Potts, Lenore."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Quinn, Lenora."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Raven, Lenori."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Ravens, Matt."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Stephens, Jamie." A boy.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Tall, Megan." Actually she was short, even for an eleven year old.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Vincent, Mary."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"White, Zebi."

"RAVENCLAW!"

Zebi, a decidedly small girl, joined the Ravenclaw table and Professor Dumbledore stood to speak to the gathered students. "Welcome to another year of schooling! Due to the return of Lord Voldemort-" [Insert shocked noises here...] "-we are taking a few extra precautions. You are to stay on the school grounds at all times- there will be fewer Hogsmeade weekends." [...And upset noises here...] "However, on the school grounds everything will remain as it has been in past years." [...And happy noises here...] "I'd like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, Professor Oliver Wood-" [...And clapping here, especially from Gryffindor...] "-and a student professor, Professor Xochiquetzal Ixchel Nymph Morrigan Eros." [...And sniggers and polite clapping here.] "Now, let's dig in!"

Food appeared on the table, causing Meega to gasp. She'd been expecting it, but it was still slightly startling. Everything else magical that she'd seen was there and solid, or simply enchanting like the ceiling, but that was just... sudden. She didn't like it when things just happened without any warning whatsoever. It made her nervous. Shrugging it off, Meega ate, practically gulping it down like she always did, though stiffly using every particle of etiquette that her mother had insisted on teaching her and her two brothers and three sisters. It helped her not be quite as nervous about the impression that she was making on her new classmates.

Part 10 - The Slytherins

The next morning Meega woke to her annoying magical alarm clock before any of the other girls. Of course, that was perfectly understandable as they'd still been gossiping when she'd gone to sleep at midnight and showing no signs of slowing. It seemed that they had been integrating Morgianna into their little circle while she had been reading... and sleeping...

Sighing, Meega pulled on an emerald long sleeved shirt and black pants and her Hogwarts robes then black boots that hugged her calves nicely and ended just before the knee, even though no one would see them under her robe. Then she sat down in front of the silver vanity between her elegant mahogany wardrobe and the finely crafted four poster that she occupied, it's emerald canopy and curtains edged in silver, hiding the green and silver bedding on the soft feather mattress. She pulled out her hairbrush and one of her half-dozen jars of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. She'd decided to try it on her impossible thick deep brown locks that had a very major tendency to tangle even to the point of matting, since it worked so well on Hermione's. By the time the other girls woke with an hour before class she had managed to tame her hair. It had taken an entire jar of the potion to get it where it was going to stay neat and untangled. She could see why Hermione thought it was too much for every day.

"Ooh, Meega!" Millicent Bulstrode squealed. "What did you do to your hair?" It did look a lot better, all sleek and shimmery, not near as bushy as usual, it's darker than mid-brown light mahogany more pronounced.

"I used and entire jar of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it," Meega answered smoothly. "So there's only the four Slytherin fifth year girls," she mused. "And... five boys?"

Pansy Parkinson smiled. "Six boys."

Meega raised an eyebrow. "There's Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise Zabini, and Nott. Who else?"

"Morag MacDougal."

"What's Nott's first name?"

"Adam."

Meega raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. One of the last names she'd expect for the son of a Death Eater. "Which one is the blond with the lovely gray eyes?" If it was Morag or Blaise...

"Draco," said Pansy, looking slightly feral.

"Oh!" Meega said, recoiling. To think she'd been dreaming about Draco Malfoy's eyes! "Oh, of course!" How embarrassing was that? Meega put on her oval glasses, the frames exceptionally thin and a silvery black, and swung on her jet black Hogwarts robe, placing her hat neatly on top of her head. "Are any of you ready to go? I'm hungry, and I'm afraid I'd get lost going up from the dungeons to the Great Hall."

"In a minute..." Millicent said, arranging her hat carefully on her coarse brown hair over her very made up face. "There." She picked up her book bag and smiled at Meega, who forced herself to smile back as soon as she'd swung her emerald book bag onto her shoulders.

As they passed through the common room Meega studied it carefully. She'd been very asleep when she'd gone through the night before. It was blessedly dim and currently quiet, the gray stone adorned with emerald hangings. In fact everything in the room that wasn't stone or wood was either green or silver or both. There was a fire gong in the fireplace, but the room was still chilly. That could be a problem, as she absolutely hated being cold...

Millicent knew her way around Hogwarts very well and got them to the Hall in no time, where their schedules were being passed out. Meega read hers as she ate faster than normal, feeling a little like a Sayia-Jin. "We've got double Potions with Gryffindor first this morning," she said between mouthfuls. "That means I get to see Mione straight off. After that is DADA, and then we've got Care of Magical Creatures with Gryffindor this afternoon. Overall, it sounds like a good day."

"Who's Mione?" Millicent asked.

Meega swallowed and said, "Ashley Green. We've been best friends for years, but she got Sorted into Gryffindor last night and I'm in Slytherin..." she trailed off and shrugged, finishing off her breakfast. Just then Mione bounded over... well, not exactly... Meega was the one who occasionally bounded around, not Mione. Anyway, Mione joined her then, plopping down between Meega and Millicent. Except she didn't plop, either.

"Hey, Mia! We've got Potions with slimy Snape first."

Meega looked amused. "Think very carefully where you are, Mione."

Mione shrugged. "I don't care, MIA What are they going to do in front of the entire staff?"

"Nothing, and probably not later, either, unless you insulted someone in their hearing. 'United' is not the best way to describe Slytherins. But 'vengeful'..." Meega gave her friend a mischievous grin.

Mione rolled her eyes. "Come on, we'll be late."

"We'll be later if we don't wait for Millicent," Meega said, nodding to the girl on the other side of her friend. Mione glanced at the girl, looking a touch disgusted.

"Harry and Hermione and Ron are waiting for us."

"Okay." Meega shouldered her bag and went with Mione to join Harry's trio. "My password's currently Parseltongue," she told Mione in an undertone on the way. "Drop by sometime."

Just then they reached the trio and Mione fell into conversation, Meega more hovering on the edge than actually a part of the group, occasionally throwing in a comment. When they got there several of the students from both Houses were already there, but Snape was nowhere to be seen. Typical. He liked his entrances... perhaps a bit too much.

Five minutes after class was to start, however, Snape still wasn't there and the class was restless to the point that Meega could feel the chaos about to burst, like a dark storm cloud blocking out the sun. Of course, the dungeon walls did a very good job of it...

Suddenly the storm cloud burst with a clap of thunder as the door slammed open and a slender form stalked in with a stack of papers. It was Morrigan, looking vampiric despite her pale hair. She also looked very cross as she began to read off the top paper. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I- Oops! Wrong one!" She shuffled her papers and started again. "Ten points from Gryffindor!" She glared at the paper and muttered something that was too quiet to hear properly, though Meega was fairly certain she'd heard Snape mentioned. "Sorry, wrong one again." She shuffled the papers again, gave up, and tossed them on the desk. "Okay, I don't see anything in there that I'm supposed to teach you. I'm Professor Xochiquetzal Ixchel Nymph Morrigan Eros and I'm substituting for Professor Snape while he's off wherever, as I'm specializing in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions. So today we're going to learn how to correct potions that didn't turn out right."

Meega grinned, eyeing Neville. He was not only easy to pick out, but looking very relieved. Which was probably because he needed it very badly.

"First, however, I'm going to call roll." Morrigan pulled a paper out of the pile and began reading names. The Slytherins were all on first, and alphabetical order had been dragged off somewhere and shot.

"Nott, Adam."

"Here."

"MacDougal, Morag."

"Here."

"Bulstrode, Millicent."

"Here."

"Parkinson, Pansy."

"Here."

"Malfoy, Draco."

"Here."

"Severus has told me that you're his star pupil, Draco. What's the most difficult potion you can think of?"

"Er... Polyjuice Potion."

"Oh, really, Draco? A bunch of second years could do that." Every Gryffindor started sniggering, as did Meega. Harry's trio, Meega, and Mione, were laughing the hardest. A trio of second years had done it.

"Crabbe, Vincent."

"Huh?" The sniggers increased and Morrigan was smirking.

"Goyle, Gregory."

"What?" A few of the Gryffindors looked as though they might fall off their stools.

"Zabini, Blaise."

"Here."

"Balrog, Morgianna."

"Here."

"Kyl-Derc, Meega."

"Present." Usually she was the one to ask, "What?"

"Potter, Harry."

"Here."

"Weasley, Ron."

"Here."

"Granger, Hermione."

"Here."

"I've heard that you three are nothing but trouble. Hermione, what's the most difficult potion you can think of?"

"Transmogrification Potions."

Morrigan blinked. "Oh. That's the one we're doing today."

All the students gasped. If that was the most difficult potion Hermione could think of...

Morrigan ignored them and continued with the roll. "Brown, Lavender."

"Here."

"Longbottom, Neville."

"Here," he squeaked, sounding terrified, probably because of the difficulty of the upcoming potion.

"Patil, Parvati."

"Here."

"Thomas, Dean."

"Here."

"Finnigan, Seamus."

"Here."

"Green, Ashley."

"Mione."

"Yes, of course," Morrigan said, unfazed. She scribbled something on the roll and turned to write the recipe on the board. It seemed to be a fairly simple recipe, though Meega was sure that there was a hitch if it was the most difficult potion that Hermione could think of. "I want all of you to mix that up- it's very quick. Then we'll see how to fix it."

Meega read through the recipe carefully, muttering it to herself like she did when she was working her Algebra 2 homework during her freshman year. She didn't know if she'd done it before that, but it seemed to be carrying over into her magical studies. She gathered her ingredients and measured them carefully, then mixed them as carefully as she could. However, when she was done it was a revolting shade of fuchsia (not that any shade wasn't...) instead of what Morrigan had described as a lovely opalescent black color. Unless she had meant fuchsia and was despairingly colorblind... which wasn't likely. Meega checked the list again, searching for "black dye" or the like.

Morrigan waited until most people were done then quickly checked the potions. She seemed very satisfied with the runny, sloppy, smelly, and off-color potions. "I'm glad I was able to choose a potion that was beyond the abilities of everyone here, though some of you were surprisingly close. Now, to be able to correct your mistakes you must understand a few things. First of all you must know what the potion is supposed to do, as well as the purpose of each ingredient. Can anyone tell me what transmogrification potions are for?" She turned a rather disturbing gaze on the class. Surprisingly, it was not Hermione who raised her hand first, but Neville. Morrigan raised an eyebrow. "Neville, would you tell the class what the potion is supposed to do?"

"Er... Is it supposed to change stuff into other stuff?"

"Are you asking me or telling me, Neville?"

"Er... telling. It's supposed to change stuff into other stuff." Morrigan gave Neville another very disturbing look for a moment, as though waiting for him to correct a mistake in his answer.

"Very good. Ten points to Gryffindor for the correct answer. As Neville so eloquently stated, it changes stuff into other stuff. The potion we have made changes water into a non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice. Normally we would change it into wine, but... I believe all of you are underage?" Her expression was one of amusement as she continued by explaining the purpose of each ingredient. Those who had laughed at Draco were taking extensive notes, but a quick glance at the other Slytherins told Meega that they were slacking as usual. She snorted. Draco would be loosing his place as "star pupil" quickly with a Slytherin actually working in potions.

"It's very much like cooking... the Muggle way, of course. You can use ingredients from your potion, and occasionally a few that aren't, to correct problems. The trick is in choosing an ingredient that won't react badly with what you're making. For example-in cooking flour, cornstarch, and tapioca are all thickening agents, but you wouldn't dream of using tapioca to thicken runny gravy. You would one of the other two, preferably whatever you had tried to thicken it with in the first place." The analogy was quite obviously lost on most of the students. However, it seemed to help one or two and most surprisingly it helped Neville. His eyes shone with understanding and even excitement as he added a few ingredients to his cauldron and stirred quickly. Morrigan and a few of the other students watched on with interest, many of them expecting an explosion of some sort, and soon his potion thickened and turned from a hideous orange to the required shade of black.

"Huh. It looks okay, lets test it." Morrigan produced a glass of water from somewhere and added a couple drops of the potion. She took a sip while the entire class held their breath. Then she smiled. "Very good Neville. Thirty points to Gryffindor for getting the first corrected potion. Why don't you see if you can help some of the other students."

There was a stunned silence from the majority of the class, though Hermione just looked downright stricken to have Neville of all people get something right before she had. He just looked ecstatic. He had earned Gryffindor forty points in Potions!

Meega snorted again and tried to fix her potion, as did Hermione. Between Morrigan and Neville the class began to get more and more correct potions. Hermione and Meega finished so closely together that there might as well have been no difference, upsetting Hermione a bit more. Draco and his cronies were having the most difficulty fixing their potions, as they had never really had to work in Potions before and cooking was something none of them would ever dream of doing, especially the Muggle way. Eventually Morrigan went to sit with them, talking the three through it and looking prettily vexed at their idiocy. Crabbe got it, then Goyle, and finally Neville was called over to help Draco. The Slytherin boy looked as if he would have rebelled at this, except for the look Morrigan was shooting him. Finally even he got his potion right. When all were tested, class was dismissed fully ten minutes early. The students left, looking faintly surprised and chatting about the lesson. Morrigan had asked Neville to stay a bit after class, and he was terrified of what she would have to say despite his earlier successes. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Meega, and Mione stayed near the doorway waiting to make sure he would be all right and after a while he came out looking surprised and pleased.

"What'd she say?" asked Harry.

"Huh?" said Neville realizing they were there for the first time. "Oh, she wanted to know why Professor Snape had told her I was his worst student. I explained and she said that if it helped I should just think of potions like cooking all the time."

"Oh. Do you cook?" asked Ron. Hermione was still a bit sore about Neville getting his potion fixed first and she wasn't quite being herself at the moment, though no one else seemed to notice or care if they did.

"Well," he answered, embarrassed now, "I used to enter stuff in the county fair when I was younger. I did get a couple blue ribbons now and again." They didn't know how to react to this. "Oh, and she said I shouldn't let Snape scare me. She said he probably just picks on me so much because I let him see how much it bothers me and that I seem to be quite intelligent." He shook his head in amazement. "We'd better get going before we're late for class." The Gryffindor students left Meega then, with a promise to find her at lunch.

Morrigan came out of the classroom carrying an armload of books and looked at Meega for a moment. "You're in Slytherin aren't you." It wasn't a question, but she waited for Meega's nod before smiling and going on. "Good. I get to teach your next class too, though Oliver will be there. I'm glad you've decided to stick with your friends despite the prejudices between houses."

Meega pursed her lips in amusement. "Why wouldn't I? It isn't like I've made any fast friends among the other Slytherins and Mione and I have been friends for years. I know that some would become sworn enemies or some such, but that's not me."

Morrigan nodded knowingly. "Silly, isn't it."

Meega felt a little tickle at the base of her neck. "Don't you ever ask questions?"

The disturbing girl raised an eyebrow. "Only if I don't know something."

"I was afraid of that."

Part 11 - Where You Stand

Defense Against the Dark Arts. Her first class with only the other Slytherin fifth years, and just after she had shown her friendship with about half of the Gryffindors in their year. Actually, all of them but Mione seemed unsure of her, as if they half suspected that she wasn't truly friendly. Except that probably was just her imagination. The most likely scenario was that she was being anti-social again. There was a reason that "pariah" was a very good description of her.

Meega slipped quietly into the classroom and chose a seat behind her classmates where she could see them a lot easier than they could see her. Morrigan and Oliver were the professors, and as she pulled out her book, parchment, and quill she saw that none of the others had done so. Did they slack in every class?

"As I had you all in the last class you all know that I'm Nymph and for those of you who don't know him, this is Professor Wood." That would be for Morgianna's benefit. "Today we will be studying werewolves." That should prove amusing. "By show of hands, who in here has ever seen a werewolf?"

Everyone but the two transfer students raised their hand.

"Really. One doesn't usually see a werewolf and survive the encounter as a normal human."

"There was a teacher a couple of years back," Draco sneered. "We didn't see him transformed."

"Then it doesn't count as seeing a werewolf. The men and women who transform monthly are usually rather dangerous, but purely in a human fashion until they transform into the werewolf. As I understand this particular werewolf was a very agreeable person except when transformed. Wasn't he, Draco."

Draco nodded reluctantly.

"Meega, tell us what you know about werewolves."

Meega jumped, startled, then began nervously. "Er... they transform rather painfully in the light of the full moon if any moonlight can reach them. Personally, I believe that the transformation could be avoided if they could be shut away from the moon, but that could also possibly drive them mad, as the moon has a strong pull on them. The bite of a werewolf dooms the victim to becoming a werewolf every following full moon if they survive, though the wolf doesn't bite to create more of it's kind, but to feed. I've heard both that they feed on blood and that they feed on flesh, so I'm not sure whether you want to try to get away or to let them drink some blood and go on their way. Actually, most of what I know is pieced together from Muggle fiction. Oh, and the snout differs from the real wolf in some way. That I know, though I'm not sure how."

Morrigan raised an eyebrow. "You seem to have pieced together quite a bit from Muggle fiction. Before we go on, let's clear up your jumble of fact and fiction."

Meega winced. As the Sorting Hat said, she had a great deal of useless rubbish in her mind.

"First off I have never heard of a werewolf avoiding the transformation, though your theory is interesting. Werewolves feed on flesh, so running is a good idea, but you should try and outsmart the werewolf instead of outdistancing it. Unless you happen to have a very good broom with you, that is. The snout of the werewolf is slightly shorted and broader that that of the true wolf. Does that help, Meega?"

Meega nodded.

"Usually if you get close enough to tell the difference than the easiest way to tell is by waiting until the next full moon and seeing if you turn into a werewolf. I would like you all to read the chapter on werewolves, and then we'll continue."

Meega quickly skimmed the chapter, then settled in writing as she waited for the other Slytherins to finish. "Other Slytherins" still sounded odd.

Whatever Happened

We sat alone on the shore

Just talking

We were nothing

I didn't even know him

Whatever happened there

Between a pair of strangers

But it was like magic

Neither could resist

Now we're together

We had seen the other

Against each other

Now we didn't realize

That we were enemies

Whatever happened there

Between a pair of strangers

But it was like magic

Neither could resist

Now we're together

We just took a vacation

We met at the beach

We talked

We laughed

We sat in silence

We went from total strangers

To a lasting romance

Whatever happened there

Between a pair of strangers

But it was like magic

Neither could resist

Now we're together

We sat alone on the shore

Just talking

We were nothing

I didn't even know him

Meega smiled at the poem. Where it had come from she had no idea, but it was fairly good, wasn't it? Perhaps it was a song, the lyrics needing the music to set them totally free. She only rarely wrote poems, but she did seem to have a flair for them in any mood. She started writing again.

The Lady Felicity of Elderworld had the letter to her twin sister, Tyra, in her lap as she rode down the dusty, bumpy road through the neighboring country of Minoto to the castle where she was to meet with King Fredrik. Now, as she sat in a large chamber that had been provided for her, she read it again despite the fact that she had memorized it.

My Dear Lady Tyra,

I invite you to my home to discuss a marriage treaty between us. You are, of course, aware that the merging of our countries would be profitable. As you well know my subjects are industrious, and the wealth of your vast lands could be put to use.

Your beauty out-shines the stars.

King Fredrik of Minoto

The letter was obviously written for a greedy, empty-headed queen, as many of Tyra's suitors seemed to think she was. Felicity always dealt with the suitors, though she would have Tyra see any who followed the proper protocol by journeying through the treacherous wilderness of Elderworld to the palace where the sisters lived baring gifts rather than inviting Tyra to visit them in their castle.

As she folded the letter a knock sounded at the door and she rose gracefully, shaking out her deep red hair and adjusting her deep emerald gown that contrasted her pale skin and would have matched her eyes except that it was too dull. When she opened the door she saw a young nervous looking page. "I am to take you to dinner and announce you, Lady Tyra."

Felicity looked slightly disgruntled, though no more than was proper. "I must not have been announced correctly. I am Tyra's sister, the Lady Felicity. Tyra was not in to receive the letter, and I am here to discuss the proposed marriage treaty between Elderworld and Minoto."

"King Fredrik was told that one of the Ladies of Elderworld was here, and he assumed it was Lady Tyra, to whom he had extended his proposal." The young page looked even more nervous, obviously wondering if he would be transformed into a toad. He needn't have worried, though. It was Tyra who did things like that, not Felicity. The worst anyone had ever received from Felicity was a threat to transform him into a kitten. It had been one of her sister's more persistent suitors, Prince Helram of Jotana, and that had rid them if him quickly.

"Meega! If you would kindly pay attention then we could get on with the lesson."

"I'm sorry," she said hurriedly. "When I finished no one else as done so I started writing."

"Why don't you read what you've written to the class."

Meega blushed. "I'd rather not, really. It's not important."

"Please don't write it during my class, then."

"Yes, Morrigan."

For the rest of the class Meega paid careful attention and took notes, so she was fairly well prepared for their homework.

"Choose a werewolf myth and write an essay disproving it. You will probably need more information than is in your books, but I'm sure that Madam Pince will be happy to help such eager students as yourselves." She grinned brightly at the class.

Meega sighed and repacked her bag, following the rest of the Slytherins out of the classroom and to the Great Hall. She ate her lunch as quickly as ever, keeping an eye out for the Gryffindors.

"So," Draco sneered as she sat watching for them, "where do you stand? With the Gryffindors or with your own house?"

Meega turned slowly around to face him, her face showing the level that her temper had already been worked to. "I stand with myself, Draco. I'm not one to let things like my friends being in a different house get in my way, but I'm not trying to be a Gryffindor. I'm as much a Slytherin as anyone else in our house. I just prefer people with personalities."

Draco's eyes narrowed in anger. "You dare to insult me?"

"Oh, stop being so overly dramatic," Meega half-growled. "You don't have a personality- you're just a selfish, spoiled prig with nothing but a family name going for you."

"And you're brave enough to be a Gryffindor. Around here that's not a good thing."

"Thank you. Spirit makes people more interesting, and bravery gives me the ability to do something with my ambition. Other than becoming a sniveling, groveling Death Eater, that is."

"Hey, MIA, are you coming with us?" It was Mione, standing right behind her. "We're going back to the common room. We just finished eating."

Meega nodded and tossed her bag onto her shoulders. As she left with her friend she glanced back at the Slytherin table and saw Draco watching her. He looked... interested. Just vaguely, but he was definitely looking at her like she was some rare animal in a zoo. Meega shuddered as she turned back to her friend.

"You know, I think that Draco might be more intelligent than he lets on."

Part 12 - Behind Enemy Lines

Before long Meega found herself facing the Fat Lady. How many times had she dreamed about going behind her, into the Gryffindor common room? Too many to count. So why was she more nervous than usual now? That was easy. Every time she'd day dreamed about this she'd been going in as a Gryffindor first year or even a second or third year, never as a fifth year Slytherin. Actually, the Fat Lady had rarely entered her fantasies. It had most often been Harry. Oddly, however, she didn't feel anything more than friendship for him now, pulled out of the long cool ashes of her delusions of romance with a fictitious character. Of course, she felt the same way towards the others. Except Mione. She was closer to her. She was more like a sister than a friend.

The Gryffindors exchanged glances, and then Mione shrugged and gave the password. "Moonshadow."

Meega arched an eyebrow. "Moonshadow? Lucky. Ours is... very Slytherin." She wrinkled her nose distastefully. "I'd tell you, but it's probably better if you don't know. The others are the most intolerant people I've ever met, and I really don't want to wake up to find the common room pink one morning. I hate pink."

Mione grinned at her, sharing in the joke, then they all entered the common room together. Meega blinked. It was very bright in there, and very vivid. She liked red and gold well enough when she was going for a dramatic look, but they were very... warm. Fiery. She was more comfortable with the moist greens and aquas, the soft silvers. Water colors. And there was Mercedes Lackey affecting her again. The Gryffindors took the choice seats by the fire, and Meega chose the seat in the semi-circle farthest from the blaze. She might hate being cold, but she hated being hot, too.

"Well, this is it," she said, looking around at their common room. Like the Slytherin common room, it was done in the house colors. "The place where it is likely that no Slytherin has ever gone before." She smiled wickedly at them. "There's too much light and it's too vivid."

"Really?" Mione asked. "I think it's wonderful."

Meega grinned. "I'd feel like I was living in a fire, or a very warm, bright jewelry box. Not that I have anything against not freezing... the Slytherin common room is down right cold, but perfect other than that."

Harry and Ron were grinning at each other, and Meega decided it was best to ignore it, as she knew exactly what they were grinning about.

"So," Neville asked, "have you met Snape yet?"

"No, actually. I probably will before long, though."

"Unless he gets himself killed," Harry muttered.

Meega smiled. "There are probably those who wish he would." She was looking strait at Ron, who shrugged, grinning at her.

"Anyhoozles, Does anyone have any idea when I can figure out if I can fly properly or if I need a lot of practice?"

"Did you just say 'anyhoozles'?"

Meega gave Hermione an innocent look. "Yes? Actually, I'm Muggleborn. I picked it up online."

"Really? I didn't think there were any Muggleborn Slytherins."

Meega shrugged. "How long did it take the Hat to decide, anyway?"

"About half an hour," Ron said, sounding unbelieving.

"I wonder how much faster it would have gone if I had shut up and let it work."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well..." Meega grinned mischievously. "Pretty much I was awful to it. As in if it had to go through that very many times it would retire. Or, at least, I would."

"Um-hmm."

"Anywho, I'm really lost when it comes to either navigating the halls or finding free time on the Quidditch field."

"Now you said 'anywho'."

Meega waved it off. "Another online idiom. Anyway, can someone please tell me when I can practice flying on the field and perhaps help me find my way out of this place?"

"Easy," Harry said. "We're free after Care of Magical creatures and we can just Summon our brooms to the field."

Meega perked slightly. "Sounds like fun. I warn you- I've never been on a broom before in my life. I've read a bit about it, and I'm not in the least afraid to, but I've never actually done it before. Neither has Mione."

Harry smiled. "Fine with me."

"One more thing- no one's allowed to touch my broom until I've been on it for an hour."

"Why?"

"It might have been a stupid idea, but I got myself a Firebolt II."

"Awesome!" That, of course, was Ron.

"Are you coming, too?" Meega said sweetly.

"Sure. I need to practice for tryouts."

"Good thing I'm in Slytherin. I'd cream you."

"You've never even been on a broom!"

"You're forgetting- I'm an arrogant little Slytherin."

The Gryffindors all laughed at that.

"I saw you talking to Draco when I came over to get you," Mione said once things had calmed down a bit.

Meega grinned wickedly. "Actually, I was more insulting him than talking to him. I called him a prig, as well and selfish and spoiled, told him he had no personality, and insinuated that he'd end up as a suck-up Death Eater."

And, somehow, they found that funny. It was a while before any of them stopped laughing. Finally Meega stopped herself from laughing long enough to get the time off of Harry's watch. When she did she yelped, laughter forgotten.

"What?"

"Care of Magical Creatures started five minutes ago, that's what!"

All the Gryffindors made noises that agreed with Meega's, and after a mad shuffle for bags they were all running to get to Care of Magical Creatures.