Harry Potter and the Lost Magid

Chapter Three: A Start at Hogwarts

One Month Later...

Alex bit her nails as she sat in the Great Hall. This was it. The moment of truth. Which house was she going to be in?

Alex hadn't had it very easy in her last month at Hogwarts. Most of the teachers were courteous to her, but still a bit short of kind. Alex thought that she'd be quite good at magic, seeing that she was a Magid, but unfortunately, it wasn't quite what she'd expected. Transfiguration was easily her worst subject. On the first day she had gotten on McGonagall's bad side by accidentally blowing up the beetle she was trying to transfigure. It wouldn't have been so bad, she thought, if the bug juice hadn't sprayed all in McGonagall's hair! Then there was potions--from what Alex had heard, it was supposedly very difficult and Snape was rather mean, but when she got there, she found out it was the worst experience of her life! If she did something wrong, Snape would scream at her for being an insufferably stupid and give her extra work to catch up. If she did something right, he would increase her workload, telling her she was good enough to do extra assignments. And if she ever dared ask a question, he would yell and give her extra work without explaining what to do, saying that he must not be teaching it well enough if she had to ask questions.

Many nights Alex fell asleep crying, wondering if this was really all worth it. She wasn't doing very well; trying to catch up, and working for sixteen hours straight was taking its toll on her, body and soul. Even with the delicious foods brought up to her room, Alex hardly had time to eat with all of her homework. She was dangerously underweight for someone her size, and when she did have a chance to eat, she could hardly swallow with the large weight of anxiety in her chest. She had dark circles under her eyes, for even sleep wasn't coming to her as usual. Her sleeping pattern would follow as so: go to bed at 11:00. Try to sleep for three hours or so. Wake up and try do other work, fall asleep at 6 am, wake up at 7, start day, fall asleep at lunchtime, drowsy all through afternoon, do homework, try to sleep at 11:00. Repeat.

Now Alex was pacing the Great Hall. She had managed to get some rest the day before, for Dumbledore, who had seen what had happened to Alex, suggested she take the day off and try to sleep. Alex hadn't actually slept, but she did go into a state of numbness where the homework and the teachers and the anxiety couldn't touch her.

The anxiety was back now, for it was the start of term and any minute now students would be flocking in from the cold and rain into the Entrance Hall, and then through the double door into the Great Hall. And there would be Alex. Where would she sit? Where would she eat, and sleep, and who would she talk to for the next three years?

Alexandra hadn't yet been sorted into a house. Instead, she used a private quarters on the main floor usually reserved for important guests. Yeah, like I'm real special, she thought. Alex fingered her wand (ten and a quarter inches, rosewood and phoenix feather--a rather interesting combination) and realized it had become a large part of her life. With all the spells she learned, it was really hard to start a day without using it. It was almost second nature to pull it out when she was nervous or frightened, and it seemed like an old friend in her hands--something important that had been missing from her life all these years.

Now her mind was set back on where she would be placed. She immediately thought Gryffindor would be the best by far, and she had a feeling if she were to be saving the world, it seemed logical for her to be placed there. And don't forget Harry, she grinned. But then there was Slytherin. Draco too had offered her a place in his beloved house. Alex still couldn't forget the passionate kiss they had shared the night before her departure to Hogwarts. This too made her smile, but rather sheepishly. Now the question was where did she want to go? She knew from reading Harry's books that it was her choices that made her different, and usually helped a child be placed in his or her house.

Alex's thoughts were interrupted as Dumbledore and the other teachers strode into the Great Hall. Alex had been sitting on the Gryffindor table and immediately stood up and looked at the teachers. Most of them gave her an encouraging smile--after all, they knew how frightening it was to be sorted. Alex tried to smile back, but found it rather difficult to exercise those muscles--she hadn't done it in so long. Dumbledore moved out from behind the table and addressed her.

"Miss Leonard, would you be so kind as to wait in the adjoining room while I talk to the students first? I would like to explain our little situation before you are sorted with the new first years and we begin the feast."

Alex nodded her head in understanding and made her way along the staff table to a door on the right of the hall. The door swung open immediately and she stepped in. It was a small, round room with paintings lining the walls. There was a magnificent fireplace and mantle, but at the moment there was no blazing fire. Alex recognized the room. This must be where Harry and the Triwizard champions met last year.

She suddenly heard noise behind her, coming from the half-open doorway. Alex could see about a thousand students enter through the great oak doors, chatting away noisily, each with a large smile on his or her face. It's all right for them, she huffed, they don't have to make a fool of themselves in front of the whole student body. Alex tried to straighten her loose fitting robes. What had happened to her nice figure? She was all skin and bones now, and, she thought as she looked in the mirror, she had large dark bags under her eyes.

Alex wasn't one to usually make a big fuss over how she looked. She wasn't a beautiful girl, but she had always thought she wasn't horrible looking. Now as she looked in the gilt-framed mirror, she was worried about making a bad first impression on a group of people who must have thought of her as some legendary hero.

"Is it always gonna be this way?" she asked herself aloud.

"No dear," mumbled a stout lady from her picture frame. She was clearly asleep.

Alex could now hear Dumbledore addressing his students. All Alex could hear, though was the tone of his voice--his words seemed magically mumbled by the doorway. Perhaps it was enchanted to Alex couldn't hear what he'd say.

She was pacing the room again, waiting for a break in the speech, and for someone to let her out of the room. Soon she peaked through the crack in the open doorway. She could see half of the staff table, and most of the student body. She was surprised when she saw Professor McGonagall reading from a long list of parchment--it was already the sorting ceremony. Should I go out there? She wondered. No, I'll just sit here quietly and wait for Dumbledore.

The crack in the doorway suddenly became a large rectangle of light, and she saw Professor Snape standing over her from the open doorway to the Great Hall.

"They're ready for you now," he sneered.

Alex gave him a sardonic smile and, gathering her courage, strode out onto the raised teacher's platform. The teacher's table was behind her, and in front of her, Alex could see hundred's of eyes upon her. They were suspicious eyes, all looking at her, and she knew only a quarter of them would become very friendly towards them.

She then realized that all of the first years had been sorted, and were now sitting at their new tables, looking with the rest at the strange American in front of them. Professor McGonagall strode towards her, gesturing for her to sit down onto the three-legged stool. Alex sat down and the Professor placed the large, frayed and dirty sorting hat on her head. Alex gasped as she heard the voice in her ear.

Ahh, what's this? It said, a newcomer--an American, yes. Alexandra Leonard now where should I put you? You have much courage, my dear, but a ready mind as well. But what's this? Cunning, desire, and a thirst for danger. Now then, where shall I put you? The hat repeated. Will it be Ravenclaw, or Slytherin?

Alex, who hadn't expected the sorting hat to say either of these names, shouted "NO!" out loud. The people in the hall giggled softly, and Alex had to smile. The sorting hat continued to speak.

No, such resistance I see. It takes plenty of bravery to tell me what you want--or don't want. No on either? Well then I guess it better be...GRIFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table exploded with cheers. Alex smiled as she sat down next to a girl her age with bushy brown hair. This must be Hermione Granger, she thought. Alex smiled around at her new housemates, and saw a certain someone with bright green eyes smiling back at her. She looked over at the Slytherin table--Draco was indeed looking sulky.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore stood up, "Now that we have all been sorted, let the feast begin!"

* * *

Draco had been thinking about her the whole time on the train. Actually, she hadn't left his thoughts since the moment they first met in Maurice's Second-Hand Shop.

Why did she invade his thoughts like this? After all, she was a Mudblood and most certainly would become a perfect Gryffindor. The kiss had meant nothing to him; he tried very hard to believe this. It was just an in-the-moment type thing, nothing but lust. But he knew this was not true.

Alex wasn't the type of girl he usually went for. Now Blaise was more his type--her black-as-night hair, creamy white skin and red luscious lips. Even Pansy and her full figure, curly brown locks, and seductive manner was more for him. Alex wasn't exactly beautiful, but he had to admit she had a charm about her that made it very hard for him to think straight. To most guys, he thought, this would be a charm that escaped them. They most certainly would never see her as more than a friend. But Draco, with his keen sense of reading people, could tell that this was a charm that would grow deeper than passion--this was a girl who was easy to love. Most of her guy friends must just regard this as a brotherly love. Their loss. I bet Potter was the first guy to ever look at her romantically. He kept giving her these 'I want to snog you all night' kind of stares, and she totally was oblivious to them. So nave.

Draco had done all he could. He had poured a bit of his soul into her the one and only time they met. He had told her things about himself he had never dared tell anyone before. And he had offered her a place beside him in Slytherin. She could meet her true friends here. That was all he could do, sit and wait for her to be place in a house.

When Draco saw her walk out onto the teacher's platform in the Great Hall, he was astonished. She looks awful. The poor thing looks like she hasn't slept or eaten in days! What has happened? The teacher's couldn't have been pushing her that hard!

He watched as McGonagall stepped forward and placed the sorting hat on her head. He held his breath, his heart thumping in his chest. Why was the damn hat taking so long to sort her!?!

"NO!"

Draco jumped as he heard her shout out. Other students in the hall started to laugh, but he did not join in. Where was she so desperate on not going? Suddenly the wide brim of the hat opened. Draco's heart leaped.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

His heart sunk down into his stomach like a lead weight. He stared open-mouthed in disappointment as his worse fears came true. She sat down next to Granger, across from Potter.

It's over, he told himself.

* * *

Harry cheered with the rest of the Gryffindors as Alex sat down across from him at the house table. I shouldn't have worried so much, he thought.

FLASHBACK:

Harry paced back and forth down the corridor of the Hogwart's Express. Come on; let's get there already!

"Harry," said a voice behind him, "Running on the train isn't going to make it go any faster, you know."

Harry jumped back and saw one of his best friends, Hermione Granger smiling at him. Her head was sticking out of a compartment door, and she beckoned him to come back in and sit down.

As he came in and sat, he saw his other best friend, Ron Weasley looking at him. "Harry," he said, his face going stupidly serious as he mocked Professor McGonagall's tone, "are you thinking about that girl again?"

"Oh, Ron, stop playing, of course he is."

Harry blushed, "You guys are making a big deal over nothing. She's just my friend, and I really hope she gets into Gryffindor."

"Harry, you know she may have already been sorted. I mean, from what you told us about her, she seems smart enough for Ravenclaw, or she may even go with Malfoy into Slythe..."

"NO!" Harry shouted loudly at Hermione's last words. The fire was back in his eyes again. Ron mouthed something to Hermione, which looked something like "Now you've done it."

"Calm down," Ron said to Harry, "Hermione wasn't implying anything, were you?" he glared at her. "I'm very sure that Alexandra will be in Gryffindor. If she's gonna help you and Dumbledore save the world, she's gotta be brave enough."

"Yeah," said Harry, he was cheered up slightly by Ron's words.

END OF FLASHBACK

Harry caught Alex's eye as she looked up. She smiled at him, but he frowned slightly as she craned her neck to get a look at the Slytherin table.

* * *

"...and this is the Gryffindor common room," said Hermione as she led the excited looking first years and Alexandra into the familiar place. So many things have happened here, she thought, and so much more has yet to come. A shiny Prefect badge was pinned to her new Hogwarts robes, and she pointed the way to the first years' dormitories.

"Alex," she called out, stay here with me.

"Oh, right," said Alex, doubling back down the staircase towards her fellow fifth year. "So where do we sleep?"

Hermione brushed past Alex and made her way up the spiral staircase on the opposite side of the room. Alex had no choice but to follow her. Hermione seemed like a nice girl. She was very kind to everyone, and she made Alex feel welcome at once. She engaged her in conversation during dinner, and introduced her to the rest of the girls in their year. In fact, there were only three--Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati. Hermione had told her that she was happy another girl had come--three was a crowd in their dormitory.

Also, Hermione was great friends with Harry and Ron, so she knew the four of them would be hanging out a lot. I think Hermione needs to have another girl around. She thought, It must be hard to be around all that masculine energy.

"Well here it is," Hermione led her into a circular dorm with four four-poster beds and deep crimson hangings.

Alex was amazed--it was just as she pictured it would be. Finally, she felt like she was home.

* * *

Perhaps because Alex had a full meal for a change, or maybe it had been to close to bedtime, but she had a nightmare that night. She was following a something, it was moving through the twisting corridors of the castle in front of her. She finally got a glimpse of it as she rounded the corner. It was a rat. Why was she following a rat? She then saw it go through a small hole in the wall. Alex took out her wand and tapped the stone. An archway appeared--very much like the one to Diagon Alley. Alex followed the rat down a steep and narrow passageway. When she got to the end, huge metal spikes shot up in front and behind her. She had lost sight of the rat. Everything was getting cloudy as she heard a cold, cruel and high pitched laugh. She looked around and cried for help. Suddenly a cloaked figure approached her. It tied her up and slammed her against the wall. Suddenly the hood flew off his face, and Alex could see Draco Malfoy in front of her. "I'm sorry" he mouthed, but no sound came out.

Alex was crying out now as more hooded figures came up around her. Draco sank back into the ranks. Another cloaked figure approached her. All she could see were his red, snakelike eyes. She screamed a blood-curdling scream that pierced the night and suddenly she woke up. She was still screaming. Hermione was standing over her with her wand lit. It illuminated her tired and concerned face.

"Alex, what's wrong?"

* * *

Far away and down in the dungeons of the Slytherin dormitories, Draco awoke with a start. He had been screaming. Sweat was pouring down his face. How could I dream something like that, he thought, was I going to kill her? What's going on? Draco now realized there was tears on his face mixed with his sweat.

A Malfoy never cries, he reminded himself. Stop this now and go back to sleep. Draco looked around at the other boys in his dorm--Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't wake up to anything. Good thing they didn't wake up, I don't want anyone to know about this!