Masked Reality

Chapter Seven

By the time the trio got seated in the Great Hall, everyone was desperate to get a good look at the new student and were fumbling around in their seats. Harry tried to keep calm, although he secretly was very interested in whether or not the student was a veela, as Hermoine had suggested.

Seeming to read his thoughts, Ron piped up in his ear, "I really do hope she's a veela. That would be quite an adventure, to have a beautiful girl to be able to stare at throughout the entire year." Just then, McGonnagal opened the Great Hall's doors and headed towards the front of the Hall, carrying the stool and Sorting Hat. Everyone stared at her, anxiously awaiting the Sorting Ceremony to commence once again.

The new student had been standing at the front of the Hall where the stool now was, looking over the sea of unfamiliar faces, not looking at all apprehensive. Then again, her face was still hidden beneath that damned hood, and Harry wished he could Accio the entire cloak over to him just so he would be able to see what she looked like.

McGonnagal quietly reviewed what was going to happen to the student, who nodded slightly and pulled her hood down, just like Emerald. And Harry realized with eyes the size of dinner plates - she looked EXACTLY like Emerald. He gasped, and was too surprised that everyone else in the entire Hall had repeated his own action. They gaped at the student, wondering how on Earth it was possible for two people who didn't even know each other-

Wait... did they know each other? But, they couldn't... they couldn't be twins, because there was no way they were the same age...

The entire situation was confusing the hell out of Harry, and he shook his head and closed his eyes for a few moments. Finally, he opened them again to see McGonnagal placing the sorting hat on the girl's head. She sat completely still, staring straight ahead to the Hall doors. Harry took note of her eyes: not only were they as visible as Emerald's were from this distance, but the student's were a deep purple with jade highlights. They were much more interesting to look at than Emerald's, but then again, he couldn't ever help it whenever Emerald forced him into those aggravating staring contests.

The Sorting Hat spoke up, quieting Harry's thoughts and everyone else's briefly.

"Hello, what are you doing here?" it said, it's voice echoing throughout the room. Sidney, who had been taking a peaceful nap on Harry's shoulder, threw her head up suddenly from its resting place and stared inquisitively at the student. The Hat continued, "I've never had the pleasure of Sorting one of you before." It was quiet for a moment. "Your qualities range far beyond what I'm usually up against... perhaps you'd enjoy it in Gryffindor?" For once, it was a question. The Hat wasn't announcing that she was now part of Harry's House; it was asking her. How unfair, he thought, remembering his first year, why couldn't it have asked me and made everything easier?

"What the hell...?" Ron whispered beside Harry. "What's it doing?"

Harry looked at his red-headed friend and shrugged. "I've got absolutely no idea Ron," he stated truthfully, then looked back at the girl.

"No? Not Gryffindor eh..." It was quiet for a few more moments. "Then I'm going to put you into SLYTHERIN!" The Slytherin table erupted with monstrously loud cheers and applause as McGonnagal removed the Sorting Hat from the student's head and she started over to her House table. None of the other tables could even jeer. They were shocked.

The feast was then on the tables, and everyone was digging in gleefully. Everyone, that is, except for Harry, Ron and Hermoine. Hermoine looked at her friends, wide-eyed.

"Am I the only one who noticed that she looks exactly like-"

"-our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Yes Herm, we saw," Ron said. Harry watched the student as she sat down next to Malfoy, looking at him as he filled her in excitedly on what was going on around the school. Sidney took to flying once again, but this time she grabbed a goblet on the table that was filled to the rim with pumpkin juice and headed towards the Slytherin table.

"Oh my God, what is she doing? Sidney! Get back here!" Harry shouted, but to no avail. The Kristale was already just above Malfoy's head, the cup perched in her talon perfectly. And then it was tipped, and the orange liquid ran in a fine line through the air, straight onto the pale-faced, silver-haired boy's face and robes. He screamed as the entire Hall went silent. Sidney dropped the cup on the table in front of Malfoy, then glided back over to her master and landed on Harry's shoulder. Malfoy stared maliciously over at Harry, standing up and pushing back the bench, causing a few of the Slytherins to fall over. He didn't care.

"Oh, shit," Hermoine muttered. Harry and Ron's heads snapped in her direction, mouths wide open. They'd never heard Hermoine cuss before.

Malfoy had covered the distance in record time, and was pulling Harry up roughly out of his seat, yanking him around by the collar to stare at him face-to-face. Harry glared back at his pumpkin juice-covered enemy.

"I'm going to rip all of the feathers out of your precious bird," Malfoy said, carnivorously gripping Sidney's beautiful neck. She screeched loudly, but tensed and held completely still, being smart enough to know that struggling would only break the tender neck.

"Let. Her. Go." Harry murmured murderously. He refused to take any shit from Malfoy, and suddenly gripped Malfoy's neck. The silver-haired boy let out a grunt of surprise, then reluctantly let go of Sidney. She flew up towards the ceiling, circling above the two. Harry gave Malfoy one last glare, then let go of the pale neck.

"Bastard," Malfoy muttered before grabbing a handful of the mashed potatoes that were on the table and smearing it on Harry's robes, grinning. Harry's eyes widened in shock, and he grabbed a saucer of pudding and dumped it on Malfoy's head in retaliation.

"FOOD FIGHT!" Fred and George shouted after jumping up on the table and grabbing a pitcher of pumpkin juice. All of the students stood up and, being kids, reacted like kids would to those two wonderful words.

After everyone was finally pried apart and sent up to their dormitories to clean up, Harry caught a good glimpse of the new student. Malfoy and her were walking together, and it was just them. No Crabbe, no Goyle, nobody except Malfoy and the new student. Harry was stunned.

"Hey Herm, do you know her name yet?" Harry asked curiously, pointing to the student. Hermoine nodded.

"Parvati and Lavender made sure to learn it as soon as Malfoy began talking to her. It's Katyllin Diamond." Ron looked at her.

"What? What the hell?! Her and Emerald, my god..." he muttered, shaking his head. Harry smiled slightly, still looking at Katyllin [I absolutely, positively REFUSE to call her Diamond on a regular basis, there's just NO way in hell that's gonna happen].

Sidney flew over to Harry and landed on his shoulder. He tripped and fell because of it; the weight was something he'd grown used to, but he'd been caught off-guard so there.

He groaned and sat up, while Sidney cuddled up on his stomach and closed her eyes. "Oh no you don't," he said, trying to push her off. She refused to move. He sighed and groaned again. By then all of the students had filed off to their respective dormitories. There were only two people left, because he could hear their footsteps. Assuming it was Hermoine and Ron, he continued to try and move his unwilling bird.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" came the very familiar, bratty voice. Harry plastered his best glare on his face before turning around and looking up to see Malfoy and Katyllin. She stared down at him silently, and he couldn't read the expression on her face. Malfoy, of course, looked completely ridiculous because he was trying to be his usual self, but had bits of food and streaks of pudding and pumpkin juice on his robes. His arms were folded and he was looking down at Harry, a smug grin on his face. "Harry at the feet of his arch nemesis. What is the world coming to?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Shut up Malfoy," he said, finally pushing Sidney off. She squawked and headed up towards the Gryffindor Tower. He stood up and faced Malfoy, then turned to go up the stairs.

"So, you're the famous Harry Potter." He stopped in his tracks. That was Katyllin. She didn't have an accent... why was an American at Hogwarts? Harry turned and looked over at her. She stared straight back.

"You're from America... why are you at Hogwarts?" he asked, struggling to win the staring contest. As usual, he was forced to back down, which reminded him of Emerald.

She simply smiled and pushed past him, Malfoy following beside her. They walked up the stairs and out of Harry's sight. He smacked himself in the forehead, angry because Malfoy had won one of their little fights, and because that girl reminded him too much of Emerald.

This promised to be one hell of a year for him.