Not From This Time |Harry Potter

05| Hogwarts

"This is Kaitlyn Amor, she's an exchange student from America." Draco said to Pansy.

She tried to snuggle into Draco but it just looked weird. "I'm Pansy," she said before returning into her compartment, most likely to talk about me with Draco's friends.

"Sorry about her, she's always liked me and I just deal with it," he said to me after checking that Pansy wasn't listening.

I smiled at him, "It's fine. Everybody's been looking at me and whispering so far, I'm kind of used to it."

"Well we don't get many new students that aren't in their first year, well none at all at least since I've been here. And well," he eyed me up and down, "you kind of dress differently than the girls here."

My face fell, "Oh.."

A wave of shock appeared on his face, "No, like, I didn't mean it badly! Just like they usually don't wear shorts like that or shirts like that," he gestures to me.

Oh crap. I look around at other girls here, it's like the 90's... in ENGLAND! How could I be so stupid? This is like the opposite of blending in.

"Hey but, if it means anything, I think it separates you from other girls. All the girls here all act and dress the same, you're like a breath of fresh air." He gives me half of a sweet smile, waiting to see if it made me feel better.

I guess he's right, "Thank you, Draco."

"Anytime, Kaitlyn. Good luck on getting sorted, I'll be clapping for you."

"Thanks, see you at Hogwarts." I say over my shoulder as I turn on my heel back to Hermione, Ron, and Harry.
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The magnificent castle comes into view out the train window, but magnificent is an understatement. The golden trio all share amused smiles about my being in awe. The boys get up and go to a different compartment to change, and Hermione and I stay put.

I slip on my new Hogwarts robes, which are lacking the color of my future house. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, or Gryffindor? The four houses circle my thoughts before they're pulled back by Harry. "Time to get off."

My friends all load into carts pulled by thresels, which I can admit I see. "Amor, Kaitlyn?" A loud, deep voice asks behind me. I look around and up, way up. Hagrid, one of my favorite characters.

I smile, "That's me."

"Sorry ter say, but yer be goin' with me and ther first years ter Hogwarts. Special entrance to get sorted."

"Oh, alright," I say with a slight frown as I see my three new friends laughing and smiling without me, accompanied by Luna and Neville. Hagrid pats me on the head and leads me to where the boats are.

I climb onto one with three other first years who look at me with confused, wide eyes. "I'm an exchange student," I say with a slight giggle. They all look at each other weirdly. Whatever. No way I'm making friends with any of these prepubescent meerkats.

Our boats start to move on their own across the lake towards the castle. It's truly beautiful when it's kind of dark and the lights are on. This is where I belong now. I am a witch. Kaitlyn Amor, I, am a witch. Witch witch witch.  I start softly mumbling 'witch witch witch' as we drift closer to the other side. We all unload one by one and Hagrid again leads us to a room.

The room leads to where the teachers sit, and the first years are sorted. We are aloud to walk out as the sorting hat is done singing its song.

Dumbledore stands up. "And now, our first years with be sorted amongst you all, along with our new exchange student." Most of the older students, who don't pay attention, probably because they hear this each year, look up and at me. I'm like a black sheep in a field of white sheep. I make my face stay it's fair color, and not the complexion of a strawberry. It's hard not to ignore all the whispers and points and stares but I manage. Professor Mcgonagall starts to read from her list of students to be sorted. I zone out until I hear her voice say "Amor, Kaitlyn."

I walk over to the stool and sit, practically shaking. Now everybody is staring, intrigued by the new student.

The sorting hat is placed upon my head. "Ah yes, I know all about you and your past, or should I say future? Your different circumstance makes you very interesting and mysterious. You don't care much for books as much as you do for friends. The people around you will help you thrive and complete what you are meant to do. Slytherin could help you in other ways, but for your destiny in this world the best choice would be, GRYFFINDOR!"

A gigantic smile spreads across my face as the whole table of Gryffindor cheers and claps. I glance over at the Slytherin table at Draco to surprisingly see him clapping, even if it is with a sad smile. Hopefully his niceness towards me doesn't change now that I'm in a different house.

I sit across from the trio and next to Fred and George. "Yah, Katey! Fred hugs me. I hug him back, happy to be with my friends." I think back to what the sorting hat said about my friends and my destiny. How will they help with what I'm meant to do?

My mind shifts as I'm being introduced to more people and it's kind of overwhelming. It's like I'm a show pig at a carnival. Even students from other houses are getting up to meet me. A lot of them are commenting that I'm pretty and asking where I'm from.

Dumbledore announces the triwizard tournament, which I already know about, and then Mad Eye Moody comes in, on que. Of course, I know who he is, but I won't say anything right now. It's a matter of time before Dumbledore will talk with me about what I know, but for now, I just want to learn how to be a witch.

When the feast is done, we all walk to our common rooms and I receive my red and gold accents to my robes. The dorm rooms are pretty big with four four-poster beds with deep crimson hangings. I share a room with Hermione, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati. I am introduced to each of them and we get ready for bed.

I pull out my wand, "lumos" I whisper when everyone's asleep. I start to read the spell book that Hermione lent me. I read for about 15 minutes before passing out with the book a top of me.

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AN: Well, she's finally at Hogwarts! Just letting you know, just because Draco's nice to her doesn't mean that he's her love interest. She's a realistic character, so she may not fall in love with a specific person at first. A normal person may have a few crushes at a time long before any real relationships.