after dusk - draco malfoy

iii. | three

I arrived at the side door of the Great Hall and stood with all the first-years, probably even more nervous than them, with me being a few years older than them. Everyone will have already have settled into friendship groups and it'll be difficult for me to find friends like Antoinette, Dominique and Estelle.

The Great Hall was already full, as I could hear the chattering and laughter through the double doors. A woman stood in front of us and introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. She began explaining what was about to happen and turned to me. "Professor Dumbledore has requested you go first as he will greet you to the school," she told me, making me even more nervous than ever.

The whole school's eyes are going to be on me. It scared the hell out of me. Professor McGonagall walked through the double doors and we all followed her out into the Great Hall. The chattering slowly came to a stop when Professor Dumbledore stood up at the front of the Hall. "Welcome back to your new school year," he greeted the school. "I hope you are all well and in a welcoming mood as we have a new third-year who has transferred all the way from Beauxbatons, in France. Let us all welcome, Tasmin Delaney."

Professor Dumbledore started a round of applause across the Hall, and I heard a few cheers from the Gryffindor table, making me smile. Professor McGonagall turned to me and guided me up to the stool, standing next to Professor Dumbledore. On the stool was an old hat, which she lifted up so I could sit down.

I jumped up onto the stool, watching out across the Hall, seeing everyone staring at me. I took a deep breath in and calmed myself down. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on my head and I could feel it above me, almost like it was thinking. "Ah," it began, startling me, slightly. "Courageous, just like your father. Very nerving," it continued to list while thinking hard.

Part of me felt content I was similar to me, but the other part was worried that the Sorting Hat knew who my real father was. "Brave, sometimes to the point of recklessness, little to no regard to the rules when the safety of friends and family are at jeopardy." My heart sunk at the final part. Surely, that's Slytherin, right? I kept thinking. "Gryffindor!" It bellowed across the room, my stomach feeling very light and a smile growing on my face.

I stood up and joined my House's table, where I could see Fred and George stood up, waving me over. I sat next to Hermione, across from Harry and Ron. A girl on the other side of me smiled, holding her hand out. "I'm Stella," she greeted before pointing to the girl opposite her, then the boy to her left. "This is Poppy, and this is Tommy." I introduced myself back before everyone else was sorted into their Houses.

The school choir performed a song, Professor Flitwick, the teacher that had guided me to the school, conducting it. Everyone clapped before Dumbledore made his way in front of the teacher's table, again. "I'd like to say a few words before we all become too befuddled by our excellent feast. First, I am pleased to welcome our new student, Tasmin, and our new Professor R J Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Good luck Professor!"

We all began applauding his welcome before Hermione snapped her head at Harry, a smile on her face and still clapping. "Of course!" She said, leaning forward so Harry could hear her over the applause. "That's why he knew to give you the chocolate, Harry."

I knitted my brows together, not sure what they were talking about. "Potter!" A boy snapped. I looked across the table to see the Malfoy boy looking at Harry with a playful look in his eyes. Harry and Ron turned around to look at him, their eyes almost dreading the confrontation. "Is it true you fainted?" He asked. "I mean, you actually fainted?"

Ron shook his head at him before turning Harry around by pushing his shoulder. "Shove off, Malfoy!" He scolded him, protecting his best friend.

Harry exhaled sharply, putting his head down low. "How did he find out?" He whispered while Hermione told him to forget it. A little concern filled my stomach about Harry fainting. Dumbledore began to address us all again, so I pushed it to the back of my mind for a moment.

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, after many years, has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs," Dumbledore explained to the school. I had chosen Care of Magical Creatures as a subject to study this year. Estelle told me her sister studied it and could be dangerous from time to time - but I liked the challenge. "Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid."

The school began applauding, again. All the people on the Gryffindor table cheering around me, one boy, kneeling on the table to whistle loudly. "Finally, on a more disquieting note, as a request of the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will until further notice play host to the Dementors of Azkaban."

Everyone began discussing amongst themselves about the Dementors and personally, I didn't feel too comfortable with them here. Aunt Emma told me all about them when I was younger, as an incentive to go to bed. Little did I know then, the Dementors were quite real and even scarier than I could've imagined. Dumbledore then told the school about Sirius Black, which I already knew about.

My Aunt and Uncle both told me about his escape from Azkaban the day it came out in the Daily Prophet. "The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now, whilst I've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution... Dementors are vicious creatures. They will not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one that gets in their way. Therefore, I must warn each and every one of you, give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving."

Aunt Emma had told me about them but the description of them had been nowhere near as frightening as the one Dumbledore gave us. I guess it was for the best. The scarier he made them sound, the less likely we were to do something stupid. "But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times," he changed the subject to one more inspiring. He waved a candle's flame out, keeping his eyes fixed on us students. "If one only remembers to turn on the light." He waved his hand in the opposite direction as before, the candle relighting itself.

The experience at Hogwarts was already so much different to that at Beauxbatons. At the time, I thought I was going to enjoy it there. I was in for one heck of a rollercoaster.