The Girl Who Survived-A Harry Potter Story

Chapter 2

Clara followed the rest of her house to the Slytherin common room, keeping her head down as she did. She didn't want to see anyone, or anyone to see her. She wanted to be invisible. There's never been a muggle born sorted into Slytherin before. What does this mean? She had never felt like such an outcast before.

"Alright first years, follow me!" The Slytherin prefect instructed. Clara looked for the first time since she left the Great Hall and took in her surroundings. The group had stopped at the top of a stone staircase and were waiting for the prefect to show them where to go next. Clara looked over and saw Gryffindor house walking up the stairs next to her. Hermione looked over and gave her a faint smile and carried on with the rest of her house. Even Hermione was looking at her differently.

"Okay this way!" The group walked down the stairs and followed the prefect down a long, dark corridor toward the common room. It felt so cold and lonely down there. They turned the corner and came into this big room that had black, leather sofas, big wooden tables with chairs for studying and doing homework, high ceilings, Slytherin banners on the walls, a roaring fire in this magnificent fireplace. It was filled with black and green and the only form of light was the fire, lanterns on the walls and great chandeliers with candles hanging from the ceiling.

"Boy's dorms are that way, girls, that way," the prefect pointed and everyone split to see what their dorms would look like. Clara followed the rest of the girls to the dorms. As they pushed the wooden doors open, the room looked just like the common room, a bit dark and cold. Each girl had a single four poster bed with dark green curtains and white bedding. All of their trunks, books and pets had been delivered and placed by their bed. Clara looked round the room and noticed that she had been given the bed in the corner away from everyone. She looked over to the other girls and they just giggled to themselves and continued to unpack and get to know each other. Clara sat on her bed and cried. Could this be happening? Surly she would wake up and this would all be a horrible dream and she would be in Gryffindor with her friends. She laid her head down on the pillow and drifted off to sleep.

Clara's eyes fluttered open as daylight crept in through the small window of her dorm. She noticed that all the other girls were still sleeping, perhaps that was for the best. She got out of bed and opened up her trunk to get out her uniform. Today was her first proper day as a Hogwarts student. She couldn't wait to get started and to see her friends again. She really missed having Hermione around. Once she was dressed, she checked the time. 6:00am. Class didn't start until 8 so she had plenty of time. Clara tip toed out of the dorm, trying not to wake the others up and walked down to the common room where a few members of her house were already up and going about their mornings. As Clara entered the room, however, everyone stopped and started to stare at her. Some of them giggling to their friends, others looking at her with pure disgust and hate and others just looked confused. Was this what it was going to be like for the next 7 years? She could feel her face getting hotter and redder. She looked down to her feet, to avoid everyones gaze and walked out of the common room with tears running down her face. Once she found a safe place to compose herself, she wiped away her tears and looked at her Slytherin uniform. Maybe there is a way to change this? Maybe the sorting hat made a mistake? But who could she talk to? Perhaps Hermione would know. Clara wiped away the last few tears and made her way to the great hall for breakfast. As she turned the corner, the great hall looked completely different from the night before. It seemed completely empty, the candles from the ceiling were gone, the lanterns weren't lit, the table where all the teachers were sat was empty and the house tables were filled with breakfast food but no where near as grand as last nights feast. Clara scans the crown in the hall, searching for Hermione. She spots her sat next to a ginger boy and Harry Potter! Clara was sightly nervous about going over there. Maybe Hermione will treat her different. What if Harry and that other boy are mean to her because she is Slytherin now. There was only one way to find out. She took a deep breath and walked over to the trio.

"Hi Hermione," Clara smiled once she reached her friend. Hermione smiled and looked towards her, but the smile vanished when she realised who it was.

"Oh, um, hi Clara," she said quietly. It seemed, to Clara, like she was trying to avoid letting people know that she knew her. Surly not, Hermione wouldn't do something like that.

"Hi," Clara turned to Harry and the other boy and smiled at them both. The ginger boy just looked away but Harry replied.

"Hi, Clara right?" He said hold out his hand. Clara was a little surprised by this but took his hand none the less and shook it gently.

"Yea, you're Harry right?" She replied.

"Yea and this is Ron," He pointed to the ginger boy at next to him. Ron looked round and seem annoyed that Harry told her what his name was but looked at Clara with a little smile just to be polite.

"Congratulations on getting into Gryffindor, all of you, I'm really happy for you," Clara said trying to make the situation a little less awkward.

"Thanks," They all replied, though Hermione was still avoiding Clara's eyes.

"And I'm sorry about what happened to you. It must be really hard to be in Slytherin," Harry sympathised and gave a little smile of reassurance. Clara smiled back and then turned her attention to Hermione.

"That reminds me, Hermione, I need your help," she says as she takes a seat next to Hermione. "I was wondering if there was a way of me switching houses." Hermione finally looked round but she didn't look intrigued, she looked shocked.

"Whats wrong?" Clara asked.

"Clara, I'm really sorry that you got sorted into Slytherin, truly I am but I don't think I can help," Hermione replied.

"Why not?" Clara asked, a little hurt that her friend wouldn't even try and help her out.

"Well, it's not as easy as that. You can't just switch houses. What the sorting hat says, goes. I guess you could try and speak to your head of house or even Professor Dumbledore but I don't know how much good it would do. I'm sorry, I need to go." Hermione stands, collects her things and walks out of the Great Hall. Clara is left speechless. Why would Hermione speak to her like that? She could feel tears pricking her eyes again as she looked up at Harry and Ron who were just as speechless as she was.

The Great Hall was starting to fill up with students wanting breakfast and they all started staring at Clara again. People started whispering and laughing at her. Asking why she was sat with Harry Potter.

"Maybe you should go and sit with the Slytherins?" Ron speaks up. Clara was slightly hurt but he made a good point. All the Gryffindors looked at her like she didn't belong.

"Ron don't be mean, Clara you can stay if you wa-" Harry starts.

"No no, it's okay. He's right. I don't want you guys to feel awkward because of me. I should go sit with my house, I guess," She gives him a small smile, stands and walks over to the table where the rest of the Slytherins were sat. As she sits, the people sat around here move up the table so she is sat alone. Tears finally start to fall as she hides her face in her hands while the rest her house start to laugh. Harry looked over and felt so bad for her. He knew how she felt. He had spent the first 11 years of his life feeling like that but now it just seems they have traded places. He had found a place where he is loved and can call home, whereas she couldn't feel more alone.