CHAPTER ONE

Ellison Avery was sitting by herself on the train to Hogwarts. She already had her robes and uniform on. She didn't really have anyone to sit with, none of the Gryffindors in her year really liked her. They knew of her family history which made it hard for them to trust her.

She could feel the magic pulsing through her left arm but she hadn't heard anything from Voldemort since the day she got the mark. He stayed true to his word though, when she got home from Borgin and Burkes the house elves were running around carrying bags to the kitchen.

Daphne Greengrass slid into the seat in front of her, "Hey stranger!" She exclaimed.

Ellison smiled, "Hey Daph."

"I was beginning to think you were dead, I hadn't heard from you all summer."

Ellison looked down at the table, "Not dead, although I wish I were. Mum has gotten sicker so I didn't really leave the house much."

"I'm sorry, El. Is there anything my parents could do for her? They could get her groceries and potions if you need someone to do that while we're at school."

"No thanks, I've already lined someone up to do that, but thank you for the offer."

Daphne nodded, "Of course. You missed out on so much though, I have lots to catch you up on."

"Really? What all happened?" Ellison asked, she was glad that Daphne had changed the subject, she didn't want to talk about her mother anymore.

For the remainder of the train ride Daphne told her about all of the balls she attended over the summer and all about her new boyfriend who goes to Durmstrang.

Finally they made it to Hogwarts and the two girls went their separate ways. Ellison found a place at the Gryffindor table beside Hermione who greeted her with a smile before turning back to Ron. Harry was missing from the table and Ron was stuffing his face with food, "Don't worry. He'll be here in a minute." He assured Hermione.

Hermione frowned at him and swatted him with the textbook she had in her hands, "Will you stop eating? Your best friend is missing!"

"Oi, turn around, you lunatic!" Ron exclaimed. Ellison glanced up to see what he was looking at and she saw Harry, who was finally walking in after missing the Sorting Ceremony and half of dinner.

"He's covered in blood again. Why is it he's always covered in blood?" Ginny asked.

Interesting. Ellison noticed that he was covered in blood. How often did he end up covered in blood? She wandered what Ginny meant by that.

The second that Harry sat down, Hermione leaned across the table, "Where have you been?" She whispered, she looked up at his face, "What happened to your face?"

Harry looked over at Ellison, who had been watching them talk, "Later." He mumbled.

She looked back down at her food. She was debating on leaving, if anyone asked where she was going then she'd say she was sick, but right as she was about to stand up, Dumbledore began talking, "Very best of evenings to you all. First off let me introduce the newest member of our staff, Horace Slughorn." He paused, giving everyone a second to clap. "I'm happy to say has agreed to resume his old post as the Potion Master. Meanwhile the post of Defense Against Dark Arts will be taken over by Professor Snape." He once again paused to let people clap, however no one clapped except for the Slytherins. In fact, everyone had started whispering.

"Now, as you know, each and everyone was searched upon your arrival tonight, and you all have the right to know why. Once there was young man, who, like you, sat in this very hall, walked this castle's corridors, slept under its very roof. He seemed to all the world a student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle. Today, of course, he's known all over the world by another name. Which is why, as I stand, looking out at you all tonight, I'm reminded of a sobering fact that every day, every hour, this very minute, perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle's walls. But in the end, their greatest weapon is you. Just something to think about. Now, off to bed. Pip-pip."

Well, what a great speech to start the school year.

As everyone began to disperse out of the Great Hall, she caught a glimpse of the Slytherin table. Sitting with his head propped up on his hands was a gloomy Draco Malfoy. She wondered if he had ended up taking the mark like Voldemort had mentioned.

-

Ellison had gotten up extra early, it was the first day of classes and she didn't want to run into any of the Gryffindor's in the common room. She left before the sun had even fully rose, she went to the Great Hall and grabbed an apple and then left, she walked outside and took a seat on one of the many stairwells around the castle.

She pulled out her potions book and began studying, it was her first class of the day and she'd like to be a bit more prepared since she'd have a new teacher this year.

She had read a quarter of the book when she realized that class was about to start, she quickly packed her things up and ran into the school, she was maneuvering her way through the crowds of lost first years. Finally, she'd made it to the Potions hallway, quickly running past none other than Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. She hoped she didn't have this class with them.

"Wonder where she's off to in such a hurry?" Ron mumbled.

Harry shrugged.

She made it into the classroom right before Professor Slughorn had started talking. Everyone was standing so she politely moved past the crowd and stood in the back.

Slughorn began his speech on what they'd be learning this year before stopping mid-sentence to turn around, "Harry, my boy, I was beginning to worry. We've brought someone with us, I see."

Ron looked around the classroom, "Ron Weasley, sir. But I'm dead awful at Potions. A menace actually so I'm probably just gonna-" He made an attempt to turn around but was stopped by Harry blocking the door.

Slughorn shook his head, "Nonsense, any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine, get your books out."

"I haven't actually got my book yet." Harry announced.

Slughorn waved his hand, "Not to worry, get what you want from the cupboard," He turned back to the rest of the class, "Now as I was saying, I prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be?" He asked.

A hand shot up in the front of the classroom. Probably Hermione, Ellison thought to herself.

"Yes, Miss..." Slughorn trailed off.

"Granger, sir. That one there is Veritaserum. It's a truth-telling serum. And that would be Polyjuice-"

Her voice was drowned out by the commotion behind Ellison, she turned to see what it was, Ron and Harry seemed to be fighting over a book. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the front where Hermione was still going on about how tricky it was to make Polyjuice.

The two boys had walked back over to the group of students just as Hermione began talking about Amortentia. Ellison felt someone elbow her arm, she looked up, expecting it to be someone accidentally doing it, but she was met by Theo Nott's grin, "Think she'll smell me in her Amortentia?" He whispered.

Ellison shook her head, "You wish, Nott. She'll probably smell Weasley."

"Freshly mowed grass.. Spearmint.. Definitely Weasley." Theo mumbled.

"I bet Lavender smells it too, look at how she's eyeing the cauldron." Ellison noted. Lavender was on her tip toes staring at it, her mouth was open and she seemed to be holding her breath, only releasing it when Slughorn put the lid on it.

Theo looked over at her, his face wrinkling, "She's weird."

"At least you don't have to share a dorm with her." Ellison complained.

"No, but I share one with Draco, which I'd argue is worse. All he does is sulk."

Before she has the chance to respond, everyone had began to walk over to tables. She looked around confused, "What are we supposed to be doing?" She asked.

"You have to make your own Liquid Luck, whoever makes it perfectly gets to take the vial of it." Hermione explained to her as she walked past to go to her table.

Ellison nodded, "Right, thanks."

Theo looked down at her, "Well, I don't suppose you'd want to be table partners?" He asked.

"Obviously."

-

The two quickly discovered that there was only one table left and it was completely full, minus two seats, Draco, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle occupied the taken four seats. She took the open spot beside Draco. He looked up at her and frowned before going back to his potions. She picked up the first ingredient, a Sopophorus bean, only for it to fly out of her hands and zigzag its way over to Theo. He looked up at her, "I think that's supposed to go in your cauldron, not come to me." He teased.

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever, just give it back."

He tossed it over to her, she managed to catch it. Across the room, Seamus Finnigan had caused an explosion. Someone else's has jumped from the cauldron, turning into a slime like state on the table.

An hour had passed and she had still unsuccessfully managed to cut the bean up. Harry was declared to be the only one who successfully made the potion. Scattered applause filled the room as Slughorn gave him the bottle. Hermione, who was in the front, was frowning and clapping slowly.

Finally Slughorn dismissed them and she went about the rest of her day as normal.

She was sitting in the Quidditch stands doing her homework assignments when she spotted Draco Malfoy staring up at her. He was holding his broom and wearing a black practice jersey that was covered in grass.

She looked back down at her homework, pretending not to notice him. Once she finished it she packed her things back up and climbed down the stands. She hurried back into the school, it was getting dark and it was almost time for dinner. 

She was walking down a deserted hallway when she heard footsteps behind her. She stopped and spun around. At the end of the hallway was a tall unmoving shadow.

Weird.

She turned back around and kept walking. The footsteps picked up again, closer now. So she stopped and turned around.

Draco Malfoy was behind her, "Are you following me?" She asked.

He looked past her, "Yes." He admitted.

Her eyebrows furrowed, she was confused, "Why?"

"I can't tell you out in the open, I just have to show you."

She frowned, "I'm not going anywhere with you."

He sighed, "Please?"

She crossed her arms, "Give me one good reason why I should."

"Your left arm. He'll have it if you don't obey." Draco threatened.

She blinked, "How do you know about that?"

"Come with me, we can't talk about it here."

authors note:
chapter one wooooooo

also most of the time when stuff is in italics,
it's the characters internal thoughts so it's
not anything they're saying out loud.