— august 1993 —

ZOLA MONTGOMERY had been a student at Hogwarts since 1989. The dark-haired girl wasn't popular nor anything special. She was just her. Zola belonged to the House of Montgomery - an esteemed purelood wizarding family, all having gone to Hogwarts and been sorted in Slytherin. Including Zola and her twin brother, Zion.

Zola and Zion weren't very close as siblings, yet one thing they could connect with was Quidditch. They had both made the Slytherin team - Zola being one of the chasers and Zeon being the keeper.

However, that was a far of their common interests stretched. Zion enjoyed bullying younger Hogwarts students with their cousin and his own friends, while Zola preferred studying over bullying. In fact, Zola was certain that the only reason she was sorted into the green house was becsue of her family's reputation.

Unlike many Slytherin students, Zola was kind and made the effort to befriend other students from different house. And she had succeed. Although the Gryffindors were quite reluctant to befriend the pureblood Slytherin, she had managed to get through to the Weasley Twins. They allowed Zola to join them with their pranking, often letting her plan their next bigh scheme.

The brunette had also befriended a smart Ravenclaw called Lorelei Bronski. They met in their first year and shared many interests; Quidditch, studying, Muggle Studies, magical animals, and many other things.

Zola had also befriended a lovely Hufflepuff lad by the name of Troy Jones. He was clumsy and lovable and intelligent.

The intelligent trio had been friends for years now.

however, the Montgomery's were less than fond of her non-Slytheins friends. Geraldine and Slyverster, her mother and father, had refused for her to contact Lorelei or Troy or the Weasley Twins over the holidays, and ordered Zion and Draco to watch over her in the school - though they were far to busy to care about Zola's whereabouts, hence why they were still friends.

It was now the summer before her sixth year at Hogwarts and Zola had been invited to the Qudditch World Cup by her cousin, Draco Malfoy, and his father, Lucius. The Montgomery twins were terribly excited for the trip and even more excited for the game.

However, Zola has also been invited by the Weasley Twins too. So she was in quite the dilemma.

If she were to go with her family, she would have a bad time but a good view. If she were to go with the Weasley's, she would have a great time but a bad view.

After much consideration, she agreed to go with her family but would tell Lucius that she would leave to watch with her 'Slytherin friends' when in reality it would be the 'ginger blood traitor family'.

What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, surely.

"Zo! Hurry up! The Malfoys are here!" She heard Zion's low voice shout through her door. Zola had just finished writing a letter to Fred and George and tried it to her family's owl and shooed it out of the window.

"Coming!" She shouted back, slinging her small bag over her shoulder. In the bag held a change of clothes and a few bits and bobs to help distract herself from her dull family family. She slipped through her door to come face-to-face with her taller twin brother. "Excuse you," she rolled her eyes, shitting the door behind her and brushing past Zion.

"You ready for the World Cup?" Zion asked, brushing his black hair behind his ear.

Zola grinned with a nod. "Yeah, I can't wait!"

Zion snorted with an evil grin. "Great, because you're not going."

"What?!" Zola screeched, halting in place and whipping around to glare at her brother, who only sniggered.

"Yeah, Dad's taking your ticket. They believe it's not a woman's place to go to a Quidditch match," Zion chuckled.

Zola ran down the stairs, dropping her bag to the floor at her feet to glare at her father,mother, uncle and cousin. "How come I'm not going anymore?!"

Her father, Slyvester rolled his eyes. "It's not your place, Zola. I told Zion to inform you of the changes."

Zola groaned. "But you knew how much this meant to me! I don't ask for anything, except this one thing and you can't give me that," It was true. Zola had never asked for any presents or gifts or money throughout her 16 years of life - not even as a child. Yet her parents still did it.

"Dear, you can stay here with me and you can help me wih the housework, yes?" Her mother, Geraldine, offered, placing a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Zola suddenly remembered that the Weasley's had still got a ticket spare for her, just in case. "Could I visit my friends instead? We'll only be going to Hogsmeade? I'll probably sleep over at one of their houses if that's okay?"

"Which friends?"

"Susana, Hettie and Fiona," Zola named three well-known Slytherin girls. Close enough for her parents to know their names, but far enough to not contact them.

Slyvester and Geraldine shared a glance before Slyvester nodded. "Very well."

Zola grinned and hugged her mother before nodding at her father. "Thank you, father. See you later, mum," she whispered the last part to Geraldine.

Before she apparated away, she stuck her tongue out at Draco and Zion as she picked up her bag. Then she was gone.

In a matter of seconds, she was in the middle of the bustle and hustle of the Weasley's Burrow. Molly Weasley screamed at the new comer but quickly calmed down at the sight of Zola. "Oh, hello, dear, you startled me!"

"Sorry Molly!" Zola chuckled.

"No worries, my dear. Anyway, what are you doing here? Fred and George said you were going with your family and meeting them there?" Molly continued, walking to the kitchen, gesturing for the brunette girl to follow her.

"Oh, my dad took my ticket. Said it's not a woman's place to go to a Quidditch match," she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, well that's good-" A voice declared behind her, causing her to jump. "Becsue you're hardly a woman!" Fred and George finished each other's sentences. Before Zola could defend herself, Molly had already hit them upside the heads.

"You couldn't tell apart woman from an elf," Zola countered with a smug smile.

Fred and George pulled Zola into the front room, plopping her down on the couch to settle in the spots next to her. "You came begging us for the spare ticket, haven't you?" Fred poked with a mocking grin.

"Yes," Zola mumbled, crossing her arms.

"Speak up, madam?" George pushed further.

The Montgomery girl groaned. "Yes. Fine. I did. Can I please have the spare ticket?" Fred and George nodded at each other and dangled the ticket in front of her. She grabbed so qucikly that they didn't even see her retract her hand. "Thank you, boys!"

Arthur came into the room, shouting for all the kids to come down as they were already late. "Oh, hello, Zola. Nice to have you join us," Arthur nodded at the girl before gathering up his bag and walking outside.

Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Harry all made their way down the rickety stairway. When the trio of fourth-years joined school, they weren't overly fond of any Slytherin - especially one related to Draco. Yet, the more they saw Zola comfortable with Ron's older brothers and other Hogwarts students not from her house, they realised she wasn't that bad.

"Hi, Zo," The four younger kids said when they noticed the girl. Zola nodded in return with a smile.

Then they were off into the woods. It had been nearly 50 minutes of aimlessly wandering. "Whereabouts are we going, dad?" Ron asked Arthur.

"Haven't the foggiest," Arthur carried on. "Keep up!"

Fred, George and Zola were walking directly behind Arthur in a line. Hermione and Ginny walked behind them, with Harry and Ron in the rear.

"Arthur!" A voice called out in the distance. Zola peered over George's shoulder to see a man waiting for them. "It's about time, son!"

"Sorry, Amos. Some of us had a bit of a sleepy start," Arthur said, looking back at the group of kids behind him.

"Ickle Ronnikins?" Zola asked her two friends.

"Ickle Ronnikins," Fred and George confimred with two identical grins. "And Potter too!"

The group had finally approached the man who wore a peaked cap and a large grin. "This is Amos Diggory, everyone. Works with me at the Ministry."

Suddenly, a body dropped from the tall tree that Amos was stood at and landed by him, causing Zola to scream in fright.

"And this strapping young lad must be Cedric, am I right?"

Fred and George laughed at Zola's reaction to Cedric's sudden prescene, and continued to poke fun at her.

"Oh shut it," Zola sped up to walk beside Arthur. "Your sons are awful people, you know, Arthur?" She spoke loud enough so Fred and George could hear, causing them to 'oi' at her.

"Very aware, Zola," Arthur smiled with a sigh. "Zola, you've met Cedric, yes?" His hand landed on Cedric's shoulder, gesturing him to the brunette girl.

Zola tilted her head. "We're in the same year, but I don't beleive we've had a conversation before," she smiled at the boy.

Cedric grinned, his red cheeks burning slightly more. "No, don't believe we have. Nice to finally meet you, Zola."