Beauty and the Beast

chapter one

It was a cold morning in February of 1927. A woman named Amelia Dalton lie exhausted in her bed. She had given birth to her first child not even an hour ago. Her husband, Roger sat in the chair beside her, watching her as she recovered. "Will she be magical, like you?" Amelia asked. Roger sighed then gave his best honest answer. "Most likely, yes, but she could be a squib," Mr. Dalton told his wife. She nodded politely. "Oh, I dearly hope she is like you. You are such a marvelous man, Roger," Amelia told her husband. The man merely smiled and told her, "Thank you."

Her name was Samantha Lou Dalton. She was quite the adorable little newborn, with only a couple strands of medium blonde hair. Her eyes were a stunning blue like those of her father. While they could not tell yet, Sam indeed did have the gift of magic inherited from her father; she was a halfblooded witch. Like many other of magical kind, she would go to Hogwarts when she turned eleven. This was only the usual for people like Roger and his daughter. So the couple in the hospital wondered what lies ahead for little Samantha Dalton. As much as I do not wish to say it, whatever their answer was, it was very, very off.

September 1, 1938

Samantha waved goodbye to her parents as she eagerly got on the train, ready for her new life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She walked down the halls of the train before she found a compartment that she'd like, since the other ones were full. Of course, this was an empty compartment. She sat down, a gentle smile still on her face as she looked around the train compartment. Her eyes wandered around until she looked out the window for a decent amount of time. She took about every detail into note as she watched the world outside of the train compartment. She was now distant from the world around her, not paying much attention.

"Um... excuse me... uh... can I sit here?" A brown-haired boy requested. Samantha looked over at him and gave a gentle smile. "Of course you can," she told him politely. The boy gave the slightest smile, something he didn't do very often. He sat down at the other side of the compartment quietly, placing his suitcase under the seat. "What's your name?" Sammy asked. The boy shuddered slightly. "Tom Riddle..." he answered rather quietly. Samantha did not hear him. "What did you say it was?" He sighed. Speaking louder, he told her, "Tom Riddle." The girl nodded and gave a polite smile. "Hello, Tom. My name is Samantha Dalton, but I go by Sam."

They had mild conversation during the rest of trip and became friends somewhat quickly. When the train stopped, they walked beside each other during the walk to the boats. The floating candles over the lake amazed Sam, but they did not amaze Tom. Before long, the first years walked onto the steps, where Professor Ansel, who taught Care Of Magical Creatures, gave the speech about the Hogwarts houses. He then led them into the Great Hall, where the older students were waiting for them. The Headmaster delivered his speech to the incoming students and the returning ones as well. So then the Sorting Ceremony began.

It didn't take long for the first couple people to go. "Dalton, Samantha!" Professor Ansel announced. Sam walked up to the stool and sat down. The professor placed the hat on the first year. "Quite a mixed personality here. Trustworthy, yes. And quite a dash of bravery. Very resourceful, I see. Ah, it must be... SLYTHERIN!" I smile and go over to the table where the robes of the students had a green symbol on it. After many other students, Tom was approaching the stool. He had the slightest smirk on his face as the magical hat said, "SLYTHERIN!" Sam applauded for her new housemate and friend.

So the feast began, and every student seemed to be devouring their food at a rapid pace. Samantha and Tom were no different. Throughout all the tables, there was laughter and joy. Everyone was engaged in conversation and smiles were spread across the room. Many of the first years were amazed by how the food seemed to appear out of nowhere combined with the wonderful taste. Samantha could not stop burrowing into mashed potatoes and gravy, while Tom was a more chicken drumstick kind of guy.

After dinner, the Slytherin prefect walked the students back to the common rooms in the dungeons. Tom was looking around the castle as he walked, appreciating and observing the magic around them. When they got to the common rooms, a ginger girl approached Sam. "Hello, I'm Raine Baker. What's your name?" She asked. The blonde-haired girl replied, "Samantha Dalton." They shook hands and talked about their homes and memories, becoming friends instantly. And Tom was listening in to what they had to say, the girls only noticing each other.