"Ah, another Malfoy," the hat sounded amused. "You are not what you seem, or what your family and peers see, are you? Your heart is double. A Malfoy in name, but your true lineage is hazy, which makes you quite tricky to place. You would do well in...
"Ally, wake up!" A violent push on the shoulder wakes me, and almost sends me sprawled on the floor and away from my warm bed covers.
"Draco, leave me alone!" I hiss, flipping over on the bed so my back is towards my brother. I could tell he rolled his stormy blue-grey eyes.
"Ally, you need to get up this instant!" He persists.
I open one eye and peek a look under my long lashes. "What is the matter Draco!" I huff.
"We have school!" He suddenly yells, causing me to jolt upright and our foreheads clash. We both groan but we soon laugh at each other.
"Children?" Mother calls from the hallway, and we both look towards my bedroom door which is open.
She gracefully walks in, her arms folded across her chest; she's wearing a slim, elegant emerald dress. Her thick hair is straightened just below her shoulders, and where her centre-parting is, one side is platinum and the other is black. The same went for her full fringe. It was an odd choice of hairstyle but it complimented both the Black side and Malfoy side of the family - a symmetry of acceptance of sorts.
She walks into my room and perches down next to us on the edge of the bed. She runs a hand through Draco's slick-back platinum blonde hair, and cups my chin with her other hand.
"Please, look out for each other! Show your loyalty and honour the family name," mother tells us.
***
After plenty of time rushing about, I've got everything gathered and packed into my trunk. Fleck is sat on top of it and she watches as I pace my room. I have my diary with me as something about it brings me comfort.
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It didn't take us long to arrive at King's Cross Station , and Draco went to fetch us a trolley so that we could put our trunks on it. We made our way until we reached the wall between platforms nine and ten. Draco and I both smirk at each other before we charge at the wall and make it onto the platform.
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The scarlet Hogwarts Express awaits us, steam from the coal engine blossoms around it like an autonomous shroud. Mother had instructed us to write to her the moment we were in our dorms to tell her and father which house we had been sorted into.
I held back on the platform until I knew that Draco would be on the train, he only agreed to leave my side after I promised him that I would come find him in one of the compartments.
I let out a sigh knowing he was out of view, when hands suddenly covered my eyes, and I instantly smiled knowing exactly who it was covering them.
"Lookie here, Fred. Looks like we've caught ourselves an Ally," George said.
"A tall one too," I hear Fred say a moment after.
I turned around and pulled them into a hug, I haven't seen them in ages; they could tell as much from the hug. My friendship with Fred and George was one of my best kept secrets; I'm not sure how our friendship came about, since my family see the Weasley's as blood traitors.
(Our shared love of mischief had something to do with it, I'd imagine).
Despite this, each year on my birthday, Mrs Weasley would always send me a knitted jumper and I would send presents to them.
Together, we walked to the train, and the boys filled me in on everything I'd missed since I couldn't spend any time with them, other than sending the occasional letters back and forth. Thankfully, mother and father did not screen any of the letters I wanted to send to my friends, so it was easy to not cause too much drama and arguing at home.
I peered into each compartment until I found Draco, before, however, I bumped into Harry again, and Ron who had a smudge of dirt on the side of his nose. I'm about to talk to them when Draco appears at my side and says his piece. I elbow his side, causing him to yelp and I glare at him.
Harry flashes me a grin, although it wavers when Draco speaks. "Come on, sister, we have a carriage towards the back of the train."
"Sister?" I hear Harry whisper to Ron as I follow Draco, so I hold back to hear what he has to say.
"Shocking, isn't it?! Ally isn't anything like the Malfoy's, - she's an anomaly; good friends with Fred and George too! If you want to get to know any of the Malfoy's, it's her," Ron tells him and I smile at his words.
In our compartment I sit down opposite Draco, we wait a while until it's time for us to change into our robes. I tie my tie which has the Hogwarts crest emblazoned on it; that will change once we've been sorted into our houses.
Draco then introduces me to the two pillars that are Crabbe and Goyle, who both grunt a "hello" in my direction. Neither of them were particularly talkative.
Soon I felt the train come to a stop. Draco and I, along with a few other first years got onto a boat. The boat ride wasn't particularly long but I could feel my eyes starting to droop, so I let my head rest on Draco's shoulder.
It wasn't long before we saw Hogwarts in its beauty, who's silhouette shone against the lake which ripples as we got closer to the other side.
Draco and I both share a look, excitement etched on our faces. This was going to be our home for the next seven years. Theo came and found me the moment we were off the boats, he gives me an awkward hug and together we follow Hagrid up to the castle.
Professor McGonagall introduces herself as we all gather up a staircase just before the doors that would take us into the Great Hall. We had a short wait before we could go in for the sorting.
Professor Dumbledore made a few announcements as we trickled into the great hall, and we all stopped just before the head table where our professors were all seated, and the ruddy Sorting Hat on a stool just in front.
Dumbledore was at his owl podium which had dried wax down it, melted from the candles, as though they were stalactites hanging down from a cave.
He talks about the Forbidden Forest being off limits to all students, and that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death.
