Lucinda Evans - still in progress

Chapter 16 - Changing schools

This summer is like summer always is at the Malfoys; boring, uneasy and awkward. But this time there was also the tension of Voldemorts return that hung in the air. I have never seen Mr Malfoy like that in my entire life. He was always so cold and restrained, but now he acts like he is scared to death. All the time! I mean, I had to hear from Draco that my brother came in confrontation with the Ministry. It's rather strange he didn't want to brag about something like that.

Mer and I are in our room and loud music is coming out of the speakers. Normally Mr Malfoy would have come up here a long time ago to shut us up and give us a punishment for bothering him. But now he hasn't said a word about it. Actually, he hasn't  said much to us all summer long. That was until dinner.

Mrs Malfoy gives the potato's to me after she put some in her and Draco's plate.  I was just about to put some on Mers plate when Mr. Malfoy clears his throat. 

"After long consideration, I've decided it is best for the two of you to change schools. Hogwarts is much closer and it would be much more practical for Narcissa and I if you went to the same school as Draco."

"Why?" Mer asks, her cheeks bunchy because her mouth is full of potato.

"Don't ask questions! Just accept," he turns back to his normal self and sneers at her.

"But father, I don't want them coming to Hogwarts. It was already interesting enough last year!" Draco starts complaining but shuts his mouth when he sees his father's glance.

"Tomorrow the three of you will go shopping for new robes and books together with Narcissa and that is final."

-----

"Well, these robes are certainly something different than the pale blue robes made of silk we used to wear at Beauxbatons," I comment when I look at myself looking back in the mirror.

The uniform consisted of a plain white buttoned shirt, a house tie which will colour itself after we are sorted in our house, a charcoal grey cardigan and a skirt around knee-length. Girls also had to wear black tights or stockings. 

"They can't expect me to wear those shoes?!!"

I look at Mer and she has the same uniform but instead of the cardigan, I chose she is wearing a charcoal grey knitted v-neck jumper.

I get what she's complaining about. I look at the shoes I'm wearing at the moment. They're plain black shoes and an open black silver fastened robe with the student's House emblem on and respective coloured lining. They're hideous! I'm already missing the heels he used to wear at Beauxbatons.

"Stop complaining, Merope. It's not like you would look better in something else. You always look this ugly. No need to act so surprised," Draco comes out of the fitting room to get his clothes adjusted.

His uniform consisted of a plain white buttoned shirt, a house tie with thin stripes of green and silver, a charcoal grey sleeveless jumper with cuffs and waist in green, charcoal trousers and the same ugly black shoes. Though on Draco they looked quite classy.

"I look dashing. The only thing missing is my snake badge for my tie and of course my new perfect badge for my robes," Draco comments, admiring himself in the mirror while Madam Malkin gives his trousers the final touches.

Mer gives me a look of disgust while I just roll my eyes and think about our upcoming year. We know the school kind of already since we were selected for the exchange last year during the Tournament. But now we are enrolling as students of Hogwarts, not just as guests. And our sorting ceremony; will it be in front of everybody else like with the first years or will we be called in private?

-----

"You have everything?"

"Yes, mother. I've got everying. And if I found out I did forget something you can always just send it by owl. Now if you would excuse us, the train is about to leave and as new Slytherin prefect I can't miss it," Draco says his goodbye's to his mother, his father didn't bother to come since he's going some shady looking job for the Dark Lord, and gets onto the train. Mer and I follow behind him after we said our goodbye's too.

"You will not be able to sit with me because Pansy and I need to go to the prefect meeting but the two of you can sit with Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle," Draco says before leaving with pug-face.

Mer and I look at the three guys in the compartiment before looking at eachother. Blaise is an OK guy but Crabbe and Goyle... Merlin, I can't stand them.

"Hey, Blaise. Had a nice summer?" Mer turns back to the guys and go sit next to Goyle and infrond of Blaise.

"Was quite alright," he answers while I go sit next to Blaise and give Crabbe and Goyle, who are seeted infrond of me,  a little smile before awkwardly looking away.

"Do you already know what house you'll be sorted into?" Blaise breakes the alfully painful silence after a few minutes. 

"Well, Luce and I were both sorted into Sabent at Beauxbatons. Sabent was the house of the talented and the intelligent so I think it's logical to asume that we'll be sorted into Ravelclaw."

"Sounds like a safe guess to me," he answers before it becomes silent again. Nobody says a word till Draco is back.

-----

When the other students see us they start whispering. Gossiping about us without a doubt.

"Before the first years arrive, I'd like to make an announcement," Dumbledore starts and all the talks end, "This year we welcome two of the students from Beauxbatons who were guests last year during the Triwizard Tournament. They will now be sorted separately from the first years."

Professor McGonagall comes walking through word, "Miss Black, you first please."

Mer puts the old and ugly hat on her head. Before a couple of seconds of silence, it cries out; "Ravenclaw!"

The table with the blue and bronze uniforms starts cheering and she walks over there to take place.

"Miss Evans, your turn please."

I take a deep breath and take the hat from her and put it on my head. I shouldn't be worried. Mer and I were in the same house at Beauxbatons, why would this be any different?

"Maybe because we have different standards here?" I hear a voice say inside my head before the hat yells; "Slytherin!"