Astrum (fem!Harry Potter)

Family

Authors Note: Instead of doing a bunch of small chapters like most Wattpad stories, I prefer much larger chapters. This one covers all of Cassy's 1st year. It's over 11,000 words. So... enjoy!

"Potter, Cassiopeia!"

Cassy fiddled nervously with her fingers as she distanced herself from the first years clumped at the entrance to the Great Hall. Desperately ignoring the hundreds of eyes trained on her malnourished form, she shuffled up to the sorting hat, an old raggedy thing, and shoved down on top of her head.

Hmm," a small voice spoke suddenly in her ear, startling her quite effectively, "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, ah my goodness, yes. And a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

Cassy gripped the edges of the stool and thought, "Not Slytherin, not Slytherin."

"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the disembodied voice, "Ah, I see that Mr. Malfoy has made quite the impression on you. Well, I can't have just one student ruining the whole house for you." Cassy began another feeble protest, but the voice cut her off, "None of that, none of that. My decision is final."

Accompanying the sinking feeling in her gut, the hat opened the seam ripped into his brim and announced, "SLYTHERIN!"

The hall, somehow, seemed even more quiet than it had before. Flushing a deep crimson, she hastily removed the hat, handed to a speechless Professor McGonagall, and scurried over to the silent Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy sneered at her and shifted away when she sat down, as if she might infect him with her muggle-ness.

The rest of the sorting sped past in a blur, Cassy desperately trying to fight down tears of shame in response to the looks of disgust. Not even just from her housemates either - everyone in the school seemed personally offended by her sorting. Even Ron Weasley, her friend she had made on the train, had ignored the shaky smile she had sent him when he had been sorted into Gryffindor.

Finally, Headmaster Dumbledore finished his odd speech and food magically appeared on the table. The joy of seeing magic again had lightened her mood for a moment, but it quickly darkened again after Cassy felt herself grow full after only a few bites of the rich food. She glanced enviously at a large girl who was shoving food into her mouth - Millacent Bulstrode, Cassy thought the girl's name was.

After another miserable hour where she only managed one more treacle tart, the Headmaster announced the end of the speech, along with a hallway that promised a horrible death, and a girl named Gemma Farley stood and introduced herself as the fifth year prefect who would direct them to the Slytherin common room.

Cassy stood with the rest of the kids in her year, but was quickly pushed to the back of the group, Pansy Parkinson stomping harshly on her shoe as she passed her.

As Cassy limped behind everyone else, she took the time to study her housemates. Draco Malfoy, the boy she had met in Madam Malkins, was leading the pack, with Pansy snuggled up next to him. The Dudley comparison was growing stronger with each passing moment. The two bulky boys were trailing behind the two. She vaguely recalled Malfoy introducing them, but she couldn't remember their names for the life of her. Bulstrode and a mousy haired girl were chatting quietly with one another and Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini were walking alone, though it seemed more self-inflicted than Cassy's isolation.

She couldn't help but notice how few Slytherin students there were compared to the other houses. Hufflepuff had gotten eighteen new first years, but Slytherin had only received nine. Maybe that had something to do with the boos they received when they were seated. Cassy recalled her own sorting with a wince. Was horrified silence better than jeers? She wasn't sure.