Miss Americana

Chapter 1

We arrived at King's Cross train station much earlier than we needed to. My mother always insisted on being early to anything. I followed her and my father through the crowds of Muggles as they call them here, a new term I'll have to get used to. Rather than the No-Maj as we call them in America. England was much different to what I was used to and it would take some time to adjust. We had only just moved here a few months ago and I was still finding things hard. "Now Kaylee, don't forget what your father and I have told you." My mother said for what felt like the thousandth time since preparing to come to Hogwarts. Both of them met at Hogwarts when they were my age. They were sorted into Gryffindor along with Lily Evans, James Potter, Molly Prewett, Arthur Weasley, Alice Fortescue, and Frank Longbottom. They were all great friends and my parents made it well known that I should befriend Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Neville. There hasn't been a day my mother hasn't mentioned those four. She also has drilled it into my mind to stay away from Draco Malfoy. According to my mother his parents were nothing but trouble when they were all students. That Draco would be no different and I shouldn't get caught up with a troublemaker like him. "Kaylee are you even listening?" I roll my eyes and look over at my mother. "Yes, it's nothing new. Get sorted into Gryffindor, make friends with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Neville. You've told me many times." I say letting out a sigh. "Don't forget to stay away from that Draco boy. He's just like his parents. You don't need to be getting mixed up with someone like him." I roll my eyes again, annoyed at hearing her talk about him like that. He can't be that bad can he? I don't respond to my mother, but she continues on anyways. "Don't you know what his parents are?" She pauses for a second, not even giving me time to speak. She lowers her voice, "They're Death Eaters, they're loyal to You Know Who." I interrupt my mother before she can say anything else. "I get it okay?" I look over at her, her expression changes when she sees how annoyed I look. "I'm sorry mom. I promise I'll be safe." I say feeling a bit guilty now, I reach over and give her a side hug as we sit on the bench. We hear the train whistle blow, my mother checks her watch. "The train will be leaving in 5 minutes. Let's get your trunk loaded onto the train." I stand up to follow my mother and father, they seem so natural at this almost like they never left Hogwarts. I pick up the cage that holds my Niffler, Jewels and carry it to the compartment where they keep all the other students pets. As I'm handing Jewels to the attendant I hear an unfamiliar voice behind me. "Mary? Michael? My goodness!" I turn around to see a lady with bright red hair pulling my mother into a hug. I see a boy about my age standing awkwardly behind her. "Molly, this is my girl Kaylee. Sweetheart this is Molly Weasley." She says, letting go of Molly and gesturing to her. "Ron? Ronald where are you?" Molly says first turning to her right looking for someone. "Mum I'm right here." The boy who I'm assuming is Ron steps from behind her. "Ah yes! This is my boy Ron" she says turning to Ron. "Now this is Kaylee, she's the daughter of mine and your fathers friends. I'm sure you two will be great friends. She's the same year as you, but it's her first year at Hogwarts. Look after her will you?" She says, pushing Ron towards me. "Hello Ron, it's nice to meet you." I say, giving him a small smile. "Ginny is already on the train with some of her friends, but I'm sure Ron will introduce the two of you later." Molly says, smiling at me. The train whistle blows again. I turn to throw my arms around my mother, I feel a lump in my throat and tears start to make my eyes glossy as I try to hold it together. "I'm going to miss you mom." I say hugging her tight. I turn to hug my father, being pulled into a tight hug, feeling so safe as if nothing in the world could harm me. "Make sure you owl us tomorrow after classes. We're going to miss you so much" my father says, as I pull away from the hug. "I love you both, I'll see you at Christmas break." I turn to follow Ron onto the train. We make our way down the hallway of the train, stopping at an open window to wave out of. The train starts to slowly move, we stand there watching as our parents slowly disappear as we leave the station. "Let's go find some seats shall we? Harry and Hermione should be here somewhere." I smile at Ron and follow him down the hall as he looks into each train compartment, all of them full with students catching up from over the summer. We approach a group of boys walking towards us down the hall. A tall boy with platinum blonde hair, grey eyes and wearing a black robe with green details bumps my shoulder hard as we pass. I'm pushed back to the wall of the train. "Watch where you're going." The boy snaps as he turns to look at me. "Leave her alone Malfoy." Ron says as he steps in between the two of us. "Got a girlfriend have we Weasley? Is she a Mudblood just like Granger too?" He says, moving closer to Ron, towering over him. "Not that it matters, but I happen to be a Pureblood. You must be Draco, my parents have told me all about you. You're just an entitled rich asshole. Do yourself a favor and stay away from me." I snap back, stepping to the side moving past Ron. Before he can answer I grab Ron's arm and pull him down the hallway. "Bloody hell, didn't think you had that in you." I hear Ron say as I still have my grip on his arm. I let go and turn around to him. "I might be new at this school, but I sure as hell won't be dealing with his shit. Now where are these friends of yours?" He leads me a bit further down the hall. He stops and I see two people sitting inside a compartment, their faces light up as they see Ron. We step inside and close the door behind us. Ron sits down next to the girl in the compartment and I sit across from Ron, next to the other boy. "This is Kaylee Scamander." Ron says to the two people. "Kaylee, this is Hermione Granger and Harry Potter." He says gesturing to the both of them. "It's so nice to meet the both of you finally." I say smiling at the both of them. I turn to look at Harry. "I've heard a lot about you Harry, my parents went to school with both yours and Ron's parents." I see the smile on his face fade. "I'm sorry Harry, I didn't mean to make you upset. From what my parents have told me, your parents were amazing people. I'm sure you are too." I say smiling at him, hoping to lighten the mood. "What house are you hoping to be sorted into?" Hermione asks trying to change the subject. "Both of my parents were in Gryffindor so I'm hoping for that. It could also be Hufflepuff like my great grandfather, Newt." I say shrugging my shoulders. "All three of us are in Gryffindor so we hope you are as well." Hermione says giving me a hopeful smile. The rest of the ride we spend talking about all that has happened the past 4 years at Hogwarts. They ask me what America is like and how I liked Ilvermorny. Before I know it, we're making our way to the Great Hall. I follow the three of them, looking around the castle as we make our way up the stairs and through the hallways. We make our way into the Great Hall, I sit and watch as all the first year students are sorted into their houses. The longer it goes on the more nervous I feel. "Kaylee Scamander." Professor McGonagall calls from the front of the Great Hall. I slowly stand up, my head spinning as I make my way to the front. I sit down on the stool, my hands in my lap, nervously fiddling with my fingers as she places the sorting hat on my head. "Hmm this one is interesting. Different from her family that has attended Hogwarts in the past. Very interesting..." I listen as the sorting hat thinks about where to place me. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. "I think she would do very well in...Slytherin!" My heart sinks to my stomach as I hear where I'm sorted. I feel frozen to the stool, unable to get my legs to move to the Slytherin table. The loud cheers from the other Slytherin's snaps me back to reality. I shakily hop off the stool and scan the room, making eye contact with Ron, he looks as how I'm feeling. My feet feel like they weigh a ton as I walk to sit down, I look around the table and see Draco glaring at me. He doesn't look very happy about where I've been placed, the feeling is mutual. I sit in silence, staring down at the table as the other students hurry to reach for food and fill their plates. "So you're related to Newt Scamander?" Someone asks, snapping me back to reality. I look up across the table from me at the person talking to me. "Um yeah I am." I say quietly, my throat gone dry from being silent for so long. I pick up the gold goblet in front of me and take a drink. "That's wicked, I like learning about all the creatures he cared for." I smile at the boy talking to me, feeling a bit more comfortable now. "I'm Blaise by the way." He says smiling over at me. We make small talk and I eat a little as I start to feel a bit better about being in Slytherin. I guess not everyone in here are jerks. The Great Hall starts to thin out as people make their way to their common rooms, I look over towards the door and I see Harry, Hermione, and Ron leaving. "I will see you later." I say to Blaise jumping up from the table and running off before he can say anything. I catch up to the three of them, breathless from running. They turn around as they hear me running towards them. "I-I don't know what happened. I thought for sure I'd be in Gryffindor. I'm just really confused by it all." I say, tears welling up in my eyes, feeling frustrated that the only people I really know are in a different house. I'm stuck in Slytherin where the one person my parents want me to stay away from is in. "I-it'll be okay." Harry says, putting a hand on my shoulder. "We can still be friends. Plus we might still have classes together." He says, giving me a reassuring look. "Yeah you're right Harry." I say wiping the tears from my face. "I guess I'll see you all tomorrow. Goodnight." I say, turning away to head towards the staircase that leads down to the Slytherin common room. I give the password and walk inside, stopping a few feet away from the door. I look around the room, it's mostly empty everyone seems to have gone to bed already. I take a deep breath and head up the stairs to my dorm. I see Jewels in her cage at the end of my bed on top of my trunk. I take her out of the cage and go back downstairs to sit down on one of the couches. I hold her close to me, gently petting her. "I'm glad I have you Jewels. I feel so alone here, so out of place." I say looking down at her, venting as if she can understand me. I hear the main door to the common room open, I see Blaise walking in, a smile coming across my face but it quickly fades I see Draco walking in right behind him. Draco leans in and whispers something to Blaise and he just rolls his eyes. "You have a Niffler?" Blaise asks as he walks towards the stairs to the boy's dorms stopping at the couch I'm sitting on. I look up at him and smile, "This is Jewels." He reaches down to pet her, she cowers away as she never does well with new people. Blaise reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gold coin. "How about this?" He says holding out the coin to Jewels. "I think you just became her new best friend." I say laughing. "That's pathetic." I hear Draco spit, I turn to see him glaring at me. "Malfoy shut up would you?" Blaise snaps back. "Goodnight Kaylee." Blaise says as he continues on towards the stairs. "Goodnight." I say giving him a small smile. I hold Jewels closer to me, shielding her with my hands as Draco walks closer. "Don't worry I don't want your pathetic rat." Draco says still glaring at me as he walks past. I ignore him, stand up and start towards the stairs to the girl's dorms. I put Jewels away, get changed for bed and climb into my tall bed. I pull the curtains closed around it and hold onto one of my pillows as I lay down. This is going to be a long year.