The Outcasts Of Hogwarts

Chapter 4 The New Student

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Harry was happy of course to finally be back at Hogwarts but it had been a terrible start to the year. First, he had accidentally inflated his Aunt, causing him to run away from the Dursleys, then he was nearly attacked by a large black dog, before a very uncomfortable ride on the Knight Bus. On top of all that, he found out the mass murderer responsible for the death of 12 people had broken out of prison to kill him: this meant that Dementors had been sent to search the Hogwarts Express for the convict. This had resulted in Harry feeling awful and fainting for some unknown reason, now everyone was fussing over him like he was some weakling. And as a cherry on the top, Draco had found out and would be using it against him to make his life hell into the foreseeable future.

The Welcome Feast hadn't even started yet and this year was rivalling his previous two for the most event full. This was saying something because Harry's Hogwarts experience up to this point hadn't exactly been quiet.

Harry thought about this as he followed Professor McGonagall and Hermione from his Head of House's office to the Great Hall where the Welcoming Ceremony had started without them. As they entered, the sea of heads turned away from the Sorting that had nearly finished to face the latecomers. Many of them whispered and pointed in Harry's direction. It really was astounding how quickly rumours could spread through Hogwarts School. Especially if they were either about Harry or started by Draco, the two things often being linked.

Harry and Hermione made their way over to the Gryffindor table where Ron was sitting, while their teacher headed towards the Teacher's Table. As he sat down next to his friend, Harry inspected the short queue of First Years left to be sorted and did a double-take.
"What was all that about?" Ron asked him and Hermione.

But Harry didn't register the question and instead of an answer, exclaimed: "There's no way that's a first-year!" He pointed at the last student in the line and Hermione turned in her seat opposite to see where he was looking.

The last student in the line was a girl who towered over the other first-years who seemed to be afraid of her and stayed well away. The girl didn't seem to notice. She was far too preoccupied with gawping at everything in the great hall with an expression of pure giddy amazement. Her sharp grey eyes didn't stay anywhere for longer than a second and as she moved her head, her soaked long black hair would flick water in an unpredictable direction. Probably another reason why the other students were keeping their distance.

"I think she must be," Ron told him. "She came in with the other first year's, while you two were off somewhere with McGonagall, and none of the teachers told her to move, so. I also haven't seen her before and I doubt I would have forgotten"

Harry assumed he was referring to the shock of silver-white hair on the side of the girl's pale face, which was rather distinct.

"I've seen her before," Hermione said slowly, evidently thinking.

"You have?" Harry and Ron questioned at the same time.

"Yeah, when we were getting off the train today," she explained, "She was about to drag her trunk out onto the platform, so I told her that you leave them on the train to get taken to our rooms later."

"Well that proves it, she has to be a first-year if she doesn't know that, she must just be freakishly tall" stated Ron, then he crossed his arms and leant back as if the case was closed.

"She's also incredibly rude, " Hermione stated, glaring at the girl. "When I helped her, she just stood there frozen and staring at me like I was a basilisk who'd petrified her. The least she could have done was said thank you."