↬prologue
❛ i'm not a dog ❜

"Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your Houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."

Magnolia felt queasy. Her parents were expecting her to be in Slytherin, just like them and her older sister Maven. She didn't want to let them down.

"Now, while you're here, your House will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule-breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup," the professor continued.

Maven had mentioned her House, Slytherin, had won the House Cup last year. She hoped they would win it again this year.

"Trevor!" a boy cried, leaping forward and snatching a toad from the step in front of the professor. He glanced up at her and said quietly, "Sorry."

"The Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily," the professor finished, walking into the Great Hall.

"Hi," a blonde girl next to Magnolia said, smiling toothily. "I'm Daphne, what's your name?"

"Umm, Magnolia," Magnolia replied shyly. "Nice to meet you, Daphne."

"Did you hear Harry Potter's in our year?" Daphne asked, her voice soft as though he was lurking behind her.

"No, really?" Magnolia gasped, intrigued. "Where is he?"

Before Daphne could point him out, a blonde boy whose hair was far too gelled sauntered up to a dark-haired boy.

"It's true, then, what they're saying on the train," the blonde boy said. "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."

The students around the two boys were beginning to watch, whispering amongst themselves.

"This is Crabbe, and Goyle," the boy continued, nodding at two other boys beside him. "And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

The boy next to Harry snorted, and Draco whirled to him angrily.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours," he sneered. "Red hair, and a hand-me-down robe. You must be a Weasley."

Magnolia had thought Draco was kind of cute, but that had disappeared as soon as those words had left his mouth.

What a prick.

"You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort." Draco glanced over at the Weasley boy before sticking his hand out to Harry for a shake. "I can help you there."

Harry glanced at Draco's hand before saying, "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks."

Draco looked completely affronted and stormed off, stopping next to Daphne and Magnolia.

"Hi," Daphne said to a scowling Draco.

"Piss off, Daphne," Draco huffed, clearly still upset about Harry's rejection.

"Hey," Magnolia piped up. "That was rude."

Draco looked Magnolia up and down. "What's your name, anyway?" he scoffed.

"Magnolia Princeton," Magnolia replied.

"Well, Magnolia, don't pull a Potter. You'll find it's easier with me on your side," Draco said, clearly having cooled down a bit now.

"No offense, but I'd rather be friends with nice people," Magnolia retorted.

Draco frowned. "Well then, Princeton, I guess you've made your choice. Don't come crying to me when no one likes you."

Magnolia was taken aback. "Why wouldn't people like me? Because I'm not friends with you? I think people would like me more if I wasn't."

Draco's scowl returned. "Daphne, call off your new friend."

"I'm not a dog," Magnolia hissed.

"You look like one," Draco whispered, snickering to himself.

Magnolia's jaw dropped, and she would have decked him right then and there if the professor hadn't returned.

"We're ready for you now. Follow me," she said, leading the group into the Great Hall.

"It's not real, the ceiling," said a bushy-haired girl in front of Magnolia and Daphne. "It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

"Hey, would you get me away from her, please?" the girl next to her asked in a hushed tone as the group lined up in front of an old hat on a stool.

"Oh, hey," Magnolia smiled, pretending she knew the girl. "I was wondering where you went, come over here!"

She dragged the girl a good four feet from the other one, Daphne following behind.

"Thanks for that," the girl said with a smirk. "My name's Pansy."

"I'm Magnolia," Magnolia replied.

"And I'm Daphne," Daphne chimed in.

The Sorting Ceremony began then, and each student was called one by one. Magnolia, Pansy, and Daphne all made it to Slytherin, and then found they had the same dorm.

They became best friends, and Magnolia made sure to stay far away from Draco Malfoy.