The Beginning

Isis and Sirius talked for a while, while Peter and James played a game of Gobble stones. “So you’re a royal? What’s that like?”
“Boring. I can’t have any fun. What’s Hogwarts like?”
“Well it’s fairly large. It used to be a castle, but a thousand years ago it was transformed into a school for the magical arts.”
“A thousand years?” Isis asked flabbergasted.
“Yeah. What’s wrong don’t have any antiques in that two hundred years young country of yours?”
Isis blushed, “No I guess not.”
“What was your old school like?”
“Well it was a large colonial estate. It had been expanded and turned into a school after the Salem witch trials to protect students of the magical arts.”
Sirius nodded. “So now you’re going to Hogwarts to escape persecution from a dark lord.”
“The headmistress at Liberty is nervous about what happened and asked Dumbledore if I could attend school here for my protection and the protection of the other students. Everyone is afraid. Everyone except Dumbledore anyway.”
“Well Dumbledore…” Sirius began, but what Dumbledore was Sirius never finished, because a very unwelcome sight met his eyes.
Severus Snape was standing at the door to the compartment. Severus and Sirius had been enemies since their first day when Sirius rescued Peter Peterigrew from Severus and some of his friends.
Remus stirred and his head flopped in the other direction.
“Well, well, I see that you four dunderheads haven’t changed. Who is this?” He added letting his eyes sweep over Isis.
“None of your business Snivillus.” Peter answered defiantly.
“I wasn’t asking you.” Severus said sharply. “I was asking the lady.”
Isis blushed; no one had ever called her a lady before. Nor had anyone ever asked who she was with such interest. “My name is Isis Lupin.” She replied.
“Another Lupin?” Severus asked musingly. “Well you must have transferred. I don’t remember ever seeing you before.”
“Yes I transferred from Liberty in New York.”
Severus smiled. “Well I’m from old York. Perhaps that’s not the only thing we have in common.”
Isis blushed again. “Maybe.”
“I’ll see you in classes then?”
Isis nodded. “I guess so.”
Severus left and closed the door softly behind him.
Sirius rounded on her. “Please don’t tell me you like him ”
“He’s bright. What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s an ugly git ” Sirius answered.
“Well it’s not his fault that someone like you is too arrogant to see that good looks don’t mean everything.” Isis snapped. “Maybe you’re the git ”
“He’s slimy ” Sirius said. He knew he was grasping at straws. He didn’t want to say anything bad against Severus; he had a feeling that Isis would brush it off as gossip.
“So what? Maybe he just didn’t have time to wash his hair.”
“For five years?” Sirius asked.
“You’re just mad because he came out and said he was interested.”
“Who said I was interested. Why would I want a nosy American pampered princess to be my girlfriend? I’ve had hundreds of girls, but none so annoying as you.”
“Maybe you’ve had so many girlfriends because you’re an insecure British school boy.”
Sirius clenched his jaw. “James let me play.” He said sliding out of the seat and onto the floor.
Isis slid open the compartment door and saddled out along the corridor avoiding several first years that were using their wands like swords. Isis felt extremely angry with Sirius. She wasn’t a noser and the idea that he considered her one was painful. Consequently she quite literally ran into a tall girl with vibrant red hair.
“Oh. Sorry.” Isis said dropping down to retrieve her wand.
“It’s no problem.” The red-haired girl said. “My name’s Lily Evans. Who are you?”
“Isis Lupin. I’m a transfer student from America.”
“To bad you aren’t an exchange student then we could have traded in James Potter and his gang.” Lily suddenly blushed. “Oh no. Are you related to Remus Lupin?”
“It’s okay say anything you want about him and his friends. Particularly Sirius.”
“Remus and Sirius are probably the nicest guys in Gryffindor, but they’d be a lot nicer if they didn’t hang around with Potter.”
Isis blushed slightly, maybe this had been one of Sirius’s hundreds of girls. “Did you ever date Sirius?”
Lily snickered. “Are you kidding? He’s handsome and all, but no I wouldn’t date him. He’s a pure-blood.”
“I figured.” Isis grunted moodily. “Do you mind if I ride with you for a while. I want to avoid Remus and his friends right now.”
Lily nodded and Isis followed her to her compartment. Inside she meet some other girls, Ann DeMoon, a short good-humored witch, and Ilsult, a which, who even by wizarding standards stood out.
There was another girl in our class but she died in our first year.” Lily said sadly. “She was from a pure-blood family and her brother beat her to death for bringing me ‘round the house.’”
“That’s terrible.” Isis said.
“Well pure blood families are getting weaker everyday. You should hear some of the fights between Sirius and his brother Regulus.” Ann said. “Regulus is in Slytherin house and calls Sirius a blood traitor.”
“Despite the fact that his best-friend is also a pure-blood.” Lily said irritably. “All his friends are.” She finished.
Ilsult put a bangled hand to her hair and said, “Not that we want to offend you or anything seeing how Lupin is an old wizarding family.”
“Oh, I’m not a pure-blood.” Isis said. “I’m ¼ Dryad, ¼ wizard, and ½ elf.”
“And you and Remus are related?” Ann asked.
“His father is my father’s half-brother. That’s where the ¼ wizard comes in.”
“Part Dryad…” Ilsult mumbled. “Your mother is half Dryad then?”
Isis nodded. “My father was the result of an affair between an elf woman and a wizard. He then married my mother who is the result of a marriage between an Elf and a Dryad. Then I was born. One quarter human (wizard), one quarter Dryad, and one half elf.”
“That’s a complicated family recipe.” Ann muttered.
Isis blushed severely under Lily’s interrogating gaze.
“You’re part Dryad?” Lily asked again.
“Her answer won’t change Lil.” Ilsult said sharply. “She is what she is. Get over it.”
Isis felt a small nudge in the back of her mind. She was what she was. She’d have to learn to get over it too.