I strolled into the sorting ceremony. The boat journey to Hogwarts (first years only) was uneventful and, as Clara remarked, relatively boring. We didn't see the giant squid.

"Hey! Hazel!" I turned around. Rowan, my brother, was waving to me.

"Hey!" I grinned. It was always good to see Rowan. He made me feel safe.

"Who's your friend?" He asked, pointing at Clara, who was staring around the Great Hall at other students.

"That's Clara." I said. Then, seeing he was waiting for a last name, continued. "Clara Smith."

Rowan looked horrified. Some of his (eavesdropping) friends looked shocked too.

"What?" I asked. "What's going on?"

Rowan shook his head. "You don't want to be friends with the Smiths, Hazel." He said.

"Yeah!" One of his friends chimed in. "They're weirdos!"

"No they're not!" another person said "They're psychopaths!"

"I know her sister. They think they're too good for us. They think they're SO intelligent, but really they're just creeps."

I chanced a glance at Clara. She was still staring at the other students, but I could tell that she could hear what was being said.

"I can be friends with who I want to be friends with!" I said. Then, grabbing Clara's arm, I stalked off towards the queue of first years waiting to be sorted.

"You heard all that, didn't you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Clara nodded. "Well DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!" I yelled at her. "They're just jealous that you're so clever."

Clara stared at me. "I don't really pay attention to people like that." she said.

"People like what?" I enquired.

"They're all Quiddich fans. Most of them support different teams. They find fault with anyone. Look." she said, pointing. And there they were. Some of Rowan's friends, pointing at a trembling first year and laughing.

I went pale. "How can Rowan be friends with them?" I asked.

"I don't know." Clara replied. "Now shut up, the ceremony's about to start."