Americans!
Summery: A young American witch transfers from a small-town magic school to Hogwarts. Oh the adventures! This completely ignores the fifth and sixth books.
Americans Chapter 1
King's Cross was a buzz of activity as Elizabeth Peters wheeled her trolley into the station on the brisk September first. Glancing around for a sign for Platforms 9 and 10, she nearly collided with a petite, red-haired woman who was directing several red-haired boys and a dark-haired boy toward a platform.
"I'm so sorry, ma'am," Elizabeth said, scrambling to right her trunk, which had fallen off the trolley.
"That's quite alright, dear," the woman answered.
Elizabeth straightened up from the trolley and turned to face the woman again.
"Ma'am," Elizabeth asked, "Do you know where the Hogwarts Express is boarding?"
"Hogwarts Express?" the woman said, "Of course. Just walk through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Here, you can go after Fred."
One of the Red-haired boys disappeared through the brick barrier, and the woman gave Elizabeth a shove through it.
Elizabeth appeared on the other side of the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾ as the train let out a plume of white smoke. The platform was packed with parents seeing their children off to school, and as Elizabeth pushed her trolley toward the train, the felt a pang of loneliness. Her parents hadn't come to London to see her off because her mother, a Muggle, couldn't get off work, and her father had died last year.
The whistle blew, and the call for everyone to board was shouted across the platform, so Elizabeth hauled her trunk up the steps into the train as it started to move.
Finding an empty compartment, Elizabeth stored her trunk in the luggage rack and rooted in her backpack for The Standard Book of Spells Grade 5, by Miranda Goshawk.
Elizabeth was curled up in the corner of the compartment with Standard Book of Spells when the compartment door opened to reveal a the dark-haired boy and one of the red-haired boys that she had seen in Kings Cross, and a girl with bushy brown hair.
"Is there room in here for us?" the dark-haired boy asked.
"Sure," Elizabeth said, gesturing at the empty seats, "This is too much room for one person. "I'm Elizabeth Peters, by the way."
"Ron Weasley," the tall, red-haired boy said.
"Harry Potter," the dark-haired boy said as he heaved his trunk up into the rack over head.
"I'm Hermione Granger," the girl said, and opened a wicker basket. "This is Crookshanks, my cat." A tabby cat emerged, and turned toward Elizabeth. It had a face that looked like it ran into a brick wall.
"I don't remember seeing you at Hogwarts," Ron said. "What year are you in?"
"Fifth," Elizabeth answered, holding up the cover of Standard Book of Spells Grade 5.
"Really?" Hermione said. "I don't remember you either. What house are you in?"
"I'm not sure yet," Elizabeth answered. The trio exchanged questioning looks. "I'm a transfer student. I'm from the United States."
"America?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah. I went to a small wizarding school near my hometown. It only went for four years, so I came here. I am extremely grateful to Professor Dumbledore for allowing the transfer. There hasn't been a transfer student at Hogwarts for decades. Especially an American."
"There have been transfer students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, but I've never read about one from America," Hermione said. "Do you know all the things that we know up until now? I mean, did they teach you everything that they do at Hogwarts?"
"Most of it," Elizabeth said, "Though I expect to be lost every once in a while. My teachers were not the greatest in the world, and I would only call my Charms and Transfiguration teachers actual Professors."
"What kind of marks did you get?" Hermione asked.
"I was top of my class, which is probably why the Headmaster approved the transfer. There was one class that we didn't have, because there was no one around to teach it. Potions."
Harry and Ron groaned.
"I don't envy you, mate. Snape's a right old git," Ron said.
"Ron!" Hermione snapped.
"What? Even you agree with that!"
"He may not be very nice, but-"
"But what?"
Elizabeth laughed as they bickered. They were obviously good friends.
The lady with the lunch trolley arrived around noon. Harry and Ron stocked up on Chocolate Frogs and Cauldron Cakes, and Hermione bought a few Pumpkin Pastes. Elizabeth had never seen most of the things on the cart, so she got a few chocolate frogs at Hermione's suggestion.
"Europe is a lot different than the States," Elizabeth said. "I didn't know what half of those things were."
"Really?" Hermione asked. "What kind of sweets do you have in America?"
"Well," Elizabeth said, rooting in her backpack. "I'll show you." She pulled out a bag of candy. "These are Gummy Worms, and unlike the Muggle version of these, they move." She held up one and it wiggled, just like a real worm. "They're my favorite."
"That's gross!" Ron said. "Can I try one, Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth laughed. "Sure, and you can call me Liz."
"Liz," said Hermione, "Where are you from in America?"
"Mississippi," Liz answered, "The northern part."
"You don't have an accent," Hermione protested.
"It comes out when I'm tired, mad, or jus' plain too lazy to keep soundin' like y'all," Liz said, and then laughed at the expressions of the other three occupants of the compartment.
"Sorry if I scared you," Elizabeth said.
"No," said Harry and Ron together.
"I think they like it," said Hermione, " and so do I."
The lamps flickered to life and night fell as the Hogwarts Express chugged along into the inky blackness.
"We'd better change into our robes. We'll be there soon," Hermione said, and she shooed Harry and Ron out of the compartment so she and Liz could change.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth and Hermione emerged, dressed in their Hogwarts robes, and Harry and Ron entered the compartment to change.
The train screeched to a halt at Hogsmead Station, and Elizabeth gathered her things along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Are you going to go with the first years across the lake, or will you come with us in the carriages?" Harry asked.
"I guess I should go with the first years. It is my first year here, after all, and I have to be sorted too. I forgot to ask; what house are y'all in?"
"Gryffindor," Harry answered. Then as the crowd pushed them apart, Elizabeth heard a muffled, "Good luck" from Hermione.
"Firs' years this way!" a rumbling voice shouted from Elizabeth's left. "Firs' years over 'ere."
Liz followed the voice and came face-to-face, or rather face-to-elbow, with a huge man. He was twice as tall as a man, and at least five times as broad. A bushy black beard obscured his face, and friendly black eyes peeked from under his eyebrows.
He led them to the edge of a lake, and instructed them to get two to a boat, and don't fall out.
Liz climbed into a boat behind a trembling, blonde girl, and they set off across the inky black water.
"You'll get yer firs' look at 'ogwarts in a moment," their guide said.
Seconds later, a breathtaking sight came into view. The castle was enormous, and tiny pinpricks of light flickered in the windows, giving the whole sight a majestic feeling that was made all the more fascinating with the wisps of low-hanging clouds that hugged the tallest of the towers.
The first years filed into the entrance hall and were met by a strict-looking woman with her hair pulled up in a tight bun.
"Now," she said. "In a few minutes you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you can be seated, you need to be sorted into your house. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. I'll go see if they're ready for you." She disappeared through the huge double doors, and the first years started to whisper.
"What do you think they make us do?"
"They make us face off against each other."
"No they don't we have to fight a dragon!"
"A dragon!"
"They're ready for you," the lady had returned. "Form a single file line, and follow me." The doors swung open to reveal a humongous hall lined with four long tables, and a smaller table that was slightly elevated at which the teachers sat.
They were lead to the high table, and positioned in front of it. Another teacher brought in a three-legged stool and a battered wizard's hat.
Everyone waited with baited breath, and a rip near the brim of the hat opened and the hat started to sing in a high nasally voice.
When the last strains of the hat's song ended, the professor who had led them in approached them with a roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, put the hat on your head and sit on the stool. When the hat announces your house, go and sit at the correct table." She unrolled the parchment.
"Alexander, Laeth."
"Hufflepuff!"
"Burdette, Jolie."
"Ravenclaw!"
And so it went, with Danielle Jackson going to Gryffindor and Janet Marshal going to Slytherin.
Finally, the woman said, "Peters, Elizabeth."
"A moment, Professor," the headmaster said, standing up to address the students. "Miss Peters is a transfer student from Tupelo Wizarding Academy in the United States of America, and will be entering Hogwarts at the fifth year level. I hope you will all make her welcome, as well as these other new students. Proceed." He sat down, and Elizabeth walked to the stool. She placed the hat on her head, and it fell over her eyes.
"Hmmmm. An American," a voice said in her ear. "Where to put you. You're a transfer student. You're quite brilliant. Hmmmm. Noble too. Courageous. I know, Gryffindor!" Beaming, Elizabeth placed the hat back on the stool and made her way to the Gryffindor table.
She was thumped on the back as she made her way to Hermione, Ron, and Hermione.
"This is great!" Hermione said, and pulled her into a seat between her and Ron.
The Sorting ended a short time later when Zani, Robert was sorted to Ravenclaw, and the hat and stool were taken away.
Dumbledore stood up and raised his hands for quiet.
"I know you are all anxious to begin the feast, but I have a few announcements. First, the forest on the grounds is off-limits to all students. Mr. Filch would like me to remind you that Fanged Frisbees are now banned, along with a number of things, the full list of which may be viewed in Mr. Filch's office. Let the feast begin."
At his last words, food appeared on the empty platters, and Elizabeth dug in, piling her plate high with chicken, potatoes, bread, and vegetables of all sorts. Hermione poured her a glass of pumpkin juice, and she started eating.
The main course faded, and dessert took its place. Treacle tart, fudge, pies chocolate, and even more things that Elizabeth couldn't put a name to were piled in front of her. Which to eat first?
As the remnants of dessert faded from the plates, Dumbledore stood again.
"Now that we have all been fed and watered, let us retire. We must all be awake for classes tomorrow." He sat down, and students rose and made their way to the doors.
"Gryffindors this way! Follow me," a tall bay with a Prefect badge pinned to his chest was waving Gryffindors along the corridor.
They stopped in front of a Portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress.
"Password?" she quipped.
"Mandragora," the Prefect said.
"Correct," the Fat Lady said, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a large hole that led to the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Boys dormitories up the stairs on the left, girls, the same on your right. You things have already been brought up," the prefect informed them.
"Miss Peters, a word?" a voice said behind Elizabeth.
It was the Professor that had led them into the Great Hall.
Elizabeth followed her to her through the portrait hole and to her office.
"Miss Peters, I am Professor McGonagall, your Head of House. There is not enough room in the Gryffindor dormitories for you to sleep. Professor Snape has offered you quarters in Serpens Tower, should you wish to accept them. The Slytherins sleep near the dungeons, and Professor Snape does not use all his quarters in Serpens Tower except during the summer holidays. This will also make it so that he can work with you to bring you up to speed on your potions work."
"How far is that from the Gryffindor dormitories?" Elizabeth asked.
"The fireplace in your quarters would be linked by Floo to the fire in the Gryffindor common room," McGonagall said.
"Do I have any other options?""
"Not unless you want to sleep in the Gryffindor common room."
"Not especially. I accept," Elizabeth said.
"Good, I'll take you now. Your things are already there."
A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall stopped in front of the door to Serpens Tower, as a tall man with olive skin, oily hair, and a hooked nose strode up to them.
"Ah, Severus," McGonagall said. "Would you be kind enough to de-ward the tower for us? Miss Peters, this is Professor Snape, your potions master, and Head of Slytherin House."
"A Gryffindor and a novice in potions," Snape sneered. "How unlucky."
McGonagall pursed her lips, but said nothing as Snape removed the wards that guarded the door.
A/N What do you think? Any good? Not good enough for the back page of a tabloid? This is my first time actually posting a story. Flames and all are accepted.