Full Summary: The 1991-92 school year proves to be quite interesting as three magical sisters – Nora, Phoebe, and Emilia – become entangled in the life of Harry Potter after first-year Emilia unexpectedly befriends the infamous "Boy-Who-Lived" on the journey to Hogwarts. Amidst the mystery surrounding the Sorcerer's Stone, fourth-year Nora comes to some realizations, third-year Phoebe begins to question all she's ever known, and Emilia struggles to live up to the legacies both of her sisters seem to have already cemented for themselves. Will the girls make it through the school year in one piece? Find out in Book One of: The Magical McGowan Sisters.

Hi everyone! I'm oliverswoods, but you all can call me Mary! This is the very first chapter of what I hope will become a series of stories about the McGowan girls - three magical sisters who have been living in my head for quite some time now. This chapter is a little short, but I just wanted to introduce our three main characters and show a little bit of their dynamic before I move into their time at Hogwarts. I have a lot of exciting things planned for this story - which is my first, so please be constructive but gentle with your criticisms - and I hope you all will follow along and enjoy!

Without further ado, here is Chapter 1 of The Magical McGowan Sisters!

-Mary

11-year-old Emilia McGowan sighed as she sat down at her family's small kitchen table, a steaming cup of tea in her hands. The sun had not yet begun to rise over the tiny village of Betchworth, but Emilia had already been awake for hours; her anticipation about the day ahead had kept her tossing and turning for most of the night, and so she had finally given up on the idea of getting a restful night's sleep.

Today was September 1, and in just a few short hours, Emilia would be boarding a train at Kings Cross Station. The young witch smiled as she took a sip of her tea; this year, instead of just looking on as hundreds upon hundreds of students – including her older sisters, Nora and Phoebe – were whisked away on the Hogwarts Express, she would be joining them. Finally, finally, she would be starting her first year at Hogwarts.

Emilia smiled again, content in her thoughts about all the new and exciting things she would be learning and doing this year. She had already begun reading some of her school books and was particularly intrigued by Potions, which both Nora and Phoebe despised, although that was probably more to do with Professor Snape than the class itself. Emilia had heard loads of stories about the Head of Slytherin from her sisters and their friends, and had already come to the decision that she was going to get on his good side as soon as possible, if only to enhance her newfound interest in the art of potion-making. Her sisters argued that Snape didn't have a good side, but Emilia was determined all the same – it didn't hurt to make an impression, after all.

While Emilia was mostly very excited about going to Hogwarts, there was one part she was absolutely dreading – the sorting. Both Nora and Phoebe were in Gryffindor, but Emilia wasn't quite sure if she possessed any Gryffindor-like qualities. She didn't see herself as particularly brave or daring, at least not like her older sisters were. Nora was a natural-born leader, star Quidditch player, and unafraid of anything life tossed at her, while Phoebe sought out adventure in any and all places – usually through pranks with Fred and George Weasley.

Emilia was just… Emilia. There was nothing special about her, nothing that made her stand out from the crowd. Her sisters had no problems with that. This notion presented Emilia with a conflict; while she was nervous about being put in a different house from her sisters, she was also scared of being overshadowed by them as a Gryffindor, only known to others as "Nora and Phoebe's little sister." She loved her sisters, but would she be able to make a name for herself at all while they attended Hogwarts alongside her?

Emilia sighed. This is why she had so much trouble sleeping the previous night.

Having finished her cup of tea just as the first rays of sunlight started to stream in through the kitchen window, Emilia brushed her curly red hair out of her face and stood to wash her mug, still musing about Hogwarts, the sorting, and trying to decide if it was worth it to check her trunk for the fourth time. She was broken from her thoughts quite suddenly, though, by a loud crashing noise and a string of expletives that seemed to come from the front hallway. Heart racing, Emilia ran quickly to see what all the commotion was about.

A rather large coat rack in the shape of the Eiffel Tower lay across the width of the hallway, some of its hooks broken off and scattered in different directions. At its head stood Phoebe – Emilia's second oldest sister – who was rubbing her foot with a pained expression on her face. "Shit, shit, shit," she muttered.

"What happened?" Emilia asked, moving forward to pick up the coat rack.

"Forgot the bloody thing was there," Phoebe said. "I bumped into it and tried to move out of the way but it still landed on my bloody foot." As if to emphasize what she was saying, she rubbed her foot harder, letting out a soft whimper as she seemed to rub a particularly sore spot.

"I don't know why dad would put it in this hallway, it really is quite small," Emilia wondered. Having returned to the rack to an upright position, she began collecting the hooks that had fallen off.

"No one knows why dad does anything," Phoebe said, ceasing her foot rubbing for a moment to tie up her long, blond hair. "I'm not even sure he knows, half the time."

Emilia chuckled. Her sister had a point. Their father was… well, eccentric was one way to put it. A vicar at the local church in Betchworth, he had become a widower only a year after Emilia was born, when the girls' mother suddenly fell ill and passed away. The loss of Mrs. McGowan had not made Mr. McGowan a bitter man; in fact, he seemed determined to live his life to the fullest in honor of his late wife. When he wasn't busy giving sermons or raising three girls by himself, Mr. McGowan loved to ride his unicycle around the village and was a frequent customer at flea markets all throughout the parish, usually buying the most grandiose and unnecessary items he could find at the cheapest price he could bargain for – hence the coat rack.

Unlike his three daughters, Mr. McGowan was a muggle, but delighted in hearing stories about the magical world. Even though he wasn't permitted to tell anyone, it was obvious he was very proud that all three of his daughters were witches and able to attend a prestigious school like Hogwarts.

"What are you doing awake so early?" Phoebe asked, once again interrupting Emilia's thoughts.

"Couldn't sleep," Emilia explained, shrugging.

Phoebe grinned. "Too excited about Hogwarts?"

Emilia blushed, afraid her sister might tease her if she told her the truth. "No," she said, much too quickly. "I mean…"

"Oh, don't be so shy about it, Em," Phoebe said, chuckling. "Everyone's too excited to sleep the night before their first year at Hogwarts."

"I seem to recall having to drag you out of bed by your feet your first year, Pheebs," a new voice chimed in. Both Emilia and Phoebe looked up to see the eldest McGowan sister, Nora, standing at the top of the stairs. She was already dressed and ready for the day, her auburn hair pulled back into a neat plait.

"That was only because I didn't fall sleep until 5 in the bloody morning!" Phoebe exclaimed, narrowing her eyes at Nora. "If someone didn't come into my room that night begging me to help her pick an outfit that would get Oliver Wood's attention, maybe I would've gone to bed on time."

Oliver Wood was a fifth-year Gryffindor, and the newest captain of the house Quidditch team. Emilia knew that Nora's crush on Oliver had started on the very first day of Nora's first year, when the young wizard had helped her stow her trunk in her compartment. While Nora still liked Oliver, her position on the Quidditch team kept their relationship strictly professional.

"I was in there for all of five minutes, Phoebe, don't be so dramatic," Nora said as she descended the staircase. She plopped down next to Phoebe and discreetly rolled her eyes so only Emilia could see.

"More like five hours," Phoebe groaned. "And don't roll your eyes at me Eleanora, they'll get stuck that way and then Oliver Wood will never talk to you."

Emilia giggled as Nora stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes, which caused Phoebe to giggle, too.

"Phoebe is right, though, Em," Nora admitted after a moment. "It's okay to be nervous about Hogwarts. Everyone always is. But before you know it you'll be there and so much will be happening around you, you won't even have time to be nervous."

Nora turned towards Emilia, taking her hand and giving her a comforting smile. Emilia smiled back. She knew Nora was right, but there was one thought that was still nagging at her...

"Guys... what if..." Emilia trailed off as her sisters looked at her expectantly.

"What if what?" Phoebe questioned.

"What happens if I get sorted wrong?" Emilia asked, her face heating up as she avoided her sisters' eyes.

"No one gets sorted wrong," Nora stated matter-of-factly. "The Sorting Hat is thousands of years old, and knows exactly what it's doing."

Phoebe nodded. "You'll be in Gryffindor just like us, Em, don't worry."

Emilia bit her lip. Should she present her sisters with her dilemma?

"What if I am in Gryffindor and... everyone just knows me as the youngest McGowan? What if that's all I'm ever known for?And then what if I'm not in Gryffindor and no one knows me at all and I'm away from you guys and I don't make any friends and-"

"Whoa, whoa!" Phoebe interrupted, her eyes wide. "Stop before you explode, Em."

"Sorry," Emilia said, blushing again.

Nora chuckled. "Don't apologize. Just relax," she said, gently rubbing Emilia's back to calm the younger girl.

"Listen, I know it's hard," Phoebe said. "I was scared of the same things when I was going, too."

"You were?" Emilia asked, amazed that Phoebe would openly admit to being scared of something.

"Of course," Phoebe confirmed. "But I was put in Gryffindor for a reason. And Nora was, too. Wherever you go, it's for a reason."

Emilia looked towards her eldest sister, who nodded in confirmation.

"And you're a good kid, Em," Phoebe continued, "You'll have no problem being your own person and making friends."

"Thanks, Pheebs," Emilia said, appreciative of the compliment. Things like that were rare from her older sister.

"And we'll love you even if you're a Slytherin," Nora joked.

"I'm not so sure about that," Phoebe said, pulling a face. "Only joking, Em," she clarified, as Emilia pretended to look insulted before she began to giggle.

The three sisters laughed together for a few moments before falling into a comfortable silence, looking out the front window as the sun rose a bit higher in the sky. Soon, their father would drive them to Kings Cross Station and for the first time, all three of them would board the Hogwarts Express together. A thousand thoughts about school still raced through Emilia's head (classes, the sorting, making new friends, the list went on and on) but for now she was content to just sit with her sisters and enjoy their company for as long as possible. She knew deep down that they would always look out for and protect her - whether she was a Gryffindor, Slytherin, or anything else in between - and that, no matter what, Hogwarts would certainly never, ever get boring.