I do not own Harry Potter, all original character belong to JK Rowling.
Up until this point Chloe had been looking forward to going to Hogwarts. Despite it being on the other side of the world and not knowing another soul who would be in attendance she had been eager to start her magical education at the school which both her parents had attended. However, it was when staring down the brick wall between platforms nine and ten that she became significantly less eager to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
On either side of the tall eleven year old stood a man and a woman who were both in their early-forties with sun tanned skin and quite muscular bodies. "I've changed my mind, can we go home?" She asked in her light, Australian accent as she looked to her mother, then her father.
The two adults laughed, "It's going to be okay," assured her mother, wrapping a comforting arm around the child's shoulders, "you'll love it once you get there, I promise." Her father nodded to put her at ease. He then ran into the barrier as if to prove that there was no harm to come from the brick wall, he disappeared without a sound and Chloe felt slightly reassured. Chloe, with a slight push from her mother , followed.
Having safely reached the other side Chloe was amazed by the scarlet train that stood before her, with carriages reaching further down the platform then she could see. "This is nine and three-quarters," her father explained in a very obvious manner as he guided her through the masses of school children and their parents, "now when you get there you'll get on some boats with some other first years- don't be afraid Hagrid will take care of you- and then you'll go up to be sorted." They stopped and he bent down so he was at eye level with her, "We don't care what house you get sorted into as long as you're happy. Okay?" His accent while not completely Australian did have a slight tinge to it, not making it the strong British accent it had been twenty years ago, long before Chloe had been born.
She had heard plenty of stories -once her parents had broken the news of their move to England- about Hogwarts. It had been where both her parents had gone 'pre-Australia' as they had called it. They had started dating in the two months before they graduated from Hogwarts, her mother had been in Slytherin and her father in Gryffindor a dating combination they insisted had been very odd at the time.
They had moved to Australia immediately after graduating, following their mutual dream of becoming beaters for the Australian Quidditch team, the Woollongong Warriors. Chloe never truly understood why they so strongly wanted to live across the world, away from their parents for a Quidditch team but they had helped the team carry the Australian league title for years through both their talented playing, and in later life, coaching.
With an easy motion her mother lifted her trunk onto the train. Leaning into a hug she was knocked slightly askew by a boy with black hair running down the platform muttering, "Teddy and Victorie" under his breath. Her father enveloped her in a soft but firm hug wishing her the best of luck for her first year. "What if I make no friends?" Chloe whispered into her mother's ear as she hugged her tightly.
Rubbing her hands in a soothing circular motion Tatiana reassured her daughter, "You'll make plenty of friends- it'll be fine sweetheart."
"What if-"
Chloe's mother pulled out of the hug, looking her daughter firmly in the eyes, "No more what ifs, okay?" The young girl nodded her head silently. Then with a nervous expression and with her new wand in her back pocket Chloe Yancy boarded the Hogwarts Express.
Chloe eventually found a compartment she could sit in towards the back of the train. It was in the second to last carriage and completely empty. She timidly sat down, despite having grown up around magic the feeling of being in a foreign country, and now alone, made her afraid that something was going to jump out of nowhere. Looking out at the rolling hills of countryside Chloe began to imagine what Hogwarts would look like. She had seen one image of the magical school in Australia, it was quite modern as the country was so young, but she knew Hogwarts was far older.
"Uh can I sit in here?" The voice of timid young boy dragged Chloe away from the window.
"Yeah of course." She answered immediately with a nervous smile. Smiling back the eleven year old dragged his things into the carriage. Chloe took his moment of distraction to take a good look at him he had blonde-white hair and a pointed nose, he was only slightly shorter than Chloe and appeared to be just as anxious as her.
After a few moments he sat across from her with sigh, "I'm so thankful you let me sit here I don't think there's any more compartments left."
"It's no problem." She replied with a smile, "My name's Chloe."
The boy smiled back, "Scorpius. May I ask where you're from?" Chloe gave him a quizzical look. "Because of your accent." He explained.
"Oh!" Her eyes widened, funnily enough Chloe often forgot she didn't have a British accent like her parents, "I'm from Australia. I grew up there, my parents played for the Woollongong Warriors over there."
Scorpius's eyes widened, "You're parents are Qudditch players? That's so cool!"
Chloe laughed, "Yeah they-" She began to explain but was cut off by the sound of the compartment door opening again. Another two eleven year olds stood in the doorway, a girl with wild red, curly hair and a boy with messy black hair. For a second Chloe thought maybe he was the boy who had knocked her on the platform but soon came to the conclusion he wasn't.
"May we join you? All the others are full." The girl asked, politely.
"Of course!" Chloe answered scooting down the bench seat to give the two more room to sit down and then motioned to herself and Scorpius, "I'm Chloe and this is Scorpius."
"Pleasure." The red head stuck out her hand, "I'm Rose."
Chloe happily shook her hand and turned to the other boy, "I'm Al." He said with a polite smile sitting next to Scorpius.
"Potter?" Scorpius asked with a raise of his blonde eyebrows.
The other boy nodded bashfully, "Yeah."
The words stumbled out of Chloe's mouth, "Like Ginny Potter's son? That's awesome."
Al turned to her smirking ever so slightly, "Not the parent people usually ask about, but yeah."
"My parents are Quidditch players," Chloe supplied, "we talk a lot about Quidditch in my house."
Rose smiled next to her, "Oh we do to, what team do your parents play for?"
Turning her head Chloe smiled broadly, happy to have something simple to talk about, "They played for the Woollongong Warriors in Australia, but they've come back to England now. Mum's going to coach the Chudley Cannons." Scorpius gave her a funny look, "She wanted a challenge apparently." Chloe laughed at the teams' history.
Rose laughed with her, "My dad loves the Cannons. He's so weird."
"Give Uncle Ron a break Rose." Al defended, "The team has potential."
"You two are related?" Chloe asked.
Rose nodded while Al explained, "Yeah. Rose's dad is my mum's brother."
"My dad told me to stay away from you guys." Scorpius interrupted. The young boy had blurted it out, without much thought and Chloe got the feeling he strongly regretted saying it.
Laughing again Rose said, "So did my dad! He told me to try and beat you in every exam I could." Scorpius's shoulders visibly relaxed as she spoke, "I don't think it's a major issue though. We're not out parent's right?" Scorpius nodded quickly, "We can be friends with who we want at Hogwarts."
After a few moments Al asked, "So what houses do you guys think you'll be in?"
"Slytherin." Scorpius answered quickly, "But not because of my parents, I've been told I'm pretty ambitious and cunning so…"
"I think I'd want to be in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor," Rose said, taking the attention off Scorpius, "but I don't mind."
Al answered his own question next, "I think I'd want to be in Gryffindor just to avoid James's wrath."
"Who's James?" Chloe asked.
"My brother. He's starting his third year at the moment and is a bit of a prick at times." Al rolled his eyes thinking of his brother's antics. "What house do you think you'll be in Chloe?"
"I don't really know what houses there are, let alone the traits of each." She shrugged, "My dad was in Gryffindor and my mum was in Slytherin, so probably one of those."
"What year did they graduate? Our parents probably knew each other if they played Quidditch." Al asked.
Chloe turned to him, "93'. But my dad didn't play for the Gryffindor team. I don't think he liked Oliver Wood too much." Al nodded his head understandingly; Wood could be quite overwhelming at times.
The four children fell into a comfortable conversation until they were almost at Hogsmede station, "We should all stay friends, no matter what houses we get sorted into." Scorpius said as the laughter from a game of exploding snap died down. Rose and Albus nodded while Chloe smiled, "I'd like that."
The four children stumbled into a rickety wooden boat. "What if it tips into the lake?" Chloe asked anxiously.
"Then it falls into the lake," Rose laughed, "it's unlikely that'll happen though."
Chloe took in a deep breath and stayed as still as possibly. She had been so distracted by the idea of the boat tipping over she almost missed Hogwarts. The castle stood proud atop a hill, the stars in the sky twinkling behind it, it took her breath away, "It's amazing."
"So cool." Whispered Al next to her.
Together they walked at the front of the group of first years entering the great hall. Chloe and Scorpius marvelled at the ceiling, eyes wide in fascination as Al waved at his family and Rose theorised how they made the ceiling the way it was.
"Remember, no matter our houses, we're still friends right?" Rose whispered to them as they came to a stop.
"Well I would hope so Rosie." Al said jokingly to his cousin.
The red head rolled her eyes in return, "I meant all of us." Scorpius and Chloe nodded their heads, keeping quiet as the Sorting Hat began speaking.
The first of the four to be sorted was Scorpius, "Malfoy, Scorpius." Professor McGonagall said loudly. Everyone in the Great Hall went silent at the sound of the young boy's name, despite this he walked confidently up to the stool and, after a few moments, the Sorting Hat spoke, "Slytherin!" Chloe heard someone behind her mutter "No surprises there" and promptly turned around to glare at them.
Next was Al, the hat had barely touched his black, messy hair before shouting, "Gryffindor!" The Gryffindor's cheered. Rose turned to Chloe, whispering "Do you think it just did that because he's a Wotter?" Chloe gave her a funny look, "Someone who's a Weasley or a Potter." Rose explained.
"I think you'll end up in the house you're supposed to be in." Chloe smiled calmingly. Rose nodded anxiously back before the sound of her own name drew her up to the stool. Chloe gave her a reassuring thumbs up and after exactly 67 seconds the Hat yelled, "Ravenclaw!" A cheer came up from the Ravenclaw table and Rose happily skipped down to her seat.
Chloe was left standing alone and was second to last to be sorted. "Yancy, Chloe." She smiled at the last person before walking up, trying to ignore the idea of everyone looking at her. "Yancy. I sorted your dad into Gryffindor years ago." The Sorting Hat spoke into Chloe's ear. "You don't belong there though, do you? Too many "What if's" stopping you from doing things. No no no no. Not Gryffindor. Nor Ravenclaw, you have no thirst for knowledge. So, it's either Slytherin or Hufflepuff. Two very different houses, but also two very similar houses. Perhaps their history is different. One with more bad eggs than the other. You'd fit nicely in either I think. Your ambitious enough to go to Slytherin, determined too, the question is would you do anything for what you want?" "I don't know." Chloe answered, anxiously. "Hmmmm. You could go to Hufflepuff. Hard workers they are. They'll work themselves to death to get what they want. They're dedicated too… and patient. I'm thinking Hufflepu- No. You're a very clever young lady. So Slyther- NO. You value kindness too much. The Sorting Hat then stayed quiet for a long time before finally shouting, "Hufflepuff!" A cheer came from the Hufflepuff table as Chloe jumped off the stool and walked down to her seat.
"Welcome to Hufflepuff." The girl sitting next to her smiled kindly. "I'm Jess."
Chloe vaguely remembered her name from earlier in the sorting. From a table over she heard another student talking loudly about a hat stall.
"What's a hat stall?" Chloe asked her fellow Hufflepuffs as the last student walked up to be sorted.
A boy across from her with a thick Irish accent answered, "When the sorting hat takes more than five minutes to make a decision." He smiled, "You were up there for at least six. What other house did it want to put you in? Looked like it was really struggling."
Jess wrapped an arm around Chloe, "It doesn't matter she's 'Puff now, that's all that matters."
The friendly Hufflepuff prefect turned to the group of twelve first years, a serious look in his eyes, "You're not to tell anyone about where our common rooms are, or how to get in. It's been a well-kept secret for hundreds of years now."
They all nodded noticing the seriousness in his previously joking eyes before entering the common room. It was cosy and warm, making Chloe think of hot brownies on a cool Sydney night. Chloe soon realised the other first year girls had started walking towards a large, round, wooden door and followed them quickly.
"I can't believe we're at Hogwarts!" yelled a short, excited girl with blonde hair as she threw herself onto one of the six beds. Windows lined the tops of the walls all around the large room, showing a variety of different fields, something which was impossible by muggle standards. The six, four poster beds all looked soft and comfy with warm yellow and black blankets. On either side of each bed was a bedside table and a chest of draws. Chloe found her trunk near a bed at the end of the room- furthest from the both the small bathroom the girls shared and the door out to the common room. Jess, the girl she had met while eating dinner, was on the bed next to hers jumping up and down her brown, wavy hair flying around her face. "We better introduce ourselves to each other," she said to other five as she bounced dangerously close to the ceiling, "since we'll be sharing a room for seven years."
The short, excited girl spoke up, "Yeah! Everyone come sit on the floor!" She sat down in the space between beds three and four. Everyone else sat with her, including Jess who looked disappointed at the idea of having to sit still.
"I'm Em," said the short, excited girl, "I have two older, twin brothers in their sixth year, they're in Hufflepuff as well, my favourite colour's orange and I'm really excited to be starting school."
The girl to her right smiled brightly. She had dark skin and even darker hair, "I'm Tate, I have an older sister in her fourth year in Ravenclaw as well as a younger brother and sister who'll start Hogwarts in a couple years and I want to be a healer more than anything else in the world."
Chloe was impressed that Tate already knew what she wanted to do after Hogwarts, then realised it was her turn to talk, "I'm Chloe, I'm an only child and I'm obsessed with Quidditch."
"What position is your favourite?" asked a petite brunette across the small circle.
"Both my parents are beaters," Chloe smiled, "so that's my favourite."
Jess introduced herself, explaining she was the youngest of three, but both her older siblings had long left Hogwarts. Then an Asian girl introduced herself as Yasmin, explained she was had a younger brother and was very surprised to be placed in Hufflepuff. Finally the petite brunette introduced herself as Danni, she had a sister who was in her third year and in Gryffindor.
The excitement soon wound down for all the girls and they collectively decided they were going to bed. Chloe fell asleep eager to wake up and ask Rose, Scorpius and Al what their respective houses where like.
"That's bullocks, Scorp." Rose said, planting her hands on her hips.
He shook his hands in front of her, "I'm dead serious Rose."
"Blimey you too can fight forever, can't you?" Chloe laughed along with Al.
"I'm telling you Rose, there are vampires in the forest." Scorpius grew frustrated.
The four students were sitting under a tree on a rare sunny December morning. They had managed to grow close over the past three months but the arguments between Rose and Scorpius seemed to become more ridiculous every day. They argued about things such as whether pumpkin juice should be drunk before or after eating mashed potatoes, in a friendly manner of course, but it often left Al and Chloe laughing on the sidelines at their antics.
"There are no vampires in there!" Rose yelled, pointing at the forest with a slight smile.
Chloe shook her head, her and Al smirking at the two.
"How many books do you think are in here?" Rose asked, lifting her head from the potions essay that was due the following day.
Chloe shrugged, looking around and wondering the same thing.
Rose stood, "I'm going to have a look around."
"You're just procrastinating." Albus pointed out.
Scorpius stood, "Well I'm sick of Transfiguration so I'll come for a walk too." The two of them wondered behind a set of bookcases, scanning the shelves.
Chloe turned her head back towards her essay trying desperately to understand what Rose had made sound easy when she explained earlier. Meanwhile Al began to doodle small pictures around the edges of his parchment. "I drew you." He said with a smirk, lifting the paper and revealing a small stick figure with straight hair and a round head. Chloe raised a singular eyebrow with a small smile on her face.
"Hey Albus- Al- Buddy." Chloe turned around to see an older boy walking towards them He had the same messy black hair as Al but he was taller, tanner and had more muscle on him.
Al sighed, "What do you want James?"
"What? Can't I, as your older brother, come and check up on you, my little brother, Albus Severus Potter." He smirked sitting in the space Rose had been in earlier.
"You're name is Albus Severus?" Chloe asked, amused.
Al put his head in his hands, "Yes. And this is my prat of an older brother, James."
James turned smiling at Chloe politely before turning back to his little brother. "So I was talking to Fred-"
"Here's the real reason he came." Al said rolling his eyes and smirking at Chloe.
"And," James continued, "he was telling me that you've made friends with a Slytherin and an Australian 'Puff." He motioned towards Chloe.
"James it's been six months since we started school, are you that blind that you only just noticed?" Al was shaking his head.
James shrugged, "Just checking you're not giving out Quidditch secrets and the sorts."
"You know Quidditch secrets and didn't tell me?" Chloe almost yelled, shocked. She was quickly shushed by Madam Pince. "Seriously Al?"
James turned back to her, then turned back to Al, "You can tell her. No one'll believe a word she says."
"Excuse you?" Chloe asked shocked at the rudeness of the older boy.
He turned back to her again, seemingly annoyed that she was interrupting what he was trying to tell Albus, "Well look at you, you've got no-where near enough muscle mass to be a Quidditch player, even if you're only eleven-"
"I'm tweleve."
"- proving my point even more. You don't look like the Quidditch type. You're body looks like it could break in a moment."
"I'll have you know I've grown up playing Quidditch." Chloe snapped, "Since I could walk I've been on a broom and I'm quite good."
James scoffed, "At best I'd believe you're a seeker."
Chloe was ready to scream, "I'm a beater you dickhead."
Madam Pince was walking swiftly towards them, "Guys just drop it." Al whispered desperately, not wanting his best friend nor his brother to get in trouble.
"Yeah right, you'd be a horrid beater. You're too frail. It's just not in your genes, love." James continued in a condescending manner.
"Are you serious?" Chloe almost screamed as Madam Pince began telling them to leave, "You're a real idiot you know? My parents are Tatiana and John Yancy you dipshit!"
Before James could continue they were cut off by Madam Pince, "Both of you! Detention!"
Rose and Chloe sat on the steps of the entrance hall, waiting for the boys. "I can't believe our first year's over already." Chloe said with a slight smile on her face.
"I know," Rose smiled back, "we'll be done before we know it."
Someone laughed behind them, "I wouldn't count on that Rose." James Potter swaggered up to the two, closely followed by a dark skinned boy who was taller than James. Then trailing behind, not paying attention but clearly a part of the group, were another blonde boy, perhaps a year older than James as well as two girls, one even older than the blonde boy but the other Chloe guessed was James's age. The group looked ready to cause trouble, or take over the world, at a moment's notice.
"Have you seen Al, James?" Rose asked, standing up.
James nodded, "On his way" He walked down the stairs towards the exit, "Hey 'Puff." He said to Chloe. She rolled her eyes and ignored him as he and the rest of the group left. After a while Al and Scorpius arrived and the four first years wondered down the steps, on their way home.
"Make sure you owl me okay?" Rose said, hugging Chloe tightly, then Scorpius. Chloe nodded, hugging Al next, "You can both" She made a very pointed look at Scorpius, "come to the Burrow, I'm sure."
"I would love to," Chloe smiled, noticing her parents further down the platform, "Bye guys." She waved and began to walk quickly to her parents, pushing her trolley with her trunk firmly in front of her.
"Chloe!" Her mum yelled running towards her before enveloping her in a tight hug.
Her father was soon hugging her as well, "How'd you go kiddo?"
She beamed at her parents, "I love it."
"Looks like you grew an extra inch while you were away too." Her dad said wrapping an arm around her as her mother took the trolley and they soon began to make their way home.
A/N: Thank you for reading! If you're going to criticise please make it constructive. The next chapter should be up soon, if you enjoyed it please let me know by reviewing or following the story.
xx