A/N: Okay, so this is going to be another story with familiar faces and plotlines, albeit put together in a variety of different ways. Olivia, Claire, Audrey, and Eva are all members of other stories of mine, and should be familiar to some of my fans. Likewise, Abigail and Sarah are renamed characters based strongly on characters from emberlivi's lovely Althea story arch! If you've not read them, READ THEM, they're so good. She has graciously allowed me to use these characters! There will be more familiar characters later, but for right now, that's what we've got! I hope you all enjoy this! I've put a lot of planning into it, and I think it will be a really great read. First chapter is September of 1971, told from Olivia's viewpoint!

-C

My father had left my younger sister at home, not wanting to drag her into public eye, once again. I had said my goodbyes to Anne-Claire that morning after breakfast as our father was putting my things in the car.

"Livia!"

I turned to see James Potter smiling and waving me over. I looked up at my father and smiled.

"Daddy, can I go?"

"Go ahead, dear," my father said, kissing my forehead. "Have fun."

He wandered off to talk to James's parents and James helped me lift my trunk onto the train and into a compartment near the entrance.

"Sirius, Claire, this is Livia Cromwell," James said snootily to a dark-haired boy and girl who were very obviously twins.

"Your father's Peter Cromwell?" the girl said in a bored voice. I nodded. "You must know everybody."

"No, not really," I admitted. "My sister and I, we don't really get out much, and visitors are a bit of a rare thing."

"Isn't that cool?" James asked eagerly as we sat down.

Apparently I was automatically cool, which was a bit of a relief.

Claire and Sirius Black were twins, the eldest of three in a pureblood family. We'd gotten comfortable with each other as I decided that Claire was very pretty, with flowing raven hair, gray eyes, and aristocratic cheekbones, when the door opened and a pretty redhead came in, spotting the seats by the window and sitting down without speaking to us.

"Should we let the owls out?" I asked.

"Nah, they'll get plenty of time to stretch their wings when we get to Hogwarts," Sirius said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Three owls might get a bit tight and territorial in here."

A dark-haired boy with incredibly greasy hair came in and sat across from the girl at the window and they talked quietly, ignoring us as we talked about Quidditch, which was apparently something was all enjoyed.

"We don't really play," Claire explained, "but Sirius is a wonderful commentator. He comments through the whole match whenever we go with our brother."

"Reg hates it," Sirius explained with relish. "What position are you, Livia?"

"Beater, I guess," I said with a shrug.

From the way they looked at me I could tell they didn't think a person my size could be effective as a Beater, but I didn't mind. My father had taught me that being underestimated wasn't a bad thing. Your competition never saw you coming.

I hadn't heard the word, but James and Sirius latched onto the word Slytherin being said by the boy at the window, and an altercation occurred. It was a miracle the insults between James and the boy whom the redhead dubbed Severus didn't end in a duel, but the redhead, who very obviously didn't think much of us after the fight, dragged Severus out of the compartment before it could escalate any further.

Apparently Hogwarts would be less than idyllic.

"Well, now that the harpy's gone," Claire teased, smirking in a satisfied way, "we can enjoy the rest of our train ride."

There was a timid sort of knock on the door to the train compartment and we exchanged a glance, wondering if the redhead and Snivellus (as Sirius had coined the greasy one) had returned.

"Come in," I called politely, just in case it wasn't them.

It wasn't.

"Sorry," said a boy with scars on his face and arms. "But a second year set off a dungbomb in our compartment and everywhere else seems to be full."

"We've got seats, come on in," said James jovially, motioning to the window seats. The scarred one sat by me, and the mousey one by Sirius.

"I'm Remus," the scarred one said shyly, "and this is Peter."

"Claire."

"Sirius."

"James."

"Olivia."

"It's very nice to meet you," James said happily. "Do you like Quidditch?"

And so a friendship was born between the six of us, all happy and almost relieved to have met people we could be happy spending time with so early on.

Claire and I went to the washrooms to change while the boys changed in the compartment, and we instantly bonded when the boys weren't around.

"You've got very pretty eyes," she told me happily. "I wish my eyes were green. Gray is such a boring color, don't you think?"

"I like it," I replied with a shrug. "I don't think green's all that special."

Through discussion while changing we also learned that neither of us ever combed our hair. Hers fell into perfectly graceful waves, and mine into smooth, straight locks without any outside encouragement.

"I wonder why that is," she said thoughtfully as we walked back to our compartment, finishing off the last of the sweets that were bought between the six of us when we sat down.

"Why what is what?" Sirius asked, putting his arm around his sister's shoulder.

"Nothing that would interest you, brother dear."

"Whatever you say, Baby," he said with a smile as she kissed his cheek.

Anne-Claire and I had always gotten on fine, but I found myself instantly jealous of the closeness between Claire and her twin. Perhaps it was something about going through everything together had made them bond so completely.

When we got off at the platform, a booming voice called, "Firs' years, follow me! All firs' years t'me!"

We all moved together toward the giant figure that was raising a lantern and calling all the first years to him like a lighthouse calling boats to the harbor.

"Righ', this way!"

We were led down to the lakeside where there were dozens of rowboats awaiting us.

"No more 'n four to a boat!" the large man called out, and I was followed into a boat quickly by Sirius, Claire, and James. Remus and Peter got into the boat next to us, followed by two rather pretty girls.

"Hi, Sarah!" Claire called to the blonde of the two girls. "Who's your friend?"

"Abigail Edgeworth, Muggle-born," the girl called Sarah said. "Who's yours, Claire?"

"Her name's Olivia Cromwell."

"No way!"

The man tapped an umbrella against his own boat, which propelled all of the boats forward at a steady pace. I turned to Claire and Sirius.

"Who's Sarah?"

"Sarah Walcott," Sirius said with a snort. "Pureblood. Airhead."

"She's nice enough," Claire said with a bored sort of shrug. "And fun-"

"Fun to tease you mean," James said with a grin. "Your greatest joy is to make fun of her."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh, James, no longer," Claire said with a sinister sort of giggle. "She's far too easy of a target. I think Red over there might be a bit of fun, though."

She was, of course, referring to the redheaded girl whom Sirius had termed harpy earlier in the day. The girl in question was in a boat a couple of boats over with Snivellus, a nervous looking boy, and a girl who looked exactly like me.

I'd met that girl once before. She had different eyes, of course, but my father insisted that I shouldn't concern myself with the fact that the girl was like looking in a mirror.

"Was that a giant squid?" James asked, awe and reverence in his face as he pointed out across the lake.

None of the rest of us had seen it, but the question was answered when one of the boats tipped several minutes later. The giant squid used its tentacles to turn the boat back and push the four squealing girls back into the boat.

"Wow," I sighed, a little bit jealous.

That squid was cool.

When we reached the castle we were led into the Great Hall, where the Sorting Hat James had told us about sang a quick song about the houses and the students milled nervously. I would be early, but even so I couldn't wait for it to be over.

"Aubrey, Bertram!"

The boy who was standing next to the red-haired girl in line rushed forward, face flushed with nerves and excitement. James must have been a bit nervous or excited as well, because he grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The boy rushed off to join the cheering Hufflepuff table and Professor McGonagall called, "Avery, Jack!"

A boy toward the front of the line slid forward, the hat barely touching his head before screaming, "SLYTHERIN!"

"Black, Claire!"

Claire walked confidently forward from my side, a lot of attention on her as she made her way to the front with her nose in the air. She very clearly knew she was special.

Sirius bounced up and down on the balls of his feet anxiously as his sister sat gracefully on the stool, the hat being place on her head.

Some students seemed to take longer, and it was Claire's Sorting that alerted me to this, because it took nearly thirty seconds for the hat to finally call out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius paled and there was a bit of a stir at the Slytherin table as Claire took a nervous seat at the Gryffindor table, and if they hadn't said on the train that everyone in their family was from Slytherin I wouldn't have understood the atmosphere at all.

"Black, Sirius!"

Sirius hurried forward, shooting Claire a nervous smile on the way, and I noticed several girls in the group of first years giggling and turning to each other excitedly as he passed them. He was going to be one of those boys.

Almost as soon as Sirius sat down, the hat cried, "GRYFFINDOR!" and the atmosphere in the room was considerably tenser.

Not only had a Black been Sorted into Gryffindor, but two at once.

"Bletchley, Megan!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"He's going to get a Howler," James whispered. "Probably Claire, too."

"Bones, Edgar!"

I shivered, thinking of how uncomfortable it would be to disappoint a parent with Sorting, much less your entire family.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Bradley, Benjamin!"

"I hope it's not too bad," I whispered, squeezing James's hand back. He gave me a sad smile.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brocklehurst, Shannon!"

"Cromwell, right?" said a name in my ear. I turned to see Sarah Walcott standing there. "I'm Sarah Walcott. Did Claire mention me on the train?"

"Erm..."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Cromwell, Olivia!"

"Got to go, sorry!" I said with a smile, not noticing how quiet the Great Hall had gotten at my name as I moved to the front of the hall, all of the teachers and many of the students staring at me intently as I got up to the front. I fidgeted as I sat on the stool, the hat being lowered onto my head.

"Interesting," I heard in my skull in the voice of the hat. "A Slytherin perhaps, but there is a lot of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor in you. Your mother did very well in Ravenclaw, but you are not your mother in spite of what you have been told. Hmm... Greatness is destined for you. I think-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I stood on shaky legs, walking the path to sit beside Sirius and Claire, who welcomed me with smiles, shaking hands, and a kiss on the cheek from Claire to cement our friendship before all of the Great Hall.

I was with friends.

"Crook, Georgina!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Nervous?" Sirius whispered in my ear.

"A little," I admitted sheepishly. "Are you?"

"Cuffe, Barnabas!"

"A little," he said grimly, looking down at his hands, waiting to clap for whichever house got Cuffe.

"RAVENCLAW!"

I nodded, looking at Professor McGonagall and her severe demeanor before looking over at James, who was having his ear chatted off by Sarah Walcott.

"Curd, Gemma!"

"Walcott, she's a bit pleased with herself, isn't she?" I asked, speaking as softly as possible to Claire and Sirius, who both smirked identically at this question.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Oh, she's the greatest thing since corked bottles, that one," Sirius laughed. "In her own mind, anyway."

"Edgeworth, Abigail!"

Several of the Muggle-born (obvious from the way they wore robes) students got excited at this name, including the red-haired girl, and some of the girls began squealing.

"What's so special about her?" I asked.

"Sarah told me she's some sort of Muggle nobility," Claire said with a shrug. "Apparently she's famous, but so are you, so I don't see how it matters."

It was strange to be told I was famous as though someone was telling me that my hands were covered in skin.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The table around us erupted and I found myself clapping as I scrutinized the girl approaching our table, sitting across from us. Her hair was long, luxurious, and dark. Her eyes were pretty, her face well formed, and her manner very much that of Claire, knowing she was something special. When she sat across from Claire the two girls blinked at each other in that same unimpressed way.

Something told me Gryffindor was going to be very high-maintenance living.

"Egg, Madison!"

"Oh, what a terrible surname," Sirius sniggered as the girl moved to the front, blushing and plump.

Couldn't argue with that assessment.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Elkins, Elise!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Entwhistle, Katie!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Evans, Lily!"

The redhead from the train went forward as though she had springs on her feet, a broad smile across her face.

"Oh, it's Red," Claire said with a vicious sort of smile. "Lovely. I'm thinking Hufflepuff."

"Ravenclaw," Sirius said, and they shook quickly, probably some abbreviated form of betting they'd developed.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Both of them groaned and Lily came over to the table, sitting down beside Abigail and saying as calmly as possible how thrilled she was to meet her, barely sparing a glance for our side of the table. I raised an eyebrow, glancing back at the unsorted first years and seeing that Snivellus looked less than pleased about Evans's arrangement.

Well, so was I.

"Fawcett, Sam!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"I thought I was going to be in Ravenclaw, the way the hat was talking," Lily was telling Abigail nervously.

"Fenwick, Benjy!"

"Oh, he looks like a poof," Sirius sniggered, and my eyes widened, shocked.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"There's a shock," Sirius said honestly, frowning.

"Fleetwood, Morgan!"

"Slytherin," Sirius and Claire said together, grinning slightly.

"You know her?" I asked, curious.

"Not at all," Claire said, shaking her head. "I'm sure she's half-blood. But she's got the look for it, doesn't she?"

Sure enough, moments later...

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Flint, Mollie!"

"Oh, we do know her," Sirius winced. "Her brother's got very large fists."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Lupin, Remus!"

I crossed my fingers under the table, not wanting our group of six to be split up, especially now that Lily Evans was in my House.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

We clapped loudly for Remus as he joined our table, sitting across from me, beside Lily, who greeted him as warmly as I did, which he seemed pleasantly surprised about.

"MacDougal, Isabella!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Macmillan, Michael!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Macnair, Walden!"

"Slytherin," Claire muttered, picking at a loose string on the cuff on her shirt.

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Morecomb, Eva!"

My virtual twin moved forward, and Sirius's jaw dropped.

"Who is that?" he asked, stunned. "Do you know her? She looks just like you!"

"I know," I said softly, noticing that Professor Dumbledore was watching her closely. "I've met her before, but I really don't know who she is. Maybe she does, but my father wouldn't tell me anything."

"Weird," Sirius whispered, his face scrunched a bit as he tried to think of what relation she might be to me.

"SLYTHERIN!"

I glanced over at the Slytherin table and watched Eva Morecomb sit with some very angry looking boys, all who then looked directly over at me. I shivered.

"Ignore them," Sirius whispered in my ear. "We've got the Cromwell. They're just jealous."

What they were jealous about, I really didn't know.

"Mulciber, Brandon!"

"Slytherin," the twins chorused.

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Pettigrew, Peter!"

Remus and I exchanged nervous looks across the table and waited anxiously as Peter scurried forward, sitting on the stool so quickly that he nearly fell off, much to the amusement of many a student. I wince, but when the hat finished its deliberation it cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"

We clapped happily as Professor McGonagall called out, "Philpott, Alex!" and Peter sat down next to Remus, clearly sweating from the pressure of it all.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Potter, James!"

I heard Lily groaned but Sirius grabbed my hand under the table, obviously as anxious as I was to finish off our six-person clique.

Not that any of us should have been worried, sure of himself as James looked when he sauntered to the front.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

He glided over to sit beside me, grinning ear to ear.

"Pritchard, Gabriel!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"We're all here," James said happily in my ear.

"Snape, Severus!"

Lily watched eagerly as Snivellus made his way to the front of the room, ignoring the giggles of several older students as they gossiped about his hair.

"SLYTHERIN!"

He seemed very pleased with himself, and when the Slytherin Prefect welcomed him into the fold I could have sworn I saw a tear forming in the corner of Lily's eye, but she blinked it away quickly if it had been there at all.

"Snell, Bethany!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Spinnet, Alice!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Walcott, Sarah!"

"Hufflepuff," Sirius said to Claire.

"No arguments there," she laughed.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The twins just stared in shock as Sarah Walcott, blonde doll that she was, came over to the Gryffindor table and sat beside James because she seemed not to be sure what to make of Peter.

"Watkins, Finlay!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Wenlock, Bailey!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Dinner was a delicious affair, and perhaps a miracle because we were all too busy eating to talk and get into some sort of fight like the one on the train. When we went to the Gryffindor common room, however, and I found that Claire and I were sleeping in a room with Lily, Abigail, and Sarah, I very nearly cried.

Seven years suddenly seemed like a lifetime.