Disclaimer: I own nothing but my plotline. Everything you recognize, including characters, plot developments, settings, and certain scenes and lines from the Harry Potter series, belong to JK Rowling.


- PROLOGUE -

Beginnings

Katie Bell was incredibly nervous. She had never seen anything like it before. Hogwarts was standing before her as she glided across a glossy black lake towards her school for the very first time. Even the walls of the castle were magnificent—great old stones were all pressed together to create walls that reached into the heavens. Even in the dark of night it was amazing. She felt her jaw dropping as her boat hit shore and a booming voice encouraged the students around her to hurry onto land.

She had heard tell of the great castle, of course. Her parents had both attended Hogwarts during their student careers and had described many fond memories of their years within the school's walls. Of course, stories were nothing compared to seeing it in real life. It was even more dramatic than she had imagined.

Katie followed a flood of terrified-looking students, all the same age as she. Eleven seemed a very small number indeed as Katie stared up at the building in the darkness. She felt far too young to be entering such a grand establishment.

The trembling group was met by a stern-looking witch in emerald green robes who stood on the stairs leading to the main entrance of the castle. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun, and her lips were pursed into a firm line. She beckoned all of the students forward, and Katie fell quiet with the crowd as they waited for instructions from the severe woman in front of them.

She was so nervous that Katie barely registered the orders that were given out by the witch. She was able only to decipher the words sorting and feast before they were hurried through the castle entrance without so much as an opportunity to ask questions.

Sorting turned out to be very painless, although quite nerve-wracking nonetheless. When Katie's name was called she stepped out on wobbly legs to sit on a battered old stool with a tatty wizard's hat on top of her head.

Katie was twitching so much she thought she was going to topple over on the stool, and was greatly relieved when the hat perched upon her head belted out a single word:

"Gryffindor!"

There was a great deal of cheering from a long table at the right side of the room, and Katie knew instinctively that she was meant to join the throngs of excited students sitting there. With a flush of pink in her cheeks, she catapulted herself off of the stool and over to where she saw an empty space at the table.

Letting out a great breath of air she sat down with a grin in front of three blokes who couldn't have been much older than she.

"And what's your name?" one of them asked, and Katie looked up to see a black boy with dreadlocks sitting next to two identical red-haired blokes with bright blue eyes.

"Katie Bell," she answered breathlessly, her heart still pounding over the excitement.

"Nice to meet you," the dark one said, sticking his hand out for her to shake.

They introduced themselves.

"Lee Jordan."

"Fred Weasley."

And…

"George Weasley."

And that's where it all began.