Year One, Chapter One - September 1, 1991. In the AM.

King's Cross station was not yet bustling with the activities of new and returning Hogwarts students and their families. Many families preferred to either apparate or floo in over at The Fellow across the street about thirty minutes or so before the train departure, even though King's Cross had its own floo - the network gets too clogged on September 1st, so any families in the know just use The Fellows' floo. Muggleborns arrive about an hour early typically, usually because, really, Platform 9 and 3/4?! Is there such a thing? Anna Langley and her twin brother Regulus Black convinced their parents to allow them to arrive two hours early. It seems that the twins enjoyed people watching immensely.

"I don't know why I allowed you two to talk me into coming here so early. Early! We could've had a nice lay-in, a nice breakfast, and then just floo over," their mother, Cassiopeia Black-Langley grumbled. Her hair was immaculate in its chignon, her jacket cinched just so, and her long dark skirt not too tight but not too billowy. She may be the daughter of Walburga and Orion, but this daughter of House Black knows how to blend in with her environment.

A low rumble of chuckles signaled the arrival of William Langley. "Now dear, you know that our little ones are just too excited and are studying the natives in their natural environment. Besides," he said teasingly, "isn't that what you did at their age?"

Cassiopeia blushed. "Yes, but at least no one noticed," she hissed.

"Except daddy," both children replied. They had heard the story of how William and Cassiopeia had met in their first year of Hogwarts many times. Too many times. It was embarrassing. But then again, they are eleven.

William sat next to Anna on the bench, joining in on the twins' observations. Both were silent, never letting out what they saw or who they saw. The station was slowly bustling to life when they spotted a bushy haired girl pushing her cart with her trunks. It would've looked like any other commuter if it weren't for the fact that her eyes kept searching between platforms 9 and 10.

Anna stood up. "I got this," she said as she strode over to the girl, who looked rather pressed and neat in contrast to her hair, in her buttoned down shirt and skirt. On the other hand, Anna favored band shirts and jeans, especially today of all days. Cassiopeia would often find herself thinking of her elder brother, but pushed those thoughts away. No sense in thinking about one brother who is apparently a mass murderer, and the other who disappeared and got himself killed.

"Hi, I'm Anna." Anna held out her hand to the bushy haired girl, who looked at it hesitantly.

"I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger," Hermione replied. She peered shyly at Anna. "Um, would you know where I could find platform 9 and 3/4?"

Anna grinned. "Yep!" She pointed to the barrier at number nine. "Just run straight through. You'll hit the other side."

Hermione looked at her quizzically. "You're not pulling one on me, are you?"

"Pulling one?" Anna repeated confusedly before realizing what that meant. American English and British English were so different! "Oh no! No, I'm not. I'm a maj, just like you. See?" She pointed to her family seated on the benches. "That's my family. They're maj's too!"

"Maj?" Hermione repeated. Anna smacked her head. Completely forgot she's not in Florida anymore.

"Short for 'magicals.' American term for those with magic." Anna explained. Hermione's eyes lit up with comprehension. "Ooh, ok!" She replied, grinning. She then looked from Anna to the barrier and back again.

"Can I stick with you? My parents dropped me off because they have to go to work and I really don't know anyone else," Hermione said, biting her lower lip.

Anna's face brightened. "Sure!" After all, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. Or acquaintanceship. Or a study group. Anna wasn't too fussed about what to call it.

Regulus raised an eyebrow as his twin returned with the girl. He wasn't surprised that Anna had made a new friend – that seemed to be her gift, although for the life of him, he couldn't think of where exactly she got that from. From what he saw of his grandmother Walburga, great-uncle Cygnus, and Arcturus, they were not the "let's be friends at first sight" type.

Langleys were more interested in furthering knowledge and research than human interaction, although how they managed to procreate was a miracle, as far as he was concerned. It might be from their paternal grandmother Jin-Yi. Her family was said to be the gregarious type who were friends and allies to all, which would explain how the family survived all the turmoil of the past thousands of years.

Anna bounced happily to the bench, clutching Hermione's hand while the poor girl was using her other hand to try to maneuver her trolley. Cassiopeia wandlessly and wordlessly sent out the Locomotor spell to help make it easier. Just how the Mugg-No-Maj's-survived without magic still surprised her to this day, even with her exposure to the No-Maj world.

"Everyone, this is Hermione Granger," Anna announced proudly. "Hermione, this is my family. My mom, Cassiopeia Black-Langley," she pointed to her mother, "my brother, Regulus Black," pointing to Regulus, "and my dad, William Langley," pointing to her father, who was engrossed in reading the Financial Times.

"Hello Hermione," said Regulus, standing up and extending his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Hermione smiled and shook his hand. "Likewise." Cassiopeia smiled and nodded in greeting. William, on the other hand, was still in his own world. Anna rolled her eyes.

"You'll have to excuse daddy," she said to Hermione. "When he starts reading something, it's hard to get his attention, short of setting the paper on fire."

Hermione giggled. "That's kind of like me. I love to read." Anna smiled. "So do I. But I think I'd notice someone before they set fire to my book."

"So why are you here early, if you know where the barrier is?" Hermione queried. She had a feeling that the family were not muggles and muggle-borns.

"We occasionally like to observe the No-Maj world. It's something that most Maj's would not bother to do, but since we all live on the same planet…" Regulus shrugged. It wasn't that easy to explain why they observe non-magicals. It wasn't as though they were No-Maj lovers like their distant cousin Arthur, but at least they know what the purpose of a rubber ducky is, thanks to a school system for magicals that taught non-magical and magical subjects.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You mean that most wizards don't bother with muggles?"

The family, William included, bristled at the use of 'muggle.' Hermione instantly wondered what she said wrong.

"You said nothing wrong, child," William said gently, folding his paper in halves, his attention now grasped. "We spent most of our children's childhoods in America, where non-magicals were simply called No-Maj's, and magicals were simply called Maj's. Using the term 'muggle' seems a bit disrespectful to us."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "But that's what Professor McGonagall called the non-magicals."

Anna placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Well, think of it this way: the term 'muggle' also a term used in the 1920's to describe a joint."

"Joint?" Hermione turned her head to Anna.

"Marijuana, weed, Mary Jane, whathaveyou," replied Regulus. Hermione whipped her head to the male twin.

"What?"

"Exactly," the twins said simultaneously. William and Cassiopeia both pinched their noses, knowing what was to come.

"See, we had a discussion about this, "said Regulus.

"In family, of course. Well, not with extended family," noted Anna.

"And after finding out the alternative meaning for the term,"

"And the fact that it just sounds like a disease or something,"

"Especially since it makes it seem like being magical is normal,"

"When really, normal is subjective,"

"It just feels disrespectful to refer to a greater population inhabiting this planet,"

"As 'muggle'," both twins finished.

"Same deal with 'squibs'," Anna added.

Hermione had watched the twins go back and forth in a verbal tennis match. A part of her was disturbed that her initial encounter with magic was being slightly challenged. However, the logical side of her agreed with the argument put forth by the Wonder twins (as she now called them in her head). It did seem a bit disrespectful to refer non-magicals with a term that said that there was something wrong with having no magic. It made her (mental) heckles rise up on behalf of her parents. But before she could respond, or ask just what is a squib and why does it sound like 'squid'?, Regulus suddenly shifted his line of focus to a lone boy walking around with a trolley. The boy seemed nondescript, except for the snowy owl residing in its cage on top of the trunk. Regulus stood back up. "My turn," he said as he walked away.

Hermione made to move with Regulus, but was held back by Anna. "No, let him help the poor kid," Anna said. "No one really tells new Maj's just how to get to Platform 9 and ¾. If they manage to stumble onto it, then great. But a lot are like you and new kid there," she pointed out with a jut of her chin.

Author's Note:

I have uploaded the fancast for this story, and I am very excited about it:

Regulus Sirius Black(Joseph Gordon-Levitt)
Anna Cassiopeia Langley (Margot Robbie)
Cassiopeia Walburga Black-Langley (Lena Headly)
William Langley (Christian Bale)
Katherine Langley (Marion Cottilard)

***Update 09/16/17: I FINALLY got the Black and Langley family trees all sorted out. I only did the Black family tree back to Phineas Nigellus Black, since the information on Pottermore only got murkier the further back I went. The Langleys, on the other hand, have an interesting family tree that will be explained in future chapters. Fun Fact: All of the Langleys born into the family are named after Kings and Queens of England. I also changed the fan cast for Cassiopeia because, well, Lena Headly is kickass. However, there will be no twincest at all! ***

I am working on the second chapter as we speak. It's kind of hard trying to decide whether or not to bring Ron into the quartet of Harry, Hermione, Anna, and Regulus. On one hand, I'd like to try to stick with canon when possible. On the other hand, I also want to see Harry not fettered by Ron's Slytherin bias.

Thank you for reading this "newly revised and expanded" chapter! I've always wondered what it would've been like if Hermione's first peer-to-peer magical encounter was one where she would not have been the dominant one, and what it would've been like if Harry had met a magical family that was really what purebloods would sneeringly refer to as 'blood traitors.' But not to their faces. Because they're Blacks (well, Cassiopeia is, the kids are half, but whatever). And no one sneers at a Black and gets away with it.

Next chapter, Harry meets the Langleys. The twins will explain why the mish-mash of surnames either in next chapter or the one(s) after that. They pull no punches, those twins.

Also, a disclaimer: I own only the Langleys named above (and all in the Langley line). The rest belongs to the wonderful (although I'm wondering about Cursed Child) JK Rowling.