A/N: This takes place a few generations after Harry and Co. so it's pretty much all original characters. All of the spells I use are from the books. I obviously don't own Harry Potter, so, yeah. Here you go.

Drew Quinn looked up at wonder at the scarlet train in front of her. The Hogwarts Express puffed out white smoke that clouded Platform 9 ¾ as the people scurried about, giving hugs and kisses, finding elusive children, and making sure everyone had their things. Drew saw small groups huddled everywhere, getting in last goodbyes as the clock neared 11 a.m. sharp.

Her own mother had declined coming to the platform. Mrs. Quinn was a muggle-born, as was her husband, making Drew the first in the family to become a witch. Her mother was a simple housewife, and her father a successful business man. It had come as quite a shock when Drew received her letter.

Drew jumped when the train gave off a loud whistle, and with a quick glance at the clock, realized that she only had five minutes before the train's departure. She pushed her trolley to one side, and with the help of a friendly porter with a gold embroidered scarlet uniform, got herself, her trunk and the wicker basket carrying her cat Evangeline, safely onto the train. After giving the porter an awed look after he levitated some other trunks away, she began to make her way down the cramped aisle to search for a compartment to sit in.

..x.X.x..

The train had left the station at least 10 minutes earlier, and Drew still hadn't found a compartment. Groups of older students squeezed by every so often, laughing at some old inside joke or another, and Drew began to wonder whether she would have to sit out in the aisle way. A group of older girls had just sneered at her when she'd asked to sit with them and had laughed at her when she'd retreated back down the corridor.

To make matters worse, she didn't like the look of the group of boys coming towards her, and her intuition never failed her.

"Hey, look. A puny little first year! Why are you all by yourself out here, brat?" the biggest of them grinned maliciously.

"I'm not a brat!" Drew snapped.

"I'm not a brat!" Another of the boys mocked her. The others laughed. "Yeah, whatever. Get out of our way, now."

Before Drew could even make the decision to stand her ground or do as they told her, someone intervened.

"She doesn't have to do what you say!"

One of the boys spoke to the leader. "Oh, look, Mack! It's that Gryffindork Crenshaw's little brother. What's your name again? Dopey?"

"My name is Danny, you overgrown slugs!" A boy about Drew's age came up to stand beside her. "You're just a bunch of stupid Slytherins anyway, so why don't you get out of our way?"

The older boys stopped laughing. A few pulled out their wands.

"I'm gonna hex you into oblivion, you little-" Danny cut Mack off.

"Little what? Come on, I can take you. It wouldn't take more than a few simple spells to beat you!"

Drew nudged Danny. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Yeah, why don't you listen to the girl, huh?"

"What, so you can go brag that you beat a few more first years into submission? No way!"

"Have it your way then, brat. Duro!"

A blue streak of light shot off between Drew and Danny's heads, blowing their hair back and making them duck.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Mack went stiff as a board, with his arms and legs snapping to his sides. He fell backward to meet his dropped wand on the ground.

"Any of you touch them and you'll have to answer to me." An older boy that looked similar to Danny stepped up to the group of Slytherin boys with his wand raised.

"Oi, Crenshaw! This ain't any of your business!" One of the other boys snapped.

"It is if you threaten my brother! Or any other defenseless first year!"

"Stupid Gryffindors. They always ruin everything." The group reversed the spell on Mack and quickly made their way down the corridor, shoving past Drew and Danny as they went.

"Aw, Tate, I could've taken them." Danny whined. "You should've given me a chance."

The other boy, Tate, rolled his eyes. "What I should've done was never let you out of my sight."

Danny scowled when Drew giggled.

"It's not funny..." he mumbled.

"Sorry." Drew sobered.

"What's your name?" Drew turned to find Tate talking to her.

"Drew Quinn. Sorry for the trouble. I was just looking for a compartment when they showed up." Drew explained.

"No problem. My name's Tate Crenshaw." He gave her a warm smile. "And I guess you already know my brother Danny. I'm a fourth year Gryffindor."

"What's Gryffindor?"

Both Tate and Danny looked genuinely shocked.

"You don't know what Gryffindor is?" Danny asked.

Drew shook her head. "I'm the first witch that I know about in my family."

"Well, then, we must tell you absolutely everything we know. Come on, you can sit with us!" Danny grabbed Drew's free arm and Tate took her trunk, leaving her with Evangeline's basket. The trio made their way to the next car and Drew soon found herself surrounded by new friends.

..x.X.x..

A few hours later, after darkness had fallen, Drew found herself in her new Hogwarts robes and listening to the older student's tales of their experiences at school.

"...Oh, and you can't forget the giant squid! –"

"-Oh, yeah! Don't forget about Honeydukes –"

"-Honeydukes is the best!-"

"-We have to go there, the first trip back!-"

Drew studied everyone as they talked. The conversation was mostly about things she didn't know about, and it changed so quickly she wouldn't have been able to keep up anyway.

There was, of course, the Crenshaw brothers, whom were from a pureblood wizarding family ("But it doesn't matter what your blood is!"). Both of their parents, Drew learned, worked at Gringotts Bank in Diagon Alley.

Rusty Booker was a fellow first year, and also non-magic, like Drew. Their fathers even worked for the same company. But his mother was a florist for weddings and special occasions.

Also, there was Carter Alverson, whose parents were retired dragon trainers. He was a really quiet fourth year, and sat with his nose in a book most of the time.

Elise Tucker, Tate's third year Hufflepuff girlfriend, was a halfblood. She was the extremely chipper type. Although she liked Elise, Drew had to wonder how Tate could stand her all of the time.

Elise turned to Drew. "Are you nervous?"

"Yes. "

"Well, don't be. Hogwarts is great. It's the best place to make friends and have fun, even thought it is a school."

Drew grinned. "I wonder what house I'll be in. Definitely not Slytherin, that's for sure."

"Not all Slytherins are bad. Most of them, but not all of them. My friend Shannon is a Slytherin. We've been friends since first year."

Just then, another one of Tate's friends stopped by their compartment to tell them that they were entering Hogsmeade, before running off again.

"Well come on. Time to go up to the castle." Elise smiled. "Leave your things here, they'll be taken up while we eat."

Drew just nodded as she made her way out of the nearest door with the rest of the group as a seventh year held it open.

"Firs' years! Firs' years! This way to the boats! Come on now! Firs' years!"

Drew stared, awestruck, at the giant of a man before her. Elise gently pushed her forward.

"Don't worry. That's Hagrid. You get to cross the lake in the boats on your first day. Go with him."

Even Danny was a bit afraid to go forward. But finally he mustered up his courage, and pulling Drew and Rusty with him, made his way to the front of the group.

"Alrighty then. Tha' all of yeh? Good. Let's go."

A/N: A new record! 1,310 words for one chapter! Not including Author's Notes! I'm so happy! Please R&R and tell me what you think! Thank you for reading!