[A/N: obviously this isn't my first rodeo. It's also not one of my original stories. I apologize for that not being the case and I am hoping that THIS story will get the ball rolling to be finishing those fics. This is going to be an AU story.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own HP in any way, this is a fanfic, I don't get paid to write it. This will be my only time saying that.

WARNING: although this will not happen during the first chapter, this story is rated M for a reason. There will be mentions of abuse in many varieties. I will make sure to warn you all in advance when a chapter has anything violent or inappropriate in it.

I hope you all enjoy, reviews and constructive criticism is always appreciated!

Also, her last name is Pronounced Vay-Lore]

val·or

ˈvalər/

noun

great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle.

"the medals are awarded for acts of valor"

synonyms: bravery, courage, pluck, nerve, daring, fearlessness, audacity, boldness, dauntlessness, stout-heartedness, heroism, backbone, spirit;

informalguts, true grit, spunk;

moxie

"medals awarded for acts of valor."

The Hogwarts Letter

Marilyn Valor was an ordinary girl. She had chestnut brown hair that fell down to almost her bum and unique eyes that looked like red goldstone. She was small with cute chubby cheeks and freckles galore. She lived in a small cabin out in the woods with her mum, Tanya Valor. Her father had passed away when she was three, so she never really knew much about him, her mum never spoke of how he died or what he was even like.

Marilyn did chores every afternoon, primary school when summer ended, practiced piano on the weekends and never knew anything that would be considered unordinary.

At least, that was what it was like until July of 1989, when everything Marilyn had known turned upside down in both a beautiful and terrible way.

She had been sitting outside, enjoying the glorious summer breeze that made her long trusses flutter around. The sun was warming up her olive skin that wasn't covered by the simple pale blue sundress she was wearing. A book was in her small chubby hands and a walkman was turned on beside her. The massive headphones engulfed her ears as AC/DC blared from the speakers. She wouldn't have even noticed the tawny owl that was flying above if it hadn't swooped down suddenly and perched itself on a branch that was hanging low in front of her face. A small yelp came from her lips due to the surprise of the small owl that held a rather large packet in its beak. As fast as lighting the headphones were thrown off her head, tossed aside as she got up and moved closer to the bird. It was odd, to have a wild creature come this close to a human and it having no worries at all. This wasn't normal. The owl dropped the packet as soon as she was close enough, gave a hoot and quickly fluttered away before Marilyn could even comprehend what could possibly be happening.

She looked down at the paper on the ground, gazing in shock at what was written on the massive envelope:

Marilyn Valor

Cottage in the Woods

Devon, England

Her name was on this letter. She hurriedly snatched up the large and heavy packet, turning it over to see an odd crest that was in a red wax, in the center a massive H was imprinted. Marilyn didn't know what to do other than speak to her mother. Forgotten were the novel and walkman, Highway to Hell blaring from the headphones still.

"Mum! Mum! An owl dropped this off, right in front of me!" Cried Marilyn, huffing as she skidded to a half in the kitchen where her mother was making lunch for the two of them. Tanya looked nothing like her daughter; wavy dirty blonde hair that went to her shoulders, porcelain skin and hazel eyes that glanced over to her child, only to widen in shock. A gasp escaped her thin lips as a plate dropped to the ground, shattering all over the hardwood floor.

Nothing was ever going to be normal again

XXXX

"So, what you're saying is that there is such a thing as witches and wizards, and I'm one of them?" Marilyn questioned for what was probably the millionth time within two weeks after the letter had arrived. The letter that stated the little brunette was accepted to the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Tanya winced. She had been praying that her daughter wouldn't be one of them. She had hoped Marilyn would be normal, like her grandparents had been. That was too much to hope for, though.

"Yes, and we shall have to go get your school supplies, robes and a wand," said Tanya. The older woman loathed the wizarding world now, after everything that had happened during the war. Yet, she couldn't deny her child going there to learn. She couldn't deny Marilyn what would most likely be the best years of her life. The Valor matriarch would know all about that after all. "We'll have to go tomorrow." Her child squealed in delight at this news.

The next day was chaotic as daughter and mother went to Diagon Alley. It was colorful, busy, loud, and had unique people mulling about in clothing that was incredibly out of the ordinary. Owls were perched in one shop window that obviously cased more creatures behind the closed doors. In another were brooms that apparently weren't meant for sweeping. Marilyn couldn't keep her eyes in one spot for long as she bounced excitedly around, taking in everything that she possibly could. Tanya just shook her head, grabbing onto her child's hand to haul her away.

Their first stop was to a place called Gringotts Bank, where squat little creatures with brooding eyes and permanent scowls were catering to their clients needs. Tanya strode to the front desk with determination while her child looked around curiously.

"I wish to enter the vault of Maxwell Valor." She said with confidence. The ugly man, at least, Marilyn thought it was a man, glared down his large nose at her, then asked for a key in a nasally, irritated voice. The blonde pulled out a large silver key out of her pocket, handing it over quickly. With that, Tanya told Marilyn to sit and behave whilst she went to get money out for their purchases.

It felt like forever, but eventually her mum came back with the grumpy goblin. She had found out what they were after curiously listening in on conversations around her. They took off not long after, the small witch bouncing around excitedly, her eyes twinkling.

There were so many shops that it was almost overwhelming. Madame Malkin's Robes for all occasions was their first stop, where Marilyn was measured with a magical tape that did its work on its own. Afterwards they were handed a large parcel that contained her school uniforms as well as cloaks that all bore the Hogwarts crest on the left breast. Their second stop was an area that they could purchase a trunk to store all of her supplies and clothing in. Apparently it was pre-charmed with an undetectable extension charm, whatever that was. Books, cauldron, apothecary supplies and lastly to get a wand. Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C. was scripted in peeling gold lettering on the shop door that they had just entered through. It was cramped and dusty, with a single spindly chair in the corner. Small, rectangular black boxed were lined up without a single sign saying what was what. They were stacked all the way up to the ceiling, towering over the two. Marilyn couldn't help thinking that if someone were to nudge one of those piles, they would all come toppling down. It seemed as if no one else was around, it being eerily quiet which made the small brunette fidget nervously. Maybe the owner had gone for the day and forgot to close the shop up. An older man with wild white hair came out from a side room, cerulean eyes instantly on the child as he let out a small, 'Ah, student!' then took off behind the shelves. He hadn't said hello or anything to them, which to be honest had bothered Marilyn, and didn't come back for another ten minutes or so. During that wait another measuring tape came in, taking in her measurements of her arms, sides and oddly enough, around her head.

"Walnut, phoenix feather, ten and a half inches long, rigid." Mister Ollivander rattled off, as if she knew what he was talking about. He had opened the box, handing out what looked like an ordinary stick to Marilyn. She looked at it in confusion before glancing back up at him. "Which hand do you write with dear? You take it in that one and give it a swish."

She did exactly what she had been told to do. Nothing happened, much to Marilyn's dismay, but that only made the old man's smile grow. It only took another fifteen minutes until they found the right one. This one felt warm and comforting in her hands, like a familiar friend coming back to be with her for good. It almost seemed like it had been humming against her skin. She gave it a flick of the wrist and beautiful golden sparks came flying out the end of the wand which made Ollivander clap with glee.

"That one is made of pear wood, dragon heartstring core, twelve and three quarters length. It has a slightly springy flexibility. This wand will do wonders for you young lady, and I believe you will do so as well." Ollivander said with an air of knowledge that came to those who were wise. It was these words that stuck with the little girl as she left the shop with her mum who now had a scowl on her face once she paid the seven galleons to the crazy older gentleman. Marilyn couldn't understand why her mum was so upset, everything here was so incredible!

They went to one more shope, a shoe store in Muggle London to be exact. Marilyn looked to Tanya curiously, unsure as to why they would come here of all places.

"You'll need new school shoes, black ones." Tanya murmured with a crooked smile as her daughter's eyes lit up. They meandered about the isles, pointing out which ones they thought would be comfortable and look the best. A single pair caught Marilyn's eyes though; black and white high top converse. It took some begging, but eventually her mum caved, accepting that her child would not change her mind on this choice. With a huff and a chuckle, she paid for the shoes. Once finished they got takeaway food and went home.

It was that night that Tanya cried herself to sleep, reliving the past along with its nightmares.

XXXX

September 1st, 1989

She stood around the bustling crowds of people at Kings Cross station, staring in confusion at the nonexistent sign between platforms nine and ten. Her mum never mentioned this. She never said what to do, just gave her a quick peck on the forehead before driving away. Marilyn was all alone. She was going to miss the train to an adventure she never even knew existed until recently.

"Hurry up or we'll be late!" A woman's voice called out to a gaggle of children. Marilyn glanced up in time to jump out of the way of a plump redheaded woman who was herding children of various ages and sizes toward the brick wall she had just been staring hopelessly at. Two boys were laughing loudly, shoving into one another's trolleys which only caused the people around them to look on with distaste. "Fred! George! You two cut that out this instant! We're already running behind schedule, we have to get onto platform nine and three quarters now!"

Instantly Marilyn perked up, watching what would happen next since she had to go to the same place. She was immediately shocked to see an older boy that was huskier than most of the others dash off at the pillar between nine and ten, disappearing from sight instead of crashing right into it face first. Her heart began to hammer in her small chest and little fingers became tingly. Can I even do this? She thought to herself as panic began to settle in. Most everyone had gone through at this point except the two boys that were causing a ruckus prior. One boy looked over to the other, both ginger heads bobbing in sync before one turned to stare at the brunette.

"Oi!" He called out, causing Marilyn to startle and look at them straight in the eyes. "Yeah, you! C'mere." The boy waved his hand, waiting for her to join them. Once she had, she realized they were twins, identical at that. From the red hair, to the brown eyes, freckles and even their someone round cheeks, all of which at first glance appeared to be the same.

"Are you going to the Hogwarts Express?" The other brother asked as he looked over to the wall their family just disappeared into. She gave a short nod, unsure on how to exactly respond.

"Your first time?" The first boy asked. She nodded again, her cheeks burning from embarrassment. The two glanced at one another, communicating without words. After a moment both of them looked to Marilyn. "You go first."

"We'll be right after you."

"Just run straight at the barrier, don't hesitate. You'll go right through."

"Unless you're taking the mickey out of us and are a muggle. Doubt that though since your trolley is like ours.

They both spoke so quick and in sync that it was overwhelming. Marilyn just nodded vigorously as if she were a mute at this point and did what they said to do. She ran straight toward the barrier, eyes clenched closed once she was getting ready to barrel through the wall made of bricks. Instead of crashing, like any sane person would think would happen, she continued forward, her eyes popping wide open to see a completely different station before her. Men and women alike were draped in colorful robes like they had been at Diagon Alley. It was loud and cheerful with children running about and greeting friends in their year. The twin boys came trotting up as she looked around in awe, both of them grinning from ear to ear.

"Fred! George!" The matron of the boys called out, rushing toward them with a look of rage plastered on her face. "What took you so long? You can't miss the train on your first year!" She spoke in a stern tone, one that even had Marilyn feeling scolded. Both boys looked down in what appeared to be shame before glancing back up with large brown puppy dog eyes.

"Mum! We swear we were doing it for a good reason!" One twin whined.

"Yeah! That girl didn't know how to get here, so we helped!" The other redhead chimed in while pointing at Marilyn who had been right beside them the entire time. A brilliant blush swept across the little brunette's face as she looked up to the older woman who stared at her as if she had seen a ghost. It was an odd thing that Marilyn had never seen before, but she was too nervous to pipe up about it.

"Oh, well," she spoke in a stunned tone before a large smile appeared. "Hello dear, I'm Molly Weasley. Is this your first year as well? Where is your mother?" The questions continued to fire off which only made Marilyn feel overwhelmed. One of the twins tugged at their mum's hand and hissed that she was talking too much, earning himself a harsh glare.

"I-I.. Yes.. This is my first year. My mum isn't here, she dropped me off at King's Cross and left." Marilyn stammered out, her gaze going down to her black and white converse. Molly tutted and began ushering the three children off toward the train, demanding the twins help the poor girl to the best of their abilities. Both boys smirked, dragging Marilyn along with them and shouting half hearted goodbyes. Molly Weasley didn't mind their behavior this time, too distracted by how much that sweet child looked like her old friend's child, a child she hadn't seen since she turned three years old.

Fred and George Weasley, on the other hand, liked this girl already, even though they knew nothing of her yet.

XXXX

Once the three children found an(almost) empty compartment, they settled in and began to talk with a dark skinned boy who had dreadlocks, announcing himself to be Lee Jordan. Marilyn felt incredibly welcome as she listened to all of the boys cracking jokes, a grin growing on her face while she pulled out her walman, earning curious looks from two out of three of the children surrounding her. Lee looked on in amusement, saying he was a half-blood himself so muggle contraptions didn't phase him.

"So, you're a half-blood as well?" One of the twins asked. Marilyn still wasn't sure how to tell the two apart. "And this is called a.. Walk… Man?" But a man isn't walking on this.." The petite brunette giggled at this and shook her head.

"The word is put together, walkman, the reason behind that is because you can listen to music while walking with this. As for the half-blood thing, I'm not sure what that means, but my mum raised me without magic. Didn't even know it existed until I got my letter. She said that both her and my dad went to Hogwarts though." Marilyn shrugged, not exactly sure what all of the terms the wizarding world had, but she was definitely determined to learn them. "My mum said her parents were normal, but my da, he came from a long line of witches and wizards."

The boys all attempted to explain different meanings to the curious little girl, and she in return, let them use her walkman, showing them how to use it and allowing them to enjoy her recent favorite bad, Aerosmith. The rest of the time was spent in indulging way too many snacks from the trolley, courtesy of Marilyn, playing exploding snap which was a card game the little brunette had never heard of before, but loved. Changing into uniforms and lots of laughter to the point of tears and pains in their sides. Eventually they got off after being told to leave their luggage where it was, it would be taken care of.

"Firs' years! Firs' years o'er here!" A deep booming voice beckoned to all of the small children. They all shuffled, some nervously, others excited, toward the massive man calling out to them. He looked like a huge black bear with a thick mane of hair that went down to his shoulders, a beard that swallowed his face whole and eyes that were dark, yet shone bright like a beetles. "Alrigh' kids. Yeh get to ride the boats to Hogwarts. Four t'a boat." The bear man practically shouted. Marilyn clung to Fred and George as the four of them scrambled onto the nearest rowboat. One twin sat down next to Lee, the other right beside Marilyn. She glanced to the ginger beside her, then to the one across from her, trying hard to figure out how to tell them apart.

"What are you doing?" Fred(at least she thought it was Fred) asked when he saw her head whipping back and forth for the third time. Marilyn leaned in a little closer to him, staring right into his eyes.

"Trying to find a difference," she muttered out in return. She looked back to the other redhead, leaning in close just the way she had before, then grinned in triumph. Their eyes! Fred had dark chocolate eye while George had more of a deep maple color. Most people wouldn't even pay mind to that detail, but she found the difference she needed to tell them apart.

"Ooookay," Fred said while looking around, confused by the olive skinned girl sitting beside him.

Soon, they were in view of the large castle that loomed off the side of a cliff, causing murmurs to ripple along the boats full of first year students. It was glorious, breathtaking even. As they docked and made their way up, hushed whispers were continuous until a stern woman with her graying hair pulled back into a bun and a pointed hat atop her head looked down at all of them. She was in emerald green robes, her hands clasped tightly in front of her and lips pursed. She was the one to lead them away after explaining there would be a sorting ceremony into one of the four houses of Hogwarts. This is where they would be living and with whom they would be living alongside for the years to come.

Inside the castle was as beautiful as the outside, especially when they entered the Great Hall which was full of students sitting at the surrounding tables so colorful it was beginning to overwhelm Marilyn once again. Scarlet and Gold. Sapphire and Bronze. Yellow and Black. Emerald and Silver. Banners were handing beside the tables with emblems of a Lion, Eagle, Honey Badger and Snake. The four house symbols. Each table was littered with plats, goblets, and utensils of all sorts. Above their heads was the darkened night sky, stars twinkling and candles floating to provide light.

"It's enchanted," a voice quietly whispered to Marilyn. She jumped and looked over to see a little girl her age with black hair also looking up at the sky. "I'm Willow." She said with a grin, her emerald orbs sparkling.

"Marilyn," the little brunette whispered back with a weak smile of her own. She seriously felt like she was going to taste those pasties she had had on the train all over again and was not ready for that.

At the head table there was a stool with a ratty old hat sitting on top of it. What Marilyn didn't expect was for three tears to open wide, creating a mouth and two eyes from the ragged thing, then it began to sing:

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts sorting hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The sorting hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might be in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands(though I have none)

For I'm a thinking cap!"

A round of applause came from every table before the name game began. It took what felt as if an eternity, her belly felt like it was attempting to eat itself when her name was finally called.

"Valor, Marilyn!" Professor McGonagall called out from behind the parchment. She could feel her face heat up as she walked shakily to the stool and sat down. The hat fell over the top of her head. It smelled musty and nearly made her gag.

It has been quite some time since I've had a Valor seated here, the hat mused. Its voice rang in her head, forcing her heart to hammer in her little chest. You have the ideals for any of the houses, but your father was a Gryffindor; the bold and the brave, while your mother was a Hufflepuff; those that are most loyal. Why don't we set you apart from them, though. Show this school not to judge a book by its cover, little girl.. "Best be.."

A/N: BUWAHAHA! Cliff hanger. What house do you think little Marilyn will be in? Which would you LIKE to see her in? Next chapter you get to find out.

Also, I wanted to make the first chapter in third person, but I'm thinking of going into first after this. Tell me your opinions, likes/dislikes, etc.]