"Well its ridiculous Audrey, to think you can't travel to the most densely populated area in England by magic. I mean is Turpin trying to kill off the broomstick market altogether?" Percy Weasley huffed as he strode along the platform.

Audrey Weasley tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear absent-mindedly "I think your family alone could keep the Broomstick market alive on their own dear" She turned to her two daughters who were lagging behind "Have you both got your tickets?"

Molly Weasley paused to push her glasses back up her nose "Yes Mum, I've got them both"

Lucy Weasley pulled a face and muttered "I can look after my own ticket you know"

Molly smiled as their mother was distracted by a work friend "There you go then"

Lucy smirked "Cheers, where are Dom and everyone else?"

"Like you care about anyone other than Dom" Molly said trying to peer through the steam for a flash of red.

"I care that James is nowhere near me" Lucy replied coolly "And that Al doesn't try to make me sit with Rose"

Molly grinned "Poor Al, having to put up with you two bickering in every class"

Lucy stared determinately at the red train "Not if I can help it Molls...there they are!"

Dominique Weasley's choppy red hair appeared out of the steam as she gracelessly ran towards them, her family following behind though two of them obviously wished they didn't know her.

"Merlin Dom" muttered Louis with peevish bad grace "Could you be any more embarrassing?"

Dominique winked at her little brother "Don't tempt me"

Her mother Fleur glared at her before turning to Lucy with a warm smile "Are you excited Lulu dear? Finally off to Hogwarts with your sister hmm?"

Lucy smiled politely at her Aunt, despite the use of her hated nickname and unwittingly patronising tone "Yeah..."

"Hadn't we better be getting on the train?" Molly asked with a glance at her ornate watch.

Louis nodded quickly "Yeah we should"

Dominique rolled her eyes at Lucy "Get the geeky Ravenclaws"

Her father Bill smiled slightly "What house do you want to be in Lucy?"

Away from Rose, Lucy thought but before she could say this Dominique wrapped an arm round her shoulders "Gryffindor with me, right Lucy?"

Lucy opened her mouth but was saved by a sharp blast on the trains whistle telling them to get on the train.

Molly grabbed Lucy's hand automatically "Come on"

She blushed as red as her hair and snatched it away but not before Louis snorted with laughter and Dom smirked "Aww"


"Are you sure you don't just want to sit with us?" Molly asked quietly as Lucy stood up.

Lucy nodded "Hell yeah, I wanna find some first years Molly"

Dominique turned away from the girl she'd been talking too to wave "See ya at the feast kiddo"

Lucy wandered up towards the front of the train, passing compartments with familiar faces and voices.

Roxanne was demonstrating her Dads latest product to an eager audience but Lucy found it easy to slip past her silently.

"Lulu" her cousin Victorie appeared out of nowhere, her Head Girl badge glinting conspicuously "Are you alright?"

Lucy swore inwardly "I'm fine Vic...honestly"

She raised a perfect eyebrow "Can't you find Al or Rose?"

"I haven't tried" Lucy said through gritted teeth "I was looking for some new friends"

"Oh" Victorie smiled and pointed to a nearby compartment "Well they look like first years"

Inside where three girls who already looked very cosy but before Lucy could object Victorie had pushed her into the compartment "This is Lucy, is it alright if she sits with you?"

Hoping she didn't look as mortified as she felt she glared at the floor as a voice answered "Sure"

"Great" Victorie said breezily "See you later Lulu"

Lucy risked a second glance at the girls trying to look like she hadn't just been called "Lulu"

In one of the window seats a slightly stocky girl with straight brown hair and hazel eyes smirked slightly "Lulu? Ouch...not that I can really talk. I'm Perenelle Anastasia Montague but call me Perry or I'll hex you"

Next to her a dainty girl with blonde waves tied back in a pony tail and a very pointy face watched Lucy warily "I'm Hestia Flora Nott, but I prefer Tia if you don't mind?"

In the other window seat a very tall black girl with very curly hair smiled at her properly "I'm Evelyn Zara Zabini, though most people call me Evie" She indicated at the seat next to her "Would you like to sit down?"

Lucy looked at all three of them in turn "If you actually want me too...If you just didn't want to annoy the Head girl then I can push off"

Evelyn glanced towards the compartment door "Well as she's waiting for you I don't think you'll get far" she looked at Lucy hard "Besides if we didn't want you to sit with us then we'd have said so"

Lucy's face slowly broke into a grin and she sat down "O.k then"

Evelyn smiled back at her "Good, so where were we?"

Perenelle smiled and pulled her feet up onto the seat "We were having the compulsory what house do ya think you're going to be in talk"

Hestia nodded "Uh huh, we're all going to Slytherin aren't we?"

Perenelle nodded "Totally"

Evelyn turned to Lucy, whose mouth had dropped open slightly "What about you?"

Lucy looked at the girl who seemed so nice "Why'd you wanna be in Slytherin?"

Evelyn looked taken aback "Well most of my family has been...and I've got an older brother there"

Perenelle's eyes narrowed "What's the problem with that?"

Lucy swallowed "It's...a bit dark isn't it?"

Perenelle and Evelyn exchanged glances as Hestia examined her long nails "You still haven't told us your name you know"

Lucy crossed her arms "Lucy Marie Weasley"

Evelyn nodded thoughtfully "Well that explains it then..."

Perenelle looked at her "I thought that girl was called Rose?"

"She was...you're not related to her are you?" Evelyn asked Lucy politely.

Lucy grimaced "Yeah she a cousin...I don't like her though. Wait, Evelyn Zabini...you're the family that Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron went to dinner party at last year!"

Evelyn smiled humourlessly "That was an utter disaster of a meal, purple hair really doesn't suit your cousin"

Perenelle laughed "It sounded hilarious!"

Lucy smirked "It was, Aunt Hermione wouldn't speak to Uncle Ron for like a week afterwards"

Evelyn snorted "That's better than nearly killing him I suppose, which is what she looked like she'd do"

Hestia looked away from the window "So what house do you want to be in then Lucy?"

Lucy shrugged and looked at the blurred buildings though the window "No idea, away from Rose I hope"

Evelyn and Hestia both looked curious but refrained from asking, Perenelle however possessed less tact than her friends "How come?"

"We just don't get on" Lucy said quickly "Like people don't"

Perenelle shrugged and turned to Evelyn "Speaking of cousins where's Scorpius Evie?"

Evelyn glanced towards the corridor, where Victorie had gone to join her friends again "I couldn't find him on the platform"

"He'll find us; he's probably with that boy...what's his name?" Hestia asked

"Joseph Warrington" Perenelle said "Maybe there with his older brother Nathaniel?"

Evelyn smirked "Or with Jonathan and Angie"

The three girls cracked up laughing, making Lucy feel left out "Who are they?"

"Just some people we know because their parents are friends with our parents. Though there all Slytherin's so you probably won't care" Hestia said, her smile fading.

Evelyn turned to Lucy "Jonathan is my older brother and Evangeline is a girl that really likes him and her little brother Joe is going to be in our year."

Perenelle smirked as the compartment door swung open "Talk of the devil and he shall appear"

Two boys entered the compartment; one was short and stocky with brown short hair, the other skinny with kind grey eyes.

"Why were you talking about me Perry?" the stocky one asked gruffly, flopping down next to Hestia.

Perenelle rolled her eyes "Paranoid much Joe?"

The other boy looked at Lucy and gave her a small smile before turning to Evelyn "Hey Evie, who's your friend?"

Evelyn cleared her throat "Boys this is Lucy Weasley, Lucy" she pointed at Joe "He is Joseph Warrington and that" she pointed to the boy who had just sat down next to Joe "Is my cousin Scorpius Malfoy"

Lucy's eyes widened and she clamped a hand to her mouth, causing Scorpius to smile sadly "I get that a lot, nice to meet you anyway"

Lucy pulled herself together "Sorry it's just..."

Scorpius nodded "Its o.k, but" he rolled up the sleeve of his t-shirt "I'm not actually a death eater"

Lucy blushed "I know"

Evelyn sat up sharply "Scorpius what's that on your cheek?"

Scorpius felt the small cut "I think I offended some girl by accident, she scratched me when I tried to help her with her trunk"

Lucy grimaced "Did she have seriously bushy red hair?"

Joseph nodded "And some scrawny kid backing her up"

Hestia glanced at Joseph's knuckles which had flecks of blood on them "Have you managed o start a fight already?"

Joseph grinned "Wouldn't call it much of a fight myself"

Lucy glared at him "That's my cousin you're talking about"

Hestia raised her eyebrows "How many cousins have you got?"

"Ten" Lucy smiled "One of whom I actually like. But Al, the one you hit" she said accusingly at Joe "Isn't really that bad so leave him alone"

"You going to make me ginger?" Joseph sneered, before clutching his shin were Evelyn had kicked it.

Lucy shrugged "I might but if I were you I wouldn't want to piss James off too much"

Scorpius and Evelyn looked at each other "James Potter?"

Lucy smiled nervously "Yeah...he's Al's older brother and a grade A prat"

Evelyn bit her lip "Jonathan told me to watch out for him"

Joseph shrugged "Whatever, my brothers a six foot three beater so I'm not that fussed"

Hestia smiled "You're so brave Joe"

Perenelle snorted "Yeah hiding behind older siblings that's so brave. He's bound to get into Gryffindor with that level of..."

Joseph went red "Shut it Montague"

There was an awkward silence broken when Evelyn stood up "The witch with the trolleys here, what does everyone want?"

Lucy bit her lip "I haven't got any money..."

Scorpius delved into his pocket and handed his cousin a few galleons "We all share sweets anyway"

Joseph pushed past Evelyn to reach the trolley first "Speak for yourself Malfoy!"


"We should probably change into our school robes soon" Hestia said, as Perenelle started to deal the cards for another game of exploding snap.

Evelyn neatly marked her place in her muggle book "Why, how near are we?"

Scorpius checked his watch "Twenty minutes or so, come on Joe"

Joseph didn't move, grinning at Perenelle "Where you going Scorp?"

"Get out. Now" Perenelle said forcibly pushing him off his seat.

Grinning he fled the compartment and with an apologetic smile Scorpius followed him.

Lucy snorted "Charming"

Evelyn rolled her eyes as the girls started to pull their school uniform on "Joe's always been like that, Alex is the same. I think it must just be that they try to copy there older brothers. It's a physiological thing."

Lucy looked at her like she'd just grown another head making Hestia and Perenelle snicker. "And Evie talks like that when she wants to sound smart or grown up. Feel free to laugh" Perenelle explained, earning a glare from Evie when she pulled her head free of her robes.

Hestia examined her hair in the reflective window "Boys we're done"

Lucy rolled her eyes "They aren't going to be waiting outside are they?"

Hestia blushed, as Perenelle smirked "Wouldn't put it past old Joey boy"

Evelyn wrinkled her nose "Hmm, I'm going to find the boys"

Lucy shrugged "I'll come with, if you don't mind?"

Evelyn nodded "Come on, maybe you can show me some more of your many famous cousins?"

Lucy raised her eyebrows "Why? I've been complaining about them all day"

Evelyn scanned the empty corridor "So I know who to avoid of course" She paused "Lucy...what house do you want to be in, really?"

Lucy stiffened and stared at her "What do you mean?"

Evelyn looked ahead determinately "I get the impression your family is rather anti-Slytherin"

Lucy crossed her arms "Maybe I'm a bit Anti-Weasley? Did you think of that smarty pants?"

Evelyn raised one eyebrow imperiously "Alright, alright I was just asking"

She started walking again, Lucy following "So...what Quidditch team do you support?"

She shrugged "I don't like quidditch much...who's that?"

She pointed towards Scorpius and Joe who were talking to a boy with messy black hair who looked nervous.

Lucy rolled her eyes "Al" she muttered contemptuously.

Evelyn nodded and walked over "Hey Scorpius"

Scorpius, unlike Joseph who was cracking his knuckles menacingly, seemed to be being polite "Hi Evie, this is..."

"Albus Potter" he said quickly, shaking her hand before pushing his thick glasses up his nose.

Evelyn smiled warmly at him "Evelyn, though most people call me Evie, nice to meet you"

Lucy rolled her eyes "Wotcher Al, you escaped Rose's iron grip?"

Albus did a comical double take "Lucy...where have you been? I was looking for you earlier..."

Lucy interrupted him "I made some new friends and sat with them, what are you doing here?"

Albus glanced at Scorpius guiltily "I was..."

Joseph grinned wolfishly "He was apologising for earlier"

Evelyn scowled at him "You mean when you hit him?"

Scorpius stepped in-between them lightly "As I was saying Al there's no hard feelings..."

Lucy spoke over him "You can't just apologise for Rose all the time Al, it's quite pathetic to be honest"

Albus blushed bright pink but Evelyn defended him indignantly "No its not! I always end up apologising for my brother..."

Albus looked at her gratefully "Really? So do I, what years your brother in Evie?"

"Second" Evelyn began but Joseph yawned pointedly next to her.

"See you Al" Lucy said dragging Evelyn back along the corridor.

"Aren't you coming Lucy?" Albus asked looking confused.

"No" Lucy said loudly as Scorpius and Joseph caught up with them.

"Oh...see you at the feast" he said before running off towards his own compartment.

"Yeah...maybe" Lucy said with a wink at Evelyn.

Joseph misunderstood this and grinned "Get you Evie, siding with the Gryffindor"

"We haven't even been sorted yet numbskull" Evelyn replied coolly but was still blushing when they reached the compartment.


"Wow. It's just so big!" Hestia squealed as Hogwarts came into view.

In a nearby boat Perenelle snorted "Great first words Tia"

Lucy crossed her arms "How about these then; tonight we will make history!"

Evelyn leaned around the lamp she was holding up "Actually there was a Weasley sorted into Slytherin in 1784"

She looked quite smug until a large hand splashed her with cold, dirty water "Oh shut up you spoilsport" Joseph said as he shook his hand dry.

Evelyn looked down at her damp robes, her dark eyes ablaze "You. Are. Going. To. Die. For. That!"

Joseph's grin faltered and he sat back in his own boat "Chill Evie"

The other occupants of the two boats seemed most amused "Oh come on Evie" Scorpius said fairly "It was quite funny"

Evie ignored him and asked darkly "How long do you think it will take me to learn Furnunculus?"

Lucy smirked, judging by the fear on Josephs face, not long at all.

Hestia coughed "Anyway...does anyone know who greets us now McGonagall has left?"

Lucy answered "My Aunt says that it's Professor Clearwater, the Transfiguration Professor."

Hestia raised her eyebrows "And how would your Aunt know?"

A bossy voice answered "Our Aunt is best friends with Professor Spinnet, who teaches flying, and she asked her so there."

Evelyn turned to a boat bobbing behind their own boat coldly, observing the lanky girl with bushy red hair "Hello Rose"

She looked surprised "Zabini? What are you doing here?"

She raised her eyebrows "Collecting doxy eggs of course"

Rose looked embarrassed and next to her Albus coughed and waved nervously "Hi again Evelyn"

Evelyn blinked and turned round sharply, staring at the castle hard "Hello Potter"

Lucy looked awkward and turned to her new friends and whispered "What's wrong?"

"She hates it when people do that" Hestia explains quietly "Judge her on her family name"

"Oh" Lucy said, not really understanding at all "Cheer up Evie, I don't want a miserable best friend"

Evelyn laughed quietly "Alright, alright"

Joseph jumped out of his boat as it reached the cave "Hurry up you three!"


"What's taking so long?" Perenelle moaned as the hat considered Tilly Linton "I never saw such an obvious Hufflepuff!"

Joseph snickered after the Sorting hat sent Tilly to sit at the Gryffindor table "Nice prediction"

Professor Clearwater coughed in their direction before calling "Malfoy, Scorpius"

He looked very pale but Lucy saw Evelyn squeeze his hand briefly and mutter "Where you go, I go remember?"

A lot of people started muttering as Professor Clearwater placed the hat on Scorpius's head, causing Evelyn's face to darken and hiss "Why don't they just shut it?"

"Protective aren't you?" Lucy said lightly, trying to lighten the mood.

It didn't work "And you'd do well to remember it" muttered Evelyn tensely.

She only relaxed when the Sorting Hat shouted out "SLYTHERIN"

As Perenelle strode up to the wooden stool Evelyn shot Lucy an apologetic smile "Sorry about that..."

"Don't worry..." Lucy began, pausing to cheer Perenelle as she ran over to the Slytherin table.

"I'm scared" muttered Hestia as Professor Clearwater called her up.

"Well she'd probably be o.k in Ravenclaw" Lucy said fairly as Hestia's face disappeared under the hat.

"She'll be with us" Evelyn said firmly. She glanced at Lucy "Or at least with me..."

Lucy's face set "You watch me; they'll have to get over it or disown me. Not that I'd put that past my Dad..."

Evelyn smiled sadly "It'll be o.k"

"SLYTHERIN" shouted the hat and a very relieved Hestia skipped over to join the others.

The line dwindled; seeing Albus go to Gryffindor and an unknown called Harrison Seymour join the Slytherin table with Joseph until finally "Weasley, Lucy"

"Good luck" whispered Evelyn as Lucy climbed up to the stool.

Sitting on it she scanned the hall, seeing los of relatives staring at her. She took a deep breath as the hat slid over her eyes.

Almost immediately it shouted "SLYTHERIN" and the hall erupted with shouts and jeers.

The only table that was silent was the Slytherin table, sitting in shock.

Then someone cheered and Lucy saw Evie cheering loudly in front of her, glaring at her natural house until they were all cheering there latest redheaded arrival.

Lucy dropped the hat back on the stool and ran over to where her new friends were sitting.

But before any of them could speak a black boy next to Scorpius spoke "A Weasley, seriously?"

Lucy nodded "That a problem?"

He grinned slowly "Awesome...its Jonathan Zabini by the way, I guess that you've met my sister Evie right?"

Lucy nodded and plonked herself next to Harrison, who had tousled black hair and green eyes "Hey, Lucy Weasley"

He smiled "Harry, nice to meet ya Lulu"

Evelyn walked over quickly "Budge up Scorp"

Jonathan wrapped an arm around his sister "You made it Eves!"

"Did you ever doubt me?" she asked in a mock stern voice.

A tall gangly boy smirked "He reckoned you'd end up in Hufflepuff"

Lucy snorted, trying to imagine the intimidating Evelyn in Hufflepuff "Yeah that'd happen!"

Scorpius looked thoughtful "Well she is pretty loyal...Ow!"

Evelyn scowled at him "I am not a Hufflepuff!"

Hestia rolled her eyes "You do all realise that The Headmaster was just talking right?"

They all turned round sharply to listen to the end of the first important speech that they should've listened to, warning them not to go into the Forbidden forest under any circumstances.