Year One

Chapter One- The Train

"So what did he say?"

The girl with light brown hair leaned forward eagerly, eyes wide open in anticipation. Her traveling companion, a small boy with bright green eyes tilted so close to her that their foreheads almost touched and began to whisper.

"Dad said James was just joking. All they do is put the hat on your head and it looks at everything inside. And it listens to what you think, too. So if you don't want to be in Slytherin, you won't be."

The girl exhaled slowly as she leaned back into a normal sitting position. "So, we can choose where we want to go?"

"I guess so. I'm going to choose Gryffindor. Where do you want to go?"

She looked out the window at the English countryside whipping past them. "I don't know. Gryffindor, I guess. Ravenclaw doesn't sound bad either. I suppose it doesn't really matter, as long at I'm not in Slytherin."

The boy opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the compartment door slamming open. They jumped and looked up, startled at the sudden intrusion. "What do you want, James?" the boy demanded.

"Hey Al, can I borrow a sickle?" the boy in the doorway held out his hand expectantly. "Hey Rose," he added, smiling at the girl.

Al eyed his brother suspiciously. "What for?"

"Fred's got a baby acromantula in a box and he's said he'll sell it to me for a sickle!"

Rose's eyes widened in horror. "Don't do it, Al. Acromantulas are really dangerous. The Ministry says they can-"

"Oh calm down, Rosie, I'm just joking. The snack cart will be here any minute and I'm hungry," James turned his attention back to his brother. "So…?"

Al sighed and fished around is his pocket. He pinched the silver coin between two of his fingers and held it just above James' outstretched palm. "You're going to pay me back, right?"

"Of course," James snatched the coin out of his brother's hand. "See you later, bro," he shouted as he dashed out the door and down the hall.

Before either one could get up to close the compartment door, a rather large boy shuffling down the hall stopped in their empty doorway. He glanced in quickly, surveying the people inside before looking down at the floor and asking in a very quiet voice, "Do you mind if I join you? Some fifth years just kicked me out of my compartment."

Al glanced at Rose. He had been looking forward to just sitting with her and talking about Hogwarts the entire way to the school. Rose ignored him. "Of course, come in."

The boy sat next to her looking greatful. "Thanks. I asked the people in the last compartment and they laughed at me."

"Why?" Al asked.

"Told me they didn't associate with first years. I dunno how they knew, but they did."

"It's because your robes are plain. I'm Rose, by the way, and this is my cousin, Al."

"I'm Justin. What do you mean my robes are plain? I've got the Hogwarts crest right here."

"Did you see what color tie they were wearing?" Al chimed in.

Justin thought for a moment. "Green, I think."

Al and Rose looked at each other. "Slytherins," they said simultaneously.

"What's a Slytherin?" Justin asked.

"Slytherin is one of the houses at Hogwarts. There are four in total. Slytherins are meant to be cunning, but mostly they're just mean," Rose explained.

"They're all jerks," Al interjected.

Rose continued as though Al hadn't said anything. "Then there's Ravenclaw, for people who are really smart and clever, and Hufflepuff, for people who are-"

"Dunderheads," Al added.

"Have you ever even met a Hufflepuff?" Rose turned to Al, who shook his head, "They're not dunderheads. They're loyal. And then there's-"

"Gryffindor!" Al jumped in again, "Gryffindor's the best. My parents were both in Gryffindor. Rose's parents too."

Al launched into a passionate explanation of Gryffindor while Rose sat back and smiled. Justin's eyes seemed to get wider with every word. "Wow," he said when Al was finished, "That sounds great. I'll be I'm in Hufflepuff though."

There was a knock on the door. "Anything off the trolley, dears?" a kind old witch asked.

Rose jumped up and went to the cart while Al took her seat next to Justin. "It's okay," he whispered, "My dad said that the Sorting Hat won't put you anywhere you don't want to go."

Justin looked relieved.

"Three Pumpkin Pasties, three Chocolate Frogs, and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, please," Rose said, pulling money out of her pocket and handing it to the older witch, who passed on the treats and continued down the hall.

"Here," Rose passed the boys a Pumpkin Pastie and a Chocolate Frog each.

The Pasties were quickly unwrapped while the chocolates sat to the side waiting to become dessert. The newly designed packages boasted in letters that flashed from black to gold to blue to purple and back again that new cards had been added to the boxes.

"Thanks Rosie," said Al, digging in while Justin looked curiously at the Chocolate Frog.

Rose smiled. "It's just chocolate," she said, "And there's a Famous Witch or Wizard card in each box," she opened her own, "Hey Al, I've got you again."

"You're on one of the cards?" Justin asked.

Al rolled his eyes while Rose laughed. "No," she explained, "He's named after an old Headmaster of Hogwarts- Albus Dumbledore. That's what Al stands for. We just like to joke that it's his card," she passed it to Justin. "You can keep that and start your own collection," she directed her attention to her cousin. "Who've you got?"

He wiped the chocolate from around his mouth and glanced down at the card he had cast aside. "Gilderoy Lockhart," he read, ignoring the good-looking wizard who was beaming up at him. He tossed the card back onto the seat. "What about you, Justin?"

The blonde boy opened the box just enough to slide the card out, trapping the chocolate frog inside. "It's someone named Harry Potter," he declared.

Rose dropped the box of Every Flavor Beans she had been opening. They scattered all over the floor. "Let me see that!" she grabbed the card out of his hand, just to have it snatched by Al.

His jaw dropped in amazement. "Harry Potter," he said in a quiet voice, "An exceptional Quidditch player during his time at Hogwarts is currently an Auror at the Ministry of Magic in London. He is the only known person to have survived the Killing Curse and is most famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Voldemort in 1997."

"Are you sure it's him?" asked Rose.

"It's got his picture on it," Al replied.

Justin's eyes darted from face to face, asking "Do you know him or something?"

Al broke eye contact with his cousin and looked directly at Justin. "He's my dad."