Finally, they had made it to Kings Cross Station, platform 9 3/4 . After hugging goodbye to her mom and all of her siblings, Stella dashed on to the train, dragging her suitcase behind her. She got in one of the last compartments, and ran to the window. She waved goodbye to her family as the train pulled away.

"I take it this is your first year too?" a voice said from across from her.

Stella leaned back in her seat and saw a boy sitting in the window seat directly across from her, she hadn't noticed him when she came in. He had shaggy sandy blonde hair, pale skin, and tired brown eyes. He looked about her age, but the way he carried himself seemed like he was mature beyond his years.

"It's that obvious, huh?" She laughed.

"It's just your robes, you haven't been sorted yet." He pointed out, a small smile playing at his lips.

"Oh, right. Neither have you." She observed.

"That's correct."

"Which house do you think you'll be in?" Stella asked, making conversation.

"I'm not sure." He sighed, looking down at the book in his lap. "I love to read, so maybe Ravenclaw."

"I do too, but I'm gonna be in Gryffindor." She told him.

"How do you know?" He inquired.

Stella shrugged. "I just do. Ever since I found out about Hogwarts I knew Gryffindor was the house for me. It's for the daring, and the brave!" She exclaimed, pretending to pull an invisible sword out of her pocket and holding it up in the air like a brave knight.

The boy chuckled. "I'm sure you'd make a fine Gryffindor."

"Thank you!" Stella beamed. "I don't think I caught your name, mine is Stella. Stella Pierce."

"Pleasure," he smiled, shaking her hand. "I'm Remus Lupin."

"Well, Remus Lupin," she said, still shaking his hand. "Congratulations, cause you are my newest best friend."

"Why thank you, I'd like that." He smiled.

The first years talked for a while, and Stella learned that Remus was a half blood like her, and he was an only child. An hour later, they heard the trolley passing their compartment.

"I'm gonna go get a licorice wand, want anything?" Stella offered, pulling a few sickles out of her pocket. Remus shook his head.

"Are you sure, it's on me." Stella insisted.

"I'm alright, thanks." He smiled warmly.

Stella nodded and headed out into the hall. She looked around, seeing the trolley had passed. She went to followed it, but then she heard a loud shriek. Grabbing her wand out of her skirt, she dashed down the empty halls toward the noise, where she spotted 3 boys, cornering a small, mousey-looking kid.

With a glance, she gathered the victim boy was a first year, having not been sorted yet. He had dirty blonde hair, and wide greenish brown eyes. He looked terrified, the poor thing. Two of the three boys surrounding him were first years as well. One of them had slicked back silvery blonde hair, and cold dark blue eyes. The other had short curly brown hair, and narrowed brown eyes. The third looked about 2 years older; he too had brown hair, and blackish brown eyes. She confirmed her theory that he was older, seeing that he was wearing Slytherin robes. The boys all had their wands pointed at the small one.

"Leave him alone!" Stella hollered, marching over to them, grasping her wand, even though she hadn't learned a spell in her life. She hoped it would look intimidating, even though they had two more than she did.

They took one glance at her and turned back to their victim. The blonde first year smirked, "Sod off, princess, before you get hurt."

"I said leave him alone." Stella growled with more authority in her voice this time. She raised her wand, and had it pointed at the one who had spoken to her.

"Make us." Teased the brunette, shoving her so she was up against the wall. They were now cornering her, rather then the boy, but he didn't dare to run away. He just stayed curled up in a ball on the floor, frozen in fear.

"I will." Stella hissed, trying to keep her voice steady so that they couldn't sense the growing knot in her stomach, telling her that she should have thought this through better. She shook the thoughts away; she wouldn't have done anything differently. She was no coward.

"Funny." The older boy chuckled darkly, mumbling 'expelliarmus', and Stella's wand flew out of her hand and to the ground a few yards away.

"Hey!" Stella yelled, trying to push by them to retrieve her most prized possession, but they just pushed her back against the wall.

She grumbled in frustration, and then smirked, as an idea occurred to her. She looked at the blonde first year, seeing as he was closest, and kneed him right in his family jewels. He crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain, and Stella went to make a run for her wand.

The blonde third year then grabbed her shoulder and threw her into the other wall across the hall. Stella went flying into it, and crashed, face first. Then she tumbled to the ground, landing on her hands and knees, as she felt something hot and wet trickling down her nose. She looked up just in time to see the oldest boy making his way to her, wand pointed at her already. She looked around frantically for her wand and seen that it was at least 20 feet out of reach. Not that it could have helped her anyway.

She braced herself for a curse as the boy began to mumble something, but then by some miracle a blue flash of light hit him and he was blasted all the way down the corridor. She looked to see where the light had came from, and she saw two boys approaching. One had messy dark brown hair, bespectacled hazel eyes, and his wand pointed at the boy he'd apparently just blasted. And the other had just as messy jet black hair and stormy grey eyes. They both seemed to be first years.

The one with the glasses extended his hand to Stella, and she let him pull her up. "Are you okay?"

Before she could respond, the brunette boy had come charging at them and the boy with the black hair and grey eyes tackled him to the ground, both of them throwing punches around until the bad one had a black eye and gave up. Stella's savior came out of it much better, but he did have a split lip.

"Not bad, mate." The boy with the glasses laughed, patting his friend on the back.

Despite his bloody lip, he grinned. Then turned to Stella. "You alright?"

She remembered she hadn't answered the first time, and nodded. "Yeah, thanks. Both of you."

The boys smiled, proud of themselves, and muttered 'don't mention it' simultaneously.

They helped up the boy who had been getting bullied, who was still too scared to speak, retrieved Stella's wand and hurried into her compartment as they heard the trolley coming back around.

Remus smiled as Stella returned, though he hadn't looked up from his book. "What took you so- Oh my. What happened?"

Stella shook her head, "Just a little run in with some soon-to-be Slytherines."

Remus glanced at the 3 new comers and they shifted awkwardly in their seats. The boy with the glasses and his friend had both sat next to Stella, and the blonde boy was beside Remus.

"Remus, these are- um, sorry, I didn't catch your names actually." Said Stella.

"I'm James Potter." Grinned the bespectacled boy.

His friend smirked, "Sirius Black."

All eyes turned to blondie. "Um- Peter P- Pettigrew."

"Pleasure to meet you all. I'm Stella, and this is my friend, Remus."

"Hi," Remus gave a half wave. He then took out his wand, and muttered 'episkey'.

Stella felt her broken nose go hot, then cold, and then it felt fine, the same happened with Sirius' lip. "Thanks." They said in unison, and Remus nodded.

"James and Sirius saved me from getting blown to bits. You guys would make nice additions to Gryffindor." Stella told them.

Both of their mouths dropped.

"What?" Stella asked, wondering how she could have possible offended them. Gryffindor was by far the best house; she was only trying to compliment them.

"You want to be in Gryffindor?" James asked, still in awe.

"Um, of course. It's the best house, there for the only option. For me, at least." She said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Marry me." Sirius grinned, joking obviously.

Stella laughed, and the five of them talked for the rest of the train ride, even Peter came along and got into the conversation.