Finally, September 1st came and Rachel started packing the second she had gotten dressed and eaten breakfast. There was a lot to pack, but Rachel, who had amazing skill in organization, made everything fit perfectly, and still had a little spare room. At
10: 30am, Victoria called Rachel down to the kitchen, to pack up her stuff in the car. After double and triple checking her list, and checking that Pepper was secure in her cage, brought her luggage downstairs for her parents to load up.

A couple of minutes later, the family had packed the luggage in the trunk, loaded the family into the car, and honked once, to tell Lily and her family that they were leaving. Since Lily's parents didn't know where this train station was, they were going to follow David and Victoria there.

David backed the blue Audi out of the driveway, and started off down the street, closely followed by the silver 2003 Cadillac that Lily's parents owned.

"How are you feeling, Rachel?" asked Tommy, who was sitting next to her.

"A little nervous, to be honest, but I'm really excited. When does Duffletown start their year?"

"Not for another week, we're going to get my stuff after you've left." he informed her. "We're really going to miss you around the house, Rach,"

"Yep!" Danielle and Angela agreed.

Before long, they had arrived at King's Cross, found a parking spot, unloaded the luggage, and went inside along with Lily and her family.

All of them followed Victoria, since she was the only one who had ever gone to Hogwarts, and stopped at a pillar between platform 9 and platform 10.

"Rachel, will you come here, please?"

Rachel walked forward, carrying Pepper in her cage, and then her mom said,

"We're going to walk at the pillar and enter through it."

"What?"

"Just, take my hand."

Rachel grabbed her mom's hand, while the others watched.

"Just walk," said Victoria loud enough for the Evans family to hear, then pulled Rachel into a steady walk. She closed her eyes as she was close to the pillar, but surprisingly ran into nothing; she opened her eyes and saw that she was on a completely different platform, where many kids were carrying luggage, and many owls were hooting in their cages.

Rachel looked back in time to see David, with Danielle, and soon after, Tommy with Angela enter through the pillar. A minute later, the Evans family had joined them.

"Well, Rachel, you had better hurry so you can get a decent seat." said Victoria, and gave Rachel a big hug. Rachel then gave a hug to her dad, to Tommy, and the little blondes, before telling Lily that she was going to find some seats.

Rachel grabbed her suitcase from her dad, secured Pepper's cage in her arm better, and boarded the train. Instead of seats in one room, the train was split up into compartments, with padded seats inside each one. Many of them were already full, but towards the back, Rachel came upon one that was only occupied by two boys. She opened the glass sliding door.

"Can I sit with you guys?"

"Yeah, of course," answered the boy who sat closest to the door.

Rachel went inside, set Pepper's cage down on one of the seats and attempted to put her suitcase in the rack above them. Suddenly, one of the boys came up behind her and said, "Let me help with that,"

"Thanks," Rachel told him, after they had secured the luggage. She sat down in one seats across from them and looked at the two boys. The one that sat closest to the door was tan, and had black hair that stood up all over the place, and had hazel eyes. The other boy who had helped Rachel with her luggage, was quite good-looking, with light grey eyes, and black hair that hung quite elegantly in his face. Rachel couldn't help but look at him, but snapped out of her trance when the messy haired boy said, "Hi, I'm James Potter! What's your name?"

"Rachel Delancy," she responded with a smile on her face.

"I'm Sirius Black," the other boy told her, giving her a charming smile.

"So—" James started, but stopped when Lily entered the compartment, and threw herself down in the seat closest to the window next to Rachel.

Rachel had never seen Lily this upset before, because Lily never cried.

"What's wrong, Lily?" she asked.

"Petunia called me a really mean name before I boarded the train," she responded without looking up.

Once again, the door opened up, and the greasy, black-haired boy who Lily had been hanging out with recently sat down opposite Lily. She glanced at him and then looked back out of the window.

"I don't want to talk to you," she said in a constricted voice.

"Why not?"

"Tuney hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what?"

She threw him a look of deep dislike.

"She's my sister!"

"She's only a—" He caught himself quickly; Lily, too busy trying to wipe her eyes without being noticed, did not hear him.

"But we're going!" he said, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

She nodded, mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," said the boy, encouraged that she had brightened a little.

"Slytherin?" asked James. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" he asked Sirius.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin," he said.

"Blimey," said James, "and I though you seemed all right!"

Sirius grinned.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad."

The greasy boy made a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him.

"Got a problem with that?"

"No," said the boy, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy—"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither!" interjected Sirius.

James and Rachel roared with laughter. Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Oh, come on Lily, they're not that bad!" Rachel shouted after her as the door slammed shut.

"So, you know that girl?" Sirius asked, no longer having the mean tone in his voice.

"Yeah, her name's Lily Evans, and we've been friends since we were little," Rachel told them both.

"You can talk to her when we get there. Besides, we don't want Snivellus sitting with us." James consoled Rachel.

"So, you both want to be in Gryffindor, too?" Rachel asked them.

"Of course, I'm guessing you want the same outcome?" Sirius answered.

"Yeah, my mom was in Gryffindor,"

"What about your dad?"

"Oh, he's a Muggle, but he's really supportive of the whole magical world thing."

"Yeah, James and I are both pure-bloods, but we're not judgmental, especially living with my family," Sirius said and added a slightly darker tone when mentioning his family.

Then train started to gain speed and soon, King's Cross was nowhere to be seen. Rachel was very happy that it was just her, James, and Sirius in the compartment, since they were having a lot of fun together.

"You're into ballroom dancing?" James asked, after talking about hobbies.

"Yeah, I've been in it for a year. After I get back from Hogwarts, my dance partner, Drew, and I have our first professional competition."

"Well, you should write to us and tell us when it is so we can come," said Sirius.

Rachel was surprised by how respectful the boys were of her favorite hobby, considering many people thought that she was strange for liking it.

"So, what's your favorite position to play in Quidditch?" Rachel asked them.

In Quidditch, there were seven players: three Chasers, they were the ones who try and score points with the Quaffle; two Beaters, they carried around small bats to protect their team from the violent balls called Bludgers; the Keeper, who has to protect their team's goal; a Seeker, who has to catch a small golden ball called the Snitch. The game would end only when one of the Seekers caught the ball, and their team would gain 150 points, usually winning the game for them.

"I like to play Chaser," answered James.

"I love playing Chaser too," Sirius said, giving James a smile, then turning back to Rachel. "What do you like playing?"

"Seeker," Rachel said, grinning.

"You know what, if we make it into Gryffindor, I hear that most of the team will be graduating this year, so maybe we should try out next year!" said James, barely containing his glee.

"We'll see what happens," Sirius told James.

After another hour or so of talking, Rachel checked her watch.

"We should be getting there soon, maybe we should change into our robes," she suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," agreed James.

So they went off toward the bathrooms in the back of the train to change into their black Hogwarts uniforms, waited for each other to finish and went back to the compartment together.

"I'm so excited to start classes," Rachel told them when they sat back down.

"I can't wait 'til potions!" Sirius said, with an evil grin on his face.

"You know, I haven't known you that long, and already that scares me," Rachel said, trying hard to hold back her laughter.

"I completely agree!" James managed to say through his laughing.

Sirius gave threw him a look, then started in with the laughing. Just as they started to catch their breath, the Hogwarts Express started to slow down.

"Finally," Sirius said, "I'm starving!"

"I hope we're all in the same house," said Rachel.

"That would be awesome," agreed James.

"Yes, and James and I have agreed to officially make you a part of our group,"

"Gosh, I'm just so honored," said Rachel, sarcasm in her voice, and they started chuckling again. Finally, the train came to a full stop. James and Sirius got up from their seats, grabbed Rachel's luggage, and handed it to her, before getting their own.

"You know," she told them as they were navigating their way to the doors as many students started piling out of the compartments, "you are such gentlemen to me."

"Well, you're just one of the lucky ones," Sirius said with a grin.

Finally getting out of train, they heard a gruff voice saying, "Firs' years, this way! Over 'ere, please!" Making their way to the voice, they were slightly shocked to see who it belonged to. There was a man, about ten feet tall, large bushy beard and bushy hair, and slightly reminded Rachel of a man who tried to perform a Growing Spell on himself that went badly.

There was a group of about thirty first years standing by the large man, while the other students were walking the opposite way.

"We'll be crossin' the lake ter get there," he told them, and led them towards the wooden boats.

It was five people in a boat, so Rachel, James, and Sirius sat in one, and were joined soon after by two boys. One had short, sandy hair and a slightly ill look, the other one was quite short and had small watery eyes.

Rachel was slightly shocked at how quiet they were while crossing the lake, but she could tell that the guys were getting nervous about the sorting also. Tension was filling the air, as the boats edged closer and closer to the edge of the lake. Looking behind her, she nudged James and Sirius, and indicated what she was looking at. They also turned around.

There was a large and magnificent looking castle, with many lit windows that stood out against the cloudy dark sky. The entire sight of it was mesmerizing, and they watched it until the boat bumped against the shore. James threw the rope around it, tying the boat to the shore, then got out and helped Rachel get out too. Sirius followed them, as did the other two boys.

Together, they walked behind the large man up to the large wooden doors that led into the castle. The man knocked once, and then the doors opened by themselves, allowing them to enter the castle.

When they entered, Rachel was amazed by what she saw. The entrance hall was quite large, lit up by torches, and the ceiling was so high that you couldn't make it out. A woman in emerald green robes came down the marble staircase that they face. She had her hair in a tight bun and wore a pointed hat on her head, and looked very strict indeed.

"Thank you, Hagrid," she said to the giant man, and with that he walked out of the castle. "Follow me, please," she told the first years.

They all followed her up the staircase. Apparently, it wasn't just James, Sirius, Rachel, and the two other boys that joined them in the boat that were nervous: the other students seemed to be glancing around nervously. At the top of staircase, they all stopped before an entrance.

"The sorting ceremony will begin shortly," she told them. "I shall return for you in a moment." She walked into the room, leaving the students on the stairs.

"You look nervous," Rachel told James and Sirius with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah, well, so do you," Sirius retorted.

"Everyone's nervous," James pointed out.

But before they could continue their conversation, the woman had come into the room and told them, "We're ready for you," and with that, she led them into the next room.

They all entered what must be the Great Hall, because it was a lot like the description her mom had given her. The ceiling was a resembled the night sky, the room was quite large, and there was a long table at the other end of the room, where many adult wizards sat, and in the middle, sat a very old man in a magnificent chair. There were four other long tables, two on each side of the group of first years, now walking toward the front of the room. There were three steps leading from up to the adult wizard table, and on the top step there was a stool, and on top of the stool sat a very old, tattered hat. The woman who had led them into the room stopped, and turned to tell them, "When I call your name, please step forward, sit on the stool, and place the hat on your head."

"Oh thank goodness," Rachel whispered to James and Sirius. "I was worried that we had to do some complicated spell or something."

They nodded fervently to agree with her, their faces looking much more relaxed than just a minute ago.

"Adams, Nathan." called the woman.

A small, timid looking boy walked nervously up to the stool and sat upon it, placing the hat on his head. Suddenly, the hat had a mouth that represented a rip and shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

Afterwards, the next two people were sorted into Ravenclaw, and then the name, "Black, Sirius" came into the open. Sirius walked up to the stool, sat down, and put the hat on his head. Soon afterwards, the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The farthest table to her right burst into applause as Sirius went to join the Gryffindors. The person before Rachel was sorted into Slytherin, and then Rachel stepped up to the stool and placed the hat on her head as she sat down. She could hear the hat talking, "Hmm, difficult, very difficult. Lots of talent, bravery, and courage, and a good mind. Well, then lets choose, GRYFFINDOR!"

She released her breath that had been held as she sat there, and joined the applauding Gryffindors, taking a seat next to Sirius, who gave her a one-armed hug. A minute later, Rachel held her breath as the woman called out, "Evans, Lily!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius and Rachel joined in the loud clapping as Lily took a seat next to Rachel and they hugged each other, then turned back toward the front to see the rest be sorted. A little later, after there had been a few Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and a Slytherin, the sandy haired boy named Remus Lupin, stepped forward and was also sorted into Gryffindor. He took a seat across from Sirius and gave them a smile, which they returned. By the time the sorting was done, the short boy who accompanied Remus earlier, along with James, had been sorted into Gryffindor, and Severus Snape was sorted into Slytherin, which slightly disappointed Lily.

The man who occupied the magnificent chair stood up. The had waist-length white hair and beard, and looked very old indeed. He said in a deep voice, "Now, my name is Professor Dumbledore, in case some of you don't know. I would like to announce a few things before we become too befuddled by our excellent feast. For those who don't know, the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden for students to enter. Mr. Filch, our caretaker, would also like to remind you that there should be no duels and no pranks. Wandering around after hours is also against the rules. Now, I'll let you enjoy the feast."

And with a clap, the tables filled up with many plates and bowls of food, so much, that Rachel could hardly comprehend that there was so much food. She reached for some chicken and poured herself a glass of milk. Sirius and James were eating like they had been starving for a couple of days. Rachel and Lily discussed what their Muggle friends would think of their absence, and Lily said that they'll probably make up a story that they went to a different school. After the food had finally disappeared and Rachel felt considerably fuller, Professor Dumbledore stood up and announced, "Now, I'll allow you to go up to your rooms, where your luggage is sitting by your beds, and get some sleep so that you can have a decent first week of school."

There was a loud scraping as people moved the benches back to leave. An older boy, with short brown hair, called to them, "First years, follow me, please," and the group of first year Gryffindors followed him out of the Great Hall. "There are 52 staircases, and they like to change, so be careful about that. There's also a trick step by the fourth floor, so make sure you jump over it, I'll show it to you when we go up."

The group followed him slightly, trying to take in everything they were seeing: hundreds of portraits with moving and talking subjects, ghosts that flew around, and many moving staircases, all while trying to remember how to get to the Gryffindor common room. Finally, when they finished walking up the stairs that led to the seventh floor, they were facing a portrait with a fat lady in it wearing a frilly dress and hair in curls. "Password?"

"Draconis," said the boy who led them up. The portrait swung forward, allowing them inside. When they had all climbed through the door and into a room, where there were maroon chairs and sofas around a fireplace and many tables, the boy told them, "Boys, your room is up the stairs and to the left, girls, the same on your right," and with that, he went up the stairs, took a left, and then climbed up another staircase, apparently leading to the other rooms that the Gryffindor boys occupied. Rachel, James, and Sirius went up the stairs, but instead of Rachel going to the right, she joined them and went to left, insisting on seeing their room and who their roommates were.

They entered a room where four beds are sitting, all with a good deal of space between them, and there was a door that lead to the bathroom on the other side of the area. James and Sirius found their beds, that were neighboring, and plopped down on them, Rachel jumped onto Sirius's bed with him, waiting for the other two boys to show up. The sandy haired boy named Remus Lupin and the short one named Peter Pettigrew entered the room and walked over the three that were already sitting there.

"Hello, I'm Remus Lupin," the blonde boy said, shaking hands with Rachel, Sirius, and James. "And this is Peter Pettigrew," and the short boy followed suit.

"Hi, I'm James Potter," James told them, then indicated the other two. "And these are my friends, Sirius Black and Rachel Delancy."

They all smiled at each other and then Rachel said, "Well, guys, we'd better go to bed, so we can focus on our classes tomorrow," and then waved at the guys as she left the room and found the girls bedroom, where there were only two beds, instead of four, due to the lack of people sorted into Gryffindor this year. It was just Rachel and Lily, who hugged each other and celebrated the fact that they had made it in the same house. Soon after, though, they agreed that they should get some sleep, since the first day of classes was tomorrow.

After changing into pajamas, Rachel got under the warm covers and discovered that this bed was just as comfortable as her bed at home, which was a nice thought, and drifted off to sleep quickly.