Author's Note; Hi guys, this is my first fanfic ever, so please read and review! I would have put this in the prologue, but I'm still trying to work out how to use this website :). Please excuse any bad grammar, as I have not been able to get a beta yet :P - if you would like to beta this work, please leave a review, or message me :D! Thanks, and enjoy reading about James and Ivy!

Chapter 2 - Settling In

Ivy pushed her trolley with her trunk and barn owl through the barrier at Kings Cross station. She looked around her and saw the flurry of activity along the platform. Ivy cautiously wove her way through the crowd, drawing inquisitive stares from the other students. She paused in a gap, and curiously watched the emotional goodbyes occurring up and down the train platform. Ivy swept her hair out of her face, and when she looked back up, a boy was standing in front of her. He grinned at her, and stuck his hand out, and spoke cheerfully,

"Hi there, I'm James! Are you new? Don't tell me you're a first year because-"

"JAMES! When will you learn to pick up your trunk and put it on the train by yourself?" A woman with bright red hair, broke in, interrupting James' introduction. The woman noticed Ivy standing awkwardly next to James, and said, "Oh hello sweetie! Are you new here?"

"Yes. I am Ivy Wolfe, a third year, and the winner of the Hogwarts-Ilvermorny scholarship." Said Ivy calmly, in her thick Irish brogue. "Would you mind showing me where to go James?"

James blinked, taken by surprise, stammered "Sure, um, yeah, it's this way." James darted off into the crowd, then materialised in front of Ivy again with his trunk. He motioned for Ivy to follow him, and she waved good-bye to the woman, who seemed amused as they headed onto the train.

"Was that your mam?" Ivy inquired. James stopped, an expression of realisation dawning on his face, "Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce you. That was my mum, Ginny Potter. Sorry about that."

"That's all right, which apartment are we headed for?" Ivy asked, taking in the surroundings of the Hogwarts Express.

"This one, if you don't mind?" He said decidedly. Ivy nodded, then plopped into the window seat opposite James. They took in each other's appearances. Ivy noted with amusement the jet black hair with the bits that stuck up at the back, and the wire rimmed glasses perched on a straight nose. His hazel eyes were roaming up and down her body, making Ivy feel slightly uncomfortable. She could see the gleam of appreciation as he memorised the sight of her deep red hair and cornflower blue eyes, that complimented each other, and reminded one of a gorgeous day in fall. The reverie was broken as three boys spilled noisily through the doorway into the compartment.

"James my boy, how was your holidays?"

"JAMESIE POO!"

"Onya James, got a girl already – hook in mate!"

"Excuse me, the "girl" has a name, which thank you for asking; is Ivy Wolfe." She drawled, fingering her wand pointedly. The boys all exchanged a glance, and the redhead quirked an eyebrow, and countered, "Well, Ivy Wolfe, what are you going to do about it?" Ivy pointed her wand at the red haired boy in the middle and snarled, "Try me, my Bat Bogey Hex is quite renowned at Ilvermorny."

"All right, back off!" A sandy haired boy pacified. They all slowly sat down, eyeing each other, and Ivy lowered her wand. James looked awkwardly at Ivy and his friends, and then pointed to each boy in turn and introduced each one.

"That idiot that you almost hexed, his name is Fred Weasley. The one next to him, is Alex Jordan, and the one sitting next to you is Hamish Wood." Ivy nodded stiffly at them all before standing up, and announcing she was going for a walk. She stalked out of the compartment in a huff.

"Blimey, James, you got a hot girl there!" Hamish nodded enthusiastically. James sighed dreamily, and murmured, "You don't say." He thought of her gorgeous slim figure, and the way she walked out of the compartment, and -

"James! James! JAMES! Earth to Jamesie-poo!" Fred yelled in his ear. Fred winked at the other boys. James looked disgruntled, and snapped, "Would you quit it with that stupid nickname? And what?" Fred just grinned and said, "Up for a game of exploding snap?"

Ivy feasted her eyes upon the small wizarding town of Hogsmeade when the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade station. A girl joined her (another redhead!) and said, "We get to go there for school outings this year. There are so many cool shops like Honeydukes – the sweet shop, and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, which is a joke shop. I'm Rose Weasley, by the way, Fred's cousin. It was you I spotted almost hexing my idiot cousin's head off, wasn't it?"

"Yes, I almost hexed Fred. He was being an arrogant prat though." Ivy justified, before continuing, "Are you and Fred related to the owner of that joke shop?" Rose looked mildly impressed before replying, "Yes, his father and my uncle is the owner. And your name is?"

"Ivy. Ivy Wolfe." She extended her hand, and Rose grasped it, and they shook hands firmly.

"Are you related to the famous wandmaker Shikoba Wolfe, by any chance?" Ivy beamed, and responded, "Yes! He's my great-grandfather. He crafted my wand specially for me."

Rose opened up her mouth to respond eagerly, but James appeared from down the corridor, and snapped "Where have you been? You need to get off the train now!" He turned and raced off, and Ivy followed.

Ivy found herself on the train platform, feeling a bit lost. She decided firmly that she wouldn't wait for anyone, and picked up her trunk, and just before she set off, Ivy felt a tap on the shoulder. Ivy turned to see a huge half-giant smiling down at her.

"Hallo there, ye must be Miss Wolfe. The name's Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid. I'm the gamekeeper and the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Now, since yer not a firs' year, you can go up to the castle with the rest of 'em, but ye will be called up to be Sorted at the star' of term feas'. So, off ye go, up tha' way to the carriages. See yer later!" Then Hagrid sauntered off down the platform, yelling "Firs' years over here! This way! All firs' years this way!"

Ivy stared, then slowly headed up towards the carriages to go into the castle. She climbed into one of the last ones, with a scared looking second year, who she ignored. The carriage jerked into life, with a Thestral pulling it strongly, Ivy noted. Ivy watched the landscape roll past, thinking deeply about her life about to start at Hogwarts. All too soon, the ride came to an end, and the second year scampered off with a frightened glance back at Ivy. She looked puzzled, then realised she had been twirling her wand in her hand the entire time. Ivy smirked, then regained her confidence and strolled up the stairs into the magnificent castle.

"Oi, James, where's your girlfriend?" James gave Fred a withering look, then searched the Great Hall for Ivy. "She must be with McGonagall. She has to be Sorted you know." He responded. "Oh look, there she is with the first years! Gosh, she looks so much taller than them!"

The Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall stepped up to the podium to deliver the start of year speech.
"Welcome back everyone, to another year at Hogwarts. This is a special year, as we have the scholarship student from Ilvermorny completing a year of magical education here at Hogwarts. As per usual, the Ilvermorny student is to be Sorted before the first years. Miss Ivy Wolfe, who is a third year – the youngest student we have had here from Ilvermorny, is currently a Thunderbird. In a few minutes, Miss Wolfe will be either a Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor for the rest of the year, before returning her loyalty to Thunderbird. Miss Wolfe, please take a seat on the stool to be sorted, then we will continue with the Sorting Ceremony." James watched Ivy sit down on the stool that he had sat in, two years before, and placed the old Hat on her head.

"Hmmmm, very interesting. A difficult choice this one," the Sorting Hat murmured. Ivy tilted her head on one side, and wondered why. "Ah, young Ivy, you have the gift of remarkable intelligence, you are ambitious, and sly. They are some of the defining qualities of a Slytherin. Then, you see the fierce loyalty to have to your friends, and family, the courage and confidence you possess. A Gryffindor, or a Slytherin. Which house, for each student, would nurture their spirit, and help them grow into the person they are…" The Sorting Hat continued to mumble away, as the school grew more interested in where the Sorting Hat would place the scholarship student. As the minutes ticked by, and Ivy started to look bored, whispers started flying around the hall.

"She must be Ravenclaw, all the others have been before!"

"If she is a scholarship student, why isn't she Ravenclaw?"

"Silence!" Professor McGonagall finally snapped. The Sorting Hat straightened up, and the school leaned forward in anticipation, after a wait of six and a half minutes.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Ivy stood to raucous cheering, and grinned, and made her way down to the Gryffindor table, and took a seat next to Rose. She high-fived Rose and then glanced at James, who was gazing at her with a mixture of adoration and delight. Ivy chuckled and settled in to watch the rest of the Sorting Ceremony, feeling contented.