Welcome to Your Family

or

Stop the arguments, Issy...

A/N: I'm back! Well, you might know that anyway, due to the one-shot I posted two weeks ago. Look it up! I'm kinda sorry for not updating this story in a while. *I feel terrible*. I only have an alibi for 3 weeks ago (school camp), as shimmeringbubbles can tell you, but not for any time after that. So I apologise (profusely), and I hope that you enjoy the chapter…

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter or anything affiliated (ooh, big word!) with it :(

"Gryffindor!"

That smile I can see on James' face just makes up for every little bit of worry I'd been facing about my House placement. Sophie looks happy too, but… it's not her face that I looked to first, no matter if she was the person that I'd talked to the most since the Platform. There was no need for words in the moment, and every single person (myself included) practically oozed happiness.

Ok, so that might be a bit of an overstatement. But they all look happy that I'm officially a Gryffindor. And the conversation between my housemates as we leave for the Great Hall of Edible Goodness confirms it (though James may have more than one reason for his joy). When Lorcan bounds up to us, he holds out his hand in expectation to James.

"She made it, Scamander." There is an expression of major shock, mixed with happiness, and also annoyance. I suppose that the latter is due to the 10 galleons that he just lost due to the bet I just found out about, that I should be mad about, but am just too happy, hungry and tired to care. What a combo.

"Issy's one of us now!" The excited squeal of Sophie.

"She got in?" A question posed by Fred.

I stride away from the group's chatter, trying to find Dominique among the crowd of people. Thankfully, her bright strawberry blonde hair stands out among the people seated at the table on the far left of this gigantic hall, with the night sky above us, and candles all around. (OH&S? Those could get dangerous. But with magic, I doubt they will.) When everyone is seated, I take the time to look around. It's not as big as back home- not as many students as I thought. The magical community mustn't be very large here, then. With all the stories, I expected more people- on estimation, there are a maximum of 50 per year. Considering we've got over a hundred each back home at Rosebank… It just seems small. I suppose it's really another thing that I have to get used to, though. Professor McGonagall is at the front of the room as the first of the first years come through the doors- most of them looking as nervous as I was before I was Sorted into Gryffindor, like I was always meant to be. Sucks to be you, firsties.

As each kid comes up, ("Ariel Elliot, Slytherin!") I can sort of see what house they could be in. ("Jason Ledger, Ravenclaw!") One kid with a perpetual smirk on his face would be Slytherin. ("Ruby Li, Gryffindor!") Another who rushes to help when a girl trips over is a Hufflepuff.

When Fred, James, Dominique and a lot of the Gryffindor table sits up in expectation at the name 'Lily Potter', I know that this is James' sister, the one they were discussing on the train. The hall fell silent- even after the kind helper (Annaliese Parker)'s Sorting into Ravenclaw (damn, I was wrong) that a table had cheered for- "It's stupid, isn't it? The way they all revere the Potters", I whispered to Lorcan, who just nodded his head in assent, before staring intently at the red-haired girl up front, who didn't actually seem that nervous compared to all the other firsties. The real shock is when she's announced not to be in Gryffindor, like her brothers, but Ravenclaw. The house is cheering loudly for her as she skips off, perfectly content, and a beaming smile as she sits down next to a much older red-haired girl that looks like some sort of relation. There is no smile on James' and his brother's face, though. Just a look of extreme and utter shock that their sister didn't make it into the House they wanted her to be in (Slytherin, of course). I had no idea of why most of the cousins were upset. The puzzlement must have shown, because a moment later, Fred (one of the only ones genuinely happy) leans over and enlightens me.

"They think our streak's over. Al was the last Gryffindor we've had in the family. Sophie and I are the only ones without a sibling in another house. Mind, she's an only child, so she doesn't count." he mutters. I have so many questions.

"Al?"

"James' brother. Most idiotic name ever. I question every day what his parents were on, naming him something like that."("Adam Sung, Slytherin.")

"Albus Severus. Poor kid." He's grinning, lost in memories, and I have to agree with his summary of the name. If my parents called me that, I'd probably change it as soon as I could.

"Lorcan has a sibling? Dominique does?" I asked, incredulous that her parents could actually handle two of her. Fred points at the Hufflepuff table, where he's right, a carbon copy of Lorcan sits, staring bemusedly off into space (who knows what's there).

"Lorcan…" There's a pause, in which Fred thinks, as Verity Thomson becomes a Hufflepuff, trying, I imagine not to insult anyone, "is the sane one in his family. I honestly don't see that he is part of them at all. If I hadn't seen pictures, I wouldn't have believed it. But there you go. Lorcan the almost-claw and his crazy family." I decide to leave the almost-claw thing out, because really, it's something I may not want to know about.

"-And from calm, laid back, aimless Lysander, to-"

"Hey! Don't talk about him like that! Or anyone else! Aunt Angeli…"

"Her.", Fred finishes with an amused glare at Dominique.

"Brother, Louis, Ravenclaw, second year. Sister, Victoire, ex-Gryffindor, 2 years of freedom, engaged to Auror Teddy Lupin as of about 3 weeks ago. God, she gushes over everything now."

It's strange, imagining an older version of Dominique, calm enough to be engaged to someone. (Weasley, Hugo) I'm torn from my thoughts of a calm Dom (impossible!) by another familiar last name. The hat is only on his head for a few seconds before it shouts:

"Gryffindor!"

Just like it had for me. We aren't the only ones cheering, though. Six Ravenclaws, half with flaming red hair, start clapping for him as well, happy for their- whatever relation he is to them. The person is so obviously not bothered; 'I don't really care what house I'm in' personality. In fact, I'm convinced she's going to be a Slytherin until her name's read out- "Roxanne Weasley", and she's Sorted into Gryffindor as soon as the hat touches her head, and Fred is beaming at me from across the table as she sits next to him, happy that his baby sister's in his house…

I honestly cannot remember much more of that night. I do remember the food was lovely. I remember the long walk back to the common room. The last thing I remember was falling asleep in a warm, comfortable bed in a dormitory with other girls in my year. The jetlag had finally gotten to me, I supposed, as I woke up the next morning, significantly less tired than the night before, which I was significantly glad for, as classes would start today. I can't help but wonder whether the classes would be much harder than the 'half-hour hell', as it was affectionately called by the Barton kids at Rosebank, that the Barton, or magical students were given for their collective magic lessons at the beginning and end of the school day back home. I doubted it, though I was probably far behind everyone else. Waking up at my usual time of 5 every morning helps- I'm only late in my morning schedule by three-quarters of an hour or so.

By the time I get back from my routine, everyone else is up and nearly dressed in the uniform that I have to deal with for the next year. It's not so bad, really, just a lot heavier than the uniform I'm used to, and a lot less colour. The robes are something I'm going to have to get used to, but not everyone wears them to every class (I'm reminded of the Rosebank blazer) so I doubt that I will either because seriously- they don't look that pretty and it just detracts from the whole aesthetic appeal of the uniform- whatever's left of it anyway.

Everyone's talking to each other at breakfast, discussing timetables and new electives and it's just so loud. Who would have thought that that little people could make that much noise? The rest of the group finds me with an extra schedule in their hands, not looking too happy with the day they've been given, as a guess to their bad mood. I quickly see why. From the others' point of view, it might seem like a bad day, what with History of Magic, Transfiguration (and for me, Arithmancy) all in one day, but it's not really that bad. I mean, I've always liked maths, and for the others, it's just a matter of perspective.

History of Magic first period is with Hufflepuff. I suppose that's not too bad, because at least they aren't sullen or hostile like some other house *coughslytherincough*. Dom was right, it is as boring as hell, but for some reason I manage to stay mostly awake while around me the rest of the class is using the time to catch up on sleep. Listening to the stories from a much differing perspective- where the history was more relevant than our limited one in Australia.

On my way to Transfiguration, there is a clamour a-clamouring in the halls. As we near the source of the argument and manage to hear what the two are saying, Dominique herds me away, her face drained of all colour, muttering under her breath:

"They can't have found out. Oh, God, Lorcan's going to kill me- or him- is that worse- no, me, I'll be dead." I'm actually quite worried for her, and before she dragged me towards second period- Transfiguration- I managed to see that the noise was between two blonde boys who both looked exactly like each other, and familiar to me.

A/N: Well, I know it's obvious who the argument was between, but who or what was it about? Review with the answer. Clue- it was alluded to in the Sorting Feast. Originally, I didn't plan for this to come out so early, but it wanted to be there now, so... it is!

~Rae