Chapter 3

The evening of the 31st August, Harry got up the courage to ask about getting to King's Cross the next day.

"Uncle Vernon, is it possible for you to get Sophie and I to King's Cross?"

Vernon grunted, which Harry took to mean yes, and started to leave, but Uncle Vernon started to speak. "Funny that you are taking a train to get to school. All the magic carpets are beds broken down? We're only taking you because we were already going to London to shop for the day though."

He turned away from Harry as a dismissal, and he hurried up to their room to tell Sophie of the arrangements for the next day.

HJPSLP

The next morning, Harry and Sophie were up even earlier than normal, as they were so excited to be getting away from the Dursleys. They would have to come back next summer, but that wasn't for a long time.

Going round their room once more to make sure that they had everything, they went downstairs to make the breakfast. The past month had been brilliant. They still had chores, but they weren't beaten as badly as they had been, and Vernon hadn't done anything to Sophie when Petunia was out. Most of their bruises had disappeared, and their injuries were healing over. The past few days, they hadn't been hurt to give them a chance to heal, so there secret could stay that.

Later on, their trunks were packed into the boot of the car, and they piled in. Dudley was soon whining about how long the journey was taking. Soon enough though, they arrived at the station. The trunks were unloaded out of the car, and left for them to lug into the station, before they drove off.

Finding luggage carts, they put their trunks on them and soon found the barrier to Platform 9 ¾. Nodding to each other, they took a breath and ran at the barrier together. Already the station was busy with families, and they felt the strange sadness that they occasionally felt.

Between the two of them, they managed to get their trunks on the train, and they began looking for an empty compartment, Sophie holding the newly named Hedwig. As it was still fairly early, they found one without too much difficulty and sat down. Deciding to get their robes on now, so they wouldn't have to show their scars, they were soon in robes, and each had a book out. Harry had 'Quidditch Through the Ages', having decided he should probably know some things about the most popular sport in the wizarding world. Sophie, on the other hand, had her potions book out. She liked cooking, and was the better at it of the two of them. Potions sounded a lot like cooking, so she had wanted to know more about it.

Outside the train, they heard parts of random conversations, including a red-headed woman warning twin red-heads against making trouble, and a stiff-backed older woman mentioning something about a toad to a boy about their age.

Eventually 11am struck and the train started off. As it left the platform, a younger red-head entered their compartment.

"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full." he said, and we nodded in affirmative. "I'm Ron, by the way, Ron Weasley."

"We're Harry and Sophie Potter." Harry supplied, and they watched with amusement, as Ron's mouth dropped open. His eyes flickered to Harry's forehead where his scar sat. Then he seemed to remember something and he turned to Sophie.

"What relation are you?" he asked, puzzled.

"We're twins." they grinned together as they spoke at the same time, as they liked to do at times to spook people.

"I never knew that Harry Potter had a sister, let alone a twin, and I grew up hearing about you, but please tell me that you don't always talk like that. Fred and George do that all the time." Ron told them.

"Fred and George?" Harry asked.

"My twin brothers. My oldest brothers, Bill and Charlie, have already left school. Bill was Head Boy and now works as a Cursebreaker in Egypt. Charlie was Quidditch Captain and works with dragons in Romania. Percy's now Prefect and the twins are really popular and everyone thinks they're funny. Then there's me and I have a younger sister, Ginny, the only girl in the family." There was some resentment in his voice as Ron talked about his family.

"We live with our muggle aunt, uncle and cousin. We have often said that Dudley, our cousin, looks like a pig in a wig." Harry replied, trying to lighten the atmosphere. It worked, and soon they were all laughing.

The compartment door opened and there stood two identical people who Harry and Sophie took to be the infamous Fred and George.

"There you are Ronniekins." one of them said.

"We were." the other said.

"Wondering where you had."

"Gotten to. Who are."

"Your friends? We're Gred and."

"Forge at your service."

The Potter twins had easily followed this conversation, having often done the same thing themselves. They grinned to each other and offered their hands at the same time.

"Harry and Sophie Potter at your service." they said together.

Fred and George laughed, shook their hands and said, "What is it with twins this year? Before this year, we were the only twins in this school, this year there are also you and another pair of twins in a later compartment."

"Double the trouble." Sophie countered, and the twins agreed.

"Well, we'd better be off. Lee has a tarantula in a box."

With that they closed the door and talk between them turned to the houses and eventually onto Quidditch, which seemed like such a good sport. About an hour later, the lunch trolley came around, and they stocked up on cauldron cakes, pumpkin pasties, every flavour beans and chocolate frogs. Sophie got Dumbledore on her card and Harry got Merlin.

Shortly after they started eating, their door opened again, and a girl with bushy brown hair stood there. "Has anyone seen a toad, a boy called Neville's lost one."

They assured her that they hadn't and she introduced herself as Hermione Granger. Those in the compartment introduced themselves, and Hermione said that she hadn't known that Harry had a sister, and she had read about him in a book called, 'Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts'.

She left soon after this, but no sooner had she left that the door was once again opened, and Draco Malfoy stood there with two who looked like gorillas.

"I've heard that Harry Potter was in this compartment. So it's you is it. These are Crabbe and Goyle." Malfoy said. He turned to Sophie and asked who she was.

"I'm Sophie Potter, Harry's sister." she replied.

"I never knew Harry Potter had a sister." Malfoy responded and Ron snorted.

Malfoy turned to him and said, "Your obviously a Weasley with those hand-me-downs and that red hair." He looked at Harry. "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others. I can help you there."

He extended his hand, but Harry just looked at him. "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself thanks."

The other boy glared at him and stalked off, his lackeys following him. They heard a squeak and Ron showed them his rat, Scabbers. Sophie went to put her book back in her trunk as it looked like she wasn't going to be reading it, and under her seat she found a toad. She couldn't think of how it got there, before she remembered Hermione said something about a boy having lost a toad.

She stood up. "I'm going to find this Neville and give him back his toad. I'll probably look for some other first years as well. I'll see you later."

They said bye as she started off down the train. Eventually she found a compartment of people who looked like they were her age and opened the door.

"Does anyone know who Neville is. I've found his toad."

A short pudgy boy stood up. "I'm Neville. Thanks for finding him."

Another boy said, "I'm Dean Thomas, these are Parvati and Padma Patil, Lavender Brown, Seamus Finnigan and Susan Bones."

"Hi, I'm Sophie Potter." she replied.

"Are you related to Harry Potter then?" Seamus enquired in a strong irish accent.

"He's my twin brother."

There were shouts of that they didn't know that Harry had a twin sister from everyone but Dean and she laughed.

"That would be 9 people already who have said that. If I got money every time someone said that…"

She sat down next to Dean and they started talking about themselves. She found out that Seamus had muggle father and Dean's parents were both muggles, but everyone else had two wizarding parents. They were all good friends by the time that the announcement that they were getting near Hogsmeade came, and Sophie went back to her brother's compartment.

The train soon stopped and they got out to the shout of, "Firs' years, all firs' years ter me."

There stood a giant of a man with a huge bushy black beard, holding a lantern. They made their way to him, and they met up with the others that had been in the compartment Sophie had gone to.

They came to the edge of a lake with boats. "No more'n four ter a boat."

Sophie, Harry, and Ron got into one boat, and were presently joined by Neville. Their first sighting of Hogwarts was spectacular. It was all lit up with turrets and towers all over the place as it loomed out of the darkness.

They were soon at huge wooden doors where they were met by a strict-looking woman with a severe bun, who they learned was called Professor McGonagall. The first-years were then led into a small room where they were squashed together.

"Shortly you will be led into the Great Hall to be Sorted into your house. While at Hogwarts your house will be like your family. You will eat, sleep and have classes with your house. Doing well will gain you house points, while rule breaking will lose them. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup." Professor McGonagall told them, before leaving them for a while.

"Do you know how they sort us?" Harry asked Ron.

"Fred said something about a troll, but I think he was just joking, or at least I hope he was." Ron answered.

Sophie seriously doubted what Fred said, and behind her, Hermione was going over all the spells she knew and wondering which she would need. She was apprehensive, as she had only read about spells in the books, and hadn't tried any of them.

Before they could worry any more, McGonagall was back and they were following her to a pair of large wooden doors, which opened as they approached. On the other side, an enormous hall greeted them. The ceiling looked as if there was none as they saw the sky outside. There was also the fact that there were hundreds of eyes following them.

Finally they arrived at the front of the hall in front of the Head table where the teachers were all sitting. They recognised Professor Dumbledore and the man who took them across the Lake. In front of the table though was a stool, on which was a hat.

There was a tension among the first years and the rest of the school was watching the hat so they decided to do the same, and gasped as a rip in the hat opened and the hat started to sing.

Oh you may not think I'm pretty

But don't judge on what you see

I'll eat myself if you can find

a smarter hat than me.

You can keep you bowlers black

And your top hats sleek and tall

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can top them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

the Sorting Hat can't see

So put me on and I'll tell you

where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor

Where dwell the brave at heart

Those of daring, nerve and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart.

You may belong in Hufflepuff

If you are true and loyal

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil.

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw

If you've a steady mind

Where those of wit and learning

Will always find their kind.

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap.

There was relief among the 11 year olds as they found out that all they had to do was put on a hat. McGonagall stood back up with a scroll in her hands and started calling out names.

"Abbott, Hannah."

A blonde girl with pigtails hurried up and put the hat on her head. Soon the rip opened once more and shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

One of the tables started clapping and she made her way to it before sitting down. Then it was Susan's turn, and she was also sorted into Hufflepuff. Lavender was soon after that, and she was sorted into Gryffindor.

After a few more people it was Seamus' turn and he was sorted into Gryffindor. Then it was Hermione's, and she seemed to be having and argument with the hat before it pronounced her in Gryffindor.

Soon it was Neville's turn, and it took almost 5 minutes before placing him in Gryffindor, where he hurried to sit down beside Seamus and Lavender. After Neville was Malfoy, and no sooner had the hat been put on his head that it shouted, "Slytherin!"

Ron leaned over to where Harry stood and said that all the dark wizards have been in Slytherin including the one who killed their parents.

As they looked back at the sorting, Padma was going up and she was soon sorted into Ravenclaw. She made her way to her table as Parvati put on the hat, and it took it's time before she went into Gryffindor. Then it was, "Potter, Harry."

Where there had been silence, whispers started up as people tried to get a good look at Harry. He put the hat on, and suddenly there was a voice.

"Difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage, not a bad mind either. Oh there talent, but where to put you? What's this? Not Slytherin? Slytherin could help you on the way to greatness, but if your sure, better be Gryffindor!"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and walked to the Gryffindor table as Sophie was putting on the hat.

"What is it with you Potters? You are both hard to place. You have the courage of Gryffindor, the loyalty of Hufflepuff, the mind of a Ravenclaw and the cunning of a Slytherin. You would do well in any of the houses, but I think you would do best if you were with your brother, so better be Gryffindor!"

Sophie smiled and moved to sit beside Harry and across from Neville. After a long time it was Dean's turn to put on the hat. It was a while before the hat shouted Gryffindor and he sat down beside Sophie. Ron was the last to put on the hat, and he looked green as he put it on his head. It didn't take long, however to pronounce him in Gryffindor and he made his way and plopped himself down across from Harry.

The hat and stool were taken away, and Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"I would like to say a few words, Nitwit! Blubber! Odmunt! Tweak! Thank you."

Sophie started laughing, but stopped when the table suddenly filled with more food than she had eaten in her whole life. Harry was in a similar state to her, but that broke and they started putting as much food as they could on their plates.

During the meal, they met the resident ghost of Gryffindor, Nearly Headless Nick. Harry had caught the eye of a sallow faced man and his scar started hurting. They were told that this man was called Professor Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin.

When the last remnants of the meal had disappeared, Dumbledore stood back up and gave the notices. The large amount of banned items was ridiculous, Quidditch trials meant nothing to him as he wasn't allowed a broom, the forest was out of bounds, and a strange notice about a corridor you weren't to go into, which everyone seemed to take seriously.

Soon they were headed off to their common rooms, but they were met by Peeves the poltergeist on the way. He caused trouble and they went on their way before reaching a portrait of a large woman in a pink dress, who seemed to guard the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. They were shown where the dormitories were, the twins said their goodnights to each other, and went to their beds, which they both flopped on and fell asleep, not even wondering what was going to happen the next day.

A/N: Sorry for the bad ending, but it is about the same length of the previous chapter, and I wanted to finish it as quickly as I could. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, as I'm on my mid-term from Friday, and I'll be away from home and my laptop for a week.

I now have to say that the words of the Sorting Hat and Albus Dumbledore do not belong to me, and I have only borrowed them for this chapter.

Please review as I am addicted to knowing how everyone thinks about my stories.

Next chapter: The first week of classes, including the infamous potions lesson, and tea at Hagrid's.