Chapter 1: The Castle

As the echoes of Hagrid's knocking faded, the giant oak door magically swung open.

Whatever sense of amazement Harriet felt at the sight of Diagon Alley and the exterior of the castle paled in comparison to what she felt upon her first sight of the Entrance Hall. Large enough to fit the entirety of the Dursely's house inside it with plenty of room to spare, the entrance hall was filled with shiny suits of armor, elegant moving portraits, floating candles…it was all too much for Harriet to take in all at once, but her attention was quickly drawn to a tall, stern-looking witch in emerald-green robes, "Thank you, Hagrid," she said in a stern voice that made Harriet think this was not a woman to cross, "I will take it from here."

The youngsters all gathered around the witch and she addressed the crowd, "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but first you must be sorted into your houses. While you are here, you will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend much of your free time in your house common room." She paused to allow the group to take in this information before continuing, "The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin," Harriet heard the muffled muttering of students around her, and the professor's lips pursed slightly at the momentary loss of the children's attention, but she continued on, "While you are here, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will cause you to lose points. At the end of the year, the House Cup goes to whichever house has the most points."

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes within the Great Hall." She took a moment to look over the group of now very nervous children, "I will return momentarily," she said before disappearing through the door into the Great Hall.

The students, eagerly awaiting for the professor's return, remained silent, mentally preparing for whatever test awaited them in the next room. But then something happened that made Harriet jump in shock, and caused several students behind her to scream.

Several ghosts glided by, arguing about something involving a "Peeves" before casually observing the new students. The ghosts whispered a few quiet words to each other before disappearing through the wall into the following room, leaving many of the students speechless, whilst others, like Ron, who had grown up learning about such things, simply brushed it off as normal.

When Professor McGonagall returned, she told the first years to form a line. With a stern reminder to be on their best behavior, she opened the door and led the first years into the Great Hall.

Harriet's knees nearly gave out beneath her at the sight of the magnificent dining hall. Countless candles hung unsuspended, illuminating the striking golden hue of the room. But the most amazing thing to her was the ceiling that seemed to open up to the heavens. Harriet almost felt that if she could only just reach out far enough she could touch the stars; even Hermione's explanation of the enchantment, which Harriet had the nagging suspicion was something she would have to grow accustomed to, couldn't shatter the beauty it held.

The professor led them down the middle of four giant tables where all of the older students already sat, eagerly awaiting the ceremony and the following feast. And at the far end of the hall sat the strangest assortment of teachers that Harriet had ever seen, and placed before them was a small stool with an overly patched hat perched on top.

Now Harriet's amazement turned to confusion. After all she had seen, she doubted that she had to do something as mundane as pull a rabbit out of that hat, but it was the only thing that came to mind.

But then the hat twitched and Harriet's jaw dropped as the hat started singing, but Harriet was so dumbstruck that she couldn't focus on what was sung, and before she knew it, Professor McGonagall stood beside the hat with a piece of parchment in hand, and told them, "Now, I will call each of you by name. When I do, take a seat on the stool and place the sorting hat on your head. When it sorts you into your houses, please proceed to your house's table." She unrolled the parchment and called the first name, "Abbot, Hannah."

As the girl approached the stool and placed the hat on her head, Ron leaned over to Harriet and whispered, "That's it? I'm gonna kill Fred. He said we'd have to wrestle a troll."

Shocked at the boy's apparent gullibility Harriet asked, "Why would you believe we'd have to wrestle a troll?"

Ron's embarrassed look was enough to tell Harriet that he hadn't thought much about it, but before Ron could find an excuse to justify himself with, the hat screamed out, "HUFFLEPUFF," and a thunderous applause erupted from the Hufflepuff table as the girl removed the hat, placed it on the stool, and scurried over to the table.

When the applause died down, Professor McGonagall called the next student's name, "Bones, Susan…." The process continued for some time and the line of students continued to shrink until the professor called a familiar name, "Granger, Hermione."

The girl bounded up to the stool and shoved the hat on her head. Again, Ron leaned over to Harriet and whispered with, "A sickle on Ravenclaw; she seems the know-it-all type." But when the hat sorted her into Gryffindor, Ron let out a groan as the girl ran to an empty seat at the Gryffindor table, "Well," he said, "I guess Hufflepuff wouldn't be so bad. Though Dad would be disappointed."

As the line got shorter and shorter, Harriet got more and more nervous about where she would be sorted, but once the Longbottom boy had been sorted into Gryffindor she figured that no matter where she ended up she'd be fine….

Until the professor called, "Malfoy, Draco." The boy walked up to the hat with a pompous smile and sat on the stool. The hat had barely graced the top of his head when it sorted him into Slytherin.

As he ran to the table he shot Harriet an expecting look, as if wishing her luck toward being sorted in Slytherin as well. So as the next few names were called, Harriet wracked her brain, wondering which house she was supposed to be in. So long as she wasn't alone, she figured she would be fine. She would love to be in a House with Ron. The young Weasley boy had been great to her so far, awkward as he could be. But even Draco hadn't been too bad around her. He just seemed like he had something he was trying to prove. Maybe Slytherin wouldn't be so bad then.

She was so lost in her nervous thoughts that she almost didn't hear the professor call, "Potter, Harriet." For a split second the Great Hall fell into complete silence, but as she approached the stool Harriet could hear the murmurs from each of the tables. She even noticed one professor with greasy black hair fidget in his seat at the mention of her name. She sat on the stool and placed the hat on her head, noticing the many students craning their necks, desperate to see the girl.

"Hmm, difficult, very difficult," the hat whispered in her ear, "Plenty of courage and loyalty, and my such a hard past. And quite the quick wit I see. Hmm, and isn't this interesting, a thirst to prove yourself and the willingness to make sacrifices to do so. But what sacrifices I wonder."

The hat went silent for a moment and Harriet, slowly growing more and more fearful of the results, gripped the edge of the stool, "Ah, I see," the hat said, "You do not wish to be alone, and I sense great loyalty in you, but your patience sure leaves something to be desired."

"Well this is curious. You would do well in all houses. Perhaps Slytherin. You would do well there: plenty of opportunities to satiate that ambition; that thirst. But, I sense something in you. Something that tells me you have great bravery just waiting to be brought forth, so….." the hat paused again, and Harriet felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest. But then the hat shouted, "Gryffindor," and she felt as if she would collapse on the spot.

The entirety of the students in the hall with the exception of most of the Slytherin table erupted into a thunderous applause as Harriet made her way to the Gryffindor table and took her seat across from Hermione. Percy Weasley forced her into a handshake and her heart finally calmed down. Harriet looked over her shoulder at Draco, and gave him a wave, but he narrowed his eyes and averted his gaze. Had he been hoping for Harriet to be his housemate, she wondered? She slowly turned back to her housemates and sat through the remaining students.

Ron was the last student to be sorted. Harriet had never seen anyone so nervous in her life. There was no color in Ron's already pale face, and he looked as if he would hurl at any moment. But shortly after he put the hat on his head, it shouted, "Gryffindor," and he seemed as if the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders. With a smile he bounded toward the Gryffindor table and sat next to Harriet, who couldn't help but notice the strange look the boy shot Hermione.

Once all the cheering had died down the old man with the long silver beard at the center of the staff table stood up and Percy nudged Harriet, "Get ready for one of Professor Dumbledore's famous speeches," he said, "You'll never hear anything like it." Excited, Harriet craned her neck, eager to hear what the man had to say.

The old man cleared his throat and, in a kind, but powerful voice that echoed throughout the hall, "Welcome. Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you." With nothing more to say the man sat down and everybody cheered.

But Harriet, bewildered at such an odd display, turned to Percy and asked rather bluntly, "He's a bit mad, isn't he?"

"Mad?" Percy repeated with a hint of a chuckle, "The man's a genius. Best wizard in the world."

Harriet raised a questioning eyebrow at Percy, who let out a deep sigh, "Yes," he admitted, "He is a bit mad."

This admission had come as a shock to Harriet, but she didn't have much time to think about it once the golden plates before the students were suddenly filled with food.

Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs. It was all there, ready for the taking, and Harriet, who had never had the opportunity to eat her fill dove right in to the food. She and Ron tackled to food at a breakneck pace, leading a couple of girls to shoot them strange, slightly grossed out, looks. Especially towards Harriet who saw no reason to be lady like in the slightest.

"You know you have to breathe eventually, right?" Hermione smirked, leading Ron to glare at her. The two had apparently not gotten off on the right foot, and Harriet was not eager to see how this was going to play out over the next seven years.

Harriet was about to shoot her a snarky comeback when a ghost hovered over to her side and said, "You can't really blame them, can you?" he directed his gaze at Hermione, "After 500 years of not eating I can assure you I wouldn't hold myself back if I was given the opportunity to eat again." He looked down at the feast with a longing gaze, "I remember the first time I ate a fresh meat pie…" he trailed off, clearly lost in his own memory.

"Wait a tick, I know you," Ron explained with his mouth half filled with food, "You're Nearly Headless Nick."

"I'd prefer Sir Nicholas if you don't mind," the ghost said in a slightly annoyed tone, as if this were something he had to clarify year after year.

"How can you be nearly headless?" Harriet asked.

Wordlessly, the ghost sighed, grabbed his hair, and pulled his head to the side, revealing the tiny bit of sinew that prevented his head from being completely separated. The question answered, he tilted his shoulders to reposition his head before gliding away to converse with some older students a few seats down.

With the ghost gone, talk quickly turned to family and classes, but Harriet's gaze found its way to the staff table where she caught sight of Professor Quirrell talking to the greasy haired teacher. Out of nowhere an intense pain shot through her scar. Harriet's hand shot up to her forehead, but the pain quickly subsided.

"You all right there, Harriet?" Percy asked in a concerned tone.

"It's nothing," she said, "Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?"

Percy glanced at the staff table before answering, "That's Professor Snape, head of Slytherin house. He teaches potions, but everyone knows he's been after the Defense Against the Dark Arts position for years."

Harriet had to force herself to tear her gaze from the Professor Snape, and before long the food had disappeared from the table. Dumbledore rose to his feet again and the hall fell silent.

"Just a few more words before we all head to our separate houses," Dumbledore's voice caused several sleepy students to straighten up, "First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students, a fact that I hope our older students have taken to heart," Harriet couldn't help but notice that his eyes seemed to fixate on Fred and George for a moment before he continued, "And I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harriet was taken aback by this comment, but everyone around her looked as if this was some sort of normal warning. What sort of thing would they keep in a school that was that dangerous? And what about the forest made it so forbidden? And most concerning of all, why did everyone look like this wasn't strange for a school filled with children?

The warning issued, Dumbledore bid them goodnight and ordered the students to their beds.

The students filed out of the Great Hall and the first years, led by their prefects, broke apart into their separate houses and made their way to their respective homes.

Exhaustion had started to fall upon Harriet as their neared the seventh floor and she let out a deep yawn when a loud pop brought her to attention, "Ooooh, Ickle firsties…..what fun." A being that looked not all too different from a ghost appeared.

Harriet looked ahead at Percy, who's furrowed brow told her that this….thing had been something of a nuisance to the boy before. But before she could ask Ron what this was about, it swooped down and perched itself weightlessly above Harriet's head, "Ickle pixie firstie," it looked down at the girl, "Cut your hair short like a boy's and you'll grow up to be one soon enough." It let out a loud cackle as Percy stepped up to the levitating creep.

"Peeves," he said forcefully, "Leave, or else the Bloody Baron will hear about this."

Peeves quieted itself, but continued to wear a malicious grin, "Pissy Percy, always a hit at the parties," it said before floating away, leaving the group in peace.

"You all should watch out for Peeves," Percy said as he made his way to the front of the group, "Poltergeists aren't known for being an agreeable lot."

The rest of the trek being without incident, Percy brought the group to a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress, "Password?" it asked Percy.

"Caput Draconis," the prefect responded, and the portrait slowly swung open, revealing the Gryffindor common room beyond a large round whole in the wall.

'So this is home?' the thought ran through Harriet's mind as Percy pointed the new students to the proper dorms. Shaking, the girl made her way up the stairs to the girls dormitory and, upon reaching her new living space, had to steady herself against the wall to keep from falling to the ground.

Her trunk lay at the foot of a neat, nicely sized bed, and there was more than enough room to comfortably house all of the occupants. Harriet didn't know what the feeling was, but it left her speechless. She had never been treated as well as she had these past few days, and the sudden influx of hope and other positive feelings almost brought her to tears.

Unable to resist sleep much longer Harriet changed into her pajamas, which consisted of a loose pair of flannels and a large, white t-shirt; collapsed on her bed; and fell asleep.

Chapter 2: The Roommates

"She's so beautiful, what's her name?" Harriet and her roommates, Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, and Hermione Granger had woken up bright and early the following morning and Lavender had quickly begged Harriet to let her hold Hedwig, to which she eagerly obliged. So she, Lavender, and Parvati sat on the floor with Hedwig perched on Lavender's hand, as Hermione sat in bed, reading a book with an annoyed look on her face.

"Hedwig," Harriet answered, as she gently stroked the feathers behind her wing.

"That's so beautiful," Lavender gushed, "How'd you come up with that?"

"It's from A History of Magic," Hermione chimed in, as if she were chiding the girl for not knowing such a random detail.

Parvati and Lavender rolled their eyes. "We should get going," Parvati said, looking at her watch, "We should get breakfast before classes start."

And so the first day of Hogwarts had begun. Harriet knew that all of her roommates had questions on their minds. She could see it in the way that their eyes lingered on the bangs covering her scar, but she was grateful that they kept it to themselves. She didn't want to be anything but another student if she could help it.

Harriet put Hedwig back in her cage, gathered her supplies, and followed her two roommates out the door, giving Hermione, her nose still stuck in her book, one last look before heading out.