-Rory-

No matter how many times I walk through that barrier I don't think I will ever lose the thrill of stepping back into the Magical world. Platform Nine and Three Quarters was packed with student, parents, siblings, and pets all screaming to be heard as they worked in a chaotic mess to get situated and say goodbyes before the train would leave.

"I can't wait for it to be my turn to go to Hogwarts!" Renee cried as I searched for Damian in the crowd.

"We don't even know if any of us have magic." Coraline poked her older sister.

"For all we know Rory is the only one." Rebecca finished for her twin

"Oh be nice you two." I turned at the sound of the new voice to see Renee had gained a twin of her own. The girls would have been identical if one didn't have a light dusting of freckles "There is a chance that all of you will end up at Hogwarts some day. We girls have to show the boys that we are just as good as they are." The looks on my family's faces were priceless.

"Rory, you told me you had twin sisters." Damian chuckled as he came up behind the new girl. "You never said that there was more than one set."

"That's because there isn't." The freckles, the new girl had freckles. That plus she showed up just before Damian... I smiled before pulling my friends into a quick hug. "Sorry I couldn't meet you guys at Daigon Alley."

"It's fine Rory." giggled Renee's doppelgänger "Next time we'll have to take you to his Gran's house. Xan brought Tobin around a couple times." my parents where still trying to wrap their minds around the idea that someone could look so much like their daughter.

"Aria?" Renee asked, taking a guess. Given how much I wrote home about my time at school I'm pretty sure that I had mentioned at some point about Aria's abilities. Renee's double, smiled and winked at her with a slight nod.

"When you get to Hogwarts I hope they put you in Ravenclaw. A sharp mind is waisted if not placed where it can grow."

"Are you a Zygon?" Rebecca asked as she poked Aria

"A what?"

"A Zygon." Coraline replied "Big red thing covered in suckers, can take the form of any living thing."

"Rory, do your sisters read the Quibbler?" Damian asked. Having seen the magazine I could understand where he might come to that conclusion.

"No. Their aliens from a muggle television program."

"Is that the one with the Healer with two hearts that flies around in a blue box?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"Rory, aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?" Mother asked. She and Dad seemed to be getting there bearings now as another girl about Renee's age stuck her head out form under Damian's arm.

"Dae, you said you'd come back to say goodbye once you found a compartment." She looked a little like Damian but there was more wave to her sandy blond hair and her eyes were more blue than hazel.

"Rosie, he wasn't about to leave without saying goodbye. We just stopped to collect Rory is all." Aria answered for him as she changed back to her normal appearance. Well, mostly normal. Her hair was done up in a plate longer than she usually had it and her eyes were a bright turquoise.

"Mum, Dad, this is Aria, Damian, and Damian's sister, Rose."

"Its a pleasure to meet you." Mum said as Dad shook their hands

"Is it true that you can see magic?" Dad excitedly asked Damian while still holding his hand. Damian for his part did his best not to look puzzled as to why this had to be Dad's first question.

"Its not exactly seeing but yes?" Dae shot me a questioning look and I did my best to show that I was sorry. Dad was only trying to get the girls to calm down about the idea of going Hogwarts. Renee tugged his sleeve to get his attention and free his hand from our father.

"So could you tell us if we have magic?" she put on the biggest hopefully pleading eyes she could, not to be out done the twins joined in.

"Yeah," Aria chimed in "He could do that." the girls started bouncing up and down begging him to tell them

"Aria, you know the law." He rolled his eyes as he fought a smile "Only a guardian or a Hogwarts letter can inform a muggle born that they are magic." my sisters let out a collective grown

"But they already know of the magical community because I got my letter. Would it really hurt to tell them?" I asked. I may not know much about magical law but it made sense to me, the point of that law is to keep the muggle population from noticing the magical one. If they are family with a wizard then what is the harm in letting them know?

"Sorry, I can't tell your sisters if they are witches or not. The law is the law." I honestly wanted to hit him for that. He has no problem bending the rules whenever it suits him but he draws the line here?

"Rory." Aria looped an arm through mine and whispered loudly in my ear "Think about how that law is worded. Then remember what we say about rules that are silly." A rule that can not be broken may sometimes be bent. That is what Damian liked to say before running off in the night to do something foolish.

"Damian?"

"Yes Rory?" he had his innocent facade firmly in place

"I guess the law is the law, but could you at least tell my parents so they can sleep better at night?" my sisters were collectively holding their breath

"I don't see why not." Mum and Dad seemed thoroughly amused at our exchange. "That is if they want to know." Damian was enjoying the teasing a little too much while Aria and Rose failed to hold back giggles and my sisters begged my parents to say yes.

Dad gave a very fake heavy sigh in defeat "I suppose."

"Well then Mr. and Mrs. Tenson, You should be aware that all four of your children have a trace on them." at my mother's puzzled look Aria chimed in

"At the time of their birth, every Wizarding child has a trace placed on them so that the Ministry can keep tabs on them until they are of age. It helps them control outburst of magic and prevent us from using magic outside of school."

"So then..." Mum started

"You can expect a few more Hogwarts letters." Damian finished as the whistle blew signaling that the train would be leaving in ten minutes "That being said, Rory, we already have a compartment..Ok Hugs and Thank you's after your brother is on the train!"

"Rosalie! There you are, sweetie, don't run off like that." Called a man that could only be Damian's father. "They're over here!"

"Dad, I'd love to stay and chat but we need to get Rory's things on the train before it leaves." Damian informed his father impatiently

"You can wait two minutes to say goodbye to us and then be on your way." My year mate sighed impatiently and accepted that my sisters were going to get a couple minutes more to cheer and thank him. All too soon it seemed the rest of his family had arrived, introductions were made, and goodbyes were said. We were barely on the train before it began to pull away from the platform.

As Damian and I carried my trunk down to the compartment, we hear some raised voices ahead. Damian and Aria sigh in unison. "I've already told you. You can't sit with us. All our seats are taken."

"No, they're not. Even if Dae and Aria join you that still leaves one open."

"And for the third time. They went to get our friend, Rory. They should be here any minute." I may have been hearing things but I'm pretty sure Xander emphasized 'our'. Honestly, I'm not sure if he even sees me as a casual acquaintance. At best I'm Damian's tag along, but friend? Does he really think that? Or is he just trying to get rid of his brother? I mean I've heard stories of Deucalion and how the two don't get along, but would he really go so far as to call me his friend just to not have to put up with his brother for the next seven hours? If he does I guess that he at least likes me more than his brother. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

He goes further to look up and down the corridor in search of us. When he sees us, our eyes meet, and his face lights up quite a bit. I don't know how I should feel about that, but at least it's not a scowl I guess. "See, I told you."

He pushes his brother out of the way and reaches an arm out to us in welcome. Damian shoulders past Deucalion, "Hey, Leon." I follow, smiling apologetically. Deucalion responds with a look of disbelief and almost hatred and then proceeds to storm off down the corridor. Xander is the last one in. He closes the door behind him and with it the sound from outside drops away completely.

"You already cast a muffling charm on the compartment?"

Xander does blush a bit at Aria's comment but it falls away almost as fast as it appeared. "Yes, this school has a nasty habit for gossip, and the fact that we have four houses sitting in one place, willingly, without bloodshed, is sure to start some rumors. Plus this way if any of my fellow Slytherins are listening in, they can't use anything I say against me later, no matter how innocent it might be."

Nikki laughs a bit at her friend as he takes a seat between her and Tobin. "Innocent? You? Innocent?"

"Well, compared to Damian..." Aria chuckles quietly and Damian raises his hand.

"I would like to point out for innocence, we have Rory, who is here to keep us all in line with his good behavior."

"Why am I the innocent one?"

"You really want to follow In Dae's and my wonderful, yet daunting shadow?" Sander retorts.

"Or better yet you can follow in Aria's."

Aria starts to open her mouth as if to refute Damian's statement, then closes it and seems to think about it for a moment before shrugging it off. "You should probably follow Nikki's example."

"I think I am the one who lost the least amount of house points last year. Also had the fewest detentions."

Xander quickly debates back, "Half those weren't my fault and you know it. Just because the morons in my house don't know how to verbally spar, and had resort to curses, doesn't mean that I am the one to blame."

"I was only standing up for him. I mean yes, I hexed them, but they had it coming." Aria waves her hand dismissively.

"And most of the points I lost were for my midnight wanderings not for hexing students, classmates, rival houses." Damian paused then shrugged off whatever he had considered. "And the ones I did, were the ones who started it."

Nikki has a smug look on her face. "My point exactly."

I look to Tobin for help as he is the only who has yet to say something, but he just shrugs his shoulders in indifference. Giving in, "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm the innocent one." Silence falls for a few seconds as I look to start a less embarrassing topic of conversation. "So, am I really you're friend or were you just trying to get rid of your brother?"

Xander looks a bit guilty as he forms a response. "Both? I mean none of us wanted him to sit with us and you were coming to join us, but I don't really know you all that well yet."

"Could you do us a favor then? Don't hide so much so that these two don't get in trouble sneaking out to find you every night." I gesture towards Damian and Aria as I am speaking.

Xander winces and a very guilty expression crosses his face. His voice is small and he curls in on himself a little. Not a position I would have ever thought the Slytherin boy to take. "Sorry, last year wasn't the greatest. If I had let them stick around me the entire time, they wouldn't have made any friends from their own houses. I wasn't the most popular student last year, nor will I be again this year." Tobin rests a hand on Xander's shoulder and gives me somewhat of a dirty look, but it is one is crossed in thanks as well.

"Sorry." I replied "I didn't mean anything, really! This year can be better though, because we can all be friends and not hide from each other. Damian, Aria, and Nikki have all made friends in their own houses now so you did what you meant to do so..."

"Breath Rory." Damian commanded breaking my chain of thought. Oh no, I was rambling again, what if I said something wrong? What if I made him more upset? What if...

"Thanks." When I look back to Xander our eyes meet. "You're probably the only one of their friends that is even remotely willing to talk to me, so thank you." Honestly, I'm shocked at his reply. I thought he would be at least a little bit angry.

"He is probably one of the only friends we have that doesn't understand the house rivalry. That only helps in his favor."

"True, but Aria, there are plenty of other muggle borns in the other houses that still won't have a thing to do with me. Hell, even some of the kids we grew up knowing won't talk to me." He turns back to me. "That is why I pushed them all away. I had no one besides them and they needed to make connections in their own houses, so I made do by myself. Professor Malfoy helped me out quite a bit in the beginning. He saw what I was going through, but really a teacher can't change the minds of a blind society. Then I met Tobin and I had someone who understood what I was going through." He looks over at the silent boy and finally draws himself out of his fugue state. "This year I won't stop them. Or you. I know I was kind of cold last year and for that I am truly sorry. I was only trying to protect myself."

The compartment is filled with an awkward silence following Xander's confession. From the look of the others I can tell that this is the first time he has said anything about how he was feeling least year. I know Damian and Aria were worried about him most of the time we were together and Nikki often left us in search of him when we were studying.

As I am about to apologize for bringing up such a raw topic, Nikki smacks him upside his head. "Idiot!" The tension breaks after that and everyone begins laughing, although Xander still seems a bit sheepish for a little while longer.

"I wonder if Leon has found any friends yet?" Aria asks after the laughter dies down.

"Well, knowing Duke, he has probably talked his way into a compartment somewhere. The kid does possess a golden tonuge. How do you think my mother has been so blind for so long? I really hope he doesn't end up in Slytherin." Xander cringes at the very words he spoke.

"Pretty sure he he won't be in Gryffindor, he's more than willing to stand up for his own opinions. But that's not so much bravery as it is thick headedness."

Aria giggles at Damian's assessment of his cousin. "He's plenty book smart. Though anyone dumb enough to keep picking fights with Damian... Well we don't have to worry about him being in Ravenclaw."

"True, he is smart, but too stupid to see past his own nose. My brother really doesn't know when to close his mouth when he should."

"He can't be that bad...can he?" I asked, surely they were being a little harsh.

"You've never really met him Rory." Nikki piped up. "Leon is as bad as they make him out to be. Worse probably. Whenever Xander and I hang out I always makes sure that we are far away from him. He always wants to join us, but when we do let him, we have to play by his rules. If you don't then he goes crying to their mother. I can't tell you the number of times Xander got in trouble for that."

Something has been bugging me since Xander's brother left. "Why do you call him Duke, Xander, when everyone else calls him Leon?"

"Because he doesn't like it." Xander answers with a shrug.

Damian throws in, "He becomes Duke with the rest of us whenever he pushes our buttons too far."

"And seeing as we don't actually live with him, he is Leon a lot more then he is Duke." Aria adds.

Thinking through all the things they have said, I know they wouldn't lie to me. Well, at least not about family anyway. I'll still want to give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

I am interrupted from my thoughts by Xander standing up and rummaging through his bag, reaching just a bit too far past the bag's limits. It takes a few seconds before he is pulling out of the bag holding a few books in his hand and plops them down into Damian and Aria's excited laps. "There. Now you can quit bugging me about it."

Damian squees, "Xander, you are brilliant!" They waste no time diving head first into their own respective book.

Xander rolls his and laughs quietly. "Tell me something I don't already know."

"Are those the books you bought when we were in Diagon Alley?" Nikki asks.

Xander replies nonchalantly, "Yeah."

"You guys were serious when you said you were going to have Xander buy you books?"

Aria giggles at me. "Why would we lie about that? Dae's mother would have told us no if we tried to buy them ourselves."

"Where as mine, one the other hand, will remain blissfully unaware."

I know I should't be surprised after last year, but really?! My mother would have a field day if she found out I had used a friend to buy something that she would disapprove of, never mind that it is something that second years probably shouldn't even have in the first place. Who is supposed to keep those three out of trouble? Nikki seems less than worried and Tobin looks, well I'm not sure how he looks honestly, he just seems to be trying to stay out of the conversation as much as possible. So I really don't know what he thinks on the matter. Do I really have to be the conscience of this group? I just sighed, there was no point in telling them that they shouldn't do things that were more than likely going to get them in trouble, because they are going to do it anyway. "What books did you get them?"

"A few about how to become animagi, and a few others that we probably shouldn't have, but can't quite do without. The one Dae's reading is called the 'Night Walker's Journal', I'm sure you can guess what that one is about. And Aria has 'Connections in Bindings'. That one is to help us figure out a way to stay in contact with each other more directly. We also got 'Transfiguration and You', 'Knowing Yourself and the Animal Within', and 'Defence in Everyday Life'."

"You guys are really going to go through with becoming Animagi? I thought they said that was really hard to do?" I can't believe they are really going to try.

Damian looks up from his book with a smirk on his face, "Rory, if it wasn't a challenge, it wouldn't be worth doing."

"Yeah but it's gonna take you years, if you manage to learn how."

"True, but we are not ones that back away from a challenge. Plus it would be a useful skill to have." Xander looks too confident. Again I'm left speechless. Does it just run in their family to do stupid, dangerous things that could leave them dead or spell damaged just because it is a challenge?

"Rory, try not to worry too much just yet." Aria broke through my latest internal debate. "It will be some time before any of us are actually able to get to the stage where we begin attempting the transformation."

"Yes, there is lots of theoretical and practical processes to go through before any of us are even remotely ready for a transformation of any kind to take place." Xander looks contemplative for a beat, before it turns more serious. "This isn't something we are doing just for a laugh. At least for me it's not. It's about the learning, but it's also about the possibilities the out come may bring." He glances over at Tobin with a meaning that is lost to me and Nikki. Tobin keeps reading the book he has been since the train started moving.

A lull falls over the cabin. Damian and Aria continue reading while Nikki and Xander start talking about a summer assignment. I dig in my bag for my traveling chess set "Anyone care for a game?"

Damian looks up and sighs, "Rory, why would I want to be slaughtered again?"

"Because it's a challenge." Everyone laughs including Damian.

"There's a difference between enjoying a challenge and being a masochist."

"Well I'd play you, but I'm only about as good as Dae so that probably would be bad, but Tobin always wins against me. You should play him." Tobin glances at Xander questioningly. "Come on, you know you're good. And they need to get to know you too." His voice drops down and he says a few more words that the rest of us can't hear, but what ever it is makes Tobin's shoulders sag in acceptance.

"It's a muggle set, so the pieces don't fight each other, is that okay?" Tobin nods and gestures for the board to be set up.

As I start setting the pieces up, Xander leans toward Tobin. "Remember how I told you about magnets?" Tobin nods. "These pieces are magnetic, so they won't fall over or move without you moving them. It's actually kind of an ingenious innovation for travel." Damian and I switched so I could be across from Tobin. We were well into the first game before the Slytherin mask slipped and Tobin actually smiled. He turned out to be a far better player than Damian or Aria. As we progressed the time between our moves began to lengthen. No longer were was this just a simple game. This was a battle of equals. Tobin managed to claim the first game but I took the second. Damian and Aria traded books while Xander and Nikki discussed a verity of topics. We were well into the third game when the trolley came by, prompting Aria to pull a basket containing a small feast down from the luggage wrack, and Xander to buy an assortment of treats from the witch.

The rest of the ride is spent talking and laughing. With the muffling charm in place we are left alone for the most part. Before we know it the sky is darkening and we are changing into our school robes before arriving at the Hogsmead station.

Last year we made our way to the castle on the self propelled boats, but now we get to take the carriages with all the other students. As we approach an empty carriage, Xander, Tobin, and Aria pause for a moment before stepping up. Tobin's face is a bit white, Aria takes a seat facing toward the back of the carriage, and Xander stares down at his shoes as we start moving. Tobin and Xander take places also facing away from the front, settling in next to Aria in silent camaraderie.

Damian is staring at the empty space where a horse would stand, as if trying to find something that isn't there. Nikki is acting as if there is nothing weird going on, but the tense line of her shoulders gives away that she knows more than is being said. Which is nothing. "Does everyone know something that I don't?"

Xander doesn't look up and speaks to the floor. "There is a creature called a thestral, and is one pulling pulling the carriage. You can only see it if you have seen death." His tone is slightly apathetic and I don't push any further than that. Nikki sends me a sad look and Damian looks a bit uncomfortable, muttering something about feeling cross eyed.

The ride up is spent in silence and the three that are most affected rush up the stairs to the castle quickly. But once we reach the Gand Staircase, we come to a stop. This is where the six do us must split, and I can tell that no one really wants to be the first to leave.

Aria hugs everyone. Tobin is a bit shocked and only brings his hands up as she moves on to the next person. I've noticed that Xander gives him small gestures of support every now and then, but this is probably the first time someone else from our group has shown him any kind of physical affection. I suppose he better get used to it because this is a very tactile group of individuals.

Xander hugs Nikki, pats Damian on the shoulder,and holds a hand out to me. I wasn't expecting the gesture but gladly take his hand to shake it in return. He smiles and then turns to Tobin, "Our fan club awaits us."

Damian waves them off, "See you in class!" Then faces Aria and Nikki with a smirk, "You two stay out of trouble."

Nikki laughs, "Try following your own advice for once." Then winks and skips off to the Hufflepuff table.

Aria rolls her eyes, "Do try to get some sleep tonight, Dae." And slowly makes her way to the Ravencalw table.

"Come on Rory, let's go find a good seat." It takes about twenty minutes for the rest of the students to make their way to the Great Hall, and another ten for the first years to file in from the side room where they wait to be sorted. Professor Flitwick walks in with a pair of stools floating in front of him with the Sorting Hat resting on one of them. Damian scowls at his plate rather than look up at the hat like everyone else is inclined to do. I think he still holds so,e resentment for splitting him and Xander up.

The hat sings his song about coming together after such adversity. Something Our group can take a bit to heart, considering that we are from all four houses. Damian's scowl deepens and his knuckles crack on his lap in annoyance. After the hat finishes, Professor Flitwick starts to call off the names of students to be sorted.

I don't pay too much attention other than to clap when a house is called out, and applaud a bit louder when my own house gains a new student. Though eventually Leon's name is called and Damian finally sits up and takes notice.

"Forst, Deucalion." He gets up on the stool and a few minutes go by. So far he has taken the longest to sort.

"Oh Gods, he's fighting the hat." Damian sounds caught somewhere between amusement and disbelief. "I'd say I couldn't believe it, but I do." He sits up a bit straighter and glances across the hall to the Slytherin table. Xander meets his gaze with a smirk and a shake of his head.

Finally after a while the hat calls out to the hall, "Hufflepuff!" Damian, Xander, and Aria can only just be heard laughing above the applause of the Hufflepuff table. Nikki looks a bit defeated, and Leon is beat red and looks like he has been given a great injustice.

The rest of the sorting finishes up and the feast appears on the table in front of us. There is lots of talking and catching up with everyone around us. Then after we are done with dessert, McGonagall stands up and clears her throat, quieting everyone.

"Welcome to our first years, and welcome back to the others. As Mr. Filch reminds us every year, there is no magic allowed in the corridors along with a tantalising amount of other products. A list of which can be found outside Mr. Filch's office. Quidditch tryouts will start in two weeks, those who wish to try out for their house team should submit their name to their head of house. And once again the forest on the grounds is, as always, out of bounds to our younger students as well as our older ones. Your class schedules will be handed out at breakfast tomorrow morning, but for now it's off to bed." The prefects rise and start guiding the first years to their common rooms. We catch the others in a final good nights and make our way to Gryffindor tower. The excitement of the day has finally started catching up to me and I am more than ready to go to sleep. This should be one interesting year.