A/N: People are reading my story! And actually making it past the first chapter! I'm gonna go do a happy dance now.

Chapter 4

The Hogwarts Express

"And this is trying to be subtle?" Diana marveled.

She and Connor were at King's Cross Station—a good forty-five minutes before the train was due to leave—and Diana was marveling at the sheer number of obvious wizards and witches she could see running around before they wandering into the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten.

Connor smiled wryly. "They think so," he told her.

Diana shook her head. "So what you're saying is if I can avoid any massive blunders, I will totally pass as Wizarding raised?"

Connor nodded. "For the common wizard, yes. And what blunders you do make should be easy enough to pass off as being American. You do have to watch out for the rare few who know how to think, though. You read that recent history book Adam got you, right?"

Diana bobbled her head back and forth a bit in a so-so manner. "I looked over the whole thing, but I was only able to get through about two thirds of it," she admitted. At Connor's Look, she protested, "Remember that whole 'eleven year old bedtime' thing you insisted on last night? And I read a good chunk of it this morning. I can't read any faster if you want me to retain it."

Connor nodded once, conceding the point. "After you," he said, nudging her towards the barrier to Platform 9 ¾.

Diana took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and ran for the barrier. She stopped when she ran into someone.

They both let out an, "Oomph," and Diana landed on the ground. She opened her eyes and looked up at the tall, black haired man in front of her. He was wearing severe black robes and he glared down his long, crooked nose (that had clearly been broken and not set properly at some point in his life) at her. "I'm sorry, sir!" she chirruped, bouncing up and playing the child for all she was worth. "I didn't mean to run into you. Are you alright?" she asked seriously.

He sneered at her. "I'm fine." His eyes flickered up at the man who had just walked up behind her. "Is this yours?" the dark haired man drawled.

Connor put his hand on Diana's shoulder and squeezed. "After a fashion. I'm escorting her on behalf of her mentor. My apologies, she's a bit over-excited to be going to Hogwarts." He held out his right hand. "My name is Connor McLeod, this is Diana Adamson. Does one of these belong to you?"

The dark man drew himself up. "In a sense, they're all part mine," he said sourly, ignoring the offered hand. "I am Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts."

Diana blushed a brilliant red, utterly mortified at her introduction to one of her teachers. On the other hand, she refused to apologize again. She tried to minimize the blush and was able to keep her chin up, but knew fighting the red face was a lost cause.

Connor laughed softly. "Trust Diana to run into the one professor on the platform," he said philosophically. "Will you be riding on the train to escort the children?" he continued. Professor Snape inclined his head slightly. "Excellent. I do feel better knowing there will be adult supervision, just in case," he admitted. "Well, we won't keep you from your duties any longer, Profess—"

"Diana!"

Diana slid neatly out from under Connor's hand and turned towards the barrier. "Belinda!" she waved.

Belinda was struggling with her trunk, so Diana dashed over to help her stabilize it before the pair began to pull it together. Before they got within range of the adults' hearing she asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

Belinda dropped her side of the trunk handle and stared at Diana in shock. "I…Yes," she said. "You…why do you care?"

Diana wasn't offended: the words had been asked with such a marveled confusion it was impossible to take offense. "We're friends," she said simply. "Friends care." To take that look off Belinda's face—Diana was feeling almost physical pain at how clear it was that no one really cared about this girl—she added, "Friends also care when they're the only one carrying your heavy trunk."

Belinda gasped and grabbed at the handle again. "Sorry." By this point, they had gotten to Connor and the Professor. "Hello again, Mr. McLeod," Belinda said in her soft voice. Before anyone could make introductions, she turned to the professor. "Hello, Professor Snape. How have you been?"

Diana marveled as the look on Professor Snape's face relaxed into something that hinted at a smile. "I am quite well, Miss Black. Yourself?"

Belinda shrugged slightly. "As well as can be expected. I see you've met Mr. McLeod and Miss Adamson."

Professor Snape nodded. "I have." He looked around a moment. "Who dropped you off, Miss Black? I don't believe Lucius was planning to be here for several minutes yet."

"I've been staying with Mr. Avery for the last three months," she told him.

Professor Snape scowled. "Did that incompetent fool manage to ensure you got everything on your list, or will I be taking you out this weekend to purchase required supplies?"

Belinda shook her head. "I met Mr. McLeod and Diana yesterday. They helped me make sure I got everything I needed."

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes at the man who, despite his coloring looking quite like a Malfoy or a Lovegood, wasn't related to any of the families he knew. Nor did he recognize the name "Adamson," though she was American, so it was perhaps not surprising he didn't know her. He nodded once. "Well, since it appears you are in…semi-competent hands, I believe I see a few miscreants on the other side of the platform." He turned and stalked away, robes billowing.

"Talk about faint praise," Diana snorted.

"Actually," Belinda told her, "from him that was praise." She looked up at Connor. "Evidently you impressed him somehow, sir."

Connor smiled slightly. "He noticed I'm a warrior, lass," he told her. "Just like I noticed he's a dangerous individual." He let the words hang in the air a moment. "But, enough of that. Let me get your trunk, and I'll see you two loaded onto the train, unless you have anyone you want to wait out here for, Belinda?"

The raven-haired girl shook her head. "No thank you, sir."

Several minutes later saw Diana and Belinda ensconced in the last compartment at the end of the train, to try and minimize foot traffic past them. The girls said their goodbyes to Connor (with Diana impulsively giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek) before settling in to wait for the train to start.

"Oh!" Diana exclaimed. She hopped up and stood on her seat so she could get into her trunk. "I have your book," she told Belinda, her voice muffled.

Belinda looked relieved, and smiled her thanks to Diana when the brunette handed over her book. "Thank you. I'd half expected to never see it again," she admitted.

Diana shrugged and dropped her book on the seat next to her. "I told you, we're friends," she said. "And friends hang onto things when their friends leave them places."

Belinda smiled shyly. "Thank you," she said again.

Diana couldn't help herself. She reached out with her empathy again to taste Belinda's emotions, but only let herself have a momentary taste before shutting herself down again. Even that little flash had a pleased smile spreading across her face. "You're welcome."

After a moment, the pair settled in with their books.

They read in companionable silence until a kindly old witch came by with a cart of snacks. "Anything I can get for you dearies?"

Diana looked up, then hopped off her seat. She looked at Belinda, who was looking a bit sheepish. "Come on, Bel," she coaxed. "I'm not used to British candy, and I'm willing to pay for some guidance here."

Belinda looked surprised at the diminutive, but she still hesitated.

Diana smiled mischievously. "I'll pay in can-dy," she drawled.

The witch who ran the trolley smiled at the brunette's handling of the other girl. For all she has the confidence of a Gryffindor, there's a bit of Slytherin in that one, she admired.

The pair picked over the candy cart and Diana shelled out the cash to pay for it all. As they settled back into seats on Belinda's side of the compartment, the door slid open again. "There you are."

Diana looked up at the arrogant voice. Coming in the doorway was a perfectly coiffed boy about their age, who had short, white blonde hair and a perfectly groomed set of school robes. Behind him, like bookends, was a pair of large boys. Bodyguard and thug types, if I'm any judge, Diana thought to herself. She instantly reached out to feel for any warning of danger. Oddly enough, the arrogant little leader really was almost as confident as he appeared. That confidence had taken a recent shaking, but for the most part, he really thought he was that great. She could tell that it was a shallow confidence though, one that hadn't been truly tested. Could've picked that up without sensing him, she thought dryly.

"Hello, Cousin Draco," Belinda said. "Diana, may I introduce my cousin, Draco Malfoy. Behind him are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Cousin Draco, this is Diana Adamson."

Diana didn't have the chance to say anything before Draco sneered as he looked her up and down. "A nobody, cousin? I knew you were sad and pathetic, but I thought even you could do better than a Mudblood."

Diana narrowed her eyes. "So you know everyone of any importance in the world?" she drawled.

Draco seemed startled by Diana's American accent, but he recovered quickly. "All the ones that matter," he announced arrogantly.

She stood up and stepped slightly in front of Belinda. "Well then, since I apparently don't matter, why don't you run along so you don't have to breathe the same, dirty air as me? Go on. Shoo." She made little shooing motions with her hands.

Belinda managed to suppress her laughter as Draco stared at the crazy American. "You're loony."

Diana laughed. "I'm also a Daughter of the American Revolution, so I have a plenty prestigious pedigree and I don't feel the need to lord it over others. Besides, you're silly little British insults mean nothing to me. Good day, sir," she said arrogantly. Draco opened his mouth and Diana cut him off. "I said, 'Good day.'"

Draco opened and closed his mouth several times in shock before turning to his bully boys. "Let's go," he muttered. "I don't want to stay it the same room with this…American." He turned to Belinda. "Wherever you found this one," he advised her, "I'd consider sending her back. Father will not be pleased when he hears what you've been spending time with."

Once they were gone, Diana spun around. "You're related to that?"

Belinda nodded uncertainly.

"Wow, I guess even in Britain you can't pick your relatives."

The side of Belinda's mouth quirked up in a partial smile. "Thank you, Diana."

Diana blinked. "For what?"

Belinda smirked. "For drawing his attention away from me and onto yourself. It was very Slytherin of you, even if it seems to have a very Gryffindor feel to the way you carried it out."

Diana cocked her head. "Huh?"

Belinda sighed, and patted the seat beside her. Once they were both comfortable, she explained. "Everyone in Hogwarts is sorted into one of four houses. The houses are based on personality traits."

"Really? I thought the teachers just divvied up the students into four groups."

Belinda shook her head. "Slytherins are sly, cunning, and ambitious; their animal symbol is the snake. Malfoys and Blacks both tend to be Slytherins. And yes, Houses often run in families."

"Or maybe families run in Houses," Diana muttered. She looked up and saw Belinda's dark look. "Sorry. Continue."

"Ravenclaws are your book smart kids. It's not a bad second choice. They're represented by a raven. Gryffindors—the lions—are your courageous, brave, hero-types who rush in when just a moment's thought would make their lives so much easier."

"Let me guess," Diana drawled. "Gryffindors and Slytherins don't get along."

Belinda smiled wryly. "No, they don't. In fact, there's a House rivalry going back centuries about it. We call them idiots, they call us Dark Wizards-in-training."

Diana chose not to mention that Belinda was speaking as though she was already Sorted. "So what about the last House?"

"Ah yes, Hufflepuff." She ignored Diana's snort of laughter. "The badgers are the leftovers, really. Though officially they're loyal and hard-working."

Diana shook her head. "I really cannot get over these names," she muttered. "But," she continued aloud, "that explains why Sensei said he'd be pissed if I wound up a badger."

"Wants you to have some redeeming qualities?"

Diana looked sharply at Belinda. "No, actually. He thinks I'm far more loyal than I should be. The last thing he thinks I need is to spend seven years in an environment that reinforces that trait. And don't knock the hard-working, loyal types. They're the ones who actually get things done. While your Gryffindors are boldly going forth and your Slytherins are plotting and your Ravenclaws are researching, the Hufflepuffs are going about the business of making sure the world keeps turning." She shook her head. "Everyone looks down on worker-bees, but they're far more important than you realize."

Belinda sat back, stunned. She'd never heard anyone compliment Hufflepuffs before. And what Diana was saying made sense. "I…I never thought of it that way," she admitted.

Diana nodded. "I'm not surprised. But now that you're out on your own, you can make your own opinions. Don't just blindly accept what others tell you; make your own observations and form your own opinions. And who knows," she added with a wink, "a crafty Slytherin could certainly make use of Hufflepuff allies."

Belinda lapsed into thought and Diana let her. The rest of the train ride passed in near-silence.