Okay, so there are going to be more background chapters than I thought. Every year will be two chapters because I didn't want to make them TOO long.

If you recognize any parts, they are not mine. I rely heavily on the books for these chapters, so some spaces are directly qupted from the books. I just wanted to get it out here... Before forget again.

Enjoy,

Nick

Dream

When Selene appeared in her dream mansion, she had a book clutched in her hands. The eleven-year-old scampered over to the couch, leafing through the book again. It was about Runes and Rituals, something that the Professors thought was too difficult but she wanted it. Selene had grabbed it because Kol had wanted to know more about the topic.

"Little Lyre," Finn smiled, sitting down next to his mate "How was the school shopping? Did it go alright?"

The older she got, the more the witch could control her dreams. In the first years, she was pulling them into her dream-scape every night. Now, she only called them every few days or whenever she needed them "It was alright, Finn. I have money! And a lot of it too."

Selene bounced a bit when Kol dropped onto the couch next to the girl. The younger Original had a plate in his hand "That's great, little witch. What's that book?"

The eleven-year-old handed it over, accepting the plate of pasta in return "Thought you'd be interested in that," she murmured, taking a bite of the food.

"Have you found out some more about that school?" the older vampire asked while Kol flipped through the book.

The girl hummed, swallowing the food in her mouth "Hogwarts is somewhere in Scotland. There are four houses and students are sorted by their personality. The book didn't say how they sort though… Gryffindor is for the courageous and the brave, Slytherin for the ambitious and cunning, Ravenclaw for the smart and studious and Hufflepuff for the loyal and hard-working. It's weird though… People seemed to be obsessed with the image of black and white. Hogwarts: A History made Slytherin seem like they were evil incarnate. 'Only Dark wizards are in that house'."

"Better get used to it, darling," Kol snorted "It's going to get worse. Especially around us."

Selene pushed the rest of the noodles from one end of the plate to the other "The teachers told me that my parents were murdered. That the man who killed them tried to kill me as well." Tears sprang into her eyes "I'm famous in their world. I'm famous for something I can't remember, for the night my parents died."

Finn grabbed the plate out of her hands, put it to the side and pulled his mate into his lap "It's going to be alright, Lyra," he hushed and exchanged a concerned glance with Kol. Oh, how they wished they could be there for their mate more. The realization that they didn't exist in her world nearly killed them. Now they knew that if anyone undaggered them, they would leave their mate alone.

After Selene cried herself out, she fell asleep, clutching both Finn's shirt and Kol's hand to her body.

Dream End

On the evening of the 31st of August, I slipped out of my cupboard and into the living room where Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were watching TV.

"What do you want, girl?" Uncle Vernon frowned angrily.

I shifted nervously "I – Can you… I need to get to London tomorrow morning."

"I told you that you're not going to that freak school," he spat.

Petunia leaned over and put her hand on her husband's arm "Let her go, Vernon. At least we'll be rid of her for ten months a year."

The fat man glared at me and huffed "Fine. But I'm not driving you to London. If you want to go to that freakish school, you're gonna have to find a way yourself."

I shrunk back and nodded quietly. Without another word, I hurried back to the cupboard under the stairs. There was something in one of the books I read about Magical Transportation that Professor McGonagall gave me. The Knight Bus or what it was called… According to the book, you could call the bus with your wand. I'd have to try that tomorrow. If it doesn't work I might have to catch the train or the bus to London. I had around fifty Pounds worth of non-magical money saved up from cleaning. The Dursleys never noticed the money go missing, so I kept doing it. Occasionally I bought something to eat when my uncle's punishments went past two weeks.

The next morning I woke up at half past seven and quickly gathered the rest of my stuff. I carefully scooped Salem and Midnight into their carrier after petting them for a few more minutes. By eight, I quietly made my way out of the house before my relatives woke up. The carrier with my kittens was in my 'bigger on the inside' trunk. When I was at the Park, I glanced around nervously, fingering the wand in my pocket. I raised it hesitatingly.

A loud bang startled me and I flinched when a huge purple bus appeared in front of me "Welcome to the Knight Bus. My name is Karen Miller. Where do you want to go?" a smiling witch greeted me.

I blinked a few times "Erm, K–King's Cross."

"That would be ten Sickles. Do you need help with your trunk?"

"T – Thank you, ma'am." The woman quickly helped me to a seat and collected the money I owed her.

She knocked on the glass separating the driver from the rest of the bus "Go for it, Ernie." With another bang, we were off "Is this your First Year… What's your name?"

I nodded quickly and picked at the skirt I was wearing "L – Lyra."

"Well, hello Lyra," Karen greeted again "We're dropping off a few passengers at the Leaky Cauldron and after that, we'll drop you off. I imagine we'll be there in about an hour."

I carefully pulled out a book about Potions that I had read two times already. It was really interesting and I would definitely have to thank the Professor for recommending it. It detailed the preparation for all of the ingredients along with the properties of magical and non-magical ingredients.

"Lyra," Karen called "We're at King's Cross now."

I closed the book and slipped it back into my trunk and pulled it to the edge of the bus "Thank you," I smiled shyly, lugging the big rectangular suitcase onto the street.

"Have a nice year, Lyra," the conductor waved and with another bang, they were gone.

Now, what was it Professor McGonagall said? Something about the wall between Platform Nine and Ten… Well, I still had about two hours to figure it out. I pulled my trunk behind me as I walked through the station, looking around curiously. There were quite a few people around but not too many for me to be comfortable with.

That wall… It felt different… Kind of a bit like the wand maker's shop felt but less magical. I leaned against the wall experimentally and stumbled when it gave out behind me.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform. Like outside there weren't many people around, just the occasional family standing around, saying goodbye to their children. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. I glanced at the barrier behind me and saw a wrought-iron archway with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it.

I quickly hauled my trunk onto the train and slipped into the first empty compartment I saw. As soon as I was situated, I grabbed the carrier out of the trunk and opened the top. Salem immediately popped his head out, climbing into my lap, while Midnight – as usual – was a bit slower and walked up my arms to stretch out over my shoulders contently. I petted their heads and rolled up on the seat, another book in my hands. Ever since I got the books, I couldn't put them down. Opposed to Dudley who hated anything to do with paper with ink, I really loved to learn new things or lose myself in the world of stories. It might have something to do with Finn and Kol who had always read to me and taught me how to read the most fun way they knew.

"Oh, sorry," a boy's voice startled me into looking up. I glanced at the door to see… double? Two red-haired boys, who looked almost identical to each other "Do you mind?"

I shook my head and pulled my trunk to the side "Sorry about that," I murmured "I – I didn't want to try and get it up… I'm too small anyway."

"Don't worry," the one twin said.

"We've got it," the second one agreed. I giggled at their antics and watched as they hauled all of our trunks into the overhead bins "I'm Fred, by the way. Fred Weasley. That's my twin brother George."

"Or Gred and Forge," George grinned.

I bit my lip nervously. Should I tell them my real name? I didn't want anyone to stare at me though… Not while I have the choice to still be a normal girl. That famous stuff sounded really bad… "My… friends call me Lyra," I told them.

"Oh?" Gred raised an eyebrow "Is that your name then?"

"No," I shook my head "But… I like it."

Forge flopped down on the bench opposite of me "Oh well, then Lyra it is." Salem chose that moment to meow loudly, trying to get my attention "And who's that then?"

"Salem," I pointed to the white kitten "And Midnight." I plucked the black kitten from my shoulder to set her down on my lap as well.

"It's very nice to meet you," Forge nodded seriously, actually shaking the kittens' paws. I giggled at their antics again and felt myself relaxing more in their presence. They were actually pretty cool and the two of them reminded me of Kol's mischievous nature.

Gred hit his brother's chest and pointed outside "Listen, we have to go and say goodbye to our family. We'll be back and bring another friend of ours. Is that alright?"

"I – I guess," I whispered, not sure how to fell about having three older boys in the compartment with me. As long as they wouldn't turn into Dudley, I don't think I should mind.

After about ten minutes, a whistle sounded and then the train began to move. The door of the compartment slid open and the twins came back with a black boy with dreadlocks "Lyra. That's our friend Lee."

"Hi," I waved and pressed myself into the corner, closer to the window. It was then that I noticed the box in Lee's hands "What's that?"

Lee grinned and shrugged "A tarantula. I found her this summer," he proclaimed proudly.

"So, Firsties," Gred smirked and the other two followed suit "Are you excited?"

My lips twitched up a little and I nodded shyly "I only really found out about magic a month and a half ago but I'm really excited for classes."

"So you're a muggleborn then?" Lee questioned.

"No," I shook my head "My parents were magical but they died when I was a baby…" The boys' eyes traveled to my forehead when my hair fell to the side.

They gasped "You're Selene Potter?" the twins chorused. I curled up some more and nodded, looking at my knees warily. Would they treat me differently now? "Don't worry, Selene. If anyone gives you any trouble. We'll prank them."

My head shot up "Prank?"

"Yup," Forge grinned smugly "We're Hogwarts' best pranksters."

They really reminded me of Kol now. He was a prankster as well and he roped me into pranking Finn on more than one occasion. The older brother took it in stride and always did an amusing display of blaming his youngest brother for 'corrupting' me "Have you ever tried filling a room with balloons filled with stuff like harmless Potions, confetti or something like that? You could charm them to pop randomly or make them immune to vanishing charms."

They blinked and an evil glint lit up in their eyes "That's genius… I think we'll have fun with you around, don't you think?"

"It could be fun," I agreed and yawned a little.

"What would you put into the balloons?" Lee tilted his head, picking the tarantula out of the box it was in.

I blinked at him for a second before I shrugged "Maybe a Potion that could change the hair or skin colour, something to make them speak a different language. I don't know… There wasn't much in the Potions books I have."

"That's brilliant," the twins and Lee beamed "We'll have to try that. Maybe you could help…" The three older boys looked at me with interest.

"Maybe," I smiled "Ask me again when the first month is over." I watched as Salem stalked over to the black spider on the older boy's hand, his tail and fur betraying his fear. The white kitten sniffed and the spider and jumped back in fright. I snorted and shook my head as he crawled forward again.

The rest of the train ride, I asked them questions about everything and anything magical. Once they promised me that they didn't mind answering any. I asked them about classes, the other teachers, general things from the books I read, about Quidditch and even the sorting.

"Now that, dear Selene is a secret, isn't it?" Gred grinned, ruffling my hair. I pouted at them and could practically see the cave. Works every time with Kol and Finn, so why not with others? "Alright but you have to promise to act surprised."

Forge leaned closer and lowered his voice conspiratorially "The Sorting Hat."

I raised an eyebrow "What?"

"The Sorting Hat sorts you into a House," Lee added, grinning at my look of disbelief "We're not joking. You'll see." He sighed and got up from the seat "Come on you two. Let's leave Selene here to change into her uniform."

I smiled in thanks and once they were outside, I quickly put on my uniform. It was a bit uncomfortable wearing the robe but I'd get used to it… Hopefully. I opened the compartment door and slipped out, seeing the boys lingering nearby "I'm done."

"Alright," Gred murmured as they walked in "Just give us a minute."

Another half an hour later, a voice echoed through the train "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

I swallowed nervously and shivered when nerves almost overwhelmed me. Gred leaned forward and placed one of his arms around my shoulders "It's going to be fine, Selene, you'll see. You'll be our friend, okay? No matter where you'll get sorted."

"Thank you," I breathed, stepping out into the crowded corridor outside.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People were pushing their way toward the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform. I was looking around, trying to find out where I had to go when a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students and a loud voice boomed "Firs' years! Firs' years over here." A large man was gesturing for us to follow "C'mon, follow me – Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs" years follow me." I followed the other children down, trying very hard not to slip or stumble on the steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of us that we must be surrounded by trees. Nobody spoke much, except for one girl. She was mumbling about everything she read under her breath "Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the man called over his shoulder "Jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Ooooh!" when the narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky was a huge castle with tons of turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" I climbed onto a boat, followed by three boys. One had platinum blond hair and the others looked closer to Dudley. They were chubby and had a bit of a dumb look to them. Not that they were necessarily stupid but just the way I'd describe it… "Everyone in? Right then – Forward!"

"Malfoy," the blond introduced himself after the boats had started moving all at once, gliding across the lake "Draco Malfoy. These are Crabbe and Goyle."

I nodded at them and debated whether to tell them about who I was. It's not like I could keep it a secret for much longer "Selene Potter," I murmured, looking at the huge castle uncomfortably.

"It's –" Before he could continue, the giant man yelled for us to put our heads down. We ducked down, sailing through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. It only took another minute for us to reach some kind of underground harbour where I clambered out onto the rocks, almost falling backward before the blond – Draco – grasped my arm, pulling me away from the edge.

"Thanks," I gasped, shivering at the thought of almost falling into the deep water. I couldn't swim… The Dursleys never really cared about it, maybe it also had to do with the fact that Uncle Vernon was still thinking about drowning me. Finn and Kol had never had the chance… Not that I told them that I couldn't swim.

We walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded the huge, Oak front door "Everyone here?" the giant man questioned. When no one said anything else he raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. The door swung open at once, revealing Professor McGonagall. She looked as stern as ever but when her gaze met mine she gave me a nod and a small smile.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the guy said.

Professor McGonagall smiled sternly "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. Twice. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out and a magnificent marble staircase facing us led to the upper floors. We followed the Professor across flagged stone floor to a small, empty chamber just off the hall where hundred of voices echoed from "Welcome to Hogwarts," the Professor greeted "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on some people before she continued "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

I leaned against the wall, as far away from the others as I could. There were way too many people in this small room. Then something happened that made me flinch to the side. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent. They were gliding across the room, talking to one another. What looked like a big little monk was saying "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance –"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights acted surprised in seeing us. As if they didn't know. They probably did that on purpose.

"New students," the Friar exclaimed, smiling around at us "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" A few people nodded mutely "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff. My old house, you know."

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall's voice cut through the tension "Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." One by one, the ghosts floated through the opposite wall "Now, form a line and follow me."

I stood in line, shifting nervously. In front of me, there was a boy with sandy hair, while a red-haired boy was behind me. We walked out of the chamber and across the hall, through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. I glanced up at the ceiling for a moment, wondering whether I should be impressed or underwhelmed. There were thousands and thousands of candles floating in midair over four long tables. At the top of the hall, there was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor Snape was sitting to the far left with a man in purple robes and a turban next to him.

Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of us with a pointed Wizard's hat on top of it. So this was the Sorting Hat? I really doubted that Aunt Petunia would let it into the house with the amount of dirt that was clinging to it. I blinked in surprise when the hat twitched and began to sing. After it was done, the whole hall burst into applause.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall called out, a long roll of parchment in her hand "Abbott, Hannah." And so it went on. Every student that was called up was sorted into one of the houses. Some took only seconds, while others had to sit on the stool for several minutes until the hat called out the house "Potter, Selene."

I swallowed nervously and stepped forward as whispers broke out like fires all over the hall "Potter did she say? The Selene Potter?" The last thing I saw before the hat dropped over my eyes was the hall full of people looking up at me. Next second, I was looking at the black inside of the hat, waiting.

I almost jumped when I felt something press against my mental shields gently "Hmm," a small voice murmured into my ear "Difficult. Very difficult. I can see that your life was hard for a child your age. You definitely have the cunning and self-preservation for Slytherin. But what do I see here? You love to read, the thirst for knowledge befitting a Ravenclaw… And then there's plenty of courage as well. So, where shall I put you?" I shrugged mentally and wondered what Finn and Kol would say once I told them about the speaking hat "Ah, that's right. You are certainly blessed, little one. Your mates are strong and they will be your pillar…" Suddenly, the hat's voice took on a different tone. More mechanical, I guess "Better be GRYFFINDOR." The last word was shouted to the whole hall and the red table burst into loud cheers. I took off the hat and walked towards the Gryffindor table shakily. When I saw Fred and George with Lee opposite of them, I made a beeline to them, hoping that I would be able to sit with them. At least, they didn't care that I was famous.

"Hey, Sel," Forge greeted with a small smile, scooting over. I gratefully sank onto the bench between them and resolutely stared down at the table. Somehow I really wished that I could have taken Salem and Midnight with me to the hall. At least, I would have had someone to hold on to. It was like the day in Diagon Alley just ten times worse. There were so many people and the volume was way too high as well. My breath came out in quick gasps as I tried to calm myself down.

By now, the man in the middle of the table who I assumed was the Headmaster had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms open wide "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." He sat back down and I raised an eyebrow. That was… odd?

Gred gently bumped my arm, gesturing to the food. I gaped at the table in front of me. The dishes that were empty before were now piled with food. I had never seen so many things on one table. Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and even… peppermint humbugs? I swallowed a few times, trying to decide whether I was hungry or feeling sick. Hesitatingly, I reached out to grab two small boiled potatoes with some peas and carrots. The other food did look good, but I wasn't used to overly greasy food and it definitely looked ready to drip grease. Dudley would have probably been able to eat the whole plate full of the lamb chops along with the steaks, while Uncle Vernon would have happily eaten through everything. If it hadn't been made by freaks, that was "Is that all you're going to eat?" Fred whispered , looking down at my plate in concern.

I shrugged and went to take a small bite of carrots. Once I swallowed, I felt my stomach clench. Maybe I shouldn't eat that… When I started pushing the food around the plate instead of eating it, I noticed the twins exchanging a glance with Lee. I wasn't sure what that was about but the only thing I cared about now was a bed. I was tired and really wanted to sleep now.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. Only moments later, the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs, jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O and rice pudding… There was so much food and everyone seemed to stuff themselves more. I reached out for a small strawberry and started nibbling at it. Fresh fruits were something I never got at the Dursleys. Actually, I never got any fruit. The most they gave me was some stale bread and maybe a small piece of cheese or almost bad vegetables. It was mostly the stuff that they bought but didn't want to eat because it was too healthy.

"Ahem," the Headmaster cleared his throat "Just a few more words now that we're all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." The twinkling blue eyes flashing in my direction, coming to rest on the Weasley twins for the shortest of moments "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trails will be held in the second week of the tern. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, 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." I frowned and studied the old man carefully. He didn't seem to be joking… Why was there something potentially dangerous in a school full of children and why did he say it in front of everyone? It was almost as if he wanted someone to go there? But that was stupid, right? "And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song." The teachers' smiles had gotten rather fixed as soon as the Headmaster said that. Apparently, the school song was disliked by many. The Slytherins and more than half of the Ravenclaws didn't look too excited either. I winced when the other part of the students started to bellow the song on top of their lungs. Everybody finished at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins and Lee were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Professor Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they finished, he was one of those who clapped the loudest "Ah, music." He wiped at his eyes "A magic beyond all we do here. And now, bedtime. Off you trot."

The Gryffindor first years followed the older Weasley brother – Percy, I believe the twins said – through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall and up the huge staircase. I looked around interestedly, while the others looked dead on their feet. Not that I wasn't tired as well but they probably felt really full as well. I stared at the moving portraits and the secret passageways. The more I see of Hogwarts, the more I liked it. The castle was amazing… I trailed one of my hands along the wall and smiled when the magic rippled slightly. We stopped at the very end of a corridor where a portrait of a very fat lady in a pink silk dress was hanging "Password?" she questioned.

"Caput Draconis," Percy replied, an air of authority in his voice. The portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. We all scrambled through it and found ourselves in the Gryffindor common room. It looked really cozy… A round room full of squashy armchairs and several desks and sofas. The main colours seemed to be a shade of red and gold. The Gryffindor house colours as far as I was aware. Percy directed the girls through one door to our dormitory, while the boys went through another. At the top of the spiral staircase we found out beds at last. For the first years there were two dorm rooms. One with three beds and another with four. My trunk was in the four-bed bedroom. Thankfully, I was right by the window, so I could always look outside. It was also the bed that was closest to the wall. My roommates were Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil.

Once the door closed, the latter two immediately turned to me "Why did you sit with the older students then, Potter?" I shrugged silently and walked over to my bed. Lavender scoffed "Too good to talk to us, are you?"

"Listen, I'm tired and I'd rather go to bed now," I told her quietly, walking into the bathroom to brush my teeth. By now, I was pretty exhausted, so I doubted that I'd be able to slip into the dream-scape tonight. At least not, if I wanted to be rested tomorrow.

The next morning, I joined Lee in walking down to the Great Hall. Like usual, I was up early and all of my dorm mates were still sleeping "Are you excited for classes?" the older boy asked.

I shrugged "I'm not sure. I mean, I liked the books I read but what if I can't do the spells?"

Lee put a hand on my shoulder "You'll be fine and if you ever need help with a spell then you can ask the twins or me, alright?"

"Thanks, Lee," I smiled, sitting down next to him.

I looked at the food on the table and debated what I was going to eat when Professor McGonagall walked up to us "Mister Jordan, Miss Potter," she greeted "Here are your schedules. Miss Potter, if you could meet me in my office after your afternoon classes. I would like to take you to Madam Pomfrey, our Mediwitch for a check-up."

"Okay," I whispered, ducking my head nervously. What if they find out? Uncle Vernon would kill me. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone about the fact that he hurt me. Professor Snape already seemed to know… What do I do?

"Can I see your schedule?" Lee questioned curiously. I nodded and handed it over "Ouch. Double Potions on Friday… I don't envy you. Snape is pretty horrible to Gryffindors. So you have Herbology and Defence in the morning… and Charms after lunch. That's pretty alright. Do you want me to show you where the Greenhouse is?"

I looked up at him pleadingly "Would you?"

"Of course," he grinned "Wouldn't want to get our new friend into trouble, would we?"

The day passed pretty quickly after that. Professor Sprout was a dumpy little witch but she was pretty nice. From her, we learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi and what they were used for. Most of them you needed for Potions… That's also how I knew how to extract or harvest certain ingredients. The book Professor Snape had given me was a massive help for Herbology as well. Defense was the worst though. Professor Quirrell, the guy in the turban I had seen next to Professor Snape was stuttering pretty badly, the classroom smelled like a garlic bomb had gone off in there and worst of all, my scar was hurting whenever I was around the Professor for too long. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher was a tiny wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of the first afternoon class, he took the roll call and once he reached my name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight. During that class, we only talked about the theory and how important the wand movement and the incantation were for the spell.

"Excuse me, sir?" I spoke up when I approached Professor Flitwick after the lesson "Could you tell me how to get to Professor McGonagall's office?"

Professor Flitwick blinked "Of course, Miss Potter. Go to your common room and instead of turning to the left, go right. At the end of the hall is the Transfiguration classroom and Professor McGonagall's office is next to it."

"Thank you, Professor," I nodded shyly.

"Miss Potter," he called out when I reached for the doorknob "Are you in trouble?"

I shook my head and smiled at his concern "No, sir. The Professor only wanted to see me… Some sort of check-up."

"Alright," Professor Flitwick nodded "Hurry then. Minerva doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Thank you again, sir," I called over my shoulder, walking through the halls and back up the stairs to where the dorms would be.

I quickly found the classroom and the office, knocking on the door hesitatingly "Come in, Miss Potter." I opened the door and entered, looking at Professor McGonagall and the other woman in front of the desk carefully "Miss Potter, this is Madam Pomfrey. She is the healer at this school."

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," I murmured quietly, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Sit down," the Mediwitch waved, pointing to a sofa I hadn't noticed before. I did as she told me and sat down "Now, Professor McGonagall told me to do a full check. I have to ask you a few questions first. Have you had all of your vaccinations?"

I blinked and shook my head "No. My relatives never took me to a doctor."

"Not even when you're sick?"

"No, ma'am," I denied.

Madam Pomfrey exchanged a look with her colleague "Alright, lie back, Miss Potter. This will most likely tickle a bit…" She said a spell and ran her wand from the top of my head to the tips of my feet. A piece of parchment sprang from her wand and I watched as it grew and grew. In fact, it grew so much that another piece joined the first. Once the scan was done, both pieces were covered with neatly written script "That's…"

"Poppy?" Professor McGonagall spoke up, coming closer to the stunned Mediwitch.

"It's… I have never seen the scan add a second piece of parchment. Especially not on an eleven-year-old." I pulled my legs to my chest and buried my face in my knees. The two women huddled together to read the entries. The further they got, the paler Professor McGonagall seemed to get.

By the end of it, the older Scottish woman sank into the chair behind her desk "I told him," she muttered "I told Albus that they were the worst Muggles out there. And when we went to see her… I told him that she wasn't treated well."

At the end of her rant, I uncurled and slowly walked toward my Head of House "It's alright, Professor. I got used to it…"

"But you shouldn't have, Selene," Professor McGonagall breathed, tears shining in her eyes. She blinked them away "What now, Poppy?"

"Now, Ms. Potter will sit herself down and eat something. Dear, you are quite malnourished… I will write to Professor Snape. You will have to take several Potions. When do you have Potions class?"Madam Pomfrey questioned.

I blinked in confusion "Erm… Friday? But I'm not hungry, ma'am."

The Mediwitch pulled out a Potion and held it out "It will stop you from getting sick and expand your stomach a little. I want you to drink this with every meal. Professor Snape and I will make sure there's one for you to take. There might be more… But I have to check that later… You will need to drink everything that appears at your plate, alright? Once I have to list I will give it to you." A bowl of soup and a few pieces of toast appeared on the desk "Now, eat that and then you can go."

When the first flying lesson arrived, I was already on a strict regime of Potions. No matter how gross they tasted, they actually helped. I was able to eat quite a bit more. The twins were always checking to see how much I actually ate and they even started to fill my plate for me. I assumed that Professor McGonagall had told them to watch out for me a bit since I spent most of my time with the three pranksters instead of with people my age. At three, the twins showed me down to the grounds where the flying lesson would be. So far the only students who were there were a few of the Slytherins. I waved at Draco and smiled lightly when he walked over. I didn't mind the House of Snakes as much as the rest of the school did. Compared to the twins' younger brother they were actually pleasant to be around.

"Selene," the blond nodded "How do you like Hogwarts so far?"

"Except for History and Defence I really like the classes…" I told him "My favourites are Potions, Charms and Transfiguration though."

At three-thirty exactly, the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps toward up. Some of the purebloods helped me to choose a broom that wasn't too damaged and I thanked them. By now, most of the decent brooms had been claimed. There was only one left that I was saving for Neville. Out of all of the Gryffindor first years, I really liked him the most. He was painfully shy and quiet but once you found something he liked, Neville was really nice to be around.

"Thanks for saving me a spot, mate," Ron Weasley smiled, waltzing up to stand next to me.

I looked at him in slight disgust and shook my head "Neville. I saved you a spot."

The slightly pudgy boy hurried to the space next to me with a relieved smile, bumping into Ron by accident "Sorry," Neville murmured. His Remembrall – the one he had gotten from his grandmother recently – had dropped to the floor. Ron glared at the other boy and stomped off, deliberately smashing Neville's present.

I quickly knelt down and pulled out my wand. What was the incantation again? I knew that there was something about repairing stuff in the Charms book… "Reparo," I whispered, waving my wand delicately. So far I hadn't had a problem with a single spell yet and even Hermione Granger didn't get most spells on the first try. While she continuously annoyed teachers with her regurgitated knowledge. Her essays were always way too long and whenever she raised her hand for an explanation, she cited the textbook's word for word. It wasn't that she wasn't nice – a bit at least – but she was a bit too extreme for my tastes. I picked up the repaired Remembrall and handed it to Neville "I'm not sure if it'll work but… You can try, right?"

"T – Thanks, Selene," Neville smiled, putting the glass ornament back into his pocket just as our teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair and yellow eyes that made her look a bit like a hawk.

"Well?" she barked "What are you all waiting for? Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." I looked down at the broom next to me and sighed in relief when it really did look better than some of the others "Stick out your right hand over your broom and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted. My broom jumped into my hand at once but it was one of the very few that did.

Once everyone managed to get their brooms up, Madam Hooch showed us how to mount them without sliding off the end. She walked up and down the rows, correcting their grips. I think I heard Ron snort when the woman corrected Draco's grip "Now when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," Madam Hooch called "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle – three – two –"

But Neville was a bit jumpy and pushed off hard before the whistle had even touched Madam Hooch's lips. His broom shot off like a rocket, making the boy cling to it in fright. Before I could understand what I was doing, I had pushed off as well, flying after him. I barely reached Neville when he slipped off his broom sideways. My hand twisted into his robe and I lowered him to the ground. When my arm had taken the full weight of the other boy, I heard a sharp crack in my shoulder and barely kept from crying out. Instead, I went down as slowly as I could and landed on the ground.

"Miss Potter," Madam Hooch shouted, hurrying over to us "What were you thinking, girl?" I flinched away at the name and wrapped my arms around my stomach, gritting my teeth against the pain in my shoulder.

"Sorry, ma'am," I mumbled quietly, barely loud enough for her to hear "I just didn't want Neville to get hurt."

The yellow eyes bored into my forehead and I swallowed nervously. Did I do something wrong? "Have you ever flown on a broom?"

I blinked up in confusion "No, ma'am."

"You're a natural," she wondered before shaking her head "Would you be so kind as to accompany Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing?"

"No, Madam Hooch," I shook my head and handed the broom I was holding over to the woman "Come on, Neville." I gently grabbed his hand and pulled the shocked boy with me inside the castle. Now, where was the hospital wing again? Somewhere on the first floor. My left arm started throbbing really bad but I didn't pay it any mind. If there was one thing I learned from living with the Dursleys it was how to ignore physical pain.

"Shouldn't you two be in class?" the silky voice of Professor Snape caused me to jump. In doing so, I accidentally hit my shoulder against the wall, making me moan in pain.

"Sorry, Professor," I murmured, trying to keep my voice as level as possible "There was an accident during Madam Hooch's class. I'm supposed to take Neville to the hospital wing."

The Potions Professor eyes me suspiciously. Dammit, how did he always know when I was hiding something? In the few talks I had with him over the last few weeks, he always knew… "Very well. I shall join you, then. I was about to bring a new batch of Potions to Madam Pomfrey."

We reached the hospital wing in no time and I gently steered the still shell-shocked Neville inside "What is going on here?" Madam Pomfrey questioned.

"Neville fell from his broom, Madam Pomfrey," I told her "I don't think he's hurt but Madam Hooch said I should bring him here."

The Mediwitch nodded distractedly, already casting diagnostic spells on the pale boy "You may leave, Miss Potter."

I was about to walk out when the tall form of Professor Snape stopped me "Not so fast, Miss Potter. Poppy, could you check out her arm?"

I gulped at his glare "It's nothing," I said, trying to step past him.

When I did, he grabbed my elbow gently and I hissed "Nothing, is it?"

"It's not that bad," I insisted, grudgingly following the Mediwitch to the bed next to Neville's.

Madam Pomfrey raised her eyebrow "Nothing? Your shoulder is broken, Miss Potter. I wouldn't call that nothing. How did this happen?"

"I caught him," I mumbled.

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow "A bit louder, maybe?"

"I caught Neville," I repeated louder than before "When he was falling. My arm couldn't handle the weight."

Madam Pomfrey tutted "You should have told me immediately, Miss Potter. This could have gotten worse." She handed me three Potions and I downed them without complaint. As far as my Potions knowledge went, I believe I recognized both of them.

"It's dangerous to accept Potions without knowing what they are," Professor Snape lectured.

I looked up at him tiredly "One was a mild sedative, the other was a bone-mender and the third was a pain Potion." The last thing I saw was the tiny smile on Snape's face before I was violently flung into my dream-scape.