Chapter 7

When I opened my eyes it felt like I had blinked and I was there. I was standing next to a giant red and black train. I couldn't believe that I was actually standing by the Hogwarts Express. I'd made it! Just then the train whistled signaling that it was about to leave the station. Running, I made it on the train just in time. Then my trunk disappeared. Wow. I started walking toward compartment 80b, butterflies flying in my stomach. I grabbed my wand and walked straight up to the door and knocked. Looking inside I saw four boys. One looked just like Harry, so that had to be James. The other one just looked like a rat, obviously Peter. I hadn't even met him and I couldn't stand him. One had shaggy black hair and eyes the colour of storms. That had to be Sirius. Wow, descriptions of him had not done him justice. He was good looking enough in his thirties, but this had caught me completely off guard. The last one had sand colored hair and beautiful green one face I recognized. Remus. When I knocked Sirius looked up and motioned for me to come inside.

"Well here goes nothing." I muttered and opened the compartment door. Thinking back to what Sirius and I had rehearsed on our way to the Office I started to speak.

"Hi I'm Piper Wolfe, everywhere else is full, could I join you?" I said looking down shyly and then looked up at Sirius, then to Remus, then Peter and James. I had to admit that I'd had my doubts when Sirius had told me to that but shy thing did the trick, just as he said it would.

"Sure come on in." said James moving over for me to sit next to him, across from Peter and Remus.

"I'm James, that's Sirius, Remus, and Peter." said James pointing out each one of the boys.

"Hi" I said to them.

"So where you from because we haven't seen you around before." said Peter.

" I just transferred from Durmstrang." I said looking at there astonished faces with amusement.

" No way you must be from Beauxbatons, you're too pretty to be from Durmstrang." said Sirius giving one of his infamous charismatic smiles.

"Nope I transferred out at the end of fifth year." I said to him.

"Why did you transfer?"asked James quizzically.

"Well they started to get the whole school to support the Death Eaters and practice all dark magic. I wasn't about to do that so I told my parents and they contacted Dumbledore about it. He took me in right away." I said, relieved I'd remembered all of the story.

"Well at least we know what house she won't be in." said James.

"If you don't mind we were just finishing a conversation about a prank for tonight just before you stopped in. Could you give us one second we'll be done in a mo." said Sirius smiling again then turned back to James and Peter. Thank god the older Sirius had prepared me for his younger self. The only one not participating at the moment was Remus who was reading a book. So figuring that I better keep myself busy I pulled out my version of Hogwarts: A History. I needed all the help I could get. Half way through the book I caught Remus staring at me then at my book. "Did you just start that?" he said speaking for the first time since I got in the compartment. "Yes, I'm a fast reader." I said looking at his impressed face. It wasn't really a lie; this was my first time reading it but I'd skimmed through some boring parts.

" That's impressive, I thought I was the only one who ran out of books that quick." he said smiling, then blushing when I returned his smile. Boy this was going to take some work.

"We should get changed into our robes." I said pointing my wand at myself and my robes appeared."

"How did you do that without saying the spell out loud?" he asked amazed. " A trick a good friend of mine taught me." I said thinking about the older Sirius. Thank you Sirius I'm so glad I didn't have to freeze them.

" So Remus, what kind of books do you read?" I asked trying to keep the conversation going.

"Well I like history and classic muggle literature." he said looking sheepishly at me.

" Really? me too." I said. Sirius had told me to read up on these subjects so I could have things to talk about with him.

" What's your favorite classic novel?" he asked me.

"That's easy Pride and Prejudice , by Jane Austen." I said not having to think about it.

"What about you?" I asked.

" My favorite would have to be Invisible Man, By Ralph Ellison" said Remus.

" Have you read it?" Of course thanks to Sirius I had it in my bag and already read it inside and out.

"You mean this book?" I asked pulling it out of my bag. His face lit up and we smiled at each other again.

"Hello earth to Remus, Piper?" asked James dragging us out of our reverie.

"The train stopped if you hadn't noticed. Let's get going so we aren't sent back home before we even get to the castle." said James laughing as he helped me up and grabbed my bag for me. We walked to the carriages together and laughed and joked all the while. Once at the carriages a fiery red headed girl came storming over to us with wand in hand. I backed up a bit as did the boys, pushing James up in front.

"Thanks guys throwing me to the wolves!" said James as the girl came over. Remus stiffened at the comment but relaxed when he thought I wasn't paying attention because I was reading. Not. I was eavesdropping. When the girl came over she started yelling right away. No holding back this girl.

"POTTER! WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO ASK ME OUT BY SENDING ME A THOUSAND LETTERS? DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO BURN THEM ALL WITHOUT MAGIC?" she exploded. I figured out pretty quickly that this girl must be Lily Evans. I quickly stepped forward to save James.

"Oh hello are you new? Sorry about my outburst but he can be an INSENSITIVE TOERAG when it comes to girl's feelings. I'm Lily Evans and you are?" rambled Lily putting her hand out for me to a muggle born myself I gladly shook her hand.

"Ah a muggle born too eh?" she said smiling.

" Piper Wolfe, pleasure to meet you Lily." I said politely hoping this would take her mind off James. It did.

" Come on lets get away from these idiots and find some sensible people to talk to. No offense Remus." she said.

" None taken. See you Piper we can talk books later. If you want to of course." he said blushing again. He did that a lot.

" Sure I'd love to! Lily can you take me to see Professor Dumbledore?" I asked getting her away from James as fast as possible. Just before we left I looked back a James who looked at me with an appreciative smile. As we walked to the headmaster's office we talked a lot about where we were from and what school I came from before here and what our families were like. When we got to the gargoyle she said, "Gumdrops." and the gargoyle sprang to life revealing the staircase up to the office.

"Well here you are and I hope you get sorted into Gryffindor because we would have so much fun!" Lily waved goodbye to me and walked towards the Great Hall. I walked up to the door and took the letter out of my pocket. I started to get that nervous feeling that I'd had on the train. But I had gotten this far and I wasn't about to stop now. I rapped on the long wooden doors.

"Come in." said a voice from behind the doors. So I opened them and walked through them to a man sitting at a huge wooden desk, writing a letter. Albus Dumbledore had not changed a bit from the future, except a few more wrinkles.

"What can I do for you Miss...?" asked Dumbledore. "Miss Wolfe Sir and this is for you." I said handing him the letter. It took a few minutes as he read and reread the letter. He then performed a spell that tells you the writer.

"That's strange..." he said.

"What's strange Sir?" I asked.

" When I performed the spell it told me that I had written this letter." he said, looking bemused.

"Yes sir you did." I told him. He simply nods at me.

"Alright Miss Wolfe it looks like you need to be sorted into a house." he said as he waved his wand and the Sorting Hat appeared.

"Put this on Miss Wolfe and let's see where you belong." he said and handed me the hat. I'm touching the actual Sorting Hat. I can't even believe it. I put the hat on and as expected a voice appeared inside my head.

" Ahh Miss Tate you are out of time and out of place. You've been chosen for a great destiny that only you can control. Hmm, you do not know the rest of your prophecy. Let me fill the blanks. You are to be two very different witches. You will go back in time not only to save the world but also to save yourself. When you find the one you would die to save and you just might, then and only then will you ever be able to return home. You are to be a heroine Briar. You still don't understand why you've been chosen. In due time you will know. Now let's see you are very bright and creative and would excel in Ravenclaw, yet you are also very dedicated in everything you do. You're kind to everyone you meet as well as loyal which would stand you in good stead in Hufflepuff. But let's see you are also very resourceful and cunning and would make a powerful Slytherin. Wait now I see that you're daring, brave, courageous, and have a lot of what would make you one of the best Gryffindor's in years. You would do well in any of these houses. Please let me be in Gryffindor, I need to be there to save my friends and to save the world. I thought pleadingly to the hat. Yes you're quite right but is this your final decision? Yes. Alright then better be... "GRYFFINDOR!"