A/N So this is me, Hope. I'm back once again after some confusing weeks. This time I'm a chaser, and these were my prompts: (quote) 'Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud' - Maya Angelou, (word) cosmos, and the song "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber. Let's hope you all enjoy it!

Word count prompt: 2551-2775

Words: 2661
Word prompt: Pride

Title: New Beginnings

The couple of weeks before school began were the best of my life. We played three-a-side Quidditch, with a Keeper, Chaser, and a Seeker. It was usually Fred, George, and Ron versus Ginny, Hermione, and me.

The train ride to school was uneventful, almost boring. Dean, the other sixth-year prefect, and I had to go to the front compartment for a prefects meeting with the Head Boy and Girl. A lovely duo by the names of Anne Grayson and Peter Myers.

I noticed the thestrals with a tinge of sadness. They reminded me of both of the incidents with Sirius and Cedric Diggory during the Tri-Wizard Tournament last year. "I can see them now," Hermione whispered, looking with trepidation at the skeletal horses, which had become visible to me during the tournament.

Ron and Ginny nodded.

"Sirius," I said. "Come on, let's go."

We rode up to the castle, where McGonagall was waiting for everyone. She directed us all into the Great Hall, where the tables were beginning to get full. We all found a seat, and McGonagall left us to get the first years.

"Draco looks strange," I muttered, looking over at the Slytherin table to see my ferret faced enemy looking glumly at a goblet of water.

"He looks strange all the time," Ron said.

"That's not what I mean." When Ron shot me a questioning glance I muttered. "Forget it."

McGonagall arrived, leading the small first years into the Great Hall. They all looked around in wonder at the ceiling, at the House tables, and especially at me. Of course they'd look for me, I was probably the most well-known Hogwarts student at the moment.

The hat tore at the brim, and began to sing.

Eons ago, when time was young

Four sorcerers stepped up as one

And started the Hogwarts School.

So strong and sure and skilled were they

That the Hogwarts name shone bright,

Young students thronged these halls abound

Uniting the four in their might.

But discord in the four soon grew

Till they fought one another,

For what made each witch or wizard

Better than the other?

Gryffindor, who prized pure courage

Said the brave would do fine,

While Ravenclaw, by far the cleverest

Made brilliance the telling sign.

Yet Hufflepuff was just and fair

Placed hard work the highest,

And Slytherin, the cunning fox

Wanted only the purest.

As the debate raged on and on,

Rival turned into foe,

Then Slytherin put his foot down

And walked out through the door.

Hence, the four came down to three and,

New wizards were quartered by trait

Sorted into a founder's house

In this talking hat, lay their fate.

Since then, not once the four joined hands,

Destined never to unite.

Even as darker days commence

The houses only fight.

Some greats have fallen and more will fall,

The war has just begun.

Though the leader may be taken,

There are lessons to be learned.

As already warned once before,

The houses must unite.

Though these walls may have cracks galore,

Hogwarts must put up a fight.

So this is my advice to you,

Irrespective of your house:

No matter what your qualities,

Whatever your conscience allows,

There are only two sides to this -

Good or bad, right or wrong -

So think this through, think hard and deep,

Only one may make you strong.

The other side has to go down

So choose wisely, beyond doubts,

For whatever choice is made,

Every choice counts.

And when you choose your side, stand true

For bad times may prevail,

And all the things worth fighting for

May fade away and pale.

And all that matters may be lost,

You may stand all alone.

Then remember the valiant

Whose names may never be known.

Believe that fortune favours the bold,

Believe that the tide will turn,

That in the final battlefield

You will get what you have earned.

Until this advice is heeded to,

The war will never end.

So careful which side you stand on,

Or this hat may never sing again.

I noticed a few of the first years, mainly the ones in Gryffindor. A little strawberry-blonde girl named Felicity Evans being sorted to Gryffindor looked absolutely petrified when she put the hat on, but soon enough a big grin replaced it when she joined the table. I gave a big clap along with the other house members as she sat down near us with a few other first years.

"It's Elle Potter!" one of the girls, a girl named Kaci, said excitedly, pointing me out to Felicity.

"I'd like to say a few words," Dumbledore said, standing up. "Before we become befuddled by this excellent feast." He grew somber, and the mood in the Great Hall instantly shifted. "Years ago, there was a student here. A student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle. Now, of course, he is known worldwide by another name. And as I stand in front of you all tonight, I am reminded of a sobering fact. Though Dark forces try and penetrate this school all the time, this very minute perhaps, their most powerful weapon… is you students. Just something to think about."

"What was that about?" Ron wondered. "Both the hat and Dumbledore saying that we need to unite. I'm not getting all buddy-buddy with Malfoy."

"Dunno," I said. "Guess we'll find out. You know, his words kind of remind me of a quote I heard all the time at school. It was by a poet named Maya Angelou. She said, 'Try to be a rainbow in someone's thundercloud.' He's saying we should try and be good so someone with a dark heart can see it and maybe take something from it."

"He's right, you know," Hermione said. "I think it's a shame we're not trying for a little House unity. Sure, the Slytherins may be annoying gits, but I'm sure not all of them are like that. And what about the other houses? Why can't we be friends with Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws?"

"We're friends with Luna," I reminded her. "And didn't Ginny date Michael Corner last year?"

"Right," Ron said. "Still… I don't think Malfoy will be all friendly with us anytime soon."

"Password?" The gargoyle asked. I sighed, deciding to try my dumb idea.

"Cherry pops?" It nodded, and moved to reveal a set of stairs. I climbed up them, and up to the Head's office.

"Good of you to come, Noelle," Dumbledore said. "I have some news that I would wish to share with you."

"Alright," I said. 'What is it?"

"I did some investigating," he began. "And I found that you have some other family besides the Dursleys."

"What?" I asked. I'd believed I was alone in the cosmos except for the horrid Dursleys, and now Dumbledore was telling me that I had family other than them. "Where? Who's side?"

"Some live in America," Dumbledore said. "But some live in England still. Both sides of your family have more members than you thought."

"When can I meet them?" I asked.

"Well, you saw one earlier. Miss Felicity Evans is your second cousin. Your grandfather on your mother's side's brother's son's daughter."

"Is she a Muggle-born?" I asked. Dumbledore shook his head. "But the Evans family isn't magical!"

"They are, in fact, distant half-blood, most being Squibs for the last century or so. Your mother and Felicity are one in very few during that time to be magical. Most of the others decided to not attend Hogwarts. Many more of your family in America are magical and attend the Salem Academy there. They are half-bloods, like yourself. The Potter name dies with you, and so there are no other of your family named Potter, but I know of several that attend Hogwarts right now."

"When are they coming?" I asked.

"I have arranged for them to come on the Hogwarts Express on Thursday afternoon."

This. Was. So. Crazy. I would almost have preferred fighting a dragon again. Hell, I would even have battled Voldemort again over meeting long-lost family. I was beginning to get nervous, there were only two days left.

"Thank you," I said. "Is that all you had to tell me?"

"It is not," he said calmly. "I am going to be giving you private lessons that, I hope, will aid us in destroying Lord Voldemort." He waved his wand, and a cabinet opened up, revealing the Pensieve. I'd only looked into it twice, both times without permission. "We shall be using the Pensieve. We will be going in together, and even more unusually, with permission." He got up and walked over to a closet. There were hundreds of little vials, filled with little silver stuff. "Let us begin."

After the lesson with Dumbledore, I headed straight for my dormitory, humming along the way to a song I'd heard all summer long. It was called "Love Yourself" by an American singer I couldn't remember the name of. I kept humming it, and I wasn't even paying attention when I ran into a small little girl.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, looking to find her and help her up. Then I got a look at her. "Hello, Felicity," I greeted, reaching out my hand and helping her up.

"Guess neither of us were paying any attention. Sorry."

"It's alright," Felicity said, staring at me in awe. "You're Elle Potter. Are all the stories true? Have you really gotten away from You-Know-Who that many times?"

"Yeah," I answered. "It's really not as cool as it seems, trust me."

"I haven't really known much about the Wizarding World for long," she told me. "McGonagall came to my house and explained it all to me and my family. I was so surprised at first, but after I thought about it, it made sense. I've done a few weird things in the past, but people always told me it couldn't have happened like that, when I knew it did. I love it here!"

"Me too," I agreed. "It's my real home, you know. I think my aunt and uncle would get rid of me first chance they got."

"I've already made some friends here," she told me. "All the girls in my dorm are pretty nice."

"Well, now I can be your friend as well," I told her. "Imagine what people would think when you tell them that?"

"They'd freak," Felicity admitted. "But it'd be so cool!"

"I'm also your cousin," I blurted out. I'd been trying to work toward it, but it hadn't worked. As expected, she stared at me incredulously.

"Am I really?" She asked, looking at me with suspicious eyes. I nodded.

"Dumbledore told me a little while ago. I should've known I had more family. But yes, you are related to me through my mother. Now what will people think when you tell them you're my cousin?"

Laughing, she said, "I'm not sure I want to know." After a moment she said. "Can we maybe spend some time together. After all, I barely know you. Maybe hang out in the library of something?"

"Not the library," I said, chuckling. "How about by the lake? Maybe tomorrow?"

"Sure," she agreed. "I'll see you there after lunch?"

"Alright," I smiled. We separated, and I went up to the dorm for bed.

The next afternoon, I snuck into the kitchens. The house elves helped me fill a basket with sandwiches, cakes, chips, and lemonade. Then I hurried to the lake.

When I arrived, Felicity was already there waiting. "Hey" I greeted. "Thought we could have a picnic."

"Perfect," she said, grinning. I doled out the food, and we dug in, watching the lake in the bright afternoon sun under the shade of the trees by the lake.

"This is nice," I said, letting out a sigh of content. "It's rare that I get a chance to slow down and enjoy time with people. Seems I'm always trying to save the world."

"Well, the world is always going to need saving," Felicity said. "Sometimes the world can wait, while you relax, though."

"Not often," I reminisced. "Voldemort always seems to take precedence. Maybe once I defeat him, things can change."

"Yeah," Felicity sighed. "My life is almost too simple. Before I came to Hogwarts, I never got to do anything fun. My parents never let me do anything cool. They almost didn't let me come to Hogwarts."

"My aunt and uncle knew everything, but they never told me. When I found out, they tried to stop me from going, but Hagrid scared them to bits and they didn't stop me then."

"Neither of our lives are perfect, it seems," Felicity surmised. "Well, at least we know each other now. We can talk to each other if something is happening, and even do something to help."

"That's right," I grinned. "So, do you have any siblings?"

"A baby sister," Felicity answered. "Haley. I love her to death, but we probably won't see much of each other unless she's a witch too."

"She probably will be," I said. "If there's magic in the family, there's nothing to stop it from happening. You'll have to watch her when she gets older. She might do some accidental magic when she's upset or excited."

"Oh, I will," she agreed, nodding vigorously. "I don't want to be a stranger to her when she grows up."

"I'm sure you'll be a wonderful big sister," I assured her. "And when she comes to Hogwarts, you'll help her adjust."

"I sure will," she replied. "And if anyone tries to stop me, I can tell them to back off or they'll get hexed."

"Only if it's a wizard," I reminded her. "You can't expose magic to Muggles, remember?"

"Right," she grumbled, smiling. "But I can still use other methods, and they will not like it."

"You know, you remind me of someone," I told her. "Me. I was always stubborn and wanted to do anything to have my way. It probably got me in trouble more often than not, but I still did it." Felicity slumped sadly.

"It's a good thing, silly. Don't let anyone boss you around if you don't have to. Don't just be a pushover. We girls can't afford that if we want to accomplish anything."

"I wouldn't dream of it," she laughed. "Plenty of the guys back at home know not to mess with me. I made kind of a reputation for myself back there."

"I had a reputation back home, too," I told her. "Local bad girl. The only person who was more feared than me was my cousin. The reputation was given by my family, though. I didn't really earn it."

"People believe anything," Felicity sighed in annoyance. "I really don't understand us humans sometimes."

"Agreed," I said. I could empathize. "They say something that means the total opposite of what they meant, then they get mad when you misinterpret and say something they didn't want to hear, back."

"Happened all too many times," Felicity said, staring out across the lake. "Wish I could be an animal. They don't care what other animals think of them, and they can go wherever they want, do what they want, and no one says anything to them about it."

"I'd want to be a cat," I replied. "They're so cuddly, and extremely loyal once you get their trust. "

"Animals have it easy," Felicity agreed. Looking at the sky, she said, "What about a bird? They can fly wherever they want. I think I'd want to be a bird."

Under the summer sun, accompanied by my cousin, I fell backwards and watched the clouds pass us by.