The morning of September first dawned crisp and clear. Despite the fact the fact that King's Cross station wasn't that far away, Christina had been up since six double-checking that she'd packed everything. The new books and school supplies were safely stowed in her trunk, along with her robes and several items of muggle clothing. Christina had heard that Hogwarts was a big and drafty castle, and had packed fuzzy socks and her warmest sweaters to offset the cold. At the last minute she squashed her pillow in, too, in case the pillows at school were weird. She had a few personal items, too: her diary, her teddy bear, some family photos, a box of butterfly clips, and her favorite nail polish.

"You got everything?" Lilly asked.

"I think so."

"Good. Let's get to that station. You don't want to miss the train." She picked up one end of the the trunk and Christina took the other, and they were able to get it all the way down the stairs of the apartment building and out to the car.

The station was bustling with people. Most of them looked like normal people traveling to mundane places, but Christina saw a few other kids her age with trunks and owls. Seriously, how did the muggles never notice them? She and Lilly followed them deeper into the station as Lilly took the ticket to see which platform they were on.

"Platform nine and three quarters? What on earth?"

"Nine and three quarters?" Christina stopped. They were standing by platform nine. After that was platform ten, and then platform eleven. There was no nine and three quarters in sight.

"It must be here somewhere." Said Lilly. "It's probably like the Leaky Cauldron. Hiding in plain sight."

"Mum, look!" Said Christina. Some of the other kids with trunks and owls had drawn level with them. They watched as one boy stood directly across from the barrier between nine and ten, then took his trolley and began running. They both winced as he barreled toward the barrier, but instead of colliding with it he went right through.

"It all makes sense!" Said Christina. "It's between platforms nine and ten! Come on, Mum!" She took her trolley and they both ran though the barrier. On the other side they barely had time to register the red train and the crowds of teenagers on the platform before they were nearly run over by the group coming behind them, a large family of mostly redheads with several trunks, a couple owls, and a large, angry cat.

"I bet we could pass ourselves off as part of that family if we really wanted to." Said Lilly.

"You could." Said Christina. Her own hair was a dark shade of auburn, but really only looked red when the sun shone on it.

Lilly checked her watch. "Train leaves in eight minutes. We'd better get you on board." She hugged Christina tightly. "Be good. Stay safe. Do all your homework on time. Try to avoid run-ins with any giant snakes. I'll see you at Christmas. I love you."

"Bye Mum." Said Christina. "Love you too." She stepped away and climbed onto the train, clutching Sprinkles' cage in her free hand.

Lilly stepped back and began to wave, frowning slightly. She had the same feeling of deja vu that she'd had in the leaky cauldron, like she'd been here before. But hadn't everyone been to King's Cross, at one point or another? But no. Lilly had stood here too, on this very platform. She remembered now. She'd been clutching the cold handle of a luggage trolley, her black robe floating in the breeze, while the scarlet engine stood huffing and puffing to one side.

"You're a freak, Lilly!" A shrill voice screamed. Who was it? It was someone familiar—what was her name? Tuna? No, Tuney. Someone named Tuney hadn't wanted her to go.

Lilly's head snapped up. Christina was still hanging out of the train window, ready to watch the station fade away as the train started to move. "Christina! I went here too! I know I did!" Lilly had to jog to keep up with the train.

"What? What did you say?"

"I . . . went to school . . ." Lilly panted, but it was no use. The train was gathering speed and already gliding out of sight.

Christina watched the station zip by, then took the end of her trunk and set off to find a compartment. She'd hardly gone two feet before she bumped into the tall, pompous-looking boy from the family that had nearly trampled her on the platform. "Sorry!" She squeaked.

"That's quite all right." He said, offering his right hand. "I'm Percy Weasley, and I'm head boy this year."

"I'm Christina. What's head boy?"

Percy shook her hand very firmly. "As head boy, I help with discipline and orderliness. I also oversee all the prefects in the school. If you're ever lost or confused, you can come find me or a prefect and we'll sort you out. It is my honor and pleasure to serve this school as head boy."

"More like bighead boy!" A small redhead yelled as she ran past them.

"Shut it, Ginny, or I'll dock points before we've even left London! I am head boy and you will address me as such!" He turned back to Christina. "That's my younger sister Ginny."

Ginny Weasley had circled back to them with Colin Creevey in tow. "Is that a new first year, Percy?" She turned to Christina. "Don't be scared, we're not all like Percy. Some of us know how to have fun!"

"Hi Christina!" Said Colin. "Ginny, she's the one I met in Diagon Alley." He looked over Christina's shoulder and called out, "Hiya Harry!" Christina turned and saw a dark-haired boy groan and immediately walk back the other direction. "That's my friend Harry." Colin went on. "He's super cool. He saved Ginny from the giant snake last year!"

"Shut it!" Said Ginny, who had turned very red.

"Not to be rude, but he doesn't look like he wants to be friends with us." Said Christina.

"I think I kind of got on his nerves because I really wanted a picture of him. But this year we can start fresh! Did you know that wizarding photographs move?" He started to babble about photography before Ginny grabbed his arm and dragged him away.

"Come on Colin, Luna told me she's found a compartment in the next carriage. Christina, we also found a compartment of first years over there if you want to get to know some people in your year."

"Oh, ok, thanks!" Christina took her trunk and dragged it to the aforementioned compartment, which held three confused-looking first years. "Can I sit here? Someone told me you guys were all first years too."

"Sure! The more the merrier!" A girl with long curly blonde hair scooted over to make room for Christina. "I'm Samantha, but most people just call me Sam. What's your name?"

"I'm Christina."

"Nice to meet you, Christina." Said the boy opposite Sam. "I'm Derrick."

"And I'm Abigail." Said the girl next to Derrick. "We were just talking about the sorting. Do you have any idea what house you might get into?"

"Not really." Said Christina. "Can someone give me a run-down of the houses again? I'm not from a magical family so I don't know them very well."

"Sure." Said Sam. "There's Ravenclaw, which is the smart house, but apparently it's also called the nerd house. My mum thinks I might be Ravenclaw material. There's Gryffindor, which is supposedly the brave house, but my brother calls it the house for impulsive dumbasses. There's Hufflepuff, which is kind of a mixed bag but mostly really nice people. Then there's Slytherin. That's the evil house. There's not a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin."

"What if I get put in Slytherin?" Christina squeaked.

"You said you're from a non-magic family?" Said Derrick. "Then you don't have to worry. Slytherin house hates muggle-borns and doesn't think they should be at Hogwarts. Don't worry though, it's three nice houses against one bad house and the others all welcome muggle borns. Hey, what's your family like? Were they surprised when they found out you were magic?

Christina sighed. "Well, it's just been me and my mum as long as I can remember. She's a secretary. She actually seemed pretty ok with me being magic. And no, I don't know anything about my dad. My mum had a bad concussion when I was a baby and doesn't remember anything before she was twenty-one. I think I might be the product of a one-night stand."

"Hey, maybe your dad's still out there somewhere." Said Abigail. "Maybe he's secretly magic!"

"My brother says Hogwarts is like a whole new family," Sam continued, "So maybe if you don't have a whole lot of family back home, you add on some more here."

Christina laughed and sat back in her seat. Judging by what she'd already seen on the train, Hogwarts was going to be grand.

The train ride itself was grand, too. A witch came by with a trolley piled high with candy, and they all bought a lot because they had pocket money and no parents to tell them no. A little later a pair of twins, more Weasleys, came by and asked if they knew where their brother Ron was sitting and explained that they had a large tarantula they wanted to surprise him with. It started raining at some point and only got worse as the sky got darker, but did nothing to dampen the mood inside. That is, until the train came to a screeching halt.

"What's happened? Why are we stopping?" Abigail shrieked as her cauldron cakes went flying. "We're not there yet, are we?"

"No, they would've told us if we'd arrived." Said Sam. "It must be for something else."

The temperature dropped sharply and ice began to web across the windows. Christina and her new friends huddled together in the center of the compartment for warmth. Christina felt something dark and heavy seep into her bones, imbibing her with a feeling of hopelessness and despair. She felt like sinking onto the floor and never getting up again. Then the compartment door opened and a hand reached inside. Christina followed the hand up to a hideous creature in long black robes, wheezing loudly as it brought a draft of cold air into the compartment. Christina tried to back away, but suddenly the compartment was gone and she was no longer in control of her body.

All was dark and she was free-falling in the cold air. Someone near her was screaming horribly. "I have to go back!" The voice howled. It sounded familiar, but Christina couldn't place it. She heard a muffled thump, like a body hitting the ground, then a terrible throbbing ache in her left shoulder. She gasped for air, and suddenly she was back on the train. The lights were back on and the horrible creature was gone.

"Ohmygod she's awake." A voice said.

Christina sat up and found Abigail's thick cardigan draped over her. "What happened? What was that thing?" She rolled her left shoulder backward until she heard it pop loudly.

"You passed out and started twitching." Said Derrick. "It was really scary. We were all affected, but you were the only one who passed out."

"That thing was a dementor." Said Sam. She sounded very angry. "They're some of the most vile creatures that walk this earth. They make you feel depressed and sad, and they make you remember the worst things in your life. They're not supposed to prey on students like this."

"I saw my Grandma die all over again." Abigail whispered hoarsely. "But I didn't pass out. Why did you?"

Christina shrugged. "I heard someone screaming, then I felt an ache in my left shoulder. Mum says I dislocated that shoulder the night she had her concussion. Maybe it made me remember my mum's accident."

"That's probably it." Said Sam. "Are you ok? My mum helps create policies for dealing with dementors at the ministry. She says those things can really mess you up."

"No, I'm already feeling better." Christina picked herself up off the floor.

They must have been close to their destination when the dementors boarded, for a short time later the train had chugged into Hogsmeade station and they were told to disembark. The rain had finally stopped and stars were staring to wink through the clouds.

"Firs' years!" A voice boomed. "Firs' years over here!" A man twice the size of any normal human was wading through the crowd of students, first years clinging to his overcoat like lost ducklings.

"That's Hagrid." Said Sam. "He's going to row us across the lake so we can come in the fancy way for our sorting. Everyone else goes up to the school in carriages."

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called as he lead them toward the lake. "Any more than four and we capsize and then I have to fish yeh out o' the lake!"

Christina, Sam, Derrick, and Abigail got a boat together and pushed it out into the lake. The oars cast ripples into the smooth dark water as Derrick pulled them along with the rest of the group.

"Keep on coming!" Hagrid called. "we've got to make it all the way to the boathouse! And up there, you'll get your first view of Hogwarts!" Christina looked up and saw the castle swing into view, ablaze with light, more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. She kept gazing at all the little lights in the windows, trying to imagine what was inside them all, until Derrick pulled them into the boathouse and their boat scraped against the dock. Once everyone was unloaded, Hagrid took them up to the base of the castle and let them inside.

"All right, Hagrid?" A very small man opened up the door. "No one fell in this year?"

"Nah, they're all dry and presentable." Said Hagrid.

"Excellent." Said the small man. "Welcome, first years. In just a few minutes the sorting ceremony will begin! My name is Professor Flitwick and I am head of Ravenclaw house! When you have been sorted, you will proceed to your house table. Your house is too be like your family here; you share a table, dormitories, and a common room. That being said, we do encourage you to have friends in other houses as well. Professor Sprout has asked me to let you know that Hufflepuff especially loves visitors! Any questions?"

"My sister told me McGonagall always does the sorting!" Someone piped up from the back of the group.

"Under normal circumstances, yes. However," Flitwick went on, "She is currently dealing with business related to the dementors boarding the train earlier." He paused. "Anymore questions? No? Excellent! Let the sorting begin!" He turned around and threw open the doors to the great hall.