AN: Writing like Hagrid is excruciating. Give me mangled up 15th-century Latin texts any day over this.
I'll be setting up a schedule for my posting, I think. I have classes either from 8, 10 AM, and 12 until 6 PM, three days a week, and my poor laptop ends up sounding like a racing car ready to take off. Next week, await the next chapter of "I'll burn like a phoenix", where they practice underage drinking and lessons in swearing.
Warning: OOC characters.
Bolded parts are directly from the book.

They were discussing the differences between the Muggle and Wizarding world when the door slid open again, three boys entering the compartment without even waiting. The kid in the middle was the blond boy from Madam Malkin's, looking at Ellie with much more interest than he'd ever displayed during their first conversation.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Hazel Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Last time I checked, that was my name," she quipped back, eyeing the other two boys in his company.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Ellie was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him."Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." He turned back to Ellie. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

"One. Mind your manners. Don't just prater on without letting others talk. Two, don't assume things about people. My dad also has red hair, yet he is not a Weasley. And finally, three. I am an independent young witch who needs no man to show her who to befriend." She stood up, pushing aside his outstretched hand. "And do pick your words more wisely, cousin," She told him in her best imitation of her mother, "not everyone was born with a silver spoon up their ass."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Mudblood, and it'll rub off on you."

Ron tried to jump up, Neville holding him back after Ellie gave him a sharp look. Turning to Malfoy, she gave him her dad's scowl nr. 12, the one reserved for her 'grandfather'. All three of the boys reeled back, the colour draining from Draco's face.

"I believe you've been enjoying our hospitality for long enough, cousin," she ground out, hands balled into fists. Her mother's words, reminding her to not lose her temper over such trivial matters, running through her head. "However, I'm certain other people are missing your presence right now. So why don't you haul ass and join them?"

"But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some." Goyle reached forward, clearly aiming for the open cookie-tin between Ron and Neville. Her boys reacted almost instantly, both jumping up and pushing the other one back.

"Think you're so tough, Potter? Hiding behind others?"

"I'm not a mirror, cousin. Don't confuse us." The boy stepped forward, hand slightly outstretched, only to freeze when Goyle let out a horrible yell. Using the distraction, she grabbed her cousin's shoulder and walked him out of the compartment, his goons following after them, Goyle's hand bleeding.

She returned to Ron cradling Scabbers, both Neville and Hermione looking at the rodent like he did something amazing.

"He bit that brute?"

"Yep! And he fell back asleep right away!" Neville exclaimed, amazed.

"Just another day in the life of Scabbers," Ron shrugged, falling back into his seat with a satisfied sigh. "You're related to Malfoy?"

"My paternal grandma and his maternal grandfather were siblings." She told them, scowling at her reflection. She really did look a lot like her dad. "However, my grandma was the older sibling, so he can't lord the Black lordship over my head."

"So you're just as rich as he is…" Ron mumbled, and both Ellie and Neville shared a look, both pale.

"So what? I don't see her flaunting her name like that...that prick was!" Hermione snapped, standing up. "I've spent most of this trip with you guys, and not once did she do anything wrong. She corrected me, and it may have hurt, but I was wrong. And she didn't look down on us like he did!"

"Ron, look at me. I know that my standing is different...but it does not have to mean anything. Maybe that I'll get you the most kick-ass gifts out there for Yule a nd your birthday. And in exchange, you'll be my best mate for life. And maybe sometimes give me awesome handmade gifts. Okay?"

"Only if you let me repay you one day."

"We'll see about that." She smiled at him, shaking his hand.

The train stopped at nightfall. They piled onto a small, dark platform, with looming form of Hagrid welcoming them to their destination.

"How was it, Ellie? Did'ya enjoy the journey?" He beamed down at her when they walked over to him, Hermione's hand clamped onto her elbow in a death-grip.

"Yep! I even made friends!" She gestured toward the small group around her, all of them pale under the lamplight. Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'years follow me!"

He led them down a narrow and steep pathway. They shuffled after him in a scared silence, broken by Neville's random sniffles here and there.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

Over a seemingly endless lake that seemed to glisten with every star up there, a vast castle stretched atop of the mountains on the other side.

"It's just like Disney's castle." She whispered to Hermione, both of their eyes trained onto the school.

At the shore, a fleet of small boats was waiting for them. They piled into them, four for each boat, and with a shouted 'forward', they were off. Still gaping at the castle, they barely noticed the cliff and the curtain of ivy they were nearing, Trevor waiting for them on the rocks of the harbour.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" Neville exclaimed, nearly tripping in his rush to get his toad. Then he froze, staring back at his friends sheepishly.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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."

Still huddled close with Hermione, Ellie stared at the rest of year-mates fix themselves nervously. Some of them trying to fill the air with empty chatter.

"How will they sort us?" She asked the boys, Ron paling even further, his freckles standing out against his skin.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

"But we didn't even have a lesson yet!" Hermione exclaimed, and Ellie winced when her nails dug into her arm.

"Besides, if there was a test really hurt so much, our guardians wouldn't send us here."

Their discussion was broken up by two new arrivals. They floated through the wall behind them, almost translucent with a greyish tint. Ellie froze, eyes trained onto their chest. No chains in sight. But their eyes weren't gold either. Neither Hollow nor Plus, but still dead. And they weren't Shinigami either, lacking the otherworldly feeling her parents and extended family exuded. She needed to talk with one of them, either her parents or these 'ghosts', she had no preference.

"You have quite an interesting family, Miss Potter." The Hat told her, and Ellie almost jumped up in response.

"You can read my mind?"

"I was designed to, Miss." The small voice responded, amused. "And don't worry, what goes on here stays between us. No one will hear what we're talking about unless I decide to tell them."

"So you can keep them a secret?"

"Precisely. Now, let's see what you have in this head of yours. Hmm, difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting.… However, your assessment was correct. You are just like your dad, and it's a shame I couldn't sort him. Go, join your friends in GRYFFINDOR!" She pulled the hat away to loud cheering, Neville and Hermione waving at her from her new table.

"Hey Percy," Ellie asked the Weasley sitting next to her, "who's the guy sitting next to professor Snape? The one with the turban?"

"That's professor Quirell. He'll be teaching Defence this year."

"Thanks." She turned to Hermione, who was trying to look like she wasn't listening in on their conversation. "Don't they look weird next to each other? Like a butterfly next to a moth."

"If you think he's the butterfly, then what's Dumbledore?" Neville asked, taking the peas away from Ron.

"A tragedy."

"Miss Potter!"

"Don't worry Percy. I'm sure he didn't hear me." Taking advantage of the laughter around them, she leaned closer. "Besides, we both know you were looking above him, rather than at him, the whole time."

He sputtered out something, either an apology or his try at defending himself, while Ellie sat back, enjoying the chaos she had created.

"No worries, it'll stay between us. Promise." She held up her pinky, biting back her laughter when he stared at it in wonder. "You're supposed to shake it with your own."

"Can we decorate our dorm?" She asked the Weasley again when he was guiding them up to their common room.

"There's no rule against it." He told her, pulling Neville away from a suddenly empty landing.

"Thanks!"

"Lavender!" She almost tripped over her trunk, rushing over to Lavender Brown who was pining up pictures next to her bed. "That's my mum!"

The other girls rushed there too, all looking at the picture she was pointing at. It was a muggle photo, from a newspaper clipping, depicting her mum on her wedding day. Her hair was pulled back to her nape in a chignon, white flowers pinned into it. She was sitting on a throne, her dress fully on display, with a shadow in the back that could have been her dad.

"Lillian Blackmoor is your mum? Are you sure about that?" Parvati asked her, alternating between Ellie and the picture of her mum. Ellie groaned, diving at her trunk to fish out her album. She pushed aside the senbon her Oyaji must have sneaked in. She pulled out the worn book with sewn flowers on the cover. Regrouping in the middle of their room, she opened the album, sighing in relief when another photo from their wedding was right next to a photo of her family after her adoption. Her mum was sitting on the same throne, her dad and Oyaji at her back, Ichigo dressed in a western tux while Kisuke was wearing a traditional kimono.

"They are my parents," she points at them, the rest of the girls swooning at her male parental figures. "And that's me."

The other photo was a wizarding one, taken on her second birthday. She was pulling on her pigtails, her Oyaji's hat clenched in her other hand. Her dad had frosting on his face and her mum had a party hat on as a horn, while Oyaji had his face behind his face, shoulders shaking from laughter,