Mr

Hello again! I'd just like to say thank you to my beta-readers! Amber, Vicki Granger and Maryse (I'm so sorry! I can't believe I forgot you!), you guys are the best!

Hogwarts

"Well, Hermi, you have to say good bye now. Liberty, same for you. Mind, I don't want any owls coming back baring rude messages from your teachers informing me that you have enchanted the whole of Slytherin to wear red and gold robes. I would not appreciate that, yet I think Morwenna would." Mrs. Granger frowned at her watch and sighed.

Liberty laughed. "Then, mother, I suggest that you don't read the mail. Morry, I think you would be quite pleased with the mail, however. Oh, and thanks for the idea, mum."

Mr. Granger then pulled up in his Cadillac and wiped sweat off his face. It had been a very hot day.

"Well, I suppose this is the place where you get onto your train now, correct?" He asked Hermione.

"Yes, dad. This is the place." She fingered her Prefect badge lightly. "Mummy, Daddy, Maxi, I must go. Libby, come meet my friends, Harry and Ron." Hermione grasped Liberty's hand and pulled her away.

"Bye Morry! Bye Mum! Bye Dad! Maxi, be sure you don't go soft on me this year, all right? Morry, watch him for me, would you?" Liberty called from Hermione's side as she struggled to be let free.

The Granger crowd waved back, and a crowd of people nearing an arriving train soon blocked them from view.

"Harry! This is Liberty, my little sister." At this Liberty twisted out of Hermione's death grip and shook out her long, wavy brown hair. She whispered to her sister "I'm not little, so stop saying that!"

Harry, a fifth year, looked quite amused as he shook Liberty's hand. Hermione pulled Liberty with her as Harry took it upon himself to introduce Liberty to everyone.

" . . . And this is Seamus and Dean. They're in my room."

"This is Fred and George Weasley, the school's trouble-makers. Hullo guys. Where's Ron?"

"What? Oh, it's you Harry. Hullo. I dunno where Ron is. I think he's still with mum, though. She's over there, by the train," answered Fred. Or was it George?

"Thanks Fred. Come on…oh, by the way, this is Liberty Granger, Hermione's little sister. She's starting this year. Liberty, this is Fred and George." Harry led them away to a short, plump witch with red hair surrounded by a boy and a girl, both with very red hair.

"Hullo Mrs. Weasley. Hullo Ron. Hullo Ginny. How are you today?" Harry smiled at the red-headed people.

"Oh, I'm doing just fine, Harry dear. Hullo Hermione. Good to see you dear. Who is this?" Mrs. Weasley smiled down at Liberty.

"This is Liberty Granger, Hermione's little sister. She's starting this year. Liberty, this is Ron, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley."

Liberty shook hands with each of them, slapped on a mischievous grin, and waved goodbye as she walked to the scarlet train.

What a beautiful train. Hmmm…this must be the famed Hogwarts Express. I can't wait to wreak havoc in Hogwarts. My, I wonder what I'll do. Hermione had better let me sit by her, or she'll be meeting another frog soon. She thought as she made her way to the entrance.

* * * * *

"Hermione, can I sit next to you?" Liberty heaved her way into the compartment.

Hermione sighed. "Oh, I suppose."

"Thanks, Peacock." Liberty sat down while Harry and Ron snorted.

"Peacock?" Ron grinned evilly.

"Libby, I told you not to call me that. If you do I'll call you Dove." Hermione whispered to Liberty. She then looked embarrassed at Harry and Ron. "Peacock is my mum's nickname for me," she said, daring them with her eyes to make fun of her.

"Yes, and you won't, well, you might believe it now, but in a few days you'll see why everyone who knows me thinks my nickname doesn't fit me at all. Peacock, tell them my nickname." Liberty smiled at Hermione and waited.

"Her nickname is Dove, but my family thinks she's more of a Devil than a Dove. Trust me, you'll know why soon enough." Hermione smiled.

Harry took out his wand.

"Liberty, where's your wand? What is it made of?"

"Uh, it's 11 inches, unicorn hair, and I can't remember the wood type. Why?"

"I was just wondering. So, do you like being a witch so far?"

"Well, it's not that different from being a muggle, yet. I'm sure when I start to do magic I'll have a much different opinion on it, but muggles have trains like this, just not barriers like the one at King's Cross. Is Hogwarts big?" She said this all very fast.

Ron smiled. "Oh yes. Very, very big. Harry and me got lost every day of our first week, but you'll have me, Harry and Hermione to help you find your way. I think you'll like Hogwarts. I believe you will find many friends. You know, Hermione never mentioned you, not once in five years of being best friends did she mention she had a sister. Why?"

"Well, my sister can be quite annoying and I just didn't remember her, or Maxi, in school. However, I think you guys will like her very much; she's like your father, Harry. Very mischievous. Very. Sometimes she's worse than Fred and George, and you know how bad they are. Every summer she and Maxi take water in big barrels and they go to a staircase and as I'm walking underneath the stairs they pour water all over me. And, she put a frog in my bed a week ago. It's really quite annoying."

Harry and Ron sniggered. "What was she doing to you, Liberty? Why did you put a frog in her bed?"

"Oh, nothing of course. Well, she was being her usual, perfect self. But, her family looks past that and sees how annoying and prissy she is-can be, I mean." Liberty smiled sweetly, showing off her nice dimples.

Hermione scowled, some of her brown hair stuck on her lips. "You know, she has a nurse, Morwenna, who she calls her Morry, and she's as mad as Liberty and our brother, Maxi."

"You have a brother named Maxi? God, what other secrets do you have?"

"Well, did you know that she loves muggle fantasies? I happen to love them, too. My mother's best friend, Gail Carson Levine, wrote a book, Ella Enchanted, that she sent to us to read, and it's my turn to read it now and I read most of it one day when I accidentally stayed home from school and was stuck in the library all day, glued to my chair reading the book. It is wonderful! Hermione read it before me and she said it was one of the greatest fantasies ever written. It really is very good, though," Liberty looked the two boys over and sized them up. God, they don't like learning and reading very much now, do they? Well, they sure do like Quidditch, though. Well, I might as well say it. "You don't seem to be book people. Are they Hermione? Are they just hiding it?" Liberty turned to Hermione.

Hermione shook her head. "No they're hopeless. I don't think even your magic can make them like a book."

Liberty shook her head. "Are you serious? Have you ever read a book?" She looked directly at Harry.

"Yeah. Right now I'm reading Quidditch Through the Ages." He rummaged through his case and took out a book and held it up for Liberty to see.

Liberty snorted. "No, I mean a real book. One like, oh, I don't know, The Lord of the Rings, maybe?" She smiled at them. "Or perhaps Forever?" She added.

"Liberty Granger, you know they would never would read that. And, if they did I would kill them. You know what the book is about. And," Hermione looked at Liberty sternly, "mum said you should've be reading that. It's inappropriate."

"I was only joking! Anyway, I would kill them if they read that book, too."

"Uh, hullo." A new voice came from the door. The four of them turned and looked at the door to find a pretty girl with pink hair in pigtails.

"KIWI!" Liberty shrieked, disgusted.

* * * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione left Liberty at the Hogsmeade station. A tall man was calling out "Firs' years!", and after being assured that Hagrid was very nice, Liberty made her way toward the boats.

"Hello Hagrid!" she called out.

"'Lo. Well, you're a new face, though you look just like Herm-"

"Don't say it!"

"Don't say what?"

"Don't say that I look like that putrid rat!" Hagrid gave her a dirty look, and Liberty laughed.

"She's my older sister. I'm Liberty. Liberty Granger. And this," she pointed to Kiwi, "is Kiwi LaRou. Avoid her at all costs, Hagrid."

"All right. Now, yer must get in ter the boat. It'll take you 'cross the river to Hogwarts." He climbed into a boat while Liberty got into another with a pretty girl and, to her disgust, Kiwi

"Kiwi, do you have to sit with me?" she groaned.

"Yes, since if I was spotted with anyone less than a Moonshine, and we know they're not here - none of them, not even Clara Moonshine, could be magical - and you're much higher than them - I would die. So I'm sitting with you," she matter-of-factly stated.

"Well, I think Melissa Ellington is coming . . . nope, that's someone else. I could've sworn I saw her in that boat other there. Oh well, I guess I'll have to cope. Hopefully you'll get into some horribly nasty house, like Slytherin, and I'll be in dear old Gryffindor. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Liberty turned to the other girl. "What's your name?"

The girl, who had been listening to their conversation, smiled at Liberty. "My name is Leigh Anne Watson. What's yours?"

"My name is Liberty Granger, and this annoying git is Kiwi LaRou." Liberty's hand flew toward Kiwi.

"What house do you think you'll get in?" asked Leigh Anne.

"Well, my sister is in Gryffindor, and I'm a lot like her, though she'll deny it," Kiwi snorted with agreement. "Anyway, I think I'll get into Gryffindor, like her. At least, I hope I do. Which house do you think you'll get into?"

"Me? Probably Ravenclaw. My whole family's been in Ravenclaw. But I really want to be in Gryffindor. It sounds by far the best house in the school."

"Aye. Kiwi here'll probably get into Slytherin."

"Yeah, I probably will." After that the girls chattered mindlessly until they reached a large castle. Then everyone gasped and held their breath while Hagrid landed his boat and knocked on the door . . . one, two, three times. The first years climbed out of their boats, and then waited silently.

"Hello Hagrid," said a witch in emerald green robes with her long black hair in a bun on the crown of her head. Though she was smiling, an air of someone important surrounded her

"The firs' years, Professor." He nodded at the students and winked at Liberty.

"Thank you Hagrid. I'll take it from here." As the other boats docked, the Professor walked into the castle, the children following.

Beside Liberty, Kiwi gave an involuntary shudder. "Are you all right?" asked Liberty.

"Yeah. I'm just amazed. This thing is huge." She opened her arms wide, motioning to the castle. She kept her arms like this until they walked into the huge school.

"Whoa." Was all Liberty could say, and the other girls were speechless.

"Please, follow me." Professor McGonagall beckoned to them and led them to a chamber off what Liberty decided was the Hall, as she could hear numerous voices coming from the other side of the door.

The students followed, rather closer together than normally. Leigh Anne, who was next to Liberty, whispered "Liberty, are you nervous?" after McGonagall left.

Stupid question, really, Liberty thought. "Very," she answered. "Ki, are you nervous?"

"Yes Lib." Kiwi, who was on Liberty's other side, gave an involuntary shudder.

The door opened and Professor McGonagall walked in. "Students, follow me." She walked out the door and the first years followed.

As they entered the Great Hall, the loud buzz became quieter. Professor McGonagall placed a stool with a hat on it down onto the floor at the head of the line of students.

A rip on the hat opened, and . . .

No sound came out.

The whole Hall started whispering at once, including all of the teachers except a tall man with a long white beard and a blue hat and robes, who was frowning. Blood steadily draining from her face, McGonagall walked over to the man and started whispering angrily in his ear. He turned to her and began to talk to her. McGonagall walked back over to the students and picked up a sheet of parchment.

"Akens, Marie."

A tiny girl with blond pigtails walked up to the hat and put it on her head. After about thirty seconds, the rip opened again and screamed:

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The girl skipped to the table cheering.

"Bones, Athena!"

Leigh Anne leaned in front of about five first years and poked Kiwi. "This doesn't look too bad," she whispered. Kiwi nodded. Liberty was watching the students, trying to figure out which table was Gryffindor and which was Slytherin. As she looked at a table on the far right she spotted Hermione, Harry and Ron sitting together. They gave her a wave and smiled. This cheered Liberty up much.

"Granger, Liberty!"

Liberty walked to the stool and put the hat on her head. To her surprise, the hat began to talk to her.

"Mmmmm . . . courage, lots of courage. Very smart. Mischievous, ehh? Well, you look like you'll be good in Transfiguration and the Telies. Well, I guess we should put you in . . .

"GRYFFINDOR!" Liberty heard the hat shout the last word out to the whole Hall. Hermione's table erupted with cheers as she made her way there. She chose the empty seat next to Hermione and started chattering with them at once.

"So, have you met anyone?" asked Harry.

"Yes. I met Leigh Anne Watson. She's very nice and pretty. She's the one at the end of the line." Liberty pointed her out for them.

"Oh. She looks nice. What house does she want to get into?" Hermione turned to face Liberty.

"She wants to get into Gryffindor, but her whole family was in Ravenclaw so she thinks she'll be in that house. Herm, do you know what 'the Telies' is?"

"Nope," she said and shook her head.

"Oh . . . " Liberty stared at her plate, which was empty. She looked up at McGonagall just in time to hear her say:

"Kiwi LaRou!"

Kiwi walked to the stool and put it on her head. After about five minutes the hat screamed out:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Hermione and Liberty looked at each other in horror.

"No . . .t. . .po . . .ss . . . ble!" Liberty spluttered. Kiwi took off the hat, looking as surprised as Hermione felt. She slowly walked over to the table, amid clapping from people who didn't know who she was. She sat down at the empty seat next to Liberty.

"Ki, I can't believe you got into Gryffindor."

"Me neither, Lib," she said.

"Well, the evil spirit gets into Gryffindor. That's one we haven't heard," said Ron.

"Shut the hell up!" Kiwi demanded.

"Sorry," Ron muttered, his ears turning pink.

"Well, anyway, Ron's right. This is strange. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to live with it," said Hermione.

Liberty sucked her teeth. "It's easy for you to say, you don't have to share dorms with her. I do. I have to live with her through classes, meal times, and extra time."

"Oh, now I just feel wonderful, Lib," said Kiwi sarcastically. "And by the way, little bundle of sunshine, I can spend time with the Slytherins, can I not?"

"I guess you could . . ." Liberty trailed off as Fred Weasley stuck a newt carefully in a tall black girl's hair. A few moments later she shrieked and turned to Fred, staring right into his eyes.

"Fred Weasley! When will you stop?" she asked.

"Never Angelina. You should know that."

"Never?" she said, hopelessly.

"Never."

"Watson, Leigh Anne!" called McGonagall.

Leigh Anne walked up to the hat and placed it on her head. After two minutes the Hall rang with the sound of:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

* * * * *

"I can't believe Kiwi got in," said Liberty for the fifth time that evening. "She is such a bi-"

"Should I," broke in Harry forcefully, "get Ginger Ale or Pepsi for the party?"

"Are you serious? Get real. You should get-"

"Bud."

"Liberty, you hate Budweiser."

"Bud Light then."

Hermione threw her hands in the air.

"Fine Hermione! Elderberry wine."

Hermione shoot Liberty a look.

"God! Fine. Pepsi."

When Hermione had declared herself tired and went to bed, Liberty leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Budweiser."

* * * * *

"Kiwi, why did you have to get in?" Liberty was standing at the edge of Kiwi LaRou's bed.

"Because my mum wanted me to get in, so she found a certain person and bribed him to give me magical powers. So now I'm in Hogwarts."

Liberty frowned. "Does Professor Dumbledore know?"

"Of course not! And you had best not tell him, either."

"What if I do?"

"I'll kill you. Literally."

Liberty turned on her heel and stormed out of the room and down the stair to reach the party downstairs.

"What are we celebrating again?" Hermione yelled over the music. She and Ron had just gotten in the common room. Liberty ran over to an armchair and hid behind it, grinning.

"I don't know!" he yelled back.

"Well, I'm going to go get a drink." She headed off towards the table with drinks.

"Ok … I'll get Harry." Ron went over to look for Harry.

As Hermione reached the table, smiling, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell, members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, who were holding cups filled with a yellow liquid, greeted her. "Hello Hermione," said Katie. "Perhaps you will know the answer."

"Answer to what?"

"Who thought of the idea of serving Budweiser?"

Hermione stopped smiling. "LIBERTY!" She shrieked.

* * * * *

All the girls in the dormitory were sleeping. The clock next to Liberty's bed read 5:59 am. At the turn of the hour, a crackling sound entered the dorm. That didn't wake any of the girls, but what happened next did.

"Hello!" Professor Dumbledore's voice filtered through a speaker and every girl jumped out of bed. "Rise and shine students. This is your Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, speaking. I hope you all slept well!" It wasn't a question. "Good. That's wonderful, since today will be the first day of classes this term. Now, I have a few announcements. As usual, no one is to go into the Forbidden Forest." He paused. "Now, we will not have a Quidditch tournament this year. I know, I know . . .you're all grumbling now, right? Well, don't worry. We made up for it last year, so I'm sure we can make it up this year. I will tell you more this evening at dinner. Also, as our last year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher cannot teach anymore, a new teacher has come. Her name is-" Suddenly, it seemed that the connection broke and static entered the room.

"What the . . .?" Leigh Anne mumbled.

"Just when this was getting interesting," grumbled Kiwi.

* * * *

Thanks: My reviewers! I love you! Seldes Katne (beautiful name. Soo sorry I haven't sent you the chapters! Scamp? Well . . . yah! ^_^ Chapters (chapter?!) will be headed your way soon!) wand (that wasn't meant as an insult! No hard feelings, eh? I happen to like the name Liberty!) and Baroness Genji (I like your name! How did you *ever* come up with it? Oh yes, and do you happen to know Melora, Sarima and Trumildicus? J/W. Chapter Three just needs to come back from Seldes (No, I haven't sent it yet . . . I'm bad!) and it'll be up!)

Author's Note: Hello again! Nope, you don't know who the DADA teacher is now, do you? I'll give you a clue – you know his/her father! I won't tell you anymore. You'll just have to guess, and cope until the next chapter comes out, which will hopefully be soon. Schnoogles to anyone who guesses correctly. Well, I hope you enjoyed it!

Peace and love,

Charlotte Meg