DISCLAIMER: Only Cassie and Tristan are mine.  Oh yes, the best way to picture Tristan, find a hot movie star that you're obsessed with, replace him with green eyes, give him black hair with red tints and slightly change his nose to look like Snape's…..and there you have Tristan! ^^ (don't worry, he doesn't look COMPLETELY like Hayden in my image, heh)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, classes this year have started two days after arriving, so classes start on September 3.  The reason (I'm just explaining now so no one gets confused) is because Snape and other professors had a few things to do on September 2 and Dumbledore also wanted to check up on students and their families. Simple enough?

I'm horrible *runs from all* I haven't updated since 7/26/02, and now it's March and I found this story which has inspired me to write.  First and foremost, I'd like to thank all those who reviewed: Hunny - C Jazz - Pink Lemonade – sweetjex - Tigerof the Fire -nibor 13 – Ailsa - spangle star - Sean Mulligan – Angie - otaku freak – Bon – FlyinHigh – anonymous - Shardana Slytherin – moonlight - sam - RadcliffeLover – Linda - Jessiemouse - Evanne Martine Hall - goddess of insanity and pauru – KK – Child of Destiny – Sara Minks – George Weasley – Cellie – Anneliese – Sharon – Griffenwing – aznangelicgurl 89 – Sweet chocolate Angel – Yami Yugi's Girl

A special thanks to Cassie – besnaped – oceansun – ambby – BabyBear – TigerLily – and Lady Lightning who all reviewed twice……….I really appreciated reminders that people came back and read and then reviewed!

*DOES A DANCE* These people reviewed a few times and I'd love to hug them all!!!! Sweet Hunni

Midnight Angel

Ashley (you were great, I lost track of how many times you reviewed)

Wink at J00

Luna Rose and Phoenix Child

Hippy flower=Voldie's kid

MeiChungL

And to Kayla Summers for a great review which will help in the future

For those who are guessing at Cassie's dad, you'll just have to continuing reading to find out! ^^ all will be revealed by chapter 15 and for pairings I have some interesting ideas, thank you all for being so supportive and if you want to kill me, wait until I pass history first? ^^

Chapter 12

Fourth or Fifth?

Cassie was going to stay in the fourth year girl's dormitory.  Dumbledore suggested that she stay with her own age group.  She only knew Ginny Weasley, who was Ron's younger sister.  Ginny introduced her to the others in the room.  There was Alison McDouglas, who was busy taking her make-up off, Melissa Befrit, who was busy looking for things in her trunk, and Maple Cohen, who was reading some romance novel on her bed.  Ginny pointed to an empty bed and Cassie put her trunk there.  She laid down on her bed, staring up at nothing.  Alison spoke first.

            "Hey Cassandra, how do you like Hogwarts?"

            "Just call me Cassie.  I like Hogwarts, but I miss my friends."

            "I bet you miss your friends.  I miss all of my friends from before I came to Hogwarts," Maple added, just to show that she understood what Cassie was talking about.

            Melissa, who had found what she was looking for, spoke up, "How come you're in here if you're a fifth year?"

            "It's because I'm only fourteen," Cassie added, knowing what everyone was thinking, "How can she be a fifth year if she's only fourteen?"  She decided to answer it without anyone asking.  "At Majo, you start at ten, so I really would be in my fifth year there.  You go there for seven years, just like here, but afterwards you have the option of going to a specialized school.  If you want to work as an Auror, that's another 3 years of schooling.  If you wanted to study to become a teacher, that's two more years.  Almost anything requires at least one more year of school or you just take a couple extra credits for the fun of it.  The extra credits are Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced Charms, Advanced Potions, Dark Arts, and any other course advanced.  Yeah they teach the Dark Arts, but only for those who have graduated primary school.  I like it though."

            "Like what?" Maple asked, putting her book down and sounding interested in what Cassie had to say.  Alison had gotten in the shower and Melissa had gone down into the Common Room to get something she left down there.

            "The fact that I can go there after I'm done here and learn stuff that no one is supposed to be taught.  Most people don't know about that system, so very few ever go there.  The worse part about Majo is that you have to take a lot of credits during school.  You have to take a certain number of years of Divination, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, and then either art or music and kendo, tae kwon do, or karate.  Plus we have the normal classes of Potions, Transfiguration, Astronomy, Charms, History of Magic, Herbology, and Defense Against Dark Arts. You start taking extra classes your first year.  I've already passed Divination, Arithmancy, music, two years of Muggle Studies, three years of kendo, and one year of Care of Magical Creatures."

            Ginny piped up this time, "What classes are you taking this year?  Usually people only take two extra classes and we don't have kendo."

            "I was intending on taking a music class and maybe Care of Magical Creatures.  Those are the only two things that interest me that I can take.  I really want to take kendo, but you guys don't have it here."

            "That's cool.  Will you be with us or the fifth years for those classes?" Maple asked.

            "I'll be with the fifth years for Care of Magical Creatures, but I'll be with you guys for music."

            "Shame, I'm taking Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy," Ginny added, with Maple following up by saying, "I'm taking Muggle Studies and Divination.  I know that Alison is in my Divination class and Melissa is in my Muggle studies class."

            "Alison is also in my Care of Magical Creatures class.  I think Melissa might take music though.  It's either music or art," Ginny said.  Cassie felt at home with Maple and Ginny.  Alison came out of the shower and demanded peace and quiet for she needed her 'beauty sleep.'  Maple agreed that it was getting late, while Cassie and Ginny went into the common room to talk.  Ginny sat down on one seat, while Cassie sat in another that was facing her.

            "It's quiet now.  I wonder where Ron, Harry, Hermione, Fred, and George are," Ginny said to no one.

            "Who are Fred and George?" Cassie asked, knowing exactly who Harry, Ron, and Hermione are.

            "They're my older twin brothers.  They're in their seventh year here.  I have three other brothers that are out of school.  Bill works in Egypt for Gringotts, Charlie works in Romania with dragons, and Percy works in the Ministry.  Yeah, we have a big family," she added when she saw Cassie's eyes get bigger.

            "I remember them now.  We met on the train.  It's just my mom and me.  During the summer, we'll go visit my grandparents in New York, but that's all the family I know.  My mom knows who my dad is, but she's being very weird and not telling me," Cassie said in a tone that meant not to ask any questions about it.

            "What's New York like?  I've never been to America myself."

            "It's awesome!  There's a ton of things to do and you can never get bored there!  We always go to Broadway, baseball games, (Yankees are the best), Central Park, and the movie theater.  My mom lets me hang out with a few of the neighbors and we always go to this one pizza place and spend almost the whole summer there.  I wish you guys could come and spend the summer there with me, but I have the feeling that I'll be stuck home this year, in London."

            "You say that like it's a bad thing," Ginny said.

            "It is. I hate being stuck home with my mother for 2 months.  There's nothing to do around the house, since we just moved in and most of my stuff is either in New York or Tokyo.  I don't have any friends here, which means I can't just leave the house.  My mom doesn't trust me with strangers. It's awful, it really is." Cassie sighed.

            "Oh c'mon!  It's only September 1!  You've got a couple months before you even have to begin thinking about going home.  Are you planning on staying for Christmas break?"

            "I normally don't.  We spend Christmas in New York and Easter in Tokyo.  I think I'll be staying here this year.  I wish my mother wasn't so strict, but she thinks I'll run into my father on the streets of London," Cassie paused and Ginny spoke.

            "Why? Is your father bad?  Why wouldn't your mother want you to meet your father?"

            "I don't even know who he is or what he looks like.  I'm safe in Tokyo and New York, just not London.  I don't even know why I moved here and transferred schools.  I have a feeling it has something to do with what my grandmother told my mother when I was born."

            "And what might that be?" Ginny questioned, genuinely interested in what Cassie was going to say now.

            "My mom never told me.  She just said that my grandmother had a bad feeling about London after I was born.  I think it's time for bed," Cassie confirmed, as she and Ginny headed up stairs into their dormitory.  Melissa had snuck upstairs while Ginny and Cassie were talking and was already fast asleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

            Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in Prof. Hollen's room, waiting for him to come back from dinner.  Cassie apologized for not joining them in playing Spyro, but she figured that she should be with her new roommates.  The three of them went in, with much hesitation coming from Ron and Hermione.

            "Are you sure we should go in?  This is a professor's room," Hermione warned Harry.

            "What if it's not Prof. Hollen's room?" Ron asked, forgetting that he had already been here.

            "It's Prof. Hollen's room and he won't mind at all.  Trust me.  In fact, I think he'll join in on playing videogames.  Are you any good at these things?" Harry asked, directed towards Hermione.

            Hermione blushed.  "Not really.  My parents bought me one of the systems, but I can't remember which one.  I'm not home enough to play it anymore.  I can always try, can't I?"

            "So I'm the only one who's ever played Playstation?" Harry asked, throwing his hands up in the air.

            "Not really, I've played it," a deeper voice from behind them said.  The three of them jumped, not expecting anyone else to be around.  Hermione began to list off excuses for being near a professor's private quarters, before the person even introduced themselves.  As soon as Harry turned around, he breathed a sigh of relief.  "Ah, Prof. Hollen, it's just you."

            "Yes, it's just me.  Good to see ya, mate.  What are you guys doing just standing there like that?  Go in, go in!"

            Hermione whispered, just loudly enough so Ron and Harry could hear, "I think he's acting a little strange for a professor.  He seems too friendly."

            "Not to Malfoy.  He already hates him," Harry answered back, before pushing the two of them through the door.

            "He also seems kind of young for a professor.  He only looks like 18," Ron added.

            "That's because he's twenty.  He graduated when we were in our second year.  He was a Gryffindor.  Are we just going to talk about Prof. Hollen or are we going to play videogames?" Harry asked, a little peeved off that Ron and Hermione were suspicious of Prof. Hollen.

            "Guys, are you going to stand there all day?  What games do you want to play?" Tristan said as he flicked on the lights to the main room.  Hermione gasped realizing it was a Muggle room, while Ron looked confused.  Tristan spoke up again, "Don't bother with your wands.  No magic works in here.  Something about electricity and magic.  I don't quite understand it myself.  Harry, why don't you give them the grand tour?"

            "Alright then, here is the kitchenette, there's the dining area, that's the family area where you can play videogames, and there's the living room.  Follow me into the bedroom.  Those are the guest bunk beds, that's my bed and desk, and there's Prof. Hollen's stuff.  The bathroom's right through that door," Harry said pointing around the small apartment.

            "Question.  Why is this all-Muggle?  Why do you have stuff in Prof. Hollen's room?"  Ron and Hermione both asked at the same time.

            "Your best bet is to ask Tristan himself.  He knows more than I do.  This is his room after all," Harry sighed.

            Hermione remembered what she had thought about on the train.  She decided to ask Harry about it later.  Tristan heard the questions and began to answer them.  "This room is all-Muggle because I lived as a Muggle in New York.  I wanted to bring most of my electronics here and asked Prof. Dumbledore if I was allowed to have an area where I could keep them and use them.  He gave me this whole room.  Ron, want me to show you how to use the videogame system?  I assume Hermione knows at least how some things work in here," he said.

            Hermione knew this was her chance to ask Harry about Prof. Hollen.  "Hey Harry, is your brother Prof. Hollen?  You never mentioned your brother's name in your letter, and I kinda figured it out."

            "How?"

            "You mean I'm right?  I noticed the way you guys talk together and your eyes.  Your eyes were the biggest clue though."

            "Yeah you're right.  You must promise me that you won't tell a soul, okay?"

            "I won't tell anyone.  I suggest we tell Ron now, and you might want to let your brother tell him.  I think he'd take it better.  Pretend that I don't know about it as well.  It'll make everything easier, okay?"

            The two of them entered the main area again where they found Tristan attempting to explain the point of the videogame.  Ron looked confused.  Harry interrupted by saying, "Hey Tristan, can I talk to you about something kinda important?"

            "No problem, Harry.  I'll be right back Ron. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING!" Tristan warned. Once out of earshot, he asked, "What's up?  I mean these are your friends, aren't they?  You didn't bring them down here just to talk to me, eh?"

            "No I wanted us all to play videogames.  Hermione keeps looking at us funny.  I think she's figured it out but won't tell us anything.  I did mention to the two of them that I had a brother.  I think she's figured it out.  Maybe you should tell them and preferably soon."

            "If you say so, little bro, they're your friends," Tristan shook his head and just agreed.  "Hey, Ron, Hermione?  I've got something to tell you.  Harry and I are half-brothers.  I'm the brother that Harry mentioned earlier.  That's why he spent the summer with me and why our eyes look so similar," he said, winking at Hermione, who blushed.