A/N: Is anyone reading this? Oh well, I must press on. Oh goodness, I forgot: all characters except Erin belong to JK Rowling, although rumors are Tom Felton is going to the highest bidder…

The train slowed, and stopped with a lengthy whistle. A look of confusion appeared on her face when her friends all got up to leave, and she followed them, not knowing what else to do. A powerful voice was shouting "first-years!" (although it sounded more like "firs' years!"). As she climbed (and almost fell) down onto the platform, she connected this voice with an equally powerful-looking figure. He was the largest man she had ever seen! His beard was as long as her hair, and it covered only his chest! She could only gape at him. When he turned to look at her, she couldn't help but flinch a little.

"Hello," she found her voice at last. "Should I…?"

"Rubeus Hagrid," he replied. This seemed an incomprehensible reply until he stuck out his bear-paw of a hand. She took it.

"Erin, Erin Hightower." She relaxed a bit as he gave her hand the gentlest of tugs. The man was aware of his strength. Too soon, however – he paused, mid-shake, looking stunned.

"The muggle!" his voice carried, and many people turned to stare.

"Ye-yes," she stuttered, frightfully embarrassed. He seemed to recover, then turned away, al business once again.

"Well then, righ' this way with the firs' years." Eyes to the ground, she followed, glad to get away from so many inquiring stares. Though it was not yet time for supper, it was already getting dark. As she saw the first-years climb into boats lined up along the dock, she was grateful for the light remaining. She chose the last boat for herself. Hagrid, she noticed with guilty relief, did not choose her boat; she was significantly bigger than the first-years, and wasn't sure a single boat could support them both. Instead, a young redhead slid in across from her, and on Hagrid's command the boats began to slip easily through the water.

Orange and pink from the setting sun, the spires and towers of Hogwarts were breathtaking. Erin dipped her fingers in the water. Here, between the lake and the sky, she didn't feel so out of place. In a quiet mood, she almost reached for a book of poetry (Wallace Stevens would fit here best) before realizing that her bags were still on the platform. Since everyone else had left them there, she had done so as well without thought.

"Our bags – they're still at the station!" she exclaimed in alarm.

The slight girl smiled. "No, they'll be waiting for us at our bunks. Ginny Weasley." Erin smiled reassuringly, despite having less knowledge of her situation than Ginny apparently did.

"I'm Erin Hightower. I think I met your brother, or cousin or something."

"No, he's my brother. Was he with – with Harry?" Erin was puzzled by the question – her confusion was resolved when she noticed how earnest and hopeful the girl looked. Erin smiled before she could stop herself, then quickly stifled it.

"Yeah, and Hermione. They're good friends, aren't they?"

"Oh, yeah! They've been friends since their first year! In fact, Ron helped Harry when he took on You-Know-Who in his first year, to prevent him getting the Sorcerer's Stone, and second year… well, actually, *I* was kind of there his second year, my first, but I was possessed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, so I missed a lot of it," she did not seem overly distressed by her ordeal, "and this year, who knows! In case you're wondering, I'm going by boat again because there wasn't room in the carriages…"

"Carriages?" Erin repeated stupidly.

"Well, in case you didn't notice, only the first-years are out here on the lake, you know, everyone else already has their first impression, so we're already as impressed as they want us to be. Are you… are you a first-year?"

"No, actually. I'm… I'm a muggle." Ginny's jaw dropped, and it was a moment before she had the presence of mind to snap it shut.

"Huh?" she managed weakly.

"I'm a muggle who saw something I shouldn't have, and I'm here because I convinced them, you know, not to just make me forget it." She looked at the water for a few moments, and licked her lips nervously. "Um, as long as we're on the subject… who exactly is 'You-Know-Who'?"

Ginny recovered somewhat at the chance to extol the bravery and heroics of Harry Potter, and gave a quick, confusing summary: "You-Know-Who is Voldemort" she whispered this last word, fear and loathing evident in her voice, "and he tried to kill Harry when he was a baby – that's where Harry has his scar from, you see. Harry's the only one to ever survive when You-Know-Who wants 'em dead, and actually, Harry drove You-Know-Who into hiding – well, everyone thought he was dead, but turns out he's not, so Harry went and fought him again, a couple more times, but he's still on the loose. Harry almost got him the last time, too." She said, anxious to be believed.

Erin nodded, grave in sympathy. They reached shore (a kind of fjord, with a strip of land under the cliff upon which Hogwarts rested), and the smooth slipping of water was replaced by the grinding of dirt and grass. She climbed out, with a little help from Ginny – honestly, she berated herself, you are so clumsy! By the time they reached the entranceway into the grand old edifice, her robes were hopelessly muddied below the knee. She pursed her lips, reminding herself that at least her unfamiliarity with wizard clothing excused this. Partially.

Into the great hall, and she could only gape.