A/N: Sorry this one took a while... schoolwork and such... I hate it! But here it is, and I am trying hard not to make this a mary-sue, so please just give me a little break.

"BAM!"

Ron thrust his hand into the air, reenacting the landing Malfoy had taken. He, Jax, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione were all sitting in the compartment munching on snacks they bought from the snack cart. Jax was especially enjoying the chocolate frogs- she liked the feeling of it squirming around in her mouth. It was the first time she had ever eaten candy that moved.

"Ron, you're doing it wrong. It was more of a 'wham'," Ginny corrected.

Harry and Jax laughed, Ron corrected himself as he mouthed 'wham' to himself as he thrust his hand into the air again, and Hermione coldly stared at the carpet while munching on Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"Boy, that look on Malfoy's face was priceless!"

Harry gave a limp imitation of Malfoy's expression, twisting his face in every direction possible. Jax and Ginny laughed, while Hermione was spitting remains of her mud-flavored bean into her hand. Ginny looked at her watch, and gasped.

"Dammit! The train arrives in less than three minutes!"

Ron's eyes started to bulge as he heard his younger sister cuss. He started to object, except Jax was quicker.

"And why would that pose a problem?" Jax asked.

"We have to get our robes on and get off the train as quickly as possible. I am certainly not sharing a carriage with any Slytherins."

"I second that," Harry stated.

Jax took her trunk down from the luggage rack, and the rest followed. She took one of her new robes out and stuck it on. She then closed it shut, and took Lily down from the rack.

"What's her name?" Harry asked.

Jax hadn't even noticed that they were now the only ones in the compartment.

"Ron and Hermione had to go ahead.... And Ginny joined some of her friends," Harry replied, even though she hadn't said anything.

"Oh. Her name is Lily," she said, answering his question.

One of Harry's eyebrows rose.

"Really? That was my mother's name."

"I know... I mean, I think I read it somewhere."

Jax and Harry both smiled, bumping into each other as they tried to get out of the compartment.

"You first."

Harry stepped back a bit and allowed Jax to lead her trunk down the corridor. It was still empty; the train hadn't come to a complete halt. The two siblings walked down the corridor; Jax catching glances of the Hogwarts students starting to emerge from their compartments. She and Harry walked off of the train, each of them shivering from the cold air.

"Jeez, it's cold out here."

"Come on, let's find a carriage."

They walked over to where the carriages waited to take them away to the Hogwarts grounds. Harry put his luggage away and helped Jax do the same to hers. Harry picked Ron and Hermione boarding a carriage less than a couple of yards away.

"Ron and Hermione are over there!" Jax tried to point out, yelling over the loud noise and bustle of the crowd.

"Yeah...."

Harry's attention had immediately been drawn to the thestrals that were pulling the carriages. He remembered them well, even though he wished he didn't. He felt a small brush against his robes, and looked down. Jax had fallen to the cold ground, and she had her eyes closed shut.

"Jax! What's wrong?"

Harry gave her a hand and picked her up.

"What are those.... Things?"

Harry realized that she had been shocked by the thestrals.

"You mean you can see them too?" he asked, amazed that he and Loony Lovegood weren't the only ones that could see them.

"Yeah, I can see them! Who couldn't?"

Jax looked to her brother in bewilderment. She stared him in the eyes this time, but immediately casted them down.

"Look, its damn cold out here. Let's get into a carriage," Harry suggested, eager to change the subject.

Harry started off towards the carriage Hermione had gotten into. He opened the door, letting Jax in first. She got in, and sat down next to an Asian girl with long hair. Harry followed and sat down next to Hermione, immediately going red as he saw who Jax had sat next to.

"Hey, Harry," Cho Chang said politely.

"H-Hi," Harry slightly stuttered.

He shifted as he noticed Michael Corner's arm around Cho, the other hand holding hers.

"How was your sum-"

Harry saw Ron shake his head slightly at Cho, giving her the indication not to go there. He grew red again, and looked at Jax, who was staring out the carriage window. She gave a small gasp as she saw the castle.

"Bloody Hell!" Jax exclaimed.

Ron gave a small huff, angered that she had used his expression. The rest of the carriage stared at Jax, who was smiling in excitement.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked tartly.

"Oh, sorry. Just got a bit excited," Jax apologized as she, too, grew a bit red.

"Are you new?" Cho asked, being quite thick at some times.

"Oh... yeah."

Jax turned around to Cho, and held out her hand, quite used to the routine by now.

"Jax Pierce... I haven't a house yet."

Jax answered her question before it even got out of Cho's mouth.

"Uh, Cho Chang... Ravenclaw," she then pointed to Michael, "And this is my boyfriend, Michael Corner, also Ravenclaw."

Jax gave a small nod to Michael, seeing the glare he was giving Harry out of the corner of his eye.

They all shifted forward, or backward if you were sitting in Harry's position, as the carriage came to a halt. They all piled out onto the stone steps leading up to the front oak doors, merging with the hundreds of other eager students. Harry grabbed Jax's arm, giving her a reassuring smile that he wouldn't let her out of his sight. Hermione and Ron got out next, Hermione glaring Harry's hand on Jax's arm.

"So... onto the Great Hall?" Harry asked the other three.

He was met by nods all around, and led Jax up the steps; Ron and Hermione following in their wake.

They all climbed the front stairway, all greeting the old paintings.

"G'day! G'day!" one painting with a young swordsman in it yelled.

"So nice to see you dears," another one with an old witch in it softly greeted.

"These things are awesome!" Jax exclaimed, just noticing that Harry's hand was still gripping her forearm.

"Um, Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I can find my way from here," Jax said, as they arrived just outside of the Great Hall.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Harry yet again turned a bright shade of red.

Hermione, Ron, and Harry continued into the Great Hall. Jax began to follow when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Professor McGonagall.

"I see you've made a nice acquaintance," she gave a tight smile to Jax.

"He's wonderful!" Jax said.

"Well, you still need to be sorted. Go join the first years over there."

McGonagall pointed to a group of short, stubby, little witches and wizards on the flight landing. Jax walked over, feeling more stupid than she had in a long time, towering over them at least five inches a piece. She crossed her arms, leaned against the rail, and gave a little huff. She grew so bored that she began to catch bits and pieces of their conversations.

"I heard that if you can't defeat a fully-grown troll, you're sent home straight away!" a blonde, skinny girl exclaimed.

"Where'd ya hear that?" a taller, dark-skinned boy asked.

"My brother, o' course! He knows everything!"

Jax chuckled, feeling sorry for the small ones.

"Did ya know that Harry Potter went here? I'm getting his autograph and sending it to my cousin Mabel as proof!" a fairly short, red-haired girl said.

"Well I'm gonna get him to sign my broom! He's the best seeker in years, you know," a brown haired girl replied.

"That's nothing! He's gonna sign my wand!" the blonde girl from earlier butted in.

"How are you gonna get him to do that?" the brown haired girl asked.

"Well, once I get into Gryffindor, which I know I will, it'll be easy!"

"My dad works for the ministry, so I already have loads of things he's signed," the dark-skinned boy joined in.

"Seriously? Can I see?" the red-haired girl anxiously asked.

"Sure! I-"

"Quiet, everyone!" McGonagall interrupted several conversations. "The Sorting Hat awaits."

She beckoned the group to follow, and they all followed. Jax felt herself grow hot as all eyes turned on her; being the oddball in the group. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the floor, letting the kids lead the way.

She almost ran into a plump, little Asian girl before she realized the group had come to a halt. The chatting that rang throughout the Hall came to a stop also, each pair of eyes landing on McGonagall, who had finished adjusting her glasses and was holding a long piece of parchment in front of her. She gave a small nod to the Sorting Hat, who started in his song.

Jax didn't pay much attention to it; she was too busy glancing to and from different people. Draco Malfoy was giving her a right cold stare, Cho Chang gave her the occasional assuring smile, and Harry was just staring at her with a goofy grin. The students weren't the only ones, though. Lupin gave her a thumbs up; Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling at her; Snape giving her a stare that even topped Malfoy's.

"The sorting will now begin!"

There was a sudden chatter between the first years, each giving each other a frightened glance.

"Adler, Nicholas!"

The tall, dark-skinned boy stepped up to the stool. His eyes rolled to the top of his head as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head. After a few seconds, the Sorting Hat's voice rang throughout the Hall:

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

There was a small uprise of clapping and whistling from the Hufflepuff table, and Nicholas took his seat at the end of the table.

"Birnbaum, Clarissa!"

The blonde, Gryffindor hopeful stepped up to the stool. She had a smug look to her face, very confident to where she was going to be placed. As soon as McGonagall placed the hat on her head, the Sorting Hat called:

"RAVENCLAW!"

The girl scowled and mouthed a small 'what!' as she stepped down from the stool and heaved herself over to the Ravenclaw table.

The process continued; each of the first years being called. Jax had been skipped, so she assumed that her humiliation was being saved for last.

"Zipper, Odette!"

The red-haired girl was the last of the first years to be sorted. The Sorting Hat quickly called out:

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

She gave a smile and skipped over to the table, and joined the rest of the Hufflepuff first years. Jax's stomach had begun to churn once again, her palms sweating and her heart beating fast.

"Pierce, Jax!" McGonagall rang.

She stepped climbed the steps and sat down onto the stool, taking a deep breath. She looked at Harry, who was smiling rather largely at Jax, much to Hermione's dismay. McGonagall placed the hat onto Jax's head, her own hand quaking a bit.

'Ah, yes. The other Potter. I was wondering if I would ever see you.'

Jax slightly jumped as the Sorting Hat's voice started to ring in her ears.

'Your brother was rather hard to place, you see. So we'll give a little look... Oh, a wonderful mind you have here. Already reason to place you in Ravenclaw. But... no. Hufflepuff is ruled out... here we are again. Back to the same problem your brother posed.... But I suppose Slytherin isn't your first choice, hmm?'

'No! Certainly not!' Jax exclaimed, confined to her thoughts.

'Slytherin would definitely do wonders for you... I've always wondered what would have happened if I had placed him there... but, of course, there was that incident back in his second year...'

'Please, put me into Gryffindor! Not Slytherin!' she pleaded, repeating her brother's exact words.

'Alright, then... if you wish.'

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Jax gave a sigh of relief, as she stepped down from the stool. Harry and Ron had gotten up from their seats and started to clap. Lupin and Dumbledore had begun to do the same, and McGonagall was clapping rather hard. Jax trotted over to the Gryffindor table, smiling.

"Congratulations!" Harry exclaimed, as Dumbledore stated the beginning-of- term announcements.

"Yeah, I would say Gryffindor is the best house to be in," Ron said, as food appeared in front of them.

"Slytherin... well, by Malfoy's impression you should be able to gather what a joy they are..." Ron said, as he buttered a roll.

"Hufflepuffs are just too plain friendly..." Harry stated.

"And Ravenclaws are really smart, so they're always getting points for knowing stuff in classes."

Jax was still smiling, happy that she had gotten into Gryffindor. But that wasn't the only thing she was happy about- she looked over to the seat next to her, where her brother was sitting, and smiled even more.

A/N: Review, Please!!