Thank you to: Sadiew, Oracale, Allyanna, Dreamweaver, Joe, Tenshi-Chikyuu, Runespore, The Key 98.3, Prd2bAmerican18, Rach, Eriee, Dweem-angel, and BiteUrHeadOff.
Loopy chick:
:D shhhh. You'll see. You'll understand eventually that the trio, though they are only 11, are of the mentality of someone much older because of their lives, especially Autumn.
Ice Angel:
Thank you! That is high praise indeed. And here is your update. Sorry it was slow and is a little short!
Claire:
*winks* questions shall be answered! Wait for the chapter! You'll see. And remember I did say some unfamiliar friendships.
Me:
Ahh, the ship question again. Wait and see. Thank you!
Angel eyes24:
In the books Harry didn't run away, but the Dursley's way of treating him as per Ms. Rowling was rated G. You'll come to find out as the story progresses how un-G rated their abuse was.
WOLFETN@aol.com:
Glad you liked! And I'm also looking forward to the Weasley family's reaction. As for Harry, Draco, and my favorite red head… well read!
Miss Lesley:
Thank you for the long review. Okay, here goes nothing: I apologize for the lack of reaction from Autumn and Harry. But please understand that Draco had been telling it to them for about a year. Harry and Autumn, as a result of their upbringing, are surprised by very little – and they trust Draco implicitly so his descriptions were not misbelieved. As for a 'secret room' they have their own common room… Dumbledore did not contact her parents because it was Autumn's wish that he did not until she was able to come to terms with the fact that she has a family and the like. As for checking the role, the Hogwarts Roll is undisclosed to anyone until it is time for the Deputy Headmistress to make out the letters, and that is only the currents year's students. As for Ginny, well… Draco, well… lets just say the Ministry 'Childcare Department' won't be happy about Senior Malfoy's failure to inform them of the child's disappearance. As for that the reaction will be, you'll have to wait for that one.
Thank you everyone! That's 20 reviews, more than I've ever had for one chapter!! *claps hand and passes out homemade delicious peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies*
Here's the next chappy!
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Here they were. Platform 9 ¾. Draco and Harry were on either side of Autumn. Not far away from where the trio stood, a large family of redheads bustled about. The mother was in a flurry. Autumn listened to the family's chatter, knowing who they were as soon as she set eyes on the girl ~After all I've only dreamt about her for as long as I can remember.~ The girl, Virginia Weasley ~My twin~ was calm in the storm. She watched her excited elder brothers bounce about.
One of the brothers was complaining to the mother.
"Mum! It's not fair! Ginny's only ten! She's not supposed to be coming this year!" The boy looked rather like a small gorilla, was the thought that popped into Autumn's mind.
"Ron, hush! Get on the train, they're loading. Be good dear, and for Merlin's sake don't ignore your sister just because she'd in your year instead of at home! Ginny dear you go as well. And remember what we talked about."
"Yes Mum. Don't worry."
Autumn knew her twin was different. Ronald immediately abandoned his little sister on the train. She didn't seem to mind. Not long after that the set of twins that was obviously Fred and George went to talk to her. She smiled at them and sent them to their friends. Autumn led Draco and Harry to catch up with the girl. They basically corralled her into an empty compartment. Even then her twin was calm, only looking at the trio with a calculating look on her face.
"I like her already Autumn." Harry grinned at the little redhead that so matched his companion.
"Hum. Shadow you always like the girls. But shush." Autumn stuck her hand out in greeting "I'm Autumn." Virginia took her hand.
"I'm Virginia, but you already knew that, didn't you Autumn Weasley?" The boys were slightly surprised, but the twins smirked easily at each other.
"Dreams?" Autumn asked the question with the one word, confusing the boys, but clearly asking a lot.
"Dreams." Virginia answered in kind. The boys sat on one bench and the girls took the other.
"Virginia, this is Draco, and Harry. My best friends and companions for the last year. Guys this is my twin sister. We've always dreamt of each other." The boys nodded their understanding, and decided to take a quick nap. The boys quickly fell asleep curled into each other on their bench. Virginia and Autumn chatted about their dreams, the street, and their family. Autumn found out that Virginia didn't remember any dreams before they turned 7, although she remembered having them. Sometime later a girl with bushy hair and chocolate eyes knocked and entered, asking about a frog.
"It would probably go towards the caboose. That's where all the other familiars are. Who are you?" Autumn stood, instinctively on the defensive. The girl stepped back some.
"Her-Hermione Granger." Autumn relaxed.
"I'm Autumn Weasley. She's Virginia Weasley. The sleeping wonders over there are Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter." Autumn noticed the girl gasp, along side her twin.
"Would you mind it terribly, once I've helped this Neville lad find his frog, if I came back here?" Autumn shook her head.
"Please do. Now go find the boy's frog." Autumn turned back to her twin.
"So, 'Tumn, how can you read and write?" Autumn grinned.
"Remember that girl I mentioned? She hadn't been raised on the street, and didn't want me to stay there. So she taught me how to read, write, and speak properly. Told me to take any chance I could, she did. Told me follow my gut. That's how I got those two. Woke up and those two were starin' at each other." Autumn was well aware that her grammar had slipped, but this was her sister, the one who dreamed every night while Autumn herself was awake. The one who would understand – at least in the abstract – her best of all. Of course she didn't remember the earliest of her years, she had no reason too.
"And the three of you are close?" Gin remembered that too.
"We have to be Gin. Out there are no adults to look after you. Gotta do it yourself – if you aren't alone, gotta trust who you're with or you've got nothing." The compartment door opened and the trio leaped to their feet. Gin just smiled and started to speak until she saw the new person. It wasn't the bushy-haired girl, Hermione. This girl had two mountain-troll-like boys on either side, and she looked rather like a pug.
The pug squealed in this awfully high-pitched voice that strained the eardrums of the others in any proximity. "Draco! I'm so happy to see you!" The pug leaped on the blond and smothered his face with kisses. Autumn growled low in her throat and grabbed the girl by the hair.
"Get off of him if you value your hide" Autumn growled at them, and the girl cowed.
"Hello Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle." Draco drawled in an easy tone. Harry sad down next to the new redhead, interested in the conversation between the newcomers and his companions. Pansy ignored Draco for the moment and proceeded to screech at Autumn.
"Who do you think you are? I'm Pansy Parkinson you little tramp!" Autumn smiled as easily as Draco, adopting his arrogant stance.
"Is your name supposed to mean something to me?" the shocked look on the new girl's face made Virginia giggle and Harry smirk.
"I don't know who you think you are, although from the looks of your horrid hair you're a Weasley, but no one talks like that to me!" Draco let out a cruel and sharp laugh.
"Shove it Pansy. None can talk to you like that because of your father. No one can talk to her like that because she won't let them." Pansy turned in what she must have thought of as a graceful twirl (although truth be told it looked more like an injured elephant stomping around) and let out an indignant shriek as she and the hulks left. Hermione edged in around them, giggles on her face. Draco and Autumn sat and cuddled up, Harry joining them. Hermione sat next to Virginia and introduced herself. Then the next words out of her mouth made Autumn crack a smile.
"I read about Harry Potter and Autumn Weasley. Although the names the press are rather silly. Honestly! The boy-who-lived and the lost-Weasley!"
"They actually gave us those stupid names? I though Draco was just making that one up!" Harry smirked. Draco growled at him. "So what house do you think you'll get?" The answer was so prompt the children burst into laughter –even Hermione.
"Ravenclaw." When the five calmed down Hermione went on. "What about you four?"
"Slytherin." Came from three mouths at once. Both Virginia and Hermione were surprised at Autumn and Harry's answer. Draco saw and noted his answer was not a surprise. But Virginia interrupted before it could be explored.
"Gryffindor. The entire family has been, after all," she didn't seep to be pleased with this. Autumn hopped to the other bench, her head cocked at her twin.
"You don't sound to… pleased with that fact Gin. Why?" Virginia Leanne Weasley looked at her twin, Autumn Veronica Weasley, with a sad look on her face.
"I've been with you our entire lives Autumn. I've never been able to tell. I've had to put up with 6 older brothers without my sister, while my sister has had to take care of herself since age three without me. Yeah, that's bravery from Gryffindor for you. But it takes more than bravery to survive either situation. Your cunning is a must on the streets. I have to be cunning to avoid being the target of older brother pranks and over protection. Six brothers who won't understand that you, and by proxy me, are much more mature than our years. You've had to put up with things that we shouldn't even know about until halfway to our graduation, and even then it should only be something whispered about on the wind. You should have been with me, and maybe then it would be different…"
"Then we'd be the innocent little Gryffs we were meant to be? Then we'd have been sheltered by our brothers and not come to school until next year. Then, oh I don't know, something would have happened. But it didn't happen that way. You remember most of the things I've had to do to feed myself since I've been old enough to, well, not be infantile. Sometimes that's what you got to do in hard times. And you understand that, as much as I do, because you were there. We'll see what that hat has to say. But whatever it says, I think we should promise to be friends no matter house rivalries or peer pressure." Autumn had taken Virginia's hands in her own halfway through her words. And the meaning of her words met everyone in the compartment full in the face, including Hermione. And each of them was well aware of the Gryffindor – Slytherin house war. War of a type was no stranger to the trio from the streets, therefore not a problem for the redhead straight from her family's bosom. The chocolate-eyed brain had no problem either; the challenge would give her something to do when schoolwork was over.
"Aye. This group will be something to behold." Draco smirked. He studied Hermione closely. "Hermione, are either of your parents wizards? I don't recall the name Granger." Hermione shook her head. "Well then I should warn you now. There are many in the Slytherin house that thinks Muggle-borns are beneath purebloods. Product of their parent's legion with the 'Dark Lord,' Voldemort. Ignore them." Hermione nodded sharply, having already encountered a group teasing a second year, calling them 'mudblood' and the like. She hadn't known the problem, but now she did. She also understood that Draco may well have been one of those people once upon a time.
"People with superior attitudes have always teased me, for some reason or another. I'll deal with it." Draco gave a true smile at the girl's audacity. He was thinking that she'd be in Gryffindor. That was good though. Meant Autumn's Twin wouldn't be alone in her house. Draco had developed a quick and accurate ability to judge people in his year on the streets that would aid them. He agreed whole-heartedly with his Autumn's plan. They were different. He could tell Hermione would be. Their … alliance … would aid them.
The group sat chatting, getting to know each other. Hermione was filled in on the situation about the trio having their own separate rooms. The trio was filled in on the status of the wizarding world. Soon enough the bell sounded, telling them that they were pulling into the Hogsmeade station. The group had yet to change into their school uniforms. Virginia and Hermione were slightly surprised when the trio just pulled off their over cloak and were already dressed for school. Autumn made the boys turn and close their eyes so the other girls could change without the hassle of going outside, into the mass confusion of the people they could hear outside. For one, the trio weren't used to that kind of activity. In the city they had always avoided the busy streets during the day, which was the busiest. The train began to unload and the newly formed group presented a united front to the rest. Each an outcast for some reason or two.
The street urchin, the child wise beyond her years.
Her twin, the not so innocent family girl, a year early to the school.
The unwilling and un-wanting savior of their world.
The heir to the darkness, loathe of the title.
The muggle born, too smart to be normal.
Each with their own brand of personality to add to their little group. The other children unconsciously stepped back from them, their long buried instincts telling them, screaming at them to be wary of the predators before them as they loaded the little boats and floated quietly to the magnificent castle that would be their home for the next seven years.
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I apologize for this being so short. But I wanted the sorting to be a separate chapter.
And again thank you to all the ppl who reviewed!
Next… Sorting!!!
~DkTyga.