When I re-read this chapter, I realised that there were a lot of spelling mistakes and some contradictions. I corrected them and hope I found most of the mistakes. As I don't have much time lately, I wrote this chapter in quite a hurry. So, here's the corrected version

Star and Lightning

18th Chapter – The Trainride to Hogwarts

Harry woke up bathed in perspiration. He had, again, dreamed of Voldemort. Voldemort was very happy about something, but he didn't know about what. The red beams of a rising sun shone through the window inside his and Ron's room in Grimmauld Place 12. Today was September 1st, the day they would return to Hogwarts. But it was still early morning, nobody else was awake, yet. Harry turned on his back and stared at the ceiling, thinking about his sister.

She was so weird sometimes. One moment, she was laughing and joking with him and his friends or eagerly asking questions about Hogwarts, Quidditch and Magic and the next moment, she was quiet and irritated. But it was probably only because of her past. She had never known a family or real friends. Being a famous witch and having a twin brother must have been a shock for her after living on the street for 15 years. He didn't know much of what had happened in her life till now. She didn't speak about it very often and he didn't want to ask. He was content knowing that she existed and was with him, now.

Suddenly a thought struck him: Before he knew of her, he had thought that he would have to face Voldemort alone. But they defeated him together the first time, Voldemort had marked her, too. Maybe it was also both of them who had to fight against him the second time? Then it wouldn't be a lonely battle and the world's future wouldn't depend only on him. Yes, the prophecy must have meant both of them. Elisha was a powerful witch. Together, they would defeat Lord Voldemort!

Happy with these thoughts, Harry fell asleep again and was rewoken two hours later by Molly Weasley, who told him and Ron to dress and come down for breakfast.

Breakfast was eaten in a hurry. Harry and Hermione had almost packed the evening before and watched the Weasley children and Elisha run up and down the stairs to get their things done. Elisha wasn't very experienced with packing and therefore had a lot of problems, with which Molly helped her as much as possible.

When quarter past ten, everybody was packed, the students, Zaza, Molly, Tonks and Remus drove to King's Cross by Ministry cars. They arrived at the train station 10:49 and headed quickly for the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. Zaza was a bit reluctant to run straight at the barrier but did it nevertheless, because she was desperate to say goodbye to her little star before she left for a whole year.

At one minute before eleven, after all goodbyes were made, the students boarded the Hogwarts Express. Ginny joined her fellow fifth-year Gryffindors and the twins, Ron and Hermione went looking for an empty compartment.

Elisha was amazed by the ancient platform 9 ¾ and the scarlet engine, that would bring them to Hogwarts. And she was bewildered by people pointing at her and trying to talk to her. In the quiet of the compartment, they had found, she calmed down again and was excitingly looking out of the window. This wasn't only the first time, she went to Hogwarts, it also was the second time, she was travelling by train at all. She petted Serena who was rolled up in her lap and listened to Harry and his friends.

"What do you think, who will be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Hermione asked.

"Whoever it is, hopefully he or she is better than the last ones we had." Harry groaned while Ron nodded aggreeingly.

"I bet, it was difficult to find one. Dumbledore only accepted Umbridge because there was no one else." Hermione said. "Everybody seems to think, the post is cursed."

"Maybe, it is." Ron laughed. "Hermione, you are the one who always reads: tell me, is there a curse to curse a teaching position?"

Hermione huffed angrily and didn't respond. Harry was just about to say something in order to lighten up the atmosphere, when the compartment's door was opened and the blond and tall Draco Malfoy appeared. Grabbe and Goyle were standing next to him and he sneered:

"A weasel, a mudblood and two orphans. What a filthy gathering…"

At once Harry and Ron were standing and Harry said in a low voice: "Keep our parents out of this. If I'm not mistaken, your dear father should be in azkaban but he managed to weasel himself out like a slimy, little ferret."

Draco's pale face became a light shade of red and he opened his mouth to give an angry reply, when he suddenly stopped. A blue snake with orange eyes wound its way up his body and when it was around his neck, the snake looked him in the eyes and flicked out his tongue several times.

Elisha had gotten up, too and said in a threatening tone: "You'd better leave us alone, Malfoy. As you see, Serena is quite protective of me and doesn't like people who insult me. And maybe I should add: She is poisonous."

Draco looked at her wide-eyed. Harry found this situation quite funny: A Slytherin threatened by a Serpent. But he didn't want a dangerous situation to develop and therefore he told the snake to back off. Serena turned her head looking questioningly at Elisha. When she nodded, she rewound herself and returned to Elisha's seat. Malfoy quickly left their compartment and Ron laughed: "Did you see his face? It was incredible, I believe, I really saw fear on his face!"

After this incident, Harry and Ron played wizards' chess while Hermione and Elisha opened their books and read. But Elisha's thoughts were wandering off. This Malfoy boy. His father was a loyal follower of the Dark Lord. In order to play her role, she would have to be enemy with him. But she didn't think, she wanted to befriend him anyhow. From what Harry and the others had told her and from what she had experienced right now, she knew that he had a high opinion of himself and was somebody to think low of somebody who grew up on the street. She didn't have to act like she hated Malfoy, she really did. But people like him were the Deatheaters, who would one day be her followers. How could she hate her future servant? Damn it, why was this world that damned difficult?

Suddenly the door burst open again and a bunch of sixth-year Gryffindors peeked inside. Dean Thomas was the first one to speak: "Hi, everyone. Harry, we heard that your sister is here. Could we come in and meet her?"

Harry shot an encouraging glance towards Elisha and nodded. Elisha tensed a little but she knew that she had to go through this and the earlier the better. At first everybody introduced himself while she tried to keep in mind which name belonged to which face. And then, the questioning began:

"Can you really do Wandless Magic?" was the first question.

She nodded and explained: "It was the only sort of magic I did till now. I got my wand three weeks ago."

She was asked to show something and therefore levitated Hermione's book and set a chocolate frog on fire.

"Why didn't you two meet earlier? Where were you? Where did you learn to do magic?" Lavender Brown asked.

Elisha looked at Harry for reassurement and answered: "I lived on the street. I got lost after…, you know, after when Harry and I got these scars. And I learned magic an my own, by try and err."

For about half an hour, she was bombarded by questions about the scar, her life on the street, how they found each other, her hobbies, etc. When Serena slid out of Elisha's robe, everybody gawked in awe. Elisha caressed her, looked up and smiled: "And this is my pet, Serena. I must ask you not to provoke or disturb her, she is poisonous." And even more questions about her being a parselmouth…

Finally after about one hour, they left. Elisha sighed and let herself sink back in her seat. Hermione smiled at her and said: "Well done. You handled them well."

Elisha saw the three faces smiling at her and smiled, too. This hadn't been too difficult. She would manage this year. If it weren't for her being Voldemort's Heiress.

The rest of the ride was calm and Elisha passed her time staring out of the window and brooding. One question again and again: Had it been the right decision? She began to doubt Voldemort. These boys and girls had all been extremely nice, but they all were her Lord's enemies. In fact, he had tricked her into aggreeing. Aggreeing had been the only chance for her and Zaza to get out of Serpent Castle in one piece. And he had somehow entered and altered her mind when she had tortured and killed Garry. But there was no way back now. Voldemort was not a forgiving person. And she had read about it: Admitting what she had done would bring her straight to Azkaban, the wizard prison. Hermione had confirmed that the Dark Arts were not taught at Hogwarts but Elisha was fascinated by them. She wanted to learn them. Even if it meant being Voldemort's Heiress. He wanted to send her a message about their next meeting when she was at Hogwarts. She somehow dreaded that next encounter with him and the 'jobs' he would give her to do. But if she wanted to learn then she had to face him and she had to conceal her fears and doubts.

Meanwhile, the first stars were sparkling at the cloudless, dark blue sky. Elisha's thoughts were interrupted, when Hermione reminded them to put on their school robes. The boys left the compartment to leave the girls some privacy. Soon after they had changed, the marvellous castle Hogwarts came into sight. Elisha stared out of the window and gasped. The many towers were shining in a golden light and the castle was reflected in the Great Lake.

Elisha followed Harry and his friends out and Harry led her to Hagrid. The giant smiled at her and together with the first-years, she sailed over the Lake. Seeing the castle, she felt anticipation and a little fear. She was finally at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Starlett, the street kid, attended as Elisha Potter, twin sister of the famous Harry Potter, the best (and only) School of Witchcraft in Great Brittain. Her life had changed so much in the past weeks, it was incredible. And then she stepped out of the boat and slowly followed the first-years to the door of the Great Hall where the Sorting would take place.