I'll be fine

Yeah I'll be alright

Oh I'm gonna breakthrough

I'm gonna have some fun

That's what I'm gonna do

Oh I'll go without you

I'm gonna have some fun

That's what I'm gonna do

Trains and Unknown Obstacles

The day after the twins met Ginny was the family's last day in Diagon Alley. Mrs. Huntington was extremely tearful and insisted on buying the girls an ice cream three times during the day. The twins' aunts and uncles treated their cousins the same way.

"Personally I like my parents much better now," Carlton said, his face covered in strawberry ice cream, "I mean, now that they buy me stuff. I only wish that they'd let me have a broom. It's such bull that they don't let first years have broomsticks."

Olivia smacked Carlton upside the head. "Really, she said sternly, "must you be so vulgar? Honestly, what will the other children in our year think when they hear the way you talk? We're from a very old powerful family Carlton, don't you go ruining our reputation with your awful vocabulary!"

"Or lack there of." Michael chuckled to himself, happy that for once he'd been able to slide in an at least semi-scathing comment. Carlton sneered at him, then stuck out his tongue.

"Ew!" Cassie retreated away from Carlton, "Your tongue is disgusting! Put it away, Put it away!"

Carlton retracted his tongue, and smiled, obviously very pleased with himself for disturbing a usually calm Cassie. "Ha! It'll be even worse at school. Without mum and dad around to control me I'll be able to pull off my pranks in peace." Carlton's smile widened dangerously, "I'm planning to give the Weasley twins a run for their money; not that they've got much of it."

Carlton retreated down the street as Olivia and Michael chased him down towards the Leaky Cauldron. Cassie smiled at Alex, "It's going to be a very interesting year."

The five cousins stood next to the barrier between platforms nine and ten in Kings Cross Station. All of them were covered in very large lipstick prints. Carlton looked especially displeased.

"Now you all be good!" Mrs. Huntington said tearfully. She took a lacy handkerchief out of her muggle jeans' pocket and blew her nose loudly. "Take care!"

Mr. Huntington hugged Alex and Cassie at the same time, his arms wrapped around them both. "Now you had better write, or I'll have to take time out of my busy schedule to come out to the school and find out what's keeping you. Plus you'll be home for Christmas, and that's not too far away. Only three months!"

Cassie wriggled out of her father's death grip. "Honestly Dad, do you want us to miss the train?"

Mr. Huntington let go of his daughters and pulled on his long muggle coat, trying desperately to straighten it. Alex and Cassie smiled up at their parents. "Don't worry!" they said in unison, "We'll be fine!" Then, before they could stop them the twins ran through the barrier pushing their carts in front of them.

The train glistened in front of them, the blood red engine billowing smoke. Students of all ages mingled together and milled about, dragging everything from trunks to pets. Alex stood rooted to the spot trying to take it all in. Cassie dragged on her arm, "Come on Alex! We're going to miss the train!"

"Alex? Cassie? Is that you?" a voice cried from the door leading to the last car.

"Ginny!" the twins cried at the same time. They ran over to the door. They found Ginny standing in the doorway trying helplessly to pull her heavy trunk onto the train.

"I, can't, get, it," she said heavily between pulls, "to, get, up, here!"

Cassie gently pried Ginny's hands off the trunk handle. "Don't over exert yourself," she said evenly in her most sophisticated voice, "We're already in for a long journey, and goodness knows what that will do to our appearance. You don't want to be presented to all of Hogwarts looking like one of those muggle homeless people."

Alex and Ginny's eyes met over Ginny's trunk. Alex shrugged helplessly. Trust Cassie to worry about appearance before necessity, she thought wryly. "Don't worry Ginny, we'll all work together to get your trunk on the train. Then you can help us." She turned to Cassie, "I believe the term used is 'hobo.'"

Cassie sniffed, "Whatever. No matter what you call them they still look awful."

In almost no time at all they had all their trunks on the train. Finally they came to the last compartment. It was occupied by one bushy haired girl busy reading a very large textbook. Alex remembered her to be Hermione Granger. Ginny pushed open the door to the compartment and said in a very polite tone, "Hermione, um, do you mind if we share this compartment with you?"

Hermione looked up startled from her reading. "Oh, just you Ginny. Have you seen Harry or Ron?"

Ginny shook her head, "No, I thought they were with you…"

Hermione gestured to the empty compartment, "Well, they're obviously not with me." She sighed, "I suppose I had better go look for them."

As Hermione left the compartment the three girls could just make out her mutter of "Boys!" as she wandered off down the train in search of her two best friends.

"Well, if she's not using it, this compartment is as good as any." Cassie tossed her muggle jacket onto the seat next to the window. "We're moving." The three girls scrambled to sit as the train lurched into motion.

Ginny's eyes darted around nervously, "I hope my brother and Harry got on alright," she said, blushing a little when she mentioned Harry, "I mean, it's just… Well, they have a talent for getting into trouble is all."

Alex put a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder, "Don't worry about it Ginny. They're probably just off with some of the boys in their year, doing what boys do."

Ginny smiled weakly and sighed, "I suppose you're right."

Cassie looked up from the issue of Witch Weekly she had just pulled out of her trunk, "Of course she's right. Alex is right, mostly." Alex scowled at her sister. Cassie stretched out on her seat luxuriously; "Now me, I'm always right, and there's nothing you can do or say about it…" she let her sentence drop off as she curled an arm gracefully around her head so she could play with her hair as she read. She looks like a cat. Alex thought dreamily, not a curled up cat, but a stretched out queen of cats. I wish I could pull something like that off…

Cassie sat up with a start. "Oh! Almost forgot!" She began rummaging through her trunk and finally came up with a strange looking muggle object.

Alex rolled her eyes and sighed, "Oh Cass, you didn't; not again! Besides, once we get to Hogwarts you won't be able to use it."

An evil smile played across her twin's face. "That's what you think. I have something to make it work…" she turned back to her trunk and came back out with a small gold colored box.

Ginny drew in a breath very quickly. "I know what that is; but how did you get it?" Alex looked imploringly at Ginny. "It's a muggle thing. I think it's called a battery."

"Looks like it doesn't it?" Cassie tossed it up in the air and caught it again. "But it's not. Penny has been doing experiments. She modified this muggle battery to use some sort of magical current… I don't know the logistics, but essentially it works in muggle ekltronics but is better because it never runs out."

Alex looked at the battery, and then gazed up accusingly at her twin. "But Cass, how did you get her to give you one?"

Cassie innocently placed the battery in the muggle object. "Let's just say I knew something she didn't want anybody else to know. I said if she gave me this battery thing it would remind me not to say anything…"

"Blackmail," Alex shook her head.

"It comes in handy," Alex was surprised to see Ginny gazing raptly at the muggle object. She blushed, "In a house full of brothers, especially Fred and George you learn fast to use blackmail. Otherwise you never get anything done."

The twins shrugged, and Cassie turned her attention back to the object. "It's called a 'radio.' This one can play muggle 'radio' stations and something called compact discs."

"Wait Cassie, you told us where you got the battery, where did you get the radio?" Ginny seemed to be relaxing in the company of the twins.

Good thing too, Alex thought to herself, she was so timid when we first met her. "It's Michael's." she said calmly, watching as Cassie pulled a compact disc from her trunk, "He likes muggle music. Cassie has been stealing it since he got it. Of course we never listen to anything like what Michael listens to,"

"Too loud, plus it's depressing." Cassie carefully lifted the CD out of it's plastic case and inserted it into the radio. "Done. Now who wants to listen to some Franz Ferdinand?"

"What's Franz Ferdinand?" Ginny asked, but Cassie had already pressed play.

Jacqueline was seventeen

Working on a desk

"S'alright." Ginny shrugged.

Cassie held a finger up to her mouth, "Shh. You haven't even heard the whole song. It gets better."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. Alex giggled a bit. "Cassie happens to love them. I like them fine, but I prefer Kaiser Chiefs."

"Oh, and Keane is simply divine…" Cassie swooned and carefully 'fainted' on her seat without dislodging the radio.

It's always better on holiday

So much better on holiday

That's why we only work when

We need the money

The girls listened to the entire CD and moved on to several others. They were listening to a group called Coldplay when someone burst into their compartment.

"Have they come… What is that noise?" Hermione had returned from her search of the train empty handed. Cassie picked up the radio and sat up, making room for Hermione to sit next to her. "Thank you. Now where did you get that?"

"Do you know what it is?" Cassie asked innocently.

Hermione raised an eyebrow imploringly, "I'm muggleborn, of course I know what a radio is. I just want to know how you've got it to work. We're nearly to Hogwarts and muggle electronics should have stopped working about an hour ago."

Cassie, Alex and Ginny's eyes met. Cassie smiled, "Oh well, I have ways."

Rather than ask anymore questions Hermione shrugged and sat down next to Cassie. "Do you have any Beatles?"

"No, God I'm so stupid!" Cassie smacked herself in the head, "I left the CD at home… and I can't ask mum to send it because then she'll find out about my stealing it from Michael and blackmailing Penny into giving me the battery!"

"I see we've been breaking rules before we even arrive." Hermione gave Cassie an appraising look. Her eyes softened, "But it's not harming anyone. Music is important, they should allow muggle music players, but no such luck." Hermione sighed and looked out the window, "Harry and Ron are always getting into danger. They break the rules all the time. I could tell you such stories…" her voice trailed off. Suddenly Hermione looked much older than twelve. Alex had to remind herself that Hermione was only a year older than herself. Hermione snapped back to reality, "Ah well, I'm sure they just got lost. They're probably out looking for me."

Ginny patted Hermione comfortingly on the back. "Don't worry about it Hermione. I'm sure they're fine. Harry and Ron can take care of themselves.

As soon as they arrived at the Hogsmeade Station Hermione pointed the girls in the direction of a very rough looking man. He was gargantuan, tall and wide with wild hair and an equally wild beard. He had on a very large worn and patched coat, ("Ew!" Cassie couldn't help herself from commenting on his wardrobe, "Where has he been living, the Forbidden Forest?") and very large rubber boots.

"Firs' years!" He cried, swinging a lantern over the crowd of students, "Firs' years to me!" Within fifteen minutes there was a crowd of thirty students. Anyone could tell they were the first year student because all of them were smaller than the rest. "Good, I think I've got all o' yer. This way, we're goin' across the lake. No more 'n four ter a boat. Come on, get movin'."

The children all scrambled to get into a boat with their friends. The twins and Ginny ended up in a boat together. As the boat pushed off from the shore of it's own accord Alex felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. Although she could never recall being nervous before in her life she was sure now that she most definitely was. Even the levelheaded Cassie looked uncharacteristically white. Finally they arrived at a dock that was hidden under the cliff that the castle perched on. Hagrid, as Hermione had told them was the large man, led them into the dungeons of the school. Once inside they climbed up several flights of stairs and ended up in a room Alex assumed to be adjacent to the dining hall due to the amount of noise coming from behind the door in front of them.

"I'll take them from here Hagrid." A woman dressed all in black appeared from the room behind the door. Hagrid bowed respectfully to the woman and exited into the room beyond. The woman turned to face the thirty young students. "You are about to be sorted." She eyed them all dangerously, "You are to wait patiently and quietly in line, and when your name is called you will come forward and sit on the stool. Once you have been assigned a house I expect you to go immediately and sit down at your house table. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." Carlton muttered. Olivia, who was standing next to him, immediately smacked him upside the head. The woman glared at him. "I sincerely hope that you are in my house. It seems you are a child in serious need of discipline."

All the Huntington children giggle helplessly as Carlton turned red and closed his mouth. "Wouldn't it be hilarious if he did get put in her house?" Cassie whispered to Alex and Ginny. They all giggle some more until the woman turned her glare to them. They immediately ceased.

"Alright, you may go in. Keep in single file, stop pushing!" The woman opened the door and ushered the new students in. The hall was full of students who immediately stopped their chattering to stare at the silent procession.

A stool and a hat was brought out and laid carefully on a raised platform in front of what Alex assumed was the staff table. All of the occupants of the room stared at the hat, the new students in bewilderment, the old expectant.

"Creevey, Colin." The woman in black had taken out a long roll of parchment and an eagle feather quill. The small boy shuffled up to the stool, then looked back at the woman. She sighed heavily, "Well put it on boy. We haven't got all night."

Blushing slightly, the boy picked up the hat and sat down on the stool. He carefully placed the hat on top of his head, but it promptly slid down and covered his face. There was complete silence for a several minutes. Finally the hat called out for the whole hall to hear, "Gryffindor!" The boy nearly leaped off the stool, only just remembering to remove the hat before running off the platform to join his new house.

The other children waiting to be sorted clapped politely while the Gryffindors whooped and cheered for their new housemate. "Well," Cassie whispered to Alex and Ginny, "I suppose what Derrick told us about having to swing over a mote full of man-eating crocodiles was complete bullocks." Although this remark was meant to be lighthearted, it did nothing to relieve any of the girls' tensions.

Several more students where sorted into Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin as well as several more into Gryffindor. Finally the intimidating woman in black called "Huntington, Alexandra."

Alex stepped up carefully to the stool. Somehow the hat seemed even more intimidating than a mote full of crocodiles. She knew what to expect from a crocodile, she had no idea what this hat had in store for her. It's just a stupid hat, she thought rebelliously as she tentatively stretched out a hand to grasp the hat. Quickly, before she could change her mind, Alex grabbed the hat and pulled it on. The hat was so large it fell al the way past her chin.

I am not a stupid hat. A voice said in her head. Alex turned as if trying to find the owner, even though she already knew whom it belonged to. You are an intelligent child; the hat said satisfactorily, I spent five minutes trying to convince that boy Colin that it was the hat talking to him. Good thing he had exceptional bravery or else he would have ended up in Hufflepuff. Alex giggled quietly to herself. Yes, that is funny, the hat commented, I am quite witty aren't I? I suppose it's from sitting up on a shelf all year making up jokes to amuse myself. Well, suppose I had better sort you now. Alex was almost disappointed. The hat was someone intelligent to talk to. It was a shame she didn't really have anyone of academic caliber to talk to on a regular basis. I see you seek intelligent peers, the hat replied, Hmm, but you have many other qualities as well. You, Miss Huntington, seem to be the perfect mix of every House. You are clearly intelligent, far cleverer than your peers. You are brave, and tend to get into trouble. You are hard working and incredibly loyal. However, despite all this you are very ambitious and sly as well. Though you would never cheat on anything, you are willing to almost anything to get where you need to go… Now where to put you? You would do well in any of the Houses of Hogwarts. A fine young lady such as yourself I think I could trust to choose her own destiny. Think carefully though; make sure that you are sure. Alex spent the next minute thinking hard. There were parts of all the Houses she liked. She knew Cassie would probably end up in Slytherin. She was also probably expecting that Alex would be sorted into Slytherin as well. Ginny's had told them her whole family had been in Gryffindor for ages. Historically Huntingtons had been Slytherins, albeit of the nicer variety. However they had been known to be sorted into every House over the centuries. Then suddenly Alex knew. She smirked to herself. Are you sure? The hat asked, although it knew the answer. Wonderful! Off to… "Ravenclaw!" the hat shouted out to the hall.

As Alex removed her hat and walked proudly down to her new House she turned to see the expression of shock plastered all over her twin's face. Alex had been right; the look of surprise of Cassie's face was entirely worth it.

"Congratulations cousin!" Penny pushed Alex into a seat next to her, "I knew you would be here, I knew it!" Alex could not stop smiling as all of Penny's friends tried to introduce themselves at once. Penny promptly 'shhed' them all. "Shut up you lot! My other cousins are being sorted!"

"Huntington, Carlton." The woman called out. Carlton shuffled over to the hat. He wore it for about two minutes, during which he seemed to be arguing with it. Finally the hat called out "Gryffindor!" Carlton removed the hat, a sour look on his face. The woman reading the list however looked quite happy indeed.

"Who is that woman?" Alex asked Penny, "I assume she's the head of Gryffindor House."

Penny nodded, "She's Professor McGonagall. Teaches Transfiguration. Pay attention in her class. Transfiguration is tough, and she only makes it harder. Probably the most anal teacher except Professor Snape."

"Huntington, Cassandra." Professor McGonagall read off the parchment. Cassie walked up to the stool, her previous shock replaced entirely by her nerves. However the hat was barely over her ears before it was shouting "Slytherin!" to the hall.

Alex clapped for her twin. Cassie did not look calm at all and kept looking back at the Ravenclaw table. Alex gave her a thumbs up. Near-by at the Hufflepuff table she heard two fourth years asking each other, "Wait, did that one go twice?" Alex giggled, very pleased she hadn't chosen to go to Hufflepuff.

"Huntington, Michael." Michael was soon sorted into Gryffindor. He seemed quite displeased at being to the same house as Carlton. Carlton however, looked almost too pleased to see Michael. He had already placed a fork onto the seat he pressing Michael into. Michael's screech of pain was barely audible over the cheers of his new Housemates.

"Huntington, Olivia." Olivia took a bit longer than her other cousins, although not nearly as long as Alex herself. After about three minutes of contemplating the Sorting Hat sent Olivia to Slytherin.

"Oh well," Penny shifted back to her friends. "Too bad. I was hoping she would be put in Ravenclaw as well, but she was always a bit too concerned with family pride and status anyway. Cassie obviously was going to Slytherin. She has a nose for trouble. I was sure Michael and Carlton were going to Hufflepuff. They're almost useless. But I guess Gryffindor is better than Hufflepuff, so we lucked out this year." Penny's friends nodded and lapsed into a discussion on course difficulty. Alex, however was still watching the remaining first years, intently focused on seeing Ginny's destination.

After every other first year had been sorted "Weasley, Ginny" was called up to the stool. However all the build up ended up being a bit of a let down. Ginny had barely placed the hat on her head before it was shouting out that Ginny would go to "Gryffindor!"

The following feast was much more fun than the sorting. After about fifteen minutes both Ginny and Cassie came over to the Ravenclaw table, which was about halfway between the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables to talk to Alex. She told them all about how the Sorting Hat had given the decision to her.

"So Cass," Alex turned to her twin, "were you surprised?"

Cassie slapped her lightly on the shoulder, "You chose Ravenclaw just as a joke to freak me out!" she cried, although she seemed more admiring than angry, "Alexandra Cornelia Huntington, you are so, so… Well I don't have a word for it now, but I will come up with one soon!"

Alex smiled, only slightly evilly, "I told you I'd surprise you, and I did. I'm a woman of my word."

Ginny snorted in a very becoming fashion, "I sincerely doubt that you are a woman of your word. You're only eleven."

It was Ginny's turn to get smacked. "Hey! Only I snort like that! It's one of my endearing charms!"

Both Alex and Ginny snorted at this and were only saved from Cassie's mock wrath by Dumbledore's command of "Time for bed. All of you."

"See you!" Cassie and Ginny said at the same time and with that they sprinted off in opposite directions toward where their House prefects were leading the first years to the dorms.

Penny patted Alex on the shoulder. "Ready?" she asked kindly. Alex simply smiled and stood to follow her cousin.

Well, she thought happily, this year has already got off to an interesting start. I think I might have to nick Cassie's stolen radio tomorrow though. Doing homework is no fun without music.

"Ravenclaw first years, follow me!" Penny called out to the table. Seven students, including Alex stood to follow Penny. And with that they left the hall, the rest of Ravenclaw House right behind them all the way up to the dorm in one of the highest towers.