"Well you two have a fun time at Hogwarts," Hagrid told Harry and me at the train station. He handed us our tickets. I looked at it. "9 ¾? Hagrid there must be a problem with my ticket," I said turning around, but he already left. 'Odd wasn't he just there?' I thought. I looked at Harry. "Look at my ticket. It must have been a miss print."

"Mine says the same thing too," Harry said looking confused, "Maybe we should ask some one who works here."

"Good idea," I said. We walked over to a worker who was busy talking. "Excuse me," I said, "can you tell me where platform 9 ¾ is?" The man took our ticket and laughed. "There isn't any platform 9 ¾ children go find you parents, and don't bring back those prank tickets."

We walked away slightly angry with the man's little help. "How rude," I said under my breath. 'Wow I haven't said that in a long time,' I thought. "Um Stephanie," Harry said poking me, "I just heard that lady over there say something about platform 9 ¾." He pointed over to a redhead lady with lots of children. "Wow and I thought we had lots of people in our family," I said thinking out loud.

"Did you say something?" Harry asked me.

"Um I said let's go over and see if she can help us find it," I said with my ears turning light pink. We pushed our carts over to the woman with red hair. "Excuse me," Harry asked her. She turned around and smiled. "Can you show us where platform 9 ¾ is?"

"Over there," she said pointing to a brick wall. "This must be your first time. Fred will show you how to do it. Just close your eyes and run straight into the wall. Go ahead Fred." She pointed to one of the twins that had the same red hair as their mother.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," he said.

"I'm sorry now go on," she said.

"You were right I am Fred," he said. Then he started to run into the wall. "Watch out for the.." I said trying to warn him. But surprisingly he ran right through the wall and disappeared. "What just happened," I asked uneasily.

"Ok now the rest of you can go," the mother said. One at a time they all disappeared. "Why don't you go now dear," she said to me. I was nervous, and I guess she could tell. " "It's Ron's first time too," she said. The youngest of the boys gave a half smile. "Don't worry its easier if you run with your eyes closed. Now go on." I started to run. I closed my eye before I hit the wall, but I kept running. The next time I opened my eyes I was on the other side. Harry just ran through the wall. I waited for him, because he was the only person I knew here, and we started off to the train.

"This is my first time on a train," I said climbing the steps.

"Mine too," Harry said from behind me, "Nervous?"

"Just about going to the school, but not about the train. That should be fun," I said. We walked to an empty compartment. We took a seat by each other. I looked out the window at all the family saying their good-byes to each other. I felt a sudden pain of sadness. I wish my family were here. I better write a letter to them tonight.

The train lurked forward and I watched the scenery start to move by. Soon the station was behind us and we were off to Hogwarts. Then someone knocked on the compartment door. "Come in," I said still looking out the window. One of the red head boys from the station came in. "Um can I sit with you? All the other ones are taken," he asked.

"Of course," I said. The boy smiled and sat on the opposite side of Harry. "I'm Ron Weasley," he said holding out his hand.

"I'm Harry Potter," Harry said shaking his hand. The boy's eyes widened.

"The Harry Potter?" he asked surprised, "Can I see your scar, if you don't mind." Harry lifted up his bangs and reveled a lightning bolt-shaped scar. I looked over. I never noticed it before. "You had a scar?" I asked him, "How did you get it?"

"You don't know about Harry Potter," Ron asked. I shook my head.

"It's ok," Harry said, "I didn't know how I got it either till a few days ago. I'll explain it to you later." I nodded. There was another knock at the door. A person came in pushing a cart filled with what it looked like candy. "Would you like to buy anything?" she asked us.

"No," Ron said, "I already got something." He didn't sound too thrilled as he pulled out a sandwich wrapped in a plastic.

"We will take the whole lot," Harry said pulling out his money. Ron's face seemed to brighten up. "Hey I'll help pay," I said taking out my money.

I reached for a box out of the pile. "Bertie Bott Beans?" I read, "What are these?"

"They are Bertie Bott's every flavored beans," Ron said, "They have one of almost every flavor." I pulled a black one out and stuck it in my mouth. As soon as I could taste it I spit it out, opened the window, and through it out. Ron was laughing. "Ewe that was disgusting! It tasted like pepper!" I said upset, "What's so funny? I asked him that wasn't funny."

"Sorry," he apologized through laughs, "I should have warned you." Harry started laughing. "I didn't think it was that funny," I said folding my arms. They slowly stopped laughing.

"What is this?" Harry asked Ron.

"Oh that's a chocolate frog," Ron said through a mouth full of food. 'Disgusting,' I thought.

"Is it a real frog?" Harry asked.

"No. They just charmed it," Ron said. Harry opened the box and a frog jumped out and crawled out the window. I jumped not expecting it to move.

We talked and ate for some time later. I was happy now that I knew some people. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. And once again someone knocked on our door. A girl with brown bushy hair pulled it open. "Have you seen a frog?" she asked, "Neville lost his." We shook our head. She sighed, 'Well you better out your robes on. We are almost there. By the way I'm Hermoine Granger. Who are you?"

"Ron Weasley."

"Stephanie Tanner."

"I'm Harry Potter."

"The Harry Potter?" she asked him. Harry nodded. "Well I should be going." Then she left

"That was weird," I said.

"First years over here," we heard a booming voice call as we got off the train. We walked over to the where the voice was coming from. "Hagrid!" Harry and I said in unison. He smiled at us then led us and the rest of the of the first years over to some boats. "Three to a boat," he instructed us. Harry, Ron, and I climbed into a boat. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Then I saw out of the darkness a giant castle. "Wow," I said softly to myself, "What's that?"

"That's Hogwarts," Ron said also staring at it with wide eyes.

"That's our school? I'm going to be living there for an entire school year?" I asked surprised. I couldn't believe it! I would be living in a castle! I couldn't wait to tell my family about this. As we approached the castle I felt my stomach lurch. We waited at the front door of the castle. "So it is true the famous Harry Potter has come to join us," I heard a boy say from behind us. We turned around. I saw a boy with platinum blonde hair and cold gray eyes. "I'm Draco Malfoy," he said holding out his hand for Harry to shake. Ron snickered. "Do you think my name is funny?" he asked angrily, "Red hair, hand-me-down robes, you must be a Weasley. You better be careful picking out your friends Potter," he said smirking. I could tell Ron was hurt.

"I can decide who my friends are thank you," Harry said. Draco looked dumbstruck. I smirked. "What are you so happy about?" he asked me. I stopped smiling. "Who are you anyways?" But before I could answer him, the doors opened and an old woman came out with a pointed hat.

She looked at all of us. "It's time for you to be sorted," she said. 'Sorted?' I thought, 'I wonder what that means?' she lead us into the castle hall and we entered a room that looked like a dinning room. Me and the rest of the student were in aw by what we saw. You could see the night sky through the ceiling and there were candles floating in the air. "Those are just charmed," I heard someone say from behind me. It was Hermoine. "I read about it in Hogwarts a History," she said. I rolled my eyes. 'Know it all,' I thought to my self.

We stopped shortly before the teacher's table. The pointed hat teacher walked over, "Now you will be sorted into school houses. Gryfindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin," she said. As she went on Ron whispered to us, "Hope we don't get in Slytherin. There hasn't been a witch or wizard that has gone mad in there." I was just about to ask why but then I heard her calling names. "Hermoine Granger." I watched Hermoine walked up to the stool muttering something to herself. The teacher put the hat on top of her head. Hermoine looked surprise, then the hat called out Gryfindor. I jumped.

"Did that hat just speak?" I whispered to Harry. He nodded with an expression that he hardly believed it too.

"Stephanie Tanner," she called. I nervously walked up and sat on the stool. She placed the hat on top of my head. "Hello," the hat said.

"What did you just talk to me?" I thought.

"Of course I did," the sat said.

"I'm loosing it this is just a dream. Hats can't really talk."

"This hat can."

"How can you read my thoughts?" I asked it.

"Be quiet I need to decide which house to put you in," the hat said. It stopped to think for a moment and waited for it to decide.

"Gryfindor!" the hat called and everyone clapped especially the Gryfindor. I staggered over to the Gryfindor table uneasy from what had just happened. I took a seat by Hermoine. Later Harry and Ron were sorted into Gryfindor and that Malfoy was put into Slytherin. No surprise there. A person, who Ron told me, named Dumbledore the head of Hogwarts and one of the most powerful wizards alive, got up and explained the rules and introduced the teachers. "Now time for the feast!" he said. He clapped his hands twice and food appeared on the table.

"That was amazing," I said in aw.

"Are you just going to look at it or are you going to eat it?" Ron asked me with a mouth full of food. I gave him a look of discusses.

"Maybe not anymore," I said. I got some food but then I saw something. A ghost walked through the table. "Hey Nick," George, one of Ron's brothers said.

"Hello," the ghost said. I stopped eating and stared at it. After all these years of thinking there was no such things as ghosts, there right in front of me was a real ghost.

"I know who you are!" Ron said excited, "You are nearly headless Nick!"

"Nearly headless," Hermoine said, "How can you be nearly headless?"

"Like this," he said. He pulled his head till it was nearly off, "Almost completely off but sadly it was only less than half of inch away." I heard a few people say ewe.

After the feast we were lead to our dorms. "This is the Gryfindor Dormitory," Percy, another one of Ron's brothers said. He said the password and we entered through the painting of a fat lady dressed in pink. "The boys room is that way and the girls are the other way," he said pointing out the ways to go. "You trucks are already they're waiting for you."

I walked with the rest of the first year girls to our room. I found my trunk in front of a bed, which I guess is mine. I took out a picture of my family and placed it on a table on the bedside. I looked at the picture for a while and then went back unpacking. "Is that your family?" a person asked from behind me. I turned around. It was Hermoine. "Yeah that my family. That's my Dad, my Uncle Jessie, My Aunt Becky, My sisters DJ and Michelle, and my twin Cousins Nicky and Alex, and that my dad's best friend Joey" I said pointing them all out.

"Wow you have a big family," she said surprised.

"Well after my mom died, my dad asked my uncle and Joey to move in so they can help take care of us. Then Uncle Jessie married Aunt Becky then they had Nicky and Alex," I explained to her.

"Oh," she said, "I'm sorry about your mom."

"It's ok," I said. The there was an awkward silence. "Well it's getting late I better get to bed. I don't want to be tired for classed tomorrow," I said.

"Good idea. I should too," Hermoine said.

It was hard to sleep that night. I wasn't used to sleeping in a different bed. So I thought about my family and what I should write in my letter to them.



Well that's all I'm writing for now. Next time they will start classes.