A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did. I wish I did. I wish I did. Maybe if I say it enough I will… yeah, that's wishful thinking.
Haley Potter kissed her mom and dad good-bye at Platform 9 and 3/4. "Bye Mum! Bye Dad!" she called behind her. She headed toward the Hogwarts Express. Her long flaming red hair swished behind her and her emerald green eyes sparkled.
"I'm going to miss her so, Harry," her red-headed mom sobbed onto her dad's shoulder. He patted her on the back gently as he followed his daughter with matching emerald green eyes.
"She'll be fine, Ginny. She's eleven now. She'll make new friends and learn a lot," he said. However, he knew that he would miss Haley's presence in the house.
Haley searched for a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. She spotted her lonely looking cousin, Mark. He was sitting alone in a compartment and staring fixedly out of the window. She opened the door and put her trunk in the bins. "Hello, Mark," she said, sitting across from him.
"Hi, Haley. How'd your mom take you leaving?" he asked. He had flaming red hair, just like Haley did because her mom and his dad were siblings. His eyes were chocolate brown.
"Not well. She was sobbing onto dad's shoulder when I left. How did Aunt Hermione take it?" she asked, referring to his mother.
He shrugged. "Her eyes were so red she had to wear sunglasses so people wouldn't worry, if that tells you anything," Mark said. Haley laughed.
"I was never good at making friends," Mark said abruptly.
"Me neither. Do you think we'll have any friends besides each other?" Haley asked. As if to answer her question, the compartment door slid open. Both Mark and Haley looked to see who it was.
A tall boy entered. He had pale blonde hair and striking lime green eyes. He was rather handsome. "Potter, is it?" he asked, indicating Haley.
She nodded and stood up to introduce herself. "I'm Haley Potter," she said, and extended her hand for him to shake. He ignored it.
"I'm Kyle Malfoy," he said.
She gaped at him. "Malfoy? Is your father Draco Malfoy?" she asked. He nodded. "My dad has told me loads about yours. Apparently they were rivals in school," she said.
Kyle smirked. "So I've been told. My dad has told me my whole life that your family is heroic, but overestimated," he said.
Mark stood up, his temper flaring. "Don't!" Haley hissed at him in warning. She turned to Kyle. "My father saved the wizarding world, and inadvertantly, your arse!" she retorted angrily.
Kyle shrugged, then looked at Mark as though seeing him for the first time. "What's your last name?" he asked him.
Mark hesitated, but said, "Weasley."
Kyle smirked yet again. "I thought so. Are you two related?" he asked. They nodded. "Of course. Your dad must be Ron Weasley," Kyle said.
Mark nodded.
"My dad said he had a real temper and was an awful Quidditch player," Kyle said.
"Excuse me," Haley said, "but my uncle is an amazing Quidditch player. He led the Chudley Cannons to their best winning season last year!"
"Sorry, but I've got better things to do. See you at school," Kyle said and left.
Haley sat down and groaned in frustration. "I guess that's a no," she said. They both grinned.
They arrived at Hogwarts. Haley was astounded by the size and beauty of the castle. She felt as though for the first time in her life, she was capable of anything. Okay, so she didn't have any friends besides Mark yet, but all in due time. As she boarded a small boat with Mark and a timid blonde girl, she couldn't help but grin.
"Do you think we'll have a good time here, Mark?" she asked. Her eyes absorbed the surface of the Black Lake and the way it shimmered in the moonlight.
"Sure. I mean, our parents did. Didn't they?" he said. He let his hand skim the surface of the water. It was so cold it felt like daggers piercing his skin.
"They did. Well, when they weren't busy saving the wizarding world," she snorted. Mark laughed.
When they entered the Entrance Hall, the ghosts glided in to meet them. Mark nudged his cousin. "What house do you think we'll be in?" he asked.
She looked at him incredulously. "Gryffindor, of course. I mean, I have Potter and Weasley blood and you have Weasley and Granger blood. What other house would we be in?" she asked. He shrugged.
For reasons unbeknownst to them, Kyle made his way over to them. "What house are you two hoping for? Gryffindor I expect?" he asked.
Haley grimaced. "To answer your question, yes. And why do you care again?" she asked.
He rolled his eyes. "Look, you two are the only other here I've talked to aren't groveling to be my friends," he said.
Mark snorted. "You are so full of it. Shove off, Malfoy," he said. Haley didn't stop him. Kyle made her blood boil Weasley style.
"Fine. But you're making a mistake," he said with finality. Kyle walked off.
"That was amazing, Mark. I'm proud of you," Haley said. She punched him lightly on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Hales," he said, grinning.
Just then the doors to the Great Hall opened the a flood of first-years poured in. The teacher calling the names yelled somewhere in the middle of the sorting, "Malfoy, Kyle!" Kyle, as expected was placed in Slytherin almost instantaneously. He got off the stool with a smirk on his face. Mark and Haley waited next to each other nervously until the teacher reading the list called, "Potter, Haley!" Mark gave Haley a thumbs up sign and grinned. She grinned back nervously. Whispers went up from the crowd. Haley sat on the stool and placed the Sorting Hat on her head.
"Hmmm, a Potter, eh? Oh and part Weasley. Brave, yes I see. And very smart. It's either Slytherin or Gryffindor with this one. But which to chose?" the hat whispered in her ear.
"Never Slytherin. Not Slytherin. Please, any house but Slytherin," Haley whispered, her eyes closed in concentration.
"Ahhh, like your father, I see. Perhaps I should put you in his house… yes… GRYFFINDOR!" the hat said.
Haley took the hat off and hopped off the stool. She sat down at the Gryffindor table next to a first year boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes. "I'm Terry Longbottom," he said. She shook his hand.
"I'm Haley Potter," she countered. She turned back to the High Table and waited nervously for Mark to be sorted.
The teacher finally called, "Weasley, Mark!" Whispers went up from the crowd once again. It seemed that Haley and Mark's parents aroused a lot of questions. Mark placed the Sorting Hat nervously on his head and sat on the stool.
"Ahh, another part Weasley. Oh, and part Granger, too. I remember them well. I suppose there's only one house to place you in: GRYFFINDOR!" the hat cried. Haley cheered loudly for her cousin as he took a seat on her other side. Haley introduced Terry to Mark and vice versa.
After the sorting was
finished, Headmistress McGonagall said a few welcoming words.
Then
the feast magically appeared in front of them. Astounded by the
quantity of food before them, Terry, Haley, and Mark started piling
food onto their plates. When they had eaten as much as they wanted,
they began a discussion about classes.
"I can't wait for Defense Against the Dark Arts class, my mum and dad both did really well there," Haley was saying.
"Arithmancy is what I'm looking forward to. My mum was the best in her year in that," Mark said.
"My mum is a Muggle. My dad's favorite subject was Herbology," Terry said. Suddenly a look of realization spread across Haley's face.
"Oh, your dad is Neville Longbottom! My dad talks about him all the time. They're really close friends," she said. Terry nodded. Just then, dessert appeared, cutting their conversation short.
When they were done eating, Haley felt suddenly sleepy and wasn't in the mood for conversation. They followed the Gryffindor prefect up to the Gryffindor tower. They entered the common room where Haley bade goodnight to Terry and Mark. She headed up to her dormitory and meet her roommates. Their names were Lydia Finnigan, Riley Smith, Jane Stone, and Kayley Thomas. Haley rather liked Lydia, Riley, and Kayley, but Jane was as arrogant as Kyle was. She seemed materialistic. Haley climbed into her four-poster bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Meanwhile, Mark and Terry were meeting their roommates. Their names were Sean Patterson, Peter Johnson, and Walden Hookes. Mark and Terry found they had a lot in common. They conversed shortly with Sean, Peter, and Walden before Terry and Mark climbed into bed, exhausted.
