So here it is, FINALLY! I'm so sorry for how long it took me, but school started getting crazy busy and I've had no free time at all. I would like to dedicate this chapter to a reviewer, Emo Goth Chick, thanks so much for all of your kind messages and encouraging me to get back into it! So I tried to make this chapter long for you guys since you had to wait so long, and I think I did, please let me know what you think! :)

Chapter 3

Over the course of the next few weeks, Alex spent all her time with Harper since they wouldn't be able to see each other again until Christmas. When September 1st came around, they had to say their good-byes at the house because Harper couldn't go along since she wasn't a wizard. Alex had trouble sleeping that night before they left for Kingscross Station, and she rolled around for hours, finally getting up at 3:30 am to start getting ready. Then, after Alex had everything packed in her suitcases, the family left at 4:30, because of the time difference. The got there and started looking for Platform 9 ¾, but of course, they could not find it.

"Why don't we just ask somebody," Alex groaned, getting impatient.

"Why don't you, you're the one riding the train?" Justin answered, annoyed. He was getting really tired of her complaining.

"Fine," Alex looked around a little until she found a boy with an owl. Well if he's got an owl then he's a wizard, she thought. Alex made her way over to the boy while taking in his appearance; he had messy jet black hair that looked like it had never been brushed, ugly round glasses, and was that a scar on his forehead?

"Hey, you!" She called out to the guy with the owl, behind her she thought she heard Justin mumbling something about, she has to ask a guy, but she ignored it. The guy with the weird scar turned and looked at Alex, almost looking a little worried that she would be addressing him. "Yeah, um, can you tell me how to get there?" She asked him, pointing to the spot where her instructions said Platform 9 ¾.

"Yes, it's this way," he responded, resuming his venture to 9 ¾. "Are you going to Hogwarts then?"

"Yeah."

"But I've never seen you before," he said, studying her as if he had never met another wizard before. Great, She thought, He probably thinks I'm pretty or something; she wasn't that attracted to him, but he seemed nice enough.

"That's because I'm a new student, transferring from America," she said proudly, just noticing how green his eyes were.

"America, really? That's so cool!"

"Yeah." Then turning to her family, "Come one! This way!"

"So what you do is run through the wall," he said casually, stopping in front of a very solid looking brick wall.

Alex snorted, "You go first." Then he turned away from her and pushed his cart through the wall at a fast speed. "But I don't run," Alex whined, and then ran through the wall, her family following her.

Alex found the black haired boy and walked up to him, "That was crazy," was the only way she could describe it.

"My name is Harry Potter, by the way," he said looking a little uncomfortable, as is his name was supposed to have some affect her in some way.

"Alex Russo," she said smiling, and she held out her hand and he shook it. Might as well start making friends now.

Then the loud airy whistle of the train horn sounded behind them, making Alex jump.

"I guess we should be getting on then," Harry said, you can sit with me and my friends on the way if you would like?"

"Sure, just let me say my good-byes first," she said rolling her eyes. Alex briefly remembered the boy she had met in Diagon Alley wanting to sit with her, but she just brushed off the thought. Turning to say good bye, she was met with an ugly display of wet smeared make-up and a loud sound of someone choking.

"Alex, sweetie, be careful!" her mother was just barely able to choke out the words, she was crying so hard.

They all said they good-byes, and Theresa cried some more. By the time she had finally allowed her daughter to go, Alex only had a few minutes left. So she hopped on the train, following Harry, and waved to her family as it began to start the long journey down the tracks. Alex had never felt more free, and she couldn't wait to begin the year.

"Follow me," came the voice of Harry behind her. He grabbed her hand and led her down the now busy corridor. They pushed through the tight crowd of people for what seemed like forever, gaining strange looks and stares from people, that made Alex feel uncomfortable, but Harry didn't seem to let it bother him. They kept pushing through until finally, Harry pushed open the door to a compartment that already had two people in it.

"Hermione, Ron, this is Alex. She's new this year," he introduced, as he sat down next to Hermione.

"Pleased to meet you my name is Hermione," she said, all in one breath; she had light brown puffy hair. "And this is Ron," she pointed to the ginger kid Alex had just sat down next to. He held out his hand and she shook it. Either his face is always red, or he was blushing, probably both.

"So what year are you in?" Hermione asked, addressing Alex very directly.

"Um, fourth."

"Us too!" Ron jumped in, looking a little too excited. "Do you know what house you'll be in?"

House? Alex tried to remember anything about being in a house in Dumbledore's letter. "I think they said I'd be sorted with the first years or something." Alex was beginning to get uncomfortable with all the questioning, how long before they asked her something she didn't know the answer to?

Luckily they were interrupted by Hermione shushing them, and a male voice carrying from the compartment next door.

"Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the headmaster there, you see. Well you know his opinion of Dumbledore, the mans such a Mudblood-lover – And Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother doesn't like the idea of me going to a school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line then Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defense rubbish we do."

The voice next door was interrupted by Hermione closing the compartment door.

"So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?" Hermione was saying angrily, it almost looked like she was shaking in anger. "I wish he had gone, and then we wouldn't have to put up with him."

Harry asked what Durmstrang was and then they entered into a conversation over explaining what it was. While Alex didn't understand anymore than Harry did on the subject, so she sat back and listened allowing her mind to wander.

"You'll learn soon enough that some people here, are rude, Alex," it was Ron who was now turned to her, bringing her back to the reality around her. She looked around and saw everyone was looking at her, waiting for a response.

"Isn't there always," she sighed

Later on Neville passed by their compartment and stopped in to say hi, but noticing Alex, decided to stay a while longer.

"Hey Alex," Neville said as he sat down next to her.

"How do you two know each other?" Harry asked defensively to Neville.

"We met in Diagon Alley this summer," he replied then turned back to Alex, "And you said you'd sit with me on the train."

He looked hurt so Alex had to defend her self, "I couldn't find you," she answered truthfully, not that she had really tried….

After that they all engaged in talk about the Quidditch World Cup. Alex wasn't really sure what it was, but she thought she had heard Max talking about it over the summer; so once again she sat back and listened. She was a little confused when she saw Ron and Neville oooing and ahhhing over an action figure, and excused herself to go to the bathroom and change into her school robes.

Her heart skipped a beat when she was on her way back and noticed the good-looking blond boy she had seen at Flourish and Blotts walking away. She made her way back to the compartment and sat down quietly, noticing the mood had shifted very strongly to anger while she was gone.

"Malfoy better watch his back." Ron was saying.

Finally the train pulled into the station and everyone hopped off into the pouring rain. Alex found things to cover herself with so her perfectly straightened hair wouldn't get wet, while everyone else just used their hands.

They all walked to hundreds of horseless carriages, where they entered one and it took them to the castle.

Alex stared up in shock at the castle in front of them; this was where she was going to live for the rest of the year. If she hadn't been so in ah of it she would have been joking about how old it looked.

"Excited?" Harry asked her. His sweet smile encouraged her a little bit and she smiled back and nodded, turning her gaze back to the Hogwarts castle.

Alex followed everyone inside and she was found by a teacher introducing herself as Professor McGonagall and told to follow her, she was to be sorted with the first years. The crowd of children looked up at her, some terrified, and some smirking and whispering. So Alex folded her arms and tried to look intimidating.

They all followed McGonagall into the Great Hall, Alex noticed as they entered, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville all sitting together at a long table and remember them telling her they were all in the same house; so these must be the houses.

The sorting began with a crazy hat singing a crazy song and then the sorting of the first years began.

"Russo, Alex," McGonagall shouted after a few had gone. This was it. Alex walked up and sat on the stool and the hat was placed on her head.

"Hmmm. Very difficult."

That's it! Did you like it? What house do you think Alex will be placed in? Thanks again for reading this and reviewing, it means so much to me! I don't know when I will update again, but I will try to make it sooner than last time.