So, these few first chapters are pretty boring, but I promise they'll get exciting later, reviews would be really great as I'm just new to this fanfiction thing and feeling a bit insecure Oh, and I forgot to put a disclaimer in last time. I don't own any of Rowling's characters or any other works of her brilliant mind. Thanks to A. N. Mouse for agreeing to be my Beta!

The Marauders, minus Remus, and a dumbstruck Ramona Weatherspoon stood at Hogsmeade station, turning their collars against a bitter Northern wind. The latter was brushing her shoulder length chocolate curls out of her eyes, squinting into the distance for the carriages that were rumoured to drive to students to the school.

"Sirius." She gasped, grabbing the boy's arm. "What on earth are those things pulling the carriages?" The carriages, which Jo swore always pulled themselves, were being drawn along by pairs of creepily magnificent skeletal horses, each wielding a set of bat-like wings.

Sirius looked puzzled. "Nothing's pulling them Mo, they pull themselves."

Ramona blinked, was she going mad. They were definitely there, weren't they?

"They're Thestrals." A calm, watery voice came from behind her and Ramona spun around. A pretty, black-haired girl was standing in the station, her face was plastered in dark make-up as if to make a statement about Satanism, or vampire rights, her blue eyes were fixed somewhat dreamily on the strange horses.

"You can only see them if you've witnessed death." Her voice was drifty. "You're Ramona Weatherspoon, you're sister talks about you a lot. My name is Heather; I look forward to meeting you. I'll see you inside."

Ramona had a thousand questions for the strange, gothic looking girl but she turned on her heel and disappeared into the crowd of waiting students.

"What in the name of Merlin was that all about?" Peter asked, staring at Ramona as if she'd just turned blue.

"Heather never talks to anybody…" Sirius looked equally puzzled.

"Yeah, Sirius tried to get into her pants in third year." James wasn't particularly worried. "I can't believe somebody else can actually see those horse things that she goes on about, wrote a whole bloody yard of parchment on them once, nobody even believed they existed."

"Yeah, well… I've been called crazy before." Ramona grumbled as Sirius pulled her up into the carriage, away from the creeping fingers of the northern wind.

"So… who… died?" James asked gruffly, "If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, nobody I knew. My mother and I were coming home from the Theatre last year and this motorbike slammed into the back of a van, the guy went flying, landed practically on top of us, neck broken… blood everywhere… it was pretty awful."

"At least it wasn't somebody you know though right?" Peter sighed, patting the girl on the knee.

"Yeah."

"So, who else is keen for this feast?" James piped, eager to change the somber subject.

"You just finished stuffing your face with pumpkin pasties." Ramona exclaimed. "How can you possibly be hungry?"

"I'm a growing boy, I need my sustenance."

'Just make sure you don't eat all the lamb chops," Sirius mumbled. "Incase Moony's late, you know they're his favourite."

James raised an eyebrow. "No, I didn't, unlike you, I don't pay a creepy amount of attention to Remus' everyday habits."

"Well, Sirius has to doesn't he?" Peter smirked in the darkness of the carriage. "I mean, what if they suddenly get hungry in the middle of all that hot gay sex?"

Ramona choked on her own spit. "What?"

"He's kidding Mo," James laughed. "It's guy humour."

"Oh, well, that's okay then." Ramona mumbled. "Not that I have anything against guys liking guys or anything…" she added hastily, the thought of Sirius and Remus together was actually sort of cute… not that she cared or anything.

"Neither do I Mo." James grinned. "So long as Siri doesn't start crushing on Snivellous…"

"I'd rather screw a hag, thanks all the same." Sirius made a gagging movement with his hand, before twisting it into the rude gesture that he then preceded to wave in James' face,

"Not that there's much difference." Peter added.

A large group of tiny, tittering first years shuffled nervously into the hall, staring all around themselves at the enormous magical room, flicking nervous eyes up to the long line of teachers that sat watching them with pride, Sirius and James had tried to explain to Ramona who each Professor was and what they taught, but Ramona had lost track as quickly as she was told, the only names she remembered were Dumbledore's, whom she knew of already, McGonagall, whom the boys had spent a fair deal of the train trip grizzling about, and Hagrid, who was sort of difficult to miss. Ramona and The Marauders watched the first years from the Gryffindor table, Ramona's gut twisting nervously. She was, for the moment, and honourary Gryffindor, due to the fact that her parents had written to Dumbledore for her, requesting that she be sorted in private so as to avoid the embarrassment of being the only non-tiny student in the squirming muddle that currently stood before the sorting hat,

Ramona had expected the hat to magnificent, colourful and bejeweled with rubies and emeralds, or at the very least tidy and respectable, but the tall pointy witch's hat that was perched in front of the quivering juniors was as tatty as ever. Its brim was torn and patched, the peak folded and crumpled in every direction, giving the thing a twisted, grumpy sort of face.

"What does it do?" She whispered to James, who was leaning, with an expression of boredom, on his hands.

"Wait and see."

Ramona jumped as a wide rip near the brim of the hat opened widely and, to the surprise of all the new students, herself included, the hat began to sing.

A thousand years or more ago,

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,

Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,

They hatched a daring plan

To educate young sorcerers

Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders

Formed a different house, for each

Did value different virtues

In those they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were

Prized far beyond the rest;

For Ravenclaw, the cleverest

Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were

Most worth of admission;

And power-hungry Slytherin

Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide

Their favourites from the throng,

Yet how to pick the worth ones

When they were dead and gone?

'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,

He whipped me off his head

The founders put some brains in me

So I could chose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,

I've never yet been wrong,

I'll have a look inside your mind

And tell where you belong!

The Great hall roared with applause as the sorting hat quieted. Some of the first years were quaking. Ramona flicked her curls out her eyes again, they had a habit of creeping over her brow to impede her vision, and leant in to Sirius who was sitting o her left.

"Does it always sing?" She asked in a whisper.

"Yep, comes up with a new song every year too. We think it must get bored up in Dumbledore's office all year."

Professor McGonagall, a tall, thin witch with emerald green robes, severe horn-rimmed glasses and a tight bun of black hair glided down the stairs with a large scroll of parchment and the sorting began.

"Hornby, Romelda." A tiny, cloned-haired girl with a long nose scuttled forward.

"Ravenclaw!" Shouted the hat. The Ravenclaw table burst into applause.

"Kenningway, Theodore."

"Hufflepuff!"

"Lemont, Dianna."

"Ravenclaw!"

"It's that easy?" Ramona asked as her fears dissolved quietly.

"Well yeah, what were you expecting?" James laughed as a small bouquet of brand new Gryffindors took their seats.

"Jo told me you had to answer a test, and the questions were next to impossible."

"Jo would say that."

The murmur of conversations that filled the vast hall stopped suddenly, falling into a polite silence as Professor Dumbledore, headmaster, genius and wielder of the longest beard Ramona had ever seen, got to his feet.

"Welcome, and welcome back, to Hogwarts." He said, smiling knowingly at the sea of pupils. "In a few moments, you will be free to gorge yourself to you heart's content, do try the treacle tart, I dipped my finger in, in the kitchens before and it is glorious. But before we begin, I must say a few words." The headmaster peered over his half-moon spectacles and surveyed the school carefully.

"Firstly, Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you, for the umpteenth time, that the forbidden forest is out of bounds to all of you." His eyes wandered over the where the Marauders sat awkwardly avoiding his eyes. "Hence the name."

"Secondly, or was it third? I'd like to introduce a few changes in staff." His hands, wrinkled like the leather of a much-loved book, gestured to the long rows of teachers on either side of him.

"I regret to announce the loss of our dear Professor Dorsil Grimblehurst, who has retired with her sons to Scotland where they plan to start up a flobberworm farm, we wish her all the best with that… endeavor."

Dumbledore wiped his severely crooked nose with the arm of his long purple robes.

"The position of Arithmancy teacher will be taken up by the lovely Professor Brontilda Marylin Blight."

A short, plump woman with curly red hair and a nose like a potato, stood up quickly, bumping the table with her large stomach, and bowed slightly to the school who clapped vigorously, nobody had liked Grimblehurst very much.

"Yes, thank you, Professor. The second change in staffing this year is brought about by the timely retirement of Professor Gareth Burglebee, whose witty remarks and pumpkin scones will be sorely missed amongst staff."

The teachers, excluding the new Professor Blight and a gaunt, black haired man with sallow eyes, nodded and murmured in agreement.

"His place, will be taken, by our own ex student, a favourite of yours I believe Horace," Dumbledore said, turning to the potion's teacher who was fiddling nervously with a spoon.

"Professor Tom Marvolo Riddle."

A low, nervous murmur passed over the hall, obscured only by the applause from the Slytherin table that erupted a second later. The gaunt, black haired man stood, with a painful looking smile curling over his thin lips, and bowed, very slightly to the school.

"Now, that that's out of the way." Dumbledore pushed his spectacles back up his wonky nose.

"Tuck in." he waved his hands with a subtle flourish and Ramona gasped. The previously empty plates and platters upon the long house tables were suddenly laden with food. The hall seemed to forget all about the terrifying rumours they'd heard about their new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor as they grabbed ruthlessly at the food on the table. Ramona was suddenly starving, and joined her ravenous new friends in heaping as much meat, potato, vegetable and pie onto her plate as she could. Ramona's family had always commented on how much she could eat for such a skinny thing. Ramona always said that it wasn't her fault she was a dweedy little nerd, as opposed to a tall, strapping beast like her sister, who would then precede to hurl mash at Ramona with malicious intent.

Ramona was halfway through her second slice of steak and kidney pie when there was sharp tap on her shoulder, Ramona turned sharply, suddenly face to face with her sister, who was holding out her hand with a smirk.

"So, got my five galleons?" Joanna asked.

Ramona scowled. "Cow. I'll give it to you later, I haven't got my wallet with me."

"Told you so, didn't I?" Jo turned on her heel to walk briskly back to her friends who were all giggling madly. Ramon shook her head.

"What's Weatherspoon doing squeezing money out of her sister?" Sirius asked, propping his head on Ramona's shoulder.

She brushed him off, blushing a little behind her brown hair.

"I owe her money for last week." She said, a little too quickly.

"Uh ha." Sirius didn't believe a word of it, obviously.

"Hey," Remus was suddenly there, squeezing between James and Peter who were sitting opposite Ramona. "What did I miss?"

"Oh hey, Moony." Peter gave his friend a strong pat on the back and the three Marauders all looked pleased that Remus seemed suitably unshaken by his visit to Dumbledore's office. "Not much, just a few new teachers."

"That Riddle character looks like a slimy jerk, I'll bet he was in Slytherin." James added, passing Remus the potatoes.

"Oh be quiet, we can't judge him before we've met him now, can we?" Remus tutted, shaking his head as he piled potatoes on to his plate.

"Says you. So anyway, what happened in Dumbledore's office? You look pretty pleased with yourself." Sirius was gnawing on a chop bone in a vulgar, dog-like fashion, making Ramona laugh.

"I'll tell you later." Remus muttered, glancing nervously at Ramona.

When the students were so uncomfortably full of Hogwarts cheer that they could barely walk, Dumbledore sent them up to their respective common rooms, save of course, Ramona, who was yet to find out which way she was going. Dumbledore himself glided down the hall to talk to her, and Ramona moved forward from her little group of troublemakers, leaving said boys to wonder whether to stay or go.

"So, Miss Ramona Weatherspoon." Dumbledore smiled down at her tenderly. "Your dear mother tells me you wish to be sorted privately."

"Yes Sir." Ramona replied, casting a glance sideways at the boys who were watching her apprehensively, Peter was licking his fingers and James looked as if he were about to be sick.

I suppose you'd better follow me to my office then." The headmaster gestured to towards the door. "You four, can head off to bed. Except you Remus, I'm sure Ms. Weatherspoon would like some company."

Remus blinked. "Of course, Professor."

Ramona waved nervously to James, Peter and Sirius and they scampered out of the hall towards the northern tower.

Remus and Ramona followed Dumbledore nervously. Ramona wanted to grab Remus' hand to keep herself from shaking, but told herself she was being stupid.

"Careful, the staircases tend to move around a lot." Remus whispered as they ascended. Ramona was gob smacked at just how enormous the school was. She couldn't even see the ceiling. Remus was right about the stairs, high above the three of them, Ramona could see them moving and switching all over the place.

"Ah yes, Hogwarts does like to play tricks on us, one could spend a thousand years in its walls and never know its secrets, or, indeed all of its passages, am I right Remus?" Dumbledore smiled secretively at the brown haired boy who suddenly seemed to have seen something very interesting on his shoe.

Ramona shrugged. Remus was allowed his secrets. The three came to a large door, guarded by two stone eagles.

Dumbledore raised his hands. "Fizzing Whisbee." He said softly, and the eagles parted, the door swinging open behind them.

Dumbledore's office was a strange, peculiarly decorated, circular room full of oddities. The walls were covered in portraits of who Ramona guessed were previous Headmasters and Headmistresses. There was a large stone basin in the corner, next to it a tall golden cabinet full of phials of a strange silvery liquid. The sorting hat sat on Dumbledore's desk. Ramona's lip trembled, realizing that the crumples in that dusty felt were about to decide her future.

"Sorry I haven't cleaned. I forgot I was expecting visitors and the house elves tend to steer clear of my office after an unfortunate incident with a dung bomb and a pair of enchanted trousers last year." Dumbledore sighed, placing an odd-looking brass instrument back on the mantelpiece.

"So, I just… put it on?" Ramona asked hesitantly, "There's no spell or anything?"

"Come. Come child, we haven't all day." The sorting hat muttered, causing Ramona to jump. Remus gave her shoulder a squeeze as she placed the tatty hat tenderly over her head.

It spoke to her in a low voice, whispering so quietly that she was almost sure Remus wouldn't hear. What Dumbledore's ears were capable of, she didn't know.

"Aah, you're a tricky one aren't you? There's wit… very clever aren't you? And brave… all those years of standing up to… oh! Ah, and a thirst for trouble, no doubt about that… I see you've already made friends to sate that hunger, then."

Ramona's heart was racing, why was it having so much trouble with her? What if it couldn't decide? What if there was a mistake? What if she was in Slytherin?

"Ambition is there too, oh, you are a tricky one… but I think I know just what you need…"

Ramona held her breath…

"Gryffindor!" The hat concluded for the whole room to hear. Ramona felt her heart burst with happiness. Remus bounded across the room and caught her in a tight and unexpected hug. Dumbledore smiled as if he's known all along, he probably had.

"Congratulations, Miss Weatherspoon, I'm sure you'll do credit to your house." He said calmly. "Now I'm sure Mr. Lupin would be delighted to escort you to your common room. Watch out for Peeves, Filch tells me he's feeling a little excited tonight."

Ramona already knew all about Peeves the Poltergeist from her sister's dastardly stories. She was a little nervous about running into him, but nothing could quash the happiness that filled her body.

She was in Gryffindor!

TBC

Reviews would be awesome, (begs like a sad puppy).