Ah, another chapter of Potter's keeper. It's probably going to follow very closely to the books.

BTW tar heel superstar, Hermione does play a part in this story. Her roll may have shrunk slightly, but it isn't HP if Hermione's not there. Golden Trio is awesome.

Plus, who does Ron marry? Lavender? No I'm not that cruel.

I DO NOT OWN HP. JKR DOES.

WARNING! IF YOU DO NOT LIKE OVERLY PROTECTIVE PEOPLE, DO NOT READ THIS.

Rated: T

P.S. I LOVE reviews. (hint hint)

Chapter 2

"Oh — well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got — you know…"

Harry showed his scar.

"You poor thing!" Cassie exclaimed. "It never went away?" Harry shook his head.

"So that's where You-Know-Who —?"

"Yes, but I can't remember it."

"Ron, didn't your mother tell you not to ask?" Cassie asked. Ron turned red.

"It's okay Cassie. I'm glad Ron asked." Ron gave him a meaningful look. Cassie gave them a glare worthy of Mr. Weasley.

"Cassie, that's scary when you do it," Ron said.

"Moving on, are all your family wizards?" Harry asked.

"Er — Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"So you must know loads of magic already."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Sure he does."

"OYE!"

"What it's true. No point lying Ronald." Ron had steam coming out of his ears.

"How many brothers do you have? I would love to have as many as you do," harry interrupted. No need for fights.

"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left — Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch."

"There's no reason to sulk Ron. You could be as good as them if you tried," Cassie said.

"Stay out of this!"

"Anything off the cart, dears?"

Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor. "Don't buy to much, you'll give yourself a stomach ache!"

He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry — but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Cassie scowled when he came back. "What did I tell you?"

"Not to buy to much, but I am going to share it,' Harry said. "Right Ron."

Ron's face lighten up. "Sure."

"You guys," Cassie sighed. "I'll get the medicine out."

Harry and Ron shared all the sweets. Cassie ended up eating the corn beef sandwiches. They were exchanging Chocolate Frog cards. Harry had gotten Albus Dumbledore first. His picture was there. "So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.

Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa — thanks —"

"You won't, she's probably the most rare card in the series,' Cassie said.

"You have no faith," Ron replied. "Bloody he- "

"Language!"

"He disappeared!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron.

"He'll be back. Wizarding pictures have a habit of walking around," Cassie explained.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful. "Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"

"No," they said in a chorus.

"I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"Have you looked by the loo? Toads seemed to like damp places," Cassie suggested.

"No... I'll look there now," Neville said brightening up. He ran off.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." the rat was snoozing on his lap. "He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference. I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

"No, but we did tell him to look in damp places."

"Good idea. Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." Miss Bushy Head said.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." Ron waved his wand. Nothing happened.

"Ron that's not a real spell," Cassie said.

"But the twins told me - "

"Didn't you say before that the twins like telling jokes?" Ron gave a face and sat back in his seat muttering. "Gits."

"It's not nice to call people gits,' Cassie scolded.

"I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" Wow, she can talk really fast.

"This is Harry, Ron and I'm Cassie," Cassie replied. Harry could see it now. They become friends, and he would forever have a overprotective motherly friend and a pushy study buddy. The horror.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Hermione asked. "I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best," Hermione said.

"It is,' Ron said smuggly. He probably thinks he finally out smarted her. "My whole family's in it."

"Really? I read that most families follow each other when it comes to Houses, but you can never be sure right?"

"Right."

"So, I best be off." with that Hermione left their compartment.

"that girl is mental. Whole course memorized?" Ron asked shaking his head.

"That mental girl is on the fast track to success," Cassie said. "Be like her, and you could be too."

Harry just watched the two bicker again. Their was no point in stopping them. Or maybe, it was just fun to see Cassie cheeks pink and temper high. He chuckled inwardly. This is going to be a long year.

**

Ron and Cassie were teaching harry how to play Exploding Snap went someone entered the compartment. Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," Harry said. He looked at the other boys. They were big, looked mean and scary. Bad combination.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron snickered and Cassie punched him in the arm.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

"Young man, you better apologize now," Cassie said slowly.

"And why would I do that?" Malfoy said with a sneered.

"Because if you don't, your not going to be able to feel your anything below your waist," she said. Malfoy had a look of fear before sneering again.

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can find to right sort for myself,' Harry said coolly.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

"Riffraff? I'll show you riffraff," Cassie screeched. That woke Scabbers up.

"What are you going to do girl? Scold me to death?" Malfoy said.

"You wish that's all I'm going to do,' she threatened. She looked so scary then. Crabbe and Goyle flinched.

"Really?"

"Really." Cassie and Malfoy were really close now. Cassie grabbed his shirt and brought him even closer. "Scared yet?"

"Not even close."

Goyle yelled. Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle

Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.

"What has been going on?"

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."

And so he had.

"You've met Malfoy before?"

Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"Horrible boy,' Cassie muttered. "Ron, Harry I give you permission to beat some sense into him. I'll even do it."

"You were getting kind of close to him," Harry said.

"He needed to see I was serious," Cassie replied. "He's got a thick skull. He's just repeating what his parents said. With some talking and tea, I'm sure I can fix him.

"Yeah, and pigs will fly,' Harry snorted. "Wait, wizards can make pigs fly. Ignore that."

"I've heard of his family Cassie," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice.

"She's right you know," Cassie said. "Fighting is not good."

"Can you spare to lecture?" Ron said irritated.

Cassie shrugged. "Sure. I need to change. Bye you two." She left.

"Do you think Malfoy can really become good?" Harry asked.

"Nope. All Malfoys are bloody cowards. There's no way that could happen."

**

They were at the entrance of the Great Hall. The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right — the rest of the school must already be here — but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts."

"A family? Blimey," Ron whispered. Cassie shushed him.

"You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

She looked at us all with her eyes. She seemed to have a look of pity.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.

"Dunno," Ron said. "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

"Honestly Ron if you listened to your Mum, you would know that they don't make you do anything dangerous,' Cassie said.

"They could have changed the test since she's been here," Ron replied. "Merlin knows how many years it's been."

Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet —what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.

"Harry, relax. If Fred said it would hurt, it lust be a joke,' Cassie said. "Here, have some juice. Calms nerves." she handed him a juice pouch. He sucked it through the straw until it was all gone.

Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air — several people behind him screamed.

"What the —?"

He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me. You with the pouch, put it away." Harry handed the pouch to Cassie. She took out a plastic bag and put it in there.

Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place.

It was lit by thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables had glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. Hundreds of faces were staring at them. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone in misty silver. Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." that must have been Hermione.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Cassie whispered. Harry nodded.

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.

Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thingwizards do. But then again, after being here for a couple of days, wizarding was different then Muggles predicted.

Then the hat began to sing.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The Great Hall burst into applause.

"May the Sorting now begin!" Professor McGonagall said.

Alright who thinks I'm evil? I know I am.

REVIEW REVIEW! If you don't, I munna eat you!

Just kidding. But seriously review. I don't care if it's to say I stink at writing.

Love you all!

Author out.