Chapter 3

Welcome to Hogwarts

Platform 9 ¾ was crowded as usual and by the time Harry got on the train he was left to forage for a seat alone. As he searched for a compartment he felt an array of glares fall on his as he passed and doors slam in his wake. Over the last few weeks he had completely forgotten that a large portion of the wizarding world considered him to be a lunatic due to his claim of the Dark Lord's revival. He sighed and continued walking.

Finally Harry came across a compartment whose occupant didn't seem to sense his presence and shut him out. He peered through the doorway and was a bit taken back by who he saw. It was Sydney. She was sitting with her back to the window and her feet against the opposite wall, absorbed in a book and chewing on a piece of thin, red licorice with a fluffy, brown and white cat laying across her long legs. She was wearing a gray v-neck, skinny jeans and black converse high-tops while her brown hair fell to her shoulders in soft curls and her wand was placed under the blue sweatband that she wore around her head.

Harry rapped lightly on the glass, making her look up.

"Harry! Hi!" she removed the licorice string from her mouth and smiled brightly

"Hey, Sydney. Do you um mind if I sit here?" Harry forced himself not to stutter.

"Not at all!" Harry returned her smile and sat down across from her.

"So…Ron told me that you were living in France…" Harry's voice trailed off and he glanced at the ground, feeling shameful that he was so nervous around this girl. It figures, he's faced the Voldemort multiple times but he gets choked up when he tries to talk to a girl that's not Hermione.

"Ah so you've been talking about me, eh?" Sydney chuckled at her own remark and closed her book, using a piece of licorice as a bookmark. "Well, mum got transferred here this summer after about five bloody years in France," she said. She opened her mouth to continue but was interrupted.

"Wood? What the hell are you doing here?" Fred and George appeared at the doorway.

"Why can I not go anywhere without you two interrogating me?" Sydney swung her legs over the seat; her cat jumped to the ground with her sudden movement and arched its back.

"We never interrogate you," George walked in and sat on one side of Harry.

"We're just…concerned about your well being," Fred did the same.

"Ah yes! My well being. That's a new one," the girl grinned. "Mum got transferred over the summer so I'm going to Hogwarts now."

"I could have guessed that," Fred grumbled.

"Then why did you ask?" she pulled a new piece of licorice from her brown messenger bag that sat at her feet.

"Why are you always eating that?" George asked, changing the subject.

"Because it's my favorite snack in the whole world," the expression she was wearing couldn't have been more serious.

"Give me a piece," the twins said in unison, both extending their hands.

"Who said I was willing to waste it all on you two?"

"When did you become such a little prat?" Fred leaned back and folded his arms.

"When it comes to giving out my licorice!"

"I find that to be a pretty legitimate reason," a new voice joined the conversation. Everyone in the car looked up to see Ron standing at the door, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"See! Ron agrees!" Sydney exclaimed throwing her arms into the air as Ron sat down next to her. Fred and George both mumbled something to themselves.

"So, is that bag just full of licorice or what?" Harry asked, finally able to say something.

"Pretty much," she replied as though it was the most normal thing she's said all day.

"Alright, we're going to go," George said, getting to his feet.

"Not like it hasn't been fun hanging around with you lot," Fred did the same.

"Yes we were all honored that you two decided to grace us with your presence," Sydney said, sarcasm dripping from her words. Everyone laughed at her remark as the twins slammed the compartment door closed. Just then Hermione quickly entered and flung herself down next to Harry.

"Were have you been?" Harry asked.

"Oh I got caught up talking to Luna Lovegood after Ron and I left the other prefects," she answered sounding a bit exasperated.

"Strange people those Lovegood's are," Sydney remarked as she chewed on her candy.
Everyone quietly mumbled in agreement and the car went silent for a few moments.
Sydney pulled herself from any further conversation and picked up her book again.
Desperate to talk to the girl Harry made some blind attempts at conversation.

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo…that a book for class?" he asked. Sydney chuckled.

"No, it's a muggle book. I've always had a thing for muggle literature. It fascinates me I guess."

"Like children's stories?" Ron turned to her.

"A very extensive, mature children's story," she smiled at him. There was more silence but this time it was comfortable and friendly rather than awkward.

Suddenly, the door flung open, once again.

"Well well would you look who it is," everyone turned to find a smug Draco Malfoy leaning on the entrance, his arms crossed.

Sydney sunk back into her seat and let her hair fall over her face, praying Malfoy wasn't addressing her. The boy craned his neck, his grey eyes peering into Sydney's face. "Trying to hide are you, Wood? Scared of what I might say?" His smirk broadened, "Well, I suppose a man's daughter doesn't act much differently than the man himself."

At the mention of her father Sydney's fists clenched and she threw herself at Draco, pressing her wand to the bridge of his nose.

"Don't you dare talk about my father, you filthy little rodent!"

"GUYS! Cut it out!" Everyone was now on their feet trying to loosen the tension.

"You're lucky I don't hex the living shit out of you!" Harry and Ron grabbed her arms, lifting her off the ground as she kicked her legs and jabbed the air with her wand that was still pointed at a grinning Draco.

"Yes, I'm sure I'm quite lucky and I'm sure you have all the ability to but," he rolled his own wand between his fingers, "at least my family name's still intact. Reviving your own will take a lot more than hanging out with mudbloods and blood-traitors. However, there's still a chance for you, Sydney, and if you're interested: my door's always open," he turned on his heel and strode away his robes billowing out behind him.

"What a git," Ron spat as he and Harry loosed their grip on Sydney's arms.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked.

"N-nothing," she sat down, bewildered, her eyes transfixed on the door. There was only one thought running though her mind at that moment: does Malfoy know?

"You sure you're okay?" Harry sat down next to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Draco's just a bloody idiot," she forced herself to smile at Harry. "Always obsessed with everyone's blood-status…"

"Are you a pure blood?" Hermione asked before adding, "Not like it matters, of course."

They exchanged a weak smile and Sydney nodded, suddenly unable to speak any longer.

"Looks like the train stopped," Ron said a bit awkwardly as the four stood.

Inside the castle Sydney joined the line of first years outside of the Great Hall. They filed in, their eyes shining with amazement. The first years and Sydney stopped before the stool that stood before the podium.

"I will place this hat on your heads and you shall be sorted into your houses. We shall start with our fifth year transfer student: Sydney Wood." Professor McGonagall addressed the line of students standing in front of her.

Sydney pushed through the crowd and sat down as the large, beaten up hat fell past her ears.

"Hm interesting," a small voice drawled within the hat. "There's much knowledge and wit…but courage and experience…cunning as well, surely influential. You're proud of your family name, but you don't want to show it."

Sydney swallowed hard and gripped the edges of the stool. I'm NOT my father, I won't choose the wrong side as he did, she thought.

"Not your father, eh? Slytherin would treat you very well, you know," the hat spoke to her again. "In that case I better put you in: RAVENCLAW!" It shouted the name of her new house and a cheer erupted throughout the hall.

Sydney let out a sigh of relief as she made her way over to the Ravenclaw table, a smile plastered on her face.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I know a lot of you are probably Harry/OC fans (which will probably end up being the final paring) however, you should take the poll in my profile to set that in stone or to change the paring.

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've had a bit of writers block and I'm kind of working on a new story that I may continue and post or just scrap.

Don't forget to review because review=inspiration and motivation (tis true).

-Emily :)