Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine, three of the character are however and somewhat of the personality of the fourth. I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 3: Platforms and Talking Hats

The rest of the summer at Privet Drive passed by fast for the Potter four. Dorinda kept to her word and made sure everyone at least took a glancing over their books, while she herself read them thoroughly more than once. Dorinda never liked to feel unprepared. However, for the most part they all felt the same fascination and urge to look through their books.

"I've finished packing all our things away." Dorinda closed the last trunk and eyed all four critically. Tomorrow would be September the first, the day they left the Dursley's for Hogwarts. They all were a bit nervous and excited for their first day at a magical school.

First however, they had to make it through the rest of the night. This of course included dinner with the Dursley's and actually asking Uncle Vernon to take them to King's Cross Station tomorrow. The latter was of the most worrisome. They had barely spoken to the man since they had returned home from Diagon Alley.

"Got a plan?" Julian asked his bespectacled brother. Harry shrugged. "How do you figure we go about it?"

"Just ask him." Harry replied simply. Uncle Vernon was a straight forward kind of man, Harry figured the man wouldn't refuse to get them out of his house.

"I like it." Julian chuckled as he slapped his brother on the back playfully. Dorinda rolled her eyes. "What do you think Rose? Is our brother a genius or what?"

"It sounds lovely." Rose offered with an amused smile on her face. Julian was a bit obnoxious but she loved him all the same. Dorinda made her way down the stairs, Rose quickly followed.

"Shall we brother?" Julian offered his arm to Harry, who snorted and walked down the stairs. Julian shrugged his shoulders and he too followed.

"Uncle Vernon, we were wondering if you could take us to Kings Cross Station tomorrow to catch the train to school?" The boys walked in on Dorinda saying, she didn't dare say Hogwarts. They had learned their lesson over that word fast. Uncle Vernon grunted.

"Thank you, sir." Rose said before heading over to set the table for dinner, Aunt Petunia was cooking tonight.

"Here, now go back to your room. Be ready at 10." Aunt Petunia handed a plate full of ham, cheese and bread to Harry. "Now, shoo."

They all looked down at the plate hungrily but nodded. They quickly left the kitchen and headed back to their room to eat their supper. It wasn't much, it never was, but they shared it equally between them and never complained. Nothing was going to bring them down tonight.

"We have to get up early in the morning." Julian groaned. Since they had not been let out of their room for more than a minute at a time, they slept in everyday. It had been really peaceful not having to get up and do all the chores they had become accustomed to over the years.

"Let me just finish this last paragraph." Dorinda's eyes were glued to a page of Beginners Transfiguration.

"You've read it twenty times before this time. Trust me it hasn't changed." Julian grabbed the book from her hands and held it over his head. Dorinda huffed and started jumping for it.

"Both of you lets not fight tonight." Rose smiled at the two of them, she was always the referee of the family's fights. "Julian if you would?"

Julian handed the book back to Dorinda and ruffled her long hair, making it slightly messy looking. Laughing, the boy joined his other two siblings in the bed as Dorinda put the book back into her trunk. She joined them after; they were pleasantly squished like normal.

"Night." They all sighed; Dorinda had already turned off the light.

"Hogwarts! Hogwarts!" Julian slowly woke up to someone singing cheerfully. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes, which soon after landed on a smiling Dorinda. She was already dressed in her uniform, minus the robe, with her hair braided into two pigtails. "It's almost time for Hogwarts!"

Dorinda had never been this cheerful and to tell you the truth, it rather scared him in a weird way. He was much more use to insults or slaps to the head in the mornings, not smiles and definitely not singing.

"What time is it?" Rose's soft voice whispered from the other side of the bed.

"9:17 better get up we have to leave here at 10:00 sharp." Dorinda answered. Rose rolled out of bed but Harry and Julian stayed put. "Julian wake Harry up." The shaggy haired boy instead put a pillow over his head. "Fine, stay here with the Dursleys. It's your choice."

Julian jumped out of bed in a hurry and started throwing on his Hogwarts uniform of slacks and a sweater vest with a plain black tie quickly. He would be putting his robes on later and had already taken a shower before dinner last night. He was ready to go before Rose left to take a shower.

Dorinda left through the door to go and get their breakfast while Julian shook Harry's shoulder. Harry didn't move so Julian took their only pillow and hit Harry over the head with it. He smiled and handed the boy his glasses when Harry's eyes opened finally. Everyone was definitely waking up on the right side of their bed this morning.

"Time for Hogwarts." Julian reminded him. Harry smiled, forgetting about the pillow for the moment and getting out of bed. Rose came back in fresh out of the shower, her uniform of knee length gray skirt and sweater vest with tie on. She had her hair up in a messy ponytail. "Looking pretty spiffy Rose."

"Thanks." Rose spun around in a circle. It felt good to be in brand new clean clothes and shoes that her toes weren't trying to bust out of.

"You need to get in the shower Harry." Dorinda said as she walked back in with a plate of food. "We will save you some, hurry up!"

Surprisingly they left on time; the car ride to the train station was done in silence. They were all lost in their thoughts of what Hogwarts would be like and rejoicing in the fact that they would have a year away from the Dursleys. It wasn't long though before they arrived and Uncle Vernon all but threw them out of the car.

The clock read 10:37 when they arrived at the train station. They had plenty of time to find the platform and board the train. However, they were all quite a bit anxious and so were moving as if they were running severely behind schedule. Julian and Harry went and grabbed trolleys and hoisted their trunks, owl cages and the cat carrier on safely.

"Alright, what platform?" Dorinda asked. She had made Harry carry all their tickets, so they wouldn't lose them. Each of them had been assigned a task for the day so they would be able to keep everything in order. Harry was in charge of the tickets, Dorinda had been in charge of packing their trunks, Rose was responsible for preparing the animals and Julian had to set out their uniforms the previous night. Harry dug into his pocket and withdrew one of the tickets. He readjusted his glasses and peered down at the tiny script. His eyes squinted and his face showed his obvious confusion. Dorinda snatched it impatiently. "Platform Nine and Three Quarters?"

"Is there even such a thing?" Rose asked. Her voice was hopeful. Julian shrugged and walked over to a patrolman.

"Sir, where can we find Platform Nine and Three Quarters?" Julian asked seriously. The man raised his eyebrows at the shaggy haired boy.

"Think your funny do you?" The patrolman laughed. "Move along boy."

"Well, let's have a look for ourselves." Dorinda suggested, walking off. They hurried after her and stopped when they came between platforms nine and ten. There was a large family of red heads bickering quite loudly but no platform nine and three quarters. "Well, I just dunno." Dorinda tugged on her braids frustratingly.

"Wait listen." Julian was looking toward the family of red heads. "They just said Hogwarts!"

They listened intently as the mother told the oldest one to go first; he took off at a run, pushing his trolley and went straight through the wall! The four looked at each other incredulously. Had they truly seen what they thought they had seen? Fascinated, they watched as another and then another followed the first. Both disappeared seemingly into the wall.

"Magic." Rose muttered in awe. Slows shocked nods agreed with her. When the last of the redheads went through the brick wall, they pushed their trolleys to where the family had previously been standing. It was their turn for magic.

"I'll go first, Harry will follow after." Julian declared bravely, he took a deep breath and took off toward the brick wall. He miraculously vanished through it. Quickly they all followed, eyes squeezed shut in fright.

"Wow." Harry whispered; loads of people were bustling around as the parents kissed their children good-bye. Dorinda's kitten, Annabelle, meowed and scratched at the cage door. Dorinda took her out and held her in her hands. "You two go find us a seat."

Dorinda and Rose hurried to board the train. They wanted to find an empty compartment for their selves. They got lucky with the very back compartment. Dorinda saved their spot while Rose went to get their brothers. It was time to go to Hogwarts.

Everyone was settled into the compartment, Harry was asleep, Dorinda and Julian were reading and Rose was stroking Lily, her owl named after her mother, while she stared out the window. It was quiet and peaceful but the air was tight with anxiety. Not one of them truly knew what to expect of Hogwarts. It would be a completely different world to them and the one they had grown up in.

"Are we almost there?" Devious, Julian's snake, hissed as his head slithered out from the sleeve of Julian's robes.

"I dunno, go back to sleep." Julian muttered. He didn't want anyone to see Devious, he wasn't allowed at Hogwarts.

"I smell food." Devious made his way out of his master's sweater and down his leg. A knock came to the door; Julian hurriedly picked up Devious and stuck him in his pocket. It was a perfect fit for the baby snake, he was still only a foot long and very slender.

"Come in!" Rose said politely. The door opened and one of the red head's they had seen before stepped in. His face was slightly red, probably from embarrassment but he looked to be about their age. "Hello."

"Do you mind if I sit with you, my brothers are being pricks." The boy grimaced. Rose nodded and scooted over for the boy to sit down. "Ron Weasley."

"Rose Potter." She shook his hand with a smile but his hand went limp. "Lovely to meet you." She let go.

"You're Rose Potter?" Ron asked in awe. She nodded slowly. "That means you're," he pointed at the other three, "The Potters."

"Yes and you're a Weasley." Dorinda said sarcastically.

"You're Dorinda Potter!" Ron wiped his eyes as if he were dreaming. "You're Harry and Julian Potter!"

"And you're Ron Weasley." Julian said as he grew annoyed. Harry woke up from the noise. "I think we've established who one another is already mate."

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" A woman interrupted. She was pushing a trolley filled with what looked to be some sort of sweets. Julian immediately stood up and started looking at all of the different kinds. He didn't seem to recognize them but he came back in with an arm full of goodies to share all the same.

"You want some?" Rose offered to Ron, who nodded and picked up a chocolate frog. "They're not real frogs are they?"

"No, just bewitched." Ron explained. "Ah, rotten luck that is." Rose's frog had jumped out the window. "So do you, you know have the scars?" Rose nodded unfazed as she moved her bangs away to reveal the jagged cut in her forehead. "Amazing."

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know our names?" Rose inquired, chewing on a cauldron cake.

"Who doesn't know your names! You're famous." Ron asked abashed. He looked quite taken back. However it was the Potter's turn to appear dumbstruck. They couldn't possibly be famous. Surely that would be something that would have indeed been brought to their attention.

"You defeated You-Know-Who and survived the killing curse." Ron whispered.

"Who is You-Know-Who?" Dorinda asked as she set her book down and listened intently.

"You know, Voldemort." Ron shivered as he spoke the name. "Wait are you four telling me that you don't even know that your bloody famous!"

"Never heard of the man." Dorinda said honestly but she couldn't deny the feeling of dread that had entered her heart at the mention of the name. "We aren't famous, sorry."

"Yes you are I swear it!" Ron replied. "Blimey I can't believe this but you watch. Everyone knows your names."

"But why?" Harry asked confused. His slumber was long forgotten. Everyone leaned in as Ron sighed before beginning the epic tale he had been told many times in his childhood.

It turned out that their parents were in a war between the light side and the dark side. They had become targets for some unknown reason, so they went into hiding with their four young children. On October 31st when they were a bit older than a year, Voldemort showed up at Potter's secret hiding place. Their fathers best friend, Sirius Black, had betrayed them and their parents were killed. When Voldemort turned his wand on them, it backfired and he was supposedly murdered.

"Unbelievable." Ron shook his head incredulously. "To not even know your famous!"

They all fell into a comfortable silence. Ron's words had struck them hard. Their parents murdered! It was a scandal, one that they were sure the Dursley's had been aware of. Soon however, Harry struck up a lighter conversation with Ron. Dorinda began to read again, Rose went to find a misguided toad's owner and Julian took a nap.

"We need to change into our robes; I reckon we will be there soon." Dorinda advised them, peering at the impending darkness through the window. Ron left to go back to wherever his trunk was and the four quickly put on their robes, sat back down, and stared out the window nervously.

Ron came back in just as the train started to slow down. Once they came to a complete stop, Dorinda put Annabelle back in her cage and they made their way off the crowded train. Ron led them over to a very large man holding a lantern. The man had a rumbling voice that carried across the many conversations the students were having.

"Firs' years o'er here!" The man had a bushy black beard that was tangled into his long curly hair. He had a dirt marred face but his smile revealed his gentle nature. He looked to be at least eight feet tall. Quite a bit larger than even the tallest man they had ever seen. "Firs' years!"

"That man is so large." Rose whispered quietly.

"That's Hagrid, dad says he part giant." Ron told them as they followed Hagrid to the rowboats.

"Four to a boat." Hagrid roared. Ron looked lost as to where he should sit; Julian got up and offered his seat. He instead went and sat in a boat that only had three occupants.

"Draco Malfoy and you are?" The platinum blond boy offered his hand to Julian.

"Julian Potter." Julian introduced himself. "Nice to meet you." He took the pale hand and grasped it tightly. Draco looked slightly uptight but he seemed alright enough.

"The pleasure I assure you is ours. This is Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson." Draco pointed to two black haired girls. Julian nodded to both of them with a smile and received nods in return. "Might I ask, where is the rest of your family?"

"They're up there; I let Ron Weasley take my seat." Julian pointed to the boat a few yards away. Draco's nose scrunched up at the name. "Something wrong?"

"The Weasleys, you don't want to be associated with them. They're a disgrace to the pureblood lines. Dirt poor they are." Draco spat in the water, a sneer on his pale face. Julian raised an eyebrow. He didn't much care for Ron but he didn't hate the boy. However, it seemed that Draco did and Julian had to admit that he liked the blond haired boy quite a bit more already.

"Dreadfully boring as well." Julian added as an afterthought. Draco nodded with a smirk on his face.

"Somebody lose a toad?" Hagrid shouted as the boats came to a stop at the bank.

The castle came into view, it was majestic looking with all its grand turrets and towers made from stone. It was incredibly ancient and it gave off a vibrant glow in a way. It was perhaps one of the happiest moments of their lives as they gazed at the place that would be their home for the next seven years.

"I wonder how we will be sorted. Have any idea?" Harry asked Dorinda. She nodded; after all, she had read Hogwarts, A History.

"By an ancient hat." Dorinda explained. Harry raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Honestly do you ever read? Well you're just going to have to wait then won't you?" Harry shrugged.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid smiled as he waved towards the group of small children.

"I will take them from here, Hagrid." A stiff looking woman with graying hair tied back tightly into a bun and a strict voice came out from the building. She opened the door wide and everyone piled in.

The inside was just as magnificent, a majestic looking marble staircase stood facing them leading to the upper floors, flaming torches lit the stonewalls, the ceiling was too high to make out and the room they were standing in could have fit the whole Dursley house in it.

Professor McGonagall led them pass two large doors where voices could be heard from within and into a small room that they all had to cram into. Everyone was peering at each other nervously as Professor McGonagall began to speak again.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. 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. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room." Her eyes linger on Dorinda, Rose and Harry for a second before continuing.

"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 you house points, while any rule-breaking will lose you 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." Her hawk-like eyes found Julian, again they lingered.

"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 waiting." This time her eyes lingered on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear and on Ron's smudged nose. Neville had been the boy that had lost track of his toad, he had been most grateful to Rose when she had returned it to him.

Dorinda started reciting paragraphs of the books she had read; another girl was doing the exact same. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair while Rose tried to unruffle the hem of her robes from when she had accidentally sat on them. Over on the other side of the hall, Julian and Draco sat laughing at everyone's attempts. It was useless, as Draco had told Julian; the hat looked at your personality and inner thoughts not knowledge or looks. Apparently, nobody else knew that or were too nervous to even care.

"My brother says that it some sort of test and it hurts a lot." Ron grimaced.

"Don't worry my sister says a hat sorts us." Harry reassured the boy who still seemed skeptical. Harry turned around when he heard a high-pitched scream. Ghosts! Talking ghosts.

"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance." A fat little monk ghost was saying. There was around twenty ghosts that had just come out of the stonewall; white and slightly transparent they glided across the room.

"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 all you doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had noticed them all of a sudden.

"We're new students." Julian shouted towards them.

"No need to yell, new students! About to be sorted I suppose?" The Fat Friar asked. Julian nodded along with a few other people. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff, my old house, you know!"

"Move along now," McGonagall had reappeared. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start. Now form a line." The ghosts all floated away. "And follow me."

Forming a line, Dorinda stood second behind a girl with bushy brown hair and two very large front teeth. Rose stood behind her and Harry behind a sandy brown haired boy. Julian and Draco were the last in the line, with two very large boys in front of them. They were led into the Great Hall through a pair of double doors.

They had never imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit up by thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The tables were laid with golden plates and goblets. At the front of the hall was a long wooden table where the Professors were sitting overlooking the house tables. Professor McGonagall led the first years up to the front, coming to a halt soon after. There were hundreds of faces staring at them; the ghosts were in the Great Hall now as well. To avoid the stares of the older students, most of the First Years looked upwards. The night sky was reflected in the ceiling as if there was no roof atop the chamber.

Dorinda and the girl in front of her both started whispering about how it was bewitched to look like the sky outside to anyone who would listen to them. All the students however quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently put a four-legged stool in front of them. She placed a ragged looking black wizard's hat on top. For a couple of seconds, there was silence then the hat twitched and began to sing:

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

But don't judge me on what you see,

Ill 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 cant 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 whole hall burst into applause when the sorting hat's song was finished. Ron sighed in relief and whispered over to Harry that he was going to kill his brother Fred, who had told him he was going to have to wrestle a troll. Julian and Draco laughed at that.

"When I call your name, come forth." McGonagall pulled out a scroll presumably with all of their names on it. "Abbott, Hannah!" A pink faced girl with blonde hair tied up into pigtails stumbled out of line and put the hat on, which slid passed her eyes.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Bones, Susan."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brocklehurst, Mandy."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brown, Lavender."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Bulstrode, Millicent."

"SLYTHERIN!"

It went like this for the next several minutes. The girl in front of Dorinda, Hermione Granger, went to Gryffindor, the boy in front of Harry; Justin Finch-Fletching went to Gryffindor as well. Malfoy went swaggering up there and ended up in Slytherin, as did Dominic Moon, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Pansy Parkinson. Then it was their turn.

"Potter, Dorinda." Gasps went around the room and whispers erupted.

"Potter, did she say?"

"Where are the rest of them?"

The hat was dropped over her head but not before she got a good look at all the older students craning their necks in order to get a good look at her. She took a deep breath and concentrated.

"Hmm, a Potter. Very knowledgeable and a willingness to learn. Undeniably loyal and interestingly cunning. You would do well in either house I suppose. Your blood runs wild as does you magic young one. Prepare yourself. RAVENCLAW!"

Claps from the Ravenclaw table erupted in cheers. Dorinda smiled grandly as she took the hat off and handed it gratefully back to Professor McGonagall. In relief, she walked cheerfully over to the Ravenclaw table. Everyone wanted to shake her hand as she sat down next to an older girl but the crowd quieted as the sorting began again.

"Potter, Harry." With a reassuring smile from Rose, Harry went up and put the hat on his head amidst the whispers.

"Hmm," a small voice said in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent oh my goodness, yes. A nice thirst to prove yourself as well, now that's interesting…so where to put you?"

Harry thought about it and he liked the people who had gone into Gryffindor so far and Ron would probably end up there. He was not a fan of Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff and Slytherin just wasn't for him.

"Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know its all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on your way to greatness, no doubt about that, no? Well, if you're sure, better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry sighed, relaxing some and got off the stool. He received a smile from Ron and went to sit at the table who gave the loudest cheers. He caught the eye of Dorinda and they both smiled happily at their chosen houses.

"Potter, Julian." Julian walked confidently up to the seat. He had read about the different houses and he was sure where he would be placed.

"A different Potter. Confident in your abilities. Calm and cunning, yet loyal to others. Plan on causing trouble within Hogwarts, no need to try. Just your presence here will cause more turmoil than either you or I will ever know. No doubt in my mind that you belong in SLYTHERIN!"

There was a few well placed gasps in the audience. Julian was aware that Slytherin was seen as the outsider house, the dark house he supposed. After hearing the story about Voldemort earlier, he was sure that his placement in Slytherin was going to cause some drama. He didn't care however, he felt as if he belonged here and that was all that truly mattered.

He went over to the table and again shook the waiting hand of Draco Malfoy. The two boys sat down together and Julian turned his smiling face towards the Head Table. Three men were staring at him curiously.

"Potter, Rose." Rose took in a sharp breath. It was her turn and she was more nervous than ever. Slowly she walked up to the stool, her face beat red and gently slid the hat onto her head. She was grateful when it covered her eyes.

"Ah, the last Potter. Gentler than the last one, much gentler. Generous and hard working, brave but would rather be in the background. Intelligent and loyal, very loyal. Your family means the world to you. You could easily be a Gryffindor but you lack faith in yourself young one. As a Hufflepuff you can blend more easily into the shadows and in there, lies your true power. HUFFLEPUFF!"

Obsidian eyes watched intently.

The Potters had returned.

Redone: December 3 2010