Hi! Sorry about the extra long wait, my computer was refusing to upload the chapter. For future reference, I have an account on ao3 under the same name and this story is cross-posted there, so if I'm having trouble updating again I'll tell you and you can read the chapter on that site. Thanks for bearing with me :)

Eventually, the first of September dawned, the day Harry would officially become a Hogwarts student. It hadn't been able to come fast enough for the boy, who had been jumping up and down excitedly for the past week or so. Rose was less enthusiastic. She still kept to her promise of keeping Harry safe no matter what, but she was beginning to realise that as a muggle there was very little she could actually do in the Wizarding world. Oh, she could read books and help Harry with his homework, but she would never be able to find a job and she'd most likely have to depend on Harry for the rest of her life. For someone as independent as Rose, it was a deeply unpleasant prospect. In the end, she approached Remus about it towards the end of the summer.

"It's one of the failings of the Wizarding world," he admitted when she talked to him. "We do not cater well for those without magic. Even squibs – those without magic born to magical parents – are expected to fend for themselves in the muggle world." He sighed and then looked at her curiously. "What did you want to do? Before Snape and I found you, I mean." Rose fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I never really thought about it. I assumed we would have just gone on as we were until child services picked us up." Remus wanted to ask what she'd wanted to do before the streets, but he held his tongue. For all that she had been slowly opening up, she was still pretty wary of him and he didn't want to push too hard.

"I'll ask around," he said instead. "Someone might know something you can do."

"Thanks," Rose said, before wandering off again. Remus watched her go. She was an enigma to him. Even after living on the streets Harry had so much of his parents in him that he was easy to relate to, and in some corner of his mind Remus knew that Rose must have had a hand in keeping him innocent, something he still hadn't worked out how to thank her for. Rose was different though. She was obviously smart, perhaps one of the smartest people he'd ever met, but she kept herself carefully hidden, she didn't let down all her walls even for Harry and she was far warier than a girl her age should be. At that age Remus hadn't had anything more troublesome than his OWL's and James' latest prank on his mind. (Actually, that was a lie, because it was fifth year when the Marauders became animagi and Remus nearly killed Snape, but he tried to forget that.) Standing, Remus sighed and headed towards Dumbledore's office. Perhaps, by finding her something that she could do in this world, he could begin to repay the life-long debt he owed this girl.

Remus had apparated Rose and Harry to King's cross so that Harry could go to Hogwarts 'like a proper student' to use the boy's words, but he hadn't been able to stay, as Dumbledore had called a last minute faculty meeting. It pained him that none of the Marauders would see Harry off to his first year of Hogwarts, but in truth Rose had more cause to be there than he did.

It was incredibly crowded and Rose held tight to Harry and his trolley, not wanting to lose him or get lost herself, for without a magical person she wouldn't be able to pass through the barrier. They'd just reached the barrier between platform's nine and ten when a young girl approached them, pushing a trolley much like Harry's. "Excuse me," she said. "But are you going to Hogwarts?"

"Yes," Harry replied, fairly bubbling over with excitement. "Why?"

"Do you know how to get onto the platform?" the girl continued, and Rose frowned. Where were her parents? The girl had bushy brown hair and slightly large front teeth, she was a couple of inches taller than Harry, but she must have been about his age. Once again, Rose cursed her lack of knowledge on how a normal family worked. Was it normal for an eleven year old to go to King's cross by themselves? At that age she'd been living on the streets, so she had no idea what to expect.

"Oh yes, it's quite easy once you know the trick," Harry said, like he hadn't known for all of half an hour himself. "Did no one tell you?" The girl opened her mouth to reply, but Rose interrupted.

"Sorry, but are you here on your own? Are your parents here?" The girl fidgeted and flushed slightly, avoiding Rose's eyes.

"No, they … uh … they dropped me off, they had to go to work. They didn't really want me to go to Hogwarts, why?"

"If they don't have magic they won't be able to go through the barrier without you," was all Rose said, but she looked at the girl more closely. She knew the shape of those words, the flush of shame that usually arose with them. After all, hadn't they come out of her own mouth often enough? "I'm Rose," she told the girl. "And this is my brother, Harry."

"I'm Hermione Granger," the girl replied.

"To get onto the platform," Harry said, taking over the conversation once again. "You have to run at the wall between platforms nine and ten." Hermione gave him a doubtful look. "Honest."

"We'll go first," Rose said. "I have to go with Harry because I don't have magic. See you on the other side." With that, she gave Harry a slight nudge and the two of them headed towards the barrier. It was very strange to pass through, like stepping through a sheet of cold water without getting wet. Once they were past the barrier, Harry stared in amazement at the train. 'The Hogwarts Express' was emblazoned along the side of an old-fashioned steam engine and Rose could see many witches and wizards of all ages milling around. Behind them, Hermione came through the barrier, her eyes wide as she took in the platform. She gave an exuberant grin to Harry, one that was returned three-fold. Looking at the time, Rose decided to be the responsible adult and took charge.

"Harry, why don't you and Hermione go find a carriage before they're all taken up? Once you've put your stuff away you can come back and say goodbye." Harry nodded and hauled his trunk off the trolley, Hermione hastily copying him.

"Come on 'Mione," he said to the girl, who looked far too happy at being included. "You don't mind me calling you 'Mione do you? Only Hermione is such a mouthful …" Their voices trailed off as they headed towards the train.

Rose felt decidedly jumpy standing on the platform on her own, hyper-aware that almost everyone around her had some training in magic and she didn't. It didn't help that a red-haired family came through the barrier just after Harry and Hermione left, nearly mowing her down as they did so. What must have been about four boys of various ages, all with the signature flaming red hair, dragged their trunks towards the train, leaving a younger girl with their parents. Harry and Hermione were just coming back off the train as this happened and there was the inevitable confusion that arises when two people try to go in opposite directions through a narrow doorway before they sorted themselves out. "Well," Rose said, conscious that the other family were within ear shot. "Have a good journey yeah? I'll be at Hogwarts when you get there, so you'll at least have a few familiar faces, Hermione." The girl sniffled.

"I wish my mum and dad were here to see me off." Rose felt a pang in her chest, hadn't she and Harry said similar things so many times?

"If you write them a letter I'll make sure it gets to them by muggle post, okay?" Hermione nodded, wiping her eyes. "Harry, behave, okay, and have you got enough money in case you want something off the trolley?" Remus had told them all about the Marauder's journeys to and fro Hogwarts.

"Yeah. I've even got enough money in case 'Mione wants some as well," the boy said grinning. "See you later, Rose." The blonde pulled him into a hug. After keeping him close for seven years it was hard to let go.

"See you later, Harry." Hermione got a brief, one-armed hug and then Rose was ushering them onto the train. "Have fun, guys." The red-headed boys were all coming off the train now, again resulting in the inevitable confusion.

"Mum! Mum!" yelled the youngest boy. "You'll never guess! Apparently Harry Potter's on the train!"

"Well, don't go bothering the poor boy Ron. Heaven knows, he probably gets enough attention." Rose tuned out of their conversation. She'd known that Harry was famous in the Wizarding World, but she hadn't expected him to be that famous. It seemed that every person in this world knew his name and story. A faint feeling of doubt swirled in her gut (what had she gotten herself into this time?) but she banished it after a moment. She'd promised a certain green-eyed boy she'd protect him on the night she found him, and she wasn't about to break it now. The train began to pull out of the station (the red-haired boys had gotten back on the train just in time.) and Rose waved back at Harry and Hermione who were leaning half out of the window and nearly hitting each other in the face for their efforts. Older witches and wizards began to vanish with the small pop that heralded apparition and Rose, wishing suddenly to look like a witch just this once, spun on her heel and held the snitch tight, whispering 'portus' as she did so. She vanished from the station.

At Hogwarts, there was a faculty meeting going on. At Rose's insistence, no one had been told of her exact heritage or where the two of them had been living and most of the faculty was under the impression that Remus had been caring for them. The faculty meeting went mostly as normal – Dumbledore confirming the rumours that Remus and Rose would be staying at Hogwarts to complete 'a little favour' for him – apart from the strange truce that had sprung up between Remus and Snape. Both felt a certain kinship with the two children, not that Snape would ever admit to it. Remus because he had known Harry before that Hallowe'en and Snape because because his own childhood had been far from pleasant and he could sympathise with them slightly. It wasn't quite enough to overcome years of enmity between them, but it was a start. The meeting was just finishing when a discreet spell went off, alerting Remus to the fact that Rose was back from taking Harry to the station. The meeting broke up and Remus managed to catch Snape before he disappeared. "Snape, could I have a word?"

"If you must, Lupin." They retreated to an empty corridor before Snape turned back to Remus again and raised an eyebrow.

"Rose wants to know if there's anything a muggle can do in the Wizarding World. I think she wants to try and still be a part of Harry's life and well, I wondered if you knew of anything?" Something suspiciously like empathy flashed across the Potions Master's face before being hidden again.

"Most potions can be done without magic," he said. Remus stared at him.

"Are you offering to teach her potions?" He sounded far too incredulous to be polite, but judging by the look on Snape's face he couldn't believe what he'd just said either.

"Yes," he replied brusquely. "If she has talent, that is."

"Of course." Feeling that Snape would rescind his offer if given enough time to come to his senses, Remus continued. "She's probably in the library now, if you want to tell her yourself." Snape gave him a curt nod and swept off. Briefly, Remus wished he knew an eavesdropping spell, but he decided it would be prudent not to anger the man any further, and he headed for Professor McGonogall's office. From what he'd seen of Harry the boy would most likely end up in Gryffindor like his parents and his head of house ought to know of the boy's propensity for wandless magic if nothing else. A couple of days ago, Remus had given in to Harry's begging and agreed to teach him a few simple spells. After the boy managed Lumos and a spell to send out multi-coloured sparks on his first go, Remus had asked just how much wandless magic Harry had managed. The answer had been slightly unnerving. Since the age of eight when he'd magically healed Rose from pneumonia, Harry had been able to wandlessly and silently cast Lumos and sometimes Wingardium Leviosa. It was unnerving because only the most powerful of wizards managed wandless magic and even then it was usually just a parlour trick, something to 'wow' new acquaintances with. The idea that a boy not even of Hogwarts age could manage it was mind boggling. It made you remember that Harry really had vanquished Lord Voldemort as a child. Shaking such thoughts from his head, Remus knocked on Professor McGonogall's door.

In the library, Rose looked up as soon as Snape came within sight, something that grudgingly impressed the ex-spy. She'd clearly known he was there, yet he'd managed to take professional Death Eater's by surprise in his time. "Professor Snape," the girl said. "Can I help you with anything?"

"I think it's the other way around actually," he admitted. At Rose's confused look he elaborated. "Lupin said you wished for something to do …" he trailed off as the girl's eyes lit up. The girl was bright, he'd give her that.

"You think I can do potions?" There was a guarded happiness in her eyes that made his traitorous heart twist. No child so young should carry so much weight.

"Very few potions require magic. If you can learn to recognise the correct temperature for a potion and if you have some way of measuring time I see no reason why you should not be able to learn it."

"Would I take lessons with the first years?" Rose asked. Snape snorted.

"Certainly not! First years have a distressing tendency to blow their potions up, you wouldn't last five minutes without magic. No, I was thinking I would take you on as an apprentice – if you prove able." Rose nodded.

"What would it mean, becoming an apprentice?"

"It would mean one-on-one tutoring for several years before I deem you ready to take a potion's Mastery."

"Misstress-y," the girl corrected absently, causing the corner of Snape's mouth to curve into a reluctant smile. "It will be a longer than usual apprenticeship won't it, because I have no prior knowledge of potions?"

"Yes," Snape said, again grudgingly impressed by the teenager's insight. "A normal apprenticeship is seven years from the age of seventeen on top of a formal schooling in potions. Since I will be teaching you from the start you will not need to unlearn bad habits and you are younger than most apprentices, you will learn quicker. I would estimate eleven, perhaps ten years if you work hard, before you are ready to take a potions Mas – Misstress-y." Rose grinned.

"Great, when do I start?"

"Tomorrow. Once the Headmaster has given me my timetable I'll set up some time for you."

"Okay … um … I don't have a potions kit, will that be a problem?" Snape barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Say what you like about children, they could still be a rather stupid bunch.

"Obviously. Borrow Potter's owl and order one from Sluggers and Jiggs apothecary. Tell them it's an apprenticeship set otherwise you won't get one of the right standard. I can teach you theory until it shows up."

"Thank you!" Rose said, already on her feet. She ran out of the library at break-neck speed, presumably heading to the owlery.

Harry settled back into his seat once Rose and the station had disappeared, content just to look at the scenery. The only trains he'd been on before were the Underground, so this made a nice change. Opposite him, Hermione swung her feet back and forth idly. "Do you know much about the Wizarding World, Harry?" she asked.

"A fair bit," Harry replied. "I'm a half-blood, see, and my Uncle Remus brought me and Rose up." They'd worked out their story earlier. Perhaps one day he'd tell Hermione the truth, but he couldn't yet. "What did you want to know?"

"Everything, I guess," Hermione said with a sigh. "I'll feel stupid if everyone knows something and I don't."

"Don't worry, there's loads of half-bloods and muggleborns at Hogwarts, purebloods are in the minority, you won't be alone." Hermione gave him a piercing look.

"You're Harry Potter aren't you? I've read all about you. Is that why your Uncle Remus brought you up?" Harry was silent for a moment and Hermione coloured. "I'm sorry, that was rude. You don't have to answer that."

"Nah, it's alright," Harry replied. "But yeah, that's why Uncle Remus brought me and Rose up. I don't remember anything, before you ask."

"I wouldn't expect you to remember," Hermione said. "The books didn't say anything about your sister though, is she your Uncle's daughter?" With a brief flash of foresight, Harry realised that Hermione was a lot like Rose. She wouldn't let something rest until she'd found out every last thing about it.

"My parents adopted her just before it happened," he explained. "When they were killed both of us went to live with Uncle Remus."

"She look so much like you though," Hermione objected, which got them onto the topic of blood adoptions which, unfortunately, Harry didn't know all that much about.

He'd just promised Hermione that she could ask Rose all about it when the door slid open. A gangly red-haired boy stood there, a smudge of dirt on his nose. "'Scuse me," he said. "Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

"Sure," Harry said. The boy sat down near Hermione, opposite Harry.

"I'm Ron, by the way," he added. "Ron Weasley."

"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione said, giving Harry a kick in the shins when he didn't speak.

"Oh! I'm Harry, Harry Potter." Ron's eyes went wide.

"Blimey! Fred and George said you were on the train, but I didn't believe them."

"Didn't we see you on the platform?" Hermione asked. "The red-headed family next to us?"

"Oh, yeah," Ron nodded. "Didn't know you had a sister Harry, does she go to Hogwarts too?"

"It's not common knowledge," Harry replied. "And no, she doesn't have magic, so she can't go to Hogwarts, but she's staying there with Uncle Remus at the moment."

"She's a squib?" Ron looked surprised. "I heard that the Potter line never produced squibs."

"She's adopted," Harry's tone was defensive and he hastily tried to tone it down a little. "Her parents were killed by Voldemort." Ron flinched at the name, but nodded.

"Blood adoption. Right." Harry grinned as Hermione predictably pounced on that opening.

"Do you know what a blood adoption entails? Harry wasn't so sure." As Ron tried to answer to Hermione's satisfaction (it's an adoption with blood apparently wasn't good enough) Harry leant back against the seat and listened to his new friends. Friends. He'd never had friends before, it seemed like his life really was changing for the better.

The topic of blood adoptions, Harry and the Wizarding World in general held them until the trolley lady came round. "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

"No thanks, I'm sorted," Ron replied, holding up some sandwiches wrapped in clingfilm. Harry grabbed the purse Rose had given him but couldn't decide.

"We'll take a bit of everything," he announced finally, counting out several galleons. Ron's eyes widened.

It was perhaps half-an-hour later when the door opened again. The three of them looked up and saw three boys standing in the doorway. One was the blond boy that Harry and Rose had met in Diagon Alley. "So it's true then," he said after surveying their compartment. "Harry Potter is coming to Hogwarts."

"Yes," Harry said. "What's it to you?"

"I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," the boy replied. "You'll soon find Potter that there are some kinds of wizards its better to associate with." Hermione flushed at the implications of that and Ron turned as red as his hair. Harry frowned. No one just insulted his friends like that, but both Rose and Remus had warned him about starting fights.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks," Harry replied, ignoring the other boy's outstretched hand. Malfoy flushed and dropped his hand.

"You'd better watch yourself, Potter, you'll end up going the same way as your parents if you're not careful." Harry's green eyes narrowed dangerously and he stood, reaching into his pocket for his wand.

"Was that a threat, Malfoy?" he tried to model his voice on the one Rose used sometimes to scare people. It seemed to work, for Malfoy paled and beat a hasty retreat, taking his goons with him. When Harry sat back down, both Ron and Hermione were eyeing him with a bit more awe and respect.

By the time they reached the castle it was dark and Harry had more or less forgotten Malfoy's threat. There was what looked like a giant at the other end of the station, calling for the first-years in a great voice. Harry, Ron and Hermione hurried after him. They took boats to get to the castle, going across a great lake. Although he'd already seen it, Harry joined the other first years in gazing up at the castle in awe. It was different seeing it as a first year in the boats. All too soon, Harry mounted the castle steps and the giant leading them knocked on the door. The door opened and a stern woman looked out. Harry recognised her as Professor McGonogall, someone who featured in Remus' stories a lot. "Thank you Hagrid," she said. "I'll take it from here." The giant, Hagrid, went back down the steps and the first years followed Professor McGonogall in.

The Great Hall was a wonder. Harry had never seen it before, because Remus had said he should see it first as a first year going to be sorted. Now, Harry agreed with him. There were hundreds of floating candles and the ceiling looked exactly like the night sky. Hermione had told them on the train that the ceiling was enchanted, but words didn't quite do the splendour justice. Looking up at the head table, Harry saw Rose seated between Remus and Snape. She was wearing dress robes much like Harry's uniform except without the crest and she looked nervous. When she saw Harry though, she smiled and nudged Remus who smiled as well. Professor McGonogall led them right up to the head table. In front of it was a very old, very battered hat. Once everyone was quiet, a rip near it's brim opened into a mouth and it began to sing.

Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat my hat 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.

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!

In the beginning I was going to write the sorting as well, but I just couldn't manage it and it's part of the reason why this chapter took so long to write. None of the characters got sorted differently anyway, so I figured I'd just update it as it is and miss that part out.

Thanks to everyone who's read / reviewed / followed this story, it means the world to me to know you guys like this.

Catkin Thief