Chapter 3: The Lion, the Train & the Hat

"Jane, it is time to wake up," Sarah called out to her as she was getting out of the bathroom. "You don't want to be late getting to the train. Remember it leaves at exactly 11 o'clock." Jane opened her eyes immediately and nearly shot out of the bed before bumping into Sarah.

"Oh, hey, watch where you are going, Jane."

"Oh, sorry Sarah," apologized Jane. "It's just that, I don't want to be late or even worse. Miss the train." Jane headed into the bathroom where she took a shower and changed her clothes. When she got out, Sarah was waiting for her by the door to the hallway.

"How long were you waiting for me?" asked Jane.

"Not that long."

"Oh okay." Jane grabbed her bag, but then Sarah stopped her in front of the door.

"We need to get going or else we will miss the train," commented Jane. She tried to get passed Sarah, but Sarah for some reason wouldn't allow her to pass.

"Shouldn't we get going, Sarah?" Jane questioned.

"Yes, we should, but we can wait," Sarah answered.

"What do you mean wait?"

"What I mean is that it is 7:30 and we still need to get breakfast," answered Sarah. "So put your bag down and let's get breakfast." Jane looked confused, but then went to the bedside table and looked at the clock. It read 7:35. Jane turned around and stared at Sarah. Jane let go of her bag with a big THUD. Jane's expression changed immediately to anger and annoyance.

"You tricked me," she said with anger in her voice.

"I did not trick you. I just merely stated that it is time for you to get out of bed so that we have enough time to get breakfast and get you packed before you leave to go to the train. Plus, I didn't want you to miss the train. I never tricked you or anything." Jane looked at Sarah straight in the eyes and then knew that she was telling the truth. Jane picked up her bag, put it near the wall, and walked out the door that Sarah was holding open.

After breakfast, Sarah and Jane had gone back to their room so that Jane could pack her bag for the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Jane had taken out her clothes that they had packed when they first came here and then Sarah would put her uniforms for school in her bag. All of the packing took them about half an hour. By the time, they had finished packing it was 9:45. Sarah and Jane both left their hotel room and got a taxi to King's Cross Station. It was going to take about half an hour to get there. On the way there, Sarah had given Jane her ticket for the train.

"Sarah, there is no such thing as Platform 9 ¾ or is there?"

"You will see," was all Sarah had said in the car on the way there.

Soon they were at the station. Jane had grabbed a cart that she had put all of her bags and items in counting her owl. She had decided to name her snowy white owl, Snowball.

"So, Sarah, where is Platform 9 ¾ or is there such thing as one?" asked Jane as they were walking towards Platform 9 and 10.

"You will see," she answered again.

"But, Sarah. I want to know. So far I haven't seen one," protested Jane.

"You will see," Sarah answered again. They both kept on walking and soon enough they had stopped next to one of the walls to rest, or that is what it seemed like they were doing.

"Okay. We are here," Sarah announced.

"We are?" asked Jane.

"Yes, we are," assured Sarah. Jane looked around and at the signs above them. The signs read, Platform 9 and then the other sign a couple feet way read Platform 10.

"Sarah, we are not there. We are at Platforms 9 and 10," Jane said annoyed.

"No, but we are there. All you have to do to get to Platform 9 ¾ is to run straight into the wall right in front of us." Jane looked towards the direction Sarah's eyes were looking.

"Sarah," Jane cleared her throat. "Are you barking mad? There is no way that I am going to run straight into the wall! If I do then I might as well not go to Hogwarts," boasted Jane.

"Jane, that is the way to Platform 9 ¾ and I am not barking mad. Jane, you got to trust me. I would get a running start if I were you," Sarah said calmly. Jane looked at her like she was barking mad, but then something told Jane that this was the right way to the Platform and that she would have to trust Sarah.

"I will be right behind you," Sarah said reassuring. Jane gulped and ran straight towards the wall with her eyes closed. She felt a rush of wind and then the light suddenly was darker. Jane was so scared that she couldn't open her eyes, but she decided to open one. When she did, she saw that she was in a completely different place. She opened the other eye and moved out of the shadows. There standing right in front of her eyes was the Hogwarts Express! It was mainly black and red. There were tons of kids boarding the train. It was a magnificent sight to see! There was a loud whistle as the train whistled its hello to all of the students boarding.

"It is quite a sight to behold, isn't it?" a voice asked behind Jane. She turned around to see Sarah.

"It is truly a sight to behold," agreed Jane.

"Well, then. Let's get you on board," said Sarah as she and Jane walked towards the rows and rows of cars. Finally, Jane was on the train and she had said goodbye to Sarah. The train blew its last whistle goodbye to all of the parents waving goodbye to their sons and daughters. There were some parents crying and some parents so happy that there were tears of happiness crawling down their cheeks. Jane waved goodbye out the window to Sarah as the train wheeled its way out of the station and out into the open clear blue skies. Jane started walking down the aisle trying to find a space that is open so she can sit and read by herself. There was a ton of commotion as the students talked about the up coming year and whether they will have a new teacher teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts. For some of the new students, they were wondering what house they were going to get sorted into. Jane finally found a berth that was totally empty, so she decided just to sit down next to the window on the left side and read her book that she had brought with her; The Chronicles of Narnia Book 5. As Jane read her book, tons of questions kept on popping up like what is going to happen to me when I get there? What do the other students mean by, which house will I be sorted into? "All of these questions will be answered once I get there," Jane thought to herself as she tried to keep on reading, so she tried to put them in the back of her head, but they kept on coming back. Jane put her book down and stared out the window. They were now in what seemed like the countryside. Jane sighed. "How long will it take us to get there?" Jane questioned. She tore eyes off of the scene that was going by so quick that it was making her dizzy. Jane sighed again, not knowing what to do, besides read, so instead she curled up next to the window and fell asleep. She listened to the loud sound of the train's wheels running on the tracks and the loud voices next to the berth talking about the up coming year. Soon she was sleeping.

There was a loud whistle as Jane woke up to find the train had stopped. She got up and opened the door to the car. All of the students were getting up and leaving. She grabbed her book and followed them. There were tons of students, but what Jane was surprised to find was that it was dark outside. It was only like a couple hours ago that it was light outside. She didn't know what to do until she heard a deep, voice say, "First years this way, please. The rest of you go this way." Jane couldn't really see the person who had said the command, so she just followed the group of people, who must be first years. Before Jane knew it, she was in a small rowboat with lanterns and other first years. Jane was in a boat with a young red-haired girl that looked like she was a year younger that her. The other student was a young boy that had short blonde hair. Jane was the one holding the lantern. None of the people where rowing the boat, so Jane thought it must be enchanted, which she was impressed with, but not as impressed when she saw the school. The school, at nighttime was creepy; at least, that is what Jane thought it was. There were lots of lights on at the castle and, "That's the problem," Jane thought. "It looks more like a castle than an actual school." Jane saw that there was one big tower that definitely stood out more that the other towers. Then there was a big room, with long windows, or at least that is what it looked like to Jane. Soon, they had reached the shore and were walking up the steps to the enormous school. Once inside, the lights blinded Jane's sight, but when she got inside all the way, she gasped. There was a grand staircase that led to the first floor and on either side of it were two more rooms. The one of the right of the staircase looked like it led downward and the one of the left looked like it also went downward. As Jane kept on walking, she noticed that there were two statues of knights in armor on both sides of the door she had just came in. The group of first years was heading towards two double doors on the left. The group stopped in front of the double doors for there was a woman standing there. She looked like she was about 78 or older, but if she is a witch; she might be even older than that. She had on an emerald green and black robe and a hat that matched her robe, but was cocked to one side. On her robe, there was a small brooch that was silver and topaz. The main part of it was round, but then it had something that was connected to it. It looked so beautiful. Jane stopped walking along with the rest of the group.

"Hello everyone! Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall. I am the head of Gryffindor. In a moment, you will be sorted into the four different houses, which are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Once you are sorted you will then go sit down at the table with your other classmates that are in the same house. I will be back in a moment," Professor McGonagall concluded as she went through the double doors without another word. Jane looked around her. Some of the students looked nervous, but then again, this is their first time here. Jane could hear her heart start to pound really hard. She didn't know what was behind those double doors, but then again, the woman, Professor McGonagall told them that they would be sorted into the four houses and then sit down with that house. "I wonder which house I will be sorted into?" Jane wondered. "Would it be Hufflepuff? Ravenclaw? Or even Gryffindor? Definitely not Slytherin." Suddenly, the doors open and Professor McGonagall steps out and announces, "We are ready for you." She opened the doors all the way and started to walk forward. When Jane saw the inside of the room, her mouth dropped open. The room, or what it seems like a great hall was huge! The ceiling was so up high, but what was fascinating was that the ceiling was enchanted to look like what it is outside, so it was dark. Then there was dozens and dozens of candles that were all lit up floating in the air. Four long tables were all filled up with lots of students all wearing uniforms. Jane and the group of first years had started walking down between two of the tables with all of the students staring at them with their eyes. Jane felt little overwhelmed with all of these people looking at her. She tried not to look at them, but she just couldn't help but look. They all looked older than she was. She tried to look at the tables and decipher which house was at which table, but there were no signs or anything to tell her which table was which. Up ahead there was a big long table just like the other four tables, but this table was different. At this table sat all of the teachers and in the very middle of the table, sat the headmaster in his big chair. "He looks like he is over 100 years old," thought Jane. "Is he even allowed to run this school?" Professor McGonagall told them to stop right in front of the steps that led up to the big table, or the high table. By now, Jane could clearly hear her heart beating at a rapid rate. She thought she would faint, but she tried not to think about that.

"Now, I will call you off by name to come up here and sit down on this stool. I will put this sorting hat on your head, and then it will say which house you will be in. Lastly, you go sit down with your house," she finished. Now the professor had on square spectacles. She pulled out a piece of parchment that must have all of their names in it. Jane gulped hard. She didn't want to be first. She hated being first.

"Jacqueline Smith," was the first name that Professor McGonagall called. The young gal went up to the stool and sat down. The hat was placed on her head and to Jane's astonishment, the hat began to move. It also sounded like it was talking, but she couldn't hear any of it. Finally, the hat called out, "RAVENCLAW!" Jacqueline got off and went to the table that must be the house of Ravenclaw.

"James Geldal," Professor McGonagall called out. The boy came up to the stool and sat down. Jane recognized him as the young blonde boy that was in the rowboat with her. The hat was placed on his head and again there was chatting coming from the hat. Finally, the hat called out," HUFFLEPUFF!"

James got off the stool and walked to the table for Hufflepuff and sat down.

"Ginny Weasley," was the third name the professor called out. The young gal, who Jane recognized to be the girl who was with her also in the rowboat, walked up to the stool, and the process was repeated over again, "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat called out. Ginny hopped off and walked to the Gryffindor table where she was greeted by some of her fellow classmates.

"Jane Potter," called out Professor McGonagall. Jane froze. That was her name that she heard. She slowly walked up to the stool with the palms of her hands sweating. But as she walked, she could hear some whispering going on.

"Potter? Wait, that doesn't make any sense," said one person.

"Is she Harry Potter's sister? But, she can't be, I mean it is impossible. Harry is an only child," commented another student. Jane tried to ignore those comments, but she just couldn't. She sat on the stool very carefully, but when she did, she saw that everyone's attention had turned toward her. She gulped again hoping that she wouldn't faint. The hat was placed on her head and then it suddenly moved.

"Ah, what do we have here?" asked the hat. "Another Weasley eh?"

"No! I am not a Weasley," whispered Jane.

"Ah! Right you are there," continued the hat. "You are a Potter. I never knew that Lily and James Potter had a baby girl. How did you survive? Where were you when You-Know-Who killed your parents?"

"I would rather not talk about it," answered Jane in a whisper.

"Ah, okay. So which house to put you into. I could put you into Hufflepuff or what about Ravenclaw?" Jane shook her head no.

"Ah, then what about Slytherin. You don't suppose that Slytherin will help your way onto greatness?" Jane didn't know what to say. But then the hat asked, "Don't you have that scar on your forehead?"

"Scar? What scar?" asked Jane.

"Oh! You don't have a scar on your forehead." Jane put her hand on her forehead and felt for one, but there was nothing there.

"No, I don't have a scar on my forehead. I never had one, even when I was born," answered Jane.

"Ah! So You-Know-Who never knew that you were even alive. Well, lucky you. Now to choose which house to put you into." Jane gulped and could hear her heart start to pound harder. She didn't know which house she wanted to be in. All she knew was that she didn't want to be in Slytherin. She was about to whisper which house she wanted to be in when the hat stated, "Well, if you don't want to be in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw and you know that Slytherin will not help you on your way to greatness, well then, it better be . . . . . . .GRYFFINDOR!"

AN: I don't own Harry Potter. The only characters I own are Jane, Sarah, and any other characters that I made up. (Last edited 3/7/17)