The sorest sight Harry had seen all year was Hermione's expression as she gazed longingly at the congregation of Weasleys and Potters from the other end of platform 9 3/4. Her father waved at Harry just as glumly when he spotted him through the bustling families. Jean Granger seemed eager to get her daughter's attention. She eventually succeeded.

"I don't like her," grumbled Ron.

"Who?"

"Hermione's Mum. She's a mental woman."

"Mmm..."

"Then again, it must suck to be a muggle now. D'you hear what Fudge said about muggles in public wizarding places?"

"Yeah," Harry replied vaguely.

"Hermione'll have to shop in muggle bookshops from now on..."

"Doubt it," sighed Harry, finally snapping back into the present. "Mum seems happy to wait on her hand and foot. She practically spent the whole of Summer shopping for stuff for Hermione. And Alice, of course..."

Harry and Ron glanced down at the buzzing little black-haired girl nearby. To Harry's mortification, she was already wearing her Hogwarts robes. She stared up at the dormant Hogwarts Express in awe, while Elsie Black clutched her hand and looked solemn. Sirius Black looked delighted to finally be included in the annual Hogwarts haul send-off. He beamed with pride while his exhausted wife scrambled around the platform trying to control Henry and Aida, who were diving in and out people's legs pretending to curse each other with toy wands.

"Has your sister fallen on her head or something recently?" asked Ron.

"Er- no?" Harry peered at the top of his sister's head.

"I thought she was terrified of starting Hogwarts..."

Harry rolled his eyes. "She was. Then Snape got suspended."

"Ohhh!"

"Exactly."

The Hogwarts Express whistle blew, and steam rose and clouded over the platform. Mothers erupted into last-minute reminders and quick goodbyes. Animal cages and trunks got flung onto the train, including Hedwig and Alice's raven, Morgana.

"Daddy?" asked Henry. "Will they sort Alice into Ravenclaw because she has a raven?"

Sirius patted his son on the head. "I sincerely doubt that the century-old magical historical artifact would start sorting first years on account of their choice of pet, Henry."

"Be a good girl, darling!" Lily whimpered, pulling her daughter into a tight embrace. "Harry'll look after you, won't you?"

"Yes, Mum. Promise."

"And there's Hermione, and Ginny, you know, if..."c

"Lily..." warned James with a smirk. Lily reluctantly let her daughter go and took a deep breath. Beside her, Isabelle Black was whispering last minute re-assurances to Elsie, who looked almost as petrified as Alice had once been.

"If anyone's in danger of being sorted into Ravenclaw, it's her," murmured Harry to Ron, nodding in Elsie's direction. "Isabelle was in Ravenclaw. And her brother. And her Mum."

"Ouch..." Ron muttered back. Harry raised his eyebrows in agreement. He'd be in for a tough year if Alice was separated from her closest friend.

Harry hugged his parents and yawned through his mother's 100th pledge for him to be a good brother to Alice. When all their belongings were safely piled into the luggage compartments and Ron had wrestled free of his mothers boa-constrictor embrace, they hopped on to the train.

"Where do we sit? Where do we sit?" Alice beamed, racing off down the narrow passageway. Harry shot Ron an anxious glance before they tugged Ginny and Elsie down the aisle after her.

"Oh look!" gasped Alice, tugging a compartment open. She'd found Neville, who had become lanky and greasy over summer. He was sitting with a wistful-looking Luna Lovegood, whose head was buried in a copy of The Quibbler.

"Oh, give me strength..." Ron groaned, filing in to the compartment after Harry. The two current occupants of the compartment greeted them with smiled. Neville looked relieved to see them.

"Hey, guys. Good summers?"

"The best!" grinned Alice as Harry gently crammed her against Neville to accomodate everyone in the compartment. "Althought it was far too slow. I'm so relieved we're finally leaving!"

Luna lowered her Quibbler and smiled at Alice. Harry cringed.

"Did you know, Alice, that people who spend their lives being impatient are twice as likely to die quicker?"

The whistle blew again. The compartment was already a little uncomfortable with seven occupants, but Luna's comment made Harry feel downright claustrophobic. Alice stared blankly at Luna. Elsie, who had never encountered a Lovegood before, looked horrified.

The train lurched.

"We're off!" cheered Ginny, standing up and leaning over Ron to wave goodbye. All the others followed suit. They mashed themselves up against the window, waving blindly at the crowds before they spotted their loved ones: two ginger women pushed through the crowds to wave goodbye to their sons and daughters. Lily Potter and Molly Weasley could almost pass as sisters. Sirius, James, Isabelle, Henry and Aida grew smaller and smaller until they were lost in the crowds. As the train sped up, Lily and Molly surrendered and stood helplessly on the edge of the platform.

"I feel sorry for Mum," said Harry. "No more kids at home."

"Ah, she'll get over it," shrugged Ron, collapsing back into his seat. "Didn't take Mum long and she'd been raising kids for nearly thirty years!"

"Ron, she was a wreck," said Ginny seriously.

"Shut up."

Alice looked a little upset for the first time since before Snape's dismissal. Their Summer had been a happy one: they'd discovered a small stream a few miles from the edge of their village where Harry demonstrated some of his more impressive spells away from the watchful eye of his mother, Alice had baked the most impressive four-tiered cake for Harry's thirteenth birthday and they'd attended Remus and Tonks' wedding. It had been a little awkward at first, with a huge contrast in family sizes between the bride and groom and the bridesmaids Alice, Elsie and Aida dressed in gowns designed to shimmer like the moon. They'd laughed when Tonks' wedding dress had got hitched and revealed that she was wearing clunky ankle boots instead of heels. It had been a summer to remember, and Harry was almost glad that her slight sadness was noticeable to him.

Hermione found them three minutes into the journey. She silently slid into their compartment where there was realistically no room. She'd been crying.

"I can stand," she mumbled.

"Rubbish," said Harry. "Sit between me and Ron. Alice, just sit on my lap."

Alice scrambled onto her brother's lap while Hermione climbed over their legs.

"'Mione?" asked Ron quietly. "What's wrong?"

Hermione slumped into the vacant seat and inhaled deeply. "I'm having a hard time at home."

"Oh," said Ron, hardly sounding convincing. Harry felt uncomfortable after having spent many hours over summer talking with his own parents about Hermione's family in unnecesarily hushed voices. It didn't seem the right thing for a friend to have done. Ron seemed to pick up on this too.

"You wanna talk about it?" asked Ron, a little awkwardly.

Hermione shook her head. "Maybe later."

They experienced their first melancholic start to the year during that train journey, with Hermione's upset and Elsie's anxiety. For most of the time, they sat in silence. Alice tried in vain to soothe her friend, and Luna dipped in and out of conversation with the group via sudden pointless quips of probably-false facts and whimsical insights. There was a brief comic moment shared when Hemione fell asleep on Ron's shoulder, instilling the fear of life in him. He sat there with a terrified expression on his face until he was rocked to sleep too. His snores were loud and hilarious. This woke Hermione, and she grumbled at him for the rest of the journey.

"Alice," began Harry as they stepped off the train once they'd arrived. He'd had to grab her wrist. She was bouncing around too much. "Alice, listen to me."

Alice rolled her eyes. "I know, Harry. Be careful. I'm fine. I'm not scared anymore."

Harry twisted her round and put his hands on his shoulders. "You and Elsie have to go with Hagrid. He'll be here in a minute."

Alice's excitement faltered a little. She glanced around her, looking for the giant man she'd heard so much about. "Why? Why can't I go with you?"

"First years always go in the boats. Dunno why, just always happens. You'll all go into the hall together and then you'll be sorted."

Alice swallowed. "Okay... I'll just... wait here for Hagrid, then."

Harry hugged her. "Love you, Birdy, you barmy child."

Alice giggled. "You haven't called me that in ages."

Harry shrugged. "Haven't had the chance to, have I? Now you're my baby sister again."

At his words, Alice threw her arms around her brother again. Harry felt an odd feeling of loss. This hug would mark the last moment of absolute privacy he shared with his sister. Now, she would no longer be his home-calling. Their close bond would be public to the school and all its students. They'd cross each other in the hall. He'd worry about her constantly. Their relationship would undoubtedly face a little turbulence at some point from here on out.

Alice pulled Elsie towards her and said a quick goodbye to Ron, Neville, Hermione, Ginny and Luna before they walked off to the carriages. When Harry looked back at the platform, Alice really did resemble the curious little toddler he remembered, standing hand-in-hand with Elsie as they had been doing since before they could talk.

The Great Hall was glowing by the time Harry and his friends reached it. It was humming with the gleeful reunions of friends and the holiday stories and first term dreads. The floating candles caked the room in its usual golden christmassy light that Harry was happy to return to. Harry took his place at the Gryffindor table and suddenly shuddered with nerves on behalf of his sister.

"I need to tell you something," said Hermione suddenly, before the humdrum died down for the first years. "I don't really know what to make of it, but... I think it's important."

Harry and Ron leaned closer towards her.

"Mum keeps threatening to move abroad."

The doors to the great hall swung open and the middle aisle was flooded with trembling children in crisp new Hogwarts robes.

"What?!" hissed Ron.

"She's not serious about it. Well, she is, but... she won't really."

"Then why the bloody hell are you telling us this?"

The first years trickled past the trio, gawping round at the older students and the enchanted ceiling. Harry spotted Alice in the very middle of the cluster, still clutching Elsie's hand.

"Hermione, can we talk about this later?" Harry whispered, keeping his eyes trained on Alice.

"Of course, Harry, sorry."

"Screw Harry! Where are you moving to?!"

The first years filled out around the bottom step of the teachers' platform at the front. Harry acknowledged Snape's abscence with vague remorse.

"Nowhere! I'm not going with her! She's probably not going anywhere at all!"

"Then what's all this about?!"

Dumbledore rounded the teachers' table at the front and took his place at the front of the podium. Harry barely listened to Dumbledore's speech. He was eyeing up the rest of the first years, seeing which ones would likely be trouble.

"What I am saying, Ronald, is that there is the tiniest chance that she does go. If she does, and my father goes with her, then..."

"What, so you want to stay with me? Is that it?"

"Actually, erm... I was hoping... Harry?"

Harry tore his gaze from Alice, making note of her position in the crowd. "Huh?"

Hermione swallowed. "If needs must, could I... do you... have a spare bedroom at your house?"

Harry did not answer. His mind was currently torn in half. Ron sat wide-eyed and dumb-founded next to Hermione.

"Harry? Would your mother allow it? I really don't want to move to Monaco..."

"Monaco?!" squeaked Ron. "Isn't that in Africa?"

"...No, Ronald."

"Shut up!" hissed Harry as Dumbledore took his seat. Professor McGonagall stepped up to the podium and unraveled a long scroll.

"When I call your name, you will come forward and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head. Aikens, Annie!"

Small clusters of people on the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables stirred. Annie Aikens, the girl with an unfortunate mix of houses in her family, stepped up to the podium and sat down on the seat beside it. She seemed relatively calm. Harry prayed for Alice's sake that Annie Aikens was placed with either her Slytherin sister or her Hufflepuff brother, or else Alice would panic.

"GRYFFINDOR!" roared the Sorting Hat. Harry half-heartedly clapped with the rest of his house as the ginger-haired girl skipped merrily over to their table. He noted that Alice did not seem phased. Elsie, on the other hand, looked petrified.

"Black, Elsie!"

Harry, Ron and Hermione leaned outwards to get a better look. Their fair-haired girl was noticeably trembling as she took her place on the stall. Please be in Gryffindor, Please be in Gryffindor... if she ended up in Ravenclaw, there was a chance Alice might bolt from the room.

"SLYTHERIN!"

WHAT?!

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged alarmed expressions. As Elsie slid from the stool and gingerly made her way towards the applauding Slytherin table, Harry noticed that she resembled a criminal on their way to the gallows. He scanned the crowd for Alice. He could only see the back of her head. He gulped and let out a shaky breath.

"Bogtrot, Hazel!"

All houses let out a snigger at the girl's unfortunate name. She was puny, sickly and wore thick-framed glasses.

"RAVENCLAW!"

She joined her house.

"Bogtrot, Helen!"

Hazel's twin. There had not been a set of twins at Hogwarts since Fred and George. This girl, however, did not look as gangly as her sister.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Even Harry clapped at that outcome. Thank goodness they hadn't been separated.

"Carlow, Jasper!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Chalk, Edward!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Chilcott, Kit!"

An ill-looking girl with dark hair yawned as she flopped down into the stool.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Harry glanced over to Elsie, who offered the new Slytherin girl a sad smile. She was surrounded by older girls. Harry was sure that their cattiness was only evident in the green of their uniforms. He was wary of them none-the-less. Several more children were sorted.

"Fogget, Raymond!"

a wild-haired blonde boy bounded up the steps to the stool and hopped on. He grinned devilishly, rubbing his hands in glee. Harry cringed at his over-confidence.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry and Ron groaned in unison. He looked to be the most irritating child alive.

"Gray, Albert!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Jones, Edwin!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Lestrange... erm, Lestrange, Druella."

Alarm bells rang. Everyone in the room seemed to tense. Even the teachers looked uncomfortable.

A tall, slender girl with pasty-white skin, hair as black as Alice's and blood-red lips ambled up to the stool. Her face speared Harry with dread. She even looked as though she were made of ice.

"How the bloody hell did that happen?" scoffed Ron. "I thought all the Lestrange's were dead!"

"Not dead, just lost," said Hermione darkly. "She's Lucius Malfoy's ward. The Lestrange's daughter?"

"Shhh..." warned Dean Thomas from a few seats away. Beside him, Neville had gone deathly white. He watched the hat being placed on the evil girl's head.

"SLYTHERIN!" the Sorting Hat roared.

The girl's cold expression did not change. She sauntered down towards the Slytherin table, where Elsie looked ready to cry.

"So... hang on a minute... what happened to the Lestranges?" spluttered Harry, turning back to his friends. "

"They ran off," explained Hermione. "They went into hiding when Voldemort's body was found. I assume they did what everyone else did and took on false identities. I guess... I guess they got on with their lives..." Hermione looked almost looking pained. "Nobody knows what happened to them afterwards, because they were never found. Maybe they're dead now. She lives with The Malfoy's, or so I've heard."

"Where d'you hear that from, then, Witch Weekly?"

"No," Hermione grumbled. "She came on the train with The Malfoy brothers. People were whispering about them in the compartment I was in before I found you lot."

"Lyon, Aurelia!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Malfoy, Miles!"

The trio went back to craning their necks for better views. A tall, fair haired boy walked slowly up to the stool and sat down. He looked much more nervous than Harry remembered Draco ever being. He was very pale and bony.

"Blimey, he looks rough..." murmured Ron, eliciting a nudge in the ribs from Hermione.

McGonagall placed the hat on the terrified boy's head.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Whoa, what?!" hissed Ron. People around them were giving similar remarks. The boy's eyes widened. He looked practically green as he shuffled over to the Ravenclaws, who were all clapping nervously. Over at the Slytherin table, Draco was standing up, glowering at his brother.

"Malfoy looks ready to set fire to the Sorting hat..." noted Harry.

"He certainly doesn't look happy," Hermione agreed with a sigh.

"Be fair, he's got his creepy cousin to keep him company! That other little Malfoy squit hasn't got anyone!" argued Ron.

"I'm sure Luna will take him under her wing," Hermione responded dryly.

"O'Brien, Douglas!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Peck, Ophelia!"

Harry tensed. Potter soon...

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The pretty blonde girl grinned and skipped over to his table.

"Pesh, Nancy!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Potter, Alice!"

Harry's heart faltered. In his peripheral, he saw Ron and Hermione glance briefly at him before focusing solely on Alice, who remained composed as the Sorting hat was placed on her head. Immediately, she spotted her brother in the crowd. She smiled pleasantly at him, letting him know she was alright.

"RAVENCLAW!"

oOoOoOo

A/N: I know, I know. Horrible. Nel is a bad girl.

Leave a review if you so wish. I daresay there are a few plot points in here which are controversial. Let me know what you think, but please do not send me death threats. The story is called "Alternative" remember? As in: NOT THE BOOKS. I am mercifully sticking to all cannon pairings. Don't like it, don't read it. Simples.

Merry December,

Nel.

P.S: If I'm coming across as standoffish, it's because my Mum's gone into labour and am therefore preoccupied. Sorryyyyy!

P.P.S: Go to my profile page where you'll find a link to my Tumblr.