Jess and Luna waited quietly in front of the Great Hall as Professor McGonagall began to speak. "Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses.
They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now, while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose 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.
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 while you wait." She smiled and summoned a few hairbrushes and gave them to girls who helped each other with their hair once McGonagall left to join the teachers. A few minutes later the professor returned to bring them into the Great Hall.
Jess ignored the nonsense the raggedy old hat was spouting, and instead looked over at the Gryffindor table, searching for her brother. When she saw Neville giving her two thumbs up, she grinned and waited as her year-mates began to be called up to the Sorting Hat.
Finally, McGonagall called "Lovegood, Luna?"
Luna walked up to the stool and as soon as the hat was placed on her head it cried out "RAVENCLAW!"
After a little longer McGonagall called "Potter, Jessica?"
Jess walked up as the students around her whispered "the little sister of Potter." "But she's a myth!"
When she sat on the stool, the Hat talked to her in her mind "Hello, Jess. You are a welcome reprieve. Such an ordered mind! But like your brother, you have a choice. Hufflepuff or Gryffindor."
"Gryffindor. I am far braver than you think, old man." she bit back at him in her mind.
The hat chuckled at being called an old man before saying "Very well. Better be..." then audibly it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"
The entire house and one lone Slytherin applauded her as she headed to the table decked in red and gold. There she sat between Fred and Neville. A little while later, Harry and one of the other Weasleys walked in with Professor Snape. Harry stopped in front of Jess and said "Do I know you?"
Before Jess could reply, a bushy-haired girl pulled her brother into a seat next to her. After the feast was over, she whispered in Fred's ear "Could you detain Harry Potter in the Common Room, please? I need to speak with him."
Fred nodded to her and walked faster to catch up to Harry and started to talk to him as they walked to their house's Common Room.
Once everyone was there, Fred waved for Jess to come over "Harry, I'd like for you to meet an old friend of mine, Jess. Jess learned everything she knows about Quidditch from me and George. I'm going to try to have Wood give her a chance at becoming a first-year Chaser. Jess, this is Harry. Don't break him."
Jess and Harry stood looking at each other for a bit before Jess said "Would you like to sit down?"
"Sure." they sat over by the fire.
They sat in silence before Jess said "Harry, what do you remember of your family from before that Halloween?"
"I had a mother and a father, and someone else."
"Someone like a little sister, maybe?" Jess said quietly.
"I guess so. Even if I did, she was probably killed by Voldemort." Harry shrugged, looking at the flames.
"What if... What if she survived? A little sister born almost exactly a year later while your parents were in hiding, and she was raised by friends of your mother, Lily?"
Harry sighed, saying while pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation "Stop beating around the bush and say what you need to say."
"Harry, your little sister Jessica Rose Potter is going to Hogwarts this year." Jess stated very slowly with as much calm as she could muster.
"What? Where is she? Which house is she in? Tell me!" Harry jumped up and began almost running around the room in excitement.
"Harry! Calm down. She's in Gryffindor, and she's right here." She smiled as he turned towards her, staring at her with his mouth open. "Hello, big brother." she shyly smiled.
"Hi." Harry sat down in a chair with a thump and ran a hand through his hair "Wow. How have you been all these years?"
Jess grimaced "Impatient to come here and meet you. Draco says he's sorry, by the way. He's not going to bother you any more."
"You know Draco Malfoy." Harry looked surprised and more than a bit confused.
"Yes. We've been friends for a while."
Harry ran a hand through his hair "Where did you grow up?"
"I grew up at The Hourglass with my adopted parents and an aunt and uncle. Dad said that if you want to, you can come live with us starting next summer."
Harry's eyes lit up "He said that?"
Jess nodded. "He and Uncle John are adding on extra rooms for you while we're away until Christmas. Would you like for me to tell Mum to begin filing a petition to adopt you?"
Harry nodded mutely as the reality that he had a real family began to sink in.
"I'll go upstairs and write Mum, then. Oh, and if you want to know about how I was as a kid, ask Neville. We're neighbors."
Jess walked upstairs to her dormitory and wrote to Rose, telling her about her sorting and Harry's reaction to learning of her existence. She gave the letter to Rafe and he flew out, into the night with her letter.