A/N:Thank you so much one again! I hope this is okay, Thanks for reading. Sorry its late, this is a bit longer though:)

The next morning was rather more cheery than the day before. There were a few more smiles at breakfast than the previous evening. Hopefully the day would bring more practical lessons; then again it was still their first week, and the introductory lessons would probably continue, but there was hope.

"What have you lot got today then?" Louis asked as he reached for some toast; he had posed his question to his elder family members. Victoire proceeded to groan as she took another bite out of her toast. Domonique did the same, for they were both doing their exams at the end of the year. Domonique had her OWLs and Victoire had her NEWTs, and it was her last year as well.

"What have you got, then? Come on, how bad?" Molly asked heavily, sighing slightly. Victoire rolled her eyes before beginning on a rant about the homework she had already received despite it only being the second day back, and how persistent and strict the teachers were being. Once she had finished everyone nodded in agreement of her grumbles.

"Geez! I can't wait for the NEWTs party bus to start next year! Sounds like great fun!" Dominique said sarcastically, just as the post arrived. It was Clara's first time witnessing the rush of many owls, swooping down and dropping letters on expectant teenagers. She looked up in awe as a few owls dropped down onto their end of the table. One landed on Al, one on Victoire, one on Dominique, one on Molly and one on Rose.

Victoire's letter was from her long-distance boyfriend Teddy. They had been dating for the past three years, but he had left at the end of the previous year; so now their relationship would have to be upheld by letters, rather than actual interactions. He had gone to work with Harry, Al and James' father. Teddy was basically Ginny and Harry's third son, despite Harry only being his godfather. He had taken both of his parents talents for Defence Against The Dark Arts, and so after he'd left school he was following in their footsteps, and would be training to become an Auror, under the leadership of Harry himself.

The letter in question was filled with cutsie, I miss you stuff, that when Dominque leaned over she rolled her eyes,

"Seriously? You're dating this guy?" Domonique exclaimed.

Dear Vic

I miss you loads at the moment but over here with Harry its going really well. But enough of it here, what's your timetable this year like? Last year mine was awful, so I hope yours isn't too bad (I would insert an empathetic face, but I can't draw )Harry is doing a DADA lesson at Hogwarts soon so I will be coming up as well (He said I could come with him to see you as well), as it's the week before the first Quidditch Match, so I should be able to see you then. I am defiantly going to come up for the Hogwarts weekends when I can. I only saw you two days ago but it feels like ages. I really do hope that I get to see you soon. I hope the others are treating you well, and give some luck to Al, Rose and Louis. I hope they are settling in well. Make sure James doesn't muck around with Al too much though. I miss you so much, and good luck.

See You Soon

Love

Teddy

Victoire was smiling sheepishly to herself. Louis knew that the letter was obviously from Teddy, not his parents. Dominique had received the letter from their parents, she read it and then handed it over to Louis, who skim read it and then dropped it back on the table.

"Ugh, I leave one thing on the floor in my room before I leave and I still get basically murdered!" Louis said as he crunched into his toast, as if he was trying to kill it. The rest of them at the table laughed gleefully as they continued to read their letters or post. Rose was reading her daily Prophet, as she had already finished reading her parents letter.

Dear Rose,

We are so proud that you made Gryffindor, and have already made a new friend who likes reading (your mum laughed as she wrote that) Ron stop it! Sorry Rose, Ron won't let me write. I hope that you are on top of your work already and are encouraging your friends to do the same. We are so pleased that you enjoy it, and we sincerely hope that you are just as we were whilst we were there. You will meet so many new people and have so many new adventures, hopefully not as dark as ours were, but these next seven years will be amazing all the same, so work hard and try and enjoy it as much as you can.

Also please will you remind Professor Longbottom that I need to give him some books when he wishes, he left them the last time he was here. Hugo misses you a lot, so does Lily. They have been wild since you lot left and it's only been two days! They are so excited to come next year, you will have to tell them what it's like in your letter or when you next see them. Please also tell me what your timetable is like, I am eager to know. Who are the new teachers?

Hi, It's me, dad. Your mum finally let me have the quill. I honestly hope you have the best time at Hogwarts, but try not to work yourself too hard in first-year; you have got all of that to come. Just try and have the most fun you can, you need to remind the others as well, James certainly doesn't need reminding though! I am so happy that you made Gryffindor, we are really proud.

Great Job big sis! See you soon

Lots of Love

Mum, Dad and Hugo

Rose had a huge smile across her face when she was reading it, she loved her family dearly, her brother Hugo especially. They weren't the sort of siblings that fought a lot, they just seemed to get along together really well. She had returned to her paper once she was done, and was reading an article about one of Luna Scamander's new discoveries.

Al had received his family's letter; as much as his parents loved James they did doubt him sometimes. The letter was pretty much a similar format to Rose's. Talking about Lily and Hugo, saying that they were proud Al was in Gryffindor and that he shouldn't work himself too hard. It also told James not to be too irritating towards his brother and to look out for him.

"Dad's work load is piling up, and mum says you're having your broom confiscated at home, when we get back if you irritate me. Also their going to use the floo network to chat later this evening. If you cared," Al said not looking up, as he then handed over the letter to a slightly irritated James. He groaned as he read it, Al hadn't obviously told him all the punishments he would receive when he returned home if they got a bad word from Al. Most people would expect the younger sibling to obviously just tell lies, but Al wasn't like that; he was honest and trustworthy. He wouldn't tell his parents anything unless he had to. He was a strong person and would just deal with it.

Molly's letter had only been short and had just asked how things were and about Professor Clearwater, how she was doing etc.. Nevertheless they would all have to spend at least some of the evening replying to their parents, or boyfriends in Victoire's case. They ate the rest of their breakfast quietly, Clara feeling a little isolated that she wasn't really one of them. All her other dorm mates had also got letters, but she just had to sit there awkwardly and just listen to what they were saying. They weren't excluding her or anything, she just wasn't in their family, or massive friends with her other dorm members; Eliza and Poppy had become close friends instantly, bonding over something the previous evening so now Clara was alone. She had decided that she was going to write to her mum and Katie anyway that evening so she could explain about Owls and to attach her reply etc. The wizard that had come to her when she had got her letter had briefly covered it.

She got a bit bored and decided it was better if she just got ready for Potions, she finished her cereal and bid her farewells before she stepped out of the table and walked back to the common room. Louis ran after her moments later,

"Hey! Wait up please, god I'm not that fast! Clara!" He shouted as he ran up the steps after her; before she realised he was there, she giggled slightly as he eventually caught up.

"Hi," She said, just as she realised that she'd never actually had a proper conversation with him yet, apart from the Wizarding thing on the train.

"We haven't formally spoken yet have we?" Louis said smiling as they climbed the steps.

"No I believe not!" She said chuckling nervously. He also looked quite awkward in the situation; he wasn't very good at making conversation, like Molly was. His sisters did keep encouraging it though. He felt at a sort of disadvantage being a lot younger than them for some reason, they had already excelled and he had only just got there. In fairness his parents had insisted that they shouldn't be home-schooled like they had done as children, but that they should all go to the local primary school in Cornwall where they lived . He had done well there, in the exams he'd done at the end of each year but still he felt like their shadow, not his own person sometimes. Luckily he was the sort of person that everyone liked as well, so he had many muggle friends that he had tried to keep in touch with; but they all connected with a muggle object called phones that only his parents, aunts and uncles had. Staying in touch with those children would require a lot of effort sadly.

"Sorry, just hadn't got round to it yet I guess. I'm not very good at you know talking and that. You will have noticed that's more Molly's area," He said joking a little bit at the end.

"Its fine," She said smiling, "Nice to be here isn't it?" She said casually before adding, "Victoire and Dominique are your sisters, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you guess?" He replied, hands in pockets as they almost reached the portrait hole.

"The hair I think," She said laughing as she said the password and they were allowed in. They separated and went up the stairs to their dorms to grab their things. Returning moments later to walk down to the dungeons.

The Weasleys and the Potters were all dreading the next lesson. From what they'd heard from their parents and their siblings, they were going to get doted on by the professor, Slughorn. He was known to be nice, but favoured the famous heavily and there was no one more famous in the wizarding world than Harry Potter. So naturally those related to him and their children were especially favoured. Due to this Al was the last of the lot to leave the hall with Molly, who was just taking a while.

"Come on Al! You actually need to come! Come one!" Molly encouraged as she left the hall calling him after her.

He begrudgingly left as the food vanished off the table. He took a very slow amble over to Molly who tutted as he arrived. Finally they left the hall, and he reluctantly headed for the dreaded Potions room.

The lesson, much to his relief wasn't a practical, so at least the Professor couldn't go on about these talents that he had received from his parents. The Professor nevertheless had spent half an hour going on about how honoured he was to be teaching the Weasleys and the Potter boy that year and couldn't simply wait for him to showcase his brewing talents. Al understandably had put that lesson in his pile of things he really didn't time for, in his head. This amused him greatly. He was very pleased to leave the lesson and then to go to the next lessons.

The day on a whole was slightly better than the previous one. At least they weren't exhausted by the end of the day. They had managed to see some animals in Care Of Magical Creatures, thanks to Hagrid just being amazing. Charms they learnt their first spell as well; the levitation charm.

This charm was actually rather special to Rose's parents. Her mum correcting her father when saying it in one of their first lessons, it was an anecdote they often had brought up, and it also had saved her mum from a troll that same year. So naturally she laughed when the small Professor introduced the spell. Everyone else gave her odd looks.

They had one more lesson to go that evening, Astronomy which couldn't have been too bad. They got to work with letter writing and their first home work pieces. Clara sat by the fire on a big armchair, and started to write her letter to her family. The rain was still lashing down on the windows. And finally the cold air had caught up with the castle. It wasn't warm anymore so the fire was roaring.

"What you writing?" Rose asked, who was sitting on the sofa next to her, she was writing her Potions homework.

"Letter to mum, and sis," She said not really looking up, but holding up the letter to show her, but she was immersed in her writings. Rose smiled, as she continued to write. Al was also writing a letter to his family, without any input from James, obviously. His parents were supposed to Floo us, in about an hour. The first-years weren't going to be getting much sleep that night, so they could stay late before they had to go up to the tower for 11.

Ginny was really happy when she Flooed, she went on about how nice it was that he was settling in fast. Harry appeared too, eating some ice-cream after a long and tedious day at work. They had both asked whether Al had made any new friends; it was then that he explained about the train journey, and said he went for a walk with Clara yesterday evening. Ginny got very excited to meet her, but she had gone with Rose to the library at that time, so he said he'd introduce her another time.

After the Floo, the first years had their Astronomy lesson, which went rather well. They all loved their new professor, Professor Pentable. She was fair haired, average height and quite young for a Hogwarts professor. They all thought that she must be good, as she was employed so young. The lesson passed quickly despite their overall drowsy and tiredness, but they were upbeat and staring in to the blackness in search of the planets. She had set them a small amount of homework, but it was a creative one, so they weren't too displeased.

The second day had passed quickly, without much stress or excitement for that matter. The first-years were finally in their stride by the third day, as if they'd been there for years. The next few days passed with ease, and before they had even realised, the weekend had arrived. They hadn't gained too much homework, much to their joy. The older teens had gained rather a lot though. Victoire and Dominique were sitting on the floor surrounded by mountains of textbooks early on Saturday.

"What you up to Vic?" Al asked as he sat on the floor, back leaning against the sofa. He was rather sick of his History of Magic Essay, he had completed only one of the four rolls of parchment that was required, and was already sick of it.

"Charms, essays," Victoire said holding up her rolls of parchment, before adding, "Essays, emphasis on the 'S'. I have multiple essays. This really sucks; how on earth did Teddy do this?" She expressed before, she got up and said, "God, I've had enough of this. Right, I'm going to go see Zara." She left immediately on her way to the Hufflepuff common room, where one of her best friends, Zara Cooper, was.

"Dom, I'm going to Matt's, you coming," A boy who few of them knew the name of, came up and asked Dominique, who was still lying on the floor. Al looked up to the dark haired boy with blue eyes, he hadn't ever seen him, but wasn't that invested in the situation so returned back to his essay, which he'd only written one more sentence to during the previous thirty minutes.

"No sorry, John, I'm going to finish my transfig essay. You need to finish it too you know?" Dominique said before the boy called John walked away, before saying 'Okay then'. Dominique obviously had said it reluctantly as she took a few deep sighs before returning to the essay.

Everyone one who had been listening just returned to their homework. Clara was lying opposite Al, doing her History of Magic essay as well. She had progressed rather a lot more than Al had. Rose however had already finished it, and Louis had done as much as Al. Al had been staring still at the parchment for a good ten minutes, before he let the parchment roll up, and he closed his History of Magic book.

"I'm going to go to the library. Anyone coming?" Al asked as he lept up suddenly, but grabbing his things, and cramming them into his bag.

"Sure we'll come, I really need to find this book actually," Rose said eying Clara as she nodded. They lept up and also shoved their things into their bags and joined him.

They entered the library, and went to sit down at the table with the least amount of people at it. They found one with only one boy on it. They all recognised him immediately, but Al was the only one who actually knew him.

"Hi, Scorpius," Al said as he swung his chair out of the table and sat down next to him.

"Hi Al. Hi Rose. Sorry I haven't actually ever spoken to you. You know that your dad kind of intensely dislikes, to put it nicely, my dad. Sorry I haven't met you before, who are you?" Scorpius said, he was one of the kindest boys that Clara had ever met. He was being very polite to all of them.

"Clara Lake, nice to meet you," Clara said as she put her hand out across the table, "How do you know Al?"

"Our parents, though hating each other through school, are now friends. We met about five years ago, and we became friends," Al said, turning to Scorpius for assurance as he said how long they'd known each other. Clara nodded and then started on her work, again, as did everyone else. They were all doing their History of Magic (HOM) essay, apart from Rose who had finished hers, and was working on her Charms homework instead. About an hour later, Clara and Rose finished their homework. Clara was about to grab her stuff to then leave but Rose cut in,

"Clara actually, do you want me to recommend and show you some of those books I mentioned?" Rose said as she finished packing up her things.

"Sure, where?" Clara asked, as she got up.

"Well there are a few non-fiction books I'm fairly certain you'll adore, but there are a few fiction books also. The first ones are over there," Rose said as she motioned over to the left, and set off walking there. She showed her many books; the non-fiction ones intrigued her the most. Rose had been talking to her earlier about wand-lore, and she had been very interested in that, so Rose had recommended, a book explaining it in simple terms, along with many other books on wizarding-lore, that really excited Clara. Next Rose went on about fiction books in the wizarding world, going on, and on about an author called Emma Treyton, who wrote action books about a witch called Clarissa. Rose gave her a few of her titles, and then showed her, Catherine Moore, Elizabeth Webb, Theo Doherty and Tristan Hall. When they returned back to the table, thirty minutes later, Clara had acquired over ten books.

"I didn't know you were going to read yourself to death Clara!" Al joked as Clara unloaded some of her books into his arms. Al gave some to Scorpius as well, after getting scowled at by Madame Reid. They slowly made their way up to the Gryffindor Common wherein they made a system of transporting the books between the four of them up to Clara's dorm. After that they made their way back to the library, where they gathered up their stuff and Scorpius left to go back to his common room before dinner. The others ambled back to the Gryffindor Tower.

When they entered they found James and Fred trying to give one of their famous puking sweets to an unsuspecting first year. Al quickly ran up to them when he saw what they were about to do,

"No, don't you even dare. Sorry Alex, my brother and cousin were trying to prank you. Al said as he lead the exceptionally small girl away, making a face at James. James rolled his eyes and went back up to his dorm, Fred trailing behind annoyed.

"What was that all about?" Clara asked as Al wondered over.

"They were trying to give a puking pastille to Alex, I stopped them," Al said as if it was an everyday thing, the boys pranking other people. He flumped down and flipped his head back in exhaustion. It had been a nice but exhausting week. As he flipped his head back, he realised that there was a new notice on the notice board. He quickly swung his head round and back up. He got up and looked at the notice, which to his surprise was addressed to his year.

"We've got our first flying lesson on Tuesday before lunch," He said as he handed the note over to Clara, who read it then passed it onto Rose. She sighed, then handed it back.

"At least we miss Magical Creatures," Clara said.

"Hey! I liked it; we had Hagrid, come on. He was trying really hard, and he was being so nice," Al protested.

"Sorry, come on we should go to dinner now," Clara said as she got up and started to walk out of the portrait hole, the others followed her out. Dinner was a pleasant affair, Victoire once again complained about her workload. Dominique groaned louder and louder as Victoire went on and on. Molly was sat at another end of the table talking to her friends, Amy Cartwright, Kathleen Watts, Nicola and Zoë Cole. She had spent the whole day with them in the library.

Clara was sitting opposite Eliza and Poppy, and next to Rose who was sitting by Al and Louis; the rest of their family were sitting from there onwards.

"So what did you do today?" Eliza asked as she tucked into her fish pie. She had heaped her plate with many different meals, but had started off with one of her favourites from home. Her mum used to cook it for her and her sister Lucy when she was home, it felt like she was back there sitting in her seat, her plate on top of her countries of the world map, in the winter, warmed by her AGA. It made her feel very nostalgic sitting in another world to her small kitchen at home.

"Homework and library, you?" Rose said as she ate her stew

"Same, shame we didn't bump into you," Eliza said, she was a very sweet and kind girl, so was Poppy. A relatively short blonde girl, she made up for her shortness with her unbelievable excitableness. She was forever jumping about everywhere, but she was incredibly nice and sweet, just like Eliza! It was really sweet that they had both quickly become best friends.

"Did you hear that we've got a flying lesson on Tuesday?" Rose asked.

"Yeah we saw the notice earlier," Poppy stated as she ate her food. They chatted as they finished their food. The hall got darker as the evening closed in. They left the hall at eight and many left for bed. For some reason Clara wasn't tired at all, it had been a tiring day but the tired hadn't 'hit her' yet. She just sat by the fire on the sofa. She had sat in the same place on the sofa all week; she had now deemed it her seat. She just read for hours, she had forgotten her reading glasses, so she had sent a letter to her mum on Wednesday, to ask for them. They had only arrived on that morning; the others were quite shocked when she put them on for doing her homework. It wasn't like she really needed them but her optician and her mum had advised it.

She was reading ' Wand-Lore: The basics' a book Rose had said about, in her seat with her thick PJ's and warm fuzzy jumper, hair tied up, sort of, glasses on, Immersed in the complex art of Wands. It was amazing to her, but to most it would have been so confusing despite it being a book on the basics. There were few people in the common room any more, only a few seventh-years, Victoire and one of her friends included, scribbling away, and Eliza was down as well, finishing her Charms essay off. She had been doing something with Poppy after they'd done some homework, so they hadn't really got round to it. Soon after, Eliza left, leaving Clara alone. There was only one other person left now, who yawned and then retired to his dorm room.

She was now all alone in the common room, there was no sound. Everyone was silent, she smiled and stretched. She still wasn't tired. She just sat there contemplating her first week at the school, what had gone on etc. She thought about all the new people she'd met, the nice, kind ones especially.

Just a week ago she was sitting in her room, waiting excitedly to come, and now she was here. It was more than she had imagined but a little less exciting and action packed. Maybe that was a good thing though? Clara continued to think over everything, as the sky boomed with thunder and rain began to hurl itself on the window panes. She drifted slowly off to sleep, having not moved from her seat. There was nothing left of the fire anymore, just the glowing embers, the embers that faded and blurred as her eyes softly closed.