Harry and Lilith stared at the scarlet locomotive in front of them, awe etched into their gazes.

"It is an amazing sight isn't it?" Ted asked with a smile as he returned from loading their trunks up, looking at the Hogwarts Express as well.

"It's wicked…" Harry said.

"Definitely." Lilith agreed as Andromeda placed a hand on the younger girls shoulder, making the young redhead look up at her.

"I want you two to write to me whenever you can." She said, "I especially want to know what houses you two get."

"We will." Lilith said with a tentative smile.

Andromeda returned the smile, then knelt down to give them both hugs, "stay safe you two, and do give Professor McGonagall my love."

"Yes ma'am."they chorused, returning her hug for a few moments before stepping away from the older witch.

Ted smiled as the two stepped onto the train, two Ravens flying into the train after them, "What houses do you think they'll be sorted into?"

"Both would be a shoo-in for Slytherin." Andromeda said, keeping her eye on the train as it began to pull out of the station, "though to be frank, they would do well in all four houses...but I see slytherin as a top contender...with Gryffindor being a close second for Harry and Ravenclaw for Lilith."

Ted hesitated, then said, "and what if they're in different houses?"

"Then they'll adapt...hopefully."

WVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVW

Harry settled into the train compartment alongside his sister, who was already pulling out the leather bound journal of Morgana, "you never put that thing down."

Lilith smiled, "knowledge is power brother." She said, sticking her tongue out at him as he pouted.

Harry went into pocket and pulled out the old tarnished silver pocket watch, "how long is the ride?"

"Don't know." Lilith said, "'Andy said it would take almost all day to get there."

A knock at the compartment door made both look up to stare at a redheaded boy with dirt on his nose, "mind if I sit here?" He asked, "everywhere else is full."

"Go ahead." Harry said, motioning to the seat across from himself.

"Thanks." He said with a smile, sitting down, "I'm Ron, by the way, Ron Weasley."

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

Ron's eyes widened, "Blimey...so you're...and that makes you…" he looked to Lilith, who spared him a slightly cold look.

"It's impolite to gawk." She said pointedly. Making Ron turn scarlet.

"S-sorry…" he looked down for a few moments, then looked at Harry with a timid smile, "what's your favorite Quidditch team?"

"I'm not sure yet, Puddlemere United is a very strong team with a good offence and a decent defense. But the wimbourne wasps have a talented seeker-"

Lilith smiled discreetly as the two boys began to speak about Quidditch, only taking a break in it as a little old witch pushing a trolley came by. Lilith and Harry quickly bought a little of everything and gladly shared with a stuttering Ron.

"I-it's fine! Mom made me some sandwiches-"

"And don't sandwiches go great with some pumpkin juice and sweets?" Lilith asked, placing some of their sweets at Ron's side.

"I mean...I suppose you're right...but-"

"Best not to argue mate." Harry said, "Lilith is always right,"

"That I am." She said with a smug tone in her voice. "Now eat."

Without further prompting the two boys began to eat. While Lilith nibbled on a cauldron cake and continued to read her Journal, looking up only when the door opened once more.

"Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville lost one-oh! Are you doing magic? Let's see it then."

Lilith stared at the bushy haired girl who had just settled into the seat across from her, then to Ron, who indeed had his wand out.

"Erm...okay…'sunshine daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow!" He jabbed his wand at his rat, and seemed disappointed when nothing happened.

"...are you sure that's a real spell? It doesn't seem like one! Not like one you'd find in the standard book of spells grade 1! Perhaps-"

"I'm Lilith." Lilith interrupted the girl before she could go on what looked like a very long rant, "and this is my brother Harry."

"Oh...I'm Hermione Granger, it's a pleasure to meet you two." She looked at Ron, "and you are?"

"Ron weasley." Ron mumbled around a pumpkin pastie, making both Lilith and Hermione scrunch their noses up in disgust.

"Pleasure," Hermione intoned, turning her nose up at him and turning to look at Harry and Lilith, "can you believe all of this? Only a few months ago I would've been severely skeptical about any of this being real!"

"Are you a muggleborn then?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I had no idea I was a witch until professor mcgonagall came and spoke to me and my parents; of course I had to find out anything I could about magic! I've already read through Hogwarts a History and all of our textbooks! I can't even begin to think what we can learn while in school-"

"It is exciting isnt it?" Lilith asked, once more stopping the girl from continuing her monologue, "me and Harry always knew we were...supernatural, but we never thought there were others like us."

"I know! To be in a school where everyone is like you…" a hopeful light shine in Hermione's eyes, then she shook her head, "I better keep looking for Neville's toad, heaven knows where it js… " she stood up and went to the door, "it was nice meeting all of you" she said, her eyes going over the three of them, stopping on Harry. Her eyes darted to his forehead and they widened comically, but she simply shook her head and departed.

"Mental that one." Ron commented, making Harry nod his head in agreement.

"She's only excited, I mean she's right, for people like me, Harry and her, this was a fantasy, being the same as everyone else, and now here we are."

Ron nodded slowly, "true...but she's still mental."

WVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVWVW

The rest of the train ride was relatively quiet, with the three children alternating between talking, reading and eating their sweets, both Ron and Harry stepped out so Lilith could change, then changed themselves when she was done. Now they were waiting for the express to finally reach its destination. Harry and Ron were once again talking about Quidditch, and Lilith was now reading a small novel that she had packed.

"So it's true!" A haughty voice proclaimed, making all three look to the compartment door to where a semi-familiar blonde boy stood, a weedy looking boy on one side, and a fat, brutish boy on his other, "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts, alongside his sister Lilith, this is Theodore Nott and Vincent Crabbe, and I'm Draco Malfoy."

Ron snickered at the boys name, trying to hide it behind a bite of a pumpkin pasty

"Think my name is funny do you?" Draco sneered, "I don't even need you to introduce yourself, red hair, and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley.

Lilith narrowed her eyes at his tone, carefully earmarking the page she was on.

"Some people don't know their place in this world," he continued on, "not the right sorts-"

"-I agree," Lilith said coldly, making Harry and Ron look at her in alarm as she turned her multi-colored gaze to Malfoy, eyes glinting with cold fire. "Some people don't know their place, and should endeavor to find it before they're shown."

Nott and Crabbe looked at each other uneasily, but Malfoy swaggered forward, feeling very confident in believing Harry Potter's sister agreed with him.

"I can help you there," he said, holding his hand out to her.

Lilith glanced disdainfully at his hand, "you seem to be under the impression that I was talking about someone other than yourself."

Malfoys smile disappeared, "excuse me?" He growled, face turning a slight pink as his hand went back to his side.

"You're excused." She said, bringing her journal up once more, a clear dismissal if ever there was one.

"How dare-Don't you know who I am!?" He exclaimed, hands clenched into fists.

"Of course I do, you just introduced yourself.' She looked at him, "however, I could not even begin to try to give a care. Run along little Ferret."

"I'll show you, you filthy little half-breed-" he snapped, pulling his wand, only to be blown back as Lilith stood, hand outstretched. Acid green magic pulsating through the air as her eyes seemed to literally catch fire.

"Mr. Malfoy.' Lilith began coldly as Harry and Ron jumped up, ready for a fight, "to mule and blabber about your implied high standing only to then show your arse in front of those you're trying to impress; demonstrates an ineptitude that borders on the imbecilic."

"What?" Ron asked Harry quietly in confusion.

"She's calling him a wanker."

"Ah…"

"Boys please." Lilith said with a sigh of exasperation before looking back to Malfoy, who was being helped to his feet by Nott and Crabbe, the power around her dying down as she looked down her nose at him; "run along before I show you just how outclassed you truly are." She says venomously as she sits back down, once again picking her journal up to read.

Malfoy stood, red faced in embarrassment, hand still clenching his wand.

"I'd do what she says Malfoy." Zabini drawls, catching the attention of everyone there as he steps forward, the boy looked highly amused as he walked past Malfoy and into their compartment, "posturing only works on those weaker than you, and I think it's safe to say that won't work here." He chuckles.

Malfoy huffed as he turned and walked away, Nott and Crabbe right behind him.

"Not even the first day and you Potters are already picking a fight with the Malfoys." Zabini sighs dramatically as he sits down by Lilith, lounging back in the corner, one foot resting sideways by his knee, "honestly it's amazing you two haven't started a riot."

"He drew first." Lilith says as she spares a glance at Zabini, "do you disapprove?"

"Hmph, not at all, in fact, next time do us all a favor and blow him out of the nearest window."

"He can't be that bad can he?" Harry asks as he and Ron sit back down, Ron looking decidedly uncomfortable at the obvious show of familiarity between the three."

"Oh he's completely harmless and even tolerable to be around on some occasions." Zabini states, picking up one of Lilith's cauldron cakes as she glares at him, "but he goes on these little tiffs of trying to show us all that he's just like his father, and that tends to rub people the wrong way." He looks to Lilith as he pulls the wrapper off the cauldron cake and takes a big bite, "mark my words, he's not going to let this go."

"I've dealt with bullies and holier than thou prats before." Lilith sniffs disdainfully, "and I have no doubt Harry and I can handle them again."

"Hmm...where are my manners?" Zabini said suddenly, turning to Ron, who shifted slightly now that attention was on him once more, "Blaise Zabini, at your service." He said, holding his hand out to the other boy.

"Ron weasley." Ron says cautiously, shaking the boy's hand.

"Weasley, your fathers the one who tinkers with muggle contraptions right?" He asks in interest.

"Yeah…" Ron sighs, ears turning red in embarrassment.

"I would love to meet him one day," zabini declares, much to Ron's surprise, "I've been in Mrs. Tonks' car, and it's much better than my fathers, mostly because he refuses to change anything on it. The spellwork that went into it must have been astounding."

"He...really is brilliant when you get down to it." Ron says sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

Harry and Lilith share a discreet smile as the train comes to a stop and they all begin to get off the train, Zabini begins a conversation on Quidditch as they walk. He and Ron got into a heated debate over whether the Chudley Cannons could defeat the tutshill tornados.

"FIRS' YEARS! FIRS' YEARS THIS WAY!"

"Hagrid!" Harry and Lilith shouted, running over to the jovial giant.

"Harry! And LIlith! Good to see ya two up and about! We'll have ta talk later though, gotta do me job!"

"You know him?" Ron asked in awe as they followed the giant man.

"He's the one who took us away from the muggle world." Harry said.

"He's a good man," Lilith said with a nod as they made their way down to the lakeshore, where a fleet of boats awaited them.

"Four to a boat!"

"I'm going to go find Daphne," Zabini said, "see you guys at the castle!"

"Let's take this one.' Harry said, climbing into one of the boats in front of the little fleet, Ron and Lilith settling into the back.

"Has anyone lost a toad?" Hagrid called, holding up a fairly large bullfrog up.

"TREVOR!"

Lilith glanced back, watching as a pudgy boy ran forward to claim the toad, letting her aura sight activate, she almost gasped at the amount of aura surrounding the boy; a brilliant fiery orange, only a couple of shades off from her own brother's gold aura.

"What's wrong Lil's?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," she said, giving him a smile, ``just a bit tired."

The boy was ushered into their boat and Hagrid settled into his own, "FORWARD!"

As one the fleet of boats began moving forward, breaking the gentle waves as they moved across the lake.

Lilith turned her sight to the waves below her, smiling at seeing the millions of little burning lights of the local wildlife; showing shapes of an assortment of fish. She narrowed her eyes at a collection of murky blues and greens deeper in the lake that she couldn't quite make out' before she could investigate further a huge wall of purple obscured her vision, and this time she did gasp as she moved back a bit.

"What?" Ron and Neville asked worriedly.

"There's something...massive in the lake." she said softly, eyes widening as a gigantic tentacle suddenly raised out of the water; several people around her screamed in fright as it began descending towards her.

Slowly, Lilith reached up and grasped the end of the tentacle, shaking it like a hand, the tentacle reciprocated before retracting and ruffling her hair, making her giggle as it slipped underneath the water.

"That's the giant squid!" Hagrid called, calming everyone down as he spoke, "politest little bugger in the Black Lake!"

"Little!? That thing could've killed us all!" Draco screeched.

"But he didn't." Lilith called back, "he had more manners than you did."

Several snickered at her comment as Draco sat back in his boat, arms crossed and with a scowl on his face.

Lilith smiled and turned towards her brother and friend.

"You're bloody brilliant." Ron declared.

"It's important that you continue to recognize that." Lilith said haughtily, making Harry chuckle, she turned to the other boy, who had sat quietly on his own, not talking to any of them, "and what's your name?" she asked kindly, holding her hand out, "I'm Lilith Potter."

"N-Neville Longbottom…' he mumbled, blushing a bit at the attention that was now on him as he shook her hand.

"Harry Potter," her brother said, shaking his hand next.

"Ron Weasley." Ron said, giving the boy a small wave."

"Weasley? Like that wizard who enchants cars if you ask?" Neville asked curiously, making Ron's ears burn.

"Er-y-yeah." he said bashfully, scratching at his head as their boats passed under a low hanging arc, slowly revealing the impressive stature of Hogwarts castle. It's windows illuminated by firelight.

"It's beautiful…" Harry breathed out, Lilith nodding in agreement as the boats slowly approached the dock. Where Professor McGonagall waited.

"Any trouble Hagrid?" she asked the giant man.

"None Professor."

"Good, children, my name is Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and current Transfiguration teacher, if you would all follow me."

"Bye Hagrid!" Harry and LIlith called, waving good-bye to the gentle giant alongside their friends.

"You two mind yourselves! And come by sometime for a spot'o tea!" he said jovially as he stepped back into his boat and sailing away.

Harry and Lilith happily followed the crowd as they entered the castle, eyes wide in wonder at the sheer size of it all.

Professor McGonagall led them to a large set of wooden doors, "through here is the great hall," she began, "inside you will be sorted into your houses, there's four in all; Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Once you are sorted you cannot change your house, now, wait here while I make sure all of the arrangements are made."

With that McGonagall entered the hall, and instantly the children began talking.

"What do you think we'll have to do to get sorted?" Neville asked worriedly.

"My older brother said you had to fight a troll." Ron said, looking green.

"There's no way we'd have to do that." Zabini said dismissively, though he too looked worried.

"Maybe we have to answer questions?" Hermione guessed.

"That'd only be good for Ravenclaw though," Daphne pointed out, "perhaps the tests are different for each house?"

Their musings were soon interrupted by the sound of voices approaching.

"-we've given him enough chances already! When will we stop making excuses for him and actually deal with the problem!"

"Come now Nicholas! Peeves is a free spirit, nothing we say or do will change that."

Startled gasps sounded as two ghosts flew through the walls.

"Well I still believe we should have the bloody baron keep better track of-oh hello!" the aristocratic looking ghost said, looking down at the children, "first years I'm assuming? Ah, I remember when I was in your spot...but where are my manners!" he gave an elegant bow, "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, at your service-"

"-i've heard of you!" Ron gasped, "you're Nearly-Headless Nick!"

The ghosts smile disappeared, "I prefer Sir Nicholas-"

"-how can you be nearly headless?" Lilith asked with an interested smirk.

"Like this." he huffed, grabbing a fistful of his hair and pulling to the side, making his head fall to the side, held on only be a small patch of skin and muscle.

"Wicked," Harry breathed while most everyone-save Lilith-looked sick.

"Well, I hope I see a few future badgers in this group," the friar said jovially, patting his stomach, "you make lifelong friends in Hufflepuff you know!"

"And Gryffindor is where the brave dwell!" Sir Nicholas said pompously, both ghosts heading towards the doors, "Good luck young ones! And never shy from asking for help from us!"

As they disappeared the door opened once more, and McGonagall re-appeared, "follow me." she said to them, leading them down the aisle of tables, hundreds of other students watching them as they entered.

Lilith blinked and smiled at the myriad of colors that exploded into her vision, the entire castle was alive with magic, and it wasn't stuck to one color; it seemed to change through all the colors of the rainbow.

"It's beautiful." she whispered to her brother, who smiled.

"I'll get to see it one day," he said back as they stopped and stared in confusion at the rickety three legged stool and the dusty wizards hat that was placed on top of it, they gaped in awe as it seemed to spring to life and sing off key, Lilith didn't pay attention to the song, only the hat; her eyes narrowed at a familiar green aura that the hat was giving off.

She didn't get to wonder for long as the sorting began, anxiety began coiling in the pit of her stomach as she watched her future classmates be sorted one by one. She gave Hermione a happy smile when the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" and a polite clap for Daphne when she was awarded with "SLYTHERIN!"

She shared a look with her brother when it was his turn, watching with rapt attention as he was ushered up onto the stool, she could feel every second pass as they waited for a verdict, until finally-"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Lilith cheered for her brother just as hard as the gryffindor table, giggling when she could hear two boys shouting "WE GOT POTTER! WE GOT POTTER!" at the top of their lungs.

Her nerves returned as Professor McGonagall called "Potter, Lilith."

With a steadying breath, Lilith walked towards the stool, sitting with her head held high as the hat was lowered onto her head.

Ah yes, another Potter, the hat's voice echoed in her head, contemplative and wondering, you're very much like your brother young lady, but there's differences, oh there's always differences; but that doesn't help me decide where to put you.

Gryffindor, she thought, put me in Gryffindor with my brother.

Perhaps, you have plenty of courage, bravery too, you've both been through so much in so little time, and you would do well in Gryffindor.

Lilith smiled a bit.

But.

Her smile disappeared.

You have a mind that has already been touched by higher learning, a thirst for knowledge that I haven't seen since the founders themselves; and a sharp mind that plans and schemes as much as it does take action, yes, you're perfect for-

"RAVENCLAW!"

Lilith felt like something heavy was sitting on her chest, it was hard to breathe as she slowly stood up to the cheers of the Ravenclaw table.

"Lilith, are you alright?" Professor McGonagall asked her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"yes...I'm fine…" she said quietly, hollowly, she looked over to where her brother was sitting, staring at her with shock and dismay clear in his eyes, she slowly shook her head at him as he rose from his spot; a sad smile and carefree shrug making him sit back down, giving her his own sad smile in return.

With a set jaw, Lilith walked over to the Ravenclaw table, sitting next to Padma Patil, who had been sorted a few moments before her brother had.

"Hi," the indian girl chirped, holding a hand out, "I'm Padma Patil."

"Lilith Potter," Lilith said back, shaking the girl's hand, looking over at her brother who was now staring glumly down at his plate.

"First time away from each other?" Padma asked in sympathy.

"We never leave each other's side." Lilith said softly.

"It'll be okay," she said confidently, "my sisters in Gryffindor now too, so she can watch out for him, and I'll watch out for you!"

Lilith gave her a small smile, "Thank you."

"Of course!" Padma said, grinning as food appeared on their plates, "Now lets eat!"

By the end of the night Lilith's good spirits were back, she talked and laughed with Padma and Su-Li, another first year, and her discrete looks to Harry revealed that he too was having fun alongside Ron and the other Gryffindor first years. After Dumbledore's parting words, they were following a prefect out of the hall.

"Harry!" she called, quickly running over to her brother and giving him a hug, which he gladly returned.

"Meet in the morning for breakfast?" she asked him quietly.

"Definitely," he said with a smile, "try not to have too much fun without me."

"As if that's even possible." She laughed as she pulled away and ran to catch up with the other Ravenclaws, Padma introducing her to Terry Boot and Michael Corner.

"Alright, so here's the entrance." the Ravenclaw Prefect began, she was sure he had told them his name, but she couldn't remember it at that moment, "we don't have a password, instead it's a riddle you have to solve; different every time."

He stepped up to the eagle bust and instantly it came alive, "what came first, the Phoenix or the Egg?"

"Anyone want to hazard a guess?" he asked, looking at all the first years.

"A circle doesn't have a beginning or an end." Lilith said, almost too quiet for anyone to hear her, but the prefect at least heard her muttering.

"What was that?" he asked her, giving her an encouraging smile as she shrinked back a bit, "Don't worry, there's no wrong answers."

"Erm...a circle doesn't have a beginning or an end?" she said louder.

"Well reasoned." the bust said and immediately moved away.

Lilith blinked as the other first years began cheering for her, "um...it was just a lucky guess." she said bashfully.

"There is no luck," the Prefect said as they walked into the common room, "everything can be reasoned through and deduced; luck just means an educated guess." he turned and pointed, "girls dormitories are on the right, boys are on the left, boys, don't try and head up the girls stairs unless you want an unpleasant surprise. Lights out in two hours."

With that, the group separated, heading up to their dorms.

"It's so spacious." Padma said in wonder as they looked at the seven beds arranged around the room, clad in silver and blue sheets with their personal belongings piled at the foot of each bed.

"The beds are huge!" Su-Li said softly, eyes wide.

Lilith gathered her nightwear, "I can't believe we're actually here." She said, looking at her two friends in excitement.

"It's amazing isn't it?" Padma gushed, "my sister and I have been waiting our whole lives for this! Disappointing that we couldn't be in the same house, but we're still here!"

"What's it like being a twin?" Lisa Turpin asked curiously.

Lilith and Padma looked at each other, "it's like having a bestfriend all the time." Padma said.

"And spare parts in case one of yours suddenly quits." Lilith supplied, grinning when Padma let out a shriek of laughter before covering her mouth, most of the other girls were chuckling.

"I don't get it." Mandy Brocklehurst mumbled, making Lisa and Su giggle.

"Just give it a bit." Lilith said as the girl went into the bathroom, still looking confused, "what do you think your favorite class will be?" Lilith asked, looking back to her roommates.

"I'm looking forward to potions!" Padma declared, "It's like cooking, and I always help my mum in the kitchen!"

"I want to learn more about the magical world." Su said, "So I think History of Magic will be my favorite."

"Quidditch." Isobel McDougal said, the frizzy redhead was positively vibrating at the thought of quidditch, her words tinged with a thick scottish brogue, "me da says am' a good beater, an' ah wanna send boys cryin'!"

"Don't beaters have to be...muscular?" Lisa asked carefully, looking over the short skinny girl with a critical eye.

She shrugged, "ye can add muscle." she said dismissively.

"And height hopefully." Lilith quipped, eliciting a giggle from Su.

"Oi! Ye callin' me short!" McDougal asked angrily, making everyone look at her in alarm.

"Well you're not exactly reaching the top shelf." Lilith drawled, smirking at her; for a few moments no one moved or spoke, until finally Isobel began laughing.

"Ah like ye!" she proclaimed, slapping Lilith on the shoulder, making the girl wince, "wanna be mah best mukker?"

Lilith blinked and looked at Lisa, who shrugged, "Sure!" Lilith said, throwing caution to the wind.

Isobel's grin got larger as she threw her arm around LIlith. "We'll gie alang jist braw!" she cheered.

"If you say so." Lilith giggled, blushing a bit.

"I get it now!" Mandy shouted excitedly as she ran into the room, her smiling falling a bit as everyone looked at her, startled, "I...I got it...the joke…" she said sheepishly as her roommates began laughing.