otunnicliffe

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter Nine: The Midnight Duel

'Shall we carry on?' McGonagall adds.

Everyone nods. 

'Mr Lovegood, would you like to read?' Dumbledore asks. 

Xenophilius nods wordlessly, before sitting down and taking the book carefully. 'This chapter is called 'The Midnight Duel''

'Duel?' James asked, his head popping up in uncertainty. 

Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.

'Sounds about right,' Arabella scorns. 

Chloe was starting to get more aggravated with Mattheo Riddle by the day.

'Good, stay away from him,' James announced. 

He had taken to calling her 'little lion,' and Lorenzo had taken to call Clemensia the same and Theodore the same for Catherine.

'Original,' Remus scorned, rolling his eyes. 

Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with them much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday -- and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

'Flying is exciting though,' James interjected. 

"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy.'

'And me in front of Mattheo,' Chloe added, putting her head against the wall. 

They had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

'I hope they're good at it,' James says to Gwendolyn quietly. 

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably.

"Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk." Clemensia added, rolling her eyes at the boy. 

Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. Even Mattheo, Theodore and Lorenzo sometimes looked as though they didn't even believe him.

'So he's a liar just like his father then,' Sirius scorns. 

He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. Clemensia and Catherine often told Chloe about their childhood together, playing on broomsticks.

Kimberly and Arabella smiled at each other at this. 

Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about football. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Harry had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham football team, trying to make the players move.

Gwendolyn giggled at this. 

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry told Chloe that he felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.

'Poor Neville,' Molly said, looking at Alice sadly. 

Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was.

'At least there's something she's not naturally good at,' Peter remarked. 

This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book -- not that she hadn't tried. At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages. Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail. 

Neither Chloe or Harry had received a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table. As was Theodore's snowy white owl, and Lorenzo's pygmy owl. Mattheo would sometimes receive packages from the same owl as Malfoy's but far less often than the other three Slytherin boys. 

'Is it bad that I feel a bit bad for him?' Gwendolyn asked James. 'I mean he didn't ask to be You-Know-Who's son.'

'I think you're far too positive of people sometimes,' James answered, honestly but with no real malice behind his words.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

'A Remembrall, sounds like he needs it,' Regulus mentioned to Barty. 

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things -- this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red -- oh..." His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "You've forgotten something..."

'You'll figure it out soon, Neville...' Chloe told him kindly, Catherine and Clemensia nodding in agreement. 

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand, the other three Slytherin boys not far behind. Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

'Sounds about right for Minnie,' Sirius jibes, jokingly. 

"What's going on?" "Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor." Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table. "Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

'See you at flying little lions,' Theodore spoke up, reminding them that he, Mattheo and Lorenzo were still there. 

'Can't wait to see you fall off your brooms, Potters,' Lorenzo added, an evil smirk upon his face. Mattheo merely laughed at his friends antics.

'Piss of, would you?' Catherine said, rolling her eyes at them. 

'That's my girl,' Kimberly joked, seeming proud. 

'I look forward to seeing you fail as well, Lupin,' Mattheo sneered before the trio walked away. 

At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, Chloe, Clemensia, Catherine and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty six broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. The twins had both heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk. "Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." Chloe ended up next to Mattheo, who smiled at her snarkily. She looked opposite and saw Clemensia and Catherine standing next to each other, Theodore to the other side of Catherine and Lorenzo to the other side of Clemensia. 

Chloe glanced down at her broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

'I'm so glad I haven't been on one of them since first year,' James added. 

'Normal brooms are much better than these,' Chloe heard Mattheo telling her. 'Still, it'll be fun to see you fall off, no matter the broom, little lion.'

Before Chloe could retort anything back at the raven haired boy, Madam Hooch spoke up again. 

'Shame, I was looking forward to seeing what she had to say,' Pandora says. 

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!"'

"UP'' everyone shouted.

Chloe's broom jumped into her hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Clemensia's and Catherine's had, as well as the three Slytherin boys. Mattheo looked at Chloe, surprised. She just smiled sweetly at him.

'Kill him with kindness,' Alice said. 

Harry's had too. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Harry; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years. 

'Obsessed with my son,' Lucius scorns. 

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle -- three -- two --" But Neville,

'Oh no,' Alice lamented, looking at Frank.

nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle -- twelve feet -- twenty feet. Chloe and Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and --

WHAM -- a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap.

'Bless him,' Andromeda said, feeling slightly bad for the boy.

His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his. "Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, boy -- it's all right, up you get.". She turned to the rest of the class. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear." Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter. "Did you see his face, the great lump?" The other Slytherins joined in.

'Horrible boy!' Molly scolded. 

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

'Shove it Parkinson,' Clemensia sneered, staring down the Slytherin.

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Chloe quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find -- how about -- up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potters!"

Harry grabbed his broom. Chloe sighed and grabbed hers too.

'No,' Gwendolyn sighed. 

"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move -- you'll get us all into trouble."

Chloe and Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in Harry's ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him -and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught -- this was easy, this was wonderful. He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.

'Chloe don't!' She looked and saw that Mattheo was warning her. 

'Sorry Riddle, I have to help my brother,' and she to took off. Her feeling was the same as Harry's; this was easy! 

'Both of my children are natural fliers,' James said, proud. 

The admiring whoops this time came from Clemensia and Catherine, with Ron still whooping anyway. 

She turned her broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned at the twins.

"Give it here," Chloe called.

"Or we'll knock you off that broom!" Harry added.

'You tell them kids!' James said, looking immensely proud.

"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

'Coward, just like his father,' Arabella whispered to Sirius. 

The twins both knew, somehow, what to do. They both leaned forward and grasped their respective brooms tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Chloe and Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.

'Or Riddle, Nott or even Berkshire,' Chloe added. 

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy. "Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. Chloe leaned forward and pointed her broom handle down, managing to somehow catch the Remembrall in her hand, before chucking it over to her brother. It was a mighty throw, it flew across the air, amazing even Chloe herself. Harry leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down -- next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball -- wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching -- he stretched out his hand -- a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist. Chloe soon joined him.

'That is impressive, for their first time on a broom,' Remus acknowledged. 

"CHLOE AND HARRY POTTER!''

Their hearts sank faster than they'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. They got to his feet, trembling.

'Quidditch,' Chloe said, looking at her twin brother. 

"Never -- in all my time at Hogwarts --" Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "-- how dare you -- might have broken your neck --"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor --"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil''

"But Malfoy --"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potters, follow me, now."

'I just knew they'd get into trouble,' Gwendolyn announced.

Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, Chloe catching Mattheo, Theodore and Lorenzo standing with Clemensia and Catherine looking dumbfounded, the pair walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. They was going to be expelled, they just knew it.

'I have a feeling they won't,' Pandora chimes. 

Harry wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Chloe just waked silently. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at the pair; they had to jog to keep up. Now they'd done it. They hadn't even lasted two weeks. They'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when they turned up on the doorstep?

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to either of them. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Chloe and Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking them to Dumbledore. They thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps they could be Hagrid's assistant. Their stomach twisted as they imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards, while they stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.

'I'd end my life,' Lucius scorns. 

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside. "Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him?

Most people chuckled at this. 

But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.

"Follow me, you three," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Chloe and Harry. "In here.''

Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard. "Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys. "Potters, this is Oliver Wood. Wood -- I've found you a Chaser and a Seeker!''

James's face lit up. 'They're going to play Quidditch!' He said, excitement resonating in his voice. 

Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight. "Are you serious, Professor?"

"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "They're both naturals. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potters?"

'I'm so proud right now,' James said. 

'We know,' Severus muttered.

Chloe and Harry looked at each other and both nodded silently. They didn't have a clue what was going on, but they didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs. "Se caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch herself. And her throw was amazing, as was Mr. Potter's catch. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once. "Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.

"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.

"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light -- speedy -- and she's the perfect build for sneaking past defence.... we'll have to get them both a decent broom, Professor -- a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

'If it were a Slytherin I bet this wouldn't have happened,' Bellatrix remarks. 

''I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks...." Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Chloe and Harry. "I want to hear you're training hard, Potters, or I may change my mind about punishing you." Then she suddenly smiled. "Your father would have been proud," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."

'Awww minnie!' James cooed, proud. 

"You're joking."

It was dinnertime. Chloe and Harry had just finished telling Ron, Clemensia and Catherine what had happened when they'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.

'Gross,' Narcissa gagged.

"Seeker? Chaser?" Catherine said. "But first years never -- you must both be the youngest house player-''

''-in about a century, said Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon.

"Wood told us." Chloe added. 

'This is the best news out of this book by far,' James said.

Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry. Clemensia and Catherine offered their congratulations quietly.

"We start training next week," said Harry.

"Only don't tell anyone,'' Chloe added. ''Wood wants to keep it a secret."

'Not surprised,' Remus remarked. 

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Chloe and Harry, and hurried over. "Well done you two," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too -- Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Potters, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

'This Wood seems to really love Quidditch,' Regulus remarked. 

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, the three other Slytherin boys not far behind.

'Bet he's gonna be envious when he finds out,' Sirius scorns. 

"Having a last meal, Potters? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

'We're not leaving actually,' Chloe told them, to their surprise. 

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly.

'That's my boy,' James said proudly. 

There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only -- no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up. "Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

'Another bad idea,' Gwendolyn huffed. 

When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.

'Ron!' groaned Catherine, 'You should have said no!'

'You know he's just doing it to get a rise out of you,' Clemensia added. 

"What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Clemensia suggested.

'Or just do that anyway,' Sirius remarked. 

"Excuse me." The five of them looked up. It was Hermione Granger.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry. "I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying --"

"Bet you could," Ron muttered.

"--and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

'Harry!' Chloe scolded. 

"Good-bye," said Ron.

'I feel kind of bad for Hermione,' Kimberly told Remus, 'She just wanted them to follow the rules.'

All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing). Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them." There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris, and Harry felt he was pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoys sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness - this was his big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. He couldn't miss it.

'As I said, obsessed,' Lucius scorns. 

"Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last, "we'd better go."

They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry." A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown.

"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"

'She made us three stay up too,' Clemensia scorned, staring at the girl, as Catherine and Chloe also appeared from the darkness. 

"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy -- he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this." Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.

'And we've been stopping her,' Chloe interjected. 

'All night,' Catherine added, yawning loudly after. 

"Come on," he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole. Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose, the other three girls close behind to drag her back in.

'At least they're there to stop her,' Sirius says. 

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

"Go away."

"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so --" But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a night time visit and Hermione and the other girls were locked out of Gryffindor tower.

'Great, that's all of us trapped now!' Catherine sighed, clearly fed up with the girl.

"Now what am I going to do?" Hermione asked shrilly.

'Shouldn't have left the room in the first place,' Amos says.

"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them, the other three girls not far behind. "I'm coming with you," she said.

"You are not." Ron scorned. 

"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch us?'' Chloe interjected. 

''If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up." Hermione added.

'Oh I'm sure he would,' Remus mentions sarcastically. 

"You've got some nerve --" said Ron loudly.

"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. I heard something."

It was a sort of snuffling. "Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.

'If they're caught already that's fast for Filch,' Sirius remarks to James. 

It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep,

Alice looked sadly at Frank again. 

but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer. "Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."

"Keep your voice down, Neville.'' Clemensia whispered. 

''The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere." Ron added. 

"How's your arm?" said Chloe.

'At least someone cares about his arm,' Frank remarks. 

"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

"Good - well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later --"

"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville. "If either of you get us caught, I know Clemm, Chloe and Cath won't,

'At least he knows the girls won't,' Kimberly remarked. 

I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you.''

Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.

They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky.

Gwendolyn let out a quick sigh of relief. 

They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room. Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet.

'Because they aren't gonna turn up,' Regulus says, 'They just want them to get caught.'

The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by.

'Have either of you two thought about the possibility that they were never going to turn up?' Catherine whispered, but was quickly shushed by Ron, whom she then gave a dirty look. 

'At least the girls have some sense,' Molly says. 'Not my son though.'

"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.

'Me Chloe and Catherine knew this all along!' said Clemensia. 

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak -and it wasn't Malfoy. "Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner." It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other six to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room. "They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."

'Knew it,' Regulus whispered to Barty, feeling proud of himself. 

"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run -he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour.

'Oh no, why is it always my son?' Alice asks, feeling bad for the boy. 

The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.

"RUN!" Clemensia yelled, and the seven of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following -- they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going -- they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.

"I think we've lost him," Chloe panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping her forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.

'Lucky escape again,' Gwendolyn said. 'From the look of things they're gonna have a lot of that.'

I -- told -you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I -- told -- you."

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."

'I agree with that,' Arthur says. 'Don't get into more trouble.'

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you -- Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."

'That's exactly what we've been saying Hermione,' Clemensia said, still panting slightly. 

"Let's go." Harry said. It wasn't going to be that simple.

'It never is,' groaned Arabella. 

They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them. It was Peeves.

'The worst thing imaginable to see in this situation,' Amos remarked. 

He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Shut up, Peeves -- please -- you'll get us thrown out." Catherine pleaded. 

Peeves cackled. "Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please." Chloe added. 

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.

'That is a big mistake,' Molly sighs, annoyed at her son in the book. 

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR"

Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door -- and it was locked.

"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!" They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.

"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, 'Alohomora!"

The lock clicked and the door swung open -- they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening. "Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please."'

"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.

'It is annoying,' Bellatrix agrees. 

"All right -please."

"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!"

Sirius chortled at this. 

And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay -- get off, Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute.

"What?" Harry turned around -- and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare -- this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far. They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

Everyone shot up, mixed reactions around the room... all wanting to hear why the room was forbidden. 

They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads.

'What in Merlin's name is that doing in Hogwarts!' James seethes, looking at Dumbledore, again angry. 

'Why do you need a three headed dog in a room?' Pandora asked, quizzically. 

Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs. It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.

Chloe groped for the doorknob -- between Filch and death, she'd take Filch.

'Me too,' Arabella agreed. 

They fell backward -- Catherine slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared -- all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor. "Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.

"Never mind that -- pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward.

They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs. It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.

'I'm not surprised by that,' Molly said angrily. 'What on earth is that thing needed for in Hogwarts?'

'I think that's the plot, to discover it,' Kimberly says, thinking aloud. 

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on.''

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."

James chuckled a bit at this, but he was still obviously angry. 

"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something." Chloe recalled, and Clemensia and Catherine nodded, having obviously seen it too. 

Hermione then stood up, glaring at them. ''I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed -- or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

'I think being killed is worse, but whatever,' Peter says. 

Ron stared after her, his mouth open. "No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you.

But the revelation had given Chloe and Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed, after exchanging their respective good nights and going their separate ways. The dog was guarding something.... What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide -- except perhaps Hogwarts.

'And I'm assuming the next few weeks are going to render that to nothing,' Remus whispers to Kimberly. 

It looked as though Chloe Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.

'That's the end of the chapter,' Xenophilius announced. 

'But what's the grubby package?' Amos asked. 

'The Philosophers Stone, it has to be,' Gwendolyn speaks, and everyone turns to look at her. 

'But what is that?' Molly asks. 

'I think we discover that in the book,' Gwendolyn added. 

'Miss Evans is quite right, and if we continue on you can find out faster,' McGonagall says, breaking up the chatter immediately. 

'Let us continue on then,' Dumbledore announces.

-----

@helendeath

[otunnicliffe]

Queens of Hogwarts

Chapter 5: A Celestial Romance

Hello, hello Hello, hello I'm not alone it's good to know Someone's out there dropped say hello Hello!

The two days seemed to fly by for both werewolves. Even though the pain was getting worse by the day, they actually had something to look forward to this time, finding each other. Even though Remus had his suspicions, he had no idea who the mysterious werewolf was, and that annoyed him and excited him at the same time. A boy whom often never likes not knowing things, whether that be socially or academically. This, however, was different. This would open up to a new stage in his life, one which until now he never thought possible. 

Kimberly, however had the upper hand on him, she and the other two girls were almost 100% certain that Remus was the werewolf, even if they didn't know how the other Marauders fit into that situation. They knew the potion would work, so hopefully Remus would remember a lot more of this full moon. 

'Are you ready?' Gwendolyn asked Kimberly at about 10pm that night. 

With a big sigh, Kimberly responded with 'As ready as I'll ever be.'

The girls then made their way into the forbidden forest. The Forbidden Forest, located on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is a vast and dense woodland teeming with magical and mysterious creatures. Shrouded in an aura of danger and enigma, it serves as a boundary for students, who are strictly prohibited from venturing into its depths without supervision. The forest is home to centaurs, unicorns, Thestrals, and Acromantulas, among other magical beings, and its thick canopy and winding paths create an atmosphere of perpetual twilight. Despite its perilous reputation, the Forbidden Forest is a place of ancient magic and hidden secrets, playing a crucial role in the girls' transformations. 

The three girls had been coming here since third year, when Gwendolyn and Arabella managed to become animagi. No one in their right mind would usually be in the woods, so it was perfect for staying out of the way of everyone else, and to not cause them harm, or for them to find out about Kimberly's secret. 

One thing they were conscious about, however, was the question of where the marauders would go. Everywhere else seemed way too risky, people could walk past, so where do they do their transformations?

'Kim, your potion,' Gwendolyn reminded her, obviously aware of the werewolf's wandering mind. 

Kimberly downed the potion reluctantly, gagging at the repulsive taste she still wasn't quite over. She then threw the vial back to Gwendolyn, who stashed it into her bag, full of clothes for Kimberly to wear once the night was over. The bag was placed behind a group of trees that they always left it there, so they wouldn't forget where. 

Less than half an hour later, Kimberly moaned in pain as she felt her bones shift and try to rebuild themselves. Even though she had been doing this since the mere age of 6, the feeling was still incredibly painful. 

In werewolf form, Kimberly huffled, and ruffled her fur by shaking her body. She turned around to see a doe and a dog in the place of where Gwendolyn and Arabella were previously, waiting for her next move. Kimberly sniffed the air, instantly recognizing the familiar scent of the forest. But then, suddenly, a different smell entered... another werewolf! Remus?

She took off towards the entrance to the Forbidden Forest, Gwendolyn and Arabella following closely behind. Kimberly's tail wagged excitedly, as she bounded past the trees and bushes. She then started to slow down, the smell becoming more and more prominent, until they stopped upon seeing the other animals.

Ahead of the three girls in their animagi form, were four animals. The werewolf Kimberly was waiting for was the most prominent one on her mind, but the three animals beside him only confirmed her suspicions that they were the Marauders. Alongside Remus stood a large black dog, a tall stag and a barely noticeable rat. 

It all then made sense to the girls. Wormtail or Peter was the rat, Prongs or James was the stag and Padfoot or Sirius was the dog. Gwendolyn and Arabella stared at each other in their animal forms, how in Merlin's name did they end up having the exact same animals as James and Sirius?

Kimberly broke the silence by giving a powerful bark, one that only a werewolf could create. This instantly caught the attention of the Marauders, whom then all immediately perked up and got into defensive positions. However, they didn't last long, especially from stag-James and dog-Sirius when they saw the two animals next to the female werewolf being the same as theirs. 

Kimberly cautiously trudged towards Remus, eyes only remaining on him. The doe and dog that were beside her took a moment, possibly to decide if they wanted to do the same, before also making their way towards the Marauders. Kimberly was pleased to see that Remus looked fine, if anything, and he certainly did not look like he wanted to rip them into shreds, so that was good. He obviously took the Wolfsbane potion. 

Suddenly, Remus yapped like a puppy. The other three Marauders stared in confusion, before turning to the doe and the dog in front of them, tilting their head questioningly, only to find the pair doing the exact same thing. Kimberly wagged her thick tail happily, barking back at the boy. She then playfully tackled Sirius, momentarily startling the other five animagi around them. However, the fellow werewolf huffed teasingly, softly kicking Kimberly away. Kimberly then crouched, her tail wagging happily.  Remus then barked happily, crouching as well. They then punced on one another, pawing and kicking one another. 

The other animals just stared at each other in amazement, who knew werewolves were so playful. Suddenly Arabella goes up to the other dog, and if there was any mistaking that it was Sirius, it was all gone. The dog had the same grey eyes, and the same shaggy black hair as the boy. Gwendolyn noticed the same on James, there even seemed to be rim around his ears as stags, where his glasses were on his human form. 

Suddenly, Gwendolyn and James were off, running and playing with one another as well, trotting along across the field. They also nestled their heads into the others neck, and Gwendolyn felt her heart pounding. 

Arabella and Sirius were also off playing, both of their tails wagging excitedly, as they chased one another and barked until their hearts content. Peter just scuttled across, playing with whomever he wanted, biting playfully. 

Kimberly gnawed on Remus's ear, growling teasingly, before looking at the other werewolf dead in the eyes.

'Mate?' she wondered to the boy, softly and nervously.

'Mate,' he confirms, before him and Kimberly started playing again with one another. They both didn't even know if this was heard from the other, could werewolves connect telepathically? No one knew. What the people present at this moment did know, however, was that the werewolf's started playing again, this time more romantically.

Under the silver glow of a full moon, two werewolves engage in a spirited game in a forest clearing. Their fur, shimmering in the moonlight, ripples as they dash and pounce with incredible agility. They take turns chasing each other through the dense trees, leaping over fallen logs, and skidding to sudden stops, leaving claw marks in the soft earth. Their playful growls and howls echo through the night, a symphony of wild camaraderie. Occasionally, they rear up on their hind legs, swiping at each other with sharp claws, but always with a gentle restraint that speaks of a deep bond. The game is a dance of power and grace, a primal celebration of their lupine nature and the freedom of the night.

But unfortunately for them, the night could not last forever. Arabella was the first to notice the sunrise. As the first light of dawn begins to break, Hogwarts transforms into a breath-taking canvas of colours. Gradually, the inky black of night gives way to a deep, velvety blue, tinged with hints of purple. Wisps of clouds catch the early light, their edges glowing with hues of pink and orange. As the sun ascends, its golden rays spread across the sky, casting a warm, honeyed glow that intensifies with each passing moment. The landscape below, once shrouded in darkness, starts to awaken; trees and hills emerge in silhouette before revealing their full, vibrant colours. Dew glistens on blades of grass, and the world seems to hold its breath, bathed in the serene, magical beauty of a new day beginning. The forbidden forest reveals itself as a lot less daunting, and the trees glistened with the light given.

Arabella barked loudly, alerting everyone to the scene. Kimberly immediately got away from Remus, stealing one last glance back at her mate lovingly before she strode off, Arabella and Gwendolyn close behind. Remus howled for her to stop, but she did not, so he then followed their tracks, the other Marauders closely behind. Eventually, the sun rose up high enough, and werewolf Remus groaned in pain, before he transformed back to his original state. He lay on the ground, as the other three boys changed back into their human form, James uttering a quick 'accio clothes' and Remus quickly changed and hoped to see his werewolf mate in the bushes. 

'I don't think they're coming out again tonight, moody,' James apologized. 

'Shame, I was having such fun with that other dog, wonder who she was,' Sirius remarks, before stretching and yawning loudly. 

'Same with me and the doe,' James adds, 'I had a funny feeling as though I knew who she was...'

'Well I have a mate,' Remus tells them, groaning in pain. 

'Really?' Peter asks, excited for him. 

'I'll tell you later, I need sleep now,' Remus remarked, feeling faint. 

'Madam Pomfrey's it is,' James announces, before he put an arm around Remus to help him walk properly, and the four Marauders made their way back to the castle. 

A few moments of silence followed the departure, then a female voice rang out: 'Coast is clear girls!'

Gwendolyn shot up, tiredness evident on her face, still looking as beautiful as ever. 

'I have the same Animagus as Sirius,' Arabella huffs, as Kimberly slowly changes behind her. 

'And me with James,' Gwendolyn reminds her. 'Typical!'

'Remus and I are mates,' Kimberly says, quietly but the two other girls still heard her.

'We know girl!' Arabella jibes. 'You were both all over each other!'

'It was so cute though,' Gwendolyn coos. 

'Shut up,' Kimberly announces, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. 'Don't act like you didn't have fun too.'

'We didn't say that,' Arabella tells her. 'Though unfortunately you are correct as always.'

'What does this mean now?' Gwendolyn asks Kimberly. 

'Next full moon I'll reveal myself,' Kimberly announces. 

'WHAT?' The two other girls announce, looking at her shocked. 

'Are you sure?' Arabella asks, looking concerned. 

'That's a big step,' Gwendolyn cautioned.

'Yeah, I think its the perfect time, you don't have to do it as well by the way,' Kimberly tells them, as she shakily stands up. Arabella and Gwendolyn both rush to her and help her to stand up properly. 

'No if you are I will too,' Gwendolyn announces, looking at Arabella. 

Arabella huffed. 'I suppose its better for them to know.'

And with that, the girls departed from the Forbidden Forest for another month. In the early morning, Hogwarts exudes a serene and almost magical tranquillity. The castle's stone walls, bathed in the soft, pearlescent light of dawn, seem to hum with centuries-old enchantments. The grounds are shrouded in a light mist, giving the air a crisp, fresh quality. The Black Lake lies still, its surface mirroring the pale, early sky and the looming silhouette of the Forbidden Forest, which remains shadowed and enigmatic. Dew sparkles on the expansive lawns, and the scent of damp earth and blossoming flowers permeates the air. Inside the castle, the corridors are quiet, save for the occasional soft rustle of portraits adjusting in their frames or the distant sound of house-elves preparing breakfast in the kitchens. The Great Hall stands ready for the day's activities, its enchanted ceiling reflecting the gradual lightening of the sky outside. The early morning at Hogwarts is a time of peaceful anticipation, a gentle prelude to the bustle and magic that will soon fill its halls.

But the girls avoided all of these areas, and headed straight for Madame Pomfrey's ward, seeking medicine for Kimberly and hopefully something to help Gwendolyn and Arabella with their tiredness.

Madam Pomfrey's ward in Hogwarts is a sanctuary of healing and care, nestled within the heart of the castle. The room is spacious and immaculately clean, filled with rows of neatly made beds draped in crisp, white linens. Each bed has a small wooden nightstand beside it, often topped with a glass of water and an assortment of potions and remedies. The large, arched windows along one wall allow ample natural light to flood in during the day, casting a warm glow over the room and highlighting the rich, dark wood of the furniture.

The ward is lined with shelves stocked with a variety of medical supplies: bottles of brightly coloured potions, stacks of bandages, and jars filled with mysterious herbs. The air carries a faint, soothing scent of antiseptic mixed with herbal remedies, creating a calming atmosphere. In one corner, Madam Pomfrey's office is a cluttered but organized space, brimming with medical books and records, where she diligently updates patient charts and brews special concoctions.

Despite its clinical purpose, the ward exudes a sense of comfort and safety. The gentle rustle of sheets, the soft murmur of spells, and the occasional clink of potion bottles are the only sounds that disturb the otherwise peaceful environment. Under Madam Pomfrey's vigilant care, students and staff alike find respite and recovery from their various ailments, enveloped in an aura of unwavering competence and compassion.

With a quick check to assure them that the Marauders were not hanging around waiting for them, the three girls scurried over to Madam Pomfrey, who ushered them into a booth, knowing that they did not want to be seen by anyone else, especially the Marauders. Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey closed the curtains just in time, as James Potter decided to stick his head out, and only caught a glimpse of a girl with raven black hair before the curtains chut behind her. 

'Nosey are we, Mr Potter?' Madam Pomfrey asks him.

'A little,' came the answer.

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter Eight: The Potions Master

'Thank you, Mr Black,' McGonagall said, taking the book off him. 

'Mr Diggory, would you like to read next?' Dumbledore asks. 

'Sure, why not,' Amos huffs, and takes the book. 

'This chapter,' he says, laughing at the title, 'is 'The Potions Master.'

'Oh great, a whole chapter about Snivellous!' James whinged. 

''There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with the red hair, and the girls with black and brown hair."

"Wearing the glasses?"

''With the big blonde fringe?''

"Did you see their faces?"

"Did you see the scars?"

'That must be so daunting for them,' Gwendolyn said, sadly.

Whispers followed Chloe and Harry from the moment they left their dormitories the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at them, or doubled back to pass them in the corridors again, staring. The twins wished they wouldn't, because they  was trying to concentrate on finding their way to classes.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and they were both sure the coats of armour could walk.

The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"

'Sounds like Peeves,' Remus agreed. 

Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch.

'That is true, he's miserable!' Alice grumbled. 

Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.

Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins)

'And us when we were there!' Sirius said to the Marauders. 

and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick. 

'The only cat I would allow someone to kick,' Gwendolyn agreed. 

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Chloe and Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for. 

'I love that she's still there,' Alice says.

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic,

'True,' Regulus announced.

which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Chloe's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.

'Bless him,' Molly said, giggling. 

Professor McGonagall was again different. They had both had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Chloe and Hermione Granger had made any difference to their matches; Professor McGonagall showed the class how they had gone all silver and pointy and gave Chloe and Hermione a rare smile. 

'Good as Transfiguration, just like her dad!' James said proudly. 

The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke.

'Can't say I'm really surprised by that,' Barty concurred. 

His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.

Harry was very relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.

Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

'Good on them, it took me nearly a month!' Peter says. 

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron.

"Snape's Head of Slytherin House,' Catherine informed the five of them.

''They say he always favors them -- we'll be able to see if it's true,' Clemensia added. 

'Probably,' Sirius sneers. 

"Wish McGonagall favored us, " said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. Both Chloe and Harry had gotten used to this by now, but it had given them a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. Mittens, on the other hand barely left Chloe's dorm room, and seemed to sleep 24/7. This morning, however, Hedwig fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. He tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

Dear Chloe and Harry,

I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?

I want to hear all about your first week.

Send us an answer back with Hedwig.

Hagrid

'That's so sweet!' Gwendolyn gushed. 

Chloe and Harry smiled at each other before agreeing to both go. Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.

It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to them so far.

Everyone turned to Severus, whom had sunk back in his seat. 

At the start-of-term banquet, Chloe and Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked them. By the end of the first Potions lesson, they knew they'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike the twins -- he hated them. 

James glared at Severus, who started to hope that the beanbag would just eat him up there and then. 

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Chloe's name.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new -- celebrity." Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe, Goyle and Lorenzo sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

'Or just death,' Sirius remarked. 

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word -- like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.

Severus smiled at this, at least me must be an alright teacher, then? He hoped so, he couldn't imagine Gwendolyn ahting him for the sake of her kids. 

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses.... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Chloe, Catherine and Clemensia just stared up at the man. 

"Mr Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

'You're asking him questions to single him out?' Gwendolyn asked Severus, angry in her voice, but there was also signs of hurt. 

Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Tut, tut -- fame clearly isn't everything." He ignored Hermione's hand.

'He can't be expected to know everything in the first lessons!' James seethes. 

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, and this time, Chloe also raised her hand, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at the Slytherin boys, who were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

'You are cruel to him Severus!' Gwendolyn announced. 

Severus slunk even more back in the chair, he was beginning to not like this book even more than he was before. 

Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?

'Apparently so son, because Severus is a salty bastard!' James chastised.

Snape was still ignoring Hermione's and Chloe's quivering hands, so Chloe put hers down. 

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling. "I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"  

A few people liked this. 

'Good response,' Sirius complimented. 

A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased. "Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

'Salty Snivellous,' James said, staring down the Slytherin. 

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like.

'Shocker,' Arabella remarked. 

He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

'Poor Neville,' Alice said, feeling sorry for her son. 

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape,

Frank and Alice both turned around and gave Severus death glares. Severus really did not like this book now. 

clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. "Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

'Taking it out on my son again, what a surprise!' James mentions. 

"You -- Potter -- why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

'What? How's that fair or even a logical argument?' Arthur asked, looking angry. 

This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron. "Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week -- why did Snape hate him so much?

'Because he's salty, son,' James told the book. 

"Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

'Can we go too?' Catherine asked, meaning her and Clemensia. 

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door. When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang -- back." Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open. "Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang." He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

'The beast owns a beast, seems fitting,' Lucius scorns. 

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Clemensia and started licking her ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate. 'And that's Catherine and Clemensia.'

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest.'

He then caught sight of Clemensia, 'And a Black Gryffindor, yer father ought to be proud, if he knows where he is...' Hagrid trailed off at this, as if he's said too much. 

'Where am I?' Sirius asked.

'You'll find out in the third book, Mr Black,' Dumbledore said. 

Clemensia surely didn't seem to like what he'd said, but Fang seemed to take her mind off it. 

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but they all pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first -lessons. Fang rested his head on Chloe's knee and drooled all over her robes. The five of them were all delighted to hear Hagrid call Fitch "that old git."

'He's not wrong there,' Regulus agrees.

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her -- Fitch puts her up to it."

Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students. "But he seemed to really hate me."

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"

'He does though,' James interjects. 

Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet his eyes when he said that.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot -- great with animals." Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Chloe picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST

Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.

Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.

"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.

'The thing that Hagrid picked up with the twins!' Pandora remembered. 

Chloe remembered Ron telling them on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date. "Hagrid!" said Chloe, "that Gringotts break-in happened on mine and Harry's birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Chloe's eyes this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Chloe read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?

As the group walked back to the castle for dinner, all five of their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Chloe thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell them?

'I think I got the best chapter there, short and sweet,' Amos announced, in his way of letting them know that the chapter was over. 

'Why does he assume its me who wanted the thing out of the vault?' Severus asks, finally feeling brave enough to speak. 

'Because you were horrible to them in the lesson before,' Regulus reminded him. 

'I get that, but that doesn't mean I would want to rob Gringotts, I'm not stupid!' Severus exclaims.

'You'll find out later, Mr Snape,' Dumbledore reassures him. 

'Shall we carry on?' McGonagall adds.

Everyone nods. 

TAGLIST:

@helendeath

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone:

Chapter Seven: The Sorting Hat

'I can't wait to see what house they are!' Gwendolyn said.

'Well we will move straight on, and find out now,' Dumbledore tells her. 

He then scans the room, looking for who he wanted to read next.

'Mr Black, would you care to read?' He asked, looking at Regulus. 

Regulus just nods in response, and went up to start reading. 

'This chapter,' he told them, 'Is entitled 'The Sorting Hat.'

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and both of the twins' first thoughts was that this was not someone to cross.

'Sounds just like you, Minnie!' Sirius said, smiling brightly at the professor. 

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

'Knew it!' Sirius called out again. 

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. They could both hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here -- but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.''

'Nice to know you've kept the exact same speech from when we were in first year,' Amos says. 

"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 as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair, while Chloe tried to flatten her fringe down. Clemensia did up her tie a bit tighter, while Catherine picked up a lint ball that had lingered onto her robes. 

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She left the chamber. Chloe swallowed.

'How do you get sorted into houses?' she asked Clemensia. 

'My mother told me there's an ancient hat that sits on the top of your head and that tells you,' Clemensia claimed. 

Across the hall, the same conversation was being held between Harry and Ron.

'I have a feeling the conversation will be slightly different,' Sirius remarked. 

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

'Knew it,' Sirius reiterated. 

Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet -- what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need, and his sister and the other two girls.  He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue.

James wheezed at this. 

He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.

Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air -- several people behind him screamed.

"What the --?" Lorenzo enquired. 

They gasped.

So did the people around them. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance --"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves?

'Nice to know Peeves is still causing mayhem,' Barty remarks.

He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost -- I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned.

One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and the three girls behind them, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Chloe and Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Chloe and Harry both looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.

He heard Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

'I read that too, its fascinating, isn't it?' Chloe whispers back to her, giving the girl a smile.

'I hope they become friends with this Hermione, she seems good,' Gwendolyn says. 

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

Both Chloe and Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.

'She wouldn't have it if there was any mention of wizardry at all,' Gwendolyn quips. 

Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing -- noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth -- and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

All the Gryffindors in the room smiled at each other. 

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuff's are true

And unafraid of toil;

Amos and Pandora smiled at each other. 

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Barty and Xenophilius smile at each other. 

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends

The Slytherins all smiled at this.

So put me on!

Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."

Catherine giggled, 'Fred told you what?'

Harry. smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching, something that Chloe agreed with him on. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.

'Honestly valid, it was quite scary,' Amos said. 

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause --

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

'Berkshire, Lorenzo!' 

Lorenzo went up, and after a few minutes, the hat cried:

'SLYTHERIN!' 

Lorenzo grinned, clearly happy wiht himself and went to sit with the table on the far right, perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot.

'Black, Clemensia!' 

Both Chloe and Harry noted that there became a murmuring after Clemensia's name.

The hat took quite a moment with her before shouting:

'GRYFFINDOR!'

'YES!' Arabella and Sirius both celebrated. 

and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling, as Clemensia went to sit near them. 

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became a Gryffindor. 

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.

Harry was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. Him and Chloe had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked them both.

'Dudley was so cruel to them!' Molly says, feeling bad for the twins. 

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, the twins both noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole ten minutes before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!" Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.

'I just knew they'd be in the same house, if Ron gets in Gryffindor,' Molly recounts. 

A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all? What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad,

'I have a son too?' Frank shouts, looking confused. 

'Yes, Mr Longbottom, with miss Forstue,' Dumbledore tells them. 

was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter.

'Lupin, Catherine!'

The hat took a few seconds before shouting:

'GRYFFINDOR!' 

Kimberly and Remus celebrated. 

The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers again, and Catherine sat down next to Clemensia, and gave the other girl a big hug.

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

Lucius celebrated this. 

There weren't many people left now.

'Nott, Theodore!' 

Chloe heard murmurs ripple again, and she also couldn't miss the shiver the boy let out at hearing his name.

'SLYTHERIN!' The hat called soon after being placed on his head. 

More and more people went, 'Parkinson' went to Slytherin, then following her were Patil twins, one went to Ravenclaw and one went to Gryffindor. 

Then finally:

'Potter, Chloe!'

'This is it James!' Gwendolyn announced, gripping the boy's arm tightly. 

As Chloe stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

''The Chloe Potter?"

'Does that mean Harry's here too?'

The last thing Chloe saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her, before her eyes captured Mattheo again, who seemed to give her a small smile. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.

''Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, and a very intelligent mind... There's talent, my goodness, yes -- and a nice thirst to prove yourself and to look after people... now that's interesting.... So where shall I put you?"

'Wherever you want,' Chloe thought. 'That is your job after all.'

Everyone chuckled at this.

'That is true... I know.... better be... 

GRYFFINDOR!'

James and Gwendolyn celebrated. 

Chloe heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. She took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table, not before giving a reassuring smile to her brother. She was getting the biggest applause by far.  Percy the Prefect got up and shook her hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" She went and sat opposite the two girls, who gave her quick hugs. 

"Potter, Harry!"

'Come on, get both in Gryffindor,' James quietly pleaded. 

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him.

Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes -- and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting.... So where shall I put you?"

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.

"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that -- no? Well, if you're sure -- better be GRYFFINDOR!"

'YES!' James yelled, 'Both kids in Gryffindor!'

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet, apart from maybe his sister. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got both Potters! We got both Potters!" Harry sat down next to his sister, who gave him a big hug, and smiled at Clemensia and Catherine in celebration.

They could both see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught their eye and gave them both a thumbs up. The twins grinned back. And there, in the centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Chloe and Harry recognized him at once from the card Harry had gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

'Riddle, Mattheo!'

The Great Hall went very silent once again. Chloe could hear the whispers of fellow Gryffindor's.

'The Dark Lord's son!'

'I'll be steering clear of him!'

These made Chloe feel angry, after all he wasn't his father. If Mattheo cared, his face didn't show it. A lot of people also craned their necks to get a look at him, but he turned and looked at Chloe once again. She gave him a small smile, similar to the one he gave her before. 

'SLYTHERIN!' The hat yelled and the Slytherin's cheered. Chloe watched as he went and sat in the middle of Lorenzo and Theodore. 

And now there were only four people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Arthur and Molly cheered. 

Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him. Chloe bent over Harry to give the boy a hug. 

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away. 

Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

'I'm hungry too,' Chloe whispered to him, obviously sensing his hunger.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! "Thank you!" He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not. Chloe clapped alongside the other students, a concerned look upon her face. 

"Is he -- a bit mad?" Harry asked Percy uncertainly.

James chuckled at this. 

"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"

Chloe's and Harry's mouths fell open. The dishes in front of them were now piled with food. They had never seen so many things they liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

The Dursleys had never exactly starved the twins, but they'd never been allowed to eat as much as they liked. Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if it made him sick. Chloe and Harry both piled their plates with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.

'I bet it was,' Peter said. 

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.

"Can't you --?" Chloe asked, before stuffing a roast potato in her mouth. 

I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've in troduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you -- you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy --" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So -- new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row!

'Six years,' James said, looking annoyed. 

The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable -- he's the Slytherin ghost."

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements, away from Mattheo Riddle, Theodore Nott and Lorenzo Berkshire. 

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Clemensia with great interest.

'Your daughter that,' Sirius remarked to Arabella.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding.

As Chloe helped herself to an eclair and Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

The others laughed.

"What about you, Neville?" said Chloe. 

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville,

'Wait, why didn't we bring him up?' Frank asked. 

'You'll find that out in a later book, Mr Longbottom,' Dumbledore informed him.

"but the family thought I was all- Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me -- he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned

'He did WHAT!' Alice said, looking shocked. 

-- but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced -- all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here -- they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

'I think that uncle Algie needs a smack round the head!' Alice seethed. 

On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing -- ").

Chloe and Harry, who were both starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

Everyone turned to look at Snape. 

'Am I a professor?' Snape asked. 

'Yes,' McGonagall says. 

'Great,' James said, remembering just how much Severus hated him and would probably take it out on his son. 

It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into the twins' eyes -- and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on their foreheads.

James and Gwendolyn looked at each other, concerned. 

''Ouch!" They clapped a hand to their heads. Clemensia and Catherine looked up at them, concerned. 

"What is it?" asked Percy.

"N-nothing." The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling they had gotten from the teacher's look -- a feeling that he didn't like either Chloe or Harry at all.

'Wonder why,' James sneers. 

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" Chloe asked Percy.

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape.

'Merlin it's going to be a long 7 years with him as a teacher,' Arabella huffed. 

He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to -- everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again. Chloe didn't even want to look back.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahern -- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

'Those two boys sound like they like getting into a lot of trouble,' Arthur remarks. 

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

'That's dark,' Barty remarks. 

'Why? We are allowed there?' Kimberly asked. 

'That will explained later in the book,' Dumbledore tells them.

Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.

"He's not serious?" Chloe muttered to Percy.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere -- the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least." 

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

A few people laughed at this. 

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts,

Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot''

Everyone hummed along to this.

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. Chloe was feeling the name. They were both too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and they were both just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him. "Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist."

'How in Merlin's name is Peeves still there?' Sirius asked, a smile growing on his face. 

He raised his voice, "Peeves -- show yourself" A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered. "Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks. "Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy. Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed. 

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are." 

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

'The beloved fat lady,' Kimberly remarkes.

"Password?" she said.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it -- Neville needed a leg up -- and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs. Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. Chloe and Harry hugged each other goodnight before  going in the opposite directions. At the top of a spiral staircase -- they were obviously in one of the towers -- they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.

"Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets." Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.

The girls did pretty much the same, Chloe, Clemensia and Catherine saying hello to the three other girls in their dorm, Hermione, Lavender Brown and Parvarti Patil before they all fell asleep.

Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully -- and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it -then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold -- there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking. He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.

'Odd dream, strange that only he had it too,' Gwendolyn said. 

'That's the end of the chapter,' Regulus remarked, handing the book back. 

'Thank you, Mr Black,' McGonagall said, taking the book off him. 

[otunnicliffe]

Queens of Hogwarts

Chapter Four: A Lesson On... What?

In touch with the ground I'm on the hunt, I'm after you Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd And I'm hungry like the wolf Straddle the line in discord and rhyme I'm on the hunt, I'm after you Mouth is alive, with juices like wine And I'm hungry like the wolf

Nearly two weeks has passed since the girls' conversation in the library, and the full moon was approaching. Both Gwendolyn and Arabella had been busy trying to take care of her, and coming up with excuses to tell the other girls in their dorms, from Kimberly coming down with the flu to her eating something bad. 

When Kimberly woke up, she groaned and clutched her forehead. 

'The flu is really bas isn't it?' Molly asked her, her face full of genuine concern. 

'Yeah... its wiping me out, not gonna lie,' Kimberly tells her, before trying to sit up. She made sure to sit up carefully, and to keep her movements slow. When she eventually made it to the mirror, she wasn't surpsied to see herself looking pale and clammy. 

'I look like shit,' she groaned to Arabella, as the other girls left for breakfast, leaving the pair and Gwendolyn alone in the common room. 

'Two more days, and you'll feel right as rain again,' Gwendolyn says, hugging the girl as she entered the bathroom. Gwendolyn was always worried for her friend during this time of the month, she hated knowing that one of her closest friends was in pain, and was suffering. 

Kimberly huffed in response, and went to go get ready. 

'I'm nervous about this full moon, Bella,' Gwendolyn admits to her friend.

'Me too, it's so weird knowing now that we aren't the only ones,' Arabella admitted. 

'I think we need names, like they do,' Gwendolyn announces, 'To hide our identities for this month, and to give Remus the Wolfsbane without him knowing it was me.'

'Names?' Kimberly asked groggily, coming back into the bathroom, fully dressed in her Gryffindor attire. 

'Yeah, I've thought them through and everything,' she tells them, proudly. 

'What are they?' Arabella asks. 

'So, I'm Prancer, Bella can be Snuffles and Kim is Swiftfoot,' She says, pointing at the two other girls as she spoke. 

'Not bad names,' Arabella mused hers over, 'Snuffles is quite cute actually.'

'I like mine too,' Kimberly agrees. 

Gwendolyn's face lit up, it often did when people agreed with her ideas. 

'Come on, let's go to breakfast... I'm starving!' Arabella proposes, and the girls then walk towards the Great Hall. 

The Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a majestic and expansive chamber, serving as the central hub for student life and the setting for many significant events. Its high, enchanted ceiling mirrors the sky outside, be it sunny, stormy, or starlit, creating an ever-changing ambiance. Four long tables stretch across the hall, one for each house—Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin—where students gather for meals and socializing. At the far end, a raised platform hosts the staff table, where the professors and Headmaster oversee the proceedings. The hall is illuminated by hundreds of floating candles, casting a warm, inviting glow over the stone walls adorned with banners representing the house colours and crests. During festive occasions like the Start-of-Term Feast, Halloween, and Christmas, the Great Hall is decorated with seasonal splendour, enhancing its magical atmosphere. The Great Hall is not only a place for nourishment but also for announcements, celebrations, and ceremonies, making it the beating heart of Hogwarts.

The trio finally arrived, after a while. Kimberly kept stumbling over her feet and nearly falling, no matter how many years it had been now since she started transitioning every full moon, the illness never seemed to get better. 

The trio sat next to the Marauders, Gwendolyn and Kimberly on one side, next to James and Peter, and Arabella on the other, sat next to Sirius and Remus. All three happened to notice Remus. He was clearly ill as well, his face paler than usual, and his hair looked slightly more dishevelled than it usually did. The three girls quickly looked at each other, this was yet another point to proving their theory. 

Suddenly, Alice approached them, handling a packet of medicine. 'Here,' she said softly, handing the pills over to Kimberly. 'Flu is never fun, these should help with your head.' 

'Alice you are an angel on earth thank you,' Kimberly confided, taking two of the pills out of the packet.

'No worries,' Alice added with a smile, before going back to sit with Frank. 

'You look ill, Fox,' James remarked. 

'I know,' Kimberly moaned. She then let out a rather realistic fake sneeze. 'I have the bloody flu, can you believe?'

She froze when she saw Remus staring at her, and tried her best not to stare back. 

'Remus, you don't look too good either,' Gwendolyn remarked, and the three girls would have bene stupid to miss the look of fear that was collectively seen on the Marauders' faces. 

'Yeah... think I'm coming down with something as well,' he mutters, quickly. 

'Oh bless you!' Arabella says, with faux-innocence. 

'Well it is cold season to be fair,' Gwendolyn adds. 

'You want some?' Kimberly asks him, holding up the packet of pills. 

'Yes please,' He says, before muttering a quick 'thanks'. 

'We've gotta get going, guys,' Gwendolyn said, looking at her watch. 'Time for another DADA session.'

The Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a dynamic and often enigmatic space, reflecting the nature of its subject. The room is filled with various magical objects and artifacts used for teaching students how to protect themselves from dark creatures, curses, and malevolent magic. The walls are lined with shelves containing a plethora of spell books, defensive charms, and potion ingredients. At the front, a large blackboard stands ready for notes and diagrams, while the professor's desk is cluttered with scrolls and magical implements. Enchanted windows allow for changing weather effects, adding to the immersive learning environment. Despite the classroom's typically austere appearance, it occasionally takes on a more foreboding atmosphere, especially during lessons on particularly dangerous dark creatures or spells. The frequent turnover of Defence Against the Dark Arts professors has led to a variety of teaching styles and classroom layouts, contributing to the room's ever-changing character.

This years teacher was called Mr Arrowswift. Wilbur Arrowswift was a tall man, standing well over six feet, with an imposing yet approachable presence. His black hair, once jet-black, is now flecked with strands of grey, hinting at his years of experience and wisdom. His eyes are sharp and observant, always attentive to his students, yet they soften with warmth when he speaks. He often wears neatly pressed shirts and slacks, embodying a professional demeanour that commands respect in the classroom. Despite his height, he moves with a gentle grace, and his deep voice carries a reassuring authority that students find both comforting and inspiring.

Everyone went and sat in their assigned seats, Kimberly was next to James, Arabella next to Remus and Gwendolyn was next to Sirius, with Peter being sat next to Adromeda Black, as this was a lesson shared with the Slytherins. 

Gwendolyn stared at the board curiously, there was nothing written on the chalkboard, so she wondered what they would be learning about today. Already, this teacher seemed full of surprises. 

'Hello all,' the Professor boomed, his voice silencing the chatter that was occurring around the room. 

'You know, I can imagine you looking something like him when you're older,' she whispered to Sirius, as the Professor was getting set up. 

'Honestly, I'd take it,' Sirius remarked, flashing her a wide smile. 

'Today,' Arrowswift announced. 'We will be learning about werewolves.'

Kimberly let out a cough in surprise, but disguised it as a real cough, playing into her fake illness. Gwendolyn's eyes widened, and she looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Sirius looking towards Remus, whose face went paler than it was before. 

'So, werewolves will reach adolescence over the summer before they are 16 years old. So to put it into perspective for you, it was the summer just gone. They will change directly overnight, growing taller, stronger and overall will be deemed as more attractive. It is known, mostly for humour reasons, but it is mentioned in the exams, canine puberty.'

Gwendolyn glanced at Kimberly, who was looking more worried by the second. Thankfully for her, James was seemingly more worried for his friend than to look at the brunette next to him. 

'The females will get longer legs, more vivid hair and their eyes will seem brighter. Meanwhile, the males will fill out with muscle, and their hair will also get slightly more vibrant. Both males and females will gaina  more advanced sense of smell and eyesight, alongside gaining a very strong sense of protectiveness. They all go through these changes mainly for mates, and to learn how to defend yourselves better. The wolf side will start to enhance the human side too, especially when it comes to protectiveness for mates.'

Marlene raised her hand. 'Yes, Miss McKinnon?' He asked. 

'How do werewolves know who their mate is?' Marlene asked. 'Is it true that they mate for life?'

'Very good questions, Miss McKinnon,' Arrowswift complimented. 'Five points for Gryffindor. And to answer, when a werewolf comes across their mate, which will always be another werewolf, they will about 90 percent of the time notice straight away, but their mate is only found after they have gone through canine puberty. When the mates finally see each other as mates, both of their eyes will flash yellow, and the human will feel the werewolf within want to jump out. And to your other question, yes, they do in fact mate for life. Once they've got their mate there is no need to look for another, and the werewolves will become insanely protective other one another. If any of you decides to harm a werewolf with a mate, well, I suggest you don't in the first place.' Arrowswift chuckled at the last bit. 

Then, the bell went, dismissing them. 

The rest of the day went by slowly for the girls. Gwendolyn's mind couldn't stop racing, thinking about what Professor Arrowswift had said in class. How could she have been so stupid and not seen the obvious signs that Remus was a werewolf? And it became even more obvious to her that Remus may very well be Kimberly's mate, as what the Professor told them sounded exactly like what Kimberly said earlier to them. 

Finally, as the final lesson finished, the three girls raced into thier dorm, telling the other girls that Kimberly was going for a nap, even though they knew no sleeping would be taking place.

'So, Remus is your mate!' Gwendolyn announced, the moment to door shut on their dorms. 

Kimberly huffs, a blush making its way on her cheeks. 'I suppose so,' she says finally. 'But wait until the full moon. Then we will know for sure.'

'I agree,' Arabella adds. 'No use getting ahead of ourselves.'

'I've got the potions, for Remus,' Gwendolyn said suddenly, going over to her bed and lifted up her pillows carefully. Under it, were two glass vials, purple in colour. 'These will be for Remus, yours are where I usually put them.' She added. 

'Thank you,' Kimberly said graciously. 

'I only do it because I love you,' Gwendolyn says, sending a wink towards the brunette. 

'Are you gonna put it in their room then?' Arabella asked. 

'Will do, but they can't be in there when I do it,' Gwendolyn says. 

'Write a not for them as well, so they don't think it's a love potion or something,' Kimberly advised. 

'Good idea,' Arabella adds.

Gwendolyn takes a piece of parchment out of her bad and a quill, and grabs a pot of ink

To the Marauders...

----

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter entered their dorm room about fifteen minutes later, all particularly happy that it was empty. However much they liked Frank, Fabian, Gideon and Arthur, they were all (especially Remus) thankful for the momentary escape. 

'My head is spinning so bad,' Remus remarked, rubbing his temples lightly. 

'Oy Mooney! There's something on your bed!' Sirius remarks. 

'Huh,' Remus says, confused. 

Indeed there was something on his bed. There were two glass vials, both filled with a purple liquid, and beside them was a note, written in parchment paper that was yellowing. 

'To the Marauders,' James read aloud, from the first part of the note.

The boys all looked at each other, confused. 

'What's in the vials?' Peter asks, picking one of them up. He managed to find a small tag and read aloud: 'Wolfsbane potion.'

'Wolfsbane!' Remus exclaimed. 'Whoever sent these must know of my furry little problem!'

'Not only that mate,' James added. 'They must be pretty bloody brilliant at potions, because this is hard, Gwendolyn was showing me some of the potions we do for N.E.W.T.S last potion lesson!'

'Read the note then, Mooney!' Sirius announced, as James handed him the note.

Remus read aloud:

Dear Marauders,

Next to this letter are two bottles of Wolfsbane potion, to help with Mooney's furry little problem. If you don't know what it is, this potion is designed specifically for werewolves during the full moon. It allows them to keep in control of their minds and body, but unfortunately doesn't really get rid of the pain during the transformation process. So, basically, Lupin will not be wanting to tear Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail apart. 

Only take one of the vials for this full moon, it must be taken around half an hour before the transformation takes place. Save the other vial for next month. 

If you are wondering how we know about these potions, lets just say Remus isn't the only one with a 'furry little problem', and the other werewolf wishes you well.

Best of luck, 

Prancer, Snuffles and Swiftfoot. 

'Did they not give you a name?' Sirius asked. 

'No, only three three nicknames,' Remus sighed.

'Well that's unhelpful,' Peter remarks, James nodding in agreement.

'Wait guys there's more!' Remus announced before reading again:

PS:

If you are wanting to meet us, come to the forbidden forest during your transformation, and there you will find us, a werewolf, and two companions. We have a feeling the werewolves are going to get on better than expected. 

'What does that mean?' Peter asked, furrowing his eyebrows. 

'My mate,' Remus says, looking shocked. 

'Your what?' Sirius asked looking shocked. 

'There's a reason we learnt about werewolves in DADA today,' Remus announced. 'My mate is also at Hogwarts.'

'But who is it?' James asked. 

'We will find that out in two days time,' Remus said, mulling over the two vials. 'But I have my suspicions.'

'Who?' Sirius asked him. 

Remus shook his head, 'I'll tell you after the full moon if I still believe them then.'

It was going to be an interesting full moon, that's for sure. 

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter Six: The Journey From Platform Nine And Three-Quarters.

'Well there is no need to wait,' Dumbledore said, 'Let's continue on.'

He pauses for a moment, then says 'I think myself and Professor McGonagall will pick who reads from now on.'

'How come, sir?' Kimberly asks, looking confused. 

'Because from this chapter, you are going to meet more children of some of you,' he explained. 

'More children of us?' Molly asks.

'But whom?' Arabella adds. 

'All will be revealed in this chapter,' McGonagall tells them sternly. 

'Miss Wesia, would you like to read next?' Dumbledore asks. 

Pandora stands up and sits in the readers chair, and takes the book of Professor McGonagall. 

'This chapter,' She told them, 'Is entitled: 'The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.'

'They're going to Hogwarts James!' Gwendolyn says, excitedly. 

Chloe and Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of them both he wouldn't stay in the same room,

'Payback for all the years of abuse!' James argued. 

while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him -- in fact, they didn't speak to them at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with the twins in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.

Chloe and Harry kept to their room, with their new pets for company. Chloe had decided to call her cat Mittens, as she thought it was a cute name,

'It is a cute name,' Alice agreed. 

she also decided the name of Harry's pet owl. They had decided to call her Hedwig, a name she had found in A History of Magic. Their school books were very interesting. She lay on her bed reading late into the night,

'She's a bookworm like you then, Gwen!' Arabella jokes.

Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before they went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper they had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.

On the last day of August they thought they'd better speak to their aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so they went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. They both cleared their throat to let them know they was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.

'He's turned into a pussy now!' Barty jibed.

"Er -- Uncle Vernon?" Harry said, as Chloe was still a little wary of Uncle Vernon.

Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.

"Er -- we need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to -- to go to Hogwarts."

Uncle Vernon grunted again.

"Would it be all right if you gave us a lift?"

Grunt. They supposed that meant yes. 

'At least he's learning, I hope,' Andromeda says. 

"Thank you." Chloe said quietly.

They were about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke. "Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"

'Magic carpets aren't real, you numpty!' Alice says. 

Both Chloe and Harry didn't say anything.

"Where is this school, anyway?"

'Scotland,' Chloe answers. Harry looked at her shocked, he had no idea. 

"We just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," Harry added.

His aunt and uncle stared. "Platform what?"

"Nine and three-quarters." Harry repeated. 

"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."

"It's on my ticket."

"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."

"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.

"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."

Giggles errupted from the room. 

'I forgot about the tail,' Frank chortled. 

Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. Chloe woke up not long after. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes, Chloe put on a nice top and a long, flowy skirt -- they'd change on the train. They both checked their Hogwarts list yet again to make sure they had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage and Mittens was safely in hers, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Chloe and Harry's huge, heavy trunks had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to the twins, and they had set off.

They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Chloe and Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. They both thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face. "Well, there you are, children. Platform nine -- platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"

'I forgot they won't know how to get to the platform!' Gwendolyn says, suddenly worried. 

He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.

"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Chloe and Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry's mouth went rather dry. Chloe just stared at her brother, unsure of what to do. They were starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig.

'We'll have to ask someone,' Chloe concluded.

They then stopped a passing guard, but he didn't really pay them much mind, eventually walking away after a few minutes, muttering something about 'time wasters'.

The twins were now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; they was stranded in the middle of a station with trunks either of them could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl. Hagrid must have forgotten to tell them something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. Harry wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.

'To be fair, Hagrid should have told them,' Kimberly said. 

At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying. "-- packed with Muggles, of course --"

Chloe and Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him -- and they had an owl. Heart hammering, Chloe and Harry pushed their carts after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying. "Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.

"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go... "

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first." What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Chloe and Harry both watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it -- but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy.

"Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went.

'Funny,' Sirius said, after chuckling to himself.

His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone -- but how had he done it? Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there -- and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else for it.

"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman, Chloe following closely behind.

"Hello, dears," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."

She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.

"Yes," said Chloe. "The thing is -- the thing is, we don't know how to --"

"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Chloe and Harry nodded.

'I like this woman,' Gwendolyn says. 

"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, both of you, go now before Ron."

"Er -- okay," said Harry, looking at Chloe with fear.

They pushed their trolleys around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. They nodded to each other and then both  started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Chloe and Harry walked more quickly. They were going to smash right into that barrier and then they'd be in trouble -- leaning forward on their carts, they both broke into a heavy run -- the barrier was coming nearer and nearer -- they wouldn't be able to stop -- the cart was out of control -- they were a foot away -- they closed their eyes ready for the crash -

It didn't come... he kept on running... he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Chloe and Harry looked behind them and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, they had done it.

Gwendolyn let out a breath that she was unaware she was holding in. 

Chloe and Harry hugged each other in glee. 

'Excuse me,' a voice appeared from behind them. 'I think you dropped this.'

A woman stood, holding a textbook that had fallen out from Chloe's trunk. The woman was quite tall, and had olive skin and raven black hair, and striking emerald eyes. 

People turned to Arabella. 

'Is that me?' she asks.

'Yes, Miss Nott,' McGonagall tells her. 

Behind her was a girl, around the same age as the twins, who looked like she could be her daughter. 

'I have a daughter?' Arabella says, 'With who?'

'With Mr S Black,' Dumbledore tells her. 

'WHAT!' Sirius and Arabella yelled in almost perfect unison. 

'We have a daughter together?' Sirius asked. 

'What's her name?' Arabella asks. 

'You'll find that out later, Miss Nott.'

'Why aren't I there then, or am I?' Sirius asks. 

'You are not there, Mr Black, but unfortunately you'll have to wait until the third book for that,' Dumbledore informs him.

'The third book!' Sirius cried incredulously. 

'Wait, I have a kid with him?' Arabella asks, eyeing Sirius up and down as if he was a flea. 

'Yes we've established that,' Dumbledore tells, 'May we carry on?'

The pair were stood with, what the twins presumed, another mother-daughter pair. The mum was taller than other, and had chestnut brown hair and deep brown eyes. She also had a collection of scars running across her face.

Kimberly choked on air. 'I'm in this too?'

'Yes, Miss Fox,' Dumbledore says. 

Her daughter was also rather tall, and had long brown hair and brown eyes.

'I have a daughter too?' Kimberly asks, her face paling. 

'Yes, Miss Fox, with Mr Lupin.'

At this, Remus had the same reaction. 'But sir! What about our... you know?'

'Doesn't pass on,' Dumbledore reassures them, and they both breathe a sigh of relief. 

'What is your... you know?' Pandora asks, curious. 

Both Kimberly and Remus splutter, before Dumbledore tells them all 'You'll also find that out in the third book.'

'Please continue, Miss Wesia,' McGonagall instructs. 

'Thank you,' Chloe said politely. 

The raven haired woman smiled at her as she passed her the book. Suddenly, she and the other woman let out a gasp... their faces paling at the sight of the twins. 

'First year?' The brunette woman finally manages to mutter.

'Yes,' the twins said in unison. They expected to be awkward in this situation, but there was something about these too women.. like they knew them before... something comforting. 

'Same for our girls here,' the other woman added, turning to her daughter who smiled kindly at the twins.

'Nice,' Harry said. 

'Well, we will let you put your stuff on the train, have a great first year!' the raven haired woman said. 

'Thank you again!' Chloe called out, before she and Harry pushed their trollies further into the platform.

As they were leaving, Chloe and Harry heard the two women talking. 

'Merlin, they are the spit of James and Gwen-'

'Girls, try and made friends with them two, ok?'

'Trying to make the friendship span two generations I see,' Alice quips. 

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd. "Give us a look, Lee, go on." The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

Molly shuddered at this. She really did not like spiders. 

Chloe and Harry pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. They put their animals in it first, and then started to shove and heave the two trunks toward the train door. They both tried to lift it up the steps together but could hardly raise one end and twice Harry dropped it painfully on his foot.

"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.

"Yes, please," Harry panted. Chloe merely nodded, too out of breath to speak. 

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!" With the twins' help, Chloe's and Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"Thanks," said Chloe and Harry in unison, both pushing their sweaty bangs out of the eyes. 

"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at the twins matching lightning scars.

'And they get noticed again, it'll be like that all year I suppose,' Gwendolyn muttered to James. 

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you?'

"They are," said the first twin.

"Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"What?" said Harry, Chloe looking confused.

"Chloe and Harry Potter, "chorused the twins.

"Oh, them," said Harry. "I mean, yes, we are." Chloe just nodded. 

The two boys gawked at them, and the twins felt themselves turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door. "Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mum." With a last look at Chloe and Harry, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. They had now joined up with the two women from before, obviously being friends. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

'I have a feeling I know who the woman is,' Kimberly said, referring to the red-haired woman. 

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose. "Mom -- geroff" He wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins. The two daughters of the women giggled at this.

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He's coming now." the raven haired woman informed her.

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Chloe and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves --"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once --"

"Or twice --"

"A minute --"

"All summer --"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.

'I like these twins,' James reiterated. 

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term -- send me an owl when you get there." She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left.

Then she turned to the twins. "Now, you two -- this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've -- you've blown up a toilet or --"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

'Rookie moves,' Sirius joked. 

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

"It's not funny. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us, and the girls."

"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Chloe and Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking. "You know that black-haired boy and blonde girl with the fringe who were near us in the station? Know who they are?"

"Who?"

"Chloe and Harry Potter!" 

The mother turned to the two other women quickly, whom nodded. 

Harry heard the little girl's voice. "Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see them, Mom, eh please...."

"You've already seen them, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Are they really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked them. Saw the scars. It's really there - like lightning." "Poor dear - no wonder they was alone, I wondered. They were ever so polite when they asked how to get onto the platform."

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

'Harsh question,' Remus remarked. 

Their mother suddenly became very stern. "I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

"All right, keep your hair on."

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys and two girls clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye and the other girls for their mothers, and their younger sister began to cry.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"George!" The two other women laughed at this. 

"Only joking, Mom."

The train began to move. The twins both saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.

'Bless her,' Alice said. 

Chloe and Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. They both felt a great leap of excitement. They both didn't know what they were going to but it had to be better than what they were leaving behind. The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy, and the two girls came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry.

"Everywhere else is full." the raven haired girl asked. 

The twins shook their heads and the boy sat down next to Harry and the girls next to Chloe. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. The raven haired girl rolled her eyes at him. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.

"Hey, Ron." The twins were back.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train -- Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Chloe, Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then.''

'Wait, Weasley?' Arthur asked. 

'Yes, you and Molly have a few children,' Dumbledore tells him. 

After a few seconds of shocked silence, Pandora decided to continue. 

"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

'I'm Clemensia Black,' the raven haired girl introduced herself. 

'And I'm Catherine Lupin,' the brunette girl added. 

'Triple C,' Arabella remarked. 'Chloe, Clemensia and Catherine.'

"Are you really Chloe and Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.

'Ron!' Clemensia hissed. 

They both nodded.

"Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got -- you know..." He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Chloe did the same after.

All three stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who " Ron started 

''Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.

'Ron!' Clemensia reiterated. 

"Well -- I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else." Chloe added.

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

'He's a bit awkward I won't lie,' Molly admits. 

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found the other three just as interesting as Ron found him.

"Er -- Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

'There's a reason for that,' Molly says, a bit snidely. 

'Mine are,' Clemensia says. 'Both of my parents were from quite distinct pure blooded families, but they don't really talk to them.'

'True,' Arabella admits. 

'Both of my parents were, but they were both half-blooded,' Catherine explained. 'One of each grandparent was a muggle.'

"So you must know loads of magic already." Chloe asked them all.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

"Horrible -well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers." Harry admits. 

"Five," said Ron.

'Five brothers?' Molly asked, looking wary. 

'And there was a girl, so you would have had 7 children!' Kimberly recounts. 

For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

'That's a bit sad,' Kimberly says, but quietly so Molly wouldn't hear her. 

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep. "His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff -- I mean, I got Scabbers instead." Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

'Don't have so many children then,' Lucius scorns. 

'Do you have any siblings?' Chloe asked Clemensia and Catherine. They both just shook their heads. 

Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and Chloe basically living in charity shop clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up. "... and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort"

The three others gasped. 

Most people in the room did the same. 

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed.

"I'd have thought you, of all people --" Catherine added. 

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn.... I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

'Me too,' Chloe said, looking downtrodden.

'I'm sure they won't be!' Gwendolyn added. 

"You won't be!' Catherine encouraged.

''There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough." Clemensia adds. 

'I hope our daughters all become friends,' Gwendolyn says to Arabella and Kimberly.

'I have a feeling they will be,' Kimberly reassures her. Arabella nodded, a smile on her face.

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past. Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?" Chloe and Harry, who both hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to their feet, as did Clemensia and Catherine, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Everyone except Ron went out into the corridor. 

They had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that they both had pockets rattling with gold and silver Harry was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry, and Chloe wanted skittles as far as the eye could see -- but the woman didn't have Mars Bars or Skittles. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, they both got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts. Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat. Clemensia and Catherine returned, Clemensia held about 3 pumpkin pasties and Catherine had a couldron cake and a chocolate frog. 

'My daughter seems to share my love for pumpkin pasties,' Arabella retorts. 

"Hungry, are you?" Ron asks. 

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

'They're good aren't they?' Clemensia remarked. 'They are mine and my mums favourite.'

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on --"

'Bless him,' Molly coos. 

"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."

"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with.

'Yeah, go on Ron,' Chloe added, feeling the same way as her brother.

It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, Clemensia and Catherine, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).

'Fair enough,' Amos mused. 

"What are these?" Chloe asked the group, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs.

"They're not really frogs, are they?" Harry was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.

"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."

"What?" Harry asked. 

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know -- Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect -- famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

'He's obsessed with those bloody cards,' Catherine tells Chloe, rolling her eyes. 'Me and Clemmie don't care for them much.'

'Clemmie is an adorable nickname,' Molly remarks. 

Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half- moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore. "So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.

'Lets see!' said Chloe, before finally seeing the man that Hagrid held to such a high regard. 

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa -- thanks''

Harry turned over his card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

'You enjoy bowling?' Gwendolyn asked, 'As in the muggle activity where you throw a ball at some sticks?'

'Precisely, Miss Evans. I find it to be rather fun.'

'Yeah its fun, if its your seventh birthday party,' Gwendolyn whispered to James, who tried his best to not start howling with laughter. 

Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared. "He's gone!"

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Clemensia.

"He'll be back.'' Ron added, ''No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting.''

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped. "Help yourself," said Harry.

"But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos." Chloe said.

'Really?' Narcissa asked, looking at Gwendolyn quizzically. 

Gwendolyn nodded.

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "weird!"

Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the druidess Cliodna,

'Quite the collection already,' Xenophilius remarked.

who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

'The devil themselves,' Kimberly huffed. 

"You want to be careful with those," Catherine warned the twins. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor -- you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and mar- malade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe.''

''George reckons he had a booger flavored one once." Clemensia added. 

'I've had one before too, very unpleasant,' Xenophilius added.

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner. "Bleaaargh -- see? Sprouts."

They had a good time eating the Every Flavour Beans. Chloe and Harry between them got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and Chloe was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny grey one none of the others would touch, which turned out to be pepper.

'Some of them sound abysmal!' Kimberly retorts. 

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills. There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Chloe and Harry had passed on platform nine and three quarters came in. He looked tearful. "Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?" When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

'I wouldn't mourn the loss of a toad,' Regulus snides. 

"He'll turn up," said Chloe, with a small smile to the boy, who looked transfixed on her. 

"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him..." He left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

'Scabbers isn't that bad...' Chloe mused, even though she didn't even look like she believed it. 

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..." He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end. "Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway-''

He had just raised his 'wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

'Bit harsh, poor girl,' Alice said. 

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." She sat down next to Harry.

Ron looked taken aback. "Er -- all right." He cleared his throat. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

'That's not a spell,' Gwendolyn announced. 'No wonder it won't work.'

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

'Knew it,' Gwendolyn huffed. 

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all

'Great, a mudblood... just what this story needed,' Lucius says to the other Slytherins. 

, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard -- I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough -- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you.''

She said all this very fast.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

'Clemensia Black.'

'Catherine Lupin.'

'Chloe Potter, and he's my brother, Harry,' Chloe said finally, as Harry was still staring at Hermione, shocked that she had already memorized their books. 

'Fair enough,' James said, chuckling. 

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you both, of course -- I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're both in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.''

'Mental,' Amos said. 'You're children are proper famous James!'

"Are we ?" said Harry, feeling dazed. He looked a Chloe, who looked equally as dazed. 

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad.... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her. "Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.

'I have a feeling that's not going to happen,' Arthur says. 

He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell -- George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

'Well duh it didn't work!' said Catherine. 'You know how the twins like to joke!'

"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?" "Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

'Doesn't make it a bad house though!' Clemensia said. 'My whole family apart from my parents were Slytherins, including my Uncle, who can be quite nice when he wants to be.'

'Which side of Uncle are we on about?' Arabella asks. 'Regulus or my brother?'

'Your brother, Atticus Nott,' Dumbledore tells her. 

'Wait, me and my brother speak?' Arabella says, a small smile on her face at the idea. 

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses.

"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?" Chloe was wondering what a witch or wizard did once they'd finished school.

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles -- someone tried to rob a high security vault."

'Bet it was the vault that they visited with Hagrid!' Gwendolyn exclaims. 

Chloe and Harry stared. "Really? What happened to them?" Chloe asked. 

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it." Clemensia told them. 

'So You-Know-Who is not gone? For definate?' James asks, confused. 

'Basically, but for this year, he's not his full self, and that's all you're knowing for now,' Dumbledore explained. 

Chloe and Harry turned this news over in their mind. They were both starting to get a prickle of fear every time You- Know-Who was mentioned. They supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.

"Er -- I don't know any," Harry confessed.

'They don't have Quidditch in the Muggle world, Ronald!' said Clemensia, rolling her eyes. 

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world --" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

Six boys entered, and Chloe Harry recognized the middle two at once: it was the boys from Madam Malkin's robe shop.

'Bet they've found about about the Potter twins,' Molly remarks. 

The pale boy  was looking at Chloe and Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley. The other looked indifferent, but still Chloe found his eyes upon her. Chloe also noticed how Clemensia seemed to tense up at the sight of them. 

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Chloe and Harry Potter are in this compartment. So it's you two, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Chloe was just staring at the other boy, who had yet to give his name. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

'You owe me!' Kimberly says happily, turning to Sirius. 

'Oh for Merlin's- fine!' Sirius said, sounding agitated. 'I'll give you it later.'

'Wait, I have a son?' Lucius asks. 

'Yes, Mr Malfoy, with Miss N Black,'

Narcissa's face flushed slightly. 

'Can I continue, there's one name here that will shock you all!' Pandora said, looking shocked. 

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigget. Draco Malfoy looked at him. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

'Shut up Malfoy!' Clemensia scorned, making the other boys laugh. 

'Just because you're my second cousin, Black doesn't mean anything!' Draco says, eyeing her with disgust. 

'Hey cousin,' said one of the other boys, obviously trying to not cause a scene. The boy was brunette and quite tall, and seemed to have a thick, Italian accent. 

Clemensia merely nodded back, before saying: 'Chloe, Harry, this is my cousin, Theodore Nott.'

'Yeah I was expecting that one,' Arabella says. 

'I forget how connected we all are sometimes,' said the final boy, who was also quite tall and had jet black hair. 'I'm Draco's cousin too, on his dad's side. My name is Lorenzo Berkshire.'

'So how am I related to him?' Lucius asks. 

'Lorenzo is your sister's son,' Dumbledore informs him. 

'Who's the other girl?' He asked. 

'Catherine Lupin,' Catherine introduced herself, looking at the final unnamed boy like she couldn't believe he was standing here. 

The boy must have noticed this, because he chuckled and mused 'You look like you've seen a ghost, Lupin.'

'I mean, we're just surprised that you're here,' Clemensia said, obviously trying to keep her cool. Ron just gaped up at the boy.

'Who is the boy?' James asks. 

'Prepare yourself,' Pandora says. 

'Well that's not surprising,' said the boy, with an evil grin appearing on my face. 'My name, Potters, is Mattheo Riddle.'

There was a stunned silence. 

'The dark lord had a son?' Bellatrix asked. 

'But with who?' Narcissa asks.

'There's a Black, two Potters, a Lupin, a Malfoy, a Nott, a Berkshire and a Riddle in the same year... choas!' Alice said, her face drained of all colour. 

'Yes, Mattheo is the son of Voldemort,' Dumbledore informs them. 'Voldemort mated with a pure blooded woman, named Esmeraude Vance, and then once she had given birth, he killed her.'

'Merlin, he's so cruel!' Sirius said. 

'So that's why he was with the Malfoy boy at the shop,' Arabella says, putting the pieces together. 

'Let's continue on, shall we?' McGonagall asks. 

Chloe let out a small gasp, she remembered reading about You-Know-Who's real name, Tom Riddle. Harry just looked confused, until a nearly shaking Ron whispered the fact to him, and he then looked up at Mattheo in shock. 

'Scared now, Potters?' He said, his eyes still on Chloe. 'You know, it makes sense as to why you're so pretty.. you're mother was half-veela, and you a quarter.' 

'See, Potter,' said Draco. 'This is the group of people you need to hang about with, not with two blood traitors and a half breed.' He scorned at the other three as he said this.

'Ouch, we're still family Draco, whether you like it or not' Clemensia reminds him, clearly unhappy with the connection as well. This was when so noticed Lorenzo looking at her, and she realized Theodore was looking at Catherine. 

'I have a bad feeling about Mattheo, Theodore and Lorenzo in the later books,' Kimberly says. 'I feel a romance with three girls.'

Draco didn't answer her, he just turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out a hand each to shake the twins, but both didn't take it. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Chloe said coolly.

'Get told,' James said, a chuckle escaping his lips. 

Clemensia snorted lightly at this, and Chloe noticed that Mattheo, Lorenzo and Theodore were all looking at her with amusement, they didn't even seem that annoyed. 

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents.

'Merlin man, its not the end of the world!' Frank said shocked. 'That was way too far!'

They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Everyone who was originally in the cabin stood up. 

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.

'Draco, just leave it mate,' said Theodore again, in his thick Italian accent. 

'Why does he have the accent?' Arabella asked. 'We aren't Italian.'

'His mother is,' Dumbledore explained, 'Or rather, was, she passed away when Theodore was 10 from an illness.'

'Oh,' Arabella said, unsure of what else to say. 

"But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some." Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron - Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle - Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbets finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once.

Chloe laughed at this, Clemensia and Catherine joining in. She then noticed, that the three boys remaining were also laughing. 

'We better be off, but that was funny,' Lorenzo announced. 

'See you later, cousin,' Theodore said to Clemensia. 

'See ya,' She replied. 

Mattheo just stared at Chloe a little longer before also leaving. 

'I have a horrible feeling that you are right about the romance, Kim,' Gwendolyn says.

Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.

"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.

''I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No -- I don't believe it -- he's gone back to sleep-" And so he had.

"You've met Malfoy before?" Ron asked

Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley, with Mattheo too.

"I've heard of Malfoy's family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."

Everyone turned to Lucius and Narcissa.

'He's still my family,' Clemensia reminded him. 

'Poor you,' Catherine said. 

Ron turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right -- I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Ron glared at her as she left. Chloe and Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. They could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

'They're nearly there!' Gwendolyn said, excitedly. 

'We'll go to the bathroom,' Catherine said, taking Chloe and Clemensia with her. 

Harry and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them. The girls returned shortly after, also in their robes. 

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Both Chloe's and Harry's stomachs lurched with nerves and Ron, Harry saw, looked pale under his freckles. Clemensia and Catherine were slightly worried. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Chloe shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and the twins heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Potters?" Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. "C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that the twins thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice. Harry and Ron walked ahead, so far that Chloe couldn't see where they'd gone. The three girls found themselves walking with Mattheo, Lorenzo and Theodore, Draco and Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere to be seen. 

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

Chloe stared up at the castle in awe. She couldn't see it, but Mattheo was next to her, not even bothered by the castle, he was looking at her, a lot softer than the other times before.

James and Gwendolyn looked at each other, worried. 

"No more'n six to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville, Hermione and two other boys. The three girls were in a boat with the three boys, Chloe somehow ended up sitting next to Mattheo, Clemensia next to her cousin and Catherine was next to Lorenzo.

'They are always with those boys,' Arabella said, concerned. 

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then -- FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

'It's amazing isn't it,' Mattheo whispered to Chloe.

'It definately is,' Chloe whispered back.

Mattheo looked at her, confused. 'Are you not scared by me?' 

'I would be,' Frank said. 

'No, you aren't your father,' she said, looking at him suddenly. 

Before Mattheo could respond, a voice boomed. "Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.

'At least the boy got his toad back,' Alice said. 

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door. "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

'That's the chapter,' Pandora announced. 

'Thank you, Miss Wesia,' Dumbledore announced. 

'I can't wait to see what house they are!' Gwendolyn said.

'Well we will move straight on, and find out now,' Dumbledore tells her. 

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter Five: Diagon Alley

'Thank you, Mr Black,' McGonagall says, taking the book of him. 

'Who would like to read next?' Dumbledore asks. 

'I will,' Arabella answered.

'Thank you, miss Nott,' McGonagall says, as she hands the girl the book. 

'This chapter is called 'Diagon Alley' everyone,' Arabella tells them. 

'This will be their first time in Diagon Alley!' Gwendolyn tells James, excitement written all over her face. 

Chloe and Harry woke early the next morning. Chloe opened her eyes and was rubbing her pupils, when she looked down at Harry, slightly concerned. Although she knew he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.

'H, what are you doing?' She asked him quietly. 

"It was a dream, he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard." Chloe just chuckled at him, still not believing what had happened last night either. 

There was suddenly a loud tapping noise. 'And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door', Harry added, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.

'Bless him,' Alice says. 

Chloe laughed a little louder this time. 'H, come on get up!'

"All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up." He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.

Chloe watched as Harry scrambled to his feet, his face gleeful as he finally realized he wasn't dreaming. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.

"Don't do that." Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.

"Hagrid!" said Chloe loudly. "There's an owl!'

"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.

"What?" The twins asked in unison.

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets." So Chloe did just that. Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets -- bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags... finally, Chloe pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.

"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.

"Knuts?" Chloe asked.

"The little bronze ones."

'I do forget sometimes that wizards and muggles have different money,' Remus remarks.

Chloe counted out five little bronze coins, before passing them to her brother and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window. After this, the twins looked at each other gleefully. 

Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched. "Best be Off, Chloe, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."

Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.

"Um -- Hagrid?" he asked.

"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots. "I haven't got any money -- and you heard Uncle Vernon last night ... he won't pay for us to go and learn magic."

'Oh yeah,' Chloe remarked, the smile quickly falling from her face. 

"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"

'Knowing your family James, I'll think they will ok on the money side,' Gwendolyn remarks.

"But if their house was destroyed --" Harry started.

"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold -- an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."

"Wizards have banks?" Harry asked, as Chloe tucked into a cold sausage.

"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."

Chloe choked slightly and Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.

"Goblins?" they said in unison.

'I had the exact same reaction,' Gwendolyn remembered. 

"Yeah -- so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Chloe, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe -- 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you gettin' things from Gringotts -- knows he can trust me, see.

'I wouldn't,' Lucius scorned. 

Got everythin'? Come on, then."

The twins followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.

"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.

"Flew," said Hagrid.

"Flew?" Chloe marvelled. 

"Yeah -- but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."

They settled down in the boat, Chloe and Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.

'To be fair, it would be a sight,' Barty remarked. 

"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving the twins another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter -- er -- speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"

"Of course not," said the twins, both eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.

'Just more illegal magic from him, then,' Lucius snivelled. 

"Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Chloe asked.

"Spells -- enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the high security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way -- Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat.''

The twins sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Both Chloe and Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, they'd never had so many questions in his life.

'I'll bet, bless them,' Molly affirmed. 

"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.

'No difference in the future then,' Barty scorns. 'I'll bet my father is one of the reasons why as well.'

"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.

"'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, 0'course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."

'Fudge, the guy who left last year?' Arabella stopped reading to ask, a scorn upon her features. Everyone else in the room recognised the name, and were equally as appalled at the idea as Arabella.

Dumbledore nodded. 

"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?' Chloe asked, now she knew there wouldn't be a punishment for asking questions. 

"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."

"Why?" Harry blurted. 

"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone." At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.

Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Chloe and Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Chloe, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?" 

"Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he and Chloe ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"

"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."

"You'd like one?" Harry asked incredulously, looking at Chloe like Hagrid was mental.

'I can agree with the Potter boy on that,' Narcissa admits.

"Wanted one ever since I was a kid -- here we go."

They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to the twins so they could buy their tickets.

People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.

Alice giggled once again. 

"Still got yer letter, Chloe, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches. The twins took the parchment envelope out of their pockets. 

"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."

Chloe unfolded a second piece of paper she hadn't noticed the night before, and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

wand

cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set

glass or crystal phials

telescope set

brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

'That literally hasn't changed then,' Remus remarks.

"Can we buy all this in London?" Chloe wondered aloud.

"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.

Harry had never been to London before, and Chloe had only been once, and with Aunt Petunia's presence, failed to really see it.

'I'll bet, your sister was never one for dilly-dallying,' Kimberly tells Gwendolyn, who nodded.

Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.

Gwendolyn giggled at this.

"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.

Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Chloe and Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? If Chloe and Harry hadn't both known that the Dursleys had no sense of humour,

'My sister certainly doesn't,' Gwendolyn jeered.

he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Chloe and Harry couldn't help trusting him.

"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."

It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, both Chloe and Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, the twins both had the most peculiar feeling that only they and Hagrid could see it. Before either of them could mention this, Hagrid had steered them inside.

'I felt like that too,' Gwendolyn told James. 

'For a famous place, this is very dark and shabby,' Chloe whispered to Harry and he had to agree. 

A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle, Chloe right next to them.

"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Chloe and Harry, "is this -- can this be --?"

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent. Chloe and Harry looked at each other, confused.

"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Chloe and Harry Potter... what an honour."

'Jeez, they are quite famous Prongs, they got noticed without the name!' Peter remarked. 

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Chloe and Harry and seized one hand of each, tears in his eyes. "Welcome back, Miss. and Mr. Potter, welcome back."

'I'm quite glad everyone puts Chloe first,' Gwendolyn remarks. 'I know she's the older one, but still...'

Both Chloe and Harry didn't know what to say.

'To be fair what would you say?' Kimberly asks. 'Your welcome, for something I literally only found out about yesterday?'

Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.

Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron. "Doris Crockford, Miss. and Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."

"So proud, Potters, I'm just so proud."

'I bet James is loving all the attention his son is getting,' Severus scorned to Regulus, whom nodded his head. 

"Always wanted to shake your hands -- I'm all of a flutter."

"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."

"I've seen you before!" said Chloe, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to us once in a shop."

'Bless her, its cute that she remembers that,' Pandora mused. 

"She remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? She remembers me!" Chloe and Harry shook hands again and again -- Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.

'I bet they're still so confused right now,' Remus remarks. 

A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.

"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

Quirrell was in Hogwarts like this group, one year older in Ravenclaw so everyone recognised the name.

"P-P-Potters," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p- pleased I am to meet you both."

'Why is he stammering?' Xenophilious asks, 'He doesn't speak like that now.'

'An explanation of that will come later in the book,' Dumbledore tells him. 'But for this book, he speaks like that.'

'He's so hard to read aloud, best of luck to you all,' Arabella jokes, before continuing. 

"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" Chloe asks, already very excited to start learning about magic.

'Literally her mothers daughter,' Kimberly remarks, turning around and looking at Gwendolyn happily. 

"D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potters?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.

But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Chloe and Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble. "Must get on -- lots ter buy. Come on, Chloe, Harry."

'Bless them I bet that was a lot for them,' Molly remarks. 

Doris Crockford shook both Chloe and Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

Hagrid grinned at Chloe and Harry."Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh -- mind you, he's usually tremblin'."

"Is he always that nervous?" Harry asks. 

"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience.... They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag -- never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject now, where's me umbrella?"

'You said we wouldn't find out the real reason why until later in the book, correct?' asked Xenophilious. 'So I'm presuming its deeper than that?'

Dumbledore didn't respond, but there was a certain twinkle in his eyes that gave him away anyway. 

Vampires? Hags? Both Chloe and Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.

"Three up... two across he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The brick he had touched quivered -- it wriggled -- in the middle, a small hole appeared -- it grew wider and wider -- a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."

He grinned at the twins' amazement.

'I was amazed too,' Gwendolyn recounts.

They stepped through the archway. Chloe and Harry looked quickly over their shoulders and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall. The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons -- All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver -- Self-Stirring -- Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.

"Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."

Both Chloe and Harry wished they had about eight more eyes. They turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad...."

'Not a bad price,' Pandora recounts randomly.

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium -- Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about the twins age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand -- fastest ever --"

James's eyes lit up at the mention of broomsticks.

There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Chloe and Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon....

"Gringotts," said Hagrid.

They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was -

"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry, slightly less than Chloe. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, the twins noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Chloe thanked him, unsure of what to do.

'Bless her,' Molly mused yet again. 

Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them. Chloe read them aloud:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

"Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid, as the twins stared at each other nervously. 

'To be fair, Gringotts is a bit much when you're freshly 11,' Arthur says. 

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and the twins made for the counter.

"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Miss. Chloe Potter and Mr. Harry Potter's safe, they have a shared one.''

"You have his key, Sir?"

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose.

'I agree with the goblin on that,' Bellatrix scorned, wrinkling her nose in disgust. 

Chloe and Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.

"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.

The goblin looked at it closely.

"That seems to be in order." 

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the YouKnow-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

Everyone looked confused at that. 

'You'll find out later,' Dumbledore addresses them.

The goblin read the letter carefully. "Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have Someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and the twins followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.

"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."

'If its that important, why did he take it out with the twins present?' Regulus asked. 

'Good question,' Dumbledore asked, but giving no answer. 

Griphook held the door open for them. The twins, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in -- Hagrid with some difficulty -- and were off.

At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering. 

Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Chloe didn't seem to care; on the contrary, she looked like she was rather enjoying the cart ride.

'It is fun,' James agrees. 

Once, Harry thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late - - they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.

''I never know," Chloe called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."

'Gross,' Lucius huffs. 

He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.

'The ride is not for everyone to be fair,' Amos says. 

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Chloe and Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.

'Mostly yours I'm presuming,' Gwendolyn stated, turning to James. 

"All yours," smiled Hagrid.

All theirs -- it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking. How often had they complained how much Chloe and Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to them, buried deep under London.

'In your face, Petunia,' Gwendolyn mutters. 

Hagrid helped Chloe and Harry pile some of it into a bag. "The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh."

He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"

"One speed only," said Griphook.

They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Chloe groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck. 'Don't be silly, H!' She scolded. 

Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.

"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away. "If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.

"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Chloe asked.

"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.

A few people shuddered. 

Chloe shuddered at that. Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, they were sure, and they leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least -- but at first they thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. They both longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.

"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.

One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Both of them didn't know where to run first now that they both had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life -- more money than even Dudley had ever had.

'Suck on that Dudley!' Sirius whoops. 

"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Chloe, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Chloe and Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, holding hand with each other and feeling nervous.

'That's sweet though,' Alice mused. 

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve. "Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak for the pair. "Got the lot here -- another two young men being fitted up just now, in fact. "

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face and platinum blonde hair was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. The other was more tanned, but had less of a pointed face, and had dark, curly hair. Madam Malkin stood Chloe on a stool next to the second boy, Harry on a stool next to her slipped a long robe over Chloe's head, and began to pin it to the right length, an assistant doing the same to Harry. 

"Hello," said the first boy, "Hogwarts, too?" The other boy didn't say anything, just seemed to stare at them, looking slightly intrigued. 

"Yes," said the twins.

"My father's next door buying our books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow." The other boy smirked at this, still not lifting his eyes away from the pair. 

'Odd behaviour, who is it?' Remus asked. 

'You will find out later, Mr Lupin,' McGonagall tells him. 

'He reminds me of Dudley,' Chloe whispered, just loud enough for Harry to hear. Harry nodded at her. 

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.

"No," said Harry. Chloe stared back at boy, and he smirked at her, not breaking the eye contact. 

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.

"I do -- Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"

"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin as will he, all my family have been -- imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" The other boy chuckled at this, still gazing at Chloe and Chloe back at him.

'I really want to know who that boy is,' Arabella wonders. 

'What's wrong with Hufflepuff!' Amos shouts, looking annoyed. 

"Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.

"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at the twins and pointing at three large ice creams to show he couldn't come in. Chloe broke away from the eye contact and smiled warmly at Hagrid.

"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't.

"He works at Hogwarts." Chloe added.

"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"

"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.

"Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage -- lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."

'I bet you money that's Lucius's son,' Kimberly says to Sirius. 

'You're on, Fox,' He states. '10 Galleons.' 

"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly. Chloe nods in agreement.

"Do you?" said the dark haired boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.

"Oh, sorry," said the blonde boy again, not sounding sorry at all.

"But they were our kind, weren't they?" The second boy says, speaking for the first time. He voice was a lot cooler, more refined than the other boys, and had a more menacing tone to it. 

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean." Chloe says.

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine.

'He is speaking to the wrong people about that,' Amos says. 

I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families.' The blonde then stares at Chloe. 'Say, you're quite pretty, you know that? What's your surnames, anyway?" At this, the other boy glares at the first boy. 

But before either Chloe or Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you both done, my dears," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool. Chloe followed behind him, not before slipping another look at the second boy. 

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy. The second boy just stared at Chloe again. 

'See you then,' She says softly. 

'I have a bad feeling about that second boy,' James says to Gwendolyn. 

Both Chloe and Harry were rather quiet as they ate the ice creams Hagrid had bought them (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).  

"What's up?" said Hagrid.

"Nothing," Harry lied. Chloe just kept eating her ice cream.

They stopped to buy parchment and quills. They both cheered up a bit when they found a bottle of ink that changed colour as you wrote. When they had left the shop, Harry said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?

'It's a sport that you will love,' James says.

"Blimey, Chloe, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know -- not knowin' about Quidditch!"

"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the boys in Madam Malkin's. "--and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in."

"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh both were -- he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles -- look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!''

'He's a sweetie,' Gwendolyn beamed. 

"So what is Quidditch?" Chloe asked, speaking up for the first time since getting her ice cream.

"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like -- like football in the Muggle world -- everyone follows Quidditch -- played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls -- sorta hard ter explain the rules."

"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?" Harry asked.

"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but --"

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff" said Harry gloomily.

'There is nothing wrong with Hufflepuff!' Amos complained. 

'Harry, I'm sure Hufflepuff is alright,' Chloe tells him. 

"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin,"

'Ahh the Slytherin hatred,' Regulus scorns. 'I knew it was only a matter of time.'

said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."

"Vol-, sorry - You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?" Harry asked as Chloe looked shocked. 

"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.

They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue- Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

'Good boy,' James chortled. 

"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."

"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."

Hagrid wouldn't let the twins buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer lists"), but they both got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages.

Everyone wrinkled their nose in remembrance. 

Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for the twins, Chloe and Harry examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).

Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again. "Just yer wand left - A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

Chloe and Harry felt themselves go red. "You don't have to --"

'Aww bless him, he made them a cake and is now buying them something!' Gwendolyn cooed. 

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal each.'

Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium and Cat Company Co, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Chloe now carried a small Grey British Shorthaired cat in a cage, fast asleep curled up in the blanket she was given upon transaction. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. They both couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.

"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. You can both use the owl, they're very handy. Just Ollivander's left now - only place fer wands, Ollivander's, and yeh gotta have the best wand."

'They're getting their wands!' Gwendolyn exclaimed, excited. 

A magic wand... this was what Chloe and Harry had been really looking forward to.

The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. 

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Chloe and Harry both felt strangely as though they had entered a very strict library; they both swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to them and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of both of their necks prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Chloe and Harry both jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.

'He is a creepy man to be fair,' Sirius remarked. 

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," said Chloe and Harry awkwardly.

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Chloe and Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You both have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

'It's mental that he can remember that,' Gwendolyn remarks. 

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy. "Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it -- it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and the twins were almost nose to nose. They could both see themselves reflected in those misty eyes.

'I forgot how odd that man was,' Alice mumbles to Molly.

"And that's where..." Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scars on Chloe's and Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do...."

He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid. "Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again.... Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"

'His memory is mental!' Amos remarks. 

"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.

"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.

"Er -- yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.

"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply. "Oh, no, sit," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.

Lucius raised his eyebrow at this. 

"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now -- Miss. and Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Er -- well, we're both right-handed," said Harry

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Chloe from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand." He then did the same to Harry, without talking.   It took until it was Harry's go for them to suddenly realize that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Miss. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. And you, Mr Potter, try this one. Oak and unicorn hair, ten inches. Nice and flexible also. Just take it and give it a wave.'

Chloe and Harry took the wands and (both feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched them both out of their hands almost at once.

'He was always a snatcher,' Remus remarked.

"Miss. Potter: Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Mr. Potter: Beechwood and phoenix feather. Nine inches. Nice and sturdy. Try --"

They both tried -- but they had hardly raised the wands when they, too, were snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no -here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. And you, Oak and dragon heartstring, seven inches, flexible. Go on, go on, try them out.'

Chloe and Harry tried. And tried. They had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

'It took me over 100 wands,' Kimberly informed Remus, who looked at her shocked. 

'It took me three,' He said. 

"Tricky customersHe put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious.. "Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?" Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare., eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere -- I wonder, now - - yes, why not -- unusual combination -- holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. Twin wands for the twins, and from the same phoenix... why not?''

He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious..''

"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?" Chloe nodded, as if she also wanted to know.

'I would also like to know,' James says to Gwendolyn.

Mr. Ollivander fixed Chloe and Harry with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Potters. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in both of your wands, gave another feather -- just one other. It is very curious indeed that you both should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar."

'WHAT!' James and Gwendolyn shouted. 

'Our children have matching wands with You-Know-Who?' Gwendolyn asked, her face full of fear. 

'Yes, Miss Evans,' Dumbledore informed them.

'Bloody hell!' Arthur remarked. 

Chloe and Harry both swallowed.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember.... I think we must expect great things from you, Miss. and Mr. Potter.... After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things -- terrible, yes, but great."

'Odd take,' Sirius says to James, who nodded in agreement. 

Chloe and Harry shivered. They weren't sure they liked Mr. Ollivander too much. They paid seven gold Galleons each for their wands, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Chloe, Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Both twins didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; they didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap, and the cat on Chloe's. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; they only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped them both on the shoulder.

"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said. He bought Chloe and Harry a hamburger each and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow. Chloe just looked down, eating her burger with a melancholy expression on her face. "You all right, Potters? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.

'I mean they did just find out that they share wands with the guy who killed their parents and tried to kill them, I think it's expected that they aren't in the best of moods,' Andromeda pipes up. 

Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life -- and yet -- he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.

"Everyone thinks we're special," Chloe said, speaking for the pair of them. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander... but we don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? We're both famous and we can't even remember what we're famous for. We don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry -- I mean, the night my parents died."

Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile. "Don' you worry, Potters. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts -- I did -- still do, 'smatter of fact."

'He does always look happy,' Kimberly agrees. 

Hagrid helped Chloe and Harry on to the train that would take them back to the Dursleys, then handed them both an envelope. "Yer tickets fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September -- King's Cross -- it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me.... See yeh soon, Chloe, Harry."

The train pulled out of the station. Both Chloe and Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; they rose in their seat and pressed their noses against the window, but they blinked and Hagrid had gone.

'That's the end of the chapter,' Arabella announced, giving the book back to McGonagall. 

'Thank you, Miss Nott,' Dumbledore said, as Arabella went to sit back down. 

'I can't wait for them to go to Hogwarts,' James mused, Gwendolyn nodding alongside him. 

'Well there is no need to wait,' Dumbledore said, 'Let's continue on.

[otunnicliffe]

Queens of Hogwarts

Chapter 3: Wooing Games:

And this time I know it's for real The feelin's that I feel I know if I put my mind to it I know that I really can do it

After the bet with Amos, the boys walked into their potions lesson with a newfound challenge. 

The Potions classroom at Hogwarts, nestled in the shadowy dungeons, exudes a dark and mysterious ambiance. The stone walls and floors create a cool, damp environment, dimly lit by torches and lanterns that cast flickering shadows. Long wooden workbenches arranged in rows provide ample space for students to concoct their brews, with shelves and cupboards lining the walls, stocked with a vast array of potion ingredients. The room is filled with the pungent aromas of various substances, from earthy herbs to potent magical ingredients. The professor's cluttered desk at the front, along with safety features to manage spills and accidents, underscores the serious and meticulous nature of potion-making in this enchanting yet foreboding setting. 

Thankfully for the boys, the three girls they were looking out for were already stood waiting for the lesson to begin. 

'What's up Black?' Arabella chirped, seeing her friend coming towards them. 

'What's up Nott?' He called back, smiling widely at her. 

'James,' Gwendolyn acknowledged with a smile.

'Gwen, looking gorgeous as always,' James complimented, winking at the blonde girl. Gwendolyn merely laughed at his response, well used to his antics by now. 

'You alright, Rem?' Kimberly asks the tall boy, but makes a point of not looking in his eyes. 

'Yeah, you?' He replied, noticing her behaviour but not choosing to say anything. 

'Hey guys!' Peter interjected, waving his hand at the girls.

'Hey Pete,' Kimberly replied kindly, while the two others waved back at him.

'We didn't see you in the field earlier,' James mentioned. 

'We weren't there, we were in the courtyard,' Arabella informed him. 'Much sunnier.'

Suddenly, a voice arose away from the group. 

'Hey Sirius,' Amelia exclaimed, waving frantically at him. Sirius didn't give her a verbal reply, only raised his eyebrows before turning back to the girls. Arabella looked and noticed that the girl was clearly fuming from this. 

'Think you pissed her off,' she mumbled to Sirius, who didn't even turn around again to check if she was correct. 

'Don't care, all my attention is on you right now,' he told her, flirtily.

The three girls exchanged a quick glance, but before Arabella could question his flirty nature, they were called into the class by Slughorn. 

'That was odd,' Kimberly remarked, as the three girls walked in together. 

'Good afternoon students,' Slughorn started. 'Before you take your seats, I need you to get into pairs for me. You will be with this person for the rest of the year, so pick wisely!'

Gwendolyn, Kimberly and Arabella were planning to find the rest of the Gryffindor girls and partner up with them, before Arabella felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and found Sirius Black smiling at her. 

'Partners?' He asked, even though it sounded like more of a demand than a question. 

Arabella looked at the other girls before answering, 'Uh, sure.'

'Gwen?' James says, looking at the girl was interest. 

Gwendolyn looks at Kimberly, as if to ask whom she would go with. 

'Kim can go with Remus,' James suggested, turning to his friend and giving him a wink, almost as if to say 'your welcome'. 

'You're more than welcome to partner with me, but it's really your choice,' Remus states, his hand going to his neck as a way of trying to hide his nerves. 

The two others girls whisper quietly for a few moments and then Kimberly announces, 'Alright!' 

'James, who am I going with?' Peter asks. 

'Find someone, Wormy!' James says, an exasperated sigh leaving his mouth. Peter left without another word and eventually found a Hufflepuff boy in the same year as them to partner up with. 

When Slughorn saw that everyone was partnered up, he sat them all in their seats for the year before starting the lesson properly. 'Well, welcome back one and all! This year is quite important, the year of your O.W.Ls! This year, I expect you all to work hard. If you do all the work I give you, then this year will seem easy for you, I hope none of you will chose the other option.' 

Arabella sat listening intently to what Slughorn was saying, potions was one of her favourite classes by far, the creativity that could be had with the potions excited her. 

'Well,' Slughorn continued, 'Let the class begin! Today I would like you to mix me a sleeping potion. You'll find the recipe on page 45 of your books, and the ingredients are where they usually are. You have 25 minutes starting now.'

'I'll grab the stuff,' Sirius offered, and Arabella offered him a small smile in thanks. 

'So, what the deal with Rosario?' Arabella asked, as he came back and they worked on the potion together. 

'Who?' Sirius asked. 

Arabella chortled at this, it was not uncommon for Sirius to not know the name of the girl that was showing their affection for him. 'Amelia Rosario? The girl who said hi earlier?'

Sirius's face soured. 'Oh yeah, her.' The 'her' was elongated, as if it was pure poison in his mouth.

Arabella noticed this. 'So, what's the deal with her?' 

'I genuinely don't know,' Sirius claimed. 'I shagged her at the end of last year, and ever since then she's been acting like we're together, we never even dated!'

'Damn,' Arabella concurred. 

'And I'll tell you something else,' he said, lowering her voice at his next words. 'She was by far the worst shag I've had.'

'You're such a man-whore!' Arabella exclaimed, half joking half not.  

'I can be loyal though,' he says. 

'I didn't say you couldn't,' Arabella replies. 

After a few minutes of silence, Sirius piped up again, 'Do you ever think our parents wanted us to get together?' 

Arabella choked on her spit at that. 'What?'

'Well, I mean we spent so much time together as kids, me you and Reg, it almost seems certain.'

Arabella pondered his words silently. 'I never saw it like that, in my mind I was just seeing my friends. Even though now that you mention it, I did see a lot more of you two than the others.'

'Could you imagine if we ended up together?' Sirius asked boldly. 'All that effort to kick us out of our families and we end up getting together anyway?'

'You think we're going to get together?' Arabella asked him, her face full of confusion. 

'I could see it as a possibility,' he says, watching her carefully. 'Could you?' His approach to winning her over all came down to what she said here, so he was hanging onto every word.

'I mean its a possibility,' she admitted, and Sirius couldn't help the shit eating grin appearing even on his face even if he wanted to. 'Suck it Diggory' he thought to himself. 'is that why you were acting so weird and flirty in the hallway?' Arabella asks. 

'Am I not allowed to flirt with my best friend?' Sirius asked her, raising an eyebrow at the fellow ravenette. 

'Best friends? I think James would be hurt hearing that!' Arabella chortled.

'James is like a brother at this point. The best friend spot is safely yours, Bella,' he tells her, his grin returning when he saw the dusty pink glow on her cheeks after. 

'I mean you've never done it before, that's what I mean,'  Arabella reiterates. 

'Maybe I'm just falling for you?' Sirius suggested jokingly. 

Arabella glared at him, before sarcastically replying 'Ha, ha.'

'What? Is it so hard to imagine us together?' He asks, gazing at her intently. 

'I didn't say that,' Arabella replied quickly, too quickly and she knew it. 

However, before Sirius could capitalize upon this win, Slughorn bellowed: 'And that's time up!'

Slughorn made his way around the different cauldron of the Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff's in the class. He looked at every single cauldron, sometimes congratulating the pair who did well, other times, turning his head away as to not smell the catastrophe. The three Marauder boys took a great deal of happiness out of seeing Amos's get an immediate 'no'. 

'As always, a perfect job, Miss Evans,' Slughorn congratulated Gwendolyn, knowing that she was the one who would have brewed it better than James. 'And, of course, Mr Potter also!'

Next up was Kimberly's and Remus's. 'Very good. Wouldn't expect any less from the pair of you!' he praised, both of them smiling at the compliment. 

Next up was Arabella's and Sirius's. Slughorn leaned over their cauldron, before straightening himself up with a grin plastered upon his face. 'I didn't expect less of you, Arabella! And well done too, Mr Black of course.'

'Thanks, sir,' Sirius answered coyly. 

After, that the lesson ended. 'See you later, Sirius,' Arabella told him, as rushed off to Gwendolyn and Kimberly. 

'What was all that about?' Kimberly asks the other two, once they were safely out of earshot. 

'Lets go to the library, we have A LOT to talk about,' Arabella remarks, the other two girls merely nodding. 

The library at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a vast and enchanted repository of magical knowledge, located on the first floor of the castle. It houses thousands of books on a wide array of subjects, from common textbooks to rare and ancient manuscripts, and includes a Restricted Section containing books on dark and dangerous magic, accessible only with a teacher's permission. The library is managed by the strict and vigilant Madam Irma Pince, who ensures that students adhere to the rules, such as no talking in certain areas and proper handling of books. This serene and studious environment is frequently utilized by students for research and homework, with the three girls often coming here to gossip when they just wanted it to be the three of them. It was also utilised by them for the books about werewolves, that helped them to understand Kimberly's problem, and aided the two other girls in becoming animagus's. 

In their animagi form, Gwendolyn was a doe. A doe, the female of various species of deer, moves with a graceful and fluid elegance that is captivating to observe. When walking, her steps are light and deliberate, each hoof placed gently and precisely, as if she is almost floating above the ground. Her head is often held high, ears twitching and rotating to pick up sounds from all directions, showcasing her alertness. When startled or sensing danger, a doe can transition from a calm walk to a swift, bounding run in an instant. Her powerful legs propel her forward in long, smooth leaps, and she can navigate through dense forests and over obstacles with remarkable agility. Even at high speeds, her movements remain controlled and fluid, embodying a blend of strength and delicacy that is characteristic of deer.

Arabella's took the form of a dog. When walking in her dog form, she moves with a rhythmic and steady gait, her paws making soft, deliberate contact with the ground. Her head held high, her ears perked up or swivelling to catch sounds, and her tail often wags gently or stands in a relaxed position. When she trots, her steps are slightly quicker and more energetic, showing a playful bounce. In a run, she stretches out her body in powerful, coordinated strides, demonstrating both speed and endurance, particularly evident in more athletic breeds. When curious or exploring, she might move with a cautious, yet inquisitive, pace, nose close to the ground, sniffing intently. Her movements can also be affectionate and gentle, such as when she approaches her friends with a soft, wagging tail and a calm demeanour, seeking attention or comfort.

They became animaguses nearly two years ago, perfecting it half way through their third year at Hogwarts, which unknown to them, was around the same time that the Marauders were doing the exact same thing. 

The three girls sat in a type of circle, all facing each other. 

'Where do we even start, we didn't even get to properly ask you about the train incident,' Gwendolyn starts the conversation. 

Kimberly sighed, and put her head in her hands, 'I forgot we hadn't talked about that yet!'

'Well considering that is the most important topic of discussion,' Arabella proposes. 'Let's talk about that, shall we?'

'Gets it out of the way, I suppose,' Kimberly huffed. 

'So... what happened between you and Remus on the train?' Gwendolyn asked.

'I have no idea,' Kimberly started. 'One minute we looked at each other, the next I saw his eyes glow yellow and the werewolf within wanted to jump out.' 

'Could Remus be the werewolf your mother mentioned?' Arabella wonderes.

Gwendolyn's face lit up. 'Its plausible!' She approved. 'I mean he always seems to have an illness around the full moon, much like yours... I can't believe I never noticed that before!' 

'Wait, wait, wait,' Kimberly cautioned. 'I don't know if it is him, we can't be sure.'

Suddenly, Kimberly's face lit up 'Oh Merlin....' She exclaimed. 

'What?' The other two girls asked, looking at each other confused. 

'I think Remus is the werewolf,' Kimberly announced, looking around to see if anyone else was listening.

For a moment, there was a stunned silence.

'How do you know that?' Arabella inquired. 

'Do you remember third year when James, Sirius and Peter all didn't talk for a month?'

Gwendolyn and Arabella pondered on her words, before both of their faces lit up.

'Wait, you seriously think they're animaguses?' Arabella faltered. 

'I mean it adds up,' Kimberly murmured, 'I mean, think of the names they give each other, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs..'

'Mooney!' All three girls say in unison.

'Oh Merlin, this is so exciting!' Gwendolyn asks. 'You have to tell your mum!'

'I'll wait until the full moon, two weeks today,' Kimberly decides. 'Then we'll try and catch them in the forbidden forrest.'

‘What do you think their animates forms are?’ Gwendolyn asks.

‘Peter has to be a rat,’ Arabella states. ‘Or a mouse at least, Wormtail sounds ratty. The other two, I have no idea.’

”We’ll find out, won’t we?’ Kimberly reminds them.

'I'll brew up an extra Wolfsbane this month, I highly doubt any of the boys know how to do that, judging off James's potion brewing skills this morning!' Gwendolyn retorts.

'Yeah... what was that about?' Arabella asks. 'Sirius was sitting with me, asking me if I'd ever thought of our parents wanting us to end up together!' 

Gwendolyn giggled 'He said what?'

'I know right!' Arabella grumbled. 'And then he started talking about if I could ever see us together, it was so odd he's never spoken to me like this before!'

'I hate to be the bearer of bad news,' Kimberly warns. 'But we all know of his sleeping around.'

'Sirius wouldn't dare, he knows I would hex him into oblivion!' 

'Would you date him?' Gwendolyn asked, intrigued. 

Arabella's face flushed. 

'OMG, you would!' Gwendolyn squeals. 

'Shut up, Gwen!' Arabella spluttered, trying to calm down her face. 'Would you ever see yourself with Potter?'

This stopped Gwendolyn in her tracks. 'Honestly, I could.' She answered plainly. 

'What about you Kim?' Arabella turns to the brunette.

'Well if he is the werewolf, I won't really have a choice,' Kimberly mentioned. 'Werewolves mate for life, he will literally be my soulmate.'

'Wait that's actually so sweet!' Gwendolyn gushed. 

'Yeah it is quite cute,' Kimberly admits, a blush forming on her cheeks.

‘Merlin, we could all be dating the Marauders!’ Arabella scoffs, the idea perplexing her. 

'Oh merlin... here comes Rita Skeeter,' Kimberly announced, and the three of them fell silent. The last thing they wanted was for her to find out. 

Rita Skeeter was notorious throughout Hogwarts for spreading gossip, even having her own newspaper, entitled 'Hogwarts News,' even though there seemed to be no news at all, just gossip. Students would often to to her if they wanted to push someone under the bus, or to create lies about people. She was rather close with the Ravenclaw girls, often used as a way for Neveah to further show her meanness. She was close to Bellatrix though, and was often seen following her around like a lost puppy. Rita Skeeter was a striking figure with meticulously styled blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that seem to miss nothing. Her ever-present Quick-Quotes Quill and parchment hint at her early fascination with journalism. Ambitious and cunning, Rita is known for her relentless drive to uncover secrets and make a name for herself, often using her sharp wit and charm to coax information from others. Even in her teenage years, she shows a talent for spinning stories, hinting at the controversial journalist she will become.

'Hello girls,' Rita Skeeter said, a small, cunning smile upon her lips. 'What were we talking about?'

'Just O.W.L.S,' Gwendolyn informed her, lying.

'Oh,' Rota faltered, obviously wanting some gossip. 

'But now that you're here, Rita, I've got a bit of gossip for you,' Arabella interjects suddenly, her eyes lighting up mischievously. The other two girls looked at her in confusion. 

'Oh well do tell all!' Rita said, excitement bubbling through her voice. 

'Well, today in Potions, Amelia Rosario decided to stop by and say hello to Sirius, whom she seems to be pining over a lot,' Arabella told her. 'Sirius didn't even give her a verbal response!'

'Why is she pining over him?' Rita asked, as her quill wrote down everything that Arabella was saying. 

'They had sex at the end of last year, and then he never spoke to her again,' Arabella explained.

Rita's face lit up at this, 'Oh! How juicy! That will be on tomorrow's front page!' And with that, she waved goodbye to the trio and trotted off. 

'Is that true?' Gwendolyn asks.

Arabella nods, 'Sirius told me in Potions. He also mentioned it was the worst sex he's ever had.'

Gwendolyn and Kimberly laughed at that. 

'Of course he did!' Kimberly huffs. 

Suddenly, the bell went. 

'Defence against the dark arts next,' Gwendolyn reminded them, as they made their way out of the library. 

'Hey Gwen!' a voice echoed, and all three girls turned around and saw the Marauders. 

'Hey James,' Gwendolyn answered back. 

'What's up, Arabella,' Sirius said, moving to walk next to her. 

'What's up, Sirius,' She answered back.

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter 4: The Keeper of the Keys

'We'll continue straight on,' Dumbledore assures them, secretly happy that they are all enjoying this book now. 

'Who wants this?' Remus asks, holding out the book.

'Ehh, why not, give it here Mooney,' Sirius said confidently.

Remus hands Sirius the book, and sits down in his original spot. 

'Hurry up Padfoot we need to know what happened!' James ushered. 

Sirius dramatically cleared his throat before he started to read. 

BOOM.

Everyone in the room jumped, as Sirius had shouted this at the top of his voice. 

'Merlin Pads!' Remus hissed, both him and Kimberly covering their ears in pain. 

Sirius just shrugged. 'That's what it says in the book,' He joked, waving the book in his hand. 

They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake. "Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.

There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands -- now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.

'Bet he wouldn't even know how to use it,' Kimberly mutters to Remus, who silently agreed with her.

'Who's there?' he shouted. 'I warn you -- I'm armed!'

There was a pause. Then --

SMASH!

Everyone jumped again. 'Sirius!' Kimberly scowled. 

'Sorry you two,' he said winking at Remus and Kimberly. 

The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.

A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.

'The return of Hagrid,' Barty remarked to Regulus, who merely nodded. 

The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.

'Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey...'

'That's definitely Hagrid,' Gwendolyn giggled.

He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear. "Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.

Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.

"An' here's Chloe an' Harry!" said the giant 

Both Chloe and Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.

"Las' time I saw you, you was both only babies," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yet dad, but yeh've got yet mom's eyes, and you are the spit of yer mother.'

'Literally mini me and a mini you,' James mumbled to Chloe, who's cheeks flushed pink in response. 

Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.

'I demand that you leave at once, sir!' he said. 'You are breaking and entering!'

"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.

Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.

This made Alice giggle. 

'Anyway -- Chloe, Harry,' said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, 'a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here -- I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right.' From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Chloe and Harry written on it in green icing.

'That's so sweet of him' gushed Gwendolyn. 

'Thank you,' Chloe said politely.

Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, 'Who are you?'

'H, be polite,' his sister nagged. 

The giant chuckled. "True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."

He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm and then Chloe's straight after.

"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."

His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shrivelled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and the twins felt the warmth wash over them as though they'd sunk into a hot bath.

'Hang on,' Lucius interrupted. 'I'm incorrect in remembering that Hagrid was expelled am I? If so how can he be doing magic?'

Dumbledore merely said 'That will be explained later.'

The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."

'Merlin, why is Hagrid so hard to say,' Sirius complained before continuing. 

The giant chuckled darkly. "Yeh great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."

Everybody laughed at that. 

'He does have a point,' Arthur chuckled. 

He passed the sausages to Chloe and Harry, who was so hungry they had never tasted anything so wonderful, but they both still couldn't take their eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, Harry said, 'I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are.'

The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Call me Hagrid,' he said, 'everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts -- yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course.'

Chloe and Harry looked at each other, very confused. 'Er-- no,' Chloe finally admitted. 

Hagrid looked shocked.

'Sorry,' Chloe said quickly.

'Bless her, she's probably still struck up from her Uncle,' Molly addressed. 

'Sorry?' barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. 'It' s them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yet parents learned it all?'

'All what?' asked Harry.

'ALL WHAT?' Hagrid thundered. 'Now wait jus' one second!'

He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall. "Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy -- this boy! -- knows nothin' abou' -- about ANYTHING?

'I would pay money at this point to see Hagrid beat them up, I know its not gonna happen though,' James chortled. 

Chloe and Harry thought this was going a bit far. They had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad, and Chloe was top of their class. 

'She's brainy just like you then, Gwen!' Molly exclaimed. 

"I know some things," Harry said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."

But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."

'What world?' They asked in unison.

Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode. "DURSLEY!" he boomed.

Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble."

This made most in the room chuckle. 

Hagrid stared wildly at Harry. 'But yeh must know about yet mom and dad,' he said. 'I mean, they're famous. You're both famous.'

Severus sat jealously in his seat, before muttering to himself 'I don't like this book.'

'What? My -- our mom and dad weren't famous, were they?' Harry asked. 

'Yeh don' know... yeh don' know...' Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing the twins with a bewildered stare. 'Yeh don' know what yeh are?' he said finally.

Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice. "Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sit! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"

'Of course he had to but in,' Remus jabs. 

A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage. 'You never told them? Never told them what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer them? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from them both all these years?'

'You tell them Hagrid,' James said. 

'Kept what from us?' said Harry eagerly.

'STOP! I FORBID YOU!' yelled Uncle Vernon in panic. Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.

'Like she didn't know this was coming,' Gwendolyn retorted, rolling her eyes at her sister's antics. 

'Ah, go boil yet heads, both of yeh,' said Hagrid. 'Chloe-- yer a witch. An' Harry -- yer a wizard.'

Cheers erupted from the room. 

'Finally they know!' Remus rejoices. 

There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.

'-- a what?' gasped the twins.

'A witch an' wizard, o' course,' said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, 'an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be?

'We get all the compliments in this don't we?' James remarks to Gwendolyn, who smiled in agreement.

An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter.'

'Finally!' Arabella rejoices. 

The twins stretched out their hands at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, (Chloe's reading exactly the same except hers had her name on it) The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. Chloe pulled out her letter and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1.

We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress.

Harry read his as well. Questions exploded inside their heads like fireworks and they couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes Harry stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"

"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet 40 another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl -- a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl

'Poor owl, I bet it was rather squished in there,' Pandora chimed. 

-- a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Chloe and Harry could read upside down:

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

Given twins their letter.

Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.

Weather's horrible. Hope you're Well.

Hagrid

'Bless him he is sweet,' Alice remarked. 

'That is not what I would describe him as,' Lucius said to the other Slytherins. 

Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone. Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly. 

'Where was I?; said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight. 'They're not going,' he said.

Hagrid grunted. 'I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop them,' he said.

'A what?' said Chloe, interested.

'A Muggle,' said Hagrid, 'it's what we call nonmagic folk like thern. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on.'

'He's not wrong there,' Arabella quipped. 

'We swore when we took them in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of them! Witch and wizard indeed!'

'You knew?' said Harry. 'You knew I'm a -- a wizard?'

'And I'm a witch?' Chloe added. 

'Knew!' shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. 'Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was?

Everyone turned and looked at Gwendolyn for a split second. 

Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that-that school-and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was -- a freak!

'Yeah that one I'm used to,' Gwendolyn grumbled. 

But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Gwendolyn this and Gwendolyn that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!'

'To be fair,' Regulus says, 'It does just sound like she was jealous.'

'I always thought that too,' Gwendolyn told him. 

She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.

'Because she has, she can say it now I'm dead,' Gwendolyn deadpanned. 

"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as -- as -- abnormal -- and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"

'We got blown up?' James asked. 

'Not exactly,' Dumbledore says carefully. 'You were both killed by the dark lord, but that is very hard to tell a Muggle.'

'That's fair,' Gwendolyn agrees. 

Both Chloe and Harry had gone very white. As soon as Chloe found her voice she said, "Blown up? You told us  they died in a car crash!"

"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Gwen an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"

"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.

The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious. "I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Chloe, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh -- but someone's gotta -- yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."

He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys. "Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh -- mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it...." He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with -- with a person called -- but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows --"

"Who?', the twins asked in unison.

"Well -- I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared.

'People are still scared?' Arabella asks, to no response. 

Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was..."

Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.

"Could you write it down?" Chloe suggested kindly, trying to find a piece of paper and a pen.

'Bless her,' Molly cooed. 

"Nah -can't spell it. All right -- Voldemort. "

Everyone shuddered, except Dumbledore, and Sirius had a little trouble saying his name.

Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this -- this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too -- some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Chloe, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him -- an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.

'Are you really the only one?' Andromeda asks. Dumbledore merely shrugged. 

"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day!

'Are we?' Gwendolyn asks. 

'I'm head boy,' James said, not truly knowing how to feel about that.

'Yes you are,' McGonagall quipped, but there was a kind light that shone in her eyes. 

Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.'

'And the fact that we'd never join him,' James added. 

'I mean I'm a muggle born, he wouldn't have wanted me anyway,' Gwendolyn acknowledged. 

"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was both just a year old. He came ter yer house an' -- an' --"

Everyone was listening intently again at this point. 

Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn. "Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad -- knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find -- anyway..."

'He's sweet,' Gwendolyn expressed.

"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then -- an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing -- he tried to kill you two, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on both yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a Powerful, evil curse touches yeh -- took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even -- but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous,  Chloe an' Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age -- the McKinnons,

'Marlene!' Alice shouted. 

'Marlene dies?' Kimberly asks. 

Dumbledore merely nods.

the Bones, the Prewetts

Everyone turned to Molly. 

'Do I die?' She asks, fearfully.

'No,' Dumbledore said softly. 'But your brothers do.'

Molly sobbed, as Arthur held her tightly. 

After a little while, Sirius carried on.

-- an' you was both only a baby, an' you both lived.

Something very painful was going on in both of their mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, they both saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than they had ever remembered it before -- and they remembered something else, for the first time in their life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.

Another shudder erupted from the room. 

Hagrid was watching him sadly. "Took yeh both from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..."

"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Chloe merely rolled her eyes at her brother. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.

'Bad idea,' Arabella warned. 

"Now, you listen here, children," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you both, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured --

'Like you already tried on my daughter?' James seethed. 

and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion -- asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types -- just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end --"

'Wanker,' Arabella cursed. 

'Agreed,' Peter piped up.

But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley -I'm warning you -- one more word... " 

In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.

'If he just stayed like that for the rest of the chapter, I wouldn't complain,' Remus said. 

"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.

The twins, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them. "But what happened to Vol--, sorry -- I mean, You-Know-Who?" Harry asked.

Everyone focused in again. 

"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see... he was gettin' more an' more powerful -- why'd he go? "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back. Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you both finished him, Chloe an' Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on -- I dunno what it was, no one does -- but somethin' about you two stumped him, all right."

Hagrid looked at the twins with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Chloe, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A witch? Her? How could she possibly be? She'd spent her life with her brother being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon;

James clenches his fists again. 'I will be very glad when I no longer need to hear of them!'

if she was really a witch, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock them in their cupboard? If she'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world alongside her brother, how come Dudley had always been able to kick them both around like a football?

"Hagrid," she said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a witch."

'Yeah, there's no way I'm a wizard,' Harry adds. 

To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled. "Not a witch or wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"

Chloe and Harry looked at each other. Now they came to think about it... every odd thing that had ever made their aunt and uncle furious with them had happened when they had been upset or angry... chased by Dudley's gang, they had somehow found himself out of their reach... dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, Harry had managed to make it grow back... and the very last time Dudley had hit them, hadn't they got their revenge, without even realizing they was doing it? Hadn't they set a boa constrictor on him?

'They're finally realising it then,' Pandora says, 'Took them long enough.'

Chloe and Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at them. "See?" said Hagrid. "Chloe an' Harry Potter, not a witch or wizard -- you wait, you'll both be right famous at Hogwarts."

But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.

'Of course he isn't,' Kimberly retorts, rolling her eyes. 

"Haven't I told you they're not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High, she's going to St Beatrice's and they'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish -- spell books and wands and --"

"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Gwendolyn's an' James Potter' s kids goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. Their name's been down ever since they was born. They're off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and they won't know themselves. They'll be with youngsters of their own sort, fer a change, an' they'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled--"

"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH THEM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.

Sirius yelled this once again, causing Kimberly and Remus to curse at him, everyone else who didn't know that they were werewolves started to look at them oddly. 

But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER," he thundered, "- INSULT- ALBUS- DUMBLEDOREIN- FRONT- OF- ME!"

Sirius made sure to not shout quite as loud this time, as he had seen the looks and didn't want to draw anymore attention on the pair. 

He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley -- there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Chloe and Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.

The room erupted into laughter at this. 

'How did Hagrid do that thought, he doesn't have a wand?' Lucius asked, but no one was really listening due to their laughter. 

Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.

Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard. "Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."

Giggles erupted once again. 

Chloe giggled at this. 

He cast a sideways look at Chloe and Harry under his bushy eyebrows. "Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm -- er -- not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff -- one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job.''

'I knew he wasn't allowed to do magic!' Lucius muttered to himself triumphantly. 

"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.

"Oh, well -- I was at Hogwarts meself but I -- er -- got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."

"Why were you expelled?" Chloe asked. 

"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that." He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry. "You can both kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."

'That's the end of chapter four,' Sirius announced dramatically. 

'Thank you, Mr Black,' McGonagall says, taking the book of him. 

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter 3: The Letters From No One

'The next chapter is entitled 'The Letters From No One, would anyone like to read?' McGonagall asks. 

'Hogwarts letters, Gwen!' James turns to the blonde excitedly. 

'I'll read it,' Remus offers. 

The teachers pull up an extra chair up front and Remus sits down it, before taking the book and starting to read.  

The escape of the Brazilian Boa Constrictor earned both Chloe and Harry their longest-ever punishment. By the time the pair were allowed out of their cupboard again, the summer holidays had started, and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.

'Poor Mrs Figg,' Gwendolyn said, feeling bad for the woman. 

Both Chloe and Harry were happy that school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon, were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The rest of them were all quite happy to to join in Dudley's favourite sport: Chloe and Harry hunting. 

'That Dudley kid is an absolute knob, isn't he?' Frank asked, and everyone couldn't help but agree. 

This was why both Chloe and Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where they could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came, they would be going off to Secondary school, and even though they would be split up, it would be the first time in either of their lives that they wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. 

'I've heard of that school,' Gwendolyn says. 'They've got a reputation of everyone that goes there being stuck up.'

'Well I think this Vernon is helping that stereotype!' Barty chortled. 

Piers Polkiss was going there too. Chloe was going to an all-girls school, St Beatrice's and Harry was going to Stonewall High, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny. 

'They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall,' he told Harry. 

'I started to get angry again, but then I remembered they aren't actually going there are they,' James whispered to Gwendolyn. 

'Want to come upstairs and practise?'

'No thanks,' Harry said quickly.

'The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it-it might be sick,' Chloe chimed in-

A few people laughed at that. 

'They're both quite funny,' Arthur remarked. 

Then, she grabbed Harry and ran, before Dudley could work out what she'd said. 

One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley and Chloe into London to buy their respective uniforms. Aunt Petunia was furious, as St Beatrice's had a very strict dress code and had a uniform that needed following, so they would have to pay for a uniform for her.

'Imagine that,' Arabella remarked, sarcastically. 'You have to pay for a uniform for the child you are supposedly looking after!'

While they were there, Harry was left at Mrs Figg's. Mrs Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.

That evening, Chloe rushed straight to Harry to tell him about her day (Honestly H, it was amazing, even though Aunt Petunia was sour all day!) and showed him her uniform. It was very big on her, as Aunt Petunia did not want her to grow out of her uniform any time quickly, meaning she would have to buy her a new uniform. 

'She's so petty, and for what?' Kimberly said, rolling her eyes. 

'I always knew she didn't like me, but clearly that's only grown with the years!' Gwendolyn scorns.

Later, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.

As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins,

'Dudleykins is the worst nickname by far!' Pandora remarked, wheezing from laughter. 

he looked so handsome and grown-up. Neither Chloe or Harry didn't trusted themselves to speak, or even look at each other. Harry thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.

'I don't blame him,' Sirius remarked. 'I bet he looked horrible!'

There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when the twins went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. They went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.

"What's this?" Harry asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.

'Oh how dare he ask a question in the house where he lives,' Andromeda scorned sarcastically. 

'Your new uniform,' she said. 'I had to pay for her uniform but yours can be done here.'

'Tight-arse,' Amos remarked. 

As she said this, she glared at Chloe.

The twins looked into the bowl again. 

'Oh,' Harry remarked. 'I didn't realise it had to be so wet.'

'Idiot,' Snape hissed. 

James heard and turned around furiously. 'He obviously wasn't being serious, Snivellous!'

Chloe chuckled at this, realizing her brother was joking. However, Aunt Petunia must have missed the joke. 'Don't be stupid,' she snapped. 'I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things grey for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished.'

'Or here's another idea, buy him the correct uniform!' James suggested snarkily. 

'Doubt it,' Harry whispered to Chloe. 

'Don't argue about it,' Chloe warned him, equally as quiet. Harry agreed, and the twins both sat down at the table, and Harry tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High -- like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.

Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table. 

They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.

"Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.

'Make them get it,' Dudley said, pointing a fat finger at Chloe and Harry. 

'He's been influenced by his parents so much he can't even say their names either!' Pandora quipped. 

'Get the mail, you two.'

'Make Dudley get it,' The twins said in unison. Aunt Petunia shuddered at this. 

'Poke them with your Smelting stick, Dudley."

'Encouraging the abuse, no surprise there!' Alice said, looking angry. 

They both dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and -- a letter for Chloe and a letter for Harry.

'This is it James! They are getting their letters!' Gwendolyn squealed excitedly, grabbing onto James's arm.

'Don't get too excited,' Remus announces, clearly having read on. 

'They don't get them here?' James asks, confused. 

'They get them, but they don't keep them,' he says, and James and Gwendolyn huff. 

The twins picked up their respective letters and stared at each other. Chloe felt as if her heart was twanging like a giant elastic band. No one ever, in their whole lives, had written to either of them. Who would? They both had no friends, no other relatives- neither of them belonged to a library, so they'd both never even got a rude letter asking for books back. Yet here it was, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:

Miss. C. Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Chloe quickly turned to Harry and looked at his.

Mr. H. Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging Surrey

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp. 

Chloe watched silently as Harry turned his envelope over, his hands trembling. They then both saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, a eagle, a badger, and a snake, surrounding a large letter H. Chloe quickly turned hers over as well, and saw that she had the same seal. 

Before either of them could say something to the other, a noise came from the kitchen. 

'Hurry you you two!' shouted Uncle Vernon, 'What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?' He chuckled at his own joke. 

'At least he laughed, because that was not funny!' Peter said.

'I agree wormy, it was rubbish,' Sirius adds. 

Before following her brother into the kitchen, Chloe hid her letter under the jumper she was currently wearing, and kept its place by her stomach and her jeans. 

'Good idea to be fair,' Molly said. 

Harry just walked into the kitchen, still staring at his letter.

'Oh dear,' Gwendolyn said. 'I have a feeling its going to cause a situation.'

Harry handed Uncle Vernon the bill and postcard, and sat down, ignoring his sister's silent stares as he started to slowly open the yellow envelope.

'That's a bit stupid,' Gwendolyn says, a hint of exasperation in her voice. 'He should have done what Chloe did and hide it!'

Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.

"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk. --."

"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"

'Here we go,' Kimberly says, turning to Gwendolyn. 

Chloe put her head in her hands, she knew this was going to happen.

'At least one of your children has some sense, Potter,' Severus quipped at James, a sly look upon his greasy face. 

'Shut your face!' James seethed, nearly having to be held back by Gwendolyn. 

Remus decided to continue before things escalated further. 

Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.

"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.

"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.

"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.

Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise. "Vernon! Oh my goodness -- Vernon!"

'Oh no, it's almost as if you knew this was going to happen!' Andromeda said, rolling her eyes. 

They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Chloe, Harry and Dudley were in the room.

 Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick. "I want to read that letter," he said loudly.

Suddenly, Uncle Vernon turned and stared at Chloe, anger prominent in his face. 

James's fists clenched up.

'Harry, Dudley, get out, both of you,' croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.

'Why not Chloe?' Peter asks. 

'He knows she's got a letter too,' Gwendolyn said, her face white from fear. 

Harry stared at Chloe, not moving. 

"Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.

"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.

'Now you,' Uncle Vernon seethed, turning his face to Chloe, as she watched him fearfully. She saw Harry and Dudley in the door, and that only made her more scared. He started moving towards her, before she was all way against the wall with nowhere to run. 

'I really, really want to punch this guy,' James cursed, his face going slightly red. 

'Give me your letter, if you know what's good for you!'

'Vernon-' Aunt Petunia tried to chide in.

'Shush Petunia!' Vernon screeched, and Aunt Petunia fell silent, fear evident on her face. 

James's face went redder. 

When Chloe didn't give up her letter, she slammed her small body against the wall harshly. 

Everyone was shocked. 

Then, his hand went round her throat, he started choking her.

'That fucking asshole!' James yelled, anger palpable on his face. 

'James, it hasn't happened yet,' Arabella said, trying to calm him down. 

Chloe's eyes instantly filled with tears as her breathing became unusual, partly due to her Uncle's abuse, but also due to the fear that was coursing throughout her body. A shaky hand reached underneath her jumoer as she pulled out the letter. Vernon's hand left her neck as he swiped the letter harshly from his hand, and Chloe fell to the floor, a crying mess. 

'So he just abuses women, what a little bitch,' Regulus says, a look of shock on his face that was mirrored with everyone else in the room, excluding the teachers. 

'Now get out,' He mutters, not even looking down at Chloe. 

Chloe didn't need to be told twice, as she opened the door to reveal a pale-faced pair of Harry and Dudley. Even Dudley could not believe what had just happened. 

'The fact that even he thought it was to far really says something,' Narcissa remarks. 

She slid past them and went into the cupboard, shutting it behind her not even letting Harry in, as she cried and cried and cried, having a panic attack. Harry tried to open the door gently. Eventually, Chloe had calmed down, and Vernon and Petunia had stopped their conversation, Dudley was still outside of the door, confused as to what was going on.

'Are you ok?' He asks Chloe, a look of confusion on his face. 

Chloe and Harry both looked up at him in surprise. 

'Better now, thanks,' Chloe muttered, but he heard her. He then went upstairs, muttering something about 'odd' and 'dad'.

'Are you actually ok?' Harry asked his sister, as he hugged her tightly. 

Chloe nodded, then said 'That was the most scary experience of my life.'

Later on that evening, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Chloe and Harry in their cupboard.

'I think that asshat needs to fucking apologise for what he did!' James commanded, anger still present in his face. 

Chloe didn't even look in his face, the fear of him was still very much there for her. 

'Where's our letters?' said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to us?

"No one. They were addressed to you both by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it.'

'He did what!' Sirius remarked. 

'Do they actually get their letters in this chapter?' Kimberly asks, a sneaky feeling in her stomach telling her that they weren't.

Everyone watched attentively as Remus skim-read the final few pages of the chapter. After a few minutes, he looked up and shook his head. 

Groans filled the room, for some due to the injustice faced for Chloe and Harry, and other (especially in Bellatrix's case) because they just wanted this story to hurry up. 

At this, Chloe raised her head, and looked at her brother, both of them shocked. 'It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it.'

'SILENCE!' yelled Uncle Vernon, and Chloe bowed her head yet again and tried to control her breathing before she had another panic attack.

'Asshole,' James said.

He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful. Harry was glad that his sister wasn't seeing it, as the sight enough would probably set her off on another panic attack. 

'Er -- yes, Chloe, Harry -- about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking... you're really both getting a bit big for it... we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom.' 

'I mean they should have had the bedroom before anyway,' Arabella retorts. 

Chloe raised her head once again at this, and even dared to look at Uncle Vernon. 'Why?' asked Harry.

"Don't ask questions!" snapped their uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."

The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbour's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favourite program had been cancelled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.

'They had TWO extra rooms and my children had to sleep in the cupboard!' Gwendolyn seethes.

From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, I don't want him in there... I need that room... make them get out...."

'I'm sure he could live without two rooms for himself,' Molly snaps. 

Both Chloe and Harry sighed and stretched out on the two single beds that occupied the room. 

'You know, Chlo, yesterday I would have given anything to be up here,' Harry stated. 'But today I'd rather be back in our cupboard with our letters.'

'It's not our cupboard anymore, H,' Chloe told him, her voice almost void of any emotion. 

'Poor thing sounds so shook up,' Alice says sympathetically. 

Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back.

'Finally he's learning that he can't have everything he wants!' Pandora mentioned.

Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Chloe did everything in her power to not look at her Uncle. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.

When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to the twins, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one each! 'Mr. H. Potter and Miss. C. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive --'"

'He was stupid to think the letters would just stop to be fair,' Arthur remarked. 

With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Chloe stayed in the kitchen, not daring to move, same with Aunt Petunia. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand. "Go to your cupboard -- I mean, your bedroom with your sister," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley -- go -- just go."

Chloe laid on her bed, as Harry walked round and round their new room.

'Someone knew that we've moved,' Harry told his sister. 

'And they know we didn't receive the first letter,' Chloe adds, finally some emotion coming back into her voice. 

'Surely, this means that they will try again?' Harry said. 

Chloe sat up, watching her brother pace. 'You're planning something aren't you?'

'I have a plan,' he confirms. 'But I don't want you involved in it, he's hurt you enough.'

'He's such a good brother,' Molly coos. 

The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently.

'Is this your plan?' Chloe mumbles, still half-asleep. 

'Yep,' Harry murmurs in response, as he left the room quietly and stole downstairs, but not before telling Chloe 'I'm going to wait for the postman to come.'

Chloe started falling back to sleep, when suddenly she heard Harry let out a shocked scream. She rushed out of her room and turned the light on quickly. To their horror they realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face. Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do.

'He really doesn't not want them to receive their letters does he?' Peter asks, his face full of food once again.

He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told Chloe to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably into the kitchen behind his sister, and by the time the pair of them returned, the mail had arrived, right onto Uncle Vernon's lap. 

Both of the twins could see six letters, 3 each. 'I want --' he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before their eyes. Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.

'He really really does not want them to get their letters,' Pandora added.

'See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, 'if they can't deliver them they'll just give up.'

'I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon.'

'For once, my sister is correct,' Gwendolyn states.

'Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me,' said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.

On Friday, no less than twelve letters each had arrived for both Chloe and Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.

Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.

'Sounds like he's starting to lose it,' Arabella recons. 

On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to both Chloe and Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.

"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked the twins in amazement.

'Believe me, Dudley I wish I knew,' Chloe answered him.

On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy. 'No post on Sundays,' he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, 'no damn letters today --'

Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one, while Chloe reached for the ones that were on the floor. 

'Chloe does seem to have more of a brain, Harry is very much like you, James,' Gwendolyn acknowledged.

'Out! OUT!' Uncle Vernon seized Chloe and Harry around the waist and threw them into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor. 

'That does it,' said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his moustache at the same time. 'I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!'

He looked so dangerous with half his moustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.

'At least Dudley seems to be having some kind of reality check,' Alice said, perpetually trying to find the positive in everything. 

They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while. "Shake 'em off... shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.

They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.

'I'm sure he'll be just fine,' Narcissa scorns, rolling her eyes. 

Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley, Chloe and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Chloe and Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering....

They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table 'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? And Miss. C. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk.'

She held up two of the letters so that they could read the two green ink addresses. 

Miss. C. Potter

Room 17

Railview Hotel

Cokeworth

Mr. H. Potter

Room 17

Railview Hotel

Cokeworth

'Those letters are persistent,' Regulus remarks. 

Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared. 'I'll take them,' said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.

'Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?' Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a ploughed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.

'He's deffo loosing it,' Kimberly remarks. 

"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared.

'See! Even Dudley gets it!' Kimberly hollered. 

Chloe just gave him a sympathetic look. 

It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dud ley snivelled. "It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television. "

Monday. This reminded the twins of something. They looked at each other surprised. If it was Monday -- and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television -- then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Chloe's and Harry's eleventh birthday. Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun -- last year, the Dursleys had given them both a coat hanger and Harry a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks, Chloe getting an old skirt once belonging to Aunt Petunia. Still, you weren't eleven every day.

'I know I should expect it by now, but I can't believe they won't even celebrate their birthday properly!' Gwendolyn lamented. 

Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought. 'Found the perfect place!' he said. 'Come on! Everyone out!'

It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there.

'He's bloody mental!' Sirius exclaims. 

"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together.

'That's not a good thing!' Xenophilus says, seemingly talking to the book. 

"And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!" A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-grey water below them.

"I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"

It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. Chloe and Harry huddled together to try and get some form of warmth. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house. 

The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms. 

Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and five bananas.

'Thar's not even proper food!' Barty grumbled. 'He just has completely lost it!'

He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shrivelled up.

"Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.

He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. Both Chloe and Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer them up at all.

'I have a feeling that will be proved false,' Gwendolyn muttered to James, who nodded in agreement. 

As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few mouldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and the twins were left to find the softest bit of floor they could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket together.

'That could kill them! They could get hypothermia!' Gwendolyn chastised. 

The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Both Chloe and Harry couldn't sleep. they both kept shivering and turning over, trying to get comfortable, their stomachs rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. 

'How much longer until out birthday?' Harry asked his sister, desperate to take his mind off the cold. 

Chloe leaned away from him and stared at Dudley's watch. 'Ten minutes,' She then told him, her voice quivering with the cold.

'I wonder if they have remembered,' Harry remarked. 

'Doubt it,' was all that came out of his sisters mouth. 

'Five minutes now,' she told him minutes later. 

They heard something creak outside. They both hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although Harry might be warmer if it did.

Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that they'd be able to steal one somehow.

Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that?

'Someone's there I'm telling you,' Gwendolyn says to no one in particular. 

And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?

One minute to go and they'd be eleven. Thirty seconds... twenty ... ten... nine -- maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him -- three... two... one...

BOOM.

Everyone was listening intently. 

The whole shack shivered and the twins both sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.

'But who?' Came an almost unanimous call from the students. 

Remus shrugs, 'That's the end of the chapter.'

'What!' Gwendolyn and James screamed in unison. 

'We'll continue straight on,' Dumbledore assures them, secretly happy that they are all enjoying this book now. 

[otunnicliffe]

Queens Of Hogwarts

Chapter Two: The Bet

I bet on losing dogs

I know they're losing and I pay for my place by the ring

Where I'll be looking in their eyes when they're down

I'll be there on their side, I'm losing by their side

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun glowed upon Hogwarts, the rays filling the entire castle with warm and sun. Hogwarts on a sunny day is a sight to behold, where the ancient magic of the castle meets the vibrant energy of the natural world. The sun casts a golden glow over the sprawling grounds, highlighting every detail with warmth and light.

The castle itself, with its high towers and turrets, appears even more majestic under the clear blue sky. The stone walls, weathered and worn with age, glisten slightly, reflecting the sun's rays. Stained glass windows sparkle in a riot of colours, casting playful patterns of light onto the ground below.

The Great Lake, usually dark and mysterious, transforms into a vast, shimmering expanse of blue, mirroring the sky above. Gentle ripples catch the sunlight, creating a dazzling dance of light on the water's surface. The giant squid occasionally breaks the surface, causing a cascade of sparkling droplets.

The Forbidden Forest, bordering the castle grounds, is less foreboding under the bright sunlight. The dense canopy of trees is illuminated, revealing shades of green from the darkest emerald to the lightest lime. Sunlight filters through the leaves, creating dappled patterns on the forest floor and highlighting the vibrant flora and fauna.

Hagrid's hut, with its earthy charm, sits comfortably on the edge of the forest. The garden is in full bloom, with pumpkins growing larger by the day and colourful flowers nodding gently in the breeze. Smoke curls lazily from the chimney, a comforting sight against the blue sky.

The Quidditch pitch is a hive of activity, with students practicing and soaring high on their broomsticks, their laughter and shouts of excitement carried on the warm breeze. The golden snitch glints as it darts through the air, challenging players with its elusive speed.

The courtyards and lawns are bustling with life. Students lounge on the grass, their black robes contrasting with the bright green. Some are studying or reading, while others play games or engage in animated conversations. The statues and gargoyles around the castle seem to smile in the sunlight, their normally stern faces softened by the light.

The gardens and greenhouses are vibrant with colour and fragrance. Herbology students can be seen tending to magical plants, the sunlight enhancing the vivid hues of the exotic flora. The scent of fresh grass and blooming flowers fills the air, creating a heady, invigorating atmosphere.

In the afternoon, the warmth of the sun is tempered by a gentle breeze, rustling the leaves and carrying the sounds of laughter, chatter, and distant birdsong. As the sun begins to set, the sky transforms into a canvas of oranges, pinks, and purples, casting a magical glow over the castle and grounds, making Hogwarts appear even more enchanting as day turns to night.

It was therefore, no surprise that practically every student was out on the field that lay over the Black Lake, soaking up the last rays of early September, before the cold autumn weather would take over, and eventually freeze during the winter months. 

As the sun continued to shine, casting light all throughout the field, a group of Ravenclaw girls sat near an old oak tree, chattering away. These girls gossiped and chattered filling up the empty space that held there before.

At the centre of the group was the self-proclaimed leader of the group, Neveah Carter. Neveah was notoriously snide and nasty to everyone, even members of her own group. She was gossipy, and the fair majority of rumours have sprouted from her mouth. Everything about this girl seemed to exude a sense of self-worth. Her skin, a rich mahogany hue, glowed warmly under the soft lighting, highlighting the smoothness and depth of her complexion. Her dark eyes were deep and expressive, and always shone with a slightly nasty light, as if it seemed to show the person she was on the inside. Neveah's hair, a cascade of thick, natural curls, framed her face in a halo of texture and beauty, each coil a testament to her heritage and individuality. A pureblood, she seemed to be brimming with power and influence. 

On the opposite side of the group sat Ximena Li. Ximena, to everyone else was just like the other three girls, shallow, self-centred and bitchy, but in reality she wasn't anything like them. As the years progressed her meeting them in first year, Ximena had started to realise just how toxic this group actually was, and was starting to want to distance herself from them, often finding herself staring at the Gryffindor girls jealously, looking at a friendship she was wishing for. She was quieter, never really mean and almost kind, especially to the other three girls. She was pale, with perfect skim, and round eyes marking her Chinese descendance, something that Ximena held with pride. Her eyes brimmed with knowledge, as she was the smartest one in the group by far, and always seemed unsure, as if she knew what her friends were saying to people was wrong, but knew that she couldn't do anything about it. Her hair was raven in colour, and was always perfectly straight and glossy. A muggle-born, she knew where her place was in a school full of pure-bloods and just tried to accept her place. 

Another girl there was Amelia Rosario, who stood out vividly against the green backdrop of the field, her fiery red hair a brilliant cascade of curls that fell just past her shoulders. Her hair, naturally voluminous and full of life, framed her face in a way that highlighted her fair, freckled complexion. Her eyes, a striking shade of emerald green, sparkled with a mix of curiosity, mischief and usually venom for those whom she did not like or approve of. They were framed by naturally dark, thick lashes and perfectly arched eyebrows that gave her expressions an added depth and intensity. Amelia’s skin was a delicate, porcelain-like canvas dotted with a sprinkling of light freckles across her cheeks and nose, giving her a youthful, fresh appearance. She was considered nastier than Neveah, as she was more out-right with her taunts, whereas the other was more snide and calm. She also was obsessed with Sirius Black, telling anyone that would listen that he was hers, even though the reality was they hooked up at the end of the last year and Sirius never spoke to her again. She was also a pure-blood, and immensely power-hungry, always wanting to rise above her ranks. 

The final girl in the group of Crystal Walker, who was sat with them, seemingly dazing away, which was not unusual for her. Her blonde hair, long and straight, was perfectly styled, cascading down her back in a way that highlighted its natural shine. She often wore it loose, the ends slightly curled to give it a touch of volume and bounce, framing her face with an effortless beauty. Her eyes were a deep blue, reminiscent of the sea, and often looked dazed, or at least not paying attention. They were framed by thick, mascara-coated lashes and perfectly shaped eyebrows that added to her doll-like appearance. Crystal's skin was smooth and fair, with a healthy, sun-kissed glow that suggested she spent plenty of time outdoors. Crystal  moved with a carefree, almost whimsical grace, her steps light and buoyant as if she was walking on air. She was a wonder for many students, not many of them truly understanding how she was a Ravenclaw, and the ones who accepted it thought that the Sorting must have been on some kind of trip, as Crystal was not particularly smart, barely passing everything and she also seemed to be off in her own world, not really listening onto many conversations, seeming to be in her own world.

Another group on the field was a group of Slytherins, no one seeming to want to sit to close to them, for fear of the group. The girls in the group were the Black triplets; Andromeda, Narcissa and Bellatrix, alike in name and partially alike in looks, but all vastly different in personality. She was a half-blood, but doesn't really seem to care about blood status that much. 

Andromeda was sat on the grass next to her sisters, her deep brown hair cascading in loose waves down her back. The rich brunette tones caught the sunlight, revealing subtle hints of chestnut and mahogany that added depth and warmth to her look. Her hair, naturally glossy and thick, framed her face perfectly, accentuating her refined features. Her eyes, blue like the scarlet Jem, were her most captivating feature. They sparkled with a blend of curiosity and kindness, framed by long, dark lashes that added an expressive touch to her thoughtful gaze. She was by far the kindest Slytherin, known for getting into arguments with her two other sisters about the issue of blood purity and about Bellatrix being kinder to the kids in younger years. Andromeda's movements were graceful and deliberate, reflecting her calm and composed demeanour. Her voice was warm and melodious, with a gentle, soothing quality that made people feel at ease in her presence. When she spoke, it was with a quiet confidence and thoughtfulness that revealed her keen intellect and empathetic nature.

Narcissa was next to her, in the middle of her sisters. That was really the perfect anecdote for her, in the middle of her sisters. She was very neutral about a lot of issues, not as extreme as either sister in terms of her views, trying to be what she hoped as being a good pure-blood girl. Her blonde hair, striking and bright, was cut into a chic bob that swung just above her shoulders. A neat fringe framed her forehead, drawing attention to her expressive eyes. What truly set Narcissa's look apart were the streaks of black interspersed throughout her blonde locks, creating a striking contrast that seemed to highlight the inner turmoil she was facing with her sisters. Her eyes, a piercing icy blue, peeked out from beneath her fringe, framed by naturally dark lashes that gave her gaze an intensity that was both captivating and intriguing. Her complexion was fair, with a healthy, rosy hue that suggested a life lived luxuriously. Her movements were always careful and planned, as if to not give too much away, and her voice was stern mostly, revealing her posh accent and prim manners. 

The final sister, Bellatrix, was the exact opposite to Andromeda. She was a muggle-born hater, often going out of her way to terrorize younger year groups from Gryffindor especially. Bellatrix was a whirlwind of energy and unpredictability, her dark brown hair as wild and untamed as her spirit. Her hair fell in loose waves down her back, with the occasional errant curl that seemed to reflect her spontaneous nature. The deep, rich hue of her locks caught the light with an almost glossy sheen, highlighting the natural variations in colour that gave her hair depth and texture. Her eyes, a striking shade of silver, were wide and expressive, always sparkling with a hint of mischief and a glint of excitement. They were framed by thick, dark lashes that added to her intense and captivating gaze. Her skin was the palest of them all, but still held a natural glow that suggested a life lived passionately and without reservations. Bellatrix moved with a restless energy, her steps quick and purposeful, as if she were always on the brink of discovering something new and exciting. Her voice was animated and full of emotion, each word delivered with a dramatic flair that made every conversation an adventure. She had a tendency to speak quickly, her thoughts tumbling out in a rush of enthusiasm that could be both captivating and overwhelming.

Alongside the triplets, were four boys. The first of the boys was a cousin of the Black triplets, Regulus Black, Sirius's twin brother. Regulus stood with an air of quiet intensity, his presence marked by a refined elegance that set him apart. His dark, raven-black hair was impeccably styled, falling in soft waves that framed his sharp, aristocratic features. The hair, sleek and perfectly groomed, added to his overall aura of polished sophistication. His eyes, a piercing shade of grey, held a depth and complexity that reflected his inner turmoil and conflicting loyalties. They were the kind of eyes that seemed to see right through you, filled with a mixture of determination and a hint of melancholy. Framed by long, dark lashes and finely arched eyebrows, his gaze was both captivating and enigmatic. Regulus's complexion was fair, almost pale, highlighting the striking contrast with his dark hair and making his features stand out even more. His skin was smooth, giving him a youthful appearance despite the burden of the secrets he carried. His high cheekbones and well-defined jawline spoke of the pure-blooded heritage he was both proud of and constrained by. Regulus's movements were measured and graceful, exuding a sense of control and precision. He carried himself with a quiet confidence, though there was an underlying tension in his demeanour, as if he was always on guard. His voice was smooth and articulate, with a calm and composed tone that belied the storm of emotions often brewing beneath the surface.

Another boy was Lucius Malfoy. Lucius possessed an air of aristocratic superiority even from a tender age. His platinum blonde hair, sleek and perfectly styled, framed his angular face with a striking elegance that hinted at his pure-blood lineage. Each strand seemed meticulously arranged, reflecting the meticulous attention to detail that would become a hallmark of his character in later years. His eyes, a piercing silver-grey, held a cold intensity that belied his youth. They seemed to size up the world around him with a calculating gaze, revealing a keen intelligence and an innate sense of superiority. Framed by thin, aristocratic eyebrows and long lashes, his gaze was both captivating and unsettling, hinting at the power and influence he would one day wield. Lucius's complexion was pale and flawless, almost ethereal in its porcelain-like perfection. His features were sharply defined, with high cheekbones and a proud, aristocratic nose that added to his regal countenance. His lips were thin and often curled into a disdainful smirk, as if he already knew he held the world at his fingertips. Lucius's complexion was pale and flawless, almost ethereal in its porcelain-like perfection. His features were sharply defined, with high cheekbones and a proud, aristocratic nose that added to his regal countenance. His lips were thin and often curled into a disdainful smirk, as if he already knew he held the world at his fingertips.

Another boy there was not a Slytherin, but a Ravenclaw. Nevertheless, he was friends with the group due to his pure-blood status and often chose to spend time with them rather than his fellow Ravenclaws. His name was Barty Crouch Jr, his dad now becoming a prominent figure in the ministry of magic. Barty sat next to Regulus, his chestnut brown hair tousled by the gentle breeze. His hair fell in casual waves, framing his face in a way that hinted at his easy going nature. The warm, earthy tones of his hair caught the sunlight, adding depth and dimension to his appearance. His eyes, a deep shade of haze, were already showing signs of the craziness he would later be known for, and they also displayed his emotions faster than his words could. They were framed by thick, dark lashes that accentuated their colour and depth, giving him a thoughtful gaze. He carried himself with a sense of casual confidence, his posture relaxed yet self-assured. His voice was cold and harsh with a hint of a laugh that seemed to bubble up effortlessly at others wrongdoings. 

The final boy was Evan Rosier. Evan possessed an aura of quiet intensity that set him apart from his peers. His hair, a sleek and glossy shade of sandy blonde, was neatly styled to frame his angular face, adding to his mysterious and enigmatic allure. Each strand seemed to fall perfectly into place, reflecting his meticulous attention to detail and his penchant for perfection. His eyes, a piercing shade of dark green, held a depth and intensity that seemed to see straight through to the heart of any matter. They were framed by thick, dark lashes and sharply defined eyebrows, giving him a penetrating gaze that was both captivating and unnerving. Evan's complexion was pale and flawless, with sharp cheekbones and a strong jawline that added to his striking appearance. Evan's movements were measured and deliberate, reflecting a sense of self-assurance and control that belied his youthful appearance. He carried himself with a quiet confidence, his posture straight and proud, as if he were already accustomed to command and respect. His voice was smooth and commanding, with a hint of a drawl that added to his air of authority.

Fabian and Gideon Prewett were also present on the field. They were a dynamic duo, inseparable since birth and bound together by an unbreakable bond that was as fiery as their vibrant red hair. Their locks were a riot of coppery curls, tousled and untamed, reflecting their wild and adventurous spirits. Each strand seemed to dance with a life of its own, adding to the sense of mischief and excitement that surrounded them. Their eyes, a sparkling shade of emerald green, were filled with an infectious energy and a mischievous twinkle that hinted at the endless pranks and escapades they concocted together. Framed by a scattering of freckles across their cheeks and noses, their gazes were full of warmth and camaraderie, reflecting the deep connection they shared as twins. Molly, their other twin, also looked like them. Their movements were quick and agile, reflecting their boundless energy and zest for life. They moved in perfect synchrony, finishing each other's sentences and anticipating each other's thoughts with an almost telepathic connection. Their laughter was infectious, filling the air with joy and excitement wherever they went. 

With them, was Arthur Weasley, their sisters boyfriend and close friend of Fabian and Gideon. Arthur was a picture of enthusiasm and curiosity, with a mop of fiery red hair that seemed to defy gravity as it stuck out in all directions. His freckled face was perpetually adorned with a wide grin, his bright blue eyes twinkling with a sense of wonder and mischief. Despite his youthful appearance, there was an earnestness and determination in his gaze that hinted at the depths of his character. His hair, a vibrant shade of red that matched the flames of his spirit, was tousled and unkempt, a reflection of his carefree and adventurous nature. Each strand seemed to have a mind of its own, defying any attempts to tame it into submission. His complexion was fair and dotted with freckles, giving him a boyish charm that was impossible to resist. Dressed in hand-me-down robes that were a few sizes too big, Arthur embraced his family's modest means with a sense of pride and resourcefulness. His clothing was often patched and worn, but he wore it with a confidence and flair that made it seem like the height of fashion. His wand, though slightly battered from years of use, was always kept close at hand, a constant reminder of the magical world that awaited him. Arthur's movements were animated and full of energy, reflecting his boundless enthusiasm for life. He moved with a youthful exuberance, his steps quick and light as if he were constantly on the verge of discovering something new and exciting. His voice was warm and jovial, with a hint of a Cockney accent that added to his charm.

Frank Longbottom was also among them, laughing alongside Arthur presumably at a joke made by the Prewett's. Frank possessed an air of youthful enthusiasm and optimism that seemed to radiate from every pore. His raven black hair was a wild tangle of curls, refusing to be tamed by any amount of combing. Despite his best efforts to rein it in, strands of hair often escaped in all directions, adding to his boyish charm and giving him an endearingly tousled appearance. His eyes, a warm shade of hazel, sparkled with curiosity and mischief, framed by long, dark lashes that gave his gaze an irresistible depth. Frank's complexion was sun-kissed and freckled, a testament to his love for spending time outdoors and his adventurous spirit. His smile was infectious, lighting up his face with a joy and exuberance that was impossible to resist. Frank's movements were quick and agile, reflecting his boundless energy and zest for life. He moved with a youthful exuberance, his steps light and carefree as if he were constantly on the verge of discovering something new and exciting. His voice was warm and animated, with a hint of a laugh that seemed to bubble up effortlessly.

With them, were the Gryffindor girls, Mary, Molly, Marlene, Dorcas and Alice. Arthur and Molly were together, as were Alice and Frank and the group seemed to burst into laughter at any given point, thierjoy obvious to all around them. 

On the field, no one was really surprised to see Pandora Wesia and Xenophilous Lovegood sat together. Both of them were presumed as odd by the majority of students in their year, Xenophilious only really being friends with Pandora and Barty, whereas Pandora was close friends with Regulus Black.

Pandora was an eclectic blonde girl who seemed to effortlessly blend a variety of styles and influences into her unique look. Her hair, a bright and sunny shade of blonde, was long and curly that framed her face with a playful and youthful energy. Her hair was anything but ordinary, often adorned with quirky accessories like feathers or ribbons. Her eyes, a striking shade of turquoise, sparkled with a mischievous glint that hinted at the depth of her creativity and imagination. They were framed by thick, dark lashes and expertly groomed brows, adding to the intensity of her gaze. Pandora's complexion was fair and flawless, with a healthy flush of colour that suggested a life lived with passion and enthusiasm. Ava's movements were graceful and fluid, reflecting a sense of freedom and self-expression. She moved with a confident stride, her gestures animated and expressive as if she were constantly dancing to the rhythm of her own beat. Her voice was melodious and filled with laughter, her infectious energy drawing those who know her to her like a magnet.

Xenophilius was equally as eclectic, if not more so, whose style reflected his vibrant personality and adventurous spirit. His hair, a golden mane that seemed to catch the sunlight and radiate warmth, fell in tousled waves around his face. Xenophilius embraced his blonde locks with a carefree attitude, allowing them to grow long and wild without care. His eyes, a bright shade of blue reminiscent of a summer sky, sparkled with a sense of mischief and curiosity. They were framed by long, dark lashes that added depth and intensity to his gaze. Xenophilius's complexion was sun-kissed and freckled, a testament to his love for spending time outdoors and his adventurous nature. Xenophilius's movements were dynamic and energetic, reflecting his boundless enthusiasm for life. He moved with a fluid grace, his gestures animated and expressive as if he were constantly dancing to the rhythm of his own beat. His voice was vibrant and filled with laughter, his infectious energy drawing those like him towards himself like moths to a flame.

Missing from the field, rather unsurprisingly, was Severus Snape. Snape cut a striking figure even in his youth, with his sallow complexion and jet-black hair that hung in greasy locks around his angular face. His dark eyes, like chips of obsidian, were sharp and piercing, seeming to bore into the very soul of anyone who dared to meet his gaze. Framed by thin, arched eyebrows, his eyes held a depth of intensity and intelligence far beyond his years. Severus's features were sharp and angular, with a prominent nose and a thin-lipped mouth that seemed eternally set in a scowl. His pale skin was marred by the occasional blemish or scar, a testament to the hardships he endured growing up in the shadow of his troubled home life. Despite his rough exterior, there was a vulnerability in his eyes that hinted at the pain and loneliness he carried with him like a heavy burden. Severus's movements were slow and deliberate, as if he were constantly navigating a world that was hostile and unforgiving. He carried himself with a quiet dignity, his posture straight and proud despite the weight of his burdens. His voice was low and raspy, with a hint of bitterness that lingered in every word. He was never really seen with anyone, except Gwendolyn whom he had befriended before either of them had started Hogwarts. Also, he was usually subject to bullying from the Marauders, most notably James, who was jealous of his closeness with Gwendolyn. 

Speaking of the Marauders, the four boys were also sat outside, like everyone else, trying to enjoy the last of summer before the chill would settle over Hogwarts. 

'I'm bored,' Sirius announced, as he lay down on the ground, one arm behind his head for comfort. 

'Me too,' James agreed, huffing as we wondered what to do.

'Maybe you could both do your homework before its due, for once?' Remus asked, a tone in his voice letting out he knew immediately that both boys would not like his suggestion. 

'Mooney, I said I was bored, not that I was looking for a way to torture myself,' Sirius said plainly, making Peter laugh at his comment. Remus merely sighed and opened up his own book.

'Hey guys!' A voice called to them a few minutes later, making them all turn their attention to the boy whose voice it belonged to. They saw two Hufflepuffs walking towards them, Amos Diggory and Ted Tonks.

Amos Diggory was a beacon of youthful optimism and energy, with a shock of sandy blonde hair that seemed perpetually tousled from his adventurous exploits. His hair, a sun-kissed hue that caught the light and shimmered with golden highlights, framed his boyish face in a way that accentuated his bright blue eyes and easy smile. His tousled locks hinted at his propensity for diving headfirst into whatever adventure lay before him, with little concern for the consequences. His eyes, a clear and sparkling shade of blue, held a sense of wonder and curiosity that seemed to reflect the boundless depths of his adventurous spirit. They were framed by long lashes and expressive brows, giving him a youthful charm that was impossible to resist. Amos's complexion was sun-kissed and freckled, a testament to his love for spending time outdoors and his penchant for exploration. Amos's movements were quick and agile, reflecting his boundless energy and zest for life. He moved with a youthful exuberance, his steps light and carefree as if he were constantly on the verge of discovering something new and exciting. His voice was vibrant and filled with laughter, his infectious energy drawing people to him like moths to a flame. 

Edward 'Ted' Tonks was a striking figure, with a mop of unruly chestnut curls that framed his face in a carefree cascade of waves. His hair, a rich and warm shade of brown, seemed to have a life of its own, defying all attempts to tame it into submission. Despite its wild appearance, his hair added to his boyish charm and gave him an air of approachability. His eyes, a warm and inviting shade of hazel, sparkled with intelligence and mischief, reflecting the depth of his character and the playful spirit that lurked beneath his easy going exterior. They were framed by long lashes and expressive brows, adding to the warmth and openness of his gaze. Ted's complexion was tan and freckled, a testament to his love for spending time outdoors and his adventurous nature. Ted's movements were quick and agile, reflecting his boundless energy and zest for life. He moved with a youthful exuberance, his steps light and carefree as if he were constantly on the verge of discovering something new and exciting. His voice was warm and animated, with a hint of a laugh that seemed to bubble up effortlessly.

'Hey guys,' Sirius greets, as they were quite good friends with the pair of them. 

'Have you been rejected by Gwendolyn yet, James?' Ted teases, looking at the boy with mischief. 

James scowled at him, his face souring at the boys' remark.

'He hasn't even asked her out this year, so far anyway,' Remus said, closing his book.

'Really?' Amos asked, a smile creeping onto his face. 

'Finally taken the hint?' Ted adds.

'Maybe I'll have to ask her,' Amos says, grovelling in the idea. 

'You are not!' James objected, sitting up before he stared angrily at the Hufflepuff. 

'And why not?' Amos asked, as he feigned innocence. 

'Because... because you can't!' James chastised. He knew deep down he couldn't really do anything, Gwendolyn's wasn't his. 

'I bet you can't get her by Christmas,' Amos announced, proposing an idea. 

'Amos... the girls are not objects!' Remus interjected angrily. 

'I'm just saying... if James is so sure on getting Gwendolyn, then he shouldn't need much longer to charm her,' Amos says, nonchalantly. 

'But mate... a bet? It's rough on them,' Ted cautioned, not really sure of his best friends idea. 

'They won't find out will they?' Amos says, sure of himself. 

'If it were me, they would be charmed,' Sirius remarks, full of himself.

'Fine, you have to try and get one of the other two,' Amos adds, his eyes shining mischievously. 'Kimberly or Arabella take your pick!'

'Sirius don't!' Remus says, anger palpable on his face. The whole night before, Remus had been talking about the incident on the train with Kimberly. 

'Don't worry Mooney, I wasn't thinking of Kimberly,' Sirius reassures him. 

'You like Kimberly?' Ted asks, surprise written all over his face. 

'No!' Remus insists, but he could tell that the Hufflepuffs didn't believe him. 

'Well that makes it all the better,' Amos chortled. 'By Christmas, James will have to be dating Gwendolyn, Remus with Kimberly and that leaves Sirius with Arabella.' 

Sirius's face paled at the realization. He had forgotten Arabella in this encounter, and thought back to their friendship over the years. 'Actually, I'm with Remus, I don't think this is a good idea.'

'It's just a bet, don't be a prissy!' Amos bantered. 

'No you don't get it!' Sirius sighed. 'Arabella has been my friend for YEARS, even before Hogwarts. I can't hurt her like this.'

'Who said anything about hurting her?' Peter asks. 

'The bet, wormy!' Sirius cursed. 

'They won't have to know,' Amos says. 'And you can date them after, I'm not saying to breakup with them at Christmas if you are successful!' 

Against his better judgement, Sirius muttered, 'Fine. It's a bet.'

Amos's smile grew impossibly larger. 'Perfect! And you two?' He asked, looking at James and Remus expectantly. 

James guiltily muttered 'I'm in.'

'I really don't like this idea,' Remus ponders.

'Remus are you in or out?' Amos asks defiantly. 

Remus lets out a loud sigh before exclaiming. 'Fine! But I may as well give you my money now because I'm not going out of my way to do anything to Kim!'

'Just keep me out of this,' Ted tells his best friend, clearly still not 100% on board with the idea. 

With this, both Ted and Amos say their goodbyes and leave. 

'We shouldn't have done that,' Remus says to his best friends. 

'The girls are really going to be upset if they find out,' Peter points out, feeling bad for the girls already. 

'Well that's why we cannot have them finding out,' Sirius says, looking at James.

James nods. 'We don't want to hurt them.' 

One thing the boys did know, is that they had to win, just to shove it into Amos's dumb face. And also not to let the girls know, that was arguably more important. 

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter 2: The Vanishing Glass

'Minerva, my dear, would you like to read the next chapter?' Dumbledore asks, handing her the book before she could actually answer. 

McGonagall huffed in what seemed to be her answer before clearing her throat and started to read:

Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursley's had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens 

'Yawn!' Bellatrix announced, rolling her eyes.

and lit up the brass number four on the Dursley's front door; it crept into their living room which was almost exactly the same as the night when Mr Dursley had seen the fateful news report about the owls. 

'I think the worser news that night was that we had died, but apparently not to them,' James says to Gwendolyn with a huff. 

Only the photographs on the mantlepiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different coloured bobble hats

'I bet that's Dudley,' Arabella remarked to Gwendolyn with a sinister grin plastered on her face. 

but Dudley Dursley

The room erupted into laughter at the description. 

'Called it!' Arabella announced, looking smug with herself.

'Like it was hard to guess?' Lucius muttered to Narcissa and Bellatrix. 

was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large, blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a roundabout at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. 

'No mention of either Chloe or Harry,' Molly points out. 

The room had no sign at all that another two children lived in the house, too. 

'Merlin, even I didn't think your sister could be that horrible!' Arabella said to Gwendolyn, rubbing her leg comfortingly as she looked even more upset, while James pulled in a little bit closer. 

'They definitely kept them though, right?' Kimberly asks, suddenly. McGonagall nods, and most people in the room breathe a small sigh of relief. 

Yet, both Chloe and Harry Potter were still there, asleep for the moment but not for long. Their Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice which made the first noise of the day. 

'At least her horrible voice didn't change,' Arabella says. 

'Up! Get Up! Now!' 

Chloe and Harry both woke with a start. Their aunt rapped on the door again. 

'Up!' She screeched. Chloe and Harry heard her walking towards the kitchen and the sound of the frying pan being put on the cooker. While Chloe tried to wake herself up more, Harry rolled on to his back.

'H, come on get up,' Chloe mutters softly, her voice thick with sleep.

'Shush,' he says, his voice sounding nearly the same 'I'm trying to remember my dream.'

'What did you dream about this time?' Chloe asks.

'It had a flying motorbike in it,' He says.

'I think I've had a dream like that before,' Chloe ponders, now joining her twin brother as she laid back down.

'Yeah, I've got a funny feeling I've had it before'.

'Hagrid's bike from ten years ago?' Amos asks, but with no response from either teacher. 

'I think you'll find Diggory, that it was my bike first,' Sirius spoke up, proudly. 

Their aunt was back outside the door. 

'Are you up yet?' She demanded. 

'Nearly,' The twins said in unison.

'What have I told you about speaking like that!' She hissed, and the twins could almost hear the shudder she surely let out. 'Get a move on, I want you two to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything to be perfect on Duddy's birthday.'

'Duddy is the worst nickname ever,' Pandora announces. 

'To be fair, the main problem here is naming him Dudley in the first place,' Remus says, and everyone agrees.

Harry groaned. 

'What did you say?' His aunt snapped through the door. 

'Nothing, nothing,' Harry proclaimed. 

Dudley's birthday- how could they have forgotten. They both slowly got out of their beds and Chloe brushed her hair while Harry started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed.

'C, get the spider of!' He announced, fear hinting through his voice. 

Chloe huffed, amused, and carefully took the spider off his sock before placing it somewhere else.

'Aww, Gwen, she's an animal fan like you!' Kimberly said.

'Seriously, H, you'd think that you'd be used to spiders by now, you know, with living in a cupboard and all'

'WHAT!' Gwendolyn and James shouted. Arabella, Sirius, Remus and Kimberly joined in the shouts.

'They sleep in a bloody cupboard?!' Gwendolyn says, astonishment covering her face. 

'I don't care what you say Dumbledore,' Sirius announces, 'There is no way that the twins living with me or Moony or Bella or Kim would be worse than that!'

'Mr Black, with time you will find out why,' Dumbledore said, calm as ever.

'Can I continue?' McGonagall asked, in a certain tone of voice that shut everyone up. 

When they were both dressed, they went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all of Dudley's birthday presents. 

'Spoiled brat,' Andromeda hissed. 

It looked as though Dudley had got the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.

Arthur wrote 'computer', 'television' and 'racing bike' on his list.

Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to both Chloe and Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise- unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley favourite punching bag was the twins

'He hits my kids!' James shouts.

'He hits a girl?' Amos says, 'Weak.'

'Can we agree that Gwendolyn and James are not reading a chapter?' Regulus says, and everyone agrees. 

but he often couldn't catch the pair. The twins didn't look it, but they were both very fast.

Perhaps it was something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but both Chloe and Harry had been small and skinny for their age. Harry especially looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Chloe, had second hand clothes that Petunia had managed to scarper from her younger years and charity shops. Chloe, however, was still unconventionally pretty, often referred to as Snow White as the quote goes 'Even rags could not hide her beauty'.

'Sounds like she is gonna look like you, Gwen!' Pandora coos.

She had platinum blonde hair and a pair of blue eyes, oceanic in their depth. She was smaller than her twin brother, but not by much. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright green eyes.

'A mini Gwen and a mini James!' Molly cooed. 

'A little us, James,' Gwendolyn says, turning to the boy next to her, a blush dotted on her cheeks. James could only smile, the brightest smile Gwendolyn thought she'd ever seen.

He wore round glasses

'Merlin Prongs, you even passed onto the kid your bad eyesight!' Sirius barks, laughing after. 

'Stuff it you git,' James says, but with no real malice behind it.

held together with a lot of Sellotape because of all times that Dudley had punched him on the nose.

'She won't even buy him new glasses?' Alice asks.

The only thing Harry really liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning, identically shown on the same place on Chloe's forehead. 

'Geez, they've still got the scars?' Arthur says.

They both have had it as long as the two of them could remember and the first question they could remember asking their Aunt Petunia was how they had got it.

'In the car crash when you parents died;

'But we didn't die in a car crash?' James asks.

'So she didn't tell the twins what you wrote in the letter? Gwendolyn asks, huffing when Dumbledore shakes his head. 'What did James and I tell you!

she had said. 'And don't ask questions.'

Don't ask questions- that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursley's.

Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon and Chloe was finishing up setting the table. 

'Comb your hair!' He barked to Harry, by way of a morning greeting, failing to even acknowledge the other Potter twin in the room. 

About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that the twins (but especially Harry) needed haircuts. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way- all over the place.

'Deffo a mini Prongs, then!' Remus joked, ruffing James's hair, as James protested.

Chloe was frying eggs while Harry was finishing off the bacon by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large, pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes and thick, blond hair that lay smoothly on this thick, fat head.

'Bet he pulls all the girls,' Narcissa remarks.

-Chloe often told Harry that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.

The room erupted into laughter.

'All the sass, I love it!' Arabella says, through giggles. 

Chloe and Harry put all the plates of egg and bacon onto the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile was counting his presents. His face fell. 

'Thirty-six,' he said, looking up at his mother and father. 'That's two less than last year.'

'Oh for Merlin's sake!' Arabella groaned, 'That Dudley is really getting on my nerves!'

'As if he sat there and literally counted out all of his presents instead of just wanting to open them!" Remus said, looking equally as annoyed as Arabella. 

'Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy'.

'All right, thirty-seven then,' said Dudley going red in the face. Chloe and Harry, who could both see see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, took a look at each other and they both began wolfing down bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.

'The boy clearly has no manners,' Regulus remarked to Barty, 'Even in pureblood families we wouldn't dare do anything like that.'

Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger too, because she said quickly, 'And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?'

'No it is not alright!' James said. 'You neglect my children, but will indulge your selfish child!'

Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work.

Everyone chuckled at that.

Finally he said slowly, 'So I'll have thirty... thirty...'

'Thirty-nine, sweetums, said Aunt Petunia.

'Oh.' Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. 'All right then.'

Uncle Vernon chuckled. 'Little tyke wants his money's worth,  just like his father. Atta boy, Dudley!' He ruffled Dudley's hair.

'You shouldn't be encouraging the behaviour!' Molly said sternly, 'That child will never realise that he is selfish!'

Chloe and Harry exchanged a look of annoyance to each other.

At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Chloe, Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a cine-camera, a remote-control aeroplane, sixteen new computer games and a video recorder.

Arthur wrote 'cine-camera', 'remote-control', 'aeroplane' and 'computer games' on his list.

He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone, looking both angry and worried.

'Bad news, Vernon,' she said. 'Mrs Figg's broken her leg. She can't take them.' She jerked her head in the twins' direction.

'She can't even say their names,' Kimberly said. 'She needs to get a grip'.

Dudley's mouth fell open in horror but both Chloe's and Harry's hearts gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger bars or the cinema. Every year, Chloe and Harry were left behind with Mrs Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry in particular hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs Figg made them both look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned. 

'What a fun way to spend a day,' Xenophilius remarked, 'Staring at cats.

'Now what?' said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at the twins as if they had planned this.

'How could they have planned it!' Narcissa remarked. 'That woman is beyond silly!'

Chloe and Harry knew they ought to feel sorry that Mrs Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy for Harry as reminded himself that it would be a whole year before they both had to look at Tibbies, Snowy, Mr Paws and Tufty again.

'In terms of names to call your cats those names are rubbish,' Alice remarked, Frank nodded in agreemnt alongside her.

'We could phone Marge,' Uncle Vernon suggested. 

'Don't be silly Vernon, she hates them.'

The Dursley's often spoke about Chloe and Harry like this, as thought they weren't there- or rather, as though they were something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a pair of slugs.

'My children are not slugs!' James proclaimed angrily.

'What about what's-her-name, your friend- Yvonne?

'On holiday in Majorca,' snapped Aunt Petunia. 

'You could just leave us here,' Harry put in hopefully (he and Chloe would be able to watch what they wanted on television for a change and Harry might even have a go on Dudley's computer).

Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.

'She looks like that anyway!' Gwendolyn said, making Kimberly and Arabella chuckle in agreeance. 

'And come back and find the house in ruins?' she snarled. 

'We won't blow up the house,' said Chloe, but they weren't listening. 

'I suppose we could take them to the zoo,' said Aunt Petunia slowly '...and leave them in the car...'

'The car's new, they're not sitting in it by themselves...'

'Just let them go to the zoo!' Frank said, and voices of agreement arose. 

 Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying, it had been years since he'd really cried, nut he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.

'Spoiled brat!' Narcissa scorns.

'Dinky Duddydums-

Everyone burst into laughter at the ridiculous nickname.

'-don't cry, Mummy won't let them spoil your special day!' she cried, flinging her arms around him.

'I... don't... want... them... t-t-to come!' Dudley yelled between huge pretend sobs. 'They always sp-spoil everything!' He shot Chloe and Harry a nasty grin through his mothers arms.

'I really hate that boy,' Alice remarked. Molly gave her a nod in agreement.

Just then, the doorbell rang-- 'Oh good Lord, they're here!' said Aunt Petunia frantically-- and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held peoples arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once, while Chloe quietly hid behind Harry. Piers fancied Chloe and it wasn't in a nice way.

'He better not do anything to her!' James threatened angrily.

Half an hour later, the twins, who both couldn't believe their luck, were sitting squashed together in the back of the Dursley's car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in their lives. 

'We'd take them to the zoo wouldn't we?' James said to Gwendolyn , a bittersweet smile on his face.

Gwendolyn smiled 'Definitely.'

Their aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with them, but before they'd all left, Uncle Vernon had taken the pair of them aside. 

'I'm warning you both,' he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to theirs. 'I'm warning you both now-- any funny business, anything at all-- and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas.' 

'Surely abuse cannot be better than him living with one of us?' Kimberly aska, but receives no response.

'But we're not going to do anything', said Harry, 'honestly.

But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.

The problem was, strange things often happened around the twins and it was just no good telling the Dursley's that they didn't make them happen.

Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left to 'hide that horrible scar.'

'That's abuse!' Kimberly said again to Remus who agreed with her.

Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night with Chloe beside him trying her best to comfort him while he was imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and tapes glasses, and Chloe for her clothes always being second hand. Next morning, however, the twins had woken up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in the cupboard for this,

'How was that his fault?' Sirius asks. 'That's unfair!'

even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.

Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force Chloe into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puffs)

'Now that IS revolting,' Narcissa remarked, her nose crinkling in disgust at the mental image.

- The harder she tried to pull it over her head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly not Chloe. Aunt Petunia decided it must have shrunk in the wash, and, to her great relief, Chloe wasn't punished.

On the other hand, they'd both gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing them as usual

'So horrible!' Molly reiterated.

when, to the twins' surprise as anyone else's, there they were sat on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from the twins' Headmistress telling them that Chloe and Harry had been climbing school buildings. 

'But I'll bet she didn't care about the bulling that was happening!' Gwendolyn stated, anger painted all over her face.

But all they'd tried to do (as Harry shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the bid trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed the wind must have caught them both in mid-jump.

But today, nothing was going to go wrong.

'I have a very bad feeling that that statement will be proved false,' Alice said.

It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, their shared cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.

While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things:

'I can believe that!' James huffs.

people at work, Chloe, Harry, the council, Chloe, Harry, the bank, and Chloe and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.

'...roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums'

'He does give me the vibe of the kinds of guy to refer to people as hoodlums' Arabella jeered.

he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.

'I had a dream about a motorcycle,' said Harry, remembering suddenly. 'It was flying.'

Chloe looked at him like he was crazy, and put her fingers to her lips quickly. But it was in vain, Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache 

Everyone snicked at this.

'MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!'

'Well have I got news for you!' Sirius remarked, a large grin on his face.

Dudley and Piers sniggered.

'He knows that,' Chloe piped up quickly, trying her best to diffuse this before they got into anymore trouble.

'It was only a dream,' Harry added.

But he wished he hadn't said anything, and he knew that Chloe would probably agree with that. Of there was one thing the Dursley's hated more than asking questions, it was the pair of them talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even in a cartoon- they seemed to think they might get dangerous ideas. Chloe had learned the lesson quickly, alongside a few black eyes courtesy of her uncle.

'That asshole,' James says, clenching his hand in his fists. McGonagall decides to quickly read on before another situation brewed.

It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursley's bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked the twins what they wanted before they could hurry them away, 

'They didn't even want to buy the twins ice cream!' Alice said.

'Thankfully the lady spotted them!' Molly adds.

they bought them a cheap lemon ice pop each. 

'It's not half bad,' Harry remarked to his sister, as they both licked them while watching a gorilla scratching its head. 'That gorilla looks like Dudley, you know!'

The room erupted into laughter again.

'Funny guy,' Xenophilius remarked.

Chloe giggled. 'True, if it was blonde they would be twins!'

Both Chloe and Harry had the best morning they'd had in a long time. They were both careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursley's so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored of the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting them, and Piers creeping Chloe out. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum-

'Shocker,' Lucius remarks coldly.

because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top

'What a stupid thing to throw a temper tantrum about!' Molly scolds.

Uncle Vernon bought him another one and the twins were allowed to finish the first.

Both Chloe and Harry felt, afterward, that they should have known it was all too good to last.

'Knew it,' Alice says sadly.

'It wasn't very hard to guess,' Lucius says snidely.

After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there , with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice round Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can- but at the moment it didn't look in the mood, it was fast asleep. 

Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at  the glistening brown coils.

'That snake is lucky that it is asleep,' Alice whispered to Molly, who giggled.

'Make it move,' he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge. 

'Do it again,' Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smarty with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.

'Poor snake,' Gwendolyn muttered empathetically, 'it only wanted a nap!'

'Its asleep!' Chloe said, feeling bad for the snake.

'Like mother like daughter right there!' Pandora remarked. 

'This is boring,' Dudley moaned. He shuffled away. 

Chloe and Harry moved themselves in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. 

'I wouldn't be surprised if the snake dies of boredom itself,' Harry remarked. 

'Poor thing, no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass to disturb it all day long,' Chloe remarked sympathetically, eyes not leaving the snake. 'That must be worse than the cupboard, even with Aunt Petunia at lease we get to see the rest of the house.' 

'Bless them, they're so kind,' Molly says.

The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were level with the twins.

It winked.

This caught everyone's attention, even Bellatrix's.

Chloe stared at the snake. Harry looked around quickly to see if anyone else was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake, and in sync with his twin sister, winked back. 

The snake jerked it's head towards Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave the twins a look that said plainly: I get that all the time. 

'I know,' Harry muttered through the glass, even though neither him nor Chloe knew if the snake could hear him. 

'It must be really annoying,' Chloe added

The snake nodded vigourously.

'Wait- they can talk to snakes?' Gwendolyn asks, her face draining of colour momentarily. Even a muggle born such as herself knew talking parseltongue was not a good sign.

'That's really uncommon, only a few people know how to, including the one who they killed,' Bellatrix asks, looking interested for the first time in the evening. 

'That's no good, no good at all,' James adds, looking at Gwendolyn worriedly. 

'Where do you come from anyway?' Harry asked. 

Chloe jabs him and and points at the sign, 'It says he's from Brazil.'

'Was it nice there?' Harry asks. 

'Harry look again,' Chloe instructs him. Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. 

'Oh, I see- so you've never been to Brazil?'

As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump.

'DUDLEY! MR DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT ITS DOING!'

Dudley came waddling towards them as fast as he could. 

'Out of my way, you two,' he said punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard into Chloe and the pair of them fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next, nobody really saw how it happened-

Everyone was listening in, either with fear or with genuine interest. 

one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.

'Why?' Gwendolyn muttered to James, fearing for her currently unborn children. 

The twins sat up and gasped; the glass in front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.

'How?' Amos asks. 

'Magic obviously,' Barty says, rolling his eyes. 

The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. 

As the snake slid swiftly past him, both of the twins could have sworn a low, hissing voice said: 'Brazil, here I come... thankss amigos.'

'Yeah they can definitely talk to snakes,' Regulus says, looking slightly fearful.

The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.

'But the glass,' he kept saying, 'where did the glass go?'

'Stupid muggle,' Bellatrix scorned. 

'It not his fault, imagine that happening and not knowing about magic,' Andromeda interjected.

The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologised over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as the twins had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling how it had nearly bitten off its leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. 

'Such dramatics,' Snape scorned. 

But worst of it all, for the twins at least, was Piers calming down enough to say 'Chloe and Harry were talking to it, weren't you two?'

'Oh dear,' Arabella hissed, knowing that this wouldn't end well for the twins.

'No,' Chloe said quickly. 'Snakes can't talk to us or us to them.'

'That was probably in vain,' Kimberly said.

Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Chloe and Harry. 

James clenched his fist, anger upon his face.

He was so angry he couldn't speak. He managed to say 'Go-cupboard-stay-no meals-' as he grabbed Chloe's hair and shoved Harry and Chloe into the cupboard, before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy. 

'I really don't like him' James says angrily. 

Chloe and Harry lay in their cupboard much later, wishing that one of them had a watch. 

'Do you know what time it is?' Harry asked.

Chloe shook her head, before saying 'I haven't heard them go to bed yet. When they go, lets steal some food.'

'Do you ever think of our parents?' Harry asked.

Chloe turned around and looked at him softly 'Everyday.'

Gwendolyn eyes flood with tears again. 

'Sometimes I'm mad at them for getting in that car crash and dying,' Harry says. 'I don't think we were in the car though. Sometimes when I strain my memory long enough I have a strange vision-'

Chloe stops him and says 'Do you see a big green flash and then your forehead starts to hurt?'

Harry sits up, 'Exactly! You have it too?'

'Yes,' Chloe says. 'I suppose the light could be from the crash, but I don't know why it would be green.'

'The green light would have been You-Know-Who,' Sirius whispers to Peter, who was looking confused. 

'How can they remember that?' Molly asks Kimberly, who merely shrugs her shoulders in response. 

'Can you remember our parents at all? I can't for the life of me,' Harry asks his twin.

'No, I wish I could though. And it's not even like our Aunt or Uncle talk about them, I literally have no idea what they are like,' Chloe says, sadness laced in her voice. 

'And no photos either,' Harry adds, also sad. 

'You know, when I was younger I used to dream and dream of someone coming, some unknown relation I guess, and they'd be here to take us away from here,' Chloe sighs. 'But these are the only family we've got.'

Gwendolyn quietly starts crying slightly at this.

'Do you remember those people who stopped us in the streets?' Harry says, remembering suddenly.

Chloe chuckles, a grin forming on her face at this. 'Yeah, the strange strangers. Like that man in the violet top hat that bowed at us.'

'Yeah and when we said we didn't know the man, Aunt Petunia hauled us out of that shop so quickly,' Harry remembers, smiling at the memory. 

'Then there was the wild-looking woman in green that waved to us merrily on a bus,' Chloe adds. 

'And the bald man in the super long purple coat that shook our hands!' At this both of the twins chuckled at the memory. 

'And then he just walked off... its strange that the people just seemed to disappear after these incidents though...' Chloe sais thoughtfully. 

'I'm just glad I have you,' Harry says, looking at his sister with love. 

Gwendolyn lets out a sob at this, no one really blaming her. 

'Yeah?' Chloe says, moving closer to her brother. 

'Yeah. If I didn't have you, it would be so much worse,' Harry says, putting an arm around his sister gently. 

'At least we have each other,' Chloe says, hugging her brother tightly. 

'And that's the end of Chapter 2,' McGonagall announces.

'I'm just so glad they have each other,' Gwendolyn says, the crying seeming to calm down. 

'Me too Gwen,' James tells her tenderly, hugging her tightly. 

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone

Chapter One: The Twins Who Lived

'Alright then Dumbledore, do you want to read the first chapter?' 

Albus Dumbledore simply nods at McGonagall, and opens the book. 'This Chapter', he booms, 'Is called 'The Twins Who Lived'.

'Ooh! That'll be Chloe and Harry!' Alice exclaims to Gwendolyn excitedly. 

Mr and Mrs Dursley of-

'Wait, I thought this was about Chloe and Harry?' Regulus says, abruptly stopping Dumbledore's storytelling. 'Who are the Dursleys?'

'Dursley... that name does ring a bell, but I can't put my finger on why.' Gwendolyn ponders.

'Isn't your sister, Petunia, dating a Dursley?' Kimberly asks.

'AHA! That's it!' Gwendolyn exclaims. 'Is it?'

'Yes, Miss Evans, the Dursleys are your sister and her husband,' McGonagall says.

'Why are we starting the story off with a bunch of muggles?' Narcissa scorns. 'Why aren't we talking about Chloe and Harry, or even Gwendolyn and James?' With this, everyone erupts into conversations filled with confusion about the beginning of this tale.

'Everyone!' Dumbledore booms, and the room instantly falls silent. 'Everything will be exclaimed. Now, if you all don't mind, let's use our ears and listen to the tale.'

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

'Don't exactly know why you'd be so proud of being normal,' Xenophilius mutters to Barty Jr. 'I personally find normal to be very boring indeed'.

'I agree mate,' Barty Jr whispered back. 

They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense. 

Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.

'I won't lie,' Sirius exclaims, as he shuffled down in his beanbag, hands going behind his head, 'That sounds like the deadest job ever.'

'I agree,' Calls Peter, mouth full of sweet treats.

'Ew, Pete!' Arabella groans. 'Swallow before you wallow!'

'Sorry,' Peter muffles, clearly not being very sorry at all.

He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.

'He sounds like a right looker,' Andromeda exclaims, sarcastically, and the room erupted into laughter.

Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which became useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours.

'That is deffo your sister, Gwen!' Arabella announces, Kimberly next to her chuckling in agreement.

'This book isn't very nice about my poor sister,' Gwendolyn says, whole trying not to laugh at the trueness of the definition of Petunia.

The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.

'This is a lovely description and all,' says Bellatrix, who was already laid back on her seat, already very bored. 'But what does this have to do with us?'

'Patience, Miss Lestrange, Patience.'

The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.

'What's wrong with the Potters?' James cried, defensively as he suddenly sat up in his chair.

'Do you want a list?' Severus cut in.

'Snivellous, watch it!

'James leave it!' Gwendolyn exclaimed, and James gave Severus the finger and turned away from him.

Mrs Potter was Mrs Dursleys sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister,

'Me and my sister don't get along?' Gwendolyn exclaimed sadly. This garnered sympathetic looks from most of the people int hat room, apart from a few Slytherins, who really couldn't care less. 

,because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband

'Way harsh!' James objected. 'I am NOT good-for-nothing!'

were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.

'Well I don't want to be like them anyway,' James exclaimed proudly, 'Do we Gwen?'

'Nope,' Gwen responded, letting out a small smile. James took this as a win.

The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had children too, twins, one girl and one boy, but they had never seen either of them. Those children were another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.

When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on a dull, grey Tuesday out story starts

'Merlin, has it only just started!' Bellatrix groans.

,there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country.

'What things?' Asked Peter, looking up from all the food he'd been eating.

'If you let the man talk, he'll tell us, stop interrupting!' Amos exclaims, also already fed up of this book.

'That was rude,' Peter mutters, but nonetheless shutting up to let Dumbledore continue.

Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work and Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.

'Lovely child,' drawls Lucius, with disgust.

None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window.

At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the wall.

'What a delightful child', Kimberly quipped, not even trying to hide her obvious sarcasm.

'Little tyke' chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.

'He's got a car!' Exclaimed Arthur excitedly, looking up.

'Most people in the Muggle world do,' Gwendolyn explained.

'Well I am very jealous of Muggles!'

It was on this corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar- a cat reading a map.

Everyone suddenly turned to look at McGonagall.

'You're in this story too!' Amos exclaimed.

'Well of course, Mr Diggory,' She said, trying her hardest to hold back her smile. 

For a second, Mr Dursley didn't realize what he had seen- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was the tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking?

'Oh Minnie, confusing Muggles yet again,' Sirius remarks, grinning broadly.

It must have been a trick of the light. Mr Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.

'McGonagall, no offense, but you really need to work on your being a cat skills,' Regulus jokes.

As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive- no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.

'Lies, we all know one who can.' Molly exclaims, pointing at McGonagall giddily.

Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove towards town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.

But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. 

'Wizards wearing wizarding clothes in the Muggle world?' Alice quizzed.

'That's strange. That's like one of the things we know not to do!' Narcissa remarks, also looking puzzled.

People in cloaks. Mr Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes- the get-ups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. Mr Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald green cloak!

'Something big has happened,' Murmured Barty, 'Something huge in our world'. 

The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt- these people were obviously collecting for something...

'Stupid muggles!' Chortled Bellatrix.

...yes that would be it. The traffic moved on, and a few minutes later, Mr Dursley arrived in the Grunnings car park, his mind back on drills. 

Mr Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.

'I'm presuming that it isn't normal for owls to do that in the Muggle world?' Andromeda asks Gwendolyn. 

'No. it's not at all,' Gwendolyn responds, brows furrowed in confusion.

'Question.' Remus says. 'Why are we reading about this? What about Gwen or Prongs? Or Chloe and Harry?'

'Patience, Mr Lupin, and all will be revealed.'

Most of them had never seen an owl even at night-time. Mr Dursley, however, had a perfectly fine owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls

'What's a telephone?' Arthur asks.

Gwendolyn got him a pen and a sheet of paper, and handed it to him with the instruction of 'write what you don't know and I'll explain later'.

and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunch-time, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakers opposite.

'Lard-arse,' Arabella exclaimed.

He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This lot were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin.

'Stupid Muggle, they aren't collecting anything!' Bellatrix says.

It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.

'Is this when we find out what happened?' Regulus said, trying to contain his excitement.

Everyone now, even Bellatrix, was listening intently.

'The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard- yes, their children, Chloe and Harry-'

'What happened to them?' Asked Gwendolyn, looking nervous.

'Why is everyone talking about us?' James asked, also looking nervous.

'Patience Miss Evans and Mr Potter, all will be explained.'

Mr Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.

He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone and had almost finished dialing home when he changed his mind. He put the receiver down and stroked his mustache, thinking... no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure that there were lots of people called potter that had children named Chloe and Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his niece and nephew were called Chloe and Harry. He'd never even seen either of them, the girl or the boy. It might have been Charlotte and Harvey. Or Clara and Harold.

'Harold!' James exclaimed, his nose wrinkling in disgust. 'What a horrible name, why would I name my child that!'

There was no point in worrying Mrs Dursley, she always got so upset at the mention of her sister. He didn't blame her- if he'd had a sister like that..

'A sister like what!' Arabella exclaimed defensively. 'Gwendolyn is so much better than Petunia, that bitch!'

'I agree!' James says. 'I'd be more worried about his wife more than anything else.

...but all the same, those people in cloaks... 

He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon, and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that  he walked straight into someone just outside of the door. 

'Sorry,' he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was two seconds before Mr Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passers-by stare: 'Don't be sorry my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last!

'WHAT!' Came the collective shout from everyone in that room, excluding the teachers.

'He's gone?' James exclaimed loudly, 'But how?'

'That will be revealed soon, Mr Potter.'

Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy happy day!'

And the old man hugged Mr Dursley around the middle and walked off.

Mr Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off home, hoping his was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.

'Shock me,' Remus said quietly. Kimberly chuckled.

As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw- and it didn't improve his mood- was the tabby cat he'd spotted this morning.

Everyone turned to stare at McGonagall once again. 

It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure that it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.

'Shoo!' said Mr Dursley loudly. 

The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. Was this normal cat behaviour, Mr Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife. 

Mrs Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learnt a new word (shan't!). Mr Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living-room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:

'And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern.' The news reader allowed himself a grin. 'Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?'

'Well, Ted,' said the weatherman, 'I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire and Dundee have been phoning to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars!'

'Shooting stars!' Exclaimed Gwendolyn. 'No wonder they're all wondering what's going on!'

Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early- it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight.'

Arthur added 'Bonfire Night' to his list.

Mr Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...

Mrs Dursley came into the living-room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. 'Er- Petunia, dear- you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?'

As he expected, Mrs Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.

'I always knew she didn't like me, but I didn't think she would take it this far!' Gwendolyn exclaimed, sadly. She once again received sympathetic looks from most of the inhabitants of the room. James put his arm around her comfortingly, and she softly smiled.

'No,' she said sharply. 'Why?'

'Funny stuff on the news,' Mr Dursley mumbled.' Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today...'

'So?' snapped Mrs Dursley.

'Well I just thought... maybe... it was something to do with... you know.. her lot.'

'Is that us he's referring to?' Andromeda asks. 'Witches and Wizards?' Dumbledore nodded.

Mrs Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name 'Potter'. He decided he didn't dare. Instead, he said, as casually as he could. 'This twins- they'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't they?'

'I suppose so,' Said Mrs Dursley stiffly. 

"What's their names again? Clara and Howard, isn't it?'

'Chloe and Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me.'

'Says the one who named their child 'Dudley''. Kimberly scoffed.

'Chloe and Harry are nice names, especially in comparison to Dudley!' Regulus agreed. 

'Oh, yes,' said Mr Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. 'Yes, I quite agree.'

'He can't talk about names!' Gwendolyn says defensively. 'His name is Vernon.'

This sent James into a pit of laughter. 

'Who names their child Vernon?' Alice says, giggling.

He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. it was staring down Privet Drive as though it was waiting for something.

'But what!' Remus asks, getting rather annoyed. 'What does this have to do with Gwen and Prongs?'

'Patience, Mr Lupin.'

'I don't have that at the moment.'

Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did.. if it got out that they were related to a pair of-

'Pair of what?' James asks, defensively. 'What's wrong with me and Gwen?'

well, he didn't think he could bear it.

'Well, I can't bear the fact that I'm gonna be related to you!' James says. 'Such a horrible, boring man!'

The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he feel asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind...  

'What's his issue with us?' Amos asks.

'He perceives us as not normal,' Xenophilius explains. 'And he only likes normal things.'

He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on. He yawned and turned over. It couldn't affect them...

How very wrong he was. 

'What do you mean by that?' James asked quizzically.

'Do we turn up at their doorstep?' Gwendolyn asks.

'Patience, Miss Evans, Mr Potter.'

Mr Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the the wall outside was showing no signs of sleepiness. 

All eyes again returned to McGonagall.

It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unthinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed in the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.

'Where you not bored?' Regulus asks.

A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. 

All eyes went to Dumbledore.

'Is it you, sir?' Molly asks.

Dumbledore shrugs, but the grin on his face gave it away that it was, in fact, him.

The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. 

Nothing like this man had ever been seen in Privet Drive. He was tall, thin and very old,  judging by the silver of his hair and beard. which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes, were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. 

'But why are you at Privet Drive?' Remus asks. 'What happened?'

'Once again, patience Mr Lupin.'

Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realise that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realise he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered 'I should have known'.

He had found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up into the air and clicked it. The nearest street light went out with a pop.

'Oh that's so cool!' Frank exclaimed.

He clicked it again- the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left in the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. 

'I bet your sister would have still tried though, right Gwen?' Arabella teased. Gwendolyn chuckled lightly. 

Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street towards number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it. 'Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall.'

He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead, he was smiling at a rather severe-looking women who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had around its eyes. 

'That's our Minnie alright!' Sirius joked, smiling at the teacher.

She too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. 

'How did you know it was me?' she asked.

'My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly.'

'You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day'  said Professor McGonagall.

'All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passes a dozen feasts and parties on the way here.'

Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily. 'Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right,' she said impatiently. 'You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no- even the Muggles have noticed something's going on/ It was on their news.' She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. 'I heard it. Flocks of owls... shooting stars.. Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent- I bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense.'

Everyone in the room recognised the name. Diggle was a Hufflepuff a few years above them, and they all happened to agree with McGonagall on her evaluation of him.

'You can't blame them,' said Dumbledore gently. 'We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years'.

'I know that,' said Professor McGonagall irritably. 'But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours.'

Everyone's head poked up at this.

She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't so she went on: 'A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?'

'It certainly seems so,'

Everyone gasped.

'But how!' Barty Jr asked.

said Dumbledore. 'We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a sherbet lemon?'

Arthur wrote 'Sherbet Lemon' on his list.

'A what?'

'A sherbet lemon. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of.'

Arthur crossed it off his list.

'No, thank you,' said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for sherbet lemons. 'As I say. even if You-Know-Who has gone-'

'My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this "You-Know-Who" nonsense- for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort'

Everyone in the room let out an involuntary shudder, except Dumbledore.

Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two sherbet lemons, seemed not to notice. 'It all gets so confusing if we keep saying "You-Know-Who". I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.'

Another shudder from everyone.

'I know you haven't,' said Professor McGonagall, sounding half-exasperated, half-admiring. 'But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort- was frightened of.'

'You flatter me,' said Dumbledore calmly. 'Voldemort had powers I will never have.'

'Only because you're too- well- noble to use them.'

'It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey like my new earmuffs.'

Alice and Molly giggled to each other at that.

Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, 'The owls are nothing to the rumours that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?'

'Are we finding out now?' Remus asks.

'Yes, Mr Lupin.' Everyone was now sat up, attention fully on the story, the suspense in the air thick as they awaited to hear what had happened.

It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever 'everyone' was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another sherbet lemon and did not answer. 

'What they're saying,' she pressed on. 'is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters.

Everyone turned and looked at Gwen and James, whose faces had turned pale.

'I think I know what's to come next, James,' Gwen says softly, tears filling her blue eyes.

James clearly knew what she meant, and grabbed her hand tightly. 'Don't say that.'

The rumour is that Gwendolyn and James Potter are- are- that they're- dead.'

A gasp erupted from the room.

'Knew it,' Gwendolyn said quietly, tears now spilling from her eyes.

'We die?' James asks, voice croaky, as he starts to softly cry too.

'I'm afraid so,' Dumbledore says solemnly. 

Arabella lets out a small sob, followed by Kimberly, Molly and Alice doing the same. The others just started at the pair in shock, tears in some of their eyes. Sirius mouth gapes open, silent tears streaming from his face. 

'We'll give you all a few minutes to get used to that,' McGonagall says softly, feeling hot tears pricking her own eyeballs.

A few minutes pass, and a still sniffling Gwendolyn and James say that they are ready to continue. 

Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. 'Gwen and James... I can't believe it... oh, Albus...'

'Aww, Minnie you care!' James says, giving her a water smile.

'I have a question,' Molly says. 'What happens to Chloe and Harry?'

'Yeah, the book is about them, so they haven't died,' Kimberly says. 'So were they not in the house at the time or something?'

'That part is coming up now.' Dumbledore announces.

Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. 'I know... I know...' he said heavily.

Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. 'That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's twins, Chloe and Harry. But he couldn't kill those little children.

'WHAT!' The room broke out into.

'Prongs, your children are the reason why he's gone!' Remus said, putting the pieces together.

'Really?' James says, as he and Gwendolyn look to Dumbledore for some kind of explanation. 

'Mr Lupin was correct, your children did stop Voldemort.'

'But how?' Bellatrix spoke up, looking completely dumbfounded. 'You're telling me that he killed all those people and was as powerful as he was, but couldn't kill two kids?'

'That is correct, Miss Black, but the rest of the explanation, I'm afraid, you'll have to wait to find out what happened.'

'Are we ready to continue?' McGonagall cuts in.

With everyone nodding in agreement Dumbledore continues. 

No one knows why or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Chloe and Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke- and that's why he's gone.'

'James, you have some powerful offspring, mate!' Amos announces, everyone nodding in agreement.

Dumbledore nodded glumly. 

'It's- it's true?' faltered Professor McGonagall. 'After all he's done... all the people he's killed.. he could kill two little children? It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Chloe and Harry survive?'

'We can only guess,' said Dumbledore. 'We may never know.'

Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said 'Hagrid's late.

'Hagrid's in this story?' Gwendolyn asked happily. Hagrid had just become the Groundkeeper for Hogwarts very recently, and Gwendolyn found him very lovely and kind.

'Great, just what this story needs,' Lucius remarks to Narcissa and Bellatrix. 'That big oaf.'

I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?'

'Yes,' said Professor McGonagall. 'And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?'

'I've come to bring Chloe and Harry to their aunt and uncle.

'YOU'RE WHAT!' James and Gwendolyn shouted. 

'Why would you do that!' James asked, looking at Dumbledore as is he'd gone mad.

'My sister hates me, and you want to give her my children?' Gwendolyn asks, anger rising in her voice. 'She's going to treat them terribly!'

'How come either me, Kimberly, Remus, Sirius or even Peter don't get them?' Arabella asks.

'It's a long story that is explained later, but you need to know it was for the best,' Dumbledore replied.

'I don't believe you!' Gwendolyn says.

Before starting an argument, Dumbledore just keeps on reading.

They're the only family they've got left now.'

'You don't mean- you can't mean the people who live here?' cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. 'Dumbledore- you can't.

'See, McGonagall agrees it's a bad idea!' James says. 

'Unfortunately, Mr Potter, it had to be done.' Dumbledore said calmly. 

You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son- I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street. screaming for sweets. Chloe and Harry Potter come and live here!'

'It's the best place for them,' said Dumbledore firmly. 'His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older

'But they won't!' Gwendolyn exclaims angrily. ''My sister hated me being a witch, she won't tell my children that they're the same!'

I've written them a letter.'

'A letter?' repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down against the wall. 'Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain this in a letter? These people will never understand him! They'll both be famous- a legend- I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Potter Twins Day in future- there will be books written about Chloe and Harry- every child in our world will know his name!'

'I bet Potter's having a right ego boost at the minute,' grovelled Severus.

'Exactly,' said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. 'It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before either of them can walk or talk! Famous for something they both won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?'

'There's a difference between growing up away from it and being placed in an abusive home!' Gwendolyn says. 

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed and then said, 'Yes- yes, you're right, of course. But how are the children getting here, Dumbledore?' She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding the twins underneath it.

'Hagrid's bringing them both.'

'You think it wise- wise- to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?'

'I would trust Hagrid with my life,' said Dumbledore.

'I wouldn't trust that big oaf with anything,' Lucius remarks.

'I'm not saying that his heart isn't in the right place,' said Professor McGonagall grudgingly. 'but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to- what was that?'

A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky- and a huge motorbike fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them. 

If the motorbike was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide.

'That's Hagrid, for sure!' Kimberly said.

He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild- long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms, he was holding two bundles of blankets.

'It's the twins!' Molly exclaimed to Gwendolyn.

'Hagrid,' said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. 'At last. And where did you get that motorbike?'

'Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir,' said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorbike as he spoke. 'Young Sirius Black lent it me.

'I have a motorbike!' Sirius exclaimed, an excited look on his face. 'That's so cool!'

I've got them both, sir.'

'No problems, were there?'

'No sir= house was almost destroyed but I got them both out alright before the Muggles started swarmin' around. They both fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol.'

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the two bundles of blankets. Inside each, just visible, was a baby, one girl and one boy, fast asleep. The girl's hair was barely visible in the dark light as it was so light, and the boy's was the exact opposite, jet black.

'Aww you had a mini you and a mini James, Gwen!' Alice said, cooing slightly. 

'I bet they're proper cute, our kids,' James said, smiling down at Gwendolyn who just blushed in response. 

Under the tufts of platinum blonde and jet-black hair over their forehead they could see identical curiously shaped cuts, like bolts of lightning. 

'Is that where-?' whispered Professor McGonagall.

'Yes,' said Dumbledore. 'They'll have those scars for ever.'

'Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground. 

'Really?' Gwendolyn asked, amusement written over her face at the idea. Dumbledore nodded. 

'Can we see?' Andromeda asks.

'Maybe another time.'

Well- give him here, Hagrid- we'd better get this over with.'

Dumbledore took Chloe and Harry in his arms and turned towards the Dursley's house.

'Could I- could I say goodbye to them, sir?' asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry first and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss, then doing the exact same to Chloe. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.

'Shhh!' hissed Professor McGonagall. 'You'll wake the Muggles!'

'I mean I doubt it,' Arabella says. 'especially if the motorbike didn't in the first place.'

'S-s-sorry,' sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. 'But I c-c-can't stand it- Gwen and James dead- an' poor little Chloe and poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles-'

'Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found,' Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Chloe and Harry gently on the doorstep

'WHAT!' James and Gwendolyn erupted again, turning to Dumbledore angrily.

'You're leaving them on the doorstep?' Kimberly asked him, looking both parts angry and confused.

'What if there was foxes or something?' James asks. 

'Yeah, and the weatherman said earlier that it was going to rain!' Remus added. 'You're leaving them in the cold and the wet?'

,took two letters out of his cloak, tucked them inside either Chloe's or Harry's blankets and then came back to the other two. For a full minute, the three of them stood and looked at the two little bundles; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.

'Well,' said Dumbledore finally, 'that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations.'

'What you should be doing instead,' says Gwendolyn, angrily, 'is thinking about the fact that you left two BABIES on a doorstep!'

'Yeah,' said Hagrid in a very muffled voice. 'I'd best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall- Professor Dumbledore, sir.' Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself on to the motorbike and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night. 

'I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall,' said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. 

Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the two bundles of blankets on the step of number four. 

'Good luck, Chloe and Harry,' he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak he was gone.

'And leaving the two babies on the step,' Arabella said, rolling her eyes at the idea.

A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Chloe and Harry Potter rolled over inside of their blankets without either of them waking up. Each baby had one small hand closed on the letters beside them and they both slept on, not knowing they were special, not knowing they were famous, not knowing that they would both be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, not that they would both spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by their cousin Dudley...

'He better not do anything to either of them!' James muttered.

...They couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Chloe and Harry Potter- the twins who lived!'

[otunnicliffe]

Chloe + Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone

Prologue

IMPORTANT! If you have received this note, please meet Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore in the Room Of Requirement at 8:00am this Saturday. Dress comfortably, you don't need to be uniform, just in something comfortable that you won't mind sitting in for several hours.   Bring your note with you, only people with this note will be able to come in, and you must arrive, failure to do so will result in a member of staff locating you and forcefully bringing you to the room. This was the note that 26 students, in their 5th year at Hogwarts received at breakfast on ThurSday

Gwendolyn Evans, Arabella Nott, Kimberly Fox, Alice Forstue, Molly Prewett, Pandora Quigley, Andromeda Black, Bellatrix Black, Narcissa Black, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Frank Longbottom, Arthur Weasley, Amos Diggory, Xenophilius Lovegood, Bartimus Crouch Jr, Regulus Black, Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy all stood outside of the Room Of Requirement, like they were instructed.  As the note says, they were all dressed comfortably. "What do you think this is about?" Ximena asked the group. "Not sure, but it's weird that we all got the exact same letter." Alice says. Before anyone else could say anything, the door abruptly opened, and the group looked at each other before entering. Once everyone was inside and they handed in their letters, the door slammed shut behind them. McGonagall and Dumbledore sat on two chairs, holding 7 books near them.  "Please, sit down." Dumbledore told them. Just in from of them sat 26 identical beanbags, and an array of food next to them, which explained by McGonagall was never-ending, which made Peter squeal with glee.  They all sat down. "You are most probably wondering why you have been asked to come here aren't you?" Dumbledore asked them, after they nodded, he continued "You are here because you are going to read seven books, everyone in this room has a part (big or small) in these books." "What do you mean, sir?" Narcissa asked, her brows knitted together in confusion.  "These books are from the future-" "The future? Gwendolyn says suddenly. "Yes, Miss Evans the future. You are listening to these books in hopes to change the future. You will be warned now, do not spread these stories to anyone else. And also be warned, that some of the things in this book may come as a shock." "Why?" Alice asks, popping an cookie in her mouth. "Some of you die."  They looked round at each other in shock. "I will read the first chapter of the first book," McGonagall says, "It's called 'The Potter Twins And The Philosopher's Stone." "POTTER twins, I have twins?" James asks, shocked. "Yes Mr Potter, you do."

"Who's the mother?" "Gwendolyn Evans." "WHAT!" Gwendolyn yells, as she choked on her water that she was drinking, "I have kids with Potter?" "I marry Gwendolyn?" James asked, looking at the half-veela who refused to meet his eyes.  "And get busy!" Sirius jokes. "Shut up Sirius!" Gwendolyn says. Arabella, who happened to be behind him, whacked him on the back of his head. "Ouch Belle, was that really necessary?" "Be lucky I didn't hex you, Black." She seethes and he turns around quickly.

Gwendolyn turned to Dumbledore and McGonagall, "I really marry James in the future? And have twins?" They both nodded. "What are their genders?" 'A girl and a boy,' Answered Dumbledore.

"A boy and a girl I've always wanted that, Gwendolyn says, smiling slightly, "What are their names?" 

"Chloe Gwendolyn and Harry James," Dumbledore tells her. 'Cute names,' remarks Kimberly, nudging her best friend quietly.

'Are we ready to begin?' McGonagall asks, as stern as ever. Everyone nods. 

'Alright then Dumbledore, do you want to read the first chapter?'

[otunnicliffe]

Queens Of Hogwarts.

Chapter 1: New Year, New (Same?) Problem:

Let me tell you about the strange things Are happenin' to me Strange things Strange things are happenin' to me Ain't no doubt about it

Kimberly Fox lay on her bed, awake but unwilling to get out. Today was the day she has been dreading all summer long- the day she returns to Hogwarts. Not just for any year, the year of the dreaded OWL exams. Kimberly had felt the sense of dread on returning to school twice before this, but it had never been so prevalent for her up until this year.

Kimberly Fox was a werewolf. And during this summer, she had undergone the 'werewolf transformation', and had almost changed so much she couldn't recognise herself in the mirror at first. But that wasn't the worst part, even though the fact that she had grew rather significantly was an issues as she had to buy a whole new wardrobe of clothes, it was what it meant now that she was a fully formed werewolf. This now meant that she had to find a mate. For life. At 15 years old. It made Kimberly sick to her stomach just thinking about it. 

Her locks, a deep chestnut brown, cascaded in gentle waves down to her shoulders, catching glimmers of gold and auburn as the sunlight played through them. She often tucked a stray strand behind her ear, a gesture that revealed the delicate curve of her jawline and the soft, rosy hue of her cheeks. Her eyes, a warm hazel, were her most striking feature, framed by long, dark lashes that accentuated their depth. They sparkled with curiosity and intelligence, reflecting an inner warmth and a hint of mischief. Her eyebrows, naturally arched and expressive, added to the animated nature of her expressions, conveying everything from surprise to amusement with subtle shifts.he had a natural grace about her, moving with an easy confidence that drew others in. Her features were balanced and harmonious, with a small, straight nose and full, naturally pink lips that curved into a ready smile. She had a keen mind and a sharp wit, often surprising those around her with insightful observations and clever humour. Her laughter was infectious, a light, melodic sound that seemed to brighten any room she entered.

Eventually, the ringing in her ears as they picked up every little sound in her little house forced her out of bed as she started to get ready. Huffing as she went, she put on a pretty basic outfit and sat back on her bed after, staring at the wall as if that would answer the questions imposing in her mind. 

‘How am I going to survive this?’ She asks herself, muttering. 

Finally deciding to get up, she was greeted by a knock on the door. Turning around, she greeted her friend with a kind smile. 

‘You excited to go back?’ Arabella Nott asked. 

Arabella Nott was someone who defied all expectations. Slowly becoming banished from her family, she was sorted into Gryffindor instead of the wanted Slytherin and was shamed publicly for it. Arabella had spent every summer except the first that they knew each other at Kimberly’s house, a place of escape, away from the abuse and neglect she received. Kimberly always thought of her as one of the most resilient people she had ever met, with Arabella calling her stupid for that (‘mate you’re a werewolf that is so much worse!) but Kimberly always stayed true to her belief. 

Arabella's jet-black hair, sleek and straight, fell like a silken curtain to her waist, catching the light with a glossy sheen that highlighted its luxurious depth. Occasionally, a gentle breeze would lift a few strands, revealing the subtle blue undertones that shimmered in the sunlight. Her eyes, a striking emerald, were framed by long, thick lashes that added a touch of drama to her gaze. They were expressive and captivating, capable of conveying a thousand emotions with a single look—from intense curiosity to a quiet, thoughtful intensity. Her eyebrows, dark and well-defined, arched gracefully above her eyes, enhancing her naturally striking features. Arabella's complexion was smooth and radiant, a warm, olive tone that seemed to glow from within. Her lips, full and naturally rosy, curved into a confident, enigmatic smile that hinted at a playful and adventurous spirit. Arabella moved with a fluid grace, every step measured and deliberate, exuding confidence and poise. Her voice was soft yet firm, with a melodic quality that made people want to listen. When she spoke, her words were thoughtful and articulate, often revealing a sharp intellect and a keen sense of humour.

‘Kinda,’ She replied honestly ‘But it’s going to be strange.’

’You’re telling me! What with your sudden transformation into a sexy goddess and Gwen alone I’m gonna look like a rat in comparison!’ 

‘Oh Bella!’ Kimberly scolded her friend, lightly whacking her arm. ‘You are stunning!’

’Not in comparison to you and Gwen!’

’What about me?’ A third voice announced themselves. 

Gwendolyn Evans was the voices owner. A half Veela (and incredibly gorgeous) everyone who sees her can’t but stare. But Gwendolyn was always proving that she was so much more than her looks. Incredibly caring towards everyone, even the ones who berated her for being a muggle born, she was one of the most beloved people at Hogwarts.

Gwendolyn was stood by the door, her golden blonde hair catching the soft glow of the rising sun, transforming her into a figure right out of a serene painting. Her locks, light and flowing, cascaded around her shoulders and caught the breeze, framing her face with delicate wisps and creating a halo of light. The natural waves in her hair suggested an effortless grace, something that she seemed to hold. Her eyes, a vivid blue, sparkled with life and laughter, reflecting the colours of the sky and sea before her. Framed by long, feathery lashes, her gaze was open and inviting, drawing people in with its warmth and depth. Her eyebrows, lighter than her hair, were finely shaped and gave her face a gentle expressiveness. Gwendolyn’s skin glowed with health, kissed by the sun to a soft, golden tan that highlighted her high cheekbones and the smooth contour of her jawline. Her lips, full and naturally pink, often broke into a bright, engaging smile that lit up her entire face and seemed to spread happiness wherever she went. She carried herself with a confident ease, yet there was a softness in her manners that made her approachable and cherished by her peers. Her voice had a musical quality, clear and pleasant, which made her laughter a frequent and delightful sound. Beyond her striking appearance, Gwendolyn possessed a magnetic personality. She was genuinely interested in those around her, listening intently and engaging fully in conversations. Her kindness and genuine concern for others were as evident as her beauty, making her not just a joy to behold but a joy to be around. She embodied a blend of beauty, grace, and kindness that made her truly stunning, both inside and out.

‘Bella was berating herself again,‘ Kimberly says.

’Of course she was, she can’t understand that she’s drop dead gorgeous!’ Gwendolyn remarked, smiling brightly at her two best friends.

Another pair of footsteps appeared, a knock sounded at the door before anyone could say anything else. 

‘Come in!’ All three girls said in almost perfect unison. 

Kimberly’s mother entered. Jemima Fox was a tall woman with short brown hair and brown eyes, the almost exact same eyes as her daughter Kimberly. 

‘We’re going to leave in about half an hour girls just to let you know.’ Jemima remarked, her tone firm but fair. She moved to sit on the chair besides the bed in Kimberly’s bedroom, and the three girls sat on the bed, expecting a conversation. 

‘So, we need to talk’ Jemima says ‘about finding you a werewolf mate. 

Kimberly groaned and buried her face into her pillow to hide her red hot cheeks of embarrassment. Arabella wolf whistled and lightly jabbed her, Gwendolyn laughing. 

‘Mum this is so embarrassing!’ Kimberly said, finally releasing herself from underneath the pillow. 

‘I know but it’s important!’ Her mother said, sounding serious. ‘You need to find someone when you go back to Hogwarts!’

’But mum there’s no one else there who’s a werewolf!’ Kimberly exclaimed. 

‘Wrong.’ All three girls shot their heads up at this and looked at Jemima questioningly.

’Another werewolf?’ Gwendolyn asks.

’Hoe come we’ve never seen them at a full moon?’ Arabella asks, looking hard in thought. 

‘Who is it?’ Kimberly asks, excitement coursing through her veins. 

‘I don’t know,’ Kimberly slumped her shoulders at this. ‘But I do know that they are around the same age as you.’

’How did you find out?’ Gwendolyn asks. 

‘Can’t tell you, but what I can tell you is that you need to find him. He may be your mate!’ At the latter on this conversation, Jemima turned excited, and grabbed her daughter’s hand. 

‘But if we haven’t seen him in the last four years, how do we know that this time it will be any different?’ Kimberly asked her mother. 

‘Because this time you know that you are not alone.’ Was the only answer she received before her mother took herself off. 

‘Who do you think it is?’ Arabella asked, perplexed. 

‘No clue,’ Kimberly said, downtrodden. ‘That’s the problem.’ 

‘Don’t worry Kim, we’ll find them,’ Gwendolyn said encouragingly. ‘Together.’

’Yeah,’ Arabella agreed. ‘Together’. With that the three girls formed a hug. 

‘I’ve just realised that James is going to not be able to keep his eyes off you!’ Kimberly said to Gwendolyn as they peeled themselves away from one another. 

Gwendolyn only groaned at this. James Potter had made it quite obvious that he had feelings for Gwendolyn from pretty much day one of the first year. But over the summer, much like Kimberly, the already perfect Gwendolyn had gone through a Veela transformation, turning her even more perfect if it were possible. 

‘Girls are you ready to leave?’ The voice of Kimberly’s dad, Edward Fox, boomed, bringing them out of their thoughts. 

‘Yes!’ They all announced and headed downstairs to meet Edward and Jemima. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘C’mon mate I want a good seat!’ James heard as he stopped himself after running into the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. 

James Potter was a tall boy, with a head of curly black hair and bright blue eyes, shielded by his signature glasses. He always had an air of mischief about him, and why shouldn’t he? He was a marauder after all. Even when relaxed, there was an undeniable energy about him, a sense of readiness for whatever adventure or challenge would be sent his way. He exuded a natural charisma that seemed to draw others in (apart from the Slytherins). His tall, lean frame hinted at his agility and strength, helped by countless hours of flying and Quidditch practise. His smile also drew people in, one that promised fun and camaraderie, with a hint of the roguish charm that often got him into and out of trouble. His laughter, always genuine and hearty, echoed frequently in the corridors of Hogwarts, a testament to his zest for life and his close-knit circle of friends. But beneath the playful exterior, James possessed a fierce loyalty and courage that defined his character. He was a natural leader, his bravery and determination inspiring those around him. Whether standing up to injustice or protecting his friends, James’s moral compass was unwavering, guided by a deep sense of right and wrong.

‘Padfoot I’m coming!’ He finally responded to Sirius Black, his best friend. 

Sirius Black was also tall, but not as tall as James, and was quite the charmer. Known as a bit of a heartbreaker around Hogwarts, he always kept his appearance up to top. His long, dark hair fell in elegant waves around his face, framing his piercing grey eyes that always seemed to be brimming with a mixture of amusement and rebellion. There was a magnetic quality to Sirius, a kind of unspoken charisma that made people sit up and take notice. His tall, lean frame always moved with a certain grace, every step taken with confidence and a hint of swagger, as if the world was his playground. His smile, often a crooked grin, could light up a room, revealing a set of perfectly straight teeth. It was a smile that promised mischief and adventure, a challenge to the ordinary, and an invitation to join in on the fun. Sirius’s laugh was deep and infectious, a sound that resonated through the halls of Hogwarts and was unmistakably his.

Arabella and Sirius were always friends, coming from the families that they did, it was natural. However, what brought them closer was the fact that they both were thrown out of their families for not being put in Slytherin and being placed in Gryffindor. Sirius and Arabella can both remember their first night at Hogwarts, worriedly not eating any of the banquets and not sleeping that night, staying in the common room with one another, sobbing and waiting for the inevitable. 

‘For someone called Prongs, you sure are slow!’ Sirius jeered at his friend. 

‘Shut up you git!’ James said, as the pair made their way onto the train. Making sure that the other two members of the marauders were not already on the train, they found a compartment to sit in for the long journey back to Hogwarts. 

It wasn’t long until they were greeted with the other two members of the Marauders- Wormtail and Moony. 

Wormtail’s real name was Peter Pettigrew, and he was small and slightly large boy, who was quite socially awkward in his approach. Many around Hogwarts wondered as to how and why he was friends with the other three, who (especially James and Sirius) seemed to easy to talk to and easy going. Peter Pettigrew stood slightly apart from his friends, his small stature and nervous demeanour often making him seem like the least noticeable member of the group. His mousy brown hair, always slightly dishevelled, fell into his round face, where his watery blue eyes darted about, never quite able to hold anyone's gaze for long. He had a habit of wringing his hands or shifting from foot to foot, his anxiety palpable in his every movement. Peter looked like a boy who was trying to fit into a world that often seemed too big for him. He was constantly overshadowed by his more charismatic and confident friends, yet there was an undeniable earnestness about him, a yearning to belong and be accepted.

The final Marauder was Remus Lupin. Known as Moony, but only the three other boys knowing the meaning as to why. Remus was a werewolf, and every full moon would painfully transform. His face as such was always adorned with scars and marks from the painful transformation. He was the tallest of the fours with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes. He was also the smartest of the four, with the other three often to be found asking the teen for his homework so that they can copy. . His light brown hair fell across his forehead in a casual, almost unkempt manner, adding to his air of quiet contemplation. His eyes, a soft amber, held a depth of wisdom and kindness that belied his young age, often reflecting a world-weariness that seemed out of place in someone so young. He carried himself with a gentle grace, his movements careful and deliberate, as though he was always mindful of the space he occupied. There was a calm, soothing presence about him, a stark contrast to the more boisterous personalities of his friends. Remus’s smile was warm and genuine, often appearing when he listened to his friends’ antics or when he shared a quiet moment of humour with them. His voice, gentle and measured, had a way of commanding attention not through volume, but through the sheer sincerity and thoughtfulness of his words. He rarely spoke without purpose, and when he did, his insights were always valued.

‘Holly shit!’ Sirius remarked as he and James gawked at Remus. ‘Who are you and what happened to skinny Remus?’

Remus, just like our other werewolf, had also undergone a werewolf transformation, making him even taller than he was before and more refined. He also possessed more muscle, something that he couldn’t admit to being mad about receiving. 

‘Is this the transformation?’ James asked him.

Remus nodded. ‘Every werewolf goes through it around the same time, the summer of their 14th year.’ 

‘Lucky!’ Sirius whined. ‘I wish that could happen to me and I could get muscles!’

’Sirius I am sure that you will survive.’ Remus stated sarcastically. 

Before Sirius could respond, a murmur from outside of their carriage caught their attention. Deciding to investigate the cause to the murmur, the boys stood outside of their carriage. 

At the end of the corridor, at the entrance to the train, stood Arabella, Kimberly and Gwendolyn. Except they weren’t the three girls they remembered saying goodbye to in the summer. Arabella looked pretty much the same, still beautiful. However, it was the two other girls that caught their attention the most. The most drastic change was Kimberly, but the boys had to focus on Gwendolyn, they almost felt compelled to. Gwendolyn was even more stunning than they remember, which was hard (especially for James) to see how that would have occurred. Kimberly was the most different. Pretty before, she had shot up to about the same height as Sirius, possibly taller, and was stunning. Her beauty, unknown apparently to her, had drawn a lot of attention from fellow students on the train. 

‘Whoah hey guys!’ Sirius said as they walked towards them. 

‘Hey Sirius,’ Kimberly said, looking around uncomfortably under the attention she was receiving. 

‘Come sit with us,’ Sirius asked them and they obliged. 

They boys all moved to sit on a row together, and the girls sat opposite them, thankful to be away from the prying eyes. 

‘So… good summer?’ Sirius asked, obviously asking about the transformations. 

‘Yeah I grew a lot,’ Kimberly replied, remembering the speech she had told herself to say, as to not attract attention. ‘Had to buy new clothes and everything!’

‘Bet that sucked,’ Peter said. 

‘You look great,’ Remus complimented. 

Kimberly looked up and almost gasped. Her mind raced. He was taller? Could he be the werewolf? However she quickly shook those thought away, there’s no way any of these knumskulls would be! 

‘So do you!’ She said, trying to sound as unsurprised as possible, the ideal not really working. Thankfully, it’s only seemed to amuse Remus. 

Suddenly, both of the teams gasped. Kimberly stared into his eyes, and felt the werewolf inside of her jump alive. Remus’s eyes flashed yellow and animalistic. 

Kimberly shot up. She made up an excuse that excused her and the two other girls for the rest of the journey and quickly escaped, Arabella and Gwendolyn giving the boys very questioning looks before saying goodbye and following her out. 

‘What was that about?’ Peter asks.

’Her eyes glowed yellow,’ Remus muttered, loud enough that the three boys heard. 

‘Yellow?’ James asked. ‘We didn’t see anything!’

’Strange,’ Remus said. ‘I felt the werewolf inside of me coming out.’ He realised he was shaking so he took a deep breath to calm himself down. 

James and Sirius moved to sit opposite him and Peter. ‘Mate,’ Sirius asked, ‘What if Kimberly is the werewolf we were told about?’ 

‘No way!’ Remus exclaimed. ‘Must have been my imagination.’ 

And the boys left it at that.

’What was that about?’ Arabella asks as soon as the door slammed shut. 

‘His eyes glowed yellow.’ 

‘What do you mean glowed yellow?’ Arabella said. 

‘Is he a werewolf?’ Gwendolyn asks. 

‘No he can’t be!’ Arabella says. ‘We must have known by now!’ 

‘I agree Bella,’ Kimberly says, deep in thought. ‘We’ll talk more tonight, now let’s find the girls.‘

Thankfully, it didn’t take long until they found the group of girls they were looking for. Arabella opened the door, exclaiming ‘Room for three more?’ And the carriage erupted into conversation, with the other girls rushing to be reunited with Arabella, Gwendolyn and Kimberly. 

Mary MacDonald was the first. With her soft, hazel hair that fell in gentle waves around her shoulders, Mary often wore it half-tied back to keep it away from her face, revealing bright, attentive eyes that were a warm shade of brown, full of empathy and curiosity. Her complexion was clear and fair, frequently lit up by a soft, welcoming smile that made her approachable to everyone around her, her dark skin perfectly catching the rays of the sunny day. Mary moved through Hogwarts with a quiet confidence, a stark contrast to the boisterous dynamics of her more flamboyant peers. She was not one to seek the spotlight, but she possessed a steady, calming presence that made her a valued friend and confidant. Her voice was soft and melodious, often infused with laughter, and she spoke with a thoughtfulness that reflected her considerate nature.

Alice Forstue was next. Slightly taller than Mary, was also had black hair, but hers was longer and straight, and was currently tied into two braids either side of her pale face. Alice always had a look of kindness about her, and it was a wonder to the other girls at how she had not been placed in Hufflepuff, as she seemed incapable of hurting someone else. Her eyes, dark and expressive, held a depth that was both intriguing and enigmatic. Set beneath finely arched eyebrows, they seemed to capture and reflect the subtle nuances of light, giving her an almost ethereal appearance. Her gaze was penetrating, hinting at a mind that was both analytical and imaginative, always observing and piecing together the world around her. Lara's complexion was flawless, the pallor of her skin providing a striking contrast to the dark hues of her hair.

Mary Prewett was next. Her fiery red hair a brilliant cascade of curls that tumbled energetically over her shoulders. The sunlight played through the vibrant strands, lighting them up with sparks of copper and gold, and giving her an almost ethereal glow. Her hair, bold and unapologetic, perfectly mirrored her vivacious personality. Her face, framed by the lively curls, was marked by a constellation of light freckles that danced across her nose and cheeks, lending her a youthful, playful look. Molly's figure was curvy and strong, her stature commanding yet approachable, radiating confidence and warmth. She was the female version of her twin brothers, Fabian and Gideon and was equally as sardonic and fun-loving. 

Marlene McKinnon was also there. Marlene was the tallest of the girls in the carriage was slender and had blonde hair that reached just before her chest. Marlene's honey-blonde hair cut into a chic bob with a neat fringe that brushed just above her expressive eyebrows, framing her bright, observant eyes. The fringe gave her a modern, almost artistic look, complementing her playful yet thoughtful expression. The soft blonde tones of her hair were highlighted with subtle streaks of lighter hues that caught the light beautifully, adding dimension and a lively character to her style. Her eyes, a clear, soft blue, conveyed an open and sincere personality. They sparkled with a kind of quiet enthusiasm for her surroundings, always taking in the little details that others might overlook. 

Dorcas Meadows was the final girl in the carriage. Consistently carrying her pride on her shoulders whether it be for the colour of her skin or for her sexuality, she was always out and proud as one may say. Her hair, a splendid cascade of tight curls, framed her face beautifully, each curl bouncing with life as she moved. The deep, natural black of her hair contrasted strikingly with her glowing, caramel-toned skin, which seemed to capture and reflect the golden sunlight. Her eyes, large and almond-shaped, were a mesmerizing dark brown, almost black, and sparkled with intelligence and warmth. Framed by long, thick lashes and underlined by neatly groomed eyebrows, her gaze was both inviting and assertive, reflecting a spirit full of fire and gentleness.  Her lips, full and often smiling, were tinted with a subtle shade of rose, enhancing her natural beauty without overshadowing it. Dorcas moved with a confident, rhythmic grace that was almost musical, her every gesture a testament to her lively and engaging nature.

These girls were good friends with our main three, as with years of sharing the same dormitory came the closeness one would expect. They knew about Arabella and her family tensions and they were always there to be a comfort, alongside the commotion that Gwendolyn faces through the fact of her being part-Veela, and even though they did not know about Kimberly’s little secret, they were always there when she ill, even if they did question how she always got ill or injured every month.

‘You three look amazing!’ Alice remarked as the girls sat next to Dorcas and Marlene. 

‘Thank you!’ Kimberly says, ‘You all look amazing too!’

’Are you ready for another year of Hogwarts?’ Dorcas asks them, raising on a of her eyebrows.

’Are we ever?’ Arabella complains. ‘I already feel ill just thinking of homework.’ 

All of the girls groaned at the mention of the word. 

For the rest of the journey, the incident with Remus was pushed to the back of the three girls minds, as they were easily distracted by hearing the tales of what their fronds had gotten up to during the summer break, passing the usually long journey quickly. Before any of the girls knew it, they were back into their Gryffindor uniforms and ready to head back to Hogwarts. 

‘Another year here we come,’ Gwendolyn remarked as the trio stepped off the train together. 

‘Another year of mayhem no doubt,’ Kimberly remarked. 

‘Would you have it any other way?’ Arabella inquires, causing all the girls to laugh with one another.

They were back home. 

[otunnicliffe]

Queens Of Hogwarts

Prologue:

It was a serene and peaceful summers afternoon. Three girls lay on the ground and were basking in this silence as much as they possibly could. For come the net day, these sunny days filled with picnics and late nights would turn into a catalyst of lessons and Quidditch and homework. And silence at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was little and hard to find. 

The three girls lay on a red and white picnic blanket. Beside them lay the basket, now empty, but before held delicacies such as slices of cake, chocolate covered strawberries and sausage rolls.

Also with them was a collection of books, strewn to the side carefully, bookmarked to their exact place. 

The first of the three girls had a pair on short denim dungarees, in a navy blue colour. Underneath was a red and white striped top. She wore trainers, but both the shoes and the socks she had on underneath had been tossed to the side. Her hair was a hazel brown and was tied up in a loose ponytail. She wore thick-rimmed sunglasses that were slightly too big for her, and covered up her emerald green eyes. 

The second wore a purple summer dress, and the slight summer breeze blew against it. She had sandals on, but as with the other girl, they were on the grassy field. Her hair was down and naturally wavy, she pushed it away so it was not in her face. It was a platinum blonde colour. She has thin, little sunglasses on that just covered her sapphire blue eyes. 

The third and final girl wore a pair of black denim shorts, with a belt holding them up to her hips. She wore a muggle band tee, something that would make her mother practically feint if she even took a look at her. Jut as with the first girl, she had placed her trainers and socks aside. Her black hair was up in a messy bun. She was the only one without sunglasses, instead she put her hands to her eyes so that the sun wouldn't annoy her peace.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, the third girl spoke up: "Do you think we'll have a normal year this year?"

The three of them looked at each other and burst out in laughter. 

"What," The brunette said after they had calmed down. "With the Marauders chasing on us and my furry little problem?"

"Also," The blonde added. "The school we go to isn't the most normal place, is it?" 

The other two agreed with her.

"Never a normal year at Hogwarts," They said in near unison, before dissolving into giggles again.

These girls are Kimberly Fox, Gwendolyn Evans and Arabella Nott. This is their story.

[otunnicliffe]

Queens Of Hogwarts

Boys:

-James Potter.

-Sirius Black.

-Remus Lupin.

-Peter Pettigrew.

-Arthur Weasley.

-Regulus Black.

-Evan Rosier:

-Frank Longbottom.

-Fabian + Gideon Prewett.

-Lucius Malfoy.

-Barty Croutch Jr.

-Xenophilious Lovegood.

-Ted Tonks.

-Severus Snape.

Amos Diggory:

The rights to these original characters belong to their tv show/movies of origin.