Rose Weasley sat cross-legged on her window seat, staring upward at the glinting stars. Her Standard Book of Spells, Volume I was perched on her lap, as she was doing some last minute studying. The day was August 31st, and the clock on her nightstand read 10:49 pm. Tomorrow, she would board the Hogwart's Express for the first time, as she had turned eleven 18 days ago. Her first term at Hogwarts began tomorrow, and she was excited, but quite nervous. Her curly red hair was draped over her shoulders, swinging slightly as she swayed slowly.

“Rose...� said a female voice from her doorway, and she whipped her head around to see her mother standing there. “You ought to be in bed, and you know it.� Hermione smiled at her daughter sadly as she walked over to her.

“Sorry Mum...� Rose mumbled, clicking the book shut. “I was just doing a bit of studying.�

“You know, your dad reckons you're more like me thank either of us care to admit,� Hermione said, sitting beside her on the seat. “I spent my last days before each term cramming, locked in my room. Your dad and Uncle Harry used to tease me endlessly about my studying habits; lucky they had me though, or they never would have passed their exams. Any of them.� Rose grinned, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“I've heard stories,� she giggled. “Uncle said that you spent ninety percent of each term in the library.�

Hermione grinned sheepishly. “Sadly the truth.� She ruffled Rose's hair. “I'm sure you'll understand why I did once your classes start.�

Rose gulped. “Are they that hard?�

“Well, if you inherited anything from me, you'll be fine,� Hermione reassured her. “I was always top of my class.� She got to her feet. “And now, Missy, you need to get your tush in bed. We're leaving for King's Cross at six.� Rose groaned and pushed herself off the seat.

“I'll be ready, Mum...� she grumbled. Hermione kissed her on the forehead and walked out of the room, clicking the door shut quietly behind her.

Rose got dejectedly into her fluffy bed, kicking off her white bunny slippers. She sighed as she stared at her ceiling and let her eyes close.

~

The late morning light shone on the little family as they hurried into the station, the red-haired man lugging a large trunk and a massive cage.

“C'mon, Rosie, keep up!� Ron chided his daughter as they raced through the packed train station. “The express leaves in ten minutes!� The family paused briefly beside the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 before plunging through at a run, Rose gaping in awe at the magic of the barrier. They appeared on Platform 9 and ¾, the sounds of parents yelling their goodbyes, owls screeching, and younger children crying (“Why can't I go this year?!�).

The family of four – Rose, Hermione, Ron, and Hugo, their youngest boy – pulled Rose's belongings to the luggage area, leaving the girl with only her carry-on bag that held her robes and a few snacks for the trip, along with some money for the candy cart.

“Have an amazing term, darling,� Hermione said, kissing her daughter on the cheek. “Have you got everything?�

“Yes, Mum,� Rose groaned good-naturedly, smiling as she hugged her mother.

Her father grabbed her next, hugging his daughter proudly. “You'd better be in Gryffindor. And remember, don't make too nice with any of the Slytherins; nasty bunch. And definitely do not befriend Scorpius, Draco's son.� The family all turned to look over their shoulders to where Draco stood with his wife and son, balding slightly. His son's coat was buttoned up to his chin. “Oh, there they are.�

Another group of wizards walked up to them, looking slightly worn.

“Make it okay then?� Harry asked Ron and Hermione, smiling at Hugo and Rose.

“Yup. Passed that driving test; Hermione reckoned I was going to have to take it a second time, but I got it,� Ron said, grinning at his wife.

“I had complete faith in you!� Hermione argued, smiling all the same.

Rose smiled at James, a Gryffindor second year, and Albus; it was his first term as well.

“Hey guys,� she greeted. “Am I the only one who's incredibly scared?� Albus smiled sheepishly, while James smirked.

“Has widdle Rosie got the chills,� he goaded, kissing Ginny on the cheek and racing off to see his friends.

“It's okay, Rose, I'm freaking out too,� Albus told her, grinning. “James keeps saying I'm gonna end up in Hufflepuff or Slytherin. I really hope not though, because Gryffindor's where it's at, right?� Rose nodded eagerly.

“I'm fine with Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, but dad wants me to be in Gryffindor, like him and Mum and Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny were. And James too, I suppose,� Rose confided.

The train whistle blew, signaling for the last load.

“Oh, hurry!� Ginny and Hermione both cried as they kissed their kids goodbye and lovingly shoved them onto the train. “See you at Christmas!�

“Bye, Mum!� Rose yelled out the nearest window, waving frantically at her mother as she grew smaller, the train rolling away slowly. “Bye Dad!� She smiled at Albus and nodded down the train. “Wanna get a compartment together?�

“Sure,� Albus agreed, heading down the aisle. The two walked slowly, peeking through each glass door. Only when they reached the end did they find the emptiest compartment they'd seen, with only one girl in it, with white-blonde hair and sparkly pink glasses. “Here okay?�

“Yup,� Rose smiled at her cousin. “And the girl looks oddly familiar for some reason.�

She pulled the door open and smiled at the girl. “Can we sit? Everywhere else is full.� She looked up slowly from a magazine in her lap, her mouth set in a calm line.

“You're welcome to sit,� she said in a singsong voice. “No one else wants to.� Rose exchanged an odd look with Albus as they filed in.

“Thanks,� she said awkwardly, putting her bag on the luggage rack above the bench. She sat opposite the girl. “I'm Rose. Rose Weasley.�

The girl blinked at her. “I'm Jenna Longbottom.� Rose gaped at her.

“Like, Neville Longbottom? As in Professor Longbottom?� Rose gasped, staring at her. That would explain her hair and slightly odd nature, plus the familiarity; she was the spitting image of Luna, who she'd seen on occasion. She wondered why she had never met Jenna.

“Well yes,� Jenna said, tucking her hair behind her ear and pulling off her glasses, revealing bright blue eyes. “My father is the Herbology professor; he's already warned me that me being his daughter will do nothing for my grade.�

Albus spoke up. “Well, er, Jenna, our parents are friends with yours. I'm Albus Potter, and my dad and mum know your parents well... and Rose's mum and dad are friendly with them too.� Jenna looked at him blankly.

“That's nice,� she said, not rudely, as if she meant it sincerely. “Odd we've never met.�

At that moment, the compartment door slid open.

“Albus, Rosieee,� James sang as he and his gang of friends crossed the threshold, hardly glancing at Jenna. “Meet my friends, Owen and Tyler; they were dying to meet you two, for reasons I don't really know.� As he said their names, he gestured to each boy. Rose appraised the two boys on either side of her cousin with tight lips. Owen was tall and lanky for his age, with shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and a wicked grin. She suspected he was a ladies' man, similar to James.

Tyler was also tall (the two were both taller than James, by at least a head), and had a full head of brown hair, swept neatly across his forehead. He was kind of sulking behind James and Owen, a blank look spread across his good-looking face. He nodded to Albus and smiled at Rose.

Owen ruffled Albus' hair. “Hey, Squirt,� he said, smirking down at Albus. “Your big brother's told us all about you.� Albus gulped.

“You can go now, James,� Rose said, getting to her feet. “Thanks for stopping in.� Her voice was cold as she glared down her cousin. James looked momentarily taken aback, before regaining his cool.

“Fine, fine,� he said, holding his hands up as if he'd been caught in a crime. “We'll go.� He turned on his heel and pushed past Tyler, with Owen close on his heels. Rose saw Tyler glance back at them before following closely.

Albus glared after them. “Bloody gits,� he muttered, running a hand through his short black hair. Rose sat down again, glancing at Jenna; her face remained impassive, completely unruffled.

“Firs' years, this way!� a deep voice called from the end of the station. Rose looked for the source of the voice and found it quickly; a huge man stood nearby, holding a lantern over his head. He had to be over seven feet tall, with a giant bushy beard and a great big coat. Rose recognized him as Rubeus Hagrid; her parents and her uncle told her a lot about the Hogwarts gamekeeper; apparently she was supposed to meet him for tea soon.

“Look, that's Hagrid, right?� Albus pointed at, nodding toward his huge frame.

“Yeah, I think so,� Rose responded, scanning the platform.

Albus grabbed her elbow and pulled her through the crowd of kids. “C'mon, let's go meet him.�

“Er, well, do we have to...� Rose whined, sounding mildly nervous.

“Yes, we do, because our parents were friends with him, and we ought to try to be as well,� he chided her. “Hi, Hagrid.� The half-giant peered down at the two puny first years, narrowing his small brown eyes. Then he smiled.

“You two're Rose n' Albus, righ'?� he asked, pointing a finger at the two of them. “Yer parents told me you'd be comin' this year.�

“That's right,� Rose said, scrounging up a bit of courage in the face of a giant guy.

“Well, I'll be seein' you two fer tea on Saturday,� he said with another smile. “Firs' years this way!� He turned and started marching down the path, his lantern still clutched in his hand. A trail of small first year student trailed behind him, twittering nervously. They came to a dock and got into small boats, four students to one. She, Albus, Jenna, and a short boy named Tom got into one.

The boats sailed quickly and steadily across the calm black lake, the boat occasionally shaking, as if something from beneath the water was poking it.

“Hagrid?� Rose called to the giant silhouette in the boat in from of them. “Why is our boat shaking?�

“That'll be the giant squid,� he yelled back. “Likes to mess with the new students.� Rose gulped.

“There it is!� a girl from one of the boats behind them yelled as the castle came into view. A collective gasp rose from the students as they took in their first view of Hogwarts. The castle rose up over the lake like a skyscraper, the windows glowing with candles and torches. Rose sighed as she looked up at it; it was just as magnificent as her parents had described it.

The boats slowly made their way across the lake, finally bumping lightly into the boathouse. All the students clambered from them, a few stumbling from the feeling the boat left in their legs. Rose helped Albus climb out behind her, then left him while she hurried to get to the front of the crowd.

“Rose!� Albus wailed, grabbing her robes in his fist. “Don't just run off without me!� She trudged along with him hooked on her robes, all the way to the front. “You're so impatient!�

The group reached the front doors of the school. Hagrid lifted his giant hand and knocked on it a few times. It swung open, revealing a tall woman with sapphire blue robes and straight blonde hair. Rose knew immediately who she was; Professor Paelo, Deputy headmistress, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

“Evenin', Professor,� Hagrid said gruffly. “Got the firs' years.�

“Thank you, Hagrid,� she said with a smile. She looked at the children. “Follow me.� She turned on her heel and clicked across the large, cavernous room, the students filing behind her. “If you would please go into this room.� She nodded to a small doorway. Rose, being the first in line, turned the knob and opened the door. It lead to a small room with rows of small chairs. Everyone sat down, Rose in the first chair, and Albus sitting timidly by her side.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,� Paelo said, standing in front of them all. “In a moment, you will join your classmates in the Great Hall, where you will be sorted into your houses. While you stay here at Hogwarts School, your houses will be like your family. Your classes, meals, and dorms will be with your house.� Rose looked over at Albus with excitement. Finally, the moment they had been waiting for. “There are four houses at Hogwarts; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house was founded by a great wizard, and each has its own history. For your successes in classes, you will be awarded House Points; for rule-breaking, you will have points deducted. At the end of the year, the point are measured, and the house with the highest amount of points will be awarded the House Cup.� Her bright blue eyes flickered among the students. “Please wait here, while I go to see if they are ready for you.� She left the room, and immediately people began speaking.

“Aren't you excited, Albus?!� Rose raved, flapping her hands. “I'm so nervous! I hope I get into a good house; I suppose Hufflepuff would be okay, but I'd really like Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Do you think you're gonna be in Gryffindor? I know both our parents were, but kids don't always go to the same house, right? Well as long as I don't get Slytherin, I'm happy.� A derisive snort sounded from beside Albus before he could respond.

Scorpius Malfoy leaned forward to look at her around her cousin. “Not Slytherin? Obviously you need to get your priorities straightened out,� he said pompously. “Slytherin is a house for winners. Sure, you could be a nerdy Ravenclaw, or a stupid brave Gryffindor, or a loser Hufflepuff, but why would you be when you could always get what you want?� Rose curled her lip.

“You're such a prat, Malfoy,� she hissed. He looked slightly surprised, but quickly regained himself.

“No need to ask you who you are,� he said rudely, glancing at her hair. “A Weasley, I suppose. You all have the same coloring. And the freckles. I take it you're Ron and Hermione's daughter, right? My dad knew them, and told me not to talk to you...� He glanced at Albus. “And I'll bet you're the Potter boy.�

“Fall in a pit, Scorpius,� Albus said, shoving him away with his shoulder. He simply laughed and settled back into his seat.

“This is gonna be fun,� he grinned.

“Quiet down, please,� Professor Paelo said, coming back into the room. “It's time for the Sorting.� Everyone stood, and all followed her out of the room, a tense silence over them all. They walked up a large flight of stairs and halted outside a pair of giant doors. “One moment.� She poked her head in the doors, then pushed them open. “In you all go; and mind you behave yourselves.�

Rose hurried in, still first in the procession. “Wow,� she whispered to Albus. “This is impressive.�

“Uh, yeah,� he replied quietly, looking up at the ceiling in awe. “I like the sky.� Rose followed his gaze and gasped; the ceiling was made to look like the sky outside. It was a midnight blue, with stars and a few sparse clouds.

They stopped in front of a long table in the front of the room, trying to ignore the stares of all the other students. A stool sat in front of them; on top of it, an old hat. Rose blinked at it. Her parents had refused to tell her about the Sorting Hat; they wanted her to experience it on her own. As she watched, the hat seemed to sit up, blink its eyes, open its mouth wide, and begin 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.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
and unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve there ends.
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!�

“When I call your name, step up to the stool, sit down, and I shall place the hat on your head. You will then be sorted into your respective houses,� Paelo instructed. She peered down at the list she held in her hands. “Abbot, Leanne.� A short girl with blonde ringlet curls stepped up timidly and sat down. Professor Paelo set the hat on her head. It seemed to consider things for a moment before yelling, “RAVENCLAW!� One of the tables burst into cheers; Rose assumed it was the Ravenclaw table.

Professor Paelo continued down the list of names, including Jenna Longbottom's (“RAVENCLAW!�), eventually reaching, “Malfoy, Scorpius.� Scorpius, with a wicked smirk on his face, sat down on the stool and waited as the hat was placed on his head. It almost immediately yelled, “SLYTHERIN!� He hopped off the stool with a wide grin as he hurried to take his seat with the other Slytherins. Rose stuck her tongue out at him as he looked straight at her.

Soon, “Potter, Albus,� was called. He walked up slowly, glancing back at Rose more than once before taking his seat. Paelo set the hat on his head, and he waited, visibly shaking. The rip of the hat's mouth opened after a moment of silence and shouted, “GRYFFINDOR!� The table on Rose's right erupted with applause and whoops (louder, it seemed to Rose, than it had been for some of the other students) as Albus joined them, obviously relieved. He sat down next to James, who clapped him hard on the back.

The list continued, seeming to take ages to reach, “Weasley, Rose.� Stiff-legged, Rose slowly approached the stool, feeling the eyes of everyone in the hall on her back. She sat down and felt the hat on sit on her hair. A voice seemingly in her mind said, “Another Weasley, eh? This won't be hard.� To the rest of the hall, it screamed, “GRYFFINDOR!�

Rose leaped off her chair, her face split with a wide smile. She hurried to the roaring Gryffindor table, head held high.

“We both got it!� Albus yelled as she sat down beside him, flushed with excitement. “Our parents'll be so happy!�

The Sorting continued without a hitch, and the hat was soon removed from the hall.

The hall fell silent as, at the front table, Headmistress McGonagall stood. Rose knew her because of her parents; they had described her to her and told her not to get on her bad side. Rose knew she wouldn't.

“Let the feast begin,� she said, and sat down as the hall was suddenly filled with food and a glorious smell.

“Sweet, I'm starved!� Albus said approvingly as he ladled a huge dollop of mashed potatoes onto his gold plate. Soon, everyone was full (after a hefty round of dessert) and all the food disappeared in the blink of an eye. The chattering ceased as again, McGonagall stood.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,� she began, “to all our new first years. Mr. Perse, our caretaker, has asked me to remind you all to see the list of banned products, which is posted on his office door.� She looked over her spectacles sternly at them all as if advising they do so promptly. “If all you first years will follow your prefects, you all may head off to bed.� The noise resumed and grew slightly as everyone in the hall stood, the sound of benches scraping grating Rose's ears.

“Let's go,� Albus said to Rose as they began moving. “We need to hunt down the prefect...� James took a moment to whack Albus across the head, and then hurried off with his friends from the train. “...Git.�

“Just ignore him, Albus,� Rose smiled. “Look, there's the prefect.� She pointed to a tall brunette boy standing nearby, the new herd of Gryffindor first years standing nervously around him. Rose and Albus walked up and stood there awkwardly, glancing at the other kids. She remembered a few names; the girl closest to her with long, straight brown hair and green eyes was Tya Jean. To Albus' right, slightly taller and with short cropped blonde hair was Peter Wilks. She couldn't recall the others.

“I think that's all of you; let's go,� the prefect said suddenly, turning on his heel and marching away. “My names Rowlis Purner, by the way.� Rose and Albus hurried to keep up with his brisk pace, the others following closely. They gazed around in awe at the pictures on the walls, which waved and smiled as they passed (“Welcome to Hogwarts!�).

“Gryffindor Tower is this way,� Rowlis said, stepping onto a staircase and stopping at the top. The last kid, a short bronze-headed girl, had just leaped onto the last step when it began to move. “And be sure to remember, the staircases like to change.� Rose gripped the railing as it turned, and then banged to a halt.

“Follow me,� Rowlis instructed. They walked up to a large picture of an overweight lady with a billowy pink dress.

“Password?� she said, all regal sounding.

“Pompous,� Rowlis responded, and the portrait swung open to reveal a red-decorated room lit by a roaring fire place and several strategically-placed candles. He directed the boys up one staircase, and the girls up the other. Rose looked over at Albus.

“Night, then,� she said and followed the other girls.

Rose's bed was the middle of the other beds, her trunk sitting in front of the four-poster. She hurried to it with her head down and snapped it open, rummaging through it to hunt down her pajamas.

“Hi there,� a voice said from just behind her, and she turned to see Tya Jean standing over her, smiling. “I'm Tya. You're Rose right?�

“Yeah, that's right,� Rose responded, withdrawing her pink tank and cupcake patterned bottoms. “Nice to meet you.�

“Likewise,� Tya said. “So you're a Weasley, yeah? I know a lot about your family; your branch at least. Like your parents were best friends with Harry Potter and helped to bring down You-Know-Who nineteen years ago!� She took a deep breath and smiled again. Rose laughed a little at the other girl's eagerness.

“Yeah, they did,� she confirmed, turning away to change without being totally awkward. She heard feet shuffling and knew Tya had turned as well. “They never talk about it much.� Her tank slid over her head as Tya replied.

“I'm sure they don't. From what I've heard, they had it pretty bad. Almost killed multiple times. But I'm sure that's kind of hard for you to hear since they're your parents and stuff so I shouldn't mention it again, probably,� she said without a breath again. Rose turned around, fully changed, and Tya did as well.

“Well the past is past,� Rose said, shrugging and sitting on her bed. Tya sat next to her. “They were doing what was right to protect the future, plus the kids they probably had no idea they'd have.�

“Right, right,� Tya said, fidgeting with her sheets. “My parents were in school with them you know. Well, a year under. My mum saw them a bunch, she was here when the Death Eaters took over for that year. She told me she had tried helping against them, but she got in a lot of trouble for it.�

“Good for her,� Rose said kindly. She looked around at the other girls, who she saw were trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. “Well, I'm pretty tired. Off to bed?�

“Oh, okay!� Tya said reluctantly, standing and walking to her bed, the one beside Rose's. “See you in the morning.� Rose smiled and ran her brush through her oddly straight hair – odd because her mother's, at her at, had been frizzy and huge. She supposed she had gotten the Weasley hair genes, and she knew Aunt Ginny's hair was pretty calm.

Curling up under her blankets as the lights flicked out, Rose couldn't help but smile, glad she was finally at Hogwarts.