A Different Life

The day came to leave for Hogwarts. Natalia stayed home to look after the twins, so Remus went in her place. However, she bid Beth and Draco good-bye before they left for King's Cross and told them to be careful and have a good time.

Ron and Ginny got on the Hogwarts Express at the last minute. Ron hastily explained that they'd run behind that morning, as they had to return around three times to collect Fred's broom, George's box of fireworks, and Ginny's diary.

Evanna poked her head out of a compartment and said, "Hi, Ginny." Two other first-years also stood in the doorway. One was a girl with waist-length dirty-blonde hair and protrubent pale grey eyes. Combined with the fact that she had her wand tucked behind her ear and wore a necklace of butterbeer corks, she appeared a bit odd and dotty. The other was a very excited boy who was clutching a camera.

"Hi, Evanna," replied Ginny with a smile. She walked over to the compartment.

"Oh, this is Luna Lovegood," introduced Evanna. "She lives near you. And the other is Colin Creevy. He's Muggleborn."

Ginny, Luna, and Colin said hi to each other and then Ginny joined them and Evanna in the compartment. Beth led Ron to the compartment the Junior Marauders were sitting at.

For the first half hour, they sat in silence, for there wasn't much to discuss. As they'd spent most of the summer together, they knew what their holidays had been like, and they'd already discussed the plot that was supposed to happen at Hogwarts. After the witch with the food trolley came by and they'd all gotten snacks, Hermione brought up the question as to how effective a teacher Lockhart would be. His books said he had done great deeds, but he hadn't been a very good student at Hogwarts, and Hermione and Susan had discovered a few discrepancies in the books. Beth hadn't bothered to read them.

"Well, he turns out to be an ineffective teacher, that's what we have the study group for," said Ron. "We can practice Defensive spells and ask the older students to tutor us."

There was a few more minutes of silence. Then Neville said, "I'm bored."

Beth rummaged through her trunk and took out two decks of Exploding Snap cards. "We might as well play, since we have nothing to really talk about."

They played for an hour, but then Ron said he didn't want to play anymore. He looked through his trunk and took out Flying with the Cannons to read. Draco, Hermione, and Susan found books to read as well. Beth and Neville went to the compartment Evanna and Ginny were in so they could meet Colin and Luna.

After an hour's conversation, Beth found that Luna was odd, and believed the things that was printed in her father's magazine, The Quibbler. However, she was also a very nice girl, and had a, for lack of a better term, gift of saying uncomfortable truths. Underneath her oddness, she was a very wise and brave person, and would likely be in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor.

Colin was very a very excitable boy, and very happy to find out that all the odd things he had done was magic and he was attending Hogwarts. He had a younger brother named Dennis, who was the same age as Evanna's brother, Mike, and would attend Hogwarts in two years, as Dennis had also done accidental magic before. When Colin discovered that Beth was the Girl-Who-Lived, he asked to take her photo. Beth gave permission, but after the photo had been taken, explained that she didn't like having a fuss made over the fact that she was famous and in the future to please treat her like any other student.

Colin apologized for his behavior and promised to do his best to calm down and not hero-worship her. Then he expressed a desire to be in Gryffindor and asked how they were Sorted into houses.

"Your qualities are judged and then based on them, a house is selected," answered Beth. "If you're more brave and noble, you're in Gryffindor; if you're clever and wise you're in Ravenclaw; if you're patient and loyal, you're Hufflepuff, and if you're ambitious and cunning, you're Slytherin. However, I don't think it's likely you'll get in Slytherin, because that house doesn't accept Muggleborn. Salazar Slytherin, one of the four Founders, didn't really care much for Muggles and Muggleborn. And most Slytherins embrace this idea, though there are exceptions. My adoptive cousin, Daniel, doesn't believe in pureblood supremacy, and he's very nice. So is Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin girl in my year."

"I really hope to be in Gryffindor now," said Colin. "I heard that Professor Dumbledore was in that house. And how do our qualities get judged?"

"It's a surprise, but nothing really scary," responded Beth, electing not to tell about the Sorting Hat. Her parents and Remus had refused to tell her when she asked, and so had her relatives and the staff at Hogwarts, insisting on it being a surprise. They had only told her enough so that she wouldn't be afraid or nervous.

"That's what Mum said," said Evanna. "Dan went on about facing a troll, but Mum set me straight and told Dan off for scaring me. I would love to be in Gryffindor, but I think I'm more of a Ravenclaw. If I were facing a troll, I'd look up information on how to fight it, rather than go rushing headlong to try to defeat like a Gryffindor might."

Beth chuckled, because that was exactly what she had done last year. On the other hand, Draco had gone rushing headlong too, and he was a Ravenclaw. But then, Hermione was in danger, and there wasn't time to go look up information.

"But what if you had no time to look up information?" asked Ginny. "What if the troll had raised a club to hit you?"

Evanna considered. "Then I'd think of all the spells I know and use the one that would protect me best. Maybe I'd levitate the club and knock out the troll with it."

"If there were Wrackspurts around, I'd ask them to distract the troll," said Luna dreamily.

Colin, Neville, and Beth exchanged looks, while Evanna and Ginny stifled giggles. Finally Neville said, "And then what would you do after the Wrackspurts distracted the troll, Luna?"

"Oh, I'd leave and find an adult to deal with it," replied Luna serenely.

"I see," said Beth. She knew perfectly well that Wrackspurts didn't exist, or at least, there wasn't any evidence for their existence. However, there wasn't any evidence against their existence, and if Luna wanted to believe that they were real, she could. It was a free country after all. Besides, Luna could one day be proved right in their existence. People once thought Galileo was crazy to say that the Earth revolved around the sun, but eventually he had proved to be right.

After awhile, Julie came by and told them that they had better get changed into their robes, for they were almost at Hogwarts. Beth and Neville returned to their apartment. The boys stepped out while the girls donned their robes and then the girls left so the boys could get dressed.

Half an hour later, the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station and everyone got off. Hagrid was calling the first-years over to him. The Junior Marauders said hello to him before heading for the carriages.

"What are those winged creatures pulling the carriages?" asked Neville.

"There's nothing pulling the carriages," said Ron, looking confused.

"It could be invisible horses," suggested Draco.

Beth gasped, remembering something she had read. "Oh, I think you can see thestrals, Neville. They're a type of winged horse, and they're invisible to anyone who hasn't seen someone die. Hogwarts must have a herd of them that pulls the carriages."

Neville looked relieved. "Good, I'm not going crazy." Then he looked sad. "I saw my grandfather die a couple of years ago."

"Oh, so that's why you can see thestrals," said Hermione. She patted Neville's hand, since she was unsure of what to say.

The six of them climbed into a carriage and were silent all the way up to the castle. When they arrived, they joined the other students and went to the Great Hall. Draco went to the Ravenclaw table and Susan to the Hufflepuff one. Ten minutes later, the Sorting Hat and stool were brought in and Professor McGonagall entered with the first years.

After the Sorting Hat sang its song, the first-years were called up one by one. Colin Creevy was the fifth student called up, and he was Sorted into Gryffindor. Beth clapped enthusiastically and Colin eagerly made his way to the Gryffindor table.

A few names later, Evanna Harper was called. The Hat had sat on her head for three seconds before calling out, "RAVENCLAW!" She took off the Hat and happily sat down at the Ravenclaw table. Draco congratulated her.

Several names later, Luna Lovegood was called up. She sat on the stool for half a minute before the Hat finally called out, "RAVENCLAW!" Luna looked happy as she removed the Hat and slid into the seat next to Evanna, who grinned.

Ginny was the last name called. She seemed to be in an argument with the Hat as she sat on the stool for almost a minute. Finally the Sorting Hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" The Ravenclaw table burst into applause and cheers, while Ron looked thunderstruck. Fred, George, and Percy had identical looks on their faces. Ginny was the first Weasley to be Sorted into Ravenclaw in several generations, just as she was the first female Weasley in several generations.

Ginny sat on Evanna's other side and looked very happy. Draco congratulated her. Ron exclaimed, "How in bloody hell did Ginny end up in Ravenclaw?"

"Language, Ron!" scolded Hermione. "And I suppose Ginny ended up in Ravenclaw because her friends were Sorted there and she wanted to be with them. That was probably why she was arguing with the Sorting Hat. It probably wanted to put her in Gryffindor, but she preferred to be in Ravenclaw. And it's not like she doesn't have the qualities of a Ravenclaw."

Dumbledore stood up and greeted everyone. Then the feast began. Beth filled her plate and began enjoying the delicious food. She noticed that Colin was amazed with the way the food had appeared on the plates.

When the feast was finally over, Professor Dumbledore stood up again. He introduced Gilderoy Lockhart as the new Defence Against Dark Arts teacher, informed everyone that the Forbidden Forest was off limits, Quidditch tryouts would start the second week of school, magic was not allowed in the corridors, and the list of banned items could be found in the caretaker's office. The announcements were followed by the singing of the school song, and like last year, Fred and George sang to the tune of a very slow funeral march.

After that, the students headed upstairs for bed. Beth wrote a letter to her adoptive parents before she brushed her teeth and went to bed.