Hey guys! :) This is my first Harry Potter fic (I've written for other sections in Fanfiction). I finally got around to publishing this story-I've been working on it for a while now. I've changed it so many times...and this is my final product!

I really hope you enjoy it!

"Nine and three-quarters?" I said in disbelief, staring at the ticket in my hand.

"This isn't the time to kid around!" Luke snapped. "We're already late as it is!"

"I'm not joking!" I snapped right back. "Look!" I said and shoved the ticket in his face. He let out an indignant little huff but nonetheless took the ticket out of my hand. He looked down and his eyebrows furrowed, his jaw slacking.

"What?"

"See?" I huffed, folding my arms across my chest. "Thanks for believing in me. You make me feel so loved."

He ignored my sarcasm. "There must be a mistake."

"Oh well," I said brightly. "I guess I can't go to Hogfarts! You can go back to school and I'll roam around London; I've always wanted to go here!"

"You are NOT roaming around London ON YOUR OWN," my brother hissed. "You'd probably commit a murder or something."

I scowled. "I'd travel around and THEN murder someone."

He rolled his eyes, starting to walk again. "I know you would."

"Thank you!" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"This isn't the time to be arguing!" he said suddenly, as if just realizing it. "We need to find this nine and three-quarters!"

"I thought you were a wizard, Luke," I said in a fake sweet little voice. "Shouldn't you be able to find a nine and three-quarters platform? You are, after all, 'one of the brightest wizards the world has seen'," I said, quoting my dad.

He rolled his eyes. "Hah, funny."

"I know, I'm a pretty funny person."

"It's something called sarcasm."

"Don't you think I know what sarcasm is?"

"Oh, trust me, I know you know what sarcasm is," he said as he looked around, continuing to walk. "Now c'mon, we have to find this platform!"

"You, Mister Oh Brilliant Wizard, should easily find a magical platform."

"Will you shush?" he hissed, glaring at me. "People will hear!"

I rolled my eyes. "Nobody believes that wizards exist, I mean seriously-"I was interrupted when he pulled my arm, dragging me. "Hey!" I snapped, tugging my arm free of his grasp. "What is your problem?"

"I think I just saw some wizards," my brother breathed, starting to jog. I sighed and chased after him, my suitcase banging against my thigh.

"How do you know they're wizards? Did they have those pointy hats?"

I saw him roll his eyes. "No, I heard them say something about Muggles and how if they-"

"Ooh, eavesdropping on their conversation, were you?"

He let out an irritated sigh and I smirked slightly. "C'mon, we have no more time to lose!" he said and when I thought he was going to speed up, he abruptly stopped. This allowed me to ram right into his back.

"Ow, what the hell, Luke?" I snarled angrily, walking around to glare up next to him. He didn't respond, but placed his hand on my back. I looked at it over my shoulder, feeling an eyebrow shoot up. "What the fu-"

I couldn't finish my sentence. He had pushed me toward the wall.

I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to stop myself in the short distance, but didn't feel anything. I opened my eyes to find swarms of people surrounding me and a black train was off to the right, full of kids waving out the windows.

"It worked!" the familiar voice of my brother came from behind me. I turned around to see him looking around, smiling in amazement.

"Did we just go THROUGH that damn wall?" I said incredulously and my eyes hurt from going too wide.

"Yup," he said proudly, nodding. "I saw a few people go through it and I just figured it out."

"Oh, so smart," I said, rolling my eyes. The train whistled loudly before he could answer.

"It's a minute until eleven!" Luke cried out suddenly and he grabbed my wrist again.

"Let go!" I shouted, snatching my wrist away from him.

"Then HURRY UP!" he shouted back and I glared at him before turning around. I pushed past all the people, which I realized were parents, occasionally shouting at them to move. I finally made it out, somehow alive, only to hear the train whistle again, this time real loud. And it started to move.

Shit.

I ran and jumped onto it, grabbing onto the little handle by the doorway.

"You better do your work!" I heard Luke shout after me as I stepped into the train. I laughed loudly and flipped him the bird. I saw nearly all the parents' mouths drop, or at least the ones that had seen me. I would've loved to see his reaction, but everything was too blurry now.

I sighed and turned around, starting to walk along the passage. I glanced into the compartments as I walked and wondered if there was an empty one. They were full of chattering people, ranging from nervous ten year olds to suave eighteen year olds.

A group of boys ran passed me, laughing and shouting at one another. One of them actually winked at me. I didn't have much time to react, since this huge group of giggling girls came running down the hall too, one of them hitting my suitcase out of my hand.

"Hey!" I shouted after them angrily. "Watch where you're walking!"

A few of them glanced back at me, then at each other, actually seeming to be thinking about something. They said something to each other before continuing to chase after their friends. I rolled my eyes and heaved up my suitcase off the floor.

I continued to walk down the hallway, glancing at the compartments. I was defeated by the end of the carriage, tired and sick of carrying my twenty pound suitcase. I looked into the last compartment to find three girls sitting there, talking to one another. They should be able to fit another person. I slid open the door and closed it behind me.

"Hey, do you mind if I sit here with you guys?" I asked and they all stared at me.

"Go ahead!" one of them said. She was the prettiest of them all with dark red hair and bright green eyes.

"Thanks," I said and threw my suitcase up onto the rack. They started to chat again as I sat down but I noticed that the one next to me was still staring at me. Annoyed, I looked at her and said, "What?"

She looked a bit surprised. "Oh, nothing, it's just that…you're an American, aren't you?"

"Yeah," I said and paused for a moment, narrowing my eyes at her. "Is that a problem?"

"No of course not!" she said and shook her blonde hair, which was a few shades lighter than my own. "There's just never been an American at Hogwarts before!"

"Never?"

"Never."

"I'll hopefully be the last," I grumbled and the three girls exchanged looks.

"Hogwarts is a great place to be!" the third girl piped up. She had short brown hair and light blue eyes. "You should be excited!"

I snorted. "I'd rather be at home, enjoying my senior year of high school. Man, I would've ruled that damn school with my friends."

"Your senior year?" Blondie asked curiously. "You don't seem like an elderly person to me."

And this was why we blondes were always referred to as 'dumb'. "A senior as in a senior in high school."

"What's high school?"

"Okay, that's not even funny. Don't mess with me," I snapped angrily. Damn bitch was trying to make me look stupid.

"A high school is where Muggles attend to school for their last four years," the redhead explained to the idiotic blonde calmly. "My sister's in her senior year, too."

I looked at her curiously. "What's a Muggle?"

Everybody looked surprised. "A Muggle is a non-magical person," the redhead explained.

"Oh…so like a normal person?"

Blondie and the brunette exchanged looks but the redhead laughed good-naturedly. "Yeah, you can think of it as that."

"How did you not know what a Muggle was?" Blondie asked all snottily.

"How did you not know what a high school was?" I snapped right back and the brunette giggled. Blondie scrunched her nose and lifted her chin.

"Hmm…so…you're an exchange student from America?" the redhead asked thoughtfully, looking at me.

I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. My parents are making me come here."

She frowned in confusion. "But…wouldn't you have to start off as a first year?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know what year you're going to be in?" the brunette asked me.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'year'? What year am I graduating? I don't understand the question," I frowned.

"Hah, you don't know what a year is?" Blondie said, rolling her eyes, and I felt a vein in my forehead pop.

"Do you really want to start something with me?"

"It was just a simple question," she said, giving me an all too fake smile.

"A year is like a grade," the redhead said and I looked at her to find that she was giving her blonde friend a warning look. I smirked slightly and looked out of the corner of my eye to see Blondie lean back in the chair, crossing her arms across her chest. "So, right now, we're all…eleventh graders."

"Oh, all right. That makes sense."

"But at Hogwarts, we would be sixth years. First years are usually ten year olds."

"So you skip kindergarten to fourth grade?" I gaped and she nodded. "That's not fair! I had to suffer five more years than you guys!"

The redhead and the brunette laughed but Blondie let out a little huff. "Yes, I guess if you look at it that way."

"I'm still confused, though," the brunette frowned. "You would be in your seventh year, then, wouldn't you? I don't think that Professor Dumbledore would allow a student to just skip six years and come to Hogwarts for the first time in their last year."

The door slid open and we all turned to find a guy, probably as old as the girls in the compartment, grinning at the doorway. He had messy dark brown hair and circular glasses propped on his nose. His grin was mischievous and kind of cute, in a way. "I found you, Lily!"

The redhead groaned loudly. "Go away, Potter!"

"Why didn't you return any of the letters I sent you? Surely you got them?" he asked, looking all sad.

"Oh, those letters? I threw them all in the fire," she said and I looked at her, surprised at her attitude.

"You should've sent ME letters, James," Blondie purred. "I would've written back each time."

He laughed, though a bit uneasily. "Yeah, I should've. Guess I forgot."

I snickered and everyone looked at me. "What?"

Blondie narrowed her eyes at me before looking back at Glasses-boy. He wasn't paying attention to her. Instead, his eyes were looking at me curiously.

"Be careful," the redhead said to me, leaning over the cushioned seat. "He'll probably try snogging with you."

I furrowed my eyebrows and opened my mouth to ask what the hell snogging meant, but Glasses-boy beat me to it. "Oh Lily dear, I would never do such a thing! My heart belongs to you and only you!"

She laughed dryly. "If it did, I would've chucked it out the window by now." Ouch. That's gotta hurt. Much to my surprise, he was still grinning.

"Oh c'mon, you know you want to go out with me! Half the school does!"

"Wait…so all the guys at school want to go out with you?" I asked and the compartment was immediately filled with peals of giggles. His face turned red from either anger or embarrassment. Or both.

"There you are, Prongs!" another guy said, poking his head through the doorway. Oh Lord have mercy. This guy was SMOKIN' hot! He had black, long curly hair that went a little above his shoulders. He had bright blue-grey eyes and a silly little grin on his face that made him all the more appealing. He was taller than the other boy and about as lean as him. "Ah, you found Lily!"

"Sirius!" Blondie squealed, jumping up from the seat. "It's been so long!" she said and tried to give him a hug but he laughed and walked behind Glasses-boy.

"It sure has! How've you been?" he asked conversationally but I couldn't help the smirk; it was obvious he was trying to avoid the hug from our beloved Blondie.

"I've been wonderful!" she replied, still trying to hug him. "Why don't you come on in so we-"

"No," the redhead said and Glasses-boy frowned.

"Oh c'mon! I have so much to tell you about my summer!"

"Of course," she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "It always has to be about you."

"Hey, who's that girl?" the hot kid asked, pointing at me. I raised an eyebrow, annoyed that he hadn't asked me directly and spoke as if I wasn't even there.

"I'm Alex," I said and the two boys looked a bit surprised, though I didn't know why.

"Alex?" Blondie said and turned to face me, finally giving up on hugging the kid. "That's a boy's name."

"It's a girl's name too."

"But it's mainly a guy's name."

I half rose from my seat and started to say, "You better watch-" but I was cut off by the hottie that Blondie had been attempting to hug.

"You're American, aren't you?"

"Yes," I hissed, only half-listening, my eyes too trained on that damn Blondie and her annoying ass smirk.

"Oh yes, Americans, always the ones to immediately jump to conclusions and violence," Blondie said in that snobby voice and smirked widely. Yeah, the U.S. government was a complete joke. Damn it, I wouldn't be surprised if security cameras were watching our every move in a few years' time. And Nixon, god, Richard Nixon…don't even get me started on that Watergate Scandal. But that was the government, not the people!

She was definitely insulting the people. I stood up completely and looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Marlene," the redhead said warningly. "Don't go around insulting people's countries. You wouldn't be very happy if somebody insulted England, would you?"

"But England is perfect," she said, not removing her eyes from mine.

"Hah, you're not only funny looking, but you have a good sense of humor too!"

The boys snickered and Blondie went pink in the cheeks. "Americans," she spat, "act like they're the only humans on the planet! You all think that you own this entire world! Lazy, arrogant arses you all are!"

That did it. I pounced.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins, anger filled me to the very pit of my stomach, my right hand raised, clenched into a fist-

I saw her eyes widen before I rammed her against the glass door and I heard a loud crack. My left hand wound around the collar of her shirt, lifting her head off the door to reveal a large crack in the glass door. She wasn't even bleeding. Not yet, at least.

I heard people shout at me, the boys ran into the compartment, somebody grabbed my right fist, somebody else grabbed me around the waist but I kicked her, I kicked that damn bitch, teach her a lesson she would never forget-

"Insult me ONE MORE TIME!" I screamed at Blondie as she got up, the redhead and brunette at her sides. They were exiting the compartment, Blondie looking frightened as the two spoke to her. I escaped the grip of the two boys, running straight for her and saw that another boy was blocking the doorway. I raised my arms, ready to push him out of the way, ready to hurt that damn Blondie. Shouts pounded around me but only one truly rang through, from the boy that was in the doorway, jumping back as I made it passed the door and he withdrew a wooden stick from his pocket.

"IMMOBULUS!"

"…never seen a student do such a thing!" the lady rambled on, her thin eyebrows furrowed deeply. She was a middle-aged woman with emerald green robes and dark brown hair knotted up in a tight bun. She had thin lips, square glasses, and a very angry face.

I sighed. "Look, lady, are you going to expel me or not? 'Cause if you are, please hurry up and do it. I have to get home to watch a television show I've been-"

"Have you been listening to a single word I've said?" she asked, her voice going slightly higher.

"Not really," I answered honestly and it looked like her head would explode. "Hey, you're the one who asked."

"I hope Professor Dumbledore knows what he's getting himself into," she mumbled, rubbing her fingers on her temple.

"I do quite well know what I'm doing, Minerva," a soft voice came off from behind me and I turned around to see an old man walking into the room. His blue eyes seemed to twinkle behind his glasses that were shaped like half-moons and rested on his long, crooked nose. He had long white hair and a long, silvery-white beard and mustache. He wore maroon robes that dragged along the room as he walked. "Sorry, I would've knocked."

"It's not a problem," the lady said hastily behind me. I would've looked back at her but I preferred the old man, who was now smiling at me. "But Professor, do you truly realize how much work this child is going to be?"

I glared at her over my shoulder and she raised her eyebrows at me. The old man chuckled quietly and I looked back at him. "It's not everyday I get a student from somewhere halfway across the world."

"But why would she come all the way over here when there are plentiful of schools for young witches and wizards in America?"

"I'm right here, you know," I mumbled, annoyed that she continued to say 'she'.

"Your father," the old man said, looking at me, "wrote to me in a letter telling me that none of the magic schools in America would accept you," he said and I snorted. "But that's only because you, well," he smiled, "didn't know a thing about magic."

"I still don't know anything about magic."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Your father told me that he would make you study all summer long."

I sighed at the memory. "I did, though not willingly." I was forced to do a bunch of little spells with my brother and my dad's house. It was probably the worst summer I've ever had.

"Then we're all set," he said and clasped his hands together. "Come along now, we've got to get you Sorted."

I opened my mouth to ask what he meant by that but the lady interrupted me. "But Professor, I don't think that you can overlook the fact that she attacked someone on the train earlier today!"

"Ah, right," he said. "A week's worth of detention would do, no?"

"Everyday this week?" I asked lazily.

"Yes, including the weekend," he said and nodded. Honestly, that wasn't too bad. "And I best not be seeing any more fighting from you," he said, his voice suddenly sterner. I didn't respond, because if I did, I would've told him that that would be highly unlikely. I couldn't promise anything.

"You shall come to my office everyday at around five o'clock," the lady behind me said.

"Okay."

"Now, let us go to my office," the old man said to me and turned around, starting to walk off. I followed him out of the room and we walked down the long corridor, taking many sharp turns. We walked up a bunch of stairs until he stopped walking. I stopped as well, turning to see a stone gargoyle in front of us.

"Lemon custards," he said and I looked at him, raising an eyebrow, wondering if he was hungry. Then I heard some sort of movement and turned to see that the gargoyle had moved. As if that wasn't weird enough, a long stone staircase was rising from the floor. The old man quickly walked on, gesturing for me to do the same. I did and found myself on stone steps that continued to rise in a circular motion. It was like an escalator.

It stopped and we got off, walking a few more steps before he opened up a pair of double doors. He stepped in, holding open the door for me. I thanked him and walked inside the circular room. Many paintings of people covered the wall and a bunch of books covered the shelves. There was one big, rectangular desk in the center of the room and a big red bird appeared to be sleeping away.

The old man started to walk around the room as I continued to look around. He came back a moment later holding a raggedy black old hat, one of those pointy black ones that wizards wear (I can't believe they seriously do).

"Let me explain to you a few things before I have you try this on," he said. "You will soon be Sorted into a house. Let me continue," he added as he saw me open my mouth. "Your house is like your family at your stay here at Hogwarts. You will have classes with your house, sleep in the same dormitory, and spend your free time in your house common room. The four houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house has its founder and noble history. At the end of year, there is a house point ceremony and the house with the most points wins the house cup. You can earn or lose points for your house, depending on your behavior."

Well that was it. My house was going to lose.

"Now put this on," he said and handed the hat to me. I took it and put it on my head, wondering what would happen.

"Hmm, you're an interesting one," a quiet voice murmured in my ear. WHAT THE FU- "Watch your language, now," it said sternly. Wait a second, was the HAT talking? That was the only thing it could be! The old man chuckled at my expression.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly and I frowned but said nothing.

"Really, really difficult," the hat continued. "Hmm…"

I sighed. Will this thing hurry up and pick a freakin' house?

"Don't rush me. You're a very difficult one, you see. Slytherin or Gryffindor…Slytherin or Gryffindor…"

Wait a second…did this hat just read my mind?

"Yes, I did, now be quiet, let me think…"

WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON HERE? I nearly ripped the hat off my head but I had to admit that my curiosity got the best of me. The hat was chuckling.

"Silly girl, you are. I don't get many students like you anymore. I think I've made my decision…SLYTHERIN!"

The old man took it off my head and walked off again, returning a moment later. "Slytherin is a wonderful house," he smiled. "Professor Slughorn is Head of it. Professor McGonagall, the woman you were speaking to earlier, is Head of Gryffindor."

"What about you?"

"I'm Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Oh. I'm Alex Piers, though I'm sure you already know that."

He chuckled and nodded. "Yes. So, you're going to be starting your sixth year of Hogwarts tomorrow."

I frowned. "Sixth? This girl on the train told me that I'd be in the seventh year, since I would be a senior in high school right now. My last year," I added in case he too didn't know what a senior was.

"Yes, technically you would, but you're not quite so advanced on your magic skills. You need to learn what the sixth years will be learning. Really, I would've loved to have you start off in your first year…but your father informed that you would study throughout the summer. And besides, I don't think you would want to be stuck with ten year olds," he smiled.

"Yeah, you got that right."

He chuckled. "I think that's all you need to know. Oh, yes, since you weren't at the start of the term banquet…let me tell you a few things. Firstly, the forbidden forest if off limits and magic in the halls is not permitted. Quidditch try outs will be held in the second week of the term."

"What's Quidditch?"

"Quidditch is a sport played by wizards and witches. It involves flying in the air on broomsticks and scoring goals. You could try out if you'd like, but you might want to learn how to fly first," he smiled.

I laughed. "Yeah, I didn't even know that wizards actually ride broomsticks. So I don't think that'll work out."

He shrugged. "Some people are natural born players. You might be one of them. It might be nice to channel that energy of yours into Quidditch."

"I'll consider it."

"I suppose you best be off to bed now. Your luggage will be in your dormitory."

"And how do I get to the dormitory?"

"Ah, yes. Phineas," he said and turned to a portrait on the wall. "Will you kindly escort Miss. Piers to the Slytherin Common Room?"

The very next thing that happened made me yelp. The man in the portrait stood up lazily from his chair and looked at me uninterestedly. He had a black beard and a mustache along with black hair.

"What are you yelping on about, girl?"

"You…what…the drawing's talking!" I said in disbelief to nobody in particular, pointing at it. That was impossible. I mean, PORTRAITS CAN'T TALK!

"Of course I'm talking!" he huffed. "What kind of portrait doesn't?"

"All of them!" I said, still unable to believe what I was seeing. It couldn't be possible. Then again, I guess it could be…after all, there was a talking hat.

"Ah, Muggle-born, are you?" he asked, distaste in his voice.

"My mom's one but my dad's not. Apparently."

"Half-blood, then. Interesting how you made it into Slytherin. The house appears to be losing its taste."

"Phineas," Dumbledore said with a slight edge to his voice and the drawing sighed.

"Fine. C'mon, girl, let's go," he said and walked off to the right, disappearing from the picture frame. I frowned and glanced around. "Over here!" a voice came behind me and I turned to see that he had moved into another portrait. There was another portrait of a person inside that frame, and she appeared to be yelling at the intruder.

"Good night," Dumbledore said to me from behind.

"Good night," I said as I exited the room, following the little portrait man. We went down a bunch of staircases and ended up in what appeared to be the dungeons.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" I asked the portrait man-Phineas, I think-who appeared to be out of breath from all the portrait-jumping.

"Of course I'm sure," he snapped. "Silly girl, you think I don't know where my own house common room is?"

"Well how am I supposed to know?" I snapped right back at him. "What kind of idiot puts a common room in the DUNGEONS?"

This only appeared to make him angrier. "Do NOT call Salazar Slytherin an idiot!"

"Who's that?"

He groaned loudly, smacking his palm into his face. "The founder of Slytherin! Without him we wouldn't be here!"

"Which means that I would be back home, where wizards only came around for Halloween."

"Exactly. Now, go up to that stretch of wall," he said and I walked toward the wall he was pointing at it. "And say 'snakeskin'."

"Snakeskin," I said, feeling stupid. But then something happened. A concrete door that had been blending in with the wall slowly moved over to the right and stopped. I glanced over at Phineas. "Is that supposed to happen?"

He rolled his painted eyes. "Of course it is. This is the Slytherin Common Room. I believe the girls' dormitory is off on the right. Now, the password is changed every fortnight, so remember to look at the notice board hung up in the room. Off you go!"

"Bye," I said and walked passed the open doorway and I heard the stone door moving back into its position. What I walked into was a room that looked more like a fancy dungeon. Green lamps hung from ceilings and a large fire crackled away in the black fireplace. Above the fireplace hung a stone snake as a decoration, its eyes glinted green. Black sofas surrounded it and a few green circular tables were scattered across the room.

Whoever made this place must've really loved the color green.

I started to walk off toward the right, recalling what the painting had told me to do. Well, that sounded weird to think about; taking orders from a portrait. Maybe I was starting to go crazy.

Either way, I walked through an open stone entrance and walked along to find many beds, beds with green curtains surrounding the right and left side of the bed, filled with sleeping girls. I walked along until I found the only open bed, one with my suitcase on top. I took down the suitcase and didn't even bother to change into my pajamas as I climbed into bed.

I yawned and put the covers and blankets over myself, rolling over to my side. I was tired, very tired. And I wanted to go home so badly. I wanted to see my friends. I hadn't seen them in months, since my damn dad forced me over to his house to practice this stupid magic. I already made an enemy at this school and I bet the rumors had spread by now. But honestly, I don't care what they say. Because I was getting out.

I was getting out of this school. Soon.

So, how was it? Yes, I do realize that I didn't really put Lupin in yet. But no worries, he's coming up next!

Please review!