A/N: Yes, I have done an AU series before. This one promises to be different. Yes, it will still follow canon events. Yes, major events won't change. But Elizabeth's story is more challenging for me to write and will have quite different changes than that of Bryt Watkins'.

I have this one finished writing, and will be updating every Monday-Wednesday-Friday. Enjoy!

And as usual, disclaimer. I own nothing that is JKRowling's.

Sunlight filtered across the small bedroom of the one-story home out in the English countryside, far from the prying eyes of Muggles. The room itself was quite cozy, with faded walls and a small bed against a wall near the door, a wardrobe with several scratches sitting nearby, a trunk at the foot of her bed, and a desk set at the window to overlook the garden out back.

Sitting on the bed was eleven-year-old Elizabeth Martin. She currently had her legs crossed under her and her brand new red oak wand in her hand, her new copy of The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1 opened in front of her. Her first year at Hogwarts would be beginning in a week and she wanted to make sure she had a head start.

Elizabeth didn't know how Muggle-borns could do it. Here she was, with her wand and able to use magic despite being under-age. Simply because she was a half-blood. Her mother worked as a Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, though her Aunt Ginger worked at the Ministry of Magic, specifically monitoring the Trace on underage witches and wizards. Of course, Elizabeth had once heard her aunt complain about how hard it was to determine underage magic from half-bloods and pure-bloods when there was no telling if it was the child or an of age wizard casting the spell. Aunt Ginger was told those were to be overlooked, that the children's parents were responsible. So Elizabeth learned she could cast magic as soon as she had her wand and wouldn't have to worry about problems.

Well, problems with the Trace, anyway. Actually casting the spells was harder than it looked. She'd been trying a simple levitation charm for the past hour but wasn't getting anywhere.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Elizabeth muttered, jabbing her wand at the rock on her bed, but yet again nothing happened. Elizabeth groaned, flopping back on her bed in frustration, her head hanging over the edge of the bed.

"If you can't even make a rock float, you're on your way to be the worst student at Hogwarts."

Elizabeth opened her eyes, staring upside-down to her door. Though her vision was a bit blurred now. Her glasses had slipped from her face and were now lying on the floor nearby. She grabbed her glasses and sat up, pushing the glasses on and looking back to her door. Her brother stood there, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned on the door frame, his wand held lazily in his right hand, his shirt left messy and untucked over his jeans. He was smirking at Elizabeth, black hair falling in his face and over his gray eyes.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking, Lewis?" Elizabeth asked, narrowing her own gray eyes at her brother.

"Your door was open."

"That's not the point. This is my room."

"And my room is right next door," Lewis said with a shrug, "I can't help but see what you're up to when I go down the hall."

"You could just keep walking and not look," Elizabeth pointed out.

"Not when Mum wants you to come get Cream from under the couch again."

Elizabeth gave a sigh and swung her legs off the bed and smoothed down her dress.

"Fine, coming," she said, though as she stood up, Lewis pointed his own wand at the rock on Elizabeth's bed.

"Wingardium Leviosa," he said and with a quick flick, the rock levitated off the bed. He turned and smirked at Elizabeth. "You've got a long way to go."

Elizabeth glared at her brother, then pushed pass him and headed into the living room. He was such an annoying show-off.

The walls of the living room were sun-worn like in Elizabeth's bedroom and a light-colored couch and several armchairs were angled around the fireplace. Elizabeth found her mother knelt by the couch. She was wearing her lime green Healer robes, having just come home from work, and all Elizabeth could see was a green figure with a long brown braid.

"Lewis said you need help?" Elizabeth asked as she came over, squatting next to her mother so the ends of her dress brushed the floor.

"Yes, your cat won't come out," Grace Martin said as she pulled back, looking at Elizabeth with brown eyes. Aside from those eyes, Elizabeth did take a lot after her mother. The same brown hair, the same face full of freckles, the same shape of the nose...Though the similarities ended there. Her mother was tall and a bit full-figured. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was a scrawny thing who hadn't quite grown into herself yet. Of course, at eleven years old, she had a while to go.

"I'll get her," Elizabeth said, bending over a bit more so she could get a better view of the Siamese kitten under the couch, "C'mon, Cream, come on."

She reached her hand under the couch, scratching the kitten behind the ears. Cream shoved her head against Elizabeth's hand, purring softly and Elizabeth carefully maneuvered her kitten out from under the couch, immediately scooping her up.

"Now you better not pull stunts like this at Hogwarts," she said, looking down at the cat, "I won't be there to rescue you all the time."

"I think she's perfectly capable of coming out on her own," Grace said, "Once she gets used to the school and realizes you aren't coming to get her, I'm sure she'll stop."

"I hope so," Elizabeth said, putting the kitten down and letting her run off. Cream was more trouble than she was worth sometimes, but she was Elizabeth's. Her birthday present from her mother last October.

"Mind cleaning up the living room a bit?" Grace asked, "Ginger's coming."

Elizabeth grinned at that. Her Aunt Ginger was one of her favorite people. Even if she was nearly thirty, but she often insisted that she 'only finished Hogwarts a few years ago'. Elizabeth turned from her mother, going to start straightening things up. She'd always been one who liked things to stay organized and tidy, so she was one of the rare people who liked to clean.

She got the couch straightened up, then went to the fireplace where the usual moving pictures were lined along it. Family photos, though several had a man in it Elizabeth had never met before. Her father.

He had died during the war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Before Elizabeth had even been born. Alexander Martin, extraordinary Auror and brave to the end, as her mother always told her. Elizabeth always felt proud to have a father like him, but hated that she also had to grow up without him. Apparently, he'd been killed by a Death Eater named Augustus Rookwood, simply because Alexander was a Muggle-born. Grace had said that after she found out, she had to go into hiding with Lewis and Ginger while she was still pregnant with Elizabeth.

Then, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named met his end in a baby, a boy named Harry Potter who has been the only person to survive the Killing Curse. He was the Boy Who Lived. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder what type of person Harry was now.

It was always clear looking at the photos that her father was where Elizabeth's gray eyes came from, as well as the overall shape of her face and mouth. Though overall, Lewis was almost identical to their father. Much more than Elizabeth looked like her mother anyway.

Elizabeth turned away from the photos and continued cleaning, working to get the house spotless, even making sure to clean the cage of the family owl, Daisy. Just as Elizabeth was finishing cleaning, her Aunt Ginger arrived.

Like Grace, Aunt Ginger was tall and slim, with brown hair and equally brown eyes. She was energetic and fun-loving, making her a joy to be around. She always knew just what to say to cheer someone up. Even if Elizabeth had more aunts, or maybe even uncles, she had a feeling Aunt Ginger would still be her favorite.

"Hey Aunt Ginger!" Elizabeth said brightly, coming over and hugging her.

"You'd think she never came over," Lewis said, laughing and waving from where he was standing at the hallway. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. She loved Aunt Ginger visiting, which was almost every day. Aunt Ginger was a horrible cook, so she often came over to eat.

"I hear someone's starting Hogwarts next week," Aunt Ginger said.

"That will be the worst witch of the year," Lewis said with a smirk and Elizabeth glared at her brother.

"Don't listen to him," Aunt Ginger turned back to Elizabeth, "I'm sure you'll be the best."

"Not really, I can't even cast Wingardium Leviosa," Elizabeth said.

"Neither could I, at first," Grace said from the doorway to the kitchen, "Don't worry, Elizabeth. Once you're at school and learning, it'll be easier."

"Well, as long as she keeps up the family tradition," Aunt Ginger said, "We need to add to the line of Hufflepuffs."

Elizabeth's appetite was suddenly gone, though she followed her family into the kitchen and dining room. It was a small space, one wall nearly taken up by a fireplace large enough to stand in, connected to the Floo Network. The kitchen was set up along one wall with the ice box and large stove, and a nice round table sat nearby, surrounded by chairs and currently set for dinner. Elizabeth went over and took a seat between her mother and aunt, but she didn't start eating.

Her entire family had been Hufflepuff. Even her father, who had been Muggle-born. What would happen if she ended up in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor? Or worse, Slytherin?

"Don't worry about it so much," Grace said and Elizabeth looked up to her mother, "The House you end up in doesn't matter. Just enjoy being at Hogwarts. Make friends. Learn all you can."

Elizabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her mother always was a bit corny. But she did feel a bit better. Even if she didn't get into Hufflepuff, at least she hoped her family wouldn't hold it against her.

"Leave it to Grace to be the sap," Aunt Ginger said with a smirk. Grace rolled her eyes at her younger sister.

"How exactly does the Sorting work?" Elizabeth asked. She didn't know why she'd never thought of this before...She'd heard of the Sorting so many times, and the Sorting Hat, but never really bothered to find out exactly what it was.

"Well, the Sorting Hat sings a song about the Houses and their qualities," Grace said, "Then the first years are called one by one and put on the Hat. He talks to you and then will sort you into the House he believes you're most suited for."

"Unless you're not suited for any," Lewis said, "Then you're sent back home on the train."

"What?" Elizabeth croaked, staring at Lewis with wide eyes.

"Lewis Brian Martin!" Grace said sharply.

"Ignore him," Aunt Ginger said, "No one is ever Unsortable. Sometimes people take longer than others to Sort, there was a guy in my year that took nearly five minutes. But don't worry, everyone gets Sorted into one House or another."

"I hope so..." Elizabeth said slowly, looking back down at her food. What if they were wrong? What if some people were Unsortable?

"Stop worrying about it, Elizabeth," Grace said, "Worrying will only make you sick over nothing."

"And we all know it'd be a shame for you not to enjoy your mother's well-cooked meal," Aunt Ginger said.

Elizabeth grinned at that, looking back down to her food and taking a bite of it. Her mother was a really good cook, it was something she was going to miss once she was at Hogwarts. Maybe she could ask her mother to send her baked goods now and then...

The rest of dinner passed in the usual manner, with the family talking and joking before Aunt Ginger had to leave. Lewis helped their mother clean up while Elizabeth went back to her room, where Cream was curled up on her pillow. Elizabeth just grinned, going over and sitting on her bed, picking up her wand again. Maybe it was time to practice a different spell...Something easier than Wingardium Leviosa. Maybe a simple color-changing spell.

The next week fell into a routine of Elizabeth failing at spells she was trying, Lewis constantly teasing her over it, and the two getting a head start on their packing. As the week wore on, Elizabeth still found herself nervous about the Sorting and going to Hogwarts. What would happen if she wasn't in Hufflepuff. How her family would react...

Elizabeth woke up early on the morning of September first. Of course, that wasn't unusual. She was always a bit of an early bird. Though the dream she'd just woken up from was definitely unusual. She'd dreamed she was riding a giant badger through a large, grassy meadow. Obviously she'd been worrying far too much about whether or not she'd be in Hufflepuff.

'I really need to just let it go,' Elizabeth thought as she swung her legs off her bed. Her room was bathed in the low, morning light and she knew her mother would already be awake. She ran a hand through her messy hair and pulled on her house coat, then headed from her bedroom down the hall and through the living room, on into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Elizabeth," Grace said when she noticed her daughter. She was currently at the stove, cooking up a pan of eggs for breakfast, "Sleep well?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said with a nod as she sat at the table. She noticed the Daily Prophet on the table, the front page article yet again covering the break-in to Gringotts the month before. The thought still unnerved her. No one had ever broken into Gringotts before, and all the theories were that it had to be the work of Dark wizards.

"I'm nervous about today..." Elizabeth said slowly, looking away from the paper, trying to keep her mind off it.

"Don't be," Grace said, "Best advice is to stop worrying. You've got your older brother looking out for you, no matter what House you end up in. Besides, if you really want it, you'll be in Hufflepuff."

"How are you so sure?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"Because I'm your mother."

Elizabeth pursed her lips at that. That reasoning stopped working on her when she was six. Still, she knew her mother was right about one thing. She really needed to stop worrying about this. She had more important things to worry about, after all. Like how much she was going to miss being home. What House she was going to end up in shouldn't matter. As long as she wasn't in Slytherin.

Elizabeth tried to distract herself with looking through the paper. She'd just flipped it open when one article jumped out at her and her eyes widened as she read it:

HARRY POTTER "THE BOY WHO LIVED" TO ATTEND HOGWARTS

"Mum!" Elizabeth said excitedly, looking up at Grace, "Mum! Harry Potter is going to Hogwarts!"

"I read that," Grace said with a nod. Elizabeth frowned at how uninterested her mother was. Of course, her mother was never really interested in celebrities. Unless it was Gilderoy Lockhart.

As the morning went on, the nerves kept coming. Though Elizabeth had no idea if it was over the Sorting, or just being away from home. She found herself thinking far more on the things she was going to miss than on what House she'd be in. Her mind also kept going to the fact that Harry Potter would be attending Hogwarts with her. The boy who stopped He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Maybe she'd get up enough nerve to go tell him hello one day...

Elizabeth tried to keep it from her mind as she went to her room after breakfast. She was going to miss the view of the gardens out her window that she got to see every time she was at her desk. The dark purple quilt thrown over her bed. The old wardrobe that held her clothes. Heck, she was even going to miss the way the floors creaked when she walked on them. Funny the little things she could notice now that she was going to be leaving it for months.

Elizabeth sighed, looking back to her trunk at the foot of her bed, resuming her packing. She had most everything packed already. Her books, her robes, clothes, parchment, quill, and ink, anything she'd need for the year. What she was packing now was last-minute things. Like her hairbrush, pictures of her family, Cream's cat brush, some sweets her mother had baked...

The girl slowly closed her trunk now that everything was packed and went to her window, leaning over the desk to stare out at the garden, slowly brightening in the growing morning light. Was she going to make any friends? Sure, she knew a few people. Mostly by the names of their families, but she didn't know many personally. Very few, actually. Adjusting to Hogwarts was going to be a challenge in itself...