The Golden Quartet

*Chapter 1

The car ride to Kings Cross Station was silent. Father had blown up last night in his usual fashion, you would think he could keep his temper in check when his daughters are going away to school for the next 10 months. Well not for me but my twin Allie is his favourite, she never gets screamed at quite like I do. Allidora Rose Hyde, my brilliant and super intelligent slightly littler sister is everything Father values. I, Aurora-Shaw Lily Hyde, am not. I wish I could just keep my stupid mouth shut. I wish I didn't have his temper. I am hilarious though, Father disagrees, I was only making my brothers laugh as they packed their trunks for Hogwarts. But then I broke a lamp and I might as well have ended the world, not like we have magic and can easily fix the lamp but that is not the point, I lack any grace and decorum. I am an idiot and not worth the family name. All the while Abbas and Adair stay silent because we are all afraid of him, I guess.

The silence is deafening. But the vehicle is so loud, Father would never normally use anything so muggle but there is four of us heading to Hogwarts this year and with our pets and trunks we couldn't floo or portkey or apparate, it would be too difficult. But this is taking so long, I hate it. And I hate them all, I cannot wait to get away from them.

An age later we are here. Abe and Father go to collect some trolleys while the rest of us pull the trunks out. Allie skips off with her loaded trolley, nattering on about how nervous she is, what if she doesn't get along with her new roommates or even what house she would be in. What a stupid question, she will be a Ravenclaw much as Father was. I catch mum's eye, as I follow behind the lot of them, she gives me a small smile.

"Come on." She says. I nod and follow her inside. "What house do you think you will be in?"

"I'm not sure." I reply. "Not Ravenclaw." Mum grins at me as we arrive at Platform 9 and 3/4's. Allie and Father have already gone through; Addy is following them now.

"Well it doesn't matter to me and your father which house you are in, just as long as you are happy. Now, come on." Mum smiled then disappears through the wall with Abe.

She's a liar. They would love for me to be like precious Allidora in Ravenclaw or noble Abbas in Hufflepuff. At least Adair is as much of an outsider as I, but he is cunning and clever, he can play the part the Father wants so being a Slytherin doesn't matter as much. I don't know where I'll fit in to at Hogwarts, but I pray to Merlin that I will somehow.

I hear people bustling around me, it's getting closer to 11. Other people are wanting to get onto the platform when I notice my shoelace is undone so I move my trolley out of the way to tie it. I notice a rather large family rushing towards the barrier, they look like a happy family and all very ginger, I think the must be the Weasley's.

"Percy, go on love." The woman says to one of her sons, I think she must be the mother, Percy looks very smartly dressed and is quite serious looking, he nods to his mother and goes through the gate.

"Fred, George..." She continues. A set of ginger twins step forwards, these two definitely do not look serious. They notice me watching and grin at me before pulling a serious of hilarious faces which makes me smile for the first time today.

"Excuse me?" A shy voice comes from behind the wall next to the mother, a skinny boy with dark hair comes into view and asks, "Do you...?" He trails off pointing towards the wall in front of the twins. She smiles at him kindly.

"Your first year, love?" She asks, he nods in reply. "Don't worry, it's Ron's first year too." She gestures towards her smallest son stood next to her; the boys exchange a small smile. "You just have to run at it if you are nervous." She nods at the twins and they run through as a demonstration. She then notices me stood on my own. "Are you alright, love?" She asks me. "Is it your first year, too?"

"Yes, Ma'am." I reply politely. She gives me a kind smile as well and I feel at ease.

"Well you just follow Ron and this young boy." She smiles again as I nod. She then disappears through the gate with her husband and daughter after the twin boys.

"Ladies first." Ron says quietly. We make eye contact and he flashes me a shy grin, we must all be nervous.

"Okay." I pull my trolley in front of the wall. I am nervous, I've known magic my entire life but it does still feel wrong running into a wall. I take a breath and look back at the boys watching me. "Very chivalrous." I joke and grin making both boys laugh. "See you on the other side." I then fly towards the wall and through the gate. And straight into another boys trolley. "I'm so sorry!" I can feel the blood rushing to my face in embarrassment, I'm such an idiot. At least it is somebody that I know.

"It's fine Ash." Cedric Diggory smiles at me. "Are you okay?" He asks, I can only nod. "Come with me, I'll help you get your trunk on the train then we can find Abe." Cedric is my brother, Abbas', best friend. And they don't live too far from us so Cedric had been a regular visitor over the summer, he encouraged my brothers to let me join in with Quidditch games which is how I know how good I am on a broomstick now. We had my cousin Katie over as well, she's excellent at Quidditch too and got on the Gryffindor team last year. "Are you excited?" Cedric pulls me out of my head with a question.

"Absolutely." I reply. "I really want to play Quidditch." He chuckles at me as he helps me put my trunk and Owl cage in the baggage area.

"No doubt you're good but they don't tend to let firsties on the team." He grins as I pout. "Hopefully you'll be with us and you can play with me on our team."

"You just don't want me playing against you." I cockily reply. "Abe's over there." Abe must have spotted us as he is on his way over to us.

"Hey man!" Cedric greets him as if they hadn't seen eachother on Thursday.

"Hey mate!" Abe grins at Cedric. "Thanks for helping my sister, we'd seemed to have lost her for a bit." He levels his gaze towards me. "Father wants a word before you get on the train, you had better hurry." Wonderful, I nod at my brother as he pulls me into a small side hug before pushing me off. His gaze returns to Cedric. "Come on Ced, lets go find a compartment before all the good ones are gone!"

"Thanks Ced…" I call out quietly as they head off, I spot my parents speaking to Allie and start towards them quickly.

"Now don't worry about staying all year, if you want to come home for Christmas or stay with your friends at Hogwarts it's up to you." Mum gushes at Allie as she pulls her into a hug. "The same for you Rory." She adds noticing me, Father snorts at this. "Where have you been?" She asks also pulling me into a hug, I just shrug. And I will certainly not be returning for Christmas. Mum releases me as Father starts.

"I expect the absolute best from you both, your grades must be impeccable. Do not embarrass me." He stares at me hard during the 'embarrass me' part, my eyes narrow but by some miracle, I keep my mouth shut for once.

"Yes Father." I reply as Allie replies "Yes Daddy." She does make me want to vomit sometimes, laying it on so thick. Father nods dismissing me so I head for the train, I turn my head back as I climb in through the door, Allie is giving Father a hug. I give my mum a small wave goodbye then head down the corridor.

It's quite full already, I'm really not sure where to go, I do struggle with talking to new people, I wander to the train when I spot a fairly empty one with Ron and the other boy that I had just met on the platform in it. I knock lightly on the window bringing the boys attention to me. "Mind if I share?" I ask.

"Go ahead." Ron waves his hand around the empty part of the compartment. I thank them and put my bag on the rack after pulling out some sweets and a book to study later, I had better start on the train if I am not to embarrass Father. I settle myself on the same side as Ron, I open my pack of Jelly Slugs and offer one to Ron. He grins and takes a few happily. "Thanks! I'm Ronald Weasley."

"A pleasure." I reply. "I'm Aurora-Shaw Hyde, you can call me Ash." I turn to the other boy and offer him a jelly slug also. I look at him properly now, messy black hair and cracked round glasses hiding big green eyes. He looks familiar, I think I know who this must be. He smiles and takes a jelly slug too; he looks a tad unsure and inspects it before popping it in his mouth. He must enjoy as he holds his hand out for me to shake.

"Harry Potter." He introduces himself. He looks just like Uncle James in the photo that mum has from when she was still in Hogwarts. How wonderful, I know that mum met Aunt Lily, Harry's mum, on the train to Hogwarts in their first year.

"It's nice to meet you." I smile and shake his hand.

"It's nice to meet you?!" Ron snorts derisively, ruining a perfectly nice moment. "Do you not know who that is? That's Harry Potter!" Ron said.

"I know who he is!" I snap at Ron with a furrowed brow. "And I think I know better than you." Ron's eyes are wide, he looks suitably told off, Harry just looks worried. I take a breath. "I'm sorry." I smile at Harry. "My name is Aurora-Shaw Lily Hyde, I'm named for you mum, she was my Godmother. Our mum's were the very best of friends, ever since they first met on the train to Hogwarts when they were 11 years old."

"Really?" Harry looks at me awed. "So, you're like my Godsister?" I chuckle at him.

"I guess… if you want." I smile at him, I offer Ron some more Jelly Slugs and all seems to be forgiven. The train has started to speed off into the countryside towards its destination as we three get to know eachother.

"I always wanted a sister." Harry is telling us as we feast on the goodies he just purchased from the trolley for the three of us. "Any sibling really. I live with my cousin, he's such a brat. We don't really get along at all."

"Well I'm happy to fill that void." I chuckle. "I've 2 brothers and a sister, my sister is the worst, she's such a Daddy's girl, they are two peas in a pod."

"I've got you beat." Ron grins. "I've got 5 brothers and a sister. Ginny, my sister, is coming to Hogwarts next year."

"Your poor mother." I quipped, Ron glowered playfully, Harry laughed at our antics. "Where are the other two brothers?"

"Bill is the oldest, he's a Cursebreaker in Egypt going into old mummies tombs and stuff, it sound wicked, and Charlie has just gone to Romania to study Dragon's, he's mad for them. You met my brother Percy, he was the serious one, he's just been made Prefect. Mum and Dad got him an Owl so I got Scabbers here." He pulls a great ugly rat out of his pocket to show us, it takes a lot to not squeal like a girl in front of my new friends and embarrass myself. I'm not very fond of rats if I'm honest.

"Charming." I say eventually.

"One of the twins, Fred, actually taught me a spell to turn him yellow, do you want to see?" Ron asks, a girl had approached whilst he was talking and knocked politely on the window.

"I'm sorry to bother you, I don't suppose you've seen a toad hopping about?" She asks, we all shake our heads in the negative. "A boy has lost him, if you find it will you let me know?" She then notices Ron with his wand out. "Are you doing magic? Can I see? It's wonderful isn't it, magic, I never know about it before I got my letter. Go on then." She plonks herself next to Harry and watches eagerly, Ron clears his throat ready.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." He recites with a flourish of his wand over Scabbers the rat sat on his lap but nothing happens. The girl looks at him underwhelmed.

"Are you sure that's a spell?" She asks him, Ron's cheek tinge pink slightly.

"I'm sure your brother was just playing a trick on you. We can get him back if you'd like." I ask, that perks Ron up. "Are you a muggle-born?" I refer to the girl.

"Yes, my name is Hermione Granger." She introduces herself. "I could show you a spell." She continues pulling out her wand and pointing it at Harry. "Reparo." Hermione taps her wand on Harry's glasses and she repairs them.

"Wow." Ron exclaims.

"Thanks." Harry smiles as he pulls his glasses off to inspect them.

"That was brilliant." I praise Hermione, she blushes slightly. "My names Ash. Do you want to sit with us for a bit?" I ask.

"Sure, for a couple minutes." She replies. "Are any of you muggle-born?"

"No, I'm Ron Weasley, we were just talking about my large magical family. Have you any brothers or sisters that you don't get on with?" Ron asks Hermione.

"No, there's just me." She replies a little sadly.

"Me too." Harry adds. "And I only found out about magic when I got my letter too, but I don't think I'm a muggle-born. I'm Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter? I've read about you." Hermione gushes, Harry blushes slightly. We were suddenly joined by a group of boys stood at the door, the leader, a boy with bright blonde hair stands at the front studying us with a superior look that would make my Father proud.

"So, it's true what they're saying. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts at last." The boy sticks his hand out to Harry oblivious to the rest of us, he takes it gingerly. "I'm Draco Malfoy." Well that would be where the superior look comes from, I believe one of Father's cousins married a Malfoy, this must be the offspring. The Malfoys are known to be dark wizards, filthy rich too. Obviously Ron knows who they are too as he snorted when Malfoy said his name. Draco narrows his eyes at Ron. "You think my name is funny?" He asks. Ron glares back, there must be some history there, but Ron doesn't seem to know what to say for the best, so I step in.

"I imagine he just knows your name Malfoy." I reply smoothly. "If I recall there was a bit of trouble in the family." He narrows his eyes at me now and looks me up and down.

"And who might you be?" Malfoy asks with a fake smile.

"Aurora-Shaw Hyde." I reply politely any further comment is interrupted as my brother Adair pushes forward in front of his Slytherin cronies.

"My little sister." He remarks in a bored tone as he stands next to Malfoy. "You know, Allidora's twin."

"I didn't know she had a twin." He remarks, of course he knows Allie, Father parades her around pureblood society unlike I. "Well there is no need to guess whose family you belong to." Malfoy continues with his gaze fixed on Ron. "Red hair, and a hand-me-down-robe? You must be a Weasley." Ronald's face turns nearly as red as his hair, he looks furious. I stand and face off with Malfoy much to his amusement. He wouldn't be laughing in a moment.

"I think you should leave." I order him calmly. "Before you regret it." His cronies start laughing around him. Malfoy ignores me and turns back to Harry.

"You should be careful with which families you associate with, Potter." Malfoy spiels on. "The Hyde's are a fine pure blood family. Unlike the blood-traitor Weasley's. Or even this little muggle-born. The same goes for you Aurora."

"Why you..." I growled as I shove him backwards out of our door, I'm cut off as Harry stands with me.

"I think I can choose the people I associate with myself, Malfoy." Harry said smiling while the rest of us were glaring at Malfoy.

"So basically, get lost Malfoy." I said. Malfoy scoffs then walked off with his crew just leaving Addy. "What do you want Addy?"

"I assume Father had the same conversation with you as he did I, you're not getting off to a very good start are you." Addy sneers before following the others. I slam the door shut after him. I huff and collapse onto the chair next to Ron.

"And he is not even the worst of my family." I tell them. "I would have loved to be an only child." The tension is cut with giggles, I turn to Ron. "I'd much rather be a Weasley." He smiles at me then puts on a fake serious face.

"No thank you! Six siblings is quite enough, there is no room at the inn." He quips making us fall into giggles. "Besides you're not quite ginger enough, you could be a cousin I suppose, but that's my final offer."

"I expect we are somehow. And what do you mean I'm 'not ginger enough'? I am not ginger at all thank you very much. My hair is brown." I argue.

"No, Hermione's hair is brown." Ron retorts. "Your hair is at least dark red." I look to Harry and Hermione for support, they just shrug at me grinning. I turn back to Ron pouting. "Don't give me that look just because I'm right." I crack up laughing.

"Can we go back to you having a twin?" Hermione remarks. I sigh.

"If we must. Her name is Allie, she is brilliant like you, Hermione, you'd probably like her. Most everyone prefers her to me." Ron loops his arm around me. "It's fine."

"It's not. We don't." Harry replies firmly. I roll my eyes but give him a small smile.

"You've not met her." I turn to Hermione. "Shall I help you find this toad?"

"Yes, we ought to." Hermione jumps up as if she had forgotten. "Then we need to change into our robes." She squeals excitedly. "We're nearly at Hogwarts!"