After the meal, Percy and another senior leads us from the hall, through the school, and up some stairs, one of which is moving by itself.
"Gryffindors follow me please!" Percy says.
"Ravenclaw follow me," the other boy says.
"This is the most direct path to the dormitories," Percy says before we follow him up some stairs. "Oh and keep an eye on the staircases, they like to change."
As we follow Percy up the stairs, the pictures all move and look at us. Ron finds it creepy but I find it fascinating.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," an old man in a picture says.
We continue until we stop at a large picture of a big woman in a big dress.
"Password!"
"Caput Draconis!" Percy says.
The door opens and we follow Percy into a living area where he stops a few feet away and turns to us.
"Gather round here!"
We do and I stand next to Hollie and Harry.
"Welcome to the Gryffindor common room. Boys dormitories upstairs and down to your left... girls the same on your right. You'll find all your belongings have already been brought up."
~Harry's POV~
After everyone else has gone to sleep, I sit by the window and look out, thinking about everything that's happened since my birthday.
I hear footsteps and look round to see Bella coming up beside me.
"Hey!"
She sits down opposite me.
"I wanted to see if you were alright! Hollie told me about our aunt and uncle, and that brat Dudley."
"I was just thinking about everything that's happened."
"Hollie said you two only found out recently that you're wizards, and then to find out that you have two more sisters. That must blow your mind."
"It is a little too much. I mean, all my life I've been treated like I don't belong. Hollie has tried to make me feel otherwise but I get locked in a cupboard under the stairs which barely fits my bed. I have never received birthday or Christmas presents and am treated like a slave whereas Hollie is their little princess."
"Oh Harry! Well, I can assure you that you won't get treated like that here."
"Thank you Bella!"
"I'd better be getting back to bed. See you in the morning."
While we're in potions, the door bursts open and Professor Snape walks in.
"There will be no wand waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to enjoy the subtle science and exact art that is potion making. However, for those select few, who possess the predisposition. I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death."
I pick up my quill and begin writing down what he's saying.
"Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not... pay... attention."
Hollie nudges me and I look up.
"He was paying attention," Bella says. "He was making notes."
He comes closer to me.
"Well, the Potter children... our new celebrities. Tell me, what would I get if I added powered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Hermione's hand shoots up but Harry looks stumped.
"I don't mean to be rude Professor," Bella says. "But Harry and Hollie only found out a month ago that they're witches. They don't know anything about potions."
Snape is clearly taken aback but he does not tell Bella off before he walks away.
Later, when we're in the dining hall, working on some homework, I'm sitting with my siblings, Bam, Ryan, Hermione, Ron and his older twin brothers.
Bam is waving his wand toward a cup.
"Eye of rabbit, harp string hum, turn this water into rum."
He looks inside the cup before he repeats the spell.
"What is Bam trying to do to that glass of water?" I ask Ron.
"Turn it to rum. Actually managed a weak tea yesterday, before..."
There's a small blast, making us all jump and we look at Bam who's face is now dirty and he has a stunned look on his face.
We all laugh.
"Don't worry, Bam, you'll get there in the end," Bella reassures him.
There's the sound of screeching.
"Ah, mail's here," Ron says, looking up.
Several owls fly in and begin dropping letters and parcels to various children round the hall.
Ron gets a letter and a small newspaper.
"Can I borrow this?" I ask, picking up the newspaper.
He nods so I untie the newspaper and begin reading it as the others open their parcels and letters.
"Hey look," Dean says. "Neville's got a Remembrall!"
"I've read about those," Bella says. "When the smoke turns red, it means you've forgotten something."
"The only problem is - I don't remember what I've forgotten."
"What did you get Bella?" Hollie asks.
"I got a letter from each of my friends and my parents back home."
"What do they say?" Hollie asks.
"This one is from Edward: 'Dear Bella, I miss you so much... I have nothing to do. Alice misses you, and that friend Jacob Black keeps asking about you. I can't wait until you come back to me. I really, really miss you. I hope you're having fun there... love Edward'"
"What does Jacob's say?" Hollie asks.
"'My dearest Bella boo..."
"Ah how cute!"
"Why haven't you written? You said you would write every day. I miss you like crazy and hate that we are apart. Edward keeps telling me to stay away from him, but I guess that's my own fault... I do pester him alot about whether he has got a letter or not. Please write, I miss you.'"
"That's sweet."
"Well Edward is fifteen and I started liking him more than a friend before I came here. Jake is the same age as us but he's just a friend."
"You have two more," Hollie says.
"Read yours first."
"Okay," Hollie smiles. I hadn't noticed she'd even had a letter but I had a feeling I knew who it was from.
"'My darling Hollie, I hate that you chose to leave us and become a freak like the rest of them. Please come home, we miss you, lots of love Aunt Petunia.'"
"She's impossible!" Bella says as she looks at me.
"Well I'm in no hurry to return to that place. Read your other two letters."
Bella smiles before opening the third one.
"'Hey Bella, it's Angela. Hope you are having a great time, I presume you are because you haven't written. Miss you lots, Angela.'"
"Short, and to the point," Bam says.
"'Hey princess, hope you are having a great time, lots of fun and making lots of friends. Hope you aren't too homesick. Edward hasn't really come over but Jake comes over pretty much every day to ask if we've heard from you but we always give him the same answer. Love you lots precious, love Mom and Dad.'"
"You seem to have alot of love waiting for you back home," Ryan says.
"Yes, they're great."
"Hey, Ron," I say, nudging him. "Somebody broke into Gringotts."
He looks over.
"Listen..."
I read out the article.
"That's odd, that's the vault Hagrid and us went to," Hollie says, confusion on her face.
"You know, that money should be all mine," we hear a voice say and look up to see the blonde girl and boy from dinner last night with two other boys.
"You three deserve nothing from my parents."
"And who do you think you are?" Bella asks, standing up, throwing her chair back in the process.
"I'm the daughter of James and Lily Potter."
"So you're our older sister!" Hollie says.
"Sister, no, you three are nothing to do with me. You should never have been born."
"What is your problem?" Bella asks.
"You three are my problem. You took everything from me."
"We don't even know you," Bella says.
"Well I know all about you. You should have died, not my parents."
"We were just babies," Hollie says.
"You were horrible little brats and I wish you'd never been born."
At this, Bella jumps over the table and knocks the girl to the ground before she begins punching her in the face.
Everyone in the room begin to gather round them as they roll around, hitting on each other until Professor McGonagall and another teacher come in and break them up.
"What on earth is going on here?" the other teacher asks.
"Excuse me Professor," Bam says. "The older girl came in and started saying some mean things to the Potters so Bella attacked her."
"Is this true?" McGonagall asks.
"Pretty much!" Bella admits.
"We will not have fighting in Hogwarts; you two will see the head master."
She leads them out of the hall.
"Carry on with your homework students," the other teacher says before she leaves too, followed by the three boys.
"Who were they?" I ask.
"They were Emberlee Potter, Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle," Fred tells me.
"Is she really our sister?" Hollie asks.
"Afraid so," George says.
"Why does she hate us so much?"
"Because she and your parents did everything before you came along but afterwards, they didn't have time for her because having three babies was very demanding," Fred explains.
"But that wasn't our fault," Hollie says.
"She doesn't see it like that," George says.
"Is it hard being a big brother?" I ask.
"It didn't really matter with us," Fred says. "Because we weren't the first, and we had each other."
I look at them before I look to the door where Emberlee and Bella had been led through.
~Hollie's POV~
Our next lesson is learning how to fly on a broomstick.
There are thirteen of us lined up one side and thirteen the other, our brooms in front of us, leaving about a ten inch gap which Madam Hooch walks along.
"Good afternoon class."
"Good afternoon Madam Hooch," we all say in sync.
She reaches the other end of the two lines as she puts on her gloves, and then she turns to us.
"Welcome to your first flying lesson. Everyone step up to the left side of your broomstick."
We do as she says.
"Stick your right hand over the broom and say 'up.'"
Me, Harry and Bella all manage first time and then I look around at the others.
When Ron says 'up,' the broom swings up and whacks him in the nose. We all laugh.
"Shut up Harry!" Ron laughs.
"Now... once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it."
We all mount our brooms.
"And grip it tight. You don't want to be sliding off the end. When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground hard. Keep your brooms steady... hover for a moment... then lean forward slightly and touch back down."
She blows her whistle and suddenly Neville is going up, higher than we're meant to.
"Mr Longbottom," Madam Hooch says.
Neville quivers with fear as he hovers above our heads.
The broom seems to be carrying him away as he shouts for help and Madam Hooch tries to get him down.
His broom loses control and hits the wall twice before he almost hits us; then he flies through an archway before his robe gets caught on a statue holding out a spear and the broom drops to the floor.
We all gather underneath him and watch in horror as his robe rips and he begins falling. Luckily his robe is caught on a torch before he slips out of it onto the ground.
"Everyone out of the way," Madam Hooch orders and we all move aside as she runs to help Neville.
"Oh dear, it's a broken wrist," she says before she helps him up.
"Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say, Quidditch."
She leads Neville away.
"That was quite a show," we hear a voice behind us and turn to see Draco standing there with Gregory and Vincent. He has Neville's Remembrall in his hand.
"Give it here, Malfoy," Harry demands as he steps forward.
"No, I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find."
He grabs Neville's broom and flies up a few feet before stopping.
"What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?"
I look at Harry as he readies his broom.
"Don't be an idiot; you heard what Madam Hooch said. Do you really want to go back to the Dursley's alone?"
He ignores me and flies up until he's level with Draco.
"Give it here, Malfoy or I'll knock you off your broom."
He just laughs at my brother.
"That the best you can threaten me with. What a joke!"
Harry goes for the Remembrall but Draco moves aside.
"You want it, go get it."
Draco throws it as hard as he can so Harry races after it.
~Harry's POV~
I chase Neville's Remembrall and catch it, stopping just before a window.
When I come back down, I shake the Remembrall in my hand and everyone cheers as they run toward me.
I land and look up at Draco – he doesn't look happy.
"That was great, Harry," Bella says.
"Harry Potter!"
We all turn to see Professor McGonagall standing there.
"Follow me."
She turns and I follow her back into the building and through the corridors until she turns to me.
"Wait here!"
I stop and she continues to the next door.
"Excuse me, Professor Quirrell, could I borrow Wood for a moment please?"
"Yes, of course!"
I peek round just as one of the students stands and comes out with the professor.
"Mr Potter, this is Oliver Wood! Wood, I have found you a Seeker."
I look at the older student nervously, wondering what the professor means.
"Don't worry, Harry," Oliver says. "Come with me and I'll explain it to you."
I follow him to the Gryffindor common room, which is luckily empty and we sit opposite each other.
"Okay, now Quidditch is a game played on broomsticks. It is the most popular game among wizards and witches. The object of the game is to score more points than your opponents. Each goal is worth ten points and catching the Snitch is worth a hundred and fifty. The game ends when the Snitch is caught or an agreement is reached between the captains of both teams. Some games can go on for many days if the Snitch is not caught. The record, according to 'Quidditch through the Ages', is three months."
"Three months?"
"All the games I've played have only been a couple of hours – our Seekers are good."
"What's a Snitch?"
"I'll show you later, after lessons."
I nod.