February 1961

Potter Manor

"James, darling this is your new baby sister," Euphemia whispered as James touched the sleeping baby's face, "please be gentle, darling."

Eleven month old James Fleamont Potter was fascinated with the small face that was before him. He held her cheeks as she started to wake up.

Fluttering her eyes and doing a big yawn, Ophelia Potter came into the world, or rather, her world. Staring back, she met his eyes and smiled only as a baby could. 

"Her name is Ophelia, James," Fleamont said softly as he came down to sit on the floor next to his son. 

"Othea," James repeated back, "Othea! Othea! Othea!" James shouted with more and more enthusiasm. This made baby Ophelia start to cry, not used to nor liking such loud noises. 

"Fleamont, can you take him to his room?" Euphemia asked. Her husband nodded, guiding little James back to his burgundy painted room, filled with small flying snitches and chugging toy trains. 

November 1966

Potter Manor

"Muuuuum! Thea stole my quidditch book!" five year old James Potter exclaimed as a giggling Thea Potter ran in the other direction, "it's not fair!" 

"James, darling, remember, we told you you'd have to share," Euphemia reminded him, "Thea!" 

Thea hid under a sideboard pushed to the side of the Potter Manor ballroom. Her location was quickly given away, however, by feet sticking out and muffled giggling. 

"Ophelia Phoebe Potter! Give your brother his book back right this instant!" Euphemia scolded as Thea crawled out from under the sideboard with a guilty face. She handed the book back to James.

"What do you say?" Euphemia asked.

"Sorry, James," Thea muttered. James snatched the book back and was about to run off, but hesitated. He grabbed Thea's hand and they ran into the living room. 

"Winky!" James called as he plopped down on the couch.

"Yes, Master Potter?" Winky asked as she appeared before the two young Potter siblings.

"Can you get us some hot cocao please?" James asked politely. Winky nodded, was gone in a snap and back in a snap with two mugs of hot chocolate. 

"Thank you, Winky," Thea said as the house elf disappeared again.

"I'm going to show you quidditch," James declared as he opened the book, showing Thea all the pictures. 

Euphemia and Fleamont Potter stood in the doorway, looking fondly at their children. 

September 1971

Platform 9 3/4

"James, do you have to go?" Thea asked as they entered Platform 9 3/4, "mum and dad can teach you magic at home."

"You'll be there next year, Thea. And I'm coming back at Christmas, promise," James replied.

"Do you have everything, dear?" Euphemia asked as she checked over James's luggage for the hundredth time.

"Yes, mum, everything's sorted," James said, slightly annoyed, "I'm going to miss the train!"

"Please remember to eat at least one vegetable and to study hard!" Euphemia called out as James hurried away. He was about to board the train when he dashed back and gave Thea one more huge hug.

"I'll miss you," James whispered into her ear.

"You better write," she whispered back.

"I promise I will," James said. Thea raised an eyebrow. James rolled his eyes and stuck out his pinky finger, Thea wrapped hers around it and grinned.

"Bye!" she called after him as he hurried away again for the last time. 

As they were about to turn and leave, Thea felt someone bump her shoulder. She met honey brown eyes and curly dark hair. They stared at each other for a moment. He looked about her age. 

She noticed her parents staring at who she presumed to be his parents and another boy with grey eyes and the same dark hair. 

"Fleamont," the older man said coldly.

"Orion," her father replied back, his tone void of emotion. 

"I'm Regulus," the curly haired boy said softly. 

"I'm Thea," she replied. 

"Thea, come now," Euphemia said, ushering her daughter away from the strange family. 

December 1971

Platform 9 3/4

"James!" Thea yelled as she spotted the familiar mess of brown hair and glasses come off of the train. She waved frantically, trying to get his attention.

He didn't rush over like she expected he would, instead he said goodbye to three boys who she didn't know. Well, she did know one of them: the one with black hair and grey eyes, Regulus's brother. 

She was yet to see Regulus and was wondering where he was when she caught sight of his scary mother. They were across the platform and from what she could see, Regulus looked absolutely miserable. 

Her attention was torn away when she heard her brother call out to the family.

"Hello!" he exclaimed as he jogged up to them.

"Darling! Welcome back!" Euphemia said, wiping away a couple of tears.

"Merlin, mum, I've been gone for three months, I haven't died or anything," James joked as he hugged his mother. 

"I know, sweetheart, I've just missed you," she said. 

"Come, come let's get you home. I made banana bread just for you," Euphemia said as the family started to walk out of the platform.

"Who were those boys you were talking to?" Thea eventually asked.

"Oh them? That's Sirius," James said, pointing to the grey eyed boy, "that's Peter," James then pointed to a shorter blonde boy in a sweater Thea quite liked, "and that's Remus," James lastly pointed to a taller boy with brunet hair and a large scar on his face. 

"Are they in Gryffindor with you?" Thea asked.

"Yeah! I reckon we're best mates now. The Marauders we call ourselves," James explained. 

"Oh," Thea said quietly. James then slung an arm around her shoulder. 

"But like Merlin I'd replace you," he assured her as they apparated home (with the aide of their parents) 

September 1972

The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"Woah," Thea whispered as she entered Hogwarts castle for the first time. It was bigger than James had said it was and much more beautiful.

"Are you nervous?" Someone behind her asked, making her jump. She turned around and saw Regulus.

"Yeah, a little. My entire family's been in Gryffindor for generations," Thea confessed.

"Same with mine, but Slytherin," Regulus replied. 

"Oh," was all Thea could say. James had told her about Slytherin. He had said that every bad person was in Slytherin and that if you were put in that house then you might as well become a dark wizard now. 

"Well, I guess except for my brother, Sirius. He's in Gryffindor," Regulus confessed.

"Oh, I think him and my brother are friends," Thea said in a hushed tone as a tall, severe woman with a large hat entered the room with a scroll. 

"Once you walk through those doors, you will all be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin," she instructed. Thea noticed that she had a note of distain in her voice when she said Slytherin. Maybe if a teacher also hated Slytherins, they were really that bad.

Then, the huge doors opened and they waddled into a huge hall. There were four tables, each with their own color it seemed. At the red table, Thea spotted her brother, who waved, so she assumed that they must be the Gryffindors. 

She also noticed that the boy with grey eyes, who she now knew as Sirius, was staring intently at Regulus with no emotion on his face. If she was being honest, it kind of creeped Thea out a little. 

The woman with scroll read off the names in alphabetical order and one by one, each person sat on a stool and put on a talking hat, the Sorting Hat, she presumed. 

"Regulus Black," the woman eventually called.

Thea and Regulus shared one last look as he went up to the stool. He sat down and the hat was placed on his head. After about 30 seconds, it yelled out: "SLYTHERIN!"

Everyone was cheering at the green table, so she assumed that they were the Slytherins. But she also noticed that people from the Gryffindor table booed Regulus as he walked off with a small smile. 

Thea thought three very big things in that moment. One, Sirius looked like he was about to cry and she didn't know why. Two, why were people booing Regulus when he was so nice? And three, Regulus was very, very nice, so how could he be in Slytherin? Or were Slytherins perhaps not as vile as James had said they were? 

More and more people went up and Thea connected the colors to the houses that her brother had told her about. 

"Ophelia Potter," the woman with the scroll called out.

Thea walked up, very nervous. She couldn't mess this up. She sat on the stool and the hat was placed on her head.

"A Potter, eh? I had your brother last year. Let's see ... very ambitious, very cunning. You know how to get what you want. Slytherin is where your talent would thrive," the hat said.

"Mr. Hat?" Thea asked, wondering if she could make requests.

"Yes?" the hat drawled.

"I was wondering if I could perhaps, not be in Slytherin," Thea asked.

"And why would that be? You're a perfect fit," the hat said.

"Well, my brother, he's in Gryffindor and my parents are in Gryffindor and my grandparents are in Gryffindor and you get the point. But most importantly, my brother's a Gryffindor and he hates Slytherins and I don't want him to hate me. I don't think I'd know what to do with myself," Thea confessed.

"Very well, that choice shows plenty of wisdom," the hat said, "better be..."

"RAVENCLAW!" 

The Ravenclaw table cheered and Thea saw her robes change from black to the blue that they all wore. She looked over at her brother with a bright smile, he returned it, but he seemed a bit disappointed. 

After the feast, Thea stood up, intending to follow the prefects to her dormitory, but instead a particularly pink painting caught her eye and she wandered off. The consequence being that when she turned back around to find her group, they were nowhere in sight.

"Hello? Are you lost?" A voice called out. Thea turned to see bright red hair, emerald green eyes and a red robe. 

"I am, yes," Thea confessed.

"Well, that's quite alright, I'll show you the way to the Ravenclaw common room," the red head said as she motioned for Thea to follow her. 

"I'm Lily by the way, Lily Evans," she said with a kind smile.

"Thea Potter," Thea replied.