A/N That's Shelby now at age 11

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I loaded the train and tried to find an empty compartment. I was walking pass one when I tripped over someone's foot. Everyone laughed. I looked up and saw it was a blond hair boy. My face turned a light red with anger and embarrassment. Some of the windows shattered.

"She's evil!" Someone shouted. People were screaming. Oh no. I'm going to get sent back already. Oh well. I'm use to it.

"I-I'm sorry." I mumbled and went to get up.

"Let me help you." A girl voice said. I looked up. It was a girl with brown hair. She was already in her robe and everything.

"Um thanks." I grabbed her hand and she helped me up. We picked up my things.

"Come sit with me." She offered.

"Okay thanks." I followed her. When we got to her seat I sat across from her.

"I'm Hermione Granger and this is Neville Longbottom." She pointed to the boy next to her.

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Shelby Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore? As in Albus Dumbledore?" She asked.

"I don't know. I don't have any family. Who is he?" I said uneasily. I hate telling people I'm an orphan.

"Didn't you read your letter? He's the headmaster." She explained.

"Oh. I guess I didn't pay attention."

"Maybe you can ask him if you're related. Maybe you're distant cousins. He can tell you about your family." She suggested.

"You're right. Maybe I can finally find out who I am."

Then she said something that will stick with me forever....

"You're family doesn't make you who you are. It's a part of you but you create your own future."

"You're right. Thanks." I smiled.

"Oh no! Trevor is gone!" Neville exclaimed.

"Come on, let's go look Shelby."

"You really need to get a leash or something for that thing." I told him before walking out with Hermione.

We went around the train asking people if they've seen Trevor the toad. No one had. We came upon a boy with bright red hair and freckles, who was holding his wand, and a boy with brown shaggy hair and glasses.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." She asked the two boys.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it." The red head said.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then." She sat down across from them and I sat by her. The red head looked taken aback.

"Er-alright." He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

He waved his wand but nothing happened.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" Hermione asked.

"Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" She said quickly.

"I'm Ron Weasley."

"Harry Potter."

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"Am I?" said Harry.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what House you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. ... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

"I'm Shelby by the way. Nice meeting you two." I waved and followed Hermione.

We continued looking for Trevor with no luck. We were returning to our seats when we heard a lot of noise. We ran towards it. It was coming from Harry and Ron's seat. The place was trashed.

"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up his rat by his tail.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at the rat. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep." And so he had. "You've met Malfoy before?" Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

We went back to our seats. A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." My stomach lurched with nerves. I quickly changed into my robe.

The crowd thronged the corridor. The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. I shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of us. A big man told us to follow him.

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The man said.

"But there's five of us." Hermione said.

"It's okay. I'll just get in the boat beside you guys." I offered.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. It's no big deal really." I climbed in the boat.

The boy who tripped me got in the same boat as me with two other boys. I mentally groaned.

"Still hurting from that fall?" He teased. I glared at him and ignored him.

"What? Cat got your tongue?"

"No. I've just learned it's smarter to ignore arrogance." I spat.

"Who are you anyway?" He asked.

"Who wants to know?"

"I do obviously. I'm Draco Malfoy. And this is Crabbe and Goyle."

"Shelby." I said.

"Some wizard families aren't the best to associate with. For example, the people you were with on the train. But I can help you with that."

"I think I can choose the best kind on my own thank you."

"We'll see about that."

"Everyone in?" The big man shouted, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!" And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over us as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" Yelled the man as the first boats reached the cliff; we all bent our heads and the little boats carried us through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. We were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking us right underneath the castle, until we reached a kind of underground harbor, where we clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said the man, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them. "Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then we clambered up a passageway in the rock after the man's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. We walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" The man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

"How was your ride? I'm sorry you had to ride with him." Hermione said.

"It was okay. I think he's just a little full of himself."

"Very. But not to worry, I'm sure he'll be in Slytherin. No way we will be."

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and my first thought was that this was not someone to cross. But she looked oddly familiar. The lady gave me a nod.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Said the man.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. I guess his name is Hagrid and she is Professor McGonagall.

The entrance hall was huge! The whole orphanage could fit in it! We followed Professor McGonagall. I could hear other people from a far. We all crowded into a small chamber. I could tell everyone else was just as nervous as me.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room. The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She left the chamber.

I wonder how they do this sorting thing? Why is it so important? Why do Slytherin's supposedly all go bad? Guess I'll find out....