The hat went silent after exclaiming her desired house, and Sophia couldn't help but smile. She could see Harry, Hermione and Professor McGonagall were also delighted at the house choice. Sophia noticed that the gold and red colour began to subtly litter her uniform, marking her as a true Gryffindor.

"Excellent Miss. Lupin, your father shall be very pleased," Professor McGonagall stated with a gleaming smile, before turning to the only boy standing in the group. "Now Potter- "

Sophia waited patiently for McGonagall to ask if Harry was okay after his Dementor encounter, before ushering Hermione away to talk with her in private. Harry and Sophia decided to leave towards the Great Hall that was previously mentioned and entered in a small discussion on their short walk.

"My dad was actually quite good friends with your dad at Hogwarts Harry," Sophia informed, making Harry's head snap towards her. She suspected that Harry had little family left after the loss of his parents, and barely any people who personally knew his parents during their time alive.

"Really? Has he mentioned my dad much?" Harry inquired, and Sophia nodded. She began to tell him a brief version of their mischievous adventures while at Hogwarts but refrained from spilling too much. It wasn't really her stories to tell, but Harry seemed very satisfied with the stories she did tell. Sophia hoped this would brew a close friendship between the two, as she sympathised with the quiet boy.

The two soon entered a huge hall where four long tables stretched across the floor. Another table was placed horizontally at the front of the hall, where a handful of presumed teachers sat. Sophia noticed her father sitting near the end of the table between a seemingly large bearded man and a curly-haired woman who had traces of dirt across her clothes and skin. The hall was indeed great, with candles floating in the air and an enchanted ceiling which displayed a night sky that Sophia adored immediately. Students crowded the tables, all separated by the colours that were displayed on their uniforms. Harry led Sophia to a particular table where all the students wore the same gold and red colours, leading Sophia to believe that this whole table were Gryffindors.

"Did we miss the sorting?" Harry asked Ron as he sat next to the familiar redhead. Sophia decided to sit opposite the two boys, leaving space for Hermione. With that thought, the bushy-haired girl popped out of nowhere and took the seat next to Sophia. Ron looked relieved to see his friends again, and even more pleased to see Sophia wearing the familiar red and gold.

"Yeah, and that blasted school song," Ron exclaimed. "Nice one on getting in Gryffindor Soph, we are the best after all."

Sophia chuckled lightly, before the trio began to engage in a conversation. Sophia took the time to look around the Great Hall once more, seeing the high stained-glass windows and looking towards her father again who had seemingly noticed her arrival. The two locked eyes, and Remus motioned towards the now red and gold colours that littered her uniform in great delight. She gave him a bright smile and nod, receiving two jolly thumbs up from her father. Remus's eyes suddenly looked past Sophia for a moment, being returning to her and motioning his head to something behind her.

Confused, Sophia turned her head round to look down the long table. She met eyes with the same tall redhead who she had bumped into when boarding the train, as he sat next to his twin brother who was busy talking to the dark-skinned boy opposite him. The boy gave her a warm smile when he noticed she had seen him, before turning to the conversation next to him with his brother and their friend. Sophia smiled back in return and turned back to her father who had watched the wordless conversation, seeing that he had raised his eyebrows in a knowing way. The girl rolled her eyes before turning to see that a man in light blue robes and with a long white beard stood to the podium that was placed in front of the teacher's table.

Students around began to quieten down, and Sophia worked out that this must be Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of the school. He began to give instructions about the Forbidden Forest being off bounds, and certain floors in the school being restricted to students. It wasn't until he started announcing changes to staff, that she perked up to listen.

"And please join me in welcoming our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin," Dumbledore introduced her Father as the man stood to his feet and humbly bowed as students and teachers alike applauded him. Sophia and the trio she sat with applauded loudly for Sophia's father, and it went unmissed when Remus Lupin shot a look towards Sophia in particular. Students turned their heads to look at the girl who the new teacher had noticed, and whispers began to brew amongst groups. Even a hushed conversation began between the two redheaded twins and their dark-skinned friend, making Sophia's face turn a very light shade of pink. Sophia knew rumours and whispers would start with transferring from a different school AND having one of her teacher's as her father, but just decided to focus on the next words coming from the headmaster.

But before she could listen, a harsh whisper came from the table next to the Gryffindor one. She saw a platinum haired boy calling to Harry in a harsh way, making the boy whip his head round as the room went silent except for Professor Dumbledore's other notices. The new boy wore robes that sported a green colour, and an instant dislike sprouted from Sophia as the look of disgust on his face was present when speaking to Harry.

"Is it true you fainted?" the boy said, his supposed friends around him sniggering and faking fainting actions. "Like you actually fainted? Did you get scared too Weasley?"

"Shove off Malfoy," Ron sneered back as he guided Harry back to their table, scowling at the interaction. Hermione must have seen my confused expression, as she began to inform me of who the seemingly rude boy is.

"That's Draco Malfoy. Best to avoid him if I were you," she said, making the neighbouring Gryffindor nod in acknowledgement.

Professor Dumbledore's speech ended in a warning towards students about the Dementors that are being stationed around Hogwarts for protection and to search for escapee Sirius Black. This also created a small murmur amongst all tables, as news had obviously spread about the Azkaban escapee. It frightened most, but people were obviously excited to hear about any news that wasn't school-related. A grand feast eventually was presented to every table, where every food you could think off sprung from below the tables. Sophia loaded her plate with delicacies that filled her empty stomach with delight. Harry, Hermione and Ron started talking about their new Care for Magical Creatures teacher, Rubeus Hagrid. He was apparently a great friend of theirs and couldn't wait for the new Gryffindor to meet him. Sophia continued to receive stares from all tables around her because of her new face, and the unknown relationship with the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. She even met eyes with the supposed Draco Malfoy who was sneering at her from his table, before sniggering with his group of 'Slytherins' as Hermione said.

Soon enough, all students were to go to their dorms to sleep for the night. Sophia followed after Hermione up many stairs (which nearly killed Sophia due to her poor state of fitness), before coming to a large portrait of, as Ron stated, 'The Fat Lady'. After saying the password 'Fortuna Major', the group of Gryffindors went through a short tunnel and stepped into the common room. Sophia immediately took a liking to the place, as it gave a very homey-vibe with a warm fire and many sofas and armchairs. Candles were littered around as well as a decent sized wooden table and chairs in the corner. Two staircases led up to separate dormitories, and some students climbed them to get to bed early. Ron and Harry decided to sit in the armchairs in front of the fireplace, as well as Hermione and Sophia took the large sofa in the middle. Small chats began to break out through the common room, including one about the sport Quidditch between Ron and Harry. Sophia had heard of the sport but didn't have much of an interest in it. Playing it was out of the question, as she wasn't particular fond of flying. She preferred much more ground-centred activities like star-gazing and reading.

"You seem to be gaining quite a bit of attention already," Hermione suddenly whispered in Sophia's ear, pulling her out of her small trance. Sophia's eyebrows pinched together, making Hermione discreetly motion her head behind her. Sophia's eyes slowly travelled behind her to see once again, that one of the redheaded twins was staring at her from his place at the table and chairs. Once he had noticed her looking, he whipped his head back around towards his brother who was now staring at him with an odd look.

"That's Ron's brothers, Fred and George," Hermione brought her attention back to herself, a grin fighting its way on to her face. "If I'm not mistaken, Fred has been looking at you quite frequently."

"I'm sure he's just curious about my dad and I," Sophia retorted, and Hermione let the subject drop, but continued to have a familiar smug expression that had been recently dawning Remus's face. Sophia thought about this for a moment, noticing also that the redheaded twin had caught her attention multiple times now. She wasn't sure if it had been the same twin staring at her each time, as she had trouble telling them apart. But an unfamiliar feeling formed in her stomach and a small blush once again worked its way on to her cheeks, sneaking a glance over her shoulder to see the same redheaded boy with his back turned. She noticed his flaming red hair that was growing past his ears, as well as deep chocolate brown eyes that matched his twin brother's.

"Let's get to bed," Hermione announced as the others stood to their feet, making Sophia follow suit. The boys parted towards the boys' dormitory while Sophia went to follow Hermione up to the girls' dormitory, only to be stopped by the two flaming redheads she was just now staring at.

"Sorry to stop you on your journey ladies-" one said to Hermione and Sophia. The other then stepped up to speak. "-but we haven't been formally introduced to the new face in Gryffindor-"

"-a very pretty face at that."

A familiar flush blessed Sophia's cheeks at these words, and the same charming smile dawned on the face that she had been encountering frequently in the past few hours. Sophia had now concluded that it had indeed been the same twin she had been meeting eyes with today and couldn't stop the bashful smile that crept on to her face.

"Fred, George, this is Sophia Lupin," Hermione stepped in as she gestured between the three. Realisation had washed over the twins faces, before bright smiles grew.

"Ah Lupin- "

"Daughter of our new Defence Against Arts teacher I presume?"

"That's right," Sophia found the courage to reply with a small nod. "I've just transferred here."

"Well Sophia," said the one who she had been previous blushing over. "We hope to see you around more often. I'm Fred, if you get confused. You can tell by how much more handsome I am than my brother here. Ugly git he is."

"Oh shove it Freddie," retorted George who pulled an offended face, making a giggle erupt from Sophia. "The whole of Hogwarts knows that I'm the most handsome wizard who ever lived. Of course, if you exclude our dear sister Ginny."

Sophia quickly learnt that Ginny was the youngest Weasley and that she was in fact a witch, not a wizard as George just explained. She knew this by the glare that the twins received from another redhead who sat close by with another group of girls. Hermione soon pulled Sophia away from the twins and towards the stairs of the girl's dormitory. In the haste, Sophia called out behind to the twins, "It was nice meeting you!"

Once in the girl's dormitory, Hermione said that they had always been one girl short in Gryffindor so there was a spare bed. The other two beds belonged to Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, girls Sophia was yet to meet. The girl's trunk and belongings had been placed at the foot of a particular bed, to which Sophia settled on and prepared for bed. She noticed the ginger rag-doll cat that was perched on Hermione's bed, immediately cooing at its squished face.

"He's adorable!" Sophia exclaimed as she walked over to the cat that watched her with bright yellow eyes. She had always had a love for cats that never failed to make her fawn over the sight of a feline. But she knew that her father would be touchy with a cat around the house, judging by his current 'furry problem'.

"His name's Crookshanks, got him a couple of days ago actually!" Hermione informed her as Sophia sat down on her bed. She scratched behind the feline's ears, making the cat instantly purr and trot over to the girl. He perched himself on her lap and purred loudly in content from the attention. "He's been continuously trying to eat Ron's rat Scabbers. Good thing too, can't stand that thing."

After a lot of cooing over Crookshanks, Sophia decided to retire to her bed with Hermione doing the same. Lessons would start tomorrow, marking the start of Sophia's third year. She was excited and anxious but had already taken a liking to a majority of the people she had met. And the fact that her father was here too made it a little bit more settling to be starting at a new school. She knew that if she ever had a problem, she could go to him.

"Well we know good thing that came out of today," Hermione spoke up from her bed, making her look over in confusion.

"And what's that?" she asked and immediately saw the look that formed on Hermione's face that she knew all too well.

"Well judging by how much Fred couldn't keep his eyes off you tonight, I'd say you're in for an interesting year."