"A Professor? Do you hear that dear?" Amelia Jones beamed at her husband, Theo Jones.

He nodded reservedly, trying to hide how excited he was for his daughter, the one and only apple of his eye, and asked, "What is your doctorate in erm- at this school?"

So this is what second-hand embarrassment feels like, an eleven-year-old Kelsey Jones thought as she peeked in from the kitchen into the drawing-room. This Professor McGonagall had shown up an hour ago, one day after her eleventh birthday to explain the contents of the strangest letter that had arrived in the mail.

While she was still a little wary, her parents were too trusting. Too nice. Too American. She guessed old habits die hard. It had only been 6 years since they had immigrated to the UK.

"Doctorate?" The stern lady looked offended but continued nevertheless. "It's not just any school. As I mentioned before- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is the most prestigious academy for young students in the country."

"Well, you said you're a professor, aren't 'cha'? What's your specialty?" her dad insisted. "How do we pay for this stuff? We don't have y'all magic money."

Oh no. He brought out the 'y'all', Kelsey thought, wondering if she should interrupt.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, "Transfiguration. We have our own bank where the money can be exchanged for our currency. And a special fund for muggle-borns, wherein Hogwarts covers 50% of the fees."

"Muggle? That don't sound like a nice word to me," Theo looked at her, matching her intensity.

That's it. I bet she hates me already and will personally make my life a living hell until I graduate. Kelsey wanted to melt into a puddle and disappear.

"Americans," they heard the lady mutter.

"Weird school," said her dad. And then a few moments later, "Well, see you on the first Prof!"

ϟ

"Have fun, honey! Be sure to study lots of magic. And don't forget to write!"

"And stay away from boys! Remember if they try to get you, you know where to kick 'em. Right in the-"

The rest of the sentence was drowned out by a groan. Eleven-year-old Kelsey Jones winced at the enthusiastic goodbye. She turned around to see her parents, two muggles, on platform 9 ¾. She wondered if there were any others like her.

Her mum and dad stood on the platform waving at her as she walked up to the train. Her dad was waving his arm a little too dangerously hard. She saw him almost knock-off another parent's hat off earning himself a glare.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she muttered to herself and turned back, embarrassed. To say her parents had been excited when Professor McGonagall had shown up was an understatement.

As she climbed onto the train, she saw a few older students looking at her and back at her parents. No one else's parents seemed to be that excited to see their kid off. One might even think that her parents were a little too happy to see her go.

Great, they probably think I'm unwanted at home.

Grumbling about her awkward start, she prayed that no other first-year had seen that scene. Lugging her suitcase, she peeked into compartments trying to find an empty one when she finally saw one that only had three kids and enough space to fit a few more.

"Excuse me. Do you mind if I sit here?" Kelsey squeaked, suddenly shy. The complete opposite of how she felt on most days.

"Ooh, do come in!" A red-haired girl greeted and Kelsey entered. "Are you a first-year too?" she asked.

Kelsey nodded settling into her seat. "Mhmm. And you guys?"

"We're both first years. This is my older brother, Benjamin. He's a second year," the other girl with light brown hair said. The three girls turned to look at the boy who was sitting next to the window staring out into the countryside. He didn't even turn to look or acknowledge them.

"I'm Lily Evans," said the red-head.

"Mary Macdonald."

"Kelsey Jones."

"You have a funny accent," said Mary.

"Mary! That's rude," Lily chided her new friend.

"It's fine. I get that a lot. My parents are American. We immigrated here when I was five. So I kinda talk like this," she said, emphasising the slang.

Benjamin, the boy by the window grunted a small snort. He sat with his chin resting on his hand, looking annoyed at being surrounded by three first years.

"Don't you like have your own friends to sit with?" Kelsey blurted out and slapped a hand on her mouth when she realised that she'd said it out loud.

He shot her an irritated look. He was about to say something when the compartment door swung open.

"What do we have here?" A boy with messy black hair appeared. It looked like his hair hadn't been combed. Ever.

Maybe a hairbrush would suit him better, was Kelsey's first thought about him.

"Well, hello there. Have you seen a-" his eyes scanned around the compartment until his eyes settled on Lily.

"In the name of Godric! Oh, fair maiden!" He stepped forward taking Lily's hand in his and dramatically kneeled down to kiss her hand. Lily's face started turning as red as her hair and she snatched her hand away just before his lips were about to make contact with her skin.

"Someone fancies himself Prince Charming," Kelsey commented. The boy with the messy hair turned red too, while Lily laughed getting the reference. He got up and brushed imaginary dust off his pants and walked back towards the door.

"Who's Prince Charming?" another boy came into view. About as tall as his messy-haired friend, he had shoulder-length black hair that was settled in curls at his shoulder. Honestly, one wouldn't find such perfect curls on a girl ever. It seems that long lashes, clear skin, and perfect curls were reserved for boys who didn't appreciate them. A third boy with sandy brown hair appeared and shrugged at the question.

Kelsey had never seen anyone with grey eyes before. So she stared, trying to figure out how this was even possible. Grey Eyes too looked around the room until his eyes settled on Kelsey, looking at him curiously and smirked.

"Let's go" announced the one with shaggy black hair. It looked like he was the leader. The boys left.

Mary giggled while Lily looked at her a little warily, unsure how to feel about this not-so-shy shy first year.

"I like her," Mary whispered to Lily. "I hope she's in my house."

ϟ

For the first time in Minerva's teaching career, she was letting someone else call out the first year names. Assistant Professor Jenkins, their new aide for Care of Magical Creatures, a nervous-looking man in his 20s stammering his way.

First and last time, Minerva decided, as Jenkins stumbled on the first name itself.

Kelsey stood with the rest of the first years nervously, watching them go up alphabetically.

"BLACK, SIRIUS," Professor Jenkins called next.

Kelsey saw the cocky boy from the train ride walk up to the stool like he owned the place. A few girls behind her giggled including Mary, while she and Lily seemed unimpressed. The hat seemed to pause for a minute, mumbling to itself before finally shouting "GRYFFINDOR!" The boy looking satisfied with himself went and sat at the table under the gold and red banner.

"EVANS, LILY" Kelsey wondered if they'd be in the same house. During the train ride, Lily and Mary had filled her in on the basics. Lily, just like Kelsey, was a muggle-born. Except she seemed to have already done her reading about the school. Apparently, one of their textbooks was called Hogwarts a History and Lily couldn't wait to get started on it.

Kelsey hadn't even opened her books yet from Diagon Alley yet. She had spent too much time with her parents buying unnecessary memorabilia like children in Candyland.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Ugh, great. Now her choices were between being stuck with the prat known as Sirius Black for seven years if she wanted to be with one of the friends she had made.

Maybe Mary will be in one of the other ones, she hoped. She wondered if being friends with this Lily character was worth it. As she was contemplating this, she heard something that sounded like her name being called.

"JONES, KELPIE"

A few snickers went about the hall.

"It's Kelsey," she whispered angrily to whoever was listening as she approached the chair. Busy burning holes into the professor with promises to feed him to an actual Kelpie one day. Whatever that was.

She didn't pay attention to when the professor placed the hat on her. It was hardly a few centimeters off from touching her head when it shouted.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The first Hufflepuff of the year, the table greeted her cheerfully as she walked up to it. She sat down next to one of the older girls as they made space for her.

"You'll love it here!"

"We're all a big family."

"You'll feel right at home in no time."

She groaned into her hands. She wondered if the hat had made a mistake. It looked like she had been put in the one House with nice people. Chill people, as her parents would have said. Much to her luck, Mary of course ended up in Gryffindor with Lily, putting Kelsey in an even worse mood. She was now picking at her food while others chatted away.

"Psst. Kelpie," she heard someone whisper but she ignored it.

"Kelpie!" She felt something hit the back of her head. Rolling her eyes, she turned around to see the one they called Sirius. "See! I told you that's her name. She turned," he said to the two other guys sitting near him.

"Only because you've been pestering her for the past two minutes Sirius," said Remus Lupin.

"So you say but she didn't have to turn, you know," said James Potter, the boy she had made fun of.

Annoyed, Kelsey turned back. A few other first years at her table were watching this exchange between them. Looking up at the table to make sure no professors were looking, she sneakily grabbed three oranges. Then with her best cafeteria food fight aim, she chucked them at their heads one by one, within a span of ten seconds as they had their backs to her while bickering.

"Oi! That hurt!"

"Hey!"

"My hair!"

"It's Kelsey, you tits!" she whispered back and flipped them the bird. She heard a few gasps and saw Lily's shocked face behind the boys, on the other side of the table.

Someone loudly cleared their throat next to Kelsey. One that she recognised. She turned to see Professor McGonagall.

"Professor McGonagall! Fancy seeing you here," Kelsey joked, sounding way too familiar with the old lady. A few kids around her snorted into their drinks.

"Miss Jones, I would rather you not throw food at my first years on your first evening here," she said looking down at her through the glasses.

"But professor!" She started but the stern look on her face made her stop on the spot. "Sorry," she dropped her head and turned back. "Next time, I'll wait till the second day," she whispered to herself.

She turned back to her food, noticing that suddenly there was some space between her and the kids who had been sitting to her left. It seems they had shifted away after watching her chuck oranges at the boys.

"Wusses," she glared at them.

She heard a soft giggle on her right and turned to see another blonde girl trying to stifle her laugh. Kelsey grinned.

"Kelsey," she reached her hand out.

"Astrid," she said, shaking her hand.

Maybe Hufflepuff wouldn't be that bad after all.

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