Third year was a new beginning at Hogwarts. They were considered intermediate students, and didn't have people looking after them as much. They were also starting new classes that they had chosen the year before. Finally, they were allowed to go to Hogsmeade on certain weekends.

Lily's third year started out eventful for the first week with family drama, but toned down after a while. It began with the sorting. Roxanne, Fred's younger sister was starting her first year. The family all assumed she would be a Gryffindor, the same as her brother and parents. Only when Professor Vector called out: "Weasley, Roxanne," she was sorted into Hufflepuff instead.

There was applause at the Hufflepuff table, but most people seemed shocked. Weasley's were usually sorted into Gryffindor house. There had been the exception of Molly, Dominique and Hugo were Ravenclaws, but no one had thought it was too odd. The Weasley's were considered a powerful, clever pureblood family. Hufflepuff, however was another story.

"Hufflepuff?" Fred asked shocked, "My sister is in Hufflepuff?"

"Well, she does have the traits," Lucy told him. "She is quite sensitive. She's never taken to pranking the same way you did. Hufflepuff isn't a bad House; you get along with most of them."

"I know, but it's dad I am worried about," Fred answered.

"Uncle George?" Lily asked, "You have the most easy-going dad I've ever met."

"You don't understand," Fred muttered, "and it's not only that, but people are going to bother her about it."

Fred Weasley was very devious around most people, but not his younger sister. Lily thought she had it bad with James being over-protective at times, but Fred was worse with Roxanne. The younger girl was very sensitive and could cry easily. No one was allowed to prank her when Fred was around. If someone made his little sister cry, even if it was family, he retaliated.

"I don't see why," Patty answered, "Why do other people even care?"

Only Lucy and Lily understood what Fred meant by "people." They knew Molly, Lucy's sister would make a big deal out of it. She believed in family traditions, following the rules and didn't like anything to be out of the ordinary. A Weasley in Hufflepuff wasn't normal.

Fred's prediction came true the next day after classes. It had been a long day. Lily, Lucy, and Patty were irritable by the end. Their new classes were on the first day of school, but they'd also found that being intermediate students meant that the work was also harder.

Molly only made it worse by calling a family emergency meeting. Lucy, Lily, and Patty were together working on their Ancient Runes homework when Rose joined them.

"Molly wants us to have a family meeting in classroom four," she told them as she sat down at their table.

"What for?" Lily asked surprised.

Rose rolled her eyes, "What do you think? I honestly think it's ridiculous but I'm still interested to hear what she has to say. Fifth year also appears to be very demanding so I am in a bad enough mood to tell her off if I have to."

"Leave that to me," Lucy muttered.

"Well I guess we'll meet you back here. Let us know if you can understand the Runes by the time we get back," Lily told Patty.

They stood up and hurried through the Gryffindor Common Room. Lily didn't see any of the other cousin's around; so she assumed they must have already been in the classroom.

"Since when do we have family meetings anyway?" Lily asked,

"We don't," Rose answered, "I honestly don't see what the big deal is. Roxy is in Hufflepuff, so what? At least it's not Slytherin."

When they arrived in the classroom; they found all their cousin's that attended Hogwarts already there except for Roxanne. Fred was sitting with his arms folded across his chest with a furious look on his face. James and Albus were standing together muttering and casting glares in Molly's direction. The rest were sitting at desks, waiting.

"So what is this about exactly?" Lily asked, "Why do we need an emergency family meeting?"

"Because, as you all know, Roxanne was sorted in Hufflepuff," Molly answered, "I just want to make sure everyone accepts it."

"And what is there to accept exactly?" Fred snarled angrily.

"She is the first Weasley to be sorted into Hufflepuff, but we've also all always had the running joke that she would be sorted there," Molly said glaring at Fred.

"How do you know that for sure?" Dominique asked. "Have you traced the whole family tree to check?"

"And why does it even matter?" James asked, "I don't bloody care where she is sorted. This whole meeting is stupid; I could be doing something better with my time right now."

'That's why I called this meeting," Molly said, her voice trembling slightly. "I just wanted to tell everyone that under no circumstances should they bother her about it. I don't know why you're all angry with me about it. I am looking out for a family member here."

"I think I can say for all of us that we wouldn't bother her about it," Lily answered, "It's true we've joked about it but come on, it doesn't mean it's a bad thing."

"We all know Roxanne is very sensitive. We're all shocked of course, but what did you think we were going to do?" Rose added.

"And how do you think she'd feel knowing that we were having a family meeting about it?" Albus chimed in.

"I knew something like this was going to happen," Fred said shaking his head. "And I expected it would be you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Molly asked; she clearly had not expected to be ganged up on by everyone.

"It means you're a bigoted princess! You act as if the only thing that matters is homework and grades. You can't seem to accept change at all. When Teddy and Victoire announced they were engaged, you weren't happy because Victoire's not done training to be a Healer. All summer you bothered me about studying or doing my homework. You don't care about Roxy! You are just worried about it because people are shocked that a Weasley is in Hufflepuff. You just care about whether or not people will talk behind our backs!" Lucy shouted.

"Don't talk to me like that. I am Head Girl, I can put you in detention," Molly said, her voice was shaking even more by that point.

"Go ahead!" Lucy told her; she turned and left the classroom.

"Well, she just missed the point," Molly said trying to gain her composure.

"No, it's you who missed the point. You called a family meeting just because Roxanne was sorted into Hufflepuff. That's why we're all angry. Most of us are shocked but at the same time we aren't because she does have Hufflepuff traits. You are standing here acting like the-the head of the family, or something by telling us that we can't make fun of her. None of us would ever do that, not even if she had been a Slytherin," Albus told her.

He turned to leave next, and was joined by Rose. Lily hurried after them shaking her head. She understood that maybe Molly meant well, but calling a family meeting about it just didn't make sense. They were a large family who accepted each other's differences; none of them would judge Roxanne for being a Hufflepuff.

Roxanne, they learned was very happy to be a Hufflepuff. Lucy, Fred, Patty, and Lily found her in the owlery one evening a week after the family meeting. They all decided that they weren't going to tell her about it.

"Oh, hello," she said; she had just finished tying a note to a barn owls leg. "Just writing back to mum and dad. They are quite surprised of course that I am in Hufflepuff, but they seem pleased. I thought daddy would be upset you know but he's fine with it. And they are happier knowing I chose to go there."

"You chose to go there?" Fred asked as he looked for an owl to send his own letter home.

"Well, the hat was saying I could be Gryffindor. Then it told me that I also had a lot of Hufflepuff traits and I thought that maybe I'd be happier in Hufflepuff. And I wish you could see the Common Room. We have underground tunnels that go to our dorms! And it is nice and cozy," Roxanne answered.

Lily felt better knowing that she had made the choice. Lucy wanted to rub it in Molly's face who appeared to be avoiding the family. They usually found her sitting in the library behind stacks of books. None of them had really made an effort to try and talk to her. They were still angry with her for calling a meeting about something so insignificant.

Back in the Common Room, they found Rose, Albus and Scorpius getting ready to go out to the Quidditch Pitch. Lily told them what Roxanne had told them. Rose nodded knowingly before telling her that they had talked to her as well.

"Do you ever do anything beside's play Quidditch?" Lily asked smiling at the broomsticks they held in their hands.

"Well Quidditch trials are coming up and there are three spots on the team," Rose explained, "We really need some last minute practice."

"And you think all three of you will make the team?" Patty asked laughing.

"Well, we come from a long line of Quidditch players. My mum even played professional Quidditch," Albus said; he pointed at himself and Rose.

"And my dad played Seeker but he thinks he could have played one of the other positions easily enough," Scorpius answered. "He sees me being a Beater though, and there is an opening for that."

"But didn't your dad only get on the team because he bought his way in?" Lily asked before she could stop herself.

Scorpius went red but unlike on her birthday, he wasn't blushing. "He was a good player."

With that, he turned and walked away. Lily felt as if she had swallowed a rock, she wished she could turn back the clock so she could change what she had said. Albus, who was usually nice to her, glared at her. He turned and followed Scorpius out of the Common Room. Rose stayed and Lily waited for her to tell her off.

"Why did you say it Lily?" Rose asked.

"I didn't mean to. I don't know why I said that," Lily answered; she looked at the portrait door sadly.

"You have to watch what you say. Scorpius has had a hard time as it is. When he first started here in first year, not many people would talk to him. Not even Albus and I did. Firstly, people were shocked that he was sorted into Gryffindor. They also resented him because of his family's part in the war. Scorpius had a choice; the sorting had told him he would work well in Slytherin or Gryffindor. Well, he knew that the Slytherin's would likely give him a hard time because, as you know, in the end the Malfoy's wanted out of being Death Eaters," Rose said softly; Lily was surprised she wasn't angry.

"He chose Gryffindor? How did his father react to that one? I know that Malfoy's are always Slytherins," Lucy murmured.

"I think he was okay with it. His father is going through a hard time as well. He was a bully in his years at Hogwarts, so people resent him for that. People who opposed the war and people who were for it also give him a hard time. It's all on Scorpius's shoulders. I think Mr. Malfoy knows it was a better choice for him because the Gryffindors wouldn't be as brutal. The older Slytherins did attack him a few months into first year; he was very hurt," Rose answered.

"You're kidding!" Lily said shocked; she felt even worse about her comment.

"It was how we became friends. Scorpius kept to himself before that. We found the Slytherins attacking him and went after them. Even if we weren't sure about him, he was still a Gryffindor. It was a big fight too. James was only a second year, but he was quite the dueller even back then. And some of the older Gryffindors who helped were kind of scary. Albus and I tried to do what we could but we didn't know enough then. We left it up to the older students. We were caught by Professor Lexus and all of us had detention. After that, Albus and I decided to try and be friends with him. He didn't want our friendship at first. In the end, he gave in." Rose continued. "So I am just saying Lily, and to the rest of you: he's had a hard time. Watch out what you say to him."

Rose turned and left the Common Room. Lily stared after her hating herself for letting her mouth run again. She'd always wondered how a Malfoy ended up in Gryffindor but it did make sense. He had always been kind to her, even if he was sarcastic at times. She fingered the flower on her necklace thinking about what Rose had just told her.

Her parents had warned her against taking Divination but Lily thought it would be interested being taught by a centaur. The teacher who had taught her parents had left the school years ago. In the first class, he told them that although reading tea leaves could be useful, he found it to be foolish. He told them the future was in the stars but he had to teach them the third year curriculum.

They spent the class either leaning against trees or rocks while gazing into a tea cup. The classroom they learned Divination in had been made as his natural habitat. Lily found it to be relaxing to be learning in a makeshift forest. She usually lay on her stomach and stared into the cups trying to decipher the shapes within.

"You see anything yet?" Lily asked Lucy who had her cup.

"Yes, I see a scorpion and a flower... oh and there is also a heart beside the flower," Lucy answered.

Patty who was reading Lucy's cup looked up and laughed.

"Don't start that again," Lily sighed.

Lucy and Patty had started giving her a hard time about Scorpius. They both believed that she liked him even though she didn't. She was upset that she had hurt his feelings but that was it. She only wore the necklace he gave her because it was very pretty. She supposed it was her own fault. She had seen Rose and Scorpius arguing at dinner and had commented on it.

"They fight an awful lot, I've noticed that. My dad says that Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron fought a lot before they realized they were in love," Lily had felt jealous at that point and hadn't understood why. "But that isn't always the case is it?"

"Do you like Scorpius or something?" Patty had asked.

"You have been acting strange since he gave you that necklace," Lucy added.

Lily of course denied it but they started bothering her about him. She was sure she didn't like him, she couldn't like him. She knew her father didn't mind the friendship with Albus, but she figured he'd draw the line if they dated. Lily knew there was no chance they ever would date. Scorpius no doubt hated her now. Even if he didn't, she was just Albus' pesky little sister. He'd never paid much attention to her before.

"Do you think that the flower likes the scorpion?" Patty asked Lucy.

"Oh yes, I think that's exactly what it says."

"The flower likes the scorpion? Where do you come up with this stuff? Besides, Scorpius is nothing like a scorpion. And I wasn't named after a flower; I was named after my grandmother," Lily said and she snatched her cup from Lucy. "This is dumb. I can't see shapes. All I see is a clump of wet tea leaves."

"Think they'll make the team?" Patty asked, "I think Albus will at least. He has two really good Quidditch players for parents."

"I'm surprised James didn't want to try-out. He is an excellent player. You should see them when we all play in the mini Quidditch Pitch."

"Fred and Hugo are really good too. Hugo is too busy with school work to bother though," Lucy said.

They decided to watch the trials that weekend, but they weren't the only ones. A lot of people turned up to watch; all the cousins, including to Lily's surprise, Molly watched. Patty, Lily, and Lucy sat by themselves away from the audience to watch. Albus was trying out for Seeker while Rose wanted to be a Chaser. There were many Gryffindor's trying out for Seeker as well.

"Think he will make it Lily flower?" James asked as he plopped down beside her.

"Hopefully," Lily answered, "but then again, it could be a bad thing. He's worse than mum and dad are when it comes to Quidditch."

"All three of them are," Lucy said. "I think Aunt Hermione is disappointed that Rose isn't more like her."

"Well Hugo is. I never thought he would be. He used to join Fred and me on pranks but then he stopped," James said, "And Rose liked to read a lot so it's a surprise that she's become Quidditch obsessed."

The Captain decided to start with the Beaters since there weren't as many people trying-out for it. Scorpius and a second year boy went up first. They had to try and keep the Bludger's from hitting the team while they tossed a Quaffle to each other. The second year boy was all right, but Scorpius was fast, and could keep both his hands off the broom for a long time. He could also hit them straight across the Pitch.

"Wow, he has an arm," James said, "He's quite good you know."

A few more people went up to try-out but it was who Scorpius earned the position. Lily watched as Rose ran and gave him a hug. She felt the twinge of jealously in her stomach again, but ignored it. She wouldn't give Patty and Lucy the benefit of being right. She instead turned her eyes on Albus, who looked almost greenish with nerves.

The Chasers tried out next; however, Rose didn't make the cut. She was a fantastic player but there was a fourth year girl who was better. They watched as she made her way to the bleachers to sit with Scorpius who patted her on the back. Lily looked away quickly to the Seeker prospects.

There were a lot of people trying out for Seeker. It seemed to take a couple hours to get through them all. Most weren't even good. Lily suspected that the position was only popular because her father had played it so many years ago. Albus was one of the last to go up. He was quick to spot the Snitch; he went into a dive that made Lily grasp James arm. He flew back up clutching it in his hand.

"Well, I think we know who the new Seeker is," Patty said. "But it's too bad about Rose."

"Well I don't see how they expected that all three of them would make the team. There are other players just as good as or even better than us Potter's and Weasley's," James said. "Anyway, I got to get going. My friends and I wanted to get some new joke stuff."

"But it's not a Hogsmeade weekend," Lily said with shock.

"When has that ever stopped me?" James asked; he stood up laughing.

"Come on, we should go congratulate Albus. Make sure you don't mention that James is going to Hogsmeade either. Albus and Rose are prefects," Lily said.

Scorpius seemed to have forgiven Lily for her comment. He talked to her when she went to visit Albus and Rose. She was relieved and vowed to be careful about what she said around him. The two boys were just happy that they had made the Quidditch team. Rose seemed to take it well saying that she needed to focus more on her school work anyway. She wanted to make her parents proud by getting high marks in her OWLs.

Lily was meanwhile trying to dodge Professor Slughorn, their Potion's master. He insisted she had the gift her grandmother had and liked to invite her to his little parties. Lily, however felt she wasn't that good at Potion's. She could normally brew an acceptable potion, but there were people in the class who were a lot better than her. She expected it was because of her father's fame.

She liked Herbology the best with Professor Longbottom. He was an old friend of her parents and a very good teacher. She liked the way he could work with plants. Even the most dangerous plants in the Green Houses seemed to respond with just a gentle touch of his fingers. Lily wasn't anywhere close to being a green thumb, but she enjoyed the class nonetheless.

Care of Magical Creatures was taught by another old family friend. Hagrid like to bring in some dangerous creatures at times. Some of his lessons were interesting, but she stayed clear of any creature that was venomous. He usually invited Lily and her friends inside his hut for tea on some weekends.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was taught by a teacher who knew a lot about the last war. He could be teaching them about werewolves but would break off with reminiscence. He would then spend about fifteen minutes telling them about the situation and how it was solved.

She didn't like Astronomy too much; she wasn't interested in the positions of the stars. They had it on midnight during the week, so they were always tired the next day in classes. It was Lucy's favourite subject; she was fascinated with the stars.

History of Magic was the most boring class the Hogwarts had to offer. The ghost teacher, Professor Binns could put a whole class to sleep within minutes. They were lucky to have Patty who was good at note-taking. Lucy and Lily would have failed the class in the first year if it hadn't been for her. They usually passed notes back and forth during the class.

Charms was one of the classes that Lily was good at. She had no problems understanding how the charm worked and why. She wasn't as good at it as Hugo was. The Gryffindors shared the class with the Ravenclaws. Hugo was usually the first person in the class to do magic. The class was taught by a witch about the same age as their parents: Professor Chang.

Transfiguration was a class that Lily found to be very difficult. She always struggled over the years with it. She just didn't understand switching an item from one to the other. It was the class that Lucy was best in. In their first year, she had been the first out of all the first years to switch her match into a needle, though apparently Molly had been as well.

Lily was pleased with her work in all her classes anyway. She wasn't too far behind and though she would never be top of the year, she was average. Her parents were very pleased with her marks and that was all that mattered.

A/N: I know it might be disappointing that Neville isn't the Deputy Headmaster but he likely will be someday. However, I can't see all of the teachers who had taught at Hogwarts being gone. I think that a teacher who had been at Hogwarts for a long time would earn the right of Deputy Head first. So I used Professor Vector instead

Molly? She takes after her father a lot but she also cares a lot about reputation. The cousins love her, but she irritates them most of the time. She is kind-hearted though.

Thank you to R.I.P. Fred Weasley for reviewing! Hope to hear from more people.