Chapter 1: Hogwarts Express

"Cricket and Kizzie bring your trunks down here right now! Your father is insisting on driving and it took us twice as long last time he did." The sound of my mother's yelling rudely woke me up from my dreamless sleep. Several feet away I saw that my sister Kizzie was still sleeping.

"Kizzie wake up! It's already almost 8:30 and it takes two hours to get to London, GET UP!" I yelled at my sister.

I quickly looked in my trunk to double check that everything is there, making sure that my robes and prefect badge are on top, easily accessible for me to change on the train. Resorting to desperate measures, I yanked the covers off of my lazy sister, forcing her to jump out of bed and begin stuffing her schoolbooks and robes in to her empty trunk.

Sighing, I grabbed my wand from off of my night table and dragged my trunk down the stairs. As I approached the kitchen, I could hear my youngest sister complaining.

"I don't understand why I need to go! I don't want to spend four hours in the car just to watch them board the train!" whined Dolly. Dolly was only 9, and had been trying to hide her disappointment all summer that she would alone with our parents until Christmas.

"Mum! I CANNOT miss the train! We NEED to go NOW! Where's Dad? Please tell me Kizzie isn't still sleeping!" said Libby, as she stormed in to the kitchen. Ever since our visit to Diagon Alley a couple weeks prior, all Libby could talk about was how excited she was to start her first year at Hogwarts.

"Your father is putting Medes and Henny's cages in the car. Bring your trunks around back to the car. KIZZELLA SARAH CONNORS IF YOU DO NOT GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW YOU WILL NOT BE GOING BACK TO HOGWARTS," threatened my mum.

Less than 5 minutes later, my family of six had piled in to our station wagon with three trunks, two owls and Libby's new cat Missy on her lap.

It took two hours, but we finally arrived at King's Cross Station. We'd all been through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 before, so we breezed through this process and arrived on Platform 9 ¾ to see the Hogwarts Express, steam puffing out of the top of the train.

Libby was looking around in excitement, realizing that this year it was finally her that got to go. The excitement seemed to turn to apprehension as she noticed that all of the witches she knew were in ever year except for hers.

"Now girls, we'll see you at Christmas. Remember to study hard. Cricket and Kizzie, keep an eye out for Libby, we all know how easy it is for a first year to get lost," said my dad.

"Kizzie, why don't you go help Libby find a compartment, I have to go to the prefect car," I said, kissing my parents and Dolly good-bye.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Natalie Hastings, a fellow 6th year prefect, heading towards the prefect car. Natalie and I first became friends last year, both being prefects for the first time. Even though she is a Gryffindor, she's still one of my best friends.

"Natalie!" I yell as I roll my suitcase with Medes' cage on top towards her. She squealed and turned around to give me a hug, it seemed like we hadn't seen each other in forever, but in actuality we saw each other only a couple weeks prior on our annual trip to Diagon Alley. "Come on let's hurry up! It's almost 11!"

We were clearly the last two prefects to arrive on the train, because the other prefects were already starting to get changed into their robes. This year's Head Boy, a Slytherin named Cormac Collins, was busy talking to the Head Girl, a Hufflepuff named Miranda Ludwig, about which prefects would be patrolling the train during which intervals.

Placing my trunk on an empty seat I took out my freshly pressed robes. I was very proud of the blue lining of my black robe, and the Eagle behind the "P" on my prefect badge. After I was completely dressed I put my wand in the inside of my robes and looked around the spacious car.

It took me barely a second to lock eyes with Ryan Marchbanks, my fellow 6th year Ravenclaw Prefect and my best friend. I ran over to him and gave him the biggest hug. I hadn't seen him in nearly two months because his family had decided to spend the summer in America with his mum's sister.

"How was America!" I exclaimed.

"It was so different! My cousins go to the Salem School for Witches, can you imagine?" said Ryan.

Just as I was about to ask him what else he did over the summer, Cormac began to make his announcements.

"I'm not going to keep you for long. We just want to go over who will be patrolling the train and when. Let's have the 6th years take the first duty. We'll have Gryffindor and Hufflepuff take the front of the train, and Slytherin and Ravenclaw will take the back of the train. After that we'll have 5th years and then 7th years make sure all the 1st years find their way to Hagrid when we get to Hogsmeade. Am I missing anything Miranda?"

"I don't think so! The train is starting to leave, so 6th years you better get going," said Miranda.

Ryan opened the door of the car and we began patrolling the back of the train. After about an hour of checking compartments to make sure that nobody was being to rowdy, I spotted the 5th years prefects heading our way. After they relieved us, I turned to Ryan and asked him if he had any idea where our friends were.

"I saw Kevin before I got on the train and he said that they were heading towards the front of the train, so let's go look up there for them," he responded.

I was walking backwards talking to Ryan, a bad habit of mine, when I walked straight in to somebody. It took me less than a second to realize that I had backed in to the person I hated most at Hogwarts, Millicent Stuppard, a Slytherin prefect in my year.

"Watch where you're going Connors, I don't need you getting my robes dirty before we even get to school," she said snarkily.

"Just move out of the way Stuppard," I responded, "Why don't you get back to snogging Wainrott, it's the only thing you seem to be able to do anyway."

Millicent gasped at my audacity and Ryan grabbed my arm, telling me that we should go. Seeing this Millicent responded, "That's right Marchbanks, better hold her steady so she doesn't go knocking anyone else over." I just glared at her and followed Ryan as we searched for our friends.

We brushed by the food trolley just in time to see Aidan Shrew poking his head out of one of the compartments up ahead, clearly on the lookout for the food trolley. "Guys it's almost here!" he said as he turned his head into the compartment, "oh no! It looks like a couple of prefects are heading this way too! Better hide the Skiving Snackboxes from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!"

I laughed at Aiden as he held open the door for Ryan and me. Inside the compartment not only held Aiden, but my two other best friends; Quinn and Kevin Pickett. As we were settling down, the food trolley stopped outside of our compartment. After I got my Chocolate Frog and Pumpkin Pasty, I settled down for the rest of the trip, talking to my friends about our summers.

What seemed like barely 10 minutes later, the streets of Hogsmeade were coming in to view, and before long the train had stopped and we began unloading.

"Save a seat for me in a carriage," I said to Ryan, "I need to make sure that Libby finds her way to Hagrid." I hurried off the train in search of my little sister.

It seemed as if all of the first-years had been magnetically pulled towards each other as they looked around in awe at everything around them.

"Firs-years, Firs-years this way!" boomed Professor Hagrid, his voice carrying so that ever student could here him. I finally saw Libby ahead of me talking to an animated young boy with bright torqoise hair.

"Libby! How was the train ride? Please tell me you didn't buy too many Chocolate Frogs!" I said as I reached her.

"It was FINE! And a swear I only got two!" she responded, while the boy next to her coughed,

"Four," then laughed.

"Hi I'm Cricket, Libby's older sister," I introduced myself to the boy.

"I'm Teddy, Teddy Lupin," he responded shaking my hand.

"Well, you guys stay close to Professor Hagrid and DON'T GET LOST. I'm going to head back over to the carriages."

"Wait! Before you go, what house do you think I'll be in?" Libby asked.

"I honestly have no idea," I responded, "Kizzie and I are obviously Ravenclaws and so was Dad, but our cousins have all been in different houses so who knows!"

"I hope we're in the same house!" exclaimed Teddy, "My dad was a Gryffindor, but my mum was a Hufflepuff so I have no idea where I'm going!"

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you too will be fine! Now I REALLY have to go catch up to my friends, BYE!" I ran off towards the carriage that held Ryan and the rest of my friends and rode off towards the castle.