Smoke from the scarlet steam engine drifted over the crowded platform. The atmosphere was heavy with excitement and the chatter of many students saying their goodbyes.
"Toot." The last whistle sounded only just audible over the many screeches, the babble and the scrapings of many heavy trunks. A teenage girl appeared on the platform she looked no older than 16 and throughoutly shocked at were she was. Taking a quick look around and only slightly hesitating she picked up her bags and stepped into the flow of students heading for the train.
"Gods this place is so intimidating" she stated as she was pushed forward nearly knocking over a gangly young man with a shock of red hair. He turned looking slightly dishevelled.
"Sorry were you talking to me," he asked.
"Excuse me, oh no" she laughed "Talking to myself, bad habit. So I just get on this train right." She asked nervously pointing to the Hogwarts Express.
"Yea. You a first year." She really didn't look that young.
"Em, well I'm quite new to this school system. I'm 16 so I guess that puts me in..." she trailed off waiting for the young man to fill her in.
"Sixth year. What school you transferring from?"
"Em, well I'm not."
"What?" he looked at her sceptically for a moment before his expression changed to bewilderment.
"Ron!" a high pitched slightly hysterical voice drifted through the crowd.
"That'll be 'mione, Ron Weasley."
"Arya, Arya Kennet. Nice to meet you." She took a deep breath and ran her free hand through her hair glancing nervously over at the train once again.
"Hey listen I gotta go. Don't worry about it." He smiled reassuringly and stalked off top find 'mione'.
"Finally, where have you been and what are you shaking your head at?"
"What. Oh no one, I men nothing. Never mind lets go find Harry." He said taking her hand.
The train journey so far had been rather uneventful, Arya had been introduced to Ron's friends and then they had disappeared, she got the impression they were good at that. She'd also encountered a really obnoxious prat, who seemed to be totally full of himself. She'd ignored him and he'd eventually left. But about halfway there a distressed girl stormed in, sat down and burst into angry tears.
"Gods, are you ok hun?" the girl looked up slightly startled. She had bright red hair that seemed to have a life of its own, her eyes were a deep chocolaty colour and her face was covered with freckles all In all she would be quite good looking if she could tame it slightly. It was very obvious whose sister she was.
"S-Sorry I thought it was empty" she gestured around the compartment.
"Oh don't worry about it, I can go if you wanna be alone. I can always go talk to your brother or something. Unless you want the company."
"It's ok I'll go you were here first. I don't want to intrude."
"I'd feel guilty. I s'pose we could share, I don't talk much if you don't." Arya replied smiling warmly. She could do with the company.
"Ginny Weasley" the girl stuck her hand out.
"Arya Kennet." she said shaking Ginny's outstretched hand.
"I haven't seen you around before but surely you cant be a first year" Ginny asked.
Arya laughed, "No, your brother asked that as well. I'm not transferring either, I'm 16 Ron said I was in sixth year or something."
"Oh. I'm in fifth year." She paused contemplating what she had just been told. "So if your not transferring then why aren't you starting from first year?"
"It's complicated even I don't understand it properly. Professor Dumbeldore told me that I somehow managed to teach myself. Apparently my mom helped me in someway... em...she used to read me these strange poems and stories that kind of stuck in my head." Arya paused a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. "The only explanations I can come up with so far are either that I'm a nutcase and this is all going on in my head or everyone else is crazy and I'm the sane one." And with that she threw her hands up. Ginny had been listening intently (she hadn't had a proper conversation with anyone since 'the incident' in her first year) but at this last statement had to laugh, "You will soon find that nothing in the wizerding world is ever normal!"
Arya just smiled, it looked like she had made her first real friend. Ron, Harry and Hermione were all right but they were so secretive and boring and she new they were only entertaining her because she was new and didn't know anyone else.
Ginny looked out of the window she was enjoying Arya's company but couldn't help thinking about the circumstances under which they had met." Men, no what am I saying boys, they like to think they're men but honestly they're so childish and, and..."
"And so arrogant and oblivious all of them. Trust me hun you don't need em." And after a thoughtful second or two. "Guy trouble?"
"More like people trouble!" she spat out blushing a bright red she hadn't meant to say that.
Arya raised her eyebrows Ginny didn't seem the type to have problems with others. "You don't strike me as the type, you seem friendly enough to me?"
Ginny looked up and sighing again explained "I don't make friends easily people judge me on my past or just think of me as Weasleys little sister." She finished lamely.
"Bullshit" this totally surprised the younger girl who looked up rather startled. "Look gin I mean no offence by this but..." she was already starting to regret starting this but it had to be said. "...Well are you sure it's everyone else and not you, maybe you don't realise it but it sounds like your holding yourself back shutting everyone out. A part of you doesn't want to get to know anyone because you think they'll judge you on your past!" one look at Ginny's face and Arya felt so guilty. She shouldn't have said anything. "Look gin I'm sorry, it wasn't my place to say anything."
Ginny was looking down at her feet, she'd never thought of it that way. But now she had a chance to think it through Arya was totally right she had been blocking people out. Arya looked really angry with herself. Ginny had to do something.
"No your right." She said with a false cheery voice. "I just didn't know it."
Arya looked out of the window trying to find another subject to talk about and there it was. Hogwarts. Her eyes practically popped out of her head and she started to chew on her bottom lip absent mindidly.
"Well I guess were here, hey don't worry about it you'll fit right in."
"Toot." The last whistle sounded only just audible over the many screeches, the babble and the scrapings of many heavy trunks. A teenage girl appeared on the platform she looked no older than 16 and throughoutly shocked at were she was. Taking a quick look around and only slightly hesitating she picked up her bags and stepped into the flow of students heading for the train.
"Gods this place is so intimidating" she stated as she was pushed forward nearly knocking over a gangly young man with a shock of red hair. He turned looking slightly dishevelled.
"Sorry were you talking to me," he asked.
"Excuse me, oh no" she laughed "Talking to myself, bad habit. So I just get on this train right." She asked nervously pointing to the Hogwarts Express.
"Yea. You a first year." She really didn't look that young.
"Em, well I'm quite new to this school system. I'm 16 so I guess that puts me in..." she trailed off waiting for the young man to fill her in.
"Sixth year. What school you transferring from?"
"Em, well I'm not."
"What?" he looked at her sceptically for a moment before his expression changed to bewilderment.
"Ron!" a high pitched slightly hysterical voice drifted through the crowd.
"That'll be 'mione, Ron Weasley."
"Arya, Arya Kennet. Nice to meet you." She took a deep breath and ran her free hand through her hair glancing nervously over at the train once again.
"Hey listen I gotta go. Don't worry about it." He smiled reassuringly and stalked off top find 'mione'.
"Finally, where have you been and what are you shaking your head at?"
"What. Oh no one, I men nothing. Never mind lets go find Harry." He said taking her hand.
The train journey so far had been rather uneventful, Arya had been introduced to Ron's friends and then they had disappeared, she got the impression they were good at that. She'd also encountered a really obnoxious prat, who seemed to be totally full of himself. She'd ignored him and he'd eventually left. But about halfway there a distressed girl stormed in, sat down and burst into angry tears.
"Gods, are you ok hun?" the girl looked up slightly startled. She had bright red hair that seemed to have a life of its own, her eyes were a deep chocolaty colour and her face was covered with freckles all In all she would be quite good looking if she could tame it slightly. It was very obvious whose sister she was.
"S-Sorry I thought it was empty" she gestured around the compartment.
"Oh don't worry about it, I can go if you wanna be alone. I can always go talk to your brother or something. Unless you want the company."
"It's ok I'll go you were here first. I don't want to intrude."
"I'd feel guilty. I s'pose we could share, I don't talk much if you don't." Arya replied smiling warmly. She could do with the company.
"Ginny Weasley" the girl stuck her hand out.
"Arya Kennet." she said shaking Ginny's outstretched hand.
"I haven't seen you around before but surely you cant be a first year" Ginny asked.
Arya laughed, "No, your brother asked that as well. I'm not transferring either, I'm 16 Ron said I was in sixth year or something."
"Oh. I'm in fifth year." She paused contemplating what she had just been told. "So if your not transferring then why aren't you starting from first year?"
"It's complicated even I don't understand it properly. Professor Dumbeldore told me that I somehow managed to teach myself. Apparently my mom helped me in someway... em...she used to read me these strange poems and stories that kind of stuck in my head." Arya paused a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. "The only explanations I can come up with so far are either that I'm a nutcase and this is all going on in my head or everyone else is crazy and I'm the sane one." And with that she threw her hands up. Ginny had been listening intently (she hadn't had a proper conversation with anyone since 'the incident' in her first year) but at this last statement had to laugh, "You will soon find that nothing in the wizerding world is ever normal!"
Arya just smiled, it looked like she had made her first real friend. Ron, Harry and Hermione were all right but they were so secretive and boring and she new they were only entertaining her because she was new and didn't know anyone else.
Ginny looked out of the window she was enjoying Arya's company but couldn't help thinking about the circumstances under which they had met." Men, no what am I saying boys, they like to think they're men but honestly they're so childish and, and..."
"And so arrogant and oblivious all of them. Trust me hun you don't need em." And after a thoughtful second or two. "Guy trouble?"
"More like people trouble!" she spat out blushing a bright red she hadn't meant to say that.
Arya raised her eyebrows Ginny didn't seem the type to have problems with others. "You don't strike me as the type, you seem friendly enough to me?"
Ginny looked up and sighing again explained "I don't make friends easily people judge me on my past or just think of me as Weasleys little sister." She finished lamely.
"Bullshit" this totally surprised the younger girl who looked up rather startled. "Look gin I mean no offence by this but..." she was already starting to regret starting this but it had to be said. "...Well are you sure it's everyone else and not you, maybe you don't realise it but it sounds like your holding yourself back shutting everyone out. A part of you doesn't want to get to know anyone because you think they'll judge you on your past!" one look at Ginny's face and Arya felt so guilty. She shouldn't have said anything. "Look gin I'm sorry, it wasn't my place to say anything."
Ginny was looking down at her feet, she'd never thought of it that way. But now she had a chance to think it through Arya was totally right she had been blocking people out. Arya looked really angry with herself. Ginny had to do something.
"No your right." She said with a false cheery voice. "I just didn't know it."
Arya looked out of the window trying to find another subject to talk about and there it was. Hogwarts. Her eyes practically popped out of her head and she started to chew on her bottom lip absent mindidly.
"Well I guess were here, hey don't worry about it you'll fit right in."