| (Author's
note: This chapter happens at the same time as chapter 1.2)
The boring, horrible summer with the Dursleys was finally over. Today's the 1st September, which mean a new term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would soon begin. Harry was really looking forward for this. On that early morning, he went to the King's Cross Station to meet up his friends: Ron Weasley (with his twin brother George & Fred, plus little and only sister Ginny) and Hermione Granger. But before they could go through the invisible wall between platform 9 and 10, they heard someone was trying to talk to them. In other word, the 'someone' was trying to ask for direction.
"Excuse me, do you guys know where's Platform 9 3/4?" The speaker (which speaks with a heavy American accent) was a girl who was carrying a trunk that was as heavy as theirs. She has long reddish-brown hair, which tied into a long ponytail. She has violet eyes. On her shoulder, a beautiful eagle owl was standing there, staring at Harry's owl, Hedwig.
"Just walk through this wall then you can see it." Said Molly Weasley, Ron's mother. "Are you a first year?"
"Sort of. I'm new to Hogwarts but I attended another witchcraft school before. I've just arrived Britain last night," she looked around worriedly, "I suppose to meet up my friends......"
"Hey! Don't tell me you get lost again!" Two other girls appeared from the crowd. One of them was a quite tall, with short black hair and brown eye. The other one was a bit shorter than Hermione. She has dark blue hair and hazel eyes. Both of them were carrying a cage with a barn owl and a snowy owl.
"I know I'm directionless. So what?" The girl frowned. "Better not follow you two. First you're lack of the sense of punctuality and not as reliable as some students from Hogwarts."
"I think we better go now. Or we'll fail to catch the train." All of them agreed with Hermione's words and dashed towards the wall, then ran onto the train.
"Mind if I sit with you guys?" They shook their heads, and then she sat next to Ginny. "The name is Jacqueline Criado. Jackie will be fine."
"There you are! You little brat!" The other girls they met earlier appeared again. And Jackie shot a "don't-call-me-a-brat-or-you'll-sorry" glare to the taller girl. "I think you are the ones who disappeared, aren't you? Oh, right. That's Ivy Primton." She pointed to the shorthaired girl. "That's Clara Lee." She pointed to the blue-haired girl.
"Actually, what do you mean 'sort of a first year'?" Hermione asked.
"Have you ever heard of the 'International Students Exchange Program'?" They shook their heads as Ivy asked them. "Well, that's a special program organized by the Asia Ministry of Magic. We're the students who are chose to study in Hogwarts for 3 years. We've studied for 4 years in our former school, Belilios Witchcraft School. Have ever heard this school?" Jackie explained.
"I think we've forgotten something," Clara said suddenly, "we don't know your name yet!"
"Eh......I'm Ron Weasley. There are my brothers, George and Fred. And my sister Ginny."
"I'm Hermione Granger."
"Nice to meet you guys." Jackie shook their hands. "And you're......" the three girls looked at Harry.
"Do you mean you haven't heard of Harry Potter before?" Ron gasped.
"Only the name. And studied a little about him in the History of Magic." Jackie said casually, "he's the one who survived the attack from V-guy, isn't he?"
"Aren't you surprise?" Ron thought: these girls are strange.
"No and why we should? And I see someone's not comfortable with this." Ivy's words mean Harry, who kept staring the floor. "Why don't we change the subject?"
And they did change the subject to a 'more comfortable' one. And talked about their family instead.
"I must say; my lineage could be the strangest one that I've known so far." Jackie chuckled. "My father was a half American as well as a half British. Mother was a pure Chinese, but she's half
muggle. And I've lived in California for five years."
"That explained the heavy American accent." Hermione mumbled.
"I am a muggle-born but Clara is a pure-blood. So people often said we're having 'extreme case'." Ivy said. "That means: Jackie was right in the middle!" They all laughed. "Don't laugh yet. Do you know how do we know each other? On the second week of our first year, I...well...stole Jackie's History essay. She chased me all around the school and went into a classroom. And blew it up somehow."
"So..." Harry showed his interest.
"That's the classroom where I'm having self-study." Clara smiled at the memory. "Then we all got a detention about this."
Just then, the Hogwarts Express stopped, indicated they've arrived the destination. Once they left the train, Jackie started to hide behind Ivy's back.
"Are you okay? You looked so pale!" Hermione looked at Jackie's pale and sweating face.
"Er...Is that......yours?" She asked with a trembling voice.
"Of course! You didn't notice it on the train?" Hermione picked Crookshanks the cat right in front of Jackie's face.
"Don't......DON'T PUT IT IN FRONT OF ME! GET IT AWAY!"
"With this sudden outburst, Hermione dropped her cat and backed away. Crookshanks landed swiftly onto the ground and sniffed Jackie's robe.
"Getitaway! Getitaway!! Getitaway!!! Getitaway!!!!" She screamed helplessly.
"Sorry for this." Clara picked up the cat and handed it back to Hermione. "Jackie has an extreme fear of cats. So don't put them anywhere near her."
"Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!" All our favorite wizards and witch turned around, and found their friend Hagrid the gamekeeper was shouting over the crowd.
"Our letters said we'll follow the first year." Ivy said. "See ya later!" She, Clara and Jackie (who still hanging onto Ivy's robe) walked away.
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& read Ch. 1.2! |
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