I stared down at my feet which I was swinging in rhythm with the moving train. They didn't yet touch the floor. It was my first year at Hogwarts and I was a blended cocktail of nervousness, apprehension and excitement. I pulled my wand out of my robes once more and ran my fingers across the smooth, rigid cypress wood. My older sister, Abellona, was in her third year now and our brother, Aiden was a Ravenclaw prefect.
"Don't be nervous. All the other first years are going through just what you are." Aiden said, touching my hand to try and comfort me. "We're almost there."
"You're so lucky, you get to go one the boats and you'll be sorted and everyone will be so happy to welcome you into Ravenclaw, first years are always the center of attention." Abellona flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder.
"We'll have to split up?" I squeaked shyly.
"First years always take a moonlit boat ride over the lake. It's the best view of the castle." Aiden said reassuringly.
"You just need to watch out for the giant squid." Abellona teased. I shut my mouth real tight and hung my head. My tangle of wavy brown hair fell into my eyes, hiding my frightened face from my satisfied sister. Aiden gave Abellona a scolding look that silenced her.
I wasn't worried about any squid though; my thoughts were occupied with the sorting. The Payne family had always been Ravenclaws and we prided ourselves as an old wizarding family of intellectuals. My grandparents had all been great celebrated minds. My parents both worked in the Ministry of Magic and my siblings both already had promising student careers behind them. I didn't fit in. I had always had to work harder for things my siblings made look effortless. What if I wasn't Ravenclaw material? I spent the rest of the train ride turning my wand in my hands.