O Captain, My Captain
Katie Bell was many things, stubborn, loyal, prone to violence; but she was born to be a chaser. Follow Ms. Bell and the Gryffindor Quidditch team through their exploits of mischief and mayhem. And may Hogwarts be left standing in the end!
King's Cross Station, Sept. 1st
'Look mum! That girl has an owl!'
I winced hearing the cry proclaiming the oddity teetering dangerously on the top of my luggage trolley as I continued to push the monstrosity through the flowing crowds of King's Cross station. Jasper, the owl in question, hooted his indignant reply as the child, hanging onto the arms of a woman, came into alarming proximity to my cart. This was the second time today alone someone had voiced their confusion over my caged companion, not to mention the multiple questioning stares and double-takes, but I didn't entirely blame them. How could I? Months ago I too would have gaped like a goldfish had someone else gone waltzing past me, caged owl in tow. How the wizarding world went undiscovered was a feat completely lost on me.
And yet, here I am, eleven year old me, bowling people over with a bird cage, trying to keep up with a women who is surprisingly agile for her apparent age-my guess before this little excursion was around 65.
And almost as if on cue I hear a Scottish voice "Make sure to keep now. We don't want to be late."
"Yes, professor McGonagall" I called out to what I could see of the fairly tall women, which wasn't much. By now, I was mostly just following a bobbing pointy hat in a sea of heads. "How does she move so quickly anyway?" I mumbled to myself. Now that I was sufficiently preoccupied testing different theories in my head on how a women who looks like she was around for the invention of the phonograph could move through a crowd like an Olympic athlete- probably something to do with the weird hat- I barely noticed the Scottish woman in question's abrupt hault in time to swerve to the right. Except now I was moving at an alarming rate towards a barrier.
I tried to stop, really I did, but my trolley had apparently picked up too much momentum when jogging to try and keep up with funky hat lady and now I was going to crash into a brick wall. I jumped onto the back dragging one heel but it was no use. So I did what any sane person would do, shut my eyes tight and prepare for impact.
"Spare my owl" was my last thought right before I…..didn't hit the wall…? Instead I felt this whooshing sensation, as the world suddenly became a lot brighter and louder.
"Heaven?" I thought "Oh crap! Did I really die? And I took my poor owl with me! He was so young. So innocent. Alas, poor Jasper…I only knew him for three days!"
It took me a couple seconds to realize that my cart had indeed stopped moving, and the cry of a strangers voice to get me to open my eyes.
"Good Godric Forge, look how they're sending 'em through these days" came the voice that shook me from my rather pathetic state. My eyes sprung open to find that my cart hadn't just stopped, it had been stopped, by a now rather put off looking red head. "What'd they do, shoot you from a cannon?" the boy asked, as he picked himself up off the ground.
The shock of reality, that I had just flown through a brick wall, hit me. "I'm alive?" I squeaked, releasing me death grip from the cart.
"Well, I'm no doctor, but I'm gonna go with a yes on this one" my trolley's latest victim replied, giving me an odd look.
"Oi! Getting into fun with out me, dear brother of mine?" came the voice of another boy as he came bounding over. "Gred, Gred Weasley, at your service." The new comer stated, sticking out his hand, but I was too busy marveling over the fact that this boy was a carbon copy of the one I had just run over.
"Twins?" I questioned in surprise.
"What?" said one
"Him?" gasped the other
"Nah, he's just always trying to look like me-"
"Trying to steal my identity-"
"Jealous of my looks probably-"
"Great imposter he is-"
"What's your name?" they both finished. By that time they each had one arm slung around each other's necks, their other hands stretched out in greeting and grinning like mad.
I had one eyebrow quirked.
"Well, are you going to answer?" asked the one on the left after a few moments of silence.
"Maybe she doesn't speak English?" ventured the one on the right.
"Nope, she asked me a question before"
"Well, maybe-?"
"And I'm to take it your names are Gred and Forge?" Came my sarcastic reply, cutting off the twins.
"Gasp. You dare question our names" One began.
"Named after our great great Uncles we were..."
And they were off. "Talk about the melodramatic". I sighed and looked around at a colorful sea of people. Most with billowing robes, others in a fairly eccentric form of muggle dress. In fact, I'm pretty sure that guy's hat is actually a ratty tea cozy… But none of these sights compared to the massive train stretching across the other side of the platform. Spewing enough smoke for an 80s music video and completely overrun with students, it screamed excitement.
I looked back over to what had apparently become some kind of ginger soap opera on my left. Yup, they were still going at it. One was actually down on his knees now, head swung back, hand to forehead, while the other one attempted to revive him. Assuring his brother that the mean girl didn't really mean it and his name was, in fact, quite classy.
I was just thinking of interrupting again when I heard it. "Fred! George! Where have you been? The trains getting ready to go and you haven't said goodbye to Ron and Ginny yet." A woman, about the same height as the twins and with the same vivid red hair called, waving them over.
"So Fred and George then" I smirked. I was so right. Haha!
"Ah, Miss Bell, there you are. Quickly now, we must get you and your bags unto the Express before it departs." Return of the pointy hat lady.
"Professor McG. Looking lovely as ever" Began spouting twin A- George was it?
"Have I ever told you how green really brings out the menacing spark in your eyes?" No, that one was George.
"Boys, that is enough" The woman, who I decided was their mother, demanded. Looking up the woman quickly greeted my escort before taking each boy by the ear and dragging them into the crowd. "Now come on, Ron and Ginny are this way"
I laughed at the sour look on the boys' faces as they disappeared, and was so distracted that I almost toppled from my perch on my cart when the professors interrupted my fit. "Come along then Ms. Bell" she called swiftly making a beeline for the train.
Before long my luggage had been magically lifted and safely packed away into an empty compartment thanks to "Professor McG"'s handy wand work. All that was left now was for me to actually get on the train. The final boarding whistle had sounded, and I watched as all the remaining students scrambled onto the train. Some receiving last minute hugs from tearful parents, others leaning out the windows to scream sentiments. I, frankly, was in a bit of a daze. This was it, This really was really going to happen. Ever since Professor McGonagall had showed up at my doorstep six weeks ago, invited herself in for tea, and then calmly explained to my parents that I was a witch. Well, you can understand that I've just been waiting to suddenly jolt awake and this all be an elaborate dream. Trust me, with my track record for absurd dreams, I wouldn't be surprised. But I never did. This was reality, an awesome but somewhat daunting reality.
Perhaps sensing a bit of my apprehension, McGonagall placed a hand on my shoulder, guiding me to the steps. "It has been a pleasure to meet you Miss Bell, and I look forward to teaching you in the upcoming school year." The stoic, yet rather endearing, woman whom I had come to know over our past meetings began. Unease began to set in as I realized I would now be required to go mingle with a bunch of peers who might as well be from another universe. As intimidating as McGonagall was, I was going to miss her guidance. "and Katie" I looked up to find the witch smiling slightly down at me "I expect to see some great things from you."
I found myself beaming back up at the Deputy Headmistress. "Wouldn't dream of doing anything else, Professor." I quipped back, stepping onto the train as McGonagall nodded back in approval. I turned once more to wave and shout a quick "Thanks" as McGonagall shut the door and the train lurched into motion. This was it. I was going to Hogwarts.
I've got a story and finally some spare time to try and actually make it decent! Readers beware ;)
Haha, no, not really. But I couldn't resist the dramatic flare!
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. This is my first fic. so any and all reviews are appreciated. In short this story will continue a bit more quick paced into Katie's years at Hogwarts, eventually including the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team, and especially a certain Scottish Keeper. *cue the fan girls!*
…note to self: get fan girls.