Well, this is my first shot at a fanfic, so hopefully it won't bomb...
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Platform 9¾. It's always been a place of chaos. Between the overly-excited friends being reunited since the previous school year and the terrified first-years scurrying around like mice with some serious brain damage, it can certainly stress you out.
However I, Alicia Spinnet, have learned to come early enough to beat the rush.
I had gotten to the station as early as possible, and like in the past, it payed off big time.
There were a few families scattered on the platform... One boy, clearly a first year (or as Lee refers to them, "fresh meat") was being comforted and reassured about Hogwarts by his mother. Another group was struggling with some clearly over packed suitcases.
I took in the familiar scene. Every time I came here, I recalled the first time I had witnessed it. That seemed like an eternity ago now, yet the Hogwarts Express showed no signs of aging. The paint was still it's vibrant red, it still puffed it's jet-black smoke, and it still filled you with a sense of excitement. As chaotic as this place could be, it's constancy was always comforting.
I was hurtled from my thoughts and back into reality as I noticed another group entering the platform. I came here early for a reason, and I wasn't about to let that hour of sleep deprivation go to waste.
Suitcase in hand, I maneuvered my way onto the train.
It didn't take long to find an empty compartment close to the doors, and for that I was thankful.
I quickly heaved my suitcase into the overhead compartment and sat down.
Seeing as I had plenty of time to kill, I got out the latest copy of Witch Weekly and started flipping through it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those witches who obsess over my looks, but I do like to look presentable! Plus, who knows when you'll need some of their romantic advice?
Oh, who am I kidding. I don't need romantic advice. I need a romantic miracle. I'm just the typical, average girl. Slightly wavy brown hair a little past shoulder length, average height, a face that didn't stand out in a crowd... Not pretty, not ugly. Just there. Nothing particularly special.
Yes, there's nothing a magazine or anything else could do to help such a pitiful love-life. Not when you're as plain as me, and after someone so far out of your league.
Oh, Lord. Now I sound depressed! Could I be any more melodramatic!?
It was after this train of thought that I heard the compartment door slide open. It was also then that I realized I had been flipping through the magazine in a way that could only be described as violent. The person laughed.
"Well, I'm glad that you're so happy to see me!" they said. I looked up to see Angelina Johnson, fellow Gryffindor chaser and one of my best friends. She leaned on the doorframe a bit, still laughing. It was quite apparent that she had seen the war between the magazine and myself. I couldn't help but laugh along with her... I'm sure it was quite a sight.
I got up and have her a rib-crushing hug, and received an equally excruciating hug in return. Merlin, I missed her! We went through the typical excited greetings that teenage girls tend to exchange.
I helped her with her bags and then we both sat down. For reasons still unknown, we started people-watching.
"What about that boy over there? The black haired one." Angelina pointed to the same boy I had noticed earlier when I first came onto the platform. Now he was comforting and reassuring his crying mother as reality had crashed in on her and was about to take her son away for the year... Oh, how the roles had been flipped.
"Definitely Ravenclaw." I replied.
"Yeah, I thought so, too... Hey! There's Katie!" She waved wildly, and I joined in after locating the familiar blonde in the crowd. Though it took her a while to notice us, when she did she immediately wove her way through the crowd and onto the train.
Before long, Katie had joined us, but she wasn't alone.
Katie sat down comfortably in our compartment while a frazzled and heavy-breathing Lee Jordan stood in the doorway. How she managed to get him to manually carry her suitcase I'll never understand. I suppose it's just the power of hormones.
We watched Lee as he tried to put Katie's overstuffed suitcase where it belonged. It was actually very entertaining, but after he sent us all death glares, we got up to help him.
By the time we got her suitcase where it belonged, about ten minutes had past and we were all exhausted. We sat down feeling extremely relieved.
"So do you guys know what's going on this year? Apparently it's something really big, but I haven't been able to find out what!" Lee said as he wiped beads of sweat from his brow.
It was a question that I had as well, but judging by the looks on Angelina and Katie's faces, they didn't know anything about it either.
"Well, we had to bring dress robes, right? Maybe they've invited the Minister of Magic for something..." Katie thought out loud.
Angelina gave her a look of doubt. "For what? A lecture of some sort? I don't know if that would constitute for dress robes. Maybe nice clothes, but not dress robes..." She began twirling a small chunk of her long black hair between her fingers.
There was a long silence, followed by another idea from Katie.
"What if there's gonna be a wedding!?" Her face was filled with a dreamy and excited smile. However, after seeing the reactions from everyone else, it was replaced with a defensive look. "Oh, come on! Don't look at me like I'm mad! Merlin... Hogwarts is gorgeous! Thousands of people have come to love the place! Why wouldn't someone be willing to marry in it? The Great Hall is versatile enough for the ceremony and the reception, you'd save loads of money..." she trailed off.
I guess it was a possibility... I just don't think it is very likely. Why would the whole school be forced to go to somebody's wedding? If I were getting married, I wouldn't want an entire school full of kids attending. That just seems excessive.
Once more, we lapsed into the silence of our thoughts.
"Maybe it's something bigger than that!" Lee suddenly exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. We girls all jerked out heads to look at him so fast that I thought one of us may have suffered whiplash. Lee had clearly had it dawn upon him. We all waited with silent anticipation, when he finally spoke again. "Maybe there's going to be a 'coming out' party for Wood!"
Immediately words of protest erupted from the rest of us, though deep down I think we all found it as funny as Lee, who was laughing hysterically as Katie gave him a small shove. While we all love Oliver, Lee included, we had this little joke going on about him for quite some time. If Wood ever found out, I'm sure he'd kill us on the pitch.
The protesting faded out and was replaced by laughter. I was right!
It was then that I heard a voice from somewhere further down the corridor, a distant shouting.
"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts! What rules are changing?" It said.
Clearly a Weasley twin, and just as clearly Fred. I could easily tell, despite the distance.
While I had perked up, I hadn't experienced the nausea of butterflies in my stomach. I hadn't had the urge to play with my hair or nervously bite at my lip. Most importantly, I didn't have to restrain myself from running through the corridor and kissing him with all the passion I had wanted to kiss him with for years.
That is how I knew it was Fred Weasley who had shouted, and not George.
And there you have chapter one! Hope you liked it!
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