I'd never been to King's Cross Station before. It was exciting, because I'd spent most of my time in the country with my mom. Even though my dad lived in the city and I visited him every weekend, I'd never really considered myself a city girl. Next to me, a man who was on his phone tripped over a luggage bag and looked around sheepishly to see if anyone had caught him in the act. I looked away quickly and focused on keeping Uncle Donovan in sight. He was moving swiftly through the shifting crowd, keeping his head forward like everyone else in the place. Me, I couldn't keep my glance focused for one second. There was too much to take in.
I got my letter from Hogwarts a few months ago on my eleventh birthday. I'd been at my mom's house when it happened so there was quite a lot of hush and no celebrating. My mom is married to my step dad who is a muggle and all of his children are as well so there's absolutely no magic in that household. My dad however, is quite the opposite. I don't think he can even brush his teeth without enchanting the toothbrush. He worked somewhere high up in the ministry, though I didn't recall exactly what he did. I'd only visited his office every so often since whenever Dad wasn't at home, Uncle Donovan was over to keep me out of trouble.
Uncle Donovan was the greatest. I'd known him ever since I was a baby and he was my saving grace throughout my parent's divorce a few years ago. Uncle Donovan always knew how to put a smile on my face. Not only was my uncle a great guy, but he was also a professor at Hogwarts. He'd been the standing Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for the past eleven years and had been the first one since the Battle of Hogwarts to keep the position for over a year. Now I'd finally get to see my uncle every day instead of just on the weekends.
"We're here," Uncle Donovan said, stopping in front of a brick wall in between platforms nine and ten.
I stared at the wall, a smile spreading across my face. I gripped the handrails of my cart and charged full force. Almost like jello, a slid into the wall and emerged in an even busier platform. Donovan appeared right behind me and helped me load my luggage onto the train. It was a mighty impressive steam train and butterflies erupted in my stomach as I saw other first years boarding and waving goodbye to their parents. My dad had had an important day of work, so he couldn't see me off but I'd said my goodbyes last night.
The walkways in between the compartments were barely big enough to push my luggage cart but I managed. Uncle Donovan found me an empty booth and lifted my suitcases up onto the racks above.
"I've got to go find the other teachers but I'll see you very soon," Uncle Donovan said, giving me a hug. "Make friends," he winked.
I gave him a laugh as if to sarcastically say 'Me? Make friends?' but in truth I wasn't really sure if I would. In my entire life I'd never had a wizard friend. Since my parents had divorced when I was eight, I'd always been put with muggles and went to muggle school. The only magical part of my life was when I was my dad and we didn't spend the weekend hanging out with random kids my age.
Sure enough, as the other cabins began to fill up, other kids were forced to come into mine.
"Mind if we join you?" said another first year girl, accompanied by a boy of similar age.
I nodded and the kids sat down across from me and put their luggage up in the racks next to mine. The girl was thin and blonde and her friend was of similar complexion but had rich dark hair and the kind of face that made you think of movie stars.
"I'm Edmund," said the boy as the train started moving. "And this is Eloise," he explained, gesturing to the thin pale girl. "We're first years."
"I'm Heidi," I smiled and shook the boy's hand. "Also a first year."
"Did you see the Potters back at the station?" Eloise asked, her pale eyes wide with
excitement.
I gave myself a mental slap in the face. I'd completely forgotten to look for Harry Potter and his family back at Kings Cross. Mr. Potter was one of my dad's employees at the Ministry for Magic and I'd forgotten to say hello and introduce myself as my dad had specifically told me too.
"My dad is his boss," I said innocently, trying not to sound like I just wanted to impress people.
Eloise's eyes bugged even more so that the looked almost protuberant.
"No way," she said. "That's so cool. I wish my dad knew Harry Potter. He just works at a candy shop."
"A candy shop is pretty awesome," I said, doing my best to sound genuine. Sometimes I said things and people took it a very wrong way.
Edmund's brow furrowed as if he was trying very hard to put the name to a face.
"I really don't know who you guys are talking about," he said, finally giving up and shaking his head.
Eloise gave a laughing sigh. "Harry Potter is super famous in the wizarding world. Remember, he's the guy who defeated Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts? Two of his sons go here. One of them is a first year just like us."
"Are you a mudblood?" I asked, putting together Edmund's confusion with his lack of knowledge of the wizarding world.
Eloise's smile collapsed into a shaky grimace and again Edmund looked confused. Immediately, I felt as if I'd done something wrong.
"I don't really know what mudblood means," Edmund said, oblivious the the sudden shift of tone in the cabin.
Eloise shook her head. "Don't say that word," she hissed.
Alarmed, I raised my hands. "I didn't mean it in a bad way," I promised. All I thought it meant was a wizard born from muggles, nothing else. That's the only way I'd heard it used around the house. My dad used it to describe people in the office all the time.
"It's fine," Eloise said. "Just don't say it anymore."
After that the cabin felt cold. I curled my knees up to my chest and looked awkwardly off to the distance then, out the window. As the hillside flew by I went over in my head every way that conversation could have possibly gone better. I wished I could just close my eyes and try again. Now at school I'd have to steer clear of these two to avoid bringing up awkward memories, and I still wasn't sure what exactly I'd done wrong. The tension in the cabin was almost enough to make me wish I'd missed the train.
The train ride dragged on and it grew dark outside very quickly. I took out my brand new wand- a hawthorne wood with a unicorn tail core and begin to play with it in my hand. Thinking back, I remembered the lady who'd sold it to me telling me how the wood symbolized inner conflict. I didn't know what that was suppose to mean at the time but still, I felt somewhat special holding the wand in my hand, as if I'd won some rare prize.
I got changed into my robes just before we pulled into the station and looked up to see the great tower of Hogwarts looming over us. For some reason, even though I'd never been here before, I felt at home.
Uncle Donovan found me as soon as all the first years had gathered outside the train and together we were paraded inside the great hall.