10:15 am
September 1st
1972
"LUCE!" A familiar voice screeched behind me as I boarded the train. It had taken almost fifteen minutes to pull my incredibly pregnant sister off of me so I could leave. Though it was understandable considering she had practically raised me. And the whole 'over the top hormones thing' that pregnant women have according to the muggle book I had skimmed one day at the book store when she had been pregnant with her first child. I had only been seven at the time and didn't quite understand what that meant. Now I did sadly. My innocence was ruined.
I bet your wondering why I arrived almost an hour before the train was set to leave? Well my childhood best friend and second year, James Potter, had informed me that if I arrived early I could sit with him before everyone crowded the train. I found this request one of the most sane sounding things to come out of his mouth in his twelve and a half years of life. But that wasn't saying much. Seriously.
I grinned at the sound of my long time friend's voice and dropped my luggage to hug him. I hadn't seen him in a month because Arthur; my brother-in-law, had asked if I could keep an eye on my nephews William and Charlie because Molly tended to get a little emotional with all the pregnancy hormones. I didn't mind taking care of William and was amused but his persistent pleas to call him Bill. I guess four is when being cool becomes important. Not. I wouldn't choose the name Bill over William. I probably would have gone for something like Will at least. Maybe that was what the toddler had been trying to say. And Charlie was in his adorable stage of pretending to catch imaginary dragons which were apparently lurking in our bathroom. Knowing the Burrow, it was actually possible.
But anyway it wasn't like I had to worry about being called William or Will or even Bill. I mean I'm a girl and called Lucinda as you know. You didn't? Well I better introduce myself!
My full name is Lucinda Emma Prewett and I am currently eleven years old. I was born on Christmas day and was named by my elder sister. This was because when my mother Rosaline Prewett found out she was pregnant with me she had been in her mid forties. The healers had warned the risk of continuing the pregnancy seeing as she suffered many illnesses in her life and told her the best thing to do would be to terminate the pregnancy.
Sometimes I did wish my mother had, because she died during childbirth. My father hadn't been the same since. He told me that I was a demon that deserved to be punished and Molly along with my twin brothers Fabian and Gideon had found him holding a wand to my heart. I had only been three at the time. I didn't remember much about the early years of my life but after that incident Molly had assumed custardy of me as well as my two brothers as soon as she was of age. My father, Caius Prewett had been shipped off to Askaban.
I met James when I had been in wizard care. It had been shortly after the incident with my father and I had been very sad. Mr. and Mrs. Potter had kindly taken me in and along with a sixteen year old Molly and eight year old Fabian and Gideon, had tried everything to cheer me up.
One day I had been sitting and staring in the distance when something whacked the back of my head. I turned around to see a boy with ruffled black hair and hazel eyes. I knew this was James but we hadn't really been in the same room together. I picked up the miniature quaffle and threw back in annoyance. He caught it and threw it back again. Soon we were having our own mini Qudditch match and I was laughing. After that we were irrespirable. Even when I had gone to live with Molly, James and I had continued to see each other on a regular basis along with the twins and we spent many Summer and Winter days on the Potter's Qudditch pitch. He had introduced me to flying and the amazing sport of Qudditch. He prided on reminding me about that fact on a regular basis.
I had sulked non-stop for a month when James had gone to Hogwarts last year without me. He had continued to write about how cool everything was and I had to admit I was envious. It didn't help that William and Charlie had been going through the rough toddler 'want' stage. I felt like getting my own Hogwarts letter couldn't have come around soon enough.
"JAMIE!" I exclaimed as my cat St. Muffin threw a fit about being tossed to the floor. I apologized to the cat, quickly letting go of James as I picked up my previously abandoned trunk and cage.
St. Muffin had been a stray from the town Ottery St. Catchpole near where the Burrow was situated. I had found him when I was five and had been on a walk with Fabian. He had been a tiny underweight kitten at the time.
Now he was around the size of a young dragon and had the tuxedo look down to pat. For the exception though that his hair stood out in every direction as though he was in constant fits of fright.
"Looks like St. Muffs isn't impressed with my arrival." James commented using one of his many nicknames for the cat whilst wordlessly grabbing my trunk off me and proceeding down the empty hallway. I knew that Fabian and Gideon were at the other end of the train but it still felt as though we were the only two people in existence seeing as how large the train was. I had seen it from the outside last year, but viewing it from the inside was rather more exciting since it represented the fact I really was about to finally go to Hogwarts.
"I don't think he has quite forgiven you for the whole dung bomb and beater bat incident." I replied as we slid into the compartment where James had put his stuff. He looked as though he had been polishing his broomstick for the millionth time before my arrival. James held up his hands in mock innocence as he sat down.
"Hey I totally apologized to Sainter's about that!" He defended while the aforementioned cat glared at him with such vigor at us that James and I burst into hysterical laughter.
Saint Muffin scowled and proceeded to ignore us as he bailed up a fly in the corner of the compartment. The door slid open at that point and in came a young boy with black hair and silver eyes. He grinned upon seeing James and seemed unaware of my presence as he began to talk.
"Hey I thought you would be here. I got away from Pratt Jr. pretty easy. A little too easily so if you see him cover for me." He commented with mock suspicion as he dragged his shiny wooden trunk in behind him. I could see golden letters printed boldly on the top of the trunk reading 'S.O.B'. James laughed at what must have been an inside joke before realizing that I was still there.
"Oh Sirius this is Lucinda, Lucinda this is Sirius. He is one quarter of the Marauders." He introduced the pair and Sirius sat down next to James in one fluid movement after placing his trunk on the rack above.
"James only my sister calls me Lucinda. It's Luce." I replied kicking James as he sniggered. He found my name amusing for an odd reason.
"Why not Lucy?" Sirius asked curiously. I scrunched up my nose in slight disgust.
"Too common. I keep trying to convince James to call himself 'king of the potatoes' but it hasn't caught on yet. Maybe I will start a trend." I commented shrugging as I examined my nails. Sirius laughed.
"Is Sirius uncommon enough?" He asked raising an eyebrow. I looked him grinning before I responded.
"It's ok, I suppose." I said it in a doubtful tone though.
7:25 pm
1st of September
1972
After a long train ride and a memorable introduction to Peter and Remus, James' other friends, we arrived at Hogsmeade station. James pointed out a large man who was calling out for the first years in a slightly lisped voice.
I walked over dodging the older students who were almost stampeding to get to a free carriage. I could see my twin brother's orange heads at the front with a large eerily familiar object which they were using to whack people out the way. Well the Slytherin's anyway. At a closer inspection I realized they were using one of the beater bats I usually used when at the Potter's playing qudditch, to whack people. I made a silent note to get it back before they got it confiscated.
After the giant, who introduced himself as Hagrid, had managed to wrangle all of us first years he asked us to get in a boat, constantly stating that only four could go on a boat. I reckoned anyone who was stupid enough to try adding more in the tiny wooden boat deserved to end up in the lake with the rumored giant squid.
I ended up in a boat with a talkative blonde girl who told me three times in a matter of the two minutes since I had met her that her name was Jill not Jillian. She made William seem uncaring about what his name was.
Soon we were joined by a boy who looked oddly like Sirius Black. I guessed he was the aforementioned Pratt Jr. But after sitting with Sirius and the others in a confined place for many hours I made the conclusion that the eldest Black was probably equally a Pratt. Not that I would tell him to his face.
Last but not least, our small group was completed by a girl who looked ready to vomit at the thought of going across the lake. She told me that she suffered motion sickness and I silently shifted away from her in a non-obvious way. I didn't really want to be coated with someone else's lunch before I was even sorted. She introduced herself as Jinx and told me she loved uncommon names. I realized that maybe I had judged her to soon.
The rest of the trip was in silence seeing as we were all caught in thoughts of what awaited us at the majestic castle placed on a cliff. I was almost willing to bet that Fabian and Gideon had been lying when they told me that we had to fight a troll to be sorted.
8:50 pm
1st of September
1972
"Prewett, Lucinda." Professor McGonagall called and I stepped forward shaking slightly. I wasn't hugely afraid of crowds or attention, I loved all that, but I was more afraid of what house the hat would sort me into. I wouldn't be fazed with any as long as it wasn't Slytherin.
The eagle eyed transfiguration Professor placed the battered hat on my head and I almost shrieked in surprise when it began to talk in my mind.
"Ah the youngest Prewett. Your Brothers are in Gryffindor. Year five right?" It asked and I felt a little amused at the fact it wanted to talk about such trivial things.
"No they are in year six but close enough."
"Well you seem very kind but be careful and follow your heart in- GRYFFINDOR!"
It yelled and I sighed in relief as I handed the hat delicately back to McGonagall and skipped toward a beaming James.
We exchanged some excited words about my new house and I turned back to see who would join me. So far no one had been sorted into Gryffindor prior to me and Regulus had been sorted into Slytherin alongside Jill, who I was quickly developing a hatred toward. I didn't like vain people and she was like the queen of vain. Or maybe it was the whole constantly flicking the hair thing and giggling at every name on the list that annoyed the hell out of me.
After Hufflepuff and Slytherin earned more housemates, it was finally Jinx's turn. I waited in battered breathe but was quickly sorted into Ravenclaw much to my disappointment. So much for that friendship. But she gave me a wave as she sat down at the table of blue and I realized that maybe there was a chance at a friendship after all.
What shocked me the most was that I was the only female Gryffindor in my year. This made me wonder what the hell the Sorting hat had been smoking. But I wasn't too concerned. At least I had James and his friends to show me around. And I wasn't shy of boys either. Thank god for my brothers.
"Hello, I am Lily." A fiery redhead introduced herself holding out a dainty hand. She had large enchanting eyes which were the color of emeralds and small features. She looked as though she belonged in a muggle magazine. She looked happy enough and I was amazed at how similar we were groomed. Both of us had similar hair color in the same style. It was a little disconcerting.
"Luce." I said simply in response accepting her hand in a brief shake. We were soon approached by three girls who looked as though they were Lily's classmates. One was as pale as a ghost with long caramel colored hair and blue eyes whilst the other was quite tanned and had orb shaped brown eyes and chocolate colored hair. There was quite a contrast between the pair. The last had black hair with similar eyes to the tanned girl as well as slightly more pale skin as her. They looked as though they were sisters.
"Luce, this is Marlene McKinnon, Leah Smith and Alice Logan." Lily introduced as each girl waved hello. "They'll be sharing our dorm seeing as you'll be bunking with us second years." Lily explained after a moment of awkward silence. It was at this stage that James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and my twin brothers, bust into the common room wearing windswept expressions. They spotted me with Lily and the others at once and began to approach us with poorly hidden relief.
"God sis, I was about to send out a search party for you. Fabian here was going to set up fire signals and you know how he gets around fire." Gideon said with a gasp as he clutched my shoulder for a moment in a regular display of sibling affection before James stepped forward.
"Seriously, he had the sticks and spell ready to go." He added patting my head. I scowled and automatically flattened my hair which poofed up upon touch.
"Well maybe if one of my dear brothers had gotten a prefect position last year than they would have known where I was." I shot in a mock lecturing tone giving Fabian and Gideon my best Molly glare. They shrunk a little but wore puppy-like grins.
"Ah but what would be the fun in that sis?" Fabian asked in a mock aghast tone. I rolled my eyes in response.
"Whatever." I replied as I noticed Lily giving James a mistrusting look. Huh, appeared as though my soon to be BFF didn't like Jamie. What a surprise. Not.
"Ok, well we came to say that we plan on giving you a Marauders tour of the school. Meet us here at nine tomorrow. Repeat?" James picked up where the conversation trailed off. One of his very few talents. But I try to impress on him that he had no talents to he wouldn't be let down later on in life.
"Fine. I'll meet you here at nine tomorrow. Not a second to early, not a second too late." I repeated back to him. Every time we planned something, we made sure the other repeated it so we knew they weren't tuning us out to listen to rock bunnies in their head holes.
"Make sure Lilykins treats you well." He added and Lily groaned loudly. 'As if we'd be bullying gits like you guys' she said. Or at least I think that's what she said. Rock bunnies make one tune out a lot. True fact.
"Ok, night, King of Potatoes. Sirius. Brothers." I said noticing that Remus and Peter had left the conversation to play a game of wizards chest, Marlene, Leah and Alice watching with great interest. Lily sniggered at the nickname before merely nodding and guiding me up to the girl's dorms. As we went up the stairs we could both hear James say in a whiny voice to no one in particular,
"Why does she call me that?"
