I sighed as I lifted my suitcase off of my bedroom floor for the first time in a long while. My cat, Snowflake, meowed as I put her in her carrier. My nerves were almost overwhelming as I headed downstairs to grab a quick bite for breakfast before the journey ahead of Snowflake and I. My little brothers and sisters were already sitting at the table, reaching for my pieces of bacon and toast. I cleared my throat and their hands shot back to their own plates.
I sat down at my seat next to Mom, thanking her for the food before chowing down on the delicious breakfast before me. The family dog, Rusty, nudged my foot from his usual mealtime place under the table, begging for food. I chuckled as I reached down to give him a piece of my bacon. He wolfed it down and licked my hand for any scraps. I smiled and pet his ears, knowing I wouldn't see him for a while.
A timer went off on the microwave, signaling that it was time to go. I quickly finished my food, cleared my plates, washed up, kissed all my siblings on the forehead, hugged Mom and Dad, grabbed my suitcase and Snowflake's carrier, and ran out the door to the train station.
The run wasn't long, it always took about ten minutes at most. I was a little winded when I finally got there, seeing as I dragged my suitcase and Snowflake along with me. I clutched my ticket in my hand as I headed for the right platform. Platform Nine and Three-quarters.
I took a deep breath, and ran into the wall at full speed. I didn't flinch, as I knew that I wouldn't hit anything. I passed right through, as per usual. Standing before me were my friends, dressed in their house robes, like myself. They waved and walked over to me. I waved back.
We talked about our summers and what classes we had. We laughed as one of our friends complained about how he had double potions the first day and how he hated the teacher. I was in his class as well, but miraculously, I was on the teacher's good side.
The train whistle blew, telling us that we had to get on or we'd be left behind. That almost happened once before, but that's a story for another time. We boarded the train and found an empty compartment where all seven of us could fit with room to spare.
Once on board, the train began its long ride to Hogwarts. A few of my friends slept, while another few tried to prank the students in the next compartment over. I, on the other hand, read over the year's materials and stared out the window.
When the train finally came to a stop, all of the other students piled out of the train and into the carriages that would take the non-first years up to the castle, while Hagrid called the first years over to the lake, where the lake squid would most likely terrify them.
I caught Hagrid's eye just before he took the first years up to the castle. He smiled widely at me and I smiled back. This is going to be an interesting year, I thought to myself as we headed up to the castle on the worn dirt path. Hogwarts is always here to welcome us home.