Author's note: I do not own Harry Potter that is the wonderful J.K. Rowling.
Platform 9 ¾ and the Hogwarts Express
Harry Potter hauled his trunk and Hedwig's cage out of the Dursley's Vauxhall Zafira and had just enough time to slam the boot shut when Vernon Dursley pulled out of the car park as though someone was after him. Not surprised Harry made his way towards the entrance of Kings Cross to find a trolley. Just as he crossed the threshold a young girl that appeared to be about 6 barrelled into his trunk where she proceeded to flip over it.
The little girl stood immediately, and began to cry as she said, "I'm so sorry sir, is your trunk ok, your owl? I'm so sorry!" Harry was taken about not only by the tears and hysteric rambling but also the way the girl looked and was dressed. She was a tiny little thing dressed in a light satin shift that suggested she was of very high class where they still followed the old ways. She had a long cascade of tight blonde curls, expressive blue eyes, a little button nose and cherry red lips. Her cheeks were flush and wet from tears and she wore a silver circlet upon her head with an amethyst teardrop in the centre of her forehead. Additionally, she had with her a trunk with the Hogwarts crest emblazoned on the front.
It wasn't until her tears began to increase and hiccoughs and sobs were added in as she asked, "Sir are you alright? I hurt you didn't I? Oh I am so very sorry, so very sorry. I am…" that Harry realised he had been standing there staring at her for longer than he originally thought, and that she spoke with a bit of an accent that was not native to the UK.
Harry then cut her off as she began to get even more hysterical, "Shhh, it's ok, you didn't hurt me. I wasn't even touched I should be asking if you are ok. You are the one who flipped over my trunk. Also I couldn't help but notice that you have with you a trunk with the Hogwarts emblem. Are you helping your older brother or sister get their stuff to the train?"
Her hysterical sobs, which it should be mentioned were delicate and aristocratic sounding despite the obvious distress, turned into tiny delicate giggles before she replied, "Mon Dieu, no it is I that will be attending Hogwarts this year. It will be my first year; I am Katarina Juliette DuLac Slythendor. Are you a first year as well?"
He once again stared at her astonished, how could this little thing be 11 years old? He then scrambled for his composure and stuttered out, "S-s-sorry, it's, it's just your so small. I, I, I mean you look so young. I, I mean, oh boy, I'm not making this any better am I? Yes I'm a first year, and my name's Harry Potter."
She continued to giggle softly, before saying, "not to worry, I know I am small and look younger than I am," she then glanced down at a beautiful, elegant and small wristwatch that adorned her petite wrist. She gasped, "Oh look at the time we had better get on the platform, we don't want to miss the train now do we?"
Her sent her a confused glance and asked, "How are we supposed to do that? Kings Cross station doesn't have a platform 9 ¾ as our letter suggests."
Katarina glanced at Harry, bent her head and whispered "Magic Harry! If you head towards the barrier that separates platform 9 and 10, best to go at a bit of a run, and you'll appear on the platform." She grabbed a trolley from somewhere, where exactly Harry wasn't sure, and handed it to him. He then place his trunk upon the trolley with Hedwig on top, and pushed it towards platform 9 and 10. Once there he began to push the trolley faster and faster until he reached a run, he hit the barrier and slid right through. He quickly moved out of the way figuring that Katarina would be coming thorough directly after him.
Once Katarina was through the duo began to head towards the big scarlet train with Hogwarts Express printed on the side of the engine. As they attempted to navigate through the crowd on the platform four distinct voices, two male, one older female and one young female called out, "Katarina!" The young female voice belonged to a young girl of average height with bushy honey-brown hair, sparkling chestnut eyes and slightly large front teeth, she appeared to be accompanied by two adults who Harry assumed were her parents. The older female voice and one of the male voices belonged to a family that was walking towards them. The woman's voice was a melodious voice that matched her soft blonde locks, beautiful blue eyes and aristocratic appearance. Her son, the owner of the first male voice, which consisted of an aristocratic alto that would surely transform into a deep baritone once he was older, was the same boy that Harry had run into at Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions, Harry hoped that the boy would be nicer this time. The boy had an aristocratic air and face that complimented his platinum-blond soft hair and his deep grey eyes that resembled a tempest as they glistened with excitement, nervousness and a myriad of emotions that Harry could not identify. With the two was an almost exact replica of the boy but older, his eyes expressed even more that his son and some of them did not appear to be happy emotions, with him he carried a cane with a snake head and if you looked closely you could see a miniscule limp. The third and final voice belonged to a young black-haired boy with sapphire eyes and appeared to be just a little bit pudgy. He was with an older woman, who was probably his grandmother, she sported the most peculiar hat upon her head, it had a vulture upon it.
Katarina giggled with delight as the three groups drew closer to the duo, "Maya, Dr's Granger, Dragon, Lady Cissa, Lord Luc, Lady Longbottom, Neville! How wonderful to see you all!"
The blonde woman or Lady Cissa, as Katarina had called her, knelt before the little girl and pulled her to her chest and said, "where were you kitten? You said that you would be here at fifteen after, and it is now 10:35. We were worried kitten."
At this tears sprang to Katarina's eyes once again as she cried, "I'm so sorry. I'd run into Lord Harry Potter here," here Harry started, Lord he was no Lord, "and then we got talking and I need to show him how to get on to the platform and … and …" the little one then dissolved into tiny sobs once again. Then the man with the cane or Lord Luc as Katarina had referred to him as swept her up into his arms and began to mutter to her in French as well as utilise a type of cooing that Harry could not comprehend. The little one had finally begun to calm when the whistle on the train blew signifying that the train would be leaving in ten short minutes.
From the man's arm Katarina peeked her head up and began the introductions, "Harry this is Lord Lucius Malfoy, his wife Lady Narcissa Malfoy and their son scion to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy Young Lord Draco Malfoy. My Lords, my Lady this is young Lord Harry Potter. Then Harry this is young Lord Neville Longbottom of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom, and his revered grandmother Lady August Longbottom. My Lord, my Lady this is Lord Harry Potter. And finally Harry this is Hermione Granger and her parents Dr's Granger, DDS. Hermione, Dr's Granger this is Lord Harry Potter." Once that was done it was as though it had taken all her energy and Katarina settled back into Lord Malfoy's arms and laid her head upon his chest and closed her eyes.
Draco stood on his toes using his father to balance and looked into his father's arms at the little girl, he gave his father a questioning look. Lord Malfoy replied, "Draco she still tires rather easily she still has not fully recovered from her bout with sickness this past summer. Remember how sick she was?" Draco nodded now understanding, came down off his toes, turned around to the others gathered and said, "Hi I'm Draco Malfoy, I don't really have a nickname Kitten calls me Dragon because my name means dragon, but I hope all of us can be friends." He turned to his father once again, held out his arms and said, "Father why don't I take Kitten and find a compartment with my new friends and if you don't mind could you pleas help us with trunks?"
Lord Malfoy gave a small smile, handed Draco the precious cargo of one Katarina Juliette Du Lac Slythendor, and said, "That sounds like a marvellous plan my little Dragon. Come along children." He then placed his hands on either side of Draco's hips and lifted him and Katarina into the train, followed by Hermione, then Neville and finally Harry. The group meandered their way down the corridor to an empty compartment where Lord Malfoy placed their trunks in the overhead compartments, placed a kiss on both his son and Katarina's heads, gave Hermione a quick and gentle hug, and shook both Neville and Harry's hand's before moving out of the way to allow his wife, and the others to say their goodbyes. The adults all then went to stand on the platform waving to the children just as the final whistle blew and the train began to pull away from the station.
The children all settled into the compartment, Draco and Katarina in one corner where Draco had covered the little one in a blanket and settled in with a book, specifically J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit. He glanced at his new friends with a smile and said, "I hope you don't mind but I think I'm going to read and cuddle with Katarina. You all are welcome to do as you please. That bag there has games, books and sandwiches in it should you get hungry or bored." The other three all nodded their consent, Hermione pulled out a book of her own book, The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis, meanwhile Harry and Neville decided to check the bag for something to do. They both found books, Neville decided upon The Borrowers by Mary Norton because he was fascinated with the idea that there were small people living in the walls. Harry chose the comic books of The Adventures of TinTin by Georges Remi.
The group sat there peacefully reading, or in the case of Katarina sleeping for a short bit of time before the door to their compartment was flung open and a young man with red hair and a large smattering of freckles stormed in. Hermione, Neville and Harry's books all clattered to the floor at the loud sound, Katarina sat up immediately wand in hand looking fierce with Draco at her side book in one hand wand in the other. The red-haired boy stood staring at the quintet with a look of astonishment upon his face, as he stuttered out, "Hullo, um… everywhere else is full, can I join you?" The five children looked at each other, Draco sat back down, Katarina at his side leaning heavily against him looking pale and drawn, Neville moved over to cocoon Katarina between him and Draco as he picked up the blanket and covered her with it once more. Hermione scooted closer to the window as Harry moved closer to her and nodded at the last remaining seat. Ron immediately took it as the Neville, Harry and Hermione once again picked up their books and began to read. Draco and Katarina took a moment to readjust, Draco turned slightly towards the others so that her back and head could rest upon his chest, with her legs over Neville's lap. Once settled Draco pulled out his book to continue reading as Katarina attempted to return to sleep.
"Reading? Is that really what you are going to do?" asked the red-haired boy. "Oh by the way, I'm Ron, Ron Weasley, and this is my rat Scabbers." He said holding up the sickly looking rat.
Hermione grimaced in disgust before saying, "pleasure, I'm Hermione Granger, that's Draco Malfoy, Katarina Du Lac Slythendor, Neville Longbottom, and Harry Potter."
"Really?" said Ron, "Harry do you really have the, well you know" and demonstrated towards his forehead. Harry nodded not once looking up from his book. "Well maybe we could play a game, like exploding snap, or chess."
Hermione wrinkled her nose once again in distaste and responded, "I'm assuming Ron is short for Ronald, therefore, Ronald do you not see that we are reading? Or see that Katarina is obviously not feeling well? We would greatly enjoy having a quiet compartment so that we may read and/or sleep. You are in the presence of wealthy and notable people in both the magical and the muggle world and as such we deserve the respect that is garnered by our status. So if you are not able to sit and quietly read, write, sleep or otherwise then I would like to ask you to leave our compartment." Just as she finished two older redheaded boys popped in, they appeared to be identical twins, and they did not appear to be happy.
The first one, who Katarina, as she had been kept awake by Ronald's rude display, noticed had slightly higher cheekbones, stood about a centimetre and a half taller and did not slouch quite as the other did, looked at his younger brother and said, "Ronald Billius Weasley, why are you in this compartment? We knew these five where here and would not wish to be disturbed, and we know for a fact that you would not just sit here and read, instead you would ask stupid questions." The boy then turned to the five and said, "I am Fred Weasley and that there is George I am truly sorry for my brother's behaviour, we will take him off your hands now. Welcome to Hogwarts by the way." And with that the Weasley family was gone. The rest of the trip passed without incident, Katarina fell back to sleep, while the other three fell asleep not long after.