It's the first day of school and you wait anxiously at Platform 9 ¾. Your parents stand beside you, proud that they're sending their baby girl away to Hogwarts. They tell you that it will be the best time of your life and although you want to believe it, a part of you is terrified.
A sea of children surrounds you and you feel like you are drowning in them. The ebb and flow of the crowd crushes and smothers you. You want to be up on your father's shoulders high above the undulating masses, just like when you were a child. But you're not a child anymore. You're eleven, you remind yourself and eleven year olds do not ride on shoulders.
"Pumpkin, are you alright?" your father asks kindly. The worry in his voice is clear.
You lift your chin a little higher and give him your best smile. "I'm doing fine so far, daddy."
"I'm glad to hear it. I know you're going to have an amazing time at Hogwarts. I always did," he tells you.
The sound of the train whistle cuts through the din of conversation and you realize it's time to leave. Seconds later you are crushed in a tight hug by your mother. When you pull away you are startled to find tears in her eyes.
"Lavender, stay out of trouble and make sure you write us as often as possible. We'll want to hear all about your exciting adventures at school. And don't forget to study. Your grades are so very important," she says as she dabs at the corners of her eyes.
Your dad wraps you in a second hug and whispers "We're so proud of you sweetheart."
Hundreds of feet pound the pavement as the students rush onto the train. Your rush along with the others and soon your parents are a vague blur in your peripheral. Just as you board the train, you turn back one last time and wave goodbye.
Once on the train, you slink through the corridor looking for a compartment to sit in. You start to feel anxious when you realize that most of them are full. The thought of intruding on groups of already made friends terrifies you.
At the very back of the train, you come across a compartment with only two girls in it. Looking closely, you realize they are twins. They appear to be close to your age and they look nice, so you decide to ask if you can sit with them.
Just as you are about to slide the door open, one of the twins looks up and catches you intense gaze. A hot flush creeps up your cheeks and you drop your eyes quickly. Embarrassment burns you to your core. You turn to flee down the hall, worried that the two girls will think you're some sort of weirdo.
"Hey! Wait!" someone calls from behind you.
A hand closes on your wrist and you spin around to find one of the girls from the compartment. A friendly smile decorates her face and her eyes sparkle with warmth.
"Were you looking for a place to sit? You can join us if you like." She extends a delicate hand to you. "My name is Parvati."
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Lavender," you respond as you clasp her hand in yours.
Parvati introduces you to her sister Padma and before you know it the three of you are lost in conversation. Soon you are giggling away as if you've been friends for years. Although your backgrounds are quite different, you share this experience and it bonds you.
When the train finally slows to a stop, the nerves you felt earlier return. Butterflies flutter in your stomach and your hands shake slightly as you change into your robes. You can't believe you're finally here.
The first years are separated from the older students and you end up down by the lake. The biggest, wildest looking man you've ever seen in your life waves you all forward and helps you get into boats.
Once everyone is settled in, he warns you all to be careful not to fall in the lake because of Sally the Giant Squid. In an instant the murky black waters below you become ominous and every ripple has the potential to be a massive tentacle searching for its next meal.
The boats glide seamlessly through the water and as they come around a bend, you are left breathless. You see Hogwarts for the first time and it's far more beautiful than you could ever have imagined. The massive turrets jut out from the rocks and lights flicker in the thousands of windows. You can't explain it, but there's something about it that just looks magical.
After docking on the far side of the lake, you are herded to the front of the school where a stern looking witch waits.
"Welcome to Hogwarts…" she begins as she eyes each of you in turn. By the time that she's finished, you are convinced that she is not the type of person you want to cross.
Moments later, the massive wooden doors creak open and you are shuttled into the Great Hall. Hundreds of eyes stare at you as you and the other first years line up to be sorted. Your heart beats against your ribcage so hard that it hurts and your hands have become slick with sweat.
The names are called in alphabetical order, so you are one of the very first people to be judged.
A weathered old hat is placed on your head and foreign thoughts fill your mind. You almost jump out of your skin when the hat begins to talk to you. You had no idea that hats could talk.
"You are ambitious and clever too. You'd do well in either Slytherin or Ravenclaw, but I sense a fierce loyalty within you and a need to prove your courage."
It's strange being told who you are by a hat.
After a minute's delay, it seems a decision has been made. "Gryffindor," it cries and the table on the far right bursts into celebration. You smile back at Padma and Parvati and give them a tiny wave before heading to your new table. Several of its members shout words of welcome at you. A few even pat you on the back.
The rest of the Sorting passes in a blur. The only things that stand out are the announcement that Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts and the fact that Parvati and Padma have been separated into two different houses.
Professor Dumbledore stands and greets the students. The white beard hanging from his chin makes him look quite ancient, but his voice is strong and clear. You smile as he gives the red headed twins a few seats from you a knowing wink as he discusses the rules. They seem the type to need a reminder or two. By the time his speech is finished, your stomach grumbles loudly
With a snap of his fingers, Professor Dumbledore signals for the feast to begin. You watch in amazement as the platters fill with enough food to feed an army. Never in your life have you seen so many things you like to eat. There's shepherd's pie, mushy peas and boiled turnips directly in front of you. Further down the table you see big, fat, sizzling sausages, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and tureens of rich, steaming hot gravy. You pile your plate with a little bit of everything and tuck into the best meal of your life.
Just when you think you can't possibly eat anymore, the table clears and desserts begin to appear. Your once full stomach seems to make room for more, so you help yourself to treacle tart with whipped cream, rhubarb fool, bilberry pie, and plum pudding.
Finally, once everyone has eaten their fill, Professor Dumbledore dismisses you all with well wishes for a good night's sleep. As you are walking out of the Great Hall, you spot decadent chocolate cupcakes piled with silky chocolate buttercream frosting and decide to take one with you in case you want a midnight snack.
The walk to the common room is an adventure in itself. At one point a poltergeist, who you later find out is named Peeves, swoops over you all and begins dropping sticks on your heads. It startles one of your classmates so much that he scrambles up the stairs straight into a trick step. His shouts echo down the staircase as he sinks into the floor. You and Parvati giggle as a flustered red headed Prefect works to free him.
A short while later, you arrive at the common room and find it guarded by a portrait of the largest woman you've ever seen in your life. You gasp as she seems to come to life before your very eyes.
"The password is Caput Draconis. It's very important that you all remember that. If you fail to do so, you may be sleeping out here in the hallway," says the pompous looking, red headed prefect named Percy.
As you step into the common room, Parvati grabs your hand. "Come on, Lavender. We have to hurry or all of the good beds will be taken."
The two of you rush upstairs and fling yourselves down on a bed in a fit of giggles.
Parvati has just begun to tell you about the cute boy across the table from her when the rest of your roommates enter. One by one, everyone introduces themselves and you are pleased to find that they all seem nice. There is a girl with bushy hair who seems a bit anxious about finding the library, but you're sure she'll calm down as she becomes more comfortable.
Once you've unpacked your trunk, you find that your eyes will hardly stay open and decide it's time for bed. Tomorrow is sure to be another exciting adventure and you want to be properly rested for it. You draw the curtains around your bed and bury your face in your pillow. Within seconds, your breathing shifts and dreams of magic take over your mind.
Hi there!
This story was originally posted on HPFF for The First Day of Term Challenge and the character that I was assigned was Lavender Brown. I've never written Lavender's POV before, so it was quite a fun adventure.
I'd love to know what you thought of this, so please leave a comment if you have a moment!
Thank you for reading!
~Kaitlin/TreacleTart