Chapter 1
As Minerva walked through the barrier onto the over-populated platform 9 and 3/4s, she felt an overwhelming feeling of joy. She loosened her grip on her mother's hand and walked towards the gleaming scarlet red train. The Hogwarts crest was staring down at her. It was divided into quarters, each filled up with the four house colours. She looked up into the eyes of the Slytherin serpent. She loathed Slytherin and secretly wished that she was not placed in Slytherin. Her mother was placed in Gryffindor during her time in Hogwarts and Minerva hoped she would follow in her footsteps. Minerva looked up at the Gryffindor lion and whispered to herself, "Please, please, please." Then she felt her mother's grip around her wrist and was lead into the crowd of Hogwarts students.
Her mother stopped in front of one of the last carriages, turned and faced her. Minerva looked down at her shoes, realising that during her walk there they had been scuffed. Her mother placed her finger under her chin and lifted her it so that Minerva was forced to look into her eyes. "Minerva, sweetheart," her mother said her soft, warm voice, "I know you're disappointed your father couldn't be her to see you off but you know how he would feel about this. He just doesn't understand. He never-'
Isobel was cut off by the sound of someone calling her name. "Isobel!" yelled a deep, husky voice from behind Minerva. Isobel dropped her hand and looked over Minerva's head. Minerva quickly spun around to see her had been calling her mother.
"Caspar?" Isobel responded. She rushed past her daughter, her long, straight, blonde hair flowing behind. She kissed both cheeks of a tall, thin man with a thin moustache whose hair swept to the right side of his face and seem, at least to Minerva, not to move an inch. No matter how much wind was blown on it from the meadows that surrounded platform 9 3/4s or the steam that putted out of the chimneys of the Hogwarts Express seemed to be able to move this man's hair. Minerva approached them cautiously eventually meeting them and hiding behind her mother, peering around her arm.
Isobel put her arm around Minerva and pushed her forward revealing her petite body, her frizzy, brown hair falling just below her shoulders. She had inherited her father's hair. No matter how much she brushed it, it stayed frizzy. Her two younger brothers had always teased her about. They both had perfectly blonde hair that seemed to follow their exact orders.
"This is my daughter, Minerva," Isobel said, introducing her to Casper, "Minerva, this is Caspar. He's an old friend of mine from Hogwarts. And this is his son Barty." She gestured towards a boy who was standing next to Caspar. He looked quite similar to Caspar but without a moustache and seemed to have more joy in his eyes. "It is Barty's first year as well Minerva," Isobel explained. Minerva gave a glance to Barty, who seemed to smile at her, then looked up at her mother, grabbed her arm, and tugged her away.
"Great to see you again Caspar," Isobel shouted towards him as she craned her neck to see him, "We must catch up! Send me an owl when you have the time!" Minerva stopped them as they made it to her trunk and cat which had been placed in a cage on top of her bags. "I'm sorry darling. I haven't seen him in years. Now have you got everything you need?" Minerva nodded in response. "You have all of your school book?" Yet again, Minerva nodded. "What about that retched cat of yours?"
"Yes mother!" Minerva finally said from sheer frustration. Her voice was warm, like her mothers, and quite mature for her age. It was the voice you would expect from someone 4 years her senior.
The Hogwarts Express whistle blew which signalled that Minerva had to board the train. Her mother grabbed her in her arms and held her tight. She pulled away, kissed her on the forehead and led her towards the train. Isobel handed Minerva her trunk first, then her cat and backed away. The door slammed shut in front of Minerva. She stuck her heard out of the window and waved at her mother who was slowing fading out of sight, becoming smaller and smaller the further away they got from the station. Finally when she was out of view, she turned around, grabbed her trunk and cat and walked into the corridor of the train in search for a cabin.
