Ten forty-five. The numbers on the clock scream out at me as I realise that this is it; in fifteen more minutes I will be on the train as I speed towards what I've been waiting for my whole life. I mean, I get to hear about Hogwarts all the time when father comes home for the summer but it's nothing compared to the real thing. I would take almost anything over my current arrangements, spending most of the year with my bitter Aunt Belinda, but I would take nothing over the opportunity to go to Hogwarts and make a life for myself. I grab my things and as I walk through the door of my room in the Leakey Cauldron I take one last glance in the mirror, ignoring its screeches to buy some shampoo, and look on in happiness at the sight of myself with my luggage finally off to the start of everything.
Having made my way through the inn and said my goodbyes to Tom the innkeeper I grab a pinch of floo powder, step into the fireplace and exclaim, "PLATFORM NINE AND THREE-QUARTERS," surrendering myself to the pull of magic hurling me across London only to spit me out into what I can only describe as a beautiful chaos.
The station is overrun with bustling people hugging their children goodbye and lugging around trolleys burdened with trunks piled so precariously that I swear that the only thing keeping them on is magic. My ears are filled with the shouting of children seeing their friends for the first in months and the shrieking and yowling of pets contained in their cages for the trip, as my fingertips tingle at the tangible feeling of magic in the air. I pick up my cage and drag my trunk straight to the train, as I have no one to say goodbye to, and settle into the first empty compartment I see. I gaze through the window, watching as people pass by, seeing happy families and crying families, proud parents and distant parents, children with smiles in their eyes and children with ghosts in theirs. These last two things in particular grab my attention, the sight of a pair of redheads helping a black haired boy, about my age, with his trunk. The redheads make me wonder how two sets of eyes can hold so much excitement and glee in their depths while the other boy makes me wary to think of what could cause eyes that hold so much worry, confusion and loneliness.
My eyes snap away from the sight as my compartment door opens and a pair of twins walk in, not noticing me in the corner until I clear my throat, interrupting their conversation about the cute guys they had seen already on the platform. They both look at me in mild shock before the shorter one comes to her senses and asks, "You don't mind if we sit in here do you? I'm Padma Patil and this is my sister, Parvati."
I look at her for a moment longer before saying, "Go ahead," and reaching into my trunk to pull out a book. As I settle down to read I am interrupted once more by the other twin this time, Parvati, looking me up and down, disdainful eyes lingering on my sallow skin and dull clothing as she asks, "And you are?"
I meet her gaze head on with a challenging stare of my own before simply stating, "Zaniah," and turning away from them slightly to continue reading, making it clear that I don't want to be disturbed. Evidently they didn't take the hint. As the train whistles and pulls away from the station I am subjected to the constant giggles and gossiping murmurs of the Patils as they insult random people, who are unfortunate enough to know them, and discuss how they are going to become the social princesses of Hogwarts. Within twenty minutes I have had enough, and I prepare to use the dry tone of sass I inherited from my father.
"Sorry to interrupt the giggle fest but are your lives really so unsatisfactory that you have to resort to petty gossiping about other people? If so then please take the liberty of being quiet and getting a life because some people are trying to read over here."
I take a moment to savour the look on their faces while thinking, well, that worked.