Albus was nervous as he boarded the Hogwarts Express. This was his first year at Hogwarts. James, his older brother, had said that he would do great and that it was no big deal, but Albus wasn't so sure. He'd never been away from his parents or Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron before.
He walked around on the train, looking for a place to sit. James had been kind enough to offer a seat next to him, but Albus didn't want to embarrass his older brother like that. He sat in an empty compartment.
Before too long, a girl came in and sat next to him. "Hi, I'm Grace Skeffington. This is my first year at Hogwarts. What is your name?"
"I'm Albus. This is my first year, too. What house do you want to be put in this year?" Albus asked.
"Oh, I really don't care. It's not really the house that I'm put in that matters to me. It's that I make the most of my years at Hogwarts. What house would you prefer?"
"Well, I wanna be in Gryffindor. So far, my whole family's been in it. I want to carry on the Potter name."
"Oh, you're a Potter? Even though my parents are both Muggles, I've heard all about your father! You must be so proud to have a father who is so famous." Grace marveled.
"Yeah, the bad part is that I have really big shoes to fill, though. Sometimes I wish I wasn't his son, so I could have a clean slate. I love my mum and dad, though, and I wouldn't give them up for the world. I guess I'll just have to live with my reputation."
"Well, it's better than starting with a bad reputation, at least."
Albus shrugged. "Sure, I guess you've got a point."
The two sat and talked for a little while, comparing the few spells they knew and the little knowledge they had of magic. Albus knew more about what you had to do to get a spell to work, but Grace knew more spells than he.
After a little while, a white-blond haired boy came into the compartment with them. He introduced himself as Lee Lovegood. Grace and Albus introduced themselves as well. Lee seems a little… different. thought Albus. Oh well, he certainly does seem smart.
When asked what house he wanted to be in, Lee said that he wanted to be in Ravenclaw. When asked why, he said he wanted to carry on the Lovegood name. Albus thought for a moment, and then said, "Is your mother Luna Lovegood?"
"Yes, why do you ask?" replied Lee.
"Because my parents know yours! Your parents are Luna and Seamus, right? But then, how come your last name isn't Finnigan?"
"Yes, those are my parents. Mum didn't want to change her name, so Dad agreed to change his. So now, he's Seamus Lovegood, said Lee, matter-of-factly.
"Yes, my dad is Harry Potter and my mum is Ginny Potter."
"Oh, Mum and Dad talk about them all the time! Apparently, your dad saved my mum's life quite a few times," mused Lee.
"And I'm sure your mum was quick to return the favor," replied Albus. He looked out the window, something he had forgotten to do during the whole ride. "Oh, wow!" he exclaimed, "We're here already! That train ride went a lot faster than I expected."
The train screeched to a halt. "Time to get off!" said both Grace and Lee together. Albus was beginning to feel as if he was the only one who was scared. Ah, well, he thought, at least now I have a couple of friends to help get me through the year.