Catching the Keeper: A Story of Hogwarts
The Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform 9 ¾, billowing steam and smoke as it went, and causing excited squeals at it gently rolled to a stop. The whistle blew and all around her Katie Bell was swallowed up by the delight of her classmates. At her side her mother and father clung tightly to each other. She may be sixteen years old, but she was still their baby. Katie's older brother, Michael, stood a little ways off. He had graduated two years ago, but he still had a couple friends in their final year. On a whim he decided to tag along and to come to the station. Katie glanced in his direction and snorted. He was flirting, shamelessly, with girls who were too young for him. Katie's parents didn't notice, they were too busy staring at her with wide eyes. After a moment, her mother wrapped her up in a hug and Katie giggled a little.
"Mom. Mom! It's okay. I'll be back at Christmas." Her mother squeezed her a little tighter before she let go. She took a step back, then reached up to stroke her daughter's hair, tucking a few stray pieces behind her ear.
"I know honey. You're just getting so big." Katie rolled her eyes and stepped into her father's arms.
"Goodbye, we love you. Have a good year, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead, then stepped back and hoisted her trunk onto his shoulders. As he went to stow it below the train, Michael wandered up, dragging his feet. Her brother was tall and ruddy, popular with the girls, even if he was shameless. Michael smiled at his younger sister and cuffed her on the shoulder.
"Be good punk. Stay out of trouble." Katie rolled her eyes.
"Thanks Michael." He only grinned in response and glanced impatiently around. He was ready to go home. Luckily, his patience had lasted just long enough. The train blared its final warning. A final kiss, one last hug, and she was gone, jogging to the train, her book bag flopping against her hip.
Katie still wore her street clothes, muggle jeans and a tee shirt. Everywhere she looked there were her classmates, and most of them were already in robes. Katie would have been as well, but every year her parents took her to breakfast before they caught the train. It would have been weird to wear robes to a restaurant. She would just have to change on the train.
It took several tries before she found the right car. She would slide open the door, realize it wasn't her friends, then smirk awkwardly and try the next one. Luckily, almost everyone was doing the same thing. The train was alive with energy, and after many hugs from the Gryffindors and a couple rude words exchanged with the Slytherins, Katie found herself at the back of the train. Finally, she found the right car and slid it open. Angelina and Alicia both stood up at the same time. All three girls shrieked and rushed together, bumping heads, crushing toes, and hugging with delight. They hadn't seen each other all summer. They had exchanged a few letters, but travel plans had kept them apart. Alicia spent the summer in Egypt, and Angelina had visited her grandmother in France. Katie was left to miss them from her suburban home.
When they finally settled down, Angelina and Alicia sat on the bench across from Katie and the three of them talked in rapid voices, practically all at the same time. When the food cart rolled by, the girls each bought an armful of things. It was their tradition. Each they made the journey to Hogwarts, laughing, squealing, and eating junk. When the cart rolled away, Angelina looked at Katie and said, with her mouth full of chocolate frog,
"Kates, you should change. It won't be official until you're wearing the Gryffindor red and gold again." Katie rolled her eyes but stood to fish her robes out of her bag. While she outwardly showed exasperation, Angelina was right, it wouldn't feel like they were going back to school until she put on the robes. Long time friendship brought with it a lack of shame and Katie didn't think twice before she wiggled out of her jeans and top. She gently lobed a shoe at Alicia, a sock at Angelina, and wiggled her tush at both of them. The girls playfully shrieked and Alicia swatted at her friend.
"Ewwww Katie! Nobody wants to see that!" Katie laughed and looked at her in askance, full of fake outrage. She was stripped down to her purple bra and panties, so Angelina took the opportunity to poke Katie in the ribs. All three girls howled and tussled before Katie called a truce.
"Enough! Enough! Let me get dressed! I bet you anything the teachers will pick this moment to check on us." Alicia giggled.
"Oh god, how awkward would that be. You better hide your goodies." Angelina snorted into her pumpkin juice. Katie giggled and unbundled her robes from her bag. She was shaking them out with a smart snap when the compartment door burst open. Now all three girls shrieked in earnest, Katie loudest of all. A pair of red heads burst into the compartment and as Katie yelled obscenities, Fred chortled. The flash of a camera went off as he spoke.
"Smile ladies! It's our new thing, Gryffindors gone wild!" As Katie hastily pulled on her robes, Angelina and Alicia rose to attack. Angelina clamped her hands over George's eyes, while Alicia took a more violent route and wrenched Fred's arms into a full nelson. Very soon both boys were expelled from the car, Angelica and Alicia leaned against the door.
When the shock wore off, Angelia and Alicia looked into Katie's horrified face. The three girls paused for a second, taking in each other's disbelief. Alicia bit her lip even as a snort of laughter slipped past. That did it. The three girls howled with laughter. Angelina doubled over, clutching her stomach and Katie chortled and whipped the Gryffindor tie around her neck, leaving it to hang undone. Now that the girls were laughing, Fred and George had apparently decided it was safe again. The twins pounded against the door.
"Come on ladies! Let us in! We were only fooling around." Fred echoed George's voice hastily.
"We'll only show the picture to people if they pay a lot of money!" Katie giggled and shrugged, nodding to her friends to let them in. As the door slid back open, the boys tromped in, trying to look ashamed but smiling broadly instead. Katie marched up to them and raised a scolding finger, shaking it inches from their noses.
"You two are worse than wolves! Behave yourselves." After a moment she howled again.
"And I want that picture!" Fred and George both nodded, looking properly cowed before they enveloped Katie in a smothering hug. Hardly a single heartbeat passed before Alicia and Angelina joined in. In a large mass of mutual friendship and affection, the five of them ushered in their sixth year at Hogwarts.
**Authors Note: In case this is not your first time reading through, you probably noticed that I did a bit of editing and reposted this chapter. Be warned, editing is NOT my strong suit. I will do my best, but there will be moments when I fail, and I always appreciate it when someone kindly points those moments out to me. Thanks much! **
