New Girl
Rosaleen Teague stared around the train station hoping to find Platform 9 and 3/4. Platforms nine and ten were clearly visible but there was nothing in between them. No tiny little platform as she had assumed there would be. Beginning to panic a little she trudged towards platform nine, hoping to find somebody she could ask. The letter had said 9 and 3/4, she was certain of that having checked it over and over again before today, so it had to be around here somewhere. As she pulled her heavy trunk along to platform nine she spotted a boy carrying an owl and pulling a trunk along behind him. He was heading in the same direction she was so she fell in behind him and followed. Instead of heading towards either platform though he walked straight towards the barrier between the two. And suddenly disappeared. Rosaleen shook her head. Surely she couldn't have been imagining him? Just as she was about to inspect the barrier she was rudely pushed aside by a blond haired boy about her age and an older man who looked enough like him to be his father.
"Out of the way," the older man said with a sneer.
Rosaleen glared as the two of them disappeared into the barrier. Forgetting all about how impossible it was to walk through a barrier like that she followed them, her eyes flashing with fury. As soon as she stepped through the barrier though she forgot all about the boy and his father and stood gazing around in wonder. Men and women crowded around, hugging their children and laughing and joking with them. The air was filled with noisy chatter and the screeches of owls indignant at being carted around in cages. Somebody tapped her on the shoulder and, realising she was blocking the entrance to the platform she stepped aside without looking around. After another look around the platform at the bustling crowd of people she walked towards the train and heaved her trunk aboard. As she was one of the first aboard she had no problems finding an empty compartment to sit in. She took a book out of her trunk and opened it. Instead of reading though she stared out of the window at the people she would be going to school with from now on, hoping to spot somebody worthy of her attention. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, the boys were disgusting. Loud, uncouth creatures not worthy of the attentions of somebody like her. Then she spotted him. Tall, red haired, dressed in clothes that looked worn enough to be fashionable. And talking to another girl. She pursed her lips. That would soon be stopped. He wouldn't be able to resist her womanly charms and she would soon run his girlfriend, if that's who the other girl was, off. She inspected the girl carefully. She had a nice figure but her looks were nothing special. And that hair! Rosaleen grinned. The girl looked as though she had been dragged through a hedge backwards! What man wouldn't give that up for a well groomed young lady like herself?
It wasn't long before students began scrambling aboard the train shouting last goodbyes to their families standing on the platform. Rosaleen began to read her book once the red haired boy was out of sight but she was soon disturbed by somebody poking their head into the compartment.
"Do you mind if we sit in here?"
Rosaleen looked up. It was the girl with bushy hair. And behind here was the red haired boy. She nodded. "Sure, there's plenty of space."
The two entered the compartment and sat down opposite.
"I'm worried, Ron," the girl said. "It's not like Harry to be late."
"He's probably having problems getting here," Ron said with a shrug. "You know what his aunt and unlce are like. Stop worrying Hermione, even if Harry misses the train I doubt Dumbledore will let him miss a whole year of school. Mcgonagall shouted at us asking why we didn't owl her to let her know what had happened when Dobby made us miss the train in second year. He'll think to send Hedwig with a note if he does miss the train."
At that moment the door to the compartment opened and a scruffy looking boy with dark hair and emerald green eyes burst in.
"Sorry I'm late guys!" he panted. "Dudley decided at the last minute that he absolutely had to be dropped off at his friends house and Unlce Vernon indulged him of course. I didn't think I was going to make it."
"Neither did we," Hermione told him moving along the seat to make room for him. "How come you didn't come to the Burrow this year?"
Harry shot a look at Rosaleen. "I'll explain later."
Hermione nodded. "So what subjects are you taking this year?"
Ron groaned. "Hermione, do we have to go through this again. Harry's taking most of the subjects I'm taking, we both want to be Aurors remember."
"But what about your Potions grades?" Hermione asked. "You know Snape wont take you with the grades you got."
Ron shrugged. "I'm sure we'll be able to work something out about that. You know how Dumbledore is, he'll make Snape take us or something."
Hermione shook her head. "Honestly Ron, not everything is going to be handed to you on a plate you know. There are things you have to work for! What about History of Magic?"
Both boys looked at her as though she were mad. "History of Magic? What about it?"
Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. "Are you taking it or dropping it?"
"Dropping it," they said in unison. "Honestly," Ron continued. "Why on Earth would we want to carry on taking it? Binns is dull as dishwater, we can hardly stay awake through his lessons let alone learn enough to pass an exam at NEWT level!"
Harry nodded. "And it's not as though it's a subject we need to become an Auror. Transfiguration is going to be the difficult one for you Ron, I think you just scraped a high enough mark didn't you?"
Ron nodded. "I just hope McGonagall doesn't refuse to take me because of that."
"I doubt she will," Hermione said pulling a book out of her bag. "You'll have to work harder this year than you did last year though. Don't forget, I'm not going to be in all your lessons with you this year so you won't be able to rely on me to take notes for you."
"Excuse me," Rosaleen said politely. "I'm new here and taking my NEWTS next year too. Could you tell me whether there are any teachers I should be wary of?"
"Snape," Harry and Ron said at once.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "She won't need to worry about him if she's in Slytherin will she?" She turned to Rosaleen. "Do you know what house you'll be in yet or do you have to be Sorted with the other new ones?"
"I assume I'll have to be sorted with the rest," Rosaleen said. "Nobody's told me much really, I just got a letter a few weeks ago saying that I'd be transferring to Hogwarts whether I liked it or not. They didn't even tell me why."
"Weird," Hermione said with a frown. "I wonder why they did that. I'm Hermione Granger by the way, this is Ronald Weasley and this is Harry Potter."
Rosaleens eyes widened. "THE Harry Potter?"
Harry glared at Hermione and sighed. "Yes, the real Harry Potter. I have the scar, look." He pushed his hair off his forehead to reveal the lightning bolt shaped scar.
Rosaleen leaned back in her seat. "Wow, I never expected to meet somebody famous on my first day! I'm Rosaleen Teague by the way, nice to meet you all. What's Hogwarts like?"
"What do you mean?" Ron asked. "It's just school. I suppose it's just like any other school really. You go to lessons, you do homework, you go to meals and you sleep. Oh, and you get to go to Hogsmeade on certain weekends as long as you have a signed permission slip."
"None of us have been to another magical school," Hermione said. "So we can't really compare Hogwarts to any of them. You'll see it for yourself soon enough though.
The four of them settled down to pass the time after that. Hermione and Rosaleen read, Harry and Ron played exploding snap. After about an hour had passed the door opened again and the blond haired boy who had pushed Rosaleen out of the way walked in.
"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry asked reaching for his wand. "Go back to where you belong and leave us alone."
"Where's the Mudblood?" Malfoy asked. "We need her for something."
"Like hell you do," Ron said getting to his feet and pointing his wand at the blond. "The only thing you'd want Hermione for is to torture her."
Malfoy sneered. "What would you know Weasley? You're the blood traitor here. A pureblood like you fraternising with Muggles and Mudbloods like her, it's disgusting. Do you have no pride."
"Get out," Harry said quietly. "You're not wanted here and if you don't leave we will make you leave."
"Are you threatening me Potter?" Malfoy sounded amused rather than angry.
Harry held his gaze steadily. "I'm warning you, not threatening you. Turn around and walk back out that door. Now. You haven't got your little buddies here to back you up this time. Or hadn't you noticed that?"
Malfoy glanced around and went white. "What did you do with them Potter?"
"They were never with you in the first place," Hermione told him. "Not so brave when they're not around are you Malfoy?"
"How dare you speak to me!" Malfoy said angrily. "Filthy little Mudbloods like you don't address people like me. Hold your tongue!"
"That does it," Ron growled and began to advance on Malfoy, still keeping his wand trained on him. "Get out before I throw you out."
Malfloy backed away looking a little worried as Harry joined his friend. "I'll tell Professor Snape!"
Harry shrugged. "Tell him, he can't be any worse than he usually is with us."
Fumbling behind him for the button to open the door Malfoy gave a weak grin. "Don't you believe that Potter. Snape could make your life a misery if he wanted to. He simply chooses not to." Finding the button at last he slipped through the door before it was fully open and was soon gone.
"One day we'll reach Hogwarts without running into him," Harry said as he pocketed his wand and sat down.
"Yeah, when Hell freezes over," Ron said. "Where's that trolley with the food? I'm bloody starving!"
"You're always starving Ron," Hermione said without looking up from her book. "It'll be here soon. And then it won't be long until we get to Hogwarts for the Feast. You know it's always a good one the first day back." The lunch trolley came and went and it wasn't long after that that they felt the train begin to slow down.
"Almost there!" Hermione said putting her book away. "Put the cards away you two. Rosaleen, best get ready. You'll probably be going to Hogwarts with Hagrid in the boats."
"Hagrids cool," Harry said with a grin. "Scared me half to death the first time I saw him though."
"We'll see you at the Sorting," Hermione said as the train came to a halt. "Everybody gets to see that."
"Yeah, it can be pretty bad," Ron said with a grin. "You might have to fight a troll or something."
Hermione elbowed him. "Ignore him," she said to Rosaleen. "He's an idiot at times."
"Only at times?" Harry asked with a grin. "I thought he was an idiot all the time. See you at the Sorting Rosaleen, good luck!"
Finding herself alone in the compartment and uncertain of where she was supposed to go Rosaleen got off the train and looked around in confusion. A huge man was shouting for first years to go to him and a stern looking woman was supervising students getting into carriages that seemed to move on their own. Uncertainly Rosaleen approached her.
"Excuse me, I'm Rosaleen Teague and I've just transferred here. I'm not really sure where I'm supposed to go."
The woman looked at her for a moment. "I think the boats with Hagrid would be best, arrive at the school the way all new students do. Go along now, Hagrids the tall one over there with the crowd around him."
Rosaleen spotted Harry, Hermione and Ron getting into one of the carriages with a blonde girl and waved to them before making her way over to where Hagrid stood.