Chapter 1 The train journey

Iris POV

I'm excited because I'm going to hogwarts! The platform is filled with so many different people but I am ignoring them. Finally I can go to hogwarts and be myself for a bit. I'm worried about what house I'll end up in and whether I will make friends, I don't want to be in Slytherin like my parents were. My parents are standing next to me, and are scowling at a muggleborn girl. They are always like this, thinking we're better because we're plureblood. I don't like it when they do this, I personally like muggleborns and halfbloods.Of course I wasn't letting any of this show on my face as I walked onto platform nine and three quarters, if anyone were to look my way all they would see was a nice looking eleven year old girl with long jet black hair and startlingly violet eyes with blank expression showing on her face (I hid all my emotions behind my mask when I was around my parents).

"Iris remember you must uphold the family honour and do nothing that could disgrace our name"

"Yes mother" I replied. I was going to ignore this, it probably wasn't a good idea but who cares, I'll be at hogwarts and no longer at home with just my parents and house elves. Mr and Mrs Blaze were not among the most pleasant people to be around even less so if you had to live with them. I walked forward with my trunk in tow and got on the train, after storing my trunk safely in a rack I had to find a compartment to sit down. I came across an empty compartment and started to settle down for the journey. Just as I did a girl opened the door and behind her I could see a boy.

"Hello, is anyone sitting here?"

"No"

"My name is Lily Evans and this is Severus Snape and we're first years, who are you?" she asked. I took a proper look at both of them as they moved further into the compartment to sit down. Lily was quite small for her age and had long red hair and green eyes while Severus was almost the opposite being rather tall with shortish black greasy hair and dark almost black eyes. Finally I answered and said

"My name is Iris Blaze and I'm a first year too"

"That's great, we could be friends, we could even sleep in the same dormitory"

"That would depend on which house you get put in" Severus cut in "personally I think Slytherin is the best and hope we go there"

"All my family have been in Slytherin but I don't want to be - I don't care where I am as long as it's not Slytherin" I said, taking a dislike to Severus after what he said. I saw Severus scowl and open his mouth but Lily got there before he did.

"Who cares for now" we decided to drop the subject and we spent the rest of the journey talking happily. I made fast friends with Lily and I got along with Severus even with his desire to be in Slytherin.

"Anything off the trolly dears?" A women stopped us talking to offer us snacks but we all shook our heads and she moved on. Later on during the journey Severus went out of the compartment allowing Lily to change into her robes (I was already in mine). Finally the train started slowing down and a wave of excitement rushed through me, I was at hogwarts! Lily, Severus and I got off the train together and followed a big booming voice saying

"First years over here, all first years this way" the voice belonged to a huge man with hands the size of dustbin lids but despite his huge size his eyes were full of kindness and warmth.

"OK is that everyone? Great, you can call me Hagrid, four to a boat" He had led us to a big lake with lots of small boats and he climbed into one taking up a full boat by himself. The three of us climbed into a boat and was joined by a scared looking boy who didn't even attempt to make conversation. As the boats started to move across the lake one boat caught my eye it had four boys in, one had messy black hair that was sticking up everywhere, one also had black hair but it was much neater than the other boy's, I regonised this one his name is Sirus Black and his family are pureblood like mine, I has seen him at parties but never spoken to him, both of the first two boys had an air of confidence around them that seems totally unnatural considering the fact that they are starting a new school. The other two boys in the boat were more nervous looking, one had fair hair and mousey looking features while the other had light brown hair and a lot of scars showing on what skin I saw. What had caught my eye in the first place was that the two boys with black hair were standing up in the boat rocking it playfully as if testing how far it can go before it turns upside down. SPLASH! Not very long then I guess. I started laughing out loud at them. The four boys were in the water treading water to stay afloat and the two boys that had been rocking the boat started blaming each other for the capsize. Suddenly a giant tentacle emerged from the lake, which gained a shriek from Lily who was sat next to me (it hurt my ears!), it put the boat the right way up and more tentacles came out and plonked each boy unceremoniously back in the boat before retreating to the depths of the lake.

"You alright there boys" Hagrid asked.

"That was so cool!" exclaimed both black hair boys while the mousy looking one started shivering and the other one just rolled his eyes at them.

"That was stupid, they're so immature" Lily said. Severus and the other boy said nothing. I nodded my head but personally I thought it looked like good fun and could see myself becoming friends with them in the future even if one was from a family like mine, he didn't act like it.