CHAPTER ONE
A drop of rain landed on the tip of an eleven year old boy's nose. He twitched his nose until the raindrop slid off his nose and then wiped it until it was dry with the back of his hand a few times in a dog-like motion. However a slightly taller and skinnier boy of the same age standing next to him seemed to notice nothing and continued to stare at the face of the large clock-tower on the opposite side of the road through his rectangular-shaped spectacles.
"We'd better hurry and get inside before we get soaked," said the shorter of the two having finally dried his nose until another raindrop attacked his ear.
"Yeah let's go. The train leaves in five minutes" replied the other.
The two boys pulled their fairly large suitcases up the stairs and through the doors of Kings Cross Station.
"Manoj?"
"Hmm..?" replied the taller of the two as they rushed past the staircase that lead to platforms 5 and 6.
"Where the hell is platform nine and three-quarters?"
A woman in a suit overheard and shot him a look of bewilderment as she walked passed.
"No idea," said Manoj, looking around nervously.
"Excuse me young men but I couldn't help eavesdropping on your most exciting conversation," said a voice from behind them.
The two boys turned around to find a man who looked like he could be in his late thirties with black hair and a fringe which covered half of what appeared to be a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead followed by two teenage boys with similar untidy black hair and a young girl with ginger hair.
"We're on our way to platform nine and three-quarters right now. If you'd like to follow us we'll be more than happy to show you the way. It's Lily's first time too," explained the man with the lightning bolt-shaped scar as he gestured at the young ginger haired girl. A nervous smile broke across here face as her eyes met Manoj's but his companion was still looking at the friendly man as the six of them carried their suitcases down the staircase that led them to platform nine and platform ten.
"I'm Mathavan and this is my cousin, Manoj. Thank you very much, sir," He said.
"You're very welcome," replied the father of three as they walked past the second brick pillar between platforms nine and ten.
"Okay we've got two minutes now. You kids wouldn't want to miss the Hogwarts Express, believe me. All you have to do is run at the wall there."
The man gestured at the third brick pillar between platforms nine and ten.
"Albus and James, go first and show these two how it's done."
"Okay dad, bye" said his tallest son.
"See you at Christmas" said the other.
And without a seconds notice they charged at the wall between platform nine and ten and vanished through it. The man now holding the ginger girl's hand laughed at the stunned expressions on Mathavan's and Manoj's faces.
"Now you boys give it a go."
"O-Okay."
"On the count of three?" Manoj asked hopefully.
"On the count of three," Mathavan replied.
"One..."
"Two..."
"THREE!" and they charged at the wall but instead of the expected collision it was almost like walking through a brick portal on to a whole new platform with children hurrying on to the train being seen off by parents. Some of the adults were wearing oddly coloured robes which bemused Manoj and Mathavan.
"Look!"
Mathavan pointed at the sign above which read 'platform nine and three-quarters'.
"At least we've found the right place thanks to that man. We'd better jump on," advised Manoj.
"Let's go."
As soon as they stepped onto the train a sudden warm sensation grew inside of them. It seemed as if the Hogwarts Express gave the feeling of warmth and comfort to those inside it. Manoj looked from carriage to carriage, shortly followed by Mathavan, looking for an empty compartment but as they were two of the last to get on the train this task seemed almost impossible. They got a few odd looks from inside one of the compartments. A young boy with fine white hair of around the same age as them glared with a look of apparent disgust at their appearance. They moved on quickly and found a compartment which was empty but for a blonde haired girl and the lightning bolt-scarred man's daughter. They breathed a slight sigh of relief to see a familiar face. Manoj opened the door and Mathavan followed.
"Hi, sorry to bother you. Do you mind if we share this compartment with you? There aren't many..."
"Yeah, sure!" Lily injected excitedly.
"I don't know if you remember but I'm Lily and this is my cousin Stephanie."
"Hello Lily. Hello Stephanie," mumbled the boys in an untimely fashion.
"What are you're names again?"
"I'm Manoj and this is Mathavan."
"You two are both muggleborn right?" asked Stephanie.
"Umm..what's a muggleborn?" asked Mathavan exchanging nervous looks with Manoj.
Stephanie giggled at their worried looks.
"It's nothing to worry about. It just means you have non-magical parents. You're dressed as muggles."
"Muggles are people who are non-magical," she added as she noticed the two confused expressions remaining on their faces.
"Oh right. Yeah then we're muggleborns. Our parents were freaked when we got the visit."
"You got a visit? We just received a letter because our parents used to go to schools that teach magic. Who did you get a visit from?" asked Stephanie eagerly.
"Well I got a visit from the gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid," explained Manoj.
"And I got visited from Professor Aberforth Dumbledore but I'm not exactly sure what it is he does.."
"Oh he teaches Care of Magical Creatures. So does Hagrid. They both get along with mum and dad so I've seen them quite a few times before. What was it like, seeing wizards for the first time?" asked Lily.
"It was weird. Seeing a guy as huge as Hagrid. He's not human is he?"
Lily shook her head.
"He's half human – half giant."
"That fits," said Manoj.
"What about Dumbledore, Mathavan? What was he like?" Stephanie asked.
"Well he came around when my parents were out of the house and he couldn't just explain that I was a wizard just to me. He was at the doorstep for an hour or so and I could tell he was getting impatient. He was kinda scary until my parents got home."
"Dad says he may not be the humblest of men but he's okay once you get to know him," explained Lily.
The four of them got along well. The school prefects were going in to compartments advising students to change into their school robes as their arrival at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was immanent. Manoj and Mathavan left the compartment to find the food trolley while the girls changed into their robes and once the girls were ready the girls set out to find the guys and let them change at the compartment while they took over pigging out at the food trolley. A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately," as the girls returned to the compartment.
"I don't know if I want to be in Gryffindor," admitted Lily. "Both of my brothers are in Gryffindor and I barely put up with them at home."
"My dad said it's most likely I'll get put into Gryffindor because there isn't anyone in the family who hasn't been sorted into any other house," explained Stephanie.
"But my mum thinks I'm more like her than my dad and says I could be in Ravenclaw."
"How many houses are there?" asked Manoj just as the train came to a stop and arrived at its destination.
"There are four," answered Lily.
"Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin."
"I don't want to be in Slytherin. Apparantly dark wizards come out of Slytherin even though dad says one of the best headmasters of Hogwarts was in Slytherin."
"You don't want to be in Slytherin eh? It's a shame that," a snide voice came from just outside the compartment. The compartment door flew open and a boy with fine white hair stood at the doorway with two boys. He gazed slowly at them as if he were about to leap at his prey.
"So do you want to be in Slytherin then?" Mathavan asked the boy.
"I wasn't talking to you, mudblood," spat the boy.
Mathavan didn't know what 'mudblood' meant but knew it wasn't a replacement for 'buddy' as both Lily gasped in shock and Stephanie clasped her mouth whereas the two accompanying the white haired boy chuckled.
The boy laughed at the reactions of the girls.
"I can see that we're going to get along just fine. The name's Clement. Clement Yaxley. See you all at the sorting." And he left as quick as a fox.
"What's a mudblood?" Manoj asked turning to face the girls.
"It's an offensive word for someone who is muggleborn. Don't worry about it so much Mathavan," Stephanie replied patting him on the back as she saw the contemptuous look on Mathavan's face.
"It's not that which is worrying me. One of the guys was Kiri, a friend from my old school and he just laughed at me."
"Oh don't let those douche-bags get you down. We've got Hogwarts to look forward to!" shouted Lily enthusiastically.
"Yeah you're right Lily. Let's go."
"Firs'-years this way! Any more firs'-years? All righ' there Manarj?" bellowed a loud voice. Manoj looked up excitedly as he was the last one to step off the train. A very large man's bearded face was visible over a sea of hurrying children
"Hello Hagrid. How are you?"
"I'm a tad hungry now I come ter think o' it. If yeh'll step this way I'll guide yeh ter the boats though. Firs' years follow me!".
They followed Hagrid down a narrow path which lead to a large black lake which was visible at the end of the path. On the other side of the river a castle of many turrets and towers sat on top of a high mountain. Astonished and excited voices were now heard from the group of first-year students.
"Yep. Tha's Hogwarts. She's jus beau'iful, ain' she? Now if yer come forward, yeh'll need to get in ter these boats. No more'n four in a boat!" Hagrid called.
Manoj, Mathavan, Stephanie and Lily all sat in the same boat. Manoj looked around at the other boats and he saw that Clement Yaxley, the boy called Kiri, and two more boys all shared a boat. Clement saw that Manoj was looking in his direction and made a rude hand gesture at Manoj, who suddenly turned to face the Hogwarts castle again.
"Everyone get in all righ'? Okay then – FORWARD!"
They were carried across the black lake and along a dark tunnel which seemed to be taking them directly underneath the castle until they reached a harbour at ground-level where they got out of the boats.
"Everyone out? Righ' then. Follow me!"
Hagrid led the students up a grassy passageway which led up to the front doors of the castle. He raised a giant fist and knocked three times on the castle door. The door swung open at once. A tall, grey-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood at the doorway.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
"Righ' yeh are, Professor McGonagall."
She pulled the door wide.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly. But before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses."
She then went on to explain how the sorting into houses worked and explained about the four houses and that the House Cup will be awarded to the house with the most points at the end of the year.
"Now the sorting is about to begin. Form a line and follow me," she told the first-years.
They left the chamber and walked through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Mathavan and Manoj were dumbfounded. The many candles gave the hall a magnificent glow. The Great Hall consisted of four long tables which were already occupied by the rest of the school and at the front of the hall was a table which the teachers sat at. The ageing professor lead the first-year students between the two centre tables. Manoj, who strolled forward behind Mathavan and was followed by Lily with Stephanie behind her, looked up at the ceiling and yet there appeared to be no ceiling as he glared at the shining stars in the night sky despite it being surprisingly warm.
"Dad said the ceiling is bewitched to take the surroundings of outside of the castle," Lily whispered into Manoj's ear.
"That explains a lot," his reply was barely audible over his shoulder.
As Professor McGonagall came to a halt Manoj, who hadn't realised the line was stopping as he was still staring at the ceiling, stumbled into Mathavan and grabbed his shoulders to keep his balance. Giggles were heard from witnesses in the vicinity including Lily and Stephanie as Mathavan glanced around to see Manoj straighten his spectacles.
"Sorry."
Mathavan turned to the front and tip-toed to see what was going on. Professor McGonagall quietly placed a four-legged stool in front of the line of first-years and on top of the stool she positioned a very dirty old pointed wizard's hat which appeared to have a face. It opened it's mouth and began to sing. The hat's song lasted for a good three minutes but seemed to go on for an hour to Manoj and Mathavan. After the applause of the occupants of the Hall died down, Professor McGonagall stepped forward and faced the line of first-year students.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said.
"Abbott, Maria!"
A pink-faced girl with straight blonde hair stepped out of the line and walked excitedly up to the stool and put on the hat which covered her eyes and landed on the top of her nose. After a moment's pause -
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat and the table on the far right applauded. She skipped excitedly off to the Hufflepuff table and sat in one of the unoccupied seats.
"Axel, Romesh!"
A thin dark-skinned boy walked forward, sat on the stool and put the Sorting Hat on. The hat wasn't on for too long before it bellowed:
"SLYTHERIN!"
A fair few names were called out, including Rawfiah Charizard who got sorted into Gryffindor, until-
"Delacour-Weasley, Stephanie"
Stephanie slowly and nervously walked up to the stool and placed the hat on her head. A minute of silence went by before that hat bellowed:
"RAVENCLAW!"
Lily was looked slightly disheartened as Stephanie was greeted by the Ravenclaw students on the table next to Hufflepuff's.
A few names went by and Mathavan looked on.
"Pacman, Kirisanth"
"That's the boy from my old school," Mathavan whispered to Manoj.
Kiri put on the hat and this time the hat took longer to decide. And eventually -
"Well if you're sure – SLYTHERIN!"
Mathavan was sure Kiri glanced at him for a second before joining in with the celebrations on the Slytherin table on the far left.
"Potter, Lily" was the next student to be called out. Lily walked forward confidently as a few whispers broke out throught the hall. "Silence!" shouted Professor McGonagall. Manoj gave Lily a thumbs up and Lily returned her thanks with a smile. She placed the hat smartly on her head so that it wouldn't slide down any further than her eyebrows.
Without a second's notice that hat bellowed: "GRYFFINDOR!".
Lily looked pretty relieved for someone who said she wanted to be away from her brothers and happily skipped over to the Gryffindor table and took the nearest empty seat as the rest of the Gryffindor students congratulated her. Two more names were called out.
"Rayman, Manoj," called out Professor McGonagall.
"Good luck," Mathavan whispered to him as he walked up to the stool.
He put the hat on and it was the frame of his glasses that was keeping the hat from covering the whole of his head. The hat appeared to be thinking for a few seconds.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Yes!" Mathavan heard Manoj shout in relief shortly followed by a snort from the back of the queue. He turned to see Clement Yaxley eyeing Manoj with a snide smirk on his face. Manoj made his way to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Lily who patted him on the back as the other Gryffindors cheered.
After a few more names Professor McGonagall called out "Sonic, Mathavan."
Curiosity was etched across as face as Mathavan sat on the stool. The hat sat on his head for as long as it did when it was on Kiri's head. Mathavan looked up nervously at Manoj.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed once more.
