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"This is it, I guess."

Spencer Hastings came to a dead stop, her sister accidentally hitting her ankles with the rusty luggage trolley. The brunette's hazel eyes dragged their gaze upwards, to stare at the rotting sign that hung over the stone archway.

"Yes, it's Kings Cross Station. Mum, can we go now?"

Melissa sighed loudly at her sister and looked imploringly at the woman beside her. A badge on her immaculate black robes reflected the dim sunlight, making her sister wince. When there was no reply, Melissa marched on, her cat sitting royally on her trunk.

"Melissa's right, Spencer. We really need to get going."

Spencer sighed and took her mother's hand. They trudged through the dull station, before stopping in front of a brick pillar. Spencer had taken the rout many times before with her older sister, and had none of the usual first-year's worry. Making sure there was no one looking, she and Veronica quickly slid through the barrier.

"SPENCER!"

Spencer had a moment of standing upright, before getting completely knocked over by a small girl.

"Ari-ia!" Spencer gasped, while catching her breath. "Next time, could you give me warning before you fling me down on the concrete?"

Aria grinned guiltily. "Maybe, let me think about it."

Her brown hair was in a short bob, crowned by a large white lily. Wearing a short fringed top and flared jeans, she was clutching a hairy tabby that looked about as happy as Melissa.

"He's sooooo cute, isn't he?"

Spencer looked at the overlarge cat, and gave a non-committal 'Mmm.'

"Hanna and Emily are meeting us on the train, are you coming?"

Aria was making her way up the locomotives steps, lugging her purple duffle bag behind her. In seconds, she was engulfed by white smoke. The train was hooting its warning bell now, and the crowd on the platform was growing thinner.

Spencer looked around. "Mum? MUM!"

Veronica rushed up behind her, looking flustered.

"Spencer, why are you not on the train? You're going to miss it!"

"I wanted to say goodb-"

"Get on the train!"

Her mother was practically pushing her up the stairs. So much for a tearful farewell.

In a huff, Spencer turned her back on her mum and stormed down the red carpeted corridor. Looking in all the glass compartments, she searched desperately for her friends, fiddling with her wand inside her robes.

At long last, she found them sitting in a cluster in the second last compartment. A slim girl wearing sweatpants and a hoodie looked up in interest.

'Spencer, your sleeve's on fire."

Spencer looked down and saw a sea of orang engulfing her left arm. "Oh, right."

She muttered something and a small pool of water gushed out of her wand tip.

"Scourgify." Emily siphoned up the water and moved over. Spencer plunked down next to her. She put her owl, Pluto, down on the floor under her feet. Sighing loudly, she slid further and further down the padded chair.

Opposite her, Hanna and Aria were having a debate over Hogwarts houses.

"Well, duh! Gryffindor is the place to be!"

"I guess Ravencla- I mean, uh, yeah! Gryffindor!" Hanna blushed, and hastily wiped her glasses.

Aria took her by the shoulders.

"Hanna. Fresh start. New people. You don't have to pretend!"

Hanna smiled weakly, but made a mental note to not reveal her nerdish side again.

"Well, if I'm not in Ravenclaw, I'm dead," Spencer stated, fiddling with her plaits. She knew perfectly well that her parents would never forgive her if she got landed in anything but the 'House of Success'. Grimacing, she vowed to ask the hat itself if she could have her first choice. Or her parents first choice, more like.

Sometimes she wished for another family, and that was confirmed as Melissa slid open the door.

"Spencer? Okay. You're alive. Sorry, Dad asked me to check on you. Bye."

Spencer looked down and saw that Pluto had pooped on her new, expensive patent flats.

"This day just keeps on getting better and better."

Darkness was falling, and the lights of the castle were becoming nearer. Aria and Spencer were in their robes, while Hanna lay asleep and Emily was on her phone, earplugs in.

"Okay, what is that?" Spencer stared at the glowing object and exclaimed.

Emily sighed, used to her friend by now. "It's called an IPhone, you can play games and call people and stuff."

When Spencer still looked puzzled, she pressed a few buttons, and Pam's voice filled the room.

"Emily? Why are you calling? Is everything alright? Are YOU alright? What's going on? Speak to me!"

"Relax, mom. Everything's fine. Spencer just wanted to test out my phone, that's all."

"Hmph. Well, next time, try not to call me at 11'oclock at night."

"Time differences, right. Anyway, bye, love you."

A resounding beep came shortly after and Emily glanced at Spencer, who had her mouth open.

"That- that was your mom!?

"Ohmygoshthatsamazing! What enchantments are on that? Where can you get them?"

Emily smiled at her friend's new mood. She missed this Spencer, the one full of ideas, and bubbling with random fancies and scenarios that would most likely never happen.

Still smiling, she gave a detailed speech on the function of a 5S, as the train snaked through the Scottish fields.

My first chapters always suck, I struggle with starting things. But the next ones will be longer and better, promise!

Review and make my day!

~ Lily x